I'd take the i3 as the better performer for normal usage as normal usage will not utilize all 6 of the FX's core effectively, and anytime you're using 4 cores or less, which is like 90% of the time, the i3 will be faster, and quieter. The i3 is also likely cheaper to use, and I'm not even talking about power usage. I'm talking about to buy from the start. Intel's "cheap" motherboards are of a better quality than AMD's "cheap" motherboards. You'd find yourself paying more for an AM3+ motherboard than you would a LGA1150 one. You would also find yourself buying an aftermarket cooler for the FX, but not for the i3.