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Best AMD processor for gaming?
- Thread starter Gandeh
- Start date
Soldato
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- 6 Feb 2010
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- 14,583
Without a dedicated graphic card the A10 5800K without a doubt.
But if you have a gaming graphic card, you'd better off going Intel i5...unless you already got a AM3+ board, which then your best option would probably be the FX-8320 and overclock it.
But if you have a gaming graphic card, you'd better off going Intel i5...unless you already got a AM3+ board, which then your best option would probably be the FX-8320 and overclock it.
I've got a Gainward GTX 580 Phantom 3gb card and a Sabertooth 990FX board. So I'm all set up to just buy the best AMD processor for gaming.
- If I do go AMD is the better option the FX-8320 or the FX-8350? I don't have any experience overclocking. I'm not saying I wouldn't try it but I would like to set things up and then just let them run like that. Don't fancy tampering every day.
- I could still switch to intel and grab a new board and processor. But I think it would cost me a hell of a lot.
- If I do go AMD is the better option the FX-8320 or the FX-8350? I don't have any experience overclocking. I'm not saying I wouldn't try it but I would like to set things up and then just let them run like that. Don't fancy tampering every day.
- I could still switch to intel and grab a new board and processor. But I think it would cost me a hell of a lot.
Associate
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- 26 Jun 2009
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- Sunderland
I've got an FX6300 overclocked to 4.4 with crossfired 6770's (not sure of the single equivalent) and games seem to be flying along. I've got the new Medal of Honor and run everything on high and it's very smooth, no jumping. No idea of the FPS as I'm just happy if it looks awesome and is smooth to play 
YOUR BASKET
1 x AMD Piledriver FX-8 Eight Core 8350 Black Edition 4.00GHz (Socket AM3+) Processor - Retail £149.99
Total : £159.59 (includes shipping : £8.00).
vs
YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - Retail £173.99
1 x Gigabyte Z77-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £79.99
Total : £265.38 (includes shipping : £9.50).
everything else is transplantable so its a matter of cpu +/- mobo only
Soldato
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- 6 Feb 2010
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- 14,583
Well...I think the best thing to do on deciding whether to ditch your current board and go for a Intel build instead of going for PD is probably to think of the games you play the most. If you play mainly CPU demanding games like mmos, rts, open world and source games etc, then it would worth going for Intel; however if the games you mainly play are single player FPS/action linear games, then the PD would suffice.
Just to put it into perspective:
FX-8320: £125
FX-8350: £150
i5 2500K (2nd hand) £120 + Gigabyte Z77-D3H £80: £200
And then there's the i5 3570K option mentioned above.
The only difference between 8320 and 8350 is their stock clock...if you were to overclock, there's not much difference between the two CPU, as they would both hit around the same frequency.
Caporegime
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Get and FX8320 or an FX8350. If you have a Phenom II X6 try overclocking it a bit.
Most of the newer engines are multi-threaded,these include CryENGINE 3,id Tech 5,Frostbite 2 and the upcoming UE4,and these tend to be multi-platform engines,ie, used in console games too.
New consoles are being released in the next year,so expect more and more releases to become more heavily multi-threaded over the next few years.
Even in a number of the games based on old engines(devs who are cost cutting TBH),you are looking at around a 10% to 40% improvement with an FX8350 over a Phenom II X6 1100T when both are at stock clockspeeds.
I am finding that more and more games I am playing are using more threads(I play a mixture of games BTW).
Now,if you play only stuff based on legacy engines,perhaps going for Intel might make a bit more sense,but even then look careful at what performance you are getting and be careful of measurebating too much. I even met a few SC2 Diamond League players and high level WoW players who are not even running the fastest hardware.
The thing is if most games needed half the hardware purported on forums 80% to 90% of PC gamers would not be running them.
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Thank you for all the advice folks I appreciate it.
If I was going to switch to Intel would it not be smarter just to go the whole way and pick i7 rather than i5? I don't plan on over clocking at all you see. So I'm looking for the best out the box.
I play heavy graphics games mostly online. Planetside 2, Crysis 3, BF3 etc.
If I was going to switch to Intel would it not be smarter just to go the whole way and pick i7 rather than i5? I don't plan on over clocking at all you see. So I'm looking for the best out the box.
I play heavy graphics games mostly online. Planetside 2, Crysis 3, BF3 etc.
Then the i5 will do fine. I would worry more about the GPU for those games.
Caporegime
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I played the Crysis3 MP Alpha and it uses multiple threads very well,as I was monitoring core usage while gaming. BF3 also uses multiple cores well. I would probably get an FX8320 or FX8350 in this case. You also have a good motherboard too,ie, a Asus 990FX Sabretooth, so in the future you could also overclock the CPU a bit.
What CPU do you have ATM??
What CPU do you have ATM??
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If your going to switch to Intel there is no advantage going i7 vs i5, but there is also no advantage going FX-8 vs i5/i7.
I have the Gainward GTX 580 Phantom 3gb, I thought this would handle new games without a problem? If I could get hold of another relatively cheap I would SLI them.
I have a 1100T at the moment. I don't mind overclocking but I've never done it before so I'm a bit hesitant. I really just want a processor that will help run Planetside 2 a bit more. It runs pretty well at the moment but there are times when it has a couple of seconds stutter. This happens mostly when there is a sudden appearance of loads of explosions. The fps briefly drops.
I have a 1090T running at 4.1Ghz / 2800Mhz CPU-NB, for almost 2 years now on this £30 cooler, the temps are good with the best of stress testing (Prime-95)
I could run it at 4.2Ghz and still be with in limits if i wanted to, its no guarantee that your 1100T will do the same, but 4Ghz / 2600Mhz CPU-NB, on these chips is 95% a given.
You might like to try it and save yourself a lot of money.
In any-case the FX-8 is faster than the 1100T.
I could run it at 4.2Ghz and still be with in limits if i wanted to, its no guarantee that your 1100T will do the same, but 4Ghz / 2600Mhz CPU-NB, on these chips is 95% a given.
You might like to try it and save yourself a lot of money.
In any-case the FX-8 is faster than the 1100T.
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It depends on the motherboard, but if you've got real six-cores CPU then even 4-module Piledriver FX-8320 (8 "cores") would make just a cosmetic difference. I'd stay with 1100T, it's quite good-overall-CPU, with some o/c potential, so I can't see any reason to swap it.
Would you notice 5% difference in gaming ?
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/203?vs=698
Of course, FX-8350 is the best of AMD chips, but is 10% FPS more worth of such money ? Answer for yourself.
Would you notice 5% difference in gaming ?
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/203?vs=698
Of course, FX-8350 is the best of AMD chips, but is 10% FPS more worth of such money ? Answer for yourself.
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Soldato
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- 6 Feb 2010
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Actually you do have a point...if you put it in graphic card term, it would be a bit like upgrading from a 4850 to a 4890...or 4870 even.
580 is still fine to use.