What processor to choose?

[ConfusedGamer123]

Hello Everyone,

So i'm looking for parts to make a $500-$600 computer. Right now i'm deciding on what processor to get, but can't decide. I want to get a processor and motherboard around $250 total, but i can't decide which one to pick. I'm looking at the FX-6300 (or maybe phenom or something else), but if i get that one and want to overclock it then the motherboard will cost more. Yet if i get a different one like the i5 or i3 then the processor will cost more, but the motherboard will probably cost less. So if someone could give me some advice on which processor to choose or what would fit my budget, it would be much appreciated. (I really just want the best performance for $250 and getting a better stock fan if needed shouldn't be a problem)

[KnightRid]

You need to tell us what you want to do with the computer. Will it be for internet surfing/email, will it be for gaming (you need more money), will it be for editing HD video (again, you need more money), will it be as a substitute for Pixar to render animation on your system (yea, borrow from Bill Gates for this one)...

Lots of different configurations for lots of different purposes.

[ConfusedGamer123]

I'd probably be using it for school and mild gaming, not super hard core gaming on ultra settings, but decant settings. Ya my budget isn't very big, its probably more towards $300 if anything (for processor and motherboard) i still don't know what graphics card to get either but around the $100-$150 would be good. I won't be doing any video editing or many other processor intense programs or anything, I just want to run games like Black Ops, Battlefield 3, and GTA at decant frame rates. So if that is in my budget that would be great. ($600 dollar budget doesn't include operating system or monitor)

[KnightRid]

Newegg - $15 off w/ promo code EMCXVWR33, ends 2/18 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819103961 - so $159.99-$15=144.99 - so $5 more than the 6300 you were looking at. 400mhz per core slower but you have 8 cores instead of 6.

Motherboards - http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi ... ageSize=20 - I vote to stay away from ASRock because the company SUCKS and has broken parts being shipped that they blame the customer for breaking (rant is elsewhere in the forums about this). I would go with one of the 990FX boards ($139.99 and up).

That should solve your cpu and MB. Also, overclocking is fun to do but you will never use the speed for what you are doing with the system so I would suggest sitting on stock for a while and see how it goes. You can always play with OC'ing down the road. Best time to play is when you are looking to buy a new system so you can use the old system to play with oc'ing and you wont care if it fries. Just my thoughts.

Video card - 650ti is the best you can do for max $150. I just got a 660 for my new build a couple months ago and love it but it is above the $200 mark. I am partial to Nvidia cards so you will have to ask someone else about AMD/ATI

[INeedAFnSuffix]

But the original zambezi is hot and slow ... I would rather have a FX-6300 any day over it.
As for a great perf/$ card you should have a Sapphire 7850 OC 2GB, it's only a fair bit more over a 7770 Vapor-X OC and delivers almost double the performance. Even if you don't need the extra power you would rather have that extra power for just 40$ extra
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814102984

[KnightRid]

But the original zambezi is hot and slow ... I would rather have a FX-6300 any day over it.

I am not an AMD guy anymore as I would rather have a core i7 any day for working with HD video but the price point is too high for his needs (I think a core i3 is better than the highest end AMD but that is just my opinion). So there you go, stick with the FX-6300 then. MB should be the same. The 6300 does have the newer tech in it compared to the zambezi and looking it up, performance is pretty close.

Good catch on the performance Suffix. I thought the zambezi was always rated highly on multi threaded apps but it seems the newer architecture on the 6300 has it running pretty darn close.

[INeedAFnSuffix]

No. i3 doesn't touch the FX-6300 when it comes to threaded applications. Single thread applications though ... But this is 2013.
You can OC a FX-6300 better than a FX-6100 can (Much better) and it's faster than a 6100 for sure. Being vishera
but you can't OC a i3 or a i5 unless you bought a K

[Major_A]

I just want to run games like Black Ops, Battlefield 3, and GTA at decant frame rates

And there's the kicker. What resolution monitor are you going to run? If you plan on gaming on an older TV (1366x768) or and older monitor (1680x1050/1600x1200/1280x1024/etc...) then Ultra settings are easier to reach.