Which CPU for budget gaming

z6f

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Dec 12, 2012
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I'm going to be building a budget gaming PC in January and I don't know which CPU to pick.

My budget is £400/$650 and I already have a HDD, Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse and OS

I'll be pairing the CPU with a 2gb Radeon 7850. I'm looking to play games such as Saints Row: The Third and Portal 2 on medium/high/max at 1280x720

Here are the list of potential CPUs and their prices:

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black - £70.80
AMD FX-6100 - £84.72
AMD Phenom II X6 1045T - £86.30
Intel Core i3-2120 - £87.84
Intel Core i3-3220 - £89.70
AMD A10-5800K - £92.62
AMD FX-4300 - £97.45
AMD FX-6200 - £99.08
Intel Core i3-3225 - £99.98
AMD FX-6300 - £103.97I

If I buy an AMD processor, I will 99.9% be overclocking on stock cooler.

Thanks in advance






 
no option for i5? if you can squeeze budget a bit more you can get i5 3470 which performs almost similar with the legendary 3570k

in this build http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tNk6
3470 fits your budget

but if you only have above choice, i would go with Intel Core i3-3220 - £89.70
performs the same with phenom, less power consumption. overall winner on daily task
 

payturr

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Dec 3, 2012
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Builds for UK only? I don't follow.
I recommend the 3220 or a 3450 - can't overclock either, but hey they are GREAT for what they are, and they'll definitely last longer futureproof wise compared to most AMD CPUs. Plus, the board will be supported for a bit, so next year if you get extra cash you can throw in a 2500K and overclock it, and that'll last you a long while.
 

z6f

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Dec 12, 2012
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Prices are different on Amazon and Amazon UK

Isn't Socket 1155 getting replaced for the Haswell socket next year?

I want to build something that I won't need to upgrade for 1-3 years
 

payturr

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It is but Haswell isn't a big upgrade - the Intel Core i5 3450 and i3 3220 will last you that long, trust me.
 

satyamdubey

Distinguished
cores mean less than clocks in games. All your processors in that list can work on either 4 threads or 6. that 965 BE will beat each of those i3's mostly at stock or OC'ed a bit and will beat other AMD offerings except 6300. That's coz Vishera does pack quiet a punch but it's apparent starting only with 6300 at least on benches.

With that much power at the lowest price, it is the best bang for buck. As you'd go with an AM3+ board, you have the assurance that steamroller cpu's will fit in your socket when you plan to upgrade.

Do not OC on stock cooler and respect your processor's TDP. true that i3's will use much less power but go with the 965 it is worth it.
 

z6f

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Dec 12, 2012
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ok I'm down to 4 builds.

Which build will last 1-3 years without upgrading major components(cpu, gpu, mobo)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i3-3220 3.3GHz Dual-Core Processor (£89.70 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3V Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£50.60 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Kingston 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory (£13.48 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 5770 1GB Video Card (£142.91 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Zalman Z11 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case (£49.99 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (£65.05 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £411.73
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-24 18:52 GMT+0000)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor (£103.97 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: ASRock 970DE3/U3S3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard (£52.74 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Kingston 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory (£13.48 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 5770 1GB Video Card (£142.91 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Zalman Z11 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case (£49.99 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: XFX 450W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (£39.95 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £403.04
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-24 18:52 GMT+0000)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor (£131.98 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-78LMT-USB3 Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard (£41.64 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 6870 1GB Video Card (£123.78 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Zalman Z11 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case (£49.99 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts Green 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (£59.99 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £407.38
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-24 18:53 GMT+0000)

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3450 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor (£142.68 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3V Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£50.60 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Kingston 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory (£13.48 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB Video Card (£85.00 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Zalman Z11 Plus ATX Mid Tower Case (£49.99 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (£65.05 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £406.80
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-24 18:53 GMT+0000)

The 6870 is a place holder for a 1gb 7850 and the 5770 is a place holder for a 2gb 7850
 

z6f

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Dec 12, 2012
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Will the 7770 be good enough to play latest games on medium/high? res at 1366 x 768 or higher but not 1080p