Best Intel i3/AMD A10/athlon for around $130?

[Ant_Teh_Nee]

I have heard that Intel i3s are much more efficient than really any AMD processor, more powerful, and don't run as hot; And I have about $130 to spend on a processor, but what is your favorite? I would prefer to buy Intel but AMD might also be worthwhile.

I would be using it for light gaming for games such as: Minecraft, Garry's Mod, Team Fortress 2, TERA, CS:GO, etc.

Thanks in advance!

(The most efficient and cool running processer that can still play games is perfect for me.)

 

[TJ Hooker]

i3-6100 all the way. Very good budget gaming CPU. Typically performs as well or better than an FX 6300 while using half the power. Also has better upgrade path if you want to get a more powerful CPU down the road while being able to keep your motherboard.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

The i3 6100 fits the bill nicely. Pair it with a cheap motherboard and 8GB of DDR4 2133 and you will have a very nice entry level gaming system assuming you also have a graphics card.

 

[Ant_Teh_Nee]

The i3 6100 fits the bill nicely. Pair it with a cheap motherboard and 8GB of DDR4 2133 and you will have a very nice entry level gaming system assuming you also have a graphics card.

Sadly, I only have DDR3 RAM, but it is clocked at 1866Mhz. My graphics card is a simple EVGA 750ti FTW. The only downside is that the only good case I have is a Micro ATX built tower, but whatever. I am checking now to see if I can return my AMD mobo (Newegg broke my AMD Athlon 860K CPU xD) and get a cheaper one with the 6100.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

There are a few lower end boards for Skylake that still support DDR3 but it has to be DDR3L which is 1.35v. So you're probably going to have to buy memory as well unless you go with something older like Haswell.

 

[Ant_Teh_Nee]

There are a few lower end boards for Skylake that still support DDR3 but it has to be DDR3L which is 1.35v. So you're probably going to have to buy memory as well unless you go with something older like Haswell.

Yeesh, that's not going to be able to happen. I am stretching it as far as I can with buying this. (Already lost $125)

 

[Deleted member 217926]

Well you can rule out Skylake then. A Haswell based i3 will be slightly slower and warmer but it's still a good chip.

https://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i34170

 

[teknobug]

i3 6100, very happy with mine.

There are a few lower end boards for Skylake that still support DDR3 but it has to be DDR3L which is 1.35v. So you're probably going to have to buy memory as well unless you go with something older like Haswell.

H110 combo boards supports full DDR3 (1.5v) such as the ASRock H110M Combo-G, i can use my G.Skill DDR3 1600 sticks on that.

 

[TJ Hooker]

That mobo may say it supports 1.5V, but it's really really the memory controller built into the CPU that has to deal with it. It's up to you if you want to risk running RAM beyond Intel's rated memory voltage spec (1.35V). It'll work, but it's still up in the air as to what effect it'll have on the CPU's longevity.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

Yep, it's the IMC ( integrated memory controller ) you have to worry about not the motherboard. Intel CPUs can always go over spec a bit and it's possible that 1.5v is safe long term but I wouldn't try it especially with an i3 as it won't have the same quality IMC that say an unlocked i7 would have.

 

[Ant_Teh_Nee]

i3 6100, very happy with mine.

There are a few lower end boards for Skylake that still support DDR3 but it has to be DDR3L which is 1.35v. So you're probably going to have to buy memory as well unless you go with something older like Haswell.

H110 combo boards supports full DDR3 (1.5v) such as the ASRock H110M Combo-G, i can use my G.Skill DDR3 1600 sticks on that.

Is there an ASUS or GIGABYTE H110 combo motherboard that you recommend? I don't really trust ASRock.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

I used these same parts in a build for my uncle about a month ago. I paired them with a 250GB Mushkin SSD and I couldn't believe how fast it was. the cheap DDR4 may change your mind as to what you can afford.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($112.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($33.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $191.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-21 18:11 EDT-0400

 

[Ant_Teh_Nee]

I used these same parts in a build for my uncle about a month ago. I paired them with a 250GB Mushkin SSD and I couldn't believe how fast it was. the cheap DDR4 may change your mind as to what you can afford.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($112.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($33.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $191.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-21 18:11 EDT-0400

Unless someone wants my RAM or if I can return it, we'll see on the DDR4. The price tag caught my eye 😉

 

[Deleted member 217926]

RAM is dirt cheap at the moment so you might not get much for it but you can sell it in our classified section here. I have a couple of things listed right now.

 

[TJ Hooker]

Something I just occurred to me; do you have a video card, or are you planning on using integrated graphics?

 

[Ant_Teh_Nee]

Something I just occurred to me; do you have a video card, or are you planning on using integrated graphics?

II am using an EVGA 750ti FTW dedicated graphics card. I heard it's a perfect match for the i3-6100 and Athlon 860K/870K.

 

[Ant_Teh_Nee]

RAM is dirt cheap at the moment so you might not get much for it but you can sell it in our classified section here. I have a couple of things listed right now.

I am pretty sure I am able to return the RAM, so DDR4 or DDR3L is an option now.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

You could do much worse than what I posted above but if you have a larger budget then post it and we will see what we can do. I really doubt you can go much cheaper than that. The only thing I would add would be a ~250GB SSD.

 

[Ant_Teh_Nee]

You could do much worse than what I posted above but if you have a larger budget then post it and we will see what we can do. I really doubt you can go much cheaper than that. The only thing I would add would be a ~250GB SSD.

Because I already bought a WD Black HDD it's pointless to get an SSD. My budget for the CPU, motherboard, and RAM is around $230 or less (if no sacrifice of computer life/performance is a concequence).

 

[Deleted member 217926]

I'd take it to 16GB of RAM then and that would be the only change.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($112.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($61.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $219.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-21 21:54 EDT-0400

That's going to be a very strong lower mid range gaming computer. I would still add an SSD at some point though. You really can't overemphasize how much it makes a system more responsive. I don't have a single platter drive in anything anymore. My desktop has two and both laptops also have SSDs only.

 

[Ant_Teh_Nee]

I'd take it to 16GB of RAM then and that would be the only change.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($112.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($44.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($61.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $219.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-21 21:54 EDT-0400

That's going to be a very strong lower mid range gaming computer. I would still add an SSD at some point though. You really can't overemphasize how much it makes a system more responsive. I don't have a single platter drive in anything anymore. My desktop has two and both laptops also have SSDs only.

I wanted to make a few changes, and this is what I came up with:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130918 <MOBO

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=2MN-0004-00002 <CPU

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231882 <RAM

 

[Deleted member 217926]

Cheaper if you use pcpartpicker. But that's fine. You could also get one of those ASRock boards you can still overclock non K Skylake chips with if that interests you. You would also need a cheap aftermarket cooler then though.

 

[Ant_Teh_Nee]

Cheaper if you use pcpartpicker. But that's fine. You could also get one of those ASRock boards you can still overclock non K Skylake chips with if that interests you. You would also need a cheap aftermarket cooler then though.

My case doesn't have the space for an aftermarket cooler (as far as I know), and because this is my first PC build I don't know if I should try OCing it. Also, I don't really trust ASRock... Their website is hard to use and is very confusing. I haven't heard much positive about their boards anyways...

 

[Deleted member 217926]

I'm a Gigabyte fan myself and I've used them in my personal builds since the late 90s. ASRock was low end 10-12 years ago. They did a complete turn around though and they are up there with Asus and Gigabyte now. EVGA boards are excellent as well but never cheap. I'd rate MSI as a smallish step down then everybody else. But it's your first build you get what you are comfortable with.

 

[Ant_Teh_Nee]

I'm a Gigabyte fan myself and I've used them in my personal builds since the late 90s. ASRock was low end 10-12 years ago. They did a complete turn around though and they are up there with Asus and Gigabyte now. EVGA boards are excellent as well but never cheap. I'd rate MSI as a smallish step down then everybody else. But it's your first build you get what you are comfortable with.

Hmm, I see. In that case, do you have any better reviewed Asus or Gigabyte boards I should try? I might try ASRock but I'm still thinking on it. Whichever has the right specs, good reviews, and a decent price tag will be my board. (Remember, I can only use Micro ATX)