Good CPU for home PC

[Peanut92]

Hi,

I am looking into building a new home PC since I only have a 4 year old laptop at the moment. I have been looking at other threads to try and get ideas on what a good build would be since I've never done one before, most of the threads are based on gaming computers though. The computer would mainly be used for web surfing, watching movies, school programs (AutoCad, AutoDesk, Cscape and things like that) and maybe a little gaming but lower end things. What CPU would you suggest for a lower budget build, say $700 for the whole build and up to $180 for the CPU (pricing flexible)? I think once I have a CPU in mind I can do more research into parts to get a build idea together which I can then ask about ^^

I've heard Intel will be releasing a new chip this year and assume once this happens CPU pricing will change, I only plan on buying after this and the Windows 8 release occurs (incase that would affect your suggestion).

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[DarthScabrous]

If that's all you are doing, why not just wait two weeks and get one of the Trinity APUs? Will save you tons of money.

 

[Peanut92]

If that's all you are doing, why not just wait two weeks and get one of the Trinity APUs? Will save you tons of money.

I've no idea what the Trinity APUs is, it is something I will look into thanks.

 

[Peanut92]

Is the Trinity APUs for laptops? I'm looking to build a desktop computer.

 

[DarthScabrous]

The desktop Trinity APUs will be out next month. Very cheap, and for the price you get both a cpu and gpu on the same die

 

[Peanut92]

It says the chip could possibly be priced around $130 (same as a current i3) and outperform it. I will take your suggestion and look into the APU when it has been released.

Thanks for the advice and quick answer.

 

[DarthScabrous]

np. Use the extra money for an SSD. It will keep the desktop speedy.

 

[DarthScabrous]

That may not be the right way to word it, perhaps someone better could elaborate on what I mean

 

[Peanut92]

I am just scoping out options so just knowing about it I can now research into it, I'm looking at benchmark results now to see how it is performing and comparing to Intel chips. I want to balance performance with cost.

 

[DarthScabrous]

For performance vs costs, these APUs are king for what they do. They provide more then enough power and performance for a home pc build. If you were looking for heavy gaming, I would have recommended something stronger.
Theres also the option of upgradability. There is no clue how long the FM2 boards will be in use. If you are looking at something you can upgrade easily later, I would more than likely still suggest and AMD build, since they have another confirmed lineup coming up for their AM3+ mobos.

 

[Peanut92]

I'm a little surprised at you suggesting an AMD build, most people seem to prefer an Intel build.

From the benchmark results I've been looking at the APU's aren't beating a i3-2100 by much in the areas they do outperform it. The APU graphics kick the i3-2100 ass but that's not a huge importance to me since I will only be doing low end gaming (may break out Skyrim once in a while).

I an debating if I will upgrade in the future or just run the desktop for a few years then build a new one based on the new technology, advancements do seem to occur quite regularly.

 

[DarthScabrous]

I recommend it because you don't need all that power. For performance to price, I still say AMD has the upper hand in the lower ranks. Others will disagree, yes, but that is just my opinion, so please take the opinion with a grain of salt.

If you want to see playable framerates, you need that APU. Especially Skyrim. The i3 can run it, but won't be near the performance the APU gives you.

Its a tradeoff, and if you think of the Intel build, you could easily get an i3 now with a z77 board and later on switch out the cpu for an i5-3570k, if you so choose.

For what you will be doing, you will barely dent this generations cpus, no matter what maker. A lot of people will toss benchmarks, and I accept that the FX series does perform badly in benchies. However, in real life, my brother has the FX-4100 while I have the i5-2500k. I can notice the difference, but my i5 doesn't "rape" his build.

So, for what you will be doing on this desktop, I have no problem suggesting an AMD cpu. They are good for the price range, especially if you pick up one of the chips off ebay. Got his FX for $75, which is $35 off retail. Seems a good deal to me.