I5 3550 vs FX 6100

get the i5 for sure. FX chips are not good for gaming. the newer fx 6300 isnt so bad, but the i5 stomps it still.

I have an FX 6300 running at 4.5 ghz, and it is just behind the i5 3570k at stock speeds. (4.5 is a VERY mild OC for this chip)
Dont let anyone tell you that you cant game on AMD. At stock speeds though, the fx is closer to the i3's to be honest.

That's why the i5 is better!^^

If you actually want to know which one performs better, go look at actual benchmarks and reviews from Toms or any other reputable site.

For the price difference, it had better be better....

haha yea it costs more. imagine if it was slower haha

I'm newbie here too, but from this site http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-o...
i think it's better for you to choose either i5 3450($15 cheaper in newegg) or i5-3570K ($5 more expensive) (for intel and for gaming purpose)
about motherboard and memory I don't really understand because I haven't read about that. But I think for memory its better for you to do dual channel like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... cmiiw

spend the extra 5$ and get a 3570k. if you're going to be gaming, intel is the way to go, especially if you end up spending around as much as you would on an AMD build. i say get a 3570k and OC it to 4.2GHz and you're set. what you should do though is instead of wasting money on a 800W PSU, get a well rated 500W PSU and put it towards your CPU. and, can i ask why you're not interested in OCing your CPU? you can easily get to 4.2GHz without touching the voltage at all, meaning your lifespan won't be affected and your temps will be almost the same. you could deffinitly deal with the temps on stock cooler and you could whoop any FX cpu you find. i'd recommend getting a better GPU sometime soon. think about getting a 7850. it's cheap and would be an amazing upgrade from that 4870 of yours.