Best Gaming CPU for 150$

Forum CPU & Components : CPUs Best Gaming CPU for 150$

I have 150$ to spend on a CPU.
For a gaming Rig. I want to get the best performance from 30-40-50 Player multiplayer Battlefield 3 (Forget singleplayer)

Ive heard the i3 2120 recommended for highest performance PER Core. But its dual core limited. I would rather go with Quad core. Ive heard Multiplayer large maps can give the i3 2120's trouble. I know gta4 wouldnt run on most dual core.

So Im trying to decide between the

AMD 980 x4
AMD AMD A8-3850 APU
AMD fx 6100

Its looking like the 980 x4 would be the safest bet.

The A8 3850 is well ahead of these chips on this benchmark page, But I guess thats non Gaming.
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html

I guess the 980x4 is the best bet?

Is there anyone here thats dead sure the i3 2120 can run 40 player Multiplayer Battlefield 3 better than the AMD chips?
Or will you really notice no difference?
I would imagine the AMD 980 x4 would win all around.

Reply to robcardiv

This guy praises the Fx 6100 chip like its the king of the world. which is why Im here asking which might be the best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHJfLSUXU_o

He even says hes using Fraps. Which is amazingly smooth for being Fraps enabled X_x
(But this isnt heavy multiplayer combat) so once again Im unsure X_x

Message edited by robcardiv on 02-11-2012 at 02:01:47 PM

Reply to robcardiv

for BF3, all three CPUs are equal for single player (ive heard multi-player is more cpu demanding). the phenom II x4 980 is the better of the three you listed. if i was to choose between it and the i3-2100, i would go with the intel. In most multi-core games the i3 and the phenom II x4 are a wash (in most dual core games the intel shows a good advantage) but the clear advantage would be the intel upgrade path with i5-quads that offer not only better prices but better performance then the AMD upgrade path.

AMD’s Phenom II X4 955 and FX-4100 could certainly appeal to buyers who insist on the ability to handle four threads at a time. At their $125 and $110 respective price points, however, they’re too close to the Hyper-Threaded Core i3-2100 to earn a distinguished recommendation. In our last sub-$200 gaming CPU round-up, we showed that the Core i3-2100 can match AMD's Phenom II X4 955, even while background tasks run in parallel with a game. So, we couldn't even speculate that Intel's Core-i3 2100 might disappoint in a real-world environment with applications running in the background.

Interestingly, the best gaming value in AMD's FX family is its affordable FX-4100. Neither the FX-6100 nor the FX-8120 offer an advantage over this $110 model. Otherwise, things look bleak for AMD enthusiasts hunting for a new gaming rig. You can make the argument that the frame rates offered by FX and Phenom II processors are sufficient, but that's a tough stand to take in light of the competitive benchmarks. Let's be clear; in GPU-bound games, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. But, to be perfectly frank, Intel's processors are the obvious choice in titles that do demonstrate reliance on host processing power. It simply doesn’t make sense to spend more for less. And, in many games, high-end AMD processors demonstrate a quantifiable performance deficit compared to the Core i3-2100. For $190, a stock Core i5-2400 gets you more gaming prowess than any AMD CPU can hope to deliver right now, even overclocked.

http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] 20-10.html

Message edited by dirtyferret on 02-11-2012 at 02:50:38 PM

Reply to dirtyferret

Are you buying a motherboard? Complete new build? Budget?

Reply to Embra

what a crock. the guy claims 50-80 fps is b.s. the 6950 can do 40-70 fps regardless of the cpu (as long as its a 2.6 or better quad threaded) as for his gameplay i noticed stutter. yes its minute but its still there... im glad he's happy with his purchase but he could get better for the same money...
http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] 063-8.html dont just take my word for it.

If you can get some more money and buy a i5-2500k (220$) yes its +70$ over your budget but you will save in the long since the 2500k will probably be able to run games in 1080p at max resolution for years (you'll just have to upgrade your GPU).

If you go with a 150$ CPU you might be ok for 2-3 years you might have to buy another mid range CPU.

All in all go for a quad core since the industrie is going that way. BF3 on a dual core in multiplayer is a no no since its the only game that I know able to run on 6 core somewhat effiently (even if the i5-2500k can cap it).

Message edited by venur on 02-11-2012 at 05:07:44 PM

Reply to venur

I use a AMD Phenom II x4 at 3.6Ghz, with crossfire 5770's and I get extremely smooth gameplay while recording at full HD with FRAPS still.

Proof: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOiCo0h4GqY

This shows that AMD processors are perfectly capable. Ultra settings, while recording 1920 x 1080.

Reply to ONLYUSEmeISAAC

I really rate the 960T as a budget processor though it seems to rarely make it in to any reviews or comparison tables. Mine OC's nicely and I was lucky enough to have one that unlocks to 6 stable cores (though then doesnt OC as well)

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Reply to wr6133

DO NOT buy an FX series processor. It's a total waste of your money. An older black edition Phenom II will beat it in 90% of tasks (including gaming) and be cheaper as well. If you MUST buy AMD, get the 960T off newegg for $125 and overclock it.

However, for a new build, you really should be buying intel. Get an i3-2100, which is the best gaming processor for $125 (and will beat any FX series AMD chip) and then later on you can upgrade to a 2500k if you need more CPU muscle.