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Best gaming CPU for $60:
Athlon 64 X2 5200+ (Check Prices)
| Athlon 64 X2 5200+ | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | Brisbane |
| Process: | 65nm |
| CPU Cores: | 2 |
| Clock Speed: | 2.7 GHz |
| Socket: | AM2 |
| L1 Cache: | 2 x 128KB |
| L2 Cache: | 2 x 512KB |
| HyperTransport: | 2,000 MHz |
| Thermal Envelope: | 65W |
- Athlon 64 X2 5200+...
For about $50, the Athlon 64 X2 5200+ is a great gaming baseline. Performance results show us that two CPU cores are roughly the minimum for a respectable gaming machine, and the 2.7 GHz clock speed allows this CPU to deliver playable performance in all but the most demanding titles.
AMD's Athlon 64 X2 5200+ is a good starting point for people who want to put together a budget machine on the AM2+ platform, and then maybe upgrade to a Phenom II processor later.
Best gaming CPU for $75: Tie
Athlon II X2 250 (Check Prices)
| Athlon II X2 250 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | Regor |
| Process: | 45nm |
| CPU Cores: | 2 |
| Clock Speed: | 3.0 GHz |
| Socket: | AM3 |
| L1 Cache: | 2 x 64KB |
| L2 Cache: | 2 x 1MB |
| HyperTransport: | 4,000 MHz |
| Thermal Envelope: | 65W |
For $70, you can buy the Athlon II X2 250, based on the new newer Phenom II architecture instead of the older Athlon designs. The Athlon II X2 250 sports a solid 3 GHz clock speed, so despite its lack of shared L3 cache, this CPU performs very well for the price.
Pentium E6300 (Check Prices)
| Pentium Dual-Core E6300 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | Wolfdale-2M |
| Process: | 45nm |
| CPU Cores: | 2 |
| Clock Speed: | 2.8 GHz |
| Socket: | LGA 775 |
| L2 Cache: | 2MB |
| Front Side Bus: | 1066 MHz |
| Thermal Envelope: | 65W |
Not to be mistaken for the older Core 2 Duo E6300, the Pentium E6300 is actually similar to the E5300. However, it offers a higher clock speed as well as a faster front side bus speed. The Pentium E6300 costs a few dollars more than the Athlon II X2 250, but it almost certainly has higher overclocking potential for tweakers.
Best gaming CPU for $90:
Phenom II X2 545
| Phenom II X2 545 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | Callisto |
| Process: | 45nm |
| CPU Cores: | 2 |
| Clock Speed: | 3 GHz |
| Socket: | AM2+ |
| L1 Cache: | 2 x 64KB |
| L2 Cache: | 2 x 1MB |
| L3 Cache: | 6MB |
| HyperTransport: | 4,000 MHz |
| Thermal Envelope: | 80W |
The Phenom II X2 545 gives the sub-$100 CPU market a full 6MB of L3 cache in addition to a 3.0 GHz core clock speed. There's not much more to say except that this is a deadly fast CPU for this price. The only downside is that this isn't a Black Edition processor, so it's clock multiplier is locked.
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Good mix, AMD CPUs are earning the recommendations but what's this? i7 920 is "Past the point of reason"?
This is especially the case since the Core i7-750 can be overclocked to great effect if more performance is desired,
my cpu didn't make the list
my cpu didn't make the list
Im sorry......I think Intel stopped making Pentium 4s.........
my opinion is that instead of best cpu for X amount of money i think they should make it best cpu for x pricerange or at least include it somewhere.
what i mean by that is if you have x dollars to spend on a new build you buy the cpu meant for x pricerange.
my opinion is that instead of best cpu for X amount of money i think they should make it best cpu for x pricerange or at least include it somewhere.what i mean by that is if you have x dollars to spend on a new build you buy the cpu meant for x pricerange.
Interesting idea, but I know myself I wanted a i7, and was willing to sacrifice elsewere.
A i7 was no were near my budget... don't regret it at all though.
But tacoslave, wouldn't that be harder to define? A gaming new build can be for multi-threading gaming (WiC, GTA4), super heavy graphics gaming (Crysis), or gaming while multi-tasking.
Given that each build have different main purposes, the 'ingredients' will vary too. Like, a $500 gaming build should have X CPU if doing multi-threading/tasking or Y CPU with better GPU for gaming.
Since other parts; PSU, GPU, RAM, Mobo, etc, have their individual spec, it'll be more like which CPU can fit in the budget left for it e.g budget = $500, other components = $400, CPU budget = $100
Well, just my personal opinion
Still glad to see the E7500 and E8500 as I have an E7400 and am waiting for Generation 2 Core i7 1366 chips. This chart has always been a useful indicator for gamers.
Although it would be nice to see different categories for instance Video/audiophiles would enjoy a different platform and not necessarily a gaming CPU, it would be nice to see charts for that segment of PC user.
Also it would great to see some graphs to directly compare cpus.
You obviously wrote Core i7 850 instead of Core i7 860 in the Gaming CPU Hierarchy Chart. Anyways, I think that Core i7 860 should not be forgotten even for recommendation (at least honorable mention) because, while it performs at the same level with i7 920 and it even costs the same, i7 860 is more power efficient not to mention that the 860's platform as a whole, costs less than 920's platform (P55 against X58).
Man, my E6400 is starting to show his age... Gonna start saving for the 750...
Good article and very useful. I just think that should be some diferences between recomending for example an Q9550 and an 750 because the first only costs the price of the CPU, because there is a lot of 775 MBs out there, while the second costs the price of the CPU and the MB and RAM, so maybe it´s not worth the price diference.
Just a thought...
Did anyone consider cheaper CPU, I'd like to know how good the Atom CPU is.
The Atom CPU would not be a good choice for gaming; It is not very powerful and also I believe only comes built-in to the motherboard.
The Atom might not be, but I think the Sempron 140 with the 2nd core unlocked holds up against 5200+ and it's cheaper.
You just can't go wrong with an i5-750.Low TPD,insane over clocks,low system motherboard,memory,CPU cost it should be the most popular new platform out there especially for gamers.Pair it up with 2 Radeon 5850 cards and you have a stacked deck of cards (bang per buck with lots of bang.You can go the i7 route though but you're paying up the *ss for it.
what i really wish toms would do when it comes to its recomandation of gaming cpu's is.
Let me see how to explain.
say the athlon 250, yes its an ok cpu for its money, but when considering building a gaming rig u need to know how powerful gpu solution can that cpu support.
can it drive a gtx 275 or 4890 without beeing a bottelneck, can it drive a 5850 and so on. In order to do the best and best bang for buck build u need to know where the limits for a cpu goes when it comes to feed the graphic cards with input.
I really wish Toms would do a test like that for cpu/gpu combination. Because that really would settel the best gaming cpu in all classes.
X3 720 only an honourable mention? Not if you're a gamer, it doesn't make sense to go with the X4 620 which has no L3 Cache, compared to the X3 720 with has 6MB. It makes a big difference.
RE: the $190 category:
Honorable Mentions:
Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition
Very little reason?!?!? It is absolutely ridiculous not to list the 955 as the best CPU @ $190.
I've owned the x3 720 (destroyed by USPS) and currently own the x2 550, very pleased with both, great performance vs. price and overclocking.
Why would anyone with any real-world experience knock the E8500? Easily overclockable to 3.6Ghz, for the price it's one of the best CPU's out there if you're making a gaming rig. Go TH for sticking to your guns on this one.
AMD Athlon II X2 240 Regor 2.8GHz Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Processor Model ADX240OCGQBOX - Retail $62.99
Look, the 5200 was a great CPU, but why in God's name you would recommend the $60 5200 over the $63 45nm Athlon II x2 is beyond me. That's not even a fluke price, it's been that way for weeks.