>$500 low end gaming computer comparison

[tspcpp]

Approximate Purchase Date: Sometime this month

Budget Range: 400-500 Before Rebates; Before Shipping

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming(specifically PlanetSide 2, ffxi), mathematica

Are you buying a monitor: No

Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: none

Location: Portland, Maine, US

Parts Preferences: none

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1280x1024

Additional Comments:

The i3-3220 processor was recommended to me, so I came up with this:
pcpartpicker link

However, switching to:
Motherboard: BIOSTAR A960D+ Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition 3.4GHz Socket AM3 Quad-Core Processor

produced approximately $40 in savings. Is the Intel i3-3220 worth the additional cost? I found several comparisons: here, here, and here.
The first two credit the AMD chip while the third states the i3.

I used a wattage calculator for both builds and found that I'd need to use a 500w PSU for the AMD chip vs. a 430w for the i3. I consider that a plus for the i3 since power is fairly expensive here.

Lastly, there may be a slight compatibility issue. I think PSU is a 20+4 pin while the motherboard is a 24 pin. Will this be an issue?

 

[RubberSalad]

Depends on the games you play, The phenom should perform better in games like Battlefield 3 and Skyrim. I would recommend a HD 7850 for the GPU

 

[tspcpp]

Thanks for the answer. I used a wattage calculator with the AMD set up specifications and was told it would run around 400w. Since the PSU is rated as 80% efficient, is 500w sufficient?

Also, does anyone know what the BIOSTAR A960D+ Micro ATX AMD Motherboard's PSU connector type is? Someone said they were running it with a 20+4 pin PSU, but other than that I haven't been able to find any specification. I don't want to buy a 24 pin PSU if it's 20+4.

 

[aratron]

I have the A960D+ and I use a rather old coolermaster PSU with 20+4 connector with it. So no need for a new PSU