Selection of Processor For mid budget gaming PC

[indrashis95]

Hi everyone this is Indrashis...
I am going to build a medium budget gamin rig....
basically I'm confused with the processor
I am panning to buy a Corei3 530 but at that price i can also get a c2q 9400.....which one I should go for?core i3 is new and has 2 core but core 2 quad has 4 cores....will that have any effect in gaming performance?
(or should I try any of equivalent AMD processor?I don't know much about AMD...)
As my budget is pretty tight so i can't go higher than theses models from inetl.So,please advise accordingly.
Thanks in advance

 

[mrcaffeinex]

Not sure if linking to the competition is allowed or not, so if it is a problem, please let me know and I'll remove the link, but this might help you out:http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-processor-core-i3-athlon-ii,2666.html

Personally, I would avoid the Core2Quad since the LGA 775 socket is deceased at this point. Going with at least the LGA 1156 will offer you more defense against obsolescence and open up a wider variety of motherboards to choose from.

-MrCaffeineX

 

[indrashis95]

Can U suggest me any AMD processors which won't become backdated in coming 2 years at the price range as Corei3-530 for gaming(with motherboard)???

 

[darkewaffle]

Budget AMD processors would be anything from the Athlon II X2/X3/X4 line, dependent on how many cores you desire. The benefit of these processors is that they're Socket AM3 which will likely provide you with at least one more generation of compatibility as the first bulldozer processors will likely still fit AM3.

And even if they don't, you can always wait it out and pick up a Thuban or Phenom later, which still gives you a very nice bit of headroom.

Far as price range goes, you'll be saving money no matter what you choose. The closest processor to the actual i3-530 is probably the Athlon II X2 260 which will still save you about $40 on the processor alone; or you can go with an X3 or X4 and pick up some more cores and still save some cash. Not to mention AMD motherboards often are less expensive than Intel mobos.

 

[Jhatfie]

I personally would go for a Phenom II X4 in the price range that you mentioned. The extra cache really does make it game better than the Athlon II's in most games and the extra cores, while not helpful with all games now, give you breathing room for the future as games get more and more multi threaded giving it a edge over the i3.

I saw the Phenom II X4 925 OEM (no cooler) for $103 the other day at ewiz or $120 for the boxed version. Pretty decent prices.

 

[crisium]

If you go AMD, you want at least a Triple-Core CPU as many games use 3 cores now. So an "Athlon II X3" would fit you well. If you can afford it, get an X4 instead (4 cores). Even the Phenom II X4 CPUs are cheap enough to be mid-range. It's just up to how much you want to spend.

 

[jvroig]

Can U suggest me any AMD processors which won't become backdated in coming 2 years at the price range as Corei3-530 for gaming(with motherboard)???

At normal prices, the Phenom II X3 720 would be what is nearest the price of that Core i3 530. But the price is so close to a Phenom II X4 925 that it would make more sense to get the 925.

Get a decent 8 series AM3 board if you care about longevity, so that you can have a drop-in replacement from a Thuban later on if you desire. But if you just want to keep the processor for 2 years, it's hard to guarantee that the earliest Bulldozers will still be compatible, since even if it were supported by AMD (same socket) it would require a bios update and that would be at the initiative of the manufacturer.

 

[darkewaffle]

If you do decide on a Phenom chip, don't skimp on it and make sure you get a C3 955 or 965; the improved revision and the unlocked multiplier are worth it. They can actually be had, used, for not all that much more than that i3.

 

[jvroig]

His budget is pretty tight, he's emphasized that much. Now that I think about it, he might not be able to get to a 925 if the budget is already stretched enough as it is.

OP, if the budget can't accommodate an X4 or even X3 Phenom II, try to see if you can get an Athlon II X4 635. No L3, but atleast that's a quad-core and cheaper. We have to work with what we have considering the budget constraints.

 

[Soleron]

Personally, I would avoid the Core2Quad since the LGA 775 socket is deceased at this point. Going with at least the LGA 1156 will offer you more defense against obsolescence and open up a wider variety of motherboards to choose from.

It won't. LGA1156 is being replaced Q1 by the incompatible LGA1155 for Sandy Bridge.

 

[jvroig]

I took a look at AT's CPU Bench and compared the i3 530 with the Q9400, and also an Athlon II X4 635. The bench does not show newer games like Dragon Age which are more favorable to quad cores when you compare a new processor with an old one, but the Q9400 still emerged the winner.

If the budget has to be followed very strictly, and no Phenom II chips are affordable, then between the i3 and the Q9400, my vote goes to the Q9400. It doesn't strike me that the OP wants a board that can accept a drop-in processor anyway, so if he can get an LGA 775 system for cheap, why not. It's better than getting stuck with a dual core.