Best processor for the $$$

[K K0]

A lot of people recommend the intel G630 dual core if your building a system on a tight budget... Why?

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Pentium+G630+%40+2.70GHz

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+Athlon+II+X4+631+Quad-Core

You can apparently buy a processor that's almost 2 times better and has 4 cores for $7 more?



And it's apparently better than a phenom II 955 when it's clocked at stock 2.6ghz compared to 955's 3.2ghz?

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+Phenom+II+X4+955

Oh the confusion....

 

[raytseng]

Toms says this:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106.html

not the cpus you picked. but i think it has to do with most people build a computer for Gaming as primary motivator. Most buisness people just buy pre-builts where pricing gets thrown out the window.

July Updates:

AMD
There isn't a lot to report from AMD's camp this month, except for the commercial availability of its Athlon II X4 641, a Llano-based quad-core CPU with its graphics hardware disabled. Operating at 2.8 GHz, it's 100 MHz faster than the A6-3670K and 100 MHz slower than the A8-3850. Available for $90 on Newegg, it doesn't hold up well against the similarly-priced Pentium G860 as a gaming-oriented processor, so it doesn't get a recommendation.

 

[K K0]

Best answer selected by K K0.

 

[K K0]

Toms says this:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106.html

not the cpus you picked. but i think it has to do with most people build a computer for Gaming as primary motivator. Most buisness people just buy pre-builts where pricing gets thrown out the window.

July Updates:

AMD
There isn't a lot to report from AMD's camp this month, except for the commercial availability of its Athlon II X4 641, a Llano-based quad-core CPU with its graphics hardware disabled. Operating at 2.8 GHz, it's 100 MHz faster than the A6-3670K and 100 MHz slower than the A8-3850. Available for $90 on Newegg, it doesn't hold up well against the similarly-priced Pentium G860 as a gaming-oriented processor, so it doesn't get a recommendation.

Pretty much what you're saying is the AMD Athlon II X4 631 is not good for gaming despite it having nearly double the CPU mark right? If that's the case what is it that makes a processor good for gaming...

 

[Kamen_BG]

Frankly every other website that reviewed the Intel G series Pentiums say they are no better than an Athlon X3 for gaming.I think there must be something wrong with the review here at toms because everywhere else i look at the pentiums underperform.Just some links below.

http://alienbabeltech.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/GameBench-1.jpg
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/pentium-g850-g840-g620_4.html#sect0

I dont wanna sound like a fanboy but i wouldnt consider anything from intel below a Core i3.

So the best CPU's for the money in my opinion are those two.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113007
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115077

 

[K K0]

Frankly every other website that reviewed the Intel G series Pentiums say they are no better than an Athlon X3 for gaming.I think there must be something wrong with the review here at toms because everywhere else i look at the pentiums underperform.Just some links below.

http://alienbabeltech.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/GameBench-1.jpg
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/pentium-g850-g840-g620_4.html#sect0

I dont wanna sound like a fanboy but i wouldnt consider anything from intel below a Core i3.

So the best CPU's for the money in my opinion are those two.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819113007
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115077

Thanks a lot. My plan was to get the 955 BE for my budget gaming PC and moderately over clocking it. I know the i3 2100 is better than the 955 but would the 955 be better than it if it was over clocked? The reviews i see are comparing the two at base clock speeds and i'm under the impression you can't really overclock the i3 2100.

 

[Outlander_04]

The claim that the pentium is a better gaming processor is based on a skewed test .

A top end gaming card was installed and games run at low resolution and detail settings . The pentium did produce higher fps in that scenario , but frankly its nonsense .


If DX 11 games are run at typical resolutions like 1080p and medium to high detail settings then the pentium dual core is not a good gaming processor . Even the i3 2100 will be beaten consistently by AMD's FX 4100

 

[K K0]

The claim that the pentium is a better gaming processor is based on a skewed test .

A top end gaming card was installed and games run at low resolution and detail settings . The pentium did produce higher fps in that scenario , but frankly its nonsense .


If DX 11 games are run at typical resolutions like 1080p and medium to high detail settings then the pentium dual core is not a good gaming processor . Even the i3 2100 will be beaten consistently by AMD's FX 4100

I'm mostly curious about the Athlon II X4 631 Quad-Core and it's crazy high benchmark score (higher than the phenom II 955). I was never considering buying the pentium.

 

[4745454b]

If DX 11 games are run at typical resolutions like 1080p and medium to high detail settings then the pentium dual core is not a good gaming processor . Even the i3 2100 will be beaten consistently by AMD's FX 4100

Don't be so sure.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-fx-pentium-apu-benchmark,3120-9.html

Even the G pentiums do pretty good.

I wouldn't be too hung up on passmark scores. You don't use passmark. Its not something that does anything for you. It's a synthetic benchmark that can be subject to ??? Winzip/rar, Firefox, video games, converting programs,etc are programs you use and should care about. 2x as high passmark? What does that mean? Does that mean X program will be faster? Not even close. Look up the issues with the ATI 2900XT and 3DMark for a good example of how bad synthetic benchmarks can be.

 

[sarinaide]

If you are considering a budget orientated rig, have you considered looking into a Trinity when they arrive, just a thought. If not then a old Phenom II x 4 should be a option.

On experience Pentiums, anything more than a 2100 (for value/perf reasons) and a 2300 are must avoid chips. Pentiums are fine and well in synthetics but when you use them they are very twitchy, the saving grace is that at $70 they are easy to take out and throw away or give to some charitable organization without a grimmace on your face.

 

[wr6133]

Pentiums are fine and well in synthetics but when you use them they are very twitchy, the saving grace is that at $70 they are easy to take out and throw away or give to some charitable organization without a grimmace on your face.

..... brilliant!

 

[sarinaide]

I was merely going on the fact that I have a old Core2 extreme and 771 setup that cost around $1500 that is practically valueless but cost me a pretty penny in the day. That also leads to the point that I have practically owned and used every cpu available and honestly the performance relative to the comparitive products at the time is so negligable its not worth spending over the top. Intel is the performance king but by no stretch is a AMD bad, it will do the same if only slower, in gaming I took a guys dog tags 3 times in a round when he has a 3960x and 680 sli setup, clearly the added FPS made no difference to his gaming skillz did they.

 

[Kamen_BG]

Starcraft two is a game that uses only two cores if i remember correctly and somewhy it just performs really badly on AMD CPU's.Dont be fooled though most games are not like that.Games are starting to use 4 core more and more efficiently.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/star-wars-gaming-tests-review,3087-8.html

Some people claim that the new Medal of Honor and Arma use even six cores!And i can assure you if a game uses 4 cores well a Phenom II X4 will outperform a core i3 at the same frequiency.Also note that when most people show reviews of overclocked phenoms they tend to go for the maximum frequincy they can reach while downclocking the HT.Which is a big mistake.

http://www.overclock.net/t/939380/amd-phenom-ii-x3-720-vs-x6-1100t-3-5ghz-and-4ghz-with-hd-6850-cfx

Damn i got carried away again.And lastly the Athlon 631 is as fast as a Phenom II X4 at the same frequency.And since phenoms are clocked higher they are also faster.

 

[K K0]

Starcraft two is a game that uses only two cores if i remember correctly and somewhy it just performs really badly on AMD CPU's.Dont be fooled though most games are not like that.Games are starting to use 4 core more and more efficiently.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/star-wars-gaming-tests-review,3087-8.html

Some people claim that the new Medal of Honor and Arma use even six cores!And i can assure you if a game uses 4 cores well a Phenom II X4 will outperform a core i3 at the same frequiency.Also note that when most people show reviews of overclocked phenoms they tend to go for the maximum frequincy they can reach while downclocking the HT.Which is a big mistake.

http://www.overclock.net/t/939380/amd-phenom-ii-x3-720-vs-x6-1100t-3-5ghz-and-4ghz-with-hd-6850-cfx

Damn i got carried away again.And lastly the Athlon 631 is as fast as a Phenom II X4 at the same frequency.And since phenoms are clocked higher they are also faster.

Thanks but if the X4 athlon is the same as the X4 phenom when both are clocked at the same speed why does the ahtlon have a higher benchmark score than a phenom II 955 when it's clocked at stock 2.6ghz compared to 955's 3.2ghz?