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1st build - any gotchas with these high-value CPUs?

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Hello,

I've been searching passmark data for ideas on which cpu for first time build and am puzzled by why some CPUS seem very inexpensive for their passmark score. For example:
AMD A8-3850 / Passmark score of 5400 / $129
AMD Phenom II x6 1035T / PM 5179 / $129
Athlon II x4 631 / PM 4506 / $80

Is there some drawback with these chips that is not obvious? Why do they look so cheap relative to their performance?

My goal is to build a midrange machine that is mostly for MS office type applications but I do a little video editing so I want something that won't completely suck for that. I use a dual display set up and already have an ok graphics for my purposes (Nvidia GeForce 7600 GS.) I don't do games so I don't need that class of video performance.

Obviously I'm not aiming for the highest performance chips here, but I'd like to get a motherboard that will let me do at least one round of CPU upgrade in 2-3 years before it's completely obsolete.

Any suggestions? Many thanks in advance.

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CPUs Master

Passmark scores are a very generic rating. If video editing/conversion is of top concern, go with the Phenom II X6 in that list you provided. That type of application makes the best use of more cores. The Athlon and Phenom line is aging technology, so they don't draw a high price. But the PhII X6 is excellent for video work.

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CPUs Expert

The AM3+ socket will be the premier socket for higher end AMD chips. The FM1 socket is for processors with the embedded gpu, which isn't as powerfull as the dedicated graphics card. Also the FM1 is generally used for basic computers for users with limited needs. Granted it does what it needs to perfectly. So if you want a higher end cpu in the end, stick with a am3+ socket board. Also, I would suggest the Phenom II x6. The athlon doesn't have L3 cache which is proven to help out on higher load functions.
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