FX 4100 vs Phenom II 965 vs i3 2100

huzisong

Honorable
Jun 29, 2012
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I'm helping my friend build a gaming rig on a very tight budget, and I need help deciding on a good CPU for his rig.

I understand that the the FX 4100 is maybe the only decent bulldozer for gaming, and the Phenom II 965 BE is an aging processor. However, both seem like excellent choices, but I'd like to see how they are in comparison to the i3 2100.

Also, can you suggest a good, cheap mobo (preferably <$70) for each CPU?

Thanks guys :D
 


Without an OC to the 965, the 2120, but with an OC, the 965 would still keep up. They would both be better than the 6100.

I'm not a fan of the FX CPU's in general, and certainly not the 6xxx CPU's. If you want to go with Bulldozer, it's basically a 81xx or nothing, as far as I'm concerned. A 4170, is decent enough for gaming (although still outperformed by a 965 and 2100/2120), but the 6xxx series is just a waste of space in the market, to me.