APU for a budget game setup?

[dewpoint]

Hello,
Looking at the new apu's from amd. I have enough parts to get a new budget system for games and its between getting an Athlon x3 455 $80 and a used geforce n9600gt VS. AMD A8-3850 Llano $134 plus ram and motherboards for each. The FM1 socket type is alot more than a AM3 mobo but looking more at performance between the medium cpu and older card vs the APU. What would be faster for games; think HL2 episodes, or city builders?

 

[IH8U]

A suggestion.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.762553
$177 AMD A6-3650 (quad core) and ASRock A75M-HVS FM1 AMD A75 mATX (combo deal $13 off)
RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231424
$30 G.SKILL Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333
VID: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161387
$105 HIS H677FN1GD Radeon HD 6770 1GB (if the on-die gfx don't cut it, grab one of these)

 

[dewpoint]

ok , I diggin the package deal. I guess I'm trying compare apples to hondas but since the apu path is $40 more than the cpu+gpu would it be worth it, speed wise?

I am just learning this new apu scheme, why would I want to buy another graphics card if the apu has one? Do they SLi/crossfire together?

Thanks

 

[ScrewySqrl]

Comparing on the Tom's Graphics hierarchy chart the 6550D in the 3850 roughly matches a GT9500 in ability, so the 9600 GT is actually a more powerful card.. However the 6550D + 6670 will crossfire together to roughly match a HD 4770 or 9800GT -- but only in Direct X 11 games.

You might be better off with the Athlon II + 9600

 

[COLGeek]

I actually have an A8-3850 system and it performs nearly identically to another Phenom-II x4 820 with HD5570 system I have. The APU graphics are quite good for most things and the CF capability does offer a nice upgrade path.

 

[dewpoint]

Thanks for the input. I really like the APU idea but I should be able to do this budget thing cheap enough with the cpu+gpu way that it wont bust my wallet. I always try to future proof myself. I try to target for a new system every 4 years or so and the system I would be upgrading is an ol athlon 64 3200+ with an Ati x800 card lolz.

 

[dewpoint]

Best answer selected by dewpoint.