How capable is the i3 2120?

[TheScarecrow97]

Can it run Battlefield 3 on ultra 1080p if its paired with a 7870?

 

[DJDeCiBeL]

In single player, absolutely, but it'll struggle a bit in a 64 player multiplayer setting. BF3 multiplayer LOVES all the logical (real) cores you can give it.

 

[jessterman21]

By struggle, you mean drop to 35fps here and there, right?

 

[DJDeCiBeL]

By struggle, you mean drop to 35fps here and there, right?

Well, yeah, lol. Compared to an i5, it'll struggle, how about that? LOL

 

[blazorthon]

Look at it this way: An FX-6100 CPU would beat an i3 in BF3 with 48-64 players. Outside of such CPU-bound situations, the i3-2120 is a very capable budget gaming CPU.

 

[TheScarecrow97]

In single player, absolutely, but it'll struggle a bit in a 64 player multiplayer setting. BF3 multiplayer LOVES all the logical (real) cores you can give it.

Yeah, I did mean multiplayer. Could the 2120 handle it without dropping below 30 fps?

Edit: just thought id mention, ill b using the 2120 to hold me over until this time next year when ill probably grab an ivybridge i7

 

[blazorthon]

Yeah, I did mean multiplayer. Could the 2120 handle it without dropping below 30 fps?

Edit: just thought id mention, ill b using the 2120 to hold me over until this time next year when ill probably grab an ivybridge i7

I'd recommend getting an i5 and overclocking it. Any i5 can overclock by 20-25% or maybe a little more with a good mobo, even the non-K editions, and that should be enough to play BF3 MP with 64 players about as well as any quad core i7 would play it.

An i5-3470 should be ideal.

 

[DJDeCiBeL]

Could the 2120 handle it without dropping below 30 fps?

It should be able to do that, at least, yeah.

Also, you don't need to worry about an i7 for gaming. An i5 is all you'll need. HT isn't all that beneficial in gaming (and is actually detrimental, in some cases).

If you can swing the extra cash for an i5 right now, though, that's what I would really recommend.

 

[TheScarecrow97]

I'd recommend getting an i5 and overclocking it. Any i5 can overclock by 20-25% or maybe a little more with a good mobo, even the non-K editions, and that should be enough to play BF3 MP with 64 players about as well as any quad core i7 would play it.

An i5-3470 should be ideal.

If i did that I'd have to downgrade the gpu to a 7850, maybe even a 6950....would you still recommend this over a 7870 an i3 2120 that ill replace with an i7 in less than a year...?

 

[TheScarecrow97]

Best answer selected by TheScarecrow97.

 

[blazorthon]

I'm saying that there's no need to go to an i7 at all because an i5 should have more than enough performance. Save your money on the i5 and put that into a Radeon 7950

An i5 at about 4GHz is around twice as fast in quad threaded or better software (such as BF3 MP with 64 players) as an i3 and an i3 has a little more than half as much performance as should be necessary.

 

[DJDeCiBeL]

Is a 3470 and 7850 good?

You're welcome. And yeah, that'll be just fine.

 

[TheScarecrow97]

It should be able to do that, at least, yeah.

Also, you don't need to worry about an i7 for gaming. An i5 is all you'll need. HT isn't all that beneficial in gaming (and is actually detrimental, in some cases).

If you can swing the extra cash for an i5 right now, though, that's what I would really recommend.

okay thanks for the advice. Is a 3470 and 7850 good?

 

[DJDeCiBeL]

If i did that I'd have to downgrade the gpu to a 7850, maybe even a 6950....would you still recommend this over a 7870 an i3 2120 that ill replace with an i7 in less than a year...?

Read my last reply above on the reason you don't need to worry about getting an i7 (ever, unless you do some video editing or 3D modeling).

As far as going down to a 7850 or 6950, well, yes, the performance will be a bit lower than with a 7870, but a 7850 with an i5 is much more balanced.

Edit: I see you read that reply, lol.

 

[blazorthon]

okay thanks for the advice. Is a 3470 and 7850 good?

Saving money from what would have been the i7, you could go for a 7950 or even 7850 CF. In this case, you could get one 7850 now and another 7850 later.