Best Gaming CPUs For The Money: July 2011

[cleeve]

July sees Intel's ratio-locked Core i7-980 emerge, while AMD's A6-3650 and A8-3850 APUs show up at retail. In addition, the new Sandy Bridge-based Pentium G800 processors challenge AMD's sub-$100 gaming CPU dominance for the first time in recent memory.

Best Gaming CPUs For The Money: July 2011 : Read more

 

[wintermint]

Nice! I've been waiting for the July update for awhile

 

[andy7i]

The Phenom II X4 840 seems to be missing from the CPU comparison chart.

Thanks for the update!

 

[LuckyDucky7]

Why bother to even mention the enthusiast-unfriendly processor, the i5-2400, when the i5-2500K is 20 bucks more?

It's the only chip worth buying in that range since, well, it usually winds to 4.5 GHz with a little care: and if you can afford a 2400, you can afford a 2500K.


(And I still can't wait for Bulldozer.)

 

[The Greater Good]

[citation][nom]wintermint[/nom]Nice! I've been waiting for the July update for awhile[/citation]

For what...about a month?

 

[Cylent]

[citation][nom]LuckyDucky7[/nom](And I still can't wait for Bulldozer.)[/citation]

Personally, I'm waiting for Piledriver, the revised Bulldozer architecture which is scheduled for 2012.

 

[nearly nil]

Its nice to see that the 2500k, released in January, still retains its value. For how much longer? That depends on Bulldozer's eventual release, performance, and pricing. Ivybridge is not too far around the corner though, so get busy AMD...

 

[Onus]

No doubt way too late for this article, the Phenom II X3 720BE has recently re-emerged for $60 (with the promo code): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103652
That looks like a contender for the upcoming $500 SBM...

 

[jdw_swb]

The 2500K is still showing its strength. Such a powerful gaming CPU for the money.

It's going to take something pretty special to move it from the top spot....the ball is in your court, AMD.

 

[mistyirc]

I've always wondered something about the i5-760 recommendation. For someone with a Pentium G6950, this is fine, but for someone with an i3 or an i5-6XX, this seems to defy the hierarchy's advice about being "three tiers higher". Is the upgrade from four logical cores to four physical cores that important for gaming?

 

[Zeh]

These articles always seem to be a copy+paste from the last month ever since SB arrived. Hopefully AMD will be able to change this.

 

[hardcore_gamer]

September 19 is the release date of BD cpus with 2,3 and 4 modules..Still 2 months away

 

[killerclick]

Llano fails again ha ha

 

[redheadgirl]

I don't understand this one bit. This is about the best chip right? How can Llano be excluded when it clearly beats Sandy Bridge on graphics, and the fact that it runs DX11 and Sandy Bridge, according to what I read, can't do so. Can someone explain this?

 

[crisan_tiberiu]

[citation][nom]redheadgirl[/nom]I don't understand this one bit. This is about the best chip right? How can Llano be excluded when it clearly beats Sandy Bridge on graphics, and the fact that it runs DX11 and Sandy Bridge, according to what I read, can't do so. Can someone explain this?[/citation]
Its about CPU not chip.

 

[ScrewySqrl]

[citation][nom]redheadgirl[/nom]I don't understand this one bit. This is about the best chip right? How can Llano be excluded when it clearly beats Sandy Bridge on graphics, and the fact that it runs DX11 and Sandy Bridge, according to what I read, can't do so. Can someone explain this?[/citation]

They explained at the start of the article. While Llano beats Sandy Bridge graphically, its only with the on-board GPUs. Once you add a middling gaming card (anything 6770 or up), as a *gaming* PC is going to do, the advantage always swings back to Sandy Bridge. Llano's great for a basic PC, but for a serious gamer, it is just an Athlon II.

 

[verbalizer]

still much of the same, AMD is a poor man's Intel...

 

[JohnnyLucky]

Phew! Still in good shape. No need or desire to upgrade.

 

[Stardude82]

[citation][nom]ScrewySqrl[/nom]Once you add a middling gaming card (anything 6770 or up), as a *gaming* PC is going to do, the advantage always swings back to Sandy Bridge.[/citation]

You are being generous, a 5570 will handily beat 6550D even with expensive high performance RAM. Ignoring power consumption and for most games, you are much better off with a 6670 and an Athlon X2 for the same price as a A8-3850. Plus, it is uncertain about what sort of future compatibility FM1 will have.

 

[stevelord]

No matter what AMD releases, history shows they will be behind the curve and only able to match Intel's technology from 2 years ago.

 

[KenZen2B]

"No! In theory, the current ultimate gaming platform (until Intel releases the LGA 2011 interface in the second half of this year) would be a P67 chipset paired with the NF200 bridge."

Please change your statement "in the second half of this year" since we are already in the second half of this year.
OPTIONS:
1. in Q4
2. later half of Q3
3. sometime next year
4. it will depend on Intel
5. "vapor" sometime in the future

 

[youssef 2010]

With all due respect, I disagree with you in Recommending the 840. Either spend $5 more and get the 945 W/6MB L3 Cache, or, spend $15 less to get an OEM version of the same processor if you already have an after-market CPU cooler. If you don't, you can get THIS cooler and it'll be better than the 840

Shame on AMD for re-branding this processor

 

[tiang]

I am still hoping for AMD to become a stronger choice once the new CPU being released. My first CPU was AMD Athlon 2000XP and still serve me till now and after that several CPUs from Intel and the most current one also being AMD Phenom II X4. Just hope my next build to be AMD again as you are good in Graphic Segment all this time and there is no point you can't produce good CPU!

 

[DEY123]

Just FYI...your hierarchy on the last page does not include the phenom II X4 840 (which you recommended.

 

[rdawise]

Great article as usual, but I really have to disagree with advocating the i3-2100 over the 955. Let's like at the article you linked as validation for this recommendation:
Metro 2033 - i3 has a 1 frame advantage
Lost Planet 2 - i3 has a 2.2 frame advantage
AVP - 955 has a .5 frame advantage
F1 - i3 has a 5.9 frame advantage
Just Cause - 955 has a 2.9 frame advantage
Starcraft 2 - i3 has a 8.1 frame advantage
Multitasking - 955 retained a 1.5 frame advantage

Looking at this, are you suggesting that some spend extra money and an i3 that cannot overclock and will only net a few extra frames? At least with the 955 there is an upgrade path (AM3+) and the ability to overclock. AM I missing something here?