I5 2500k or AMD Bulldozer FX

[hammerhead2008]

I have no idea on the AMD CPU front at the minute.

I know that I can purchase a FX6200 (6 core) for roughly the same price as an Intel 2500k, but I want to know what is best for gaming, but also taking into account on budget as I'd like to save a bit of money and not lose much performance.

I personally don't see the benefit of more cores at the moment as nothing really uses it. I do want to replace my Q6700 as it's just not up to scratch anymore

 

[WR2]

For gaming - i5-2500K.
Especially when CPUs are roughly the same price.

 

[nekulturny]

You should be able to get an FX-8120 for cheaper than a 2500K, as long as you understand that these CPUs are not particularly impressive at stock speeds, they are just as good as the 2500K under overclocking conditions. So long as you know what you're getting into:

Extensive Overclocking Benches
http://www.overclock.net/t/1210060/fx8120-vs-2500k-benchmark-results

i5-2500K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

FX-8120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103961

Plan on buying an aftermarket CPU cooler if you want to overclock either one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

 

[nekulturny]

For gaming - i5-2500K.
Especially when CPUs are roughly the same price.

How is a $220 dollar CPU "roughly" the same price as a $160 dollar one, out of curiosity?

 

[WR2]

Here are some performance benchmarks you might be interested in.

AMD FX-8150 - 3.6GHz vs Intel Core i5 2500K - 3.3GHz
(FX-6200 was not in the comparo data base)

 

[WR2]

How is a $220 dollar CPU "roughly" the same price as a $160 dollar one, out of curiosity?

Those are US prices you mention.

The OP has already said his prices are 'roughly the same price'

 

[nekulturny]

Those are US prices you mention.

The OP has already said his prices are 'roughly the same price'

Oh I see, sorry, I've been drinking. LOL.

If the 8120 falls into that same price bracket, and you plan to overclock, based on the benches I've shown.. Flip a coin. Otherwise, 2500K, and I HAS SPOKEN.

 

[WR2]

hurry up and hit 'master' so I can see..

😱 'morning Mal;
Won't be too long, probably before I finish my first cup of coffee.

 

[nekulturny]

Hi Mal, you know I still love you right bro?

 

[nekulturny]

you don't talk to me on Steam... 🙁

I didn't know I could talk to people on Steam. I downloaded one game from it (Metro 2033), haven't really played with it much.

 

[WR2]

I watched mousemonkey make Master; in fact watched him do it 3 or 4 times maybe.
The THG site database did not blow up.

 

[WR2]

@ malmental
He was going backward at pretty good clip before someone (eh hmm) pointed that out to him. He had gone from 69K to 55K without noticing. So there was some experimenting, poking and testing about the time he went on his rampage. I guess they found out a few things.
Maybe it was cheating, but always 'within' the rules.

 

[bigcyco1]

i5-2500K.

 

[WR2]

There's a guy over in the German side of THG Forums that made Master quite a whlle ago.
It's going to happen to you before the year is out unless you take an extra long holiday. Rolli59 is going to make it this month too. And mousemonkey (again) if he ever stops going backward.

 

[nekulturny]

i5-2500K @ Microcenter (in-store only) $169.99

Hell of a deal too. Only problem with it is the 8120 is 150 from Microcenter.

Like I said, stock to stock, 2500k, 4.5GHZ overclock, flip a coin.

 

[hammerhead2008]

hmmm... well I have a good cooler in mind for both of these chips, so obviously overclocking will happen either way. But, I was thinking that the setup of buying a Z77 or equivalent board with memory etc is quite expensive whereas an AMD 980/990 can be picked up a bit cheaper

 

[nekulturny]

Well, how much does the FX-8120 run in your area? And for that matter what is your primary goal for this computer to do? The thing about the FX CPUs is they aren't true 6 cores, 8 cores or what have you.

The 6200 for example is a tri-core that "pretends" to have 6 cores. My advice is, as I mentioned, if any FX CPU is to considered it should be considered under the conditions that its overclocked, and its the FX-8xxx series.

 

[WR2]

RAM is about the same, or course.
And we see Z68/Z77 and 970/990 motherboards not too far apart price.

What kind of prices are you looking at in your locale?

 

[nekulturny]

I don't know if I'd go that far personally. Intel has too big of a gap between their dual cores and quad cores, they really need to sort that out.

 

[WR2]

@ hammerhead2008;

Are you seeing any Phenom II X4s still for sale in your area? For example, Phenom II X4 965 or Phenom II X4 960T? And if so, what price?
One of those with a good 970 motherboard might hit a sweet spot for bang for the buck upgrade.

We like four real Phenom II cores a lot better than three Bulldozer modules.

 

[nekulturny]

@ hammerhead2008;

Are you seeing any Phenom II X4s still for sale in your area? For example, Phenom II X4 965 or Phenom II X4 960T? And if so, what price?
One of those with a good 970 motherboard might hit a sweet spot for bang for the buck upgrade.

We like four real Phenom II cores a lot better than three Bulldozer modules.

The sole Bulldozer defender in this thread concurs. :lol:

 

[WR2]

I'm OK with Bulldozer if that's what a person wants.
I think it's got a slightly unfair rep - it's not like it can't get the job done.
Too much hype before launch, too much disappointment after and it never recovered.

Still, launching a product after that long a wait that didn't impress (or even match performance of the older line in many respects) was probably too much to over come.

 

[hammerhead2008]

I'm from the UK but I have seen one 965 Black Edition for £100 (compared to the 2500K of £140) so that's a cheaper alternative. I thought about this too, but I don't want to dig myself into old technology, as I already have a Q6700 and only after a year or two I'm needing to upgrade.

Been doing my own research and I know that IvyBridge has turned into a flop to be brutally honest, with high temps when overclocking, which I'm probably looking to do. Main priority for this system is games, but also with some video rendering.

 

[SteelLAD]

Ill reiterate what the other have said, if you can go for the i5 any benchmark be it game or synthetic leans heavily in favour of the i5 over any FX chip. I think the only time the FX pulls ahead *slightly* is in some of the heavily multi threaded applications, and even then I'm talking about the 8150 and the 8120, not the 6200.

So in short, i5 is a definite if possible and allowing to budget constraints, yet the FX would "get the job done".

 

[SteelLAD]

I'm from the UK but I have seen one 965 Black Edition for £100 (compared to the 2500K of £140) so that's a cheaper alternative. I thought about this too, but I don't want to dig myself into old technology, as I already have a Q6700 and only after a year or two I'm needing to upgrade.

Been doing my own research and I know that IvyBridge has turned into a flop to be brutally honest, with high temps when overclocking, which I'm probably looking to do. Main priority for this system is games, but also with some video rendering.

Yay, Im UK too! Back to the subject though, remember that although the 15 3550k will have higher temps when overclocking above a certain speed it will also have slightly higher ipc to compensate for that, in that respect of being a die shrink I would say Ivy is an important step ahead, especially with this 3d transistor system. So dont count out ivy to much.

Maybe as an alternative if you're gaming you could get a cheap Sandybridge pentium and 1155 mobo and wait for Haswell next year?