Buy a FX8350 now or wait for Bulldozer?

[Alkalinepro5]

As the title suggests. These have come down in price and makes a sensible, cheap upgrade for me. Couple it to a high end cooler and I should see a nice 5Ghz, which would make my rig ready for a GPU upgrade to the next get rad 8000 / GTX700 series.

What are we thinking?

 

[Martini1991]

The FX8350 is the same price it's been since it launched.
The FX8320 is 7 pound cheaper than it was at launch.
Barely prices to make a difference.

For the record, I'd get an FX8320 over your Phenom II, but neither The FX8320/8350 are guaranteed 5GHZ by any stretch.
Also, SR isn't till next year.

 

[Boomstick777]

Some great deals about for the FX 8320, http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-337-AM. Is it basically the FX 8350 but clocked lower, 'all other spec is the same'. You could buy that and a decent mobo, then when Steamroller drops replace your 8320 with a new Steamroller chip.

My two cents

 

[Smoogels]

imo a 8320 at £114 is a great price. Most of them should be able to get to 4GHz at least to match the 8350 and likely able to get further.

 

[Marine-RX179]

You could buy that and a decent mobo, then when Steamroller drops replace your 8320 with a new Steamroller chip.

But it's not confirmed that Steamroller would still be AM3+, despite how likely the rumor suggested it to be...

And even if it was AM3+ compatible, I don't see that the CPU will overclock too great with the current range of board chipsets. If PD is as great and as big an improvement we all hoping it to be, then we can pretty much be sure that we would need motherboard with the latest chipset to make the most out of it.

 

[Boomstick777]

imo a 8320 at £114 is a great price. Most of them should be able to get to 4GHz at least to match the 8350 and likely able to get further.

^^ This

But it's not confirmed that Steamroller would still be AM3+, despite how likely the rumor suggested it to be...

And even if it was AM3+ compatible, I don't see that the CPU will overclock too great with the current range of board chipsets. If PD is as great and as big an improvement we all hoping it to be, then we can pretty much be sure that we would need motherboard with the latest chipset to make the most out of it.

Everything I have seen on Steamroller point to it being compatible with AM3+, if it wasn't it wouldn't be the end of the world to swap boards out for another chip. An FX 8320 and decent AM3+ won't break the bank and is very good performance VS price, that is def what I would go for it I was doing a new build.

More on AM3+ 'Steamroller'

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2208525/amd-sticks-with-socket-am3-for-steamroller

 

[Marine-RX179]

Everything I have seen on Steamroller point to it being compatible with AM3+, if it wasn't it wouldn't be the end of the world to swap boards out for another chip. An FX 8320 and decent AM3+ won't break the bank and is very good performance VS price, that is def what I would go for it I was doing a new build.

But if one have to switch board in other to upgrade to Steamroller, then it would defeat the entire purpose of going AM3+ now (unless people really can't afford i5...then yea something like a AM3+ FX-6350 build would be great).

Also, it is a case of trading current performance (by going FX instead of i5) for "possible upgrade path".

 

[Alkalinepro5]

I really CBA to upgrade my motherboard.

More recent gaming tests show there really isn't that much of a difference at 1080p and beyond. i5+high end mobo = £340-350 vs £150 for similar game performance. (i5 is £190 these days!)

I'm not going to see 2x the frame rate with an i5 so why should I spend double the price?

Anyway the 8320 is at an excellent price. Not sure how well these things OC, however would 4.5Ghz be achievable with an Antec Kúhler H2O 920?

 

[Martini1991]

No one's suggested going i5 though.
Since you're AM3+ already, you may's well go straight FX8320.

The i5 route has merit when you have to get a new board though, but it isn't applicable here.

 

[Boomstick777]

I'm not going to see 2x the frame rate with an i5 so why should I spend double the price?

Anyway the 8320 is at an excellent price. Not sure how well these things OC, however would 4.5Ghz be achievable with an Antec Kúhler H2O 920?

^^ Exactly, go for the FX 8320, such bang for buck at it's current price. You should hit 4.5Ghz with an Antec Kuhler 620 .

 

[Marine-RX179]

Didn't notice OP already got a AM 3+ board. In that case, something like a FX-6350 would do nicely...of a FX-8320 if really can find one cheap enough.

I thought OP need to get a new board besides the CPU based on Boom mentioning it.

With that said, the above price to performance site is one I would never quote, and its result is based on the stock performance, and never does a proper representation for gaming performance.