How Do I Decide what CPU to get?

It all boils down to the performance you want and how much you want to spend. Some people are "fanboys" of a specific brand. Others (like me) base their purchases on performance; I have switched from Intel to AMD and back to Intel based solely on performance.

AMD took the performance crown away from Intel back in 2002/2003 when they released the Athlon XP which is while I switched over to AMD at that point. They held the perfomance crown until mid-2006 when Intel released the Core 2 Duo / Quad and Intel has remained in the lead since then.

Based on current CPUs from both AMD and Intel, Intel CPUs are on average 30% more powerful than AMD CPU assuming the same clock speeds. You can click the link below to see how the FX-8150 compares to the Core i7 3770k. It's not really a fair comparison, but the Ivy Bridge Core i5-3570k is not listed as an option.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/434?vs=551

Alternatively, you can compate the FX-8150 to the slightly older Sandy Bridge Core i5-2500k in the following link which is a fairer comparison.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/434?vs=288

Choose whatever CPU fits within your budget based on the performance you are looking for. Keep in mind that a duo core Core i3 CPU can perform just as well (or better) as a quad core AMD CPU at a higher price point in games.

Don't fall into naive thinking that AMD "cares more about it's customers because they charge less money for their CPUs". I have seen that type of naive statement countless times. They charge less for their CPUs than Intel because the overall relative performance is lower. AMD is a publicly traded company which answers to their shareholders and ultimately the board of directors. Even as a company founder and CEO, the board of directors can still fire you based on poor performance / lack of trust / lack of foresight. Example, Steve Jobs was fired from Apple in 1985; a company that he co-founded.

That is old and slow even when compared to AMD's current line of CPUs. Do yourself a favor and do not listen to your friend. If you are going with AMD then get a Phenom II X4 series CPU. Alternatively, you can go with an "8" series FX CPU like the FX-8150 since lower end models are simply not worth the money for the performance you get and you are better off getting the older Phenom II X4 CPU.

My recommendation is to go with an Intel Core i5 CPU. Since Ivy Bridge CPUs are roughly 30% more powerful than AMD's latest and greatest CPUs, you can argue that AMD's CPUs are already outdated. However, AMD CPUs are ideal for a budget build if you are willing to sacrifice performance.

Thanks Jaguar, I'm new to this whole computer world thing. So thanks for the help, but do you have any CPUs that you would reccomend personally thats not to expensive? I just want a CPU that has good performance that wont break my wallet.
I don't really know that much about CPUs so I don't know exactly what to look for...

The AMD 6000 64x2 is several generations old. The AMD Phenom II processors blow it away. And the Core I-5 Blows the Phenom IIs away.

The Core I-5 is the best gaming chip on the market right now. I would focus your budget around that chip. It makes a big difference in gaming.

That would depend on your budget.
I just got the i5-3570K myself, and I made that choice after posting on this very forum. Initially I was going to get the i7-3770, but the community convinced me otherwise.
Either way, I'd recommend either the i5-3570K for gaming because:
1) Unlocked multiplier
2) The i7-3770 offers no advantages other than HyperThreading, which games don't make use of.

Best answer selected by Exilary6661.

The Core i5-3450 can be bought for $189 (using the promo code).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

That makes it $40 less than the Core i5-3570k. Since there is no point in buying a Z77 chipset mobo for a non "K" Core i5 CPU, buying a H77 chip mobo (like the ones I linked above) can shave off $80 - $90 for the mobo.

So basically:

Core i5-3450 + H77 mobo = $280 + shipping

Core i5-3570K + Z77 mobo = $410 + shipping

Overclocking naturally increases the performance. Is it worth the extra $130 in total? That's up to you to decide. The Core i5-3450 + H77 mobo should be more powerful than what you currently have especially if your friend is recommending a very old Athlon 64 X2 6000+ CPU.

Thanks Everybody. I'll consider spending a little more money for the Core-i5 3570k.

Thank you so much Jaguar, you've been alot of help.
And does the GPU matter at this point? I was thinking of upgrading it later but at the moment I have a 8800 GTS 640Mb, and since you said earlier that depending on the MoBo that's what processor I should get, does that fall into play on what GPU I should get?

And how about this MoBo as an alternate decision?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...