Phenom 2 vs i3 2100 (in the future)

Personally, I think it was a good purchase. Seems that more modern games are taking advantage of multiple cores and I believe the trend will continue that way - you have a few more years to see if I'm right.
As far as heat and noise, I do not know that info but you have the 4 core, IMO stick with it.

The phenom II 955 is a great chip. The i3 is also a great chip. I think you'd be fine with either. I'm not a fan of stock cooling solutions though. Even if you're not overclocking they tend to be a little loud for my liking. I've had both the i3-2120 and a Phenom II 980 (And a 840, and a B73 unlocked to a 973). They're all good gamers, all worth the money. All come with a less than desirable cooling system. Think about picking up an aftermarket cooler, it makes a world of difference.

future games might need more cores.
1. no. but expecting 5 more years out of a 2 year old cpu (at the time of oyur purchase).... i don't know what will happen in the future, but ph ii (after overclock) is as good as a core i3 for current games.
2. ph ii x4 955 is a 125w tdp cpu i.e. it dissipates 125w on load. core i3 is 65w tdp cpu. phenom dissipates more than core i3 on stock settings, more after overclock. you can try using a 3rd party cooler like cm hyper 212 evo if noise is an issue (always is, with stock fans).

their die size  

+1 De5_roy get yourself a Hyper 212+ or 212 Evo, will keep it cool and quiet.

Because this is strictly a gaming machine, you'll be fine for years to come. The only thing you may need to upgrade eventually, depending on what card you have, is the GPU.

OK thanks for your replies every one
BUT if you were given a choice to build a rig based on the phenom II or the i3 2100
which one will you choose

Best answer selected by bayern.