Need Help with Choosing AMD Upgrades! - Hardware & Software

Hello there PC building section of Facepunch. I'd like to upgrade my PC, but I don't really know where to start. I'd like full AMD, that's for sure - and I'd say my budget is about £400 for now anyway. I just want the best I can possibly get (also[B] if you don't think it's worth upgrading with that budget please say[/B] and I can always wait longer!) I figure what I need right now is a new CPU, a new GPU, probably a new PSU (current one is either 500W or 550W I believe) and possibly a new motherboard if mine is too outdated (but I have NO idea if it is or not, it's this: [url]http://puu.sh/6ucsL.png[/url]). I've got 12gb of RAM so that should be fine and everything else in my computer is pretty solid right now. UK based companies please and thank you. Thanks!

Why AMD?

Because the on the lower end of the budget scale I felt AMD is usually better bang for my buck. I also prefer in general the brand and I feel more games that I wanna play are optimized for AMD over Nvidia in the GPU side of things.

Get an AMD 8320. If you overclock it a little, it matches the 8350 and is much cheaper (~$30-50).

The whole AMD is better for low budgets is a misconception, and games are optimized for each GPU vendor about equally (that is to say there are about an equal number of games that prefer each company, not all games are optimized for both companies which would be so much better). Unless you are getting an APU (and you may want to consider that option depending on your full specifications), Intel will usually give you a better run for the money in game processors. Although AMD is generally the better choice in GPUs sub 200 dollars (generally not always). The moral of the story is don't have brand preference, but you really haven't given us quite enough information for a full recommendation. Post a speccy screenshot (no this does not mean go looking around your computer for system specifications, just download speccy) and include your PSU model and exact wattage. If speccy lists that you have a graphics card in a certain series (ex. 7800 series) list the exact graphics card model you own.

I don't think you should use 400 pounds to get all you want and then have to change it in a year because it's terrible. Wait a little longer maybe 600 pounds. I can't recommend anything since you haven't said what it's going to be used for but anyway listen to flayne he knows what he's doing.

[QUOTE=GavGod'sGift;43639920]you haven't said what it's going to be used for[/QUOTE]general gaming [IMG]http://puu.sh/6vm4M.png[/IMG] AMD Radeon HD 6770. I can get the PSU in a bit.

For 400 pounds you can get a decent GPU, CPU, and motherboard upgrade. Your RAM is fine, so just transition that into the new system. Not overclockable: [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2Gf0j]PCPartPicker part list[/url] / [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2Gf0j/by_merchant/]Price breakdown by merchant[/url] / [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2Gf0j/benchmarks/]Benchmarks[/url] [b]CPU:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i54670]Intel Core i5-4670 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor[/url] (£158.34 @ Aria PC) [b]Motherboard:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-motherboard-b85g41pcmate]MSI B85-G41 PC Mate ATX LGA1150 Motherboard[/url] (£57.42 @ Scan.co.uk) [b]Video Card:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-n760tf2gd5oc]MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card[/url] (£196.51 @ Scan.co.uk) [b]Total:[/b] £412.27 [i](Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)[/i] [i](Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-23 17:59 GMT+0000)[/i] Overclockable: [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2Gf4i]PCPartPicker part list[/url] / [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2Gf4i/by_merchant/]Price breakdown by merchant[/url] / [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2Gf4i/benchmarks/]Benchmarks[/url] [b]CPU:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i54670k]Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor[/url] (£171.59 @ Aria PC) [b]CPU Cooler:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2]Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler[/url] (£25.18 @ Aria PC) [b]Motherboard:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-motherboard-z87g41pcmate]MSI Z87-G41 PC Mate ATX LGA1150 Motherboard[/url] (£64.98 @ Amazon UK) [b]Video Card:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-r9270gaming2g]MSI Radeon R9 270 2GB Video Card[/url] (£129.95 @ Scan.co.uk) [b]Total:[/b] £391.70 [i](Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)[/i] [i](Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-23 18:01 GMT+0000)[/i] The G41 is a bit low end, so if you are willing to pay a little extra the Z87 G43 is a good upgrade. [editline]23rd January 2014[/editline] Approximate performance comparison: [url]http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1043?vs=1038[/url]

PSU is only 500W coolermaster, so I'd assume that's probably not enough?

That's more than enough, overclocking or not. Cooler master is also a great brand.

I've never overclocked before, do you think it'd be worth going with the overclockable one, is overclocking that hard for a newbie? Would the FPS really improve that much?

[QUOTE=Freeze;43644651]I've never overclocked before, do you think it'd be worth going with the overclockable one, is overclocking that hard for a newbie? Would the FPS really improve that much?[/QUOTE] Yes, no(there's tons of tutorials and some motherboards can attempt to overclock automatically), and maybe(it's a "free" speed boost in the future, but your current FPS might not increase if the game isn't being limited by your CPU)

A high end overclock (not something you can achieve with a 212 evo and G41) will achieve about 5 extra frames per second in an average (GPU intensive) game. I would expect you to achieve about 1-2, but there are other advantages to having a fast processor. General computer tasks will go much faster, and as RandomGamer implied some games are CPU intensive, and thusly get a much better boost from overclocking.

[QUOTE=Freeze;43643655]general gaming [IMG]http://puu.sh/6vm4M.png[/IMG] AMD Radeon HD 6770. I can get the PSU in a bit.[/QUOTE] Your CPU is on the verge of overheating, might want to fix that issue.

[QUOTE=GiGaBiTe;43649656]Your CPU is on the verge of overheating, might want to fix that issue.[/QUOTE] it's not even remotely close what are you talking about

[QUOTE=flayne;43636143]The whole AMD is better for low budgets is a misconception, and games are optimized for each GPU vendor about equally (that is to say there are about an equal number of games that prefer each company, not all games are optimized for both companies which would be so much better). Unless you are getting an APU (and you may want to consider that option depending on your full specifications), Intel will usually give you a better run for the money in game processors. Although AMD is generally the better choice in GPUs sub 200 dollars (generally not always). The moral of the story is don't have brand preference, but you really haven't given us quite enough information for a full recommendation.[/QUOTE] Whilst I agree with you that Intel is better than AMD in the high end, no one with a brain could possible recommend getting an i3 over an AMD CPU. Your "suggested" builds are terrible, sorry to say buy you must REALLY love intel if you honestly believe an i5 4670K and an R9 270 would be a better choice than an 8320 and an R9 280X. Everyone knows you should spend more on your GPU than your CPU. Intel are very good, but most certainly not good enough to gut your build just to get to the i5. I would go with this OP. [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2Kz3i]PCPartPicker part list[/url] / [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2Kz3i/by_merchant/]Price breakdown by merchant[/url] / [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2Kz3i/benchmarks/]Benchmarks[/url] [b]CPU:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-fd8320frhkbox]AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor[/url] (£107.99 @ Aria PC) [b]CPU Cooler:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2]Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler[/url] (£25.18 @ Aria PC) [b]Motherboard:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/asrock-motherboard-990fxextreme3]ASRock 990FX Extreme3 ATX AM3+/AM3 Motherboard[/url] (£74.52 @ Amazon UK) [b]Video Card:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-video-card-gvr928xoc3gd]Gigabyte Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card[/url] (£223.66 @ Amazon UK) [b]Total:[/b] £431.35 [i](Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)[/i] [i](Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-31 03:28 GMT+0000)[/i]

While I do agree with going for AMD in low budgets, you're still kind of a huge dick. Flayne has a ton more credibility and has helped numerous people, you shouldn't outright come in and say his suggested builds are terrible because he spends more for a CPU than a GPU, and a 270 still isn't a bad card. You should probably get more known in this forum before talking shit about people, okay? Also your build is still 30 pounds over budget.

[QUOTE=Death_God;43734017]While I do agree with going for AMD in low budgets, you're still kind of a huge dick. Flayne has a ton more credibility and has helped numerous people, you shouldn't outright come in and say his suggested builds are terrible because he spends more for a CPU than a GPU, and a 270 still isn't a bad card. You should probably get more known in this forum before talking shit about people, okay? Also your build is still 30 pounds over budget.[/QUOTE] Because he has been here longer means he is somehow immune to criticism? Lmao. [QUOTE]suggested builds are terrible because he spends more for a CPU than a GPU, and a 270 still isn't a bad card.[/QUOTE] Seriously? You honestly think a slight increase in synthetic benchmark score and 7zip speed is worth the FPS loss in a build that is just for gaming? Enjoy then I guess. Whilst the 760/R9 270 are still good cards, once you get up to high resolutions or crank the settings up in something like crysis, BF4. hitman, tomb raider etc. It REALLY starts to cough and splutter whilst the 770/R9 280X can pretty much handle it all. If you are going to be playing these games then I would imagine that's the make or break point. In comparison to almost no real world usage benefits of going for an i5 over an 8320. In comparison to almost no real world usage benefits of going for an i5 over an 8320, I just don't see why anyone would do it UNLESS this guy does other things on his computer that really required the single threaded performance of an Intel chip over AMD, then yes, that guys build is very good. However literally no mention at all was made of this, and the 8320 wins hands down in mutlithreaded usage. INB4 ban because criticism isn't allowed here. [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Meme reply" - Craptasket))[/highlight]

[QUOTE=Meladath;43736149]Seriously? You honestly think a slight increase in synthetic benchmark score and 7zip speed is worth the FPS loss in a build that is just for gaming? Enjoy then I guess.[/QUOTE] The funny thing is that this applies to the FX processor series, not intel's. The truth is, AMD's FX series is significantly worse in singlethreaded games while not giving significant improvement in multithreaded games, as multithreaded games are already optimised enough to run on both processors. [URL="http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1343568&p=43427080&viewfull=1#post43427080"]Pretty much any benchmark you can find illustrates this[/URL], so i have no idea where you got your "i5 has less FPS" idea from. Oh, and you really shouldn't introduce yourself to a forum or subsection with a "i am better than you" attitude. It usually doesn't end well. [editline]31st January 2014[/editline] For that matter, if he wants to put more money into the graphics card, he's still better off [URL="http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2KOHL"]getting a lower-end i5[/URL] than a FX-series for games

[QUOTE=RandomGamer342;43738336]The funny thing is that this applies to the FX processor series, not intel's. The truth is, AMD's FX series is significantly worse in singlethreaded games while not giving significant improvement in multithreaded games, as multithreaded games are already optimised enough to run on both processors. [URL="http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1343568&p=43427080&viewfull=1#post43427080"]Pretty much any benchmark you can find illustrates this[/URL], so i have no idea where you got your "i5 has less FPS" idea from. Oh, and you really shouldn't introduce yourself to a forum or subsection with a "i am better than you" attitude. It usually doesn't end well. [editline]31st January 2014[/editline] For that matter, if he wants to put more money into the graphics card, he's still better off [URL="http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2KOHL"]getting a lower-end i5[/URL] than a FX-series for games[/QUOTE] I never said i5 gives you less FPS. I never even mentioned anything related to that, at all, I have no idea where you got that idea from. I clearly said that i5's beat AMD's chips, but up till that point, they don't stand a chance. I said it would be stupid to buy a slower GPU just to get the small performance increase you would see from an FX to an i5. An FX will do just as well as any intel chip in gaming unless the game is not multi threaded and incredibly CPU bound, which the vast majority that you actually buy this kind of hardware for aren't. I have been posting around here for a while, so it was hardly an introduction. Your suggested upgrade is a locked ivy bridge chip with no GPU and the cheapest possible 1155 motherboard you can find? Looks to me like you are trying to prove me wrong purely for the sake of it without actually thinking of what you are suggesting. So you spend £20 more, for a processor that has faster single threaded performance, but is worse in every other regard? You could overclock the 8320 to have near i5 single threaded performance, and far superior multi threaded performance, not to mention to costs less.

If you're gaming on 1440p+ on a 270 then there's no point to getting it because it's meant to be a consumer card for 1080p, and it still does well on 1080p. Also I like how you're calling everyone out on "just trying to prove you wrong" or "have no idea what they're talking about" [editline]31st January 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=Meladath;43736149]Because he has been here longer means he is somehow immune to criticism? Lmao.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Meladath;43732805]no one with a brain could possible recommend getting an i3 over an AMD CPU. [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Meladath;43732805] Your "suggested" builds are terrible[/QUOTE] good criticism

[QUOTE=Meladath;43739795]I never said i5 gives you less FPS.[/QUOTE] What did you mean here, then? [QUOTE=Meladath;43736149]Seriously? You honestly think a slight increase in synthetic benchmark score and 7zip speed is worth the FPS loss in a build that is just for gaming? Enjoy then I guess.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=flayne;43643878]For 400 pounds you can get a decent GPU, CPU, and motherboard upgrade. Overclockable: [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2Gf4i]PCPartPicker part list[/url] / [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2Gf4i/by_merchant/]Price breakdown by merchant[/url] / [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2Gf4i/benchmarks/]Benchmarks[/url] [b]CPU:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646i54670k]Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor[/url] (£171.59 @ Aria PC) [b]CPU Cooler:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2]Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler[/url] (£25.18 @ Aria PC) [b]Motherboard:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-motherboard-z87g41pcmate]MSI Z87-G41 PC Mate ATX LGA1150 Motherboard[/url] (£64.98 @ Amazon UK) [b]Video Card:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/msi-video-card-r9270gaming2g]MSI Radeon R9 270 2GB Video Card[/url] (£129.95 @ Scan.co.uk) [b]Total:[/b] £391.70 [i](Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)[/i] [i](Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-23 18:01 GMT+0000)[/i] For overclocking go with ivy

[QUOTE=RandomGamer342;43740513]What did you mean here, then?[/QUOTE] I was referring to the single threaded performance of i5's in benchmarks vs getting an FX CPU and a faster GPU (thus, more FPS) [QUOTE=Death_God;43740159]good criticism[/QUOTE] It is, thank you.

Except with a GPU you can easily upgrade it rather than a CPU where you'd have to replace the motherboard AND CPU (which would run more than getting a new GPU), so you could just get a great gaming CPU and motherboard and a consumer, and still durable and good GPU which would be easy to replace down the road.

[QUOTE=Death_God;43741197]Except with a GPU you can easily upgrade it rather than a CPU where you'd have to replace the motherboard AND CPU (which would run more than getting a new GPU), so you could just get a great gaming CPU and motherboard and a consumer, and still durable and good GPU which would be easy to replace down the road.[/QUOTE] This is a good argument. Assuming you have a steady income, the intention to upgrade again in the future, and don't mind having a gutted system until then. Which I doubt is correct. If OP wanted, he could simply upgrade his CPU and motherboard now and then his GPU longer down the road, or vice versa, he didn't state this was his intention though at all. He wanted an upgrade all in one, since he stated new CPU and new GPU.

[QUOTE=flayne;43648249]A high end overclock (not something you can achieve with a 212 evo and G41) will achieve about 5 extra frames per second in an average (GPU intensive) game. I would expect you to achieve about 1-2, but there are other advantages to having a fast processor. General computer tasks will go much faster, and as RandomGamer implied some games are CPU intensive, and thusly get a much better boost from overclocking.[/QUOTE] I'm actually pleasantly surprised thus far with my 212 evo and g41. Sitting at 65 degrees on intel burn test at 4.2 ghz. Pushing it up more later tonight.

Now I'm confused and don't know what to get, great! :v: I don't think I want to overclock things, so what should I go with? I just want something that plays games the best I can get for that budget. It can stretch to like around £410 at most, like the previous non-overclocking build from you, flayne. I occasionally do basic video making (with stuff like SFM) or game dev (2D games though) but those shouldn't really be a factor at all because my current PC just fine for those as it is at the level I do it at, so [B]I really just want to focus on the gaming side of the performance.[/B] Meladath IS right in the fact (even if he is being a bit rude...) that I just want a one upgrade experience and not have to think about future upgrades too soon and just getting something to 'tide me over' to avoid bottlenecking. (also, thank you all for your help so far! dunno what I'd be doing without some of you guys :D )

[QUOTE=Freeze;43750638]Now I'm confused and don't know what to get, great! :v: I don't think I want to overclock things, so what should I go with? I just want something that plays games the best I can get for that budget. It can stretch to like around £410 at most, like the previous non-overclocking build from you, flayne. I occasionally do basic video making (with stuff like SFM) or game dev (2D games though) but those shouldn't really be a factor at all because my current PC just fine for those as it is at the level I do it at, so [B]I really just want to focus on the gaming side of the performance.[/B] Meladath IS right in the fact (even if he is being a bit rude...) that I just want a one upgrade experience and not have to think about future upgrades too soon and just getting something to 'tide me over' to avoid bottlenecking. (also, thank you all for your help so far! dunno what I'd be doing without some of you guys :D )[/QUOTE] You can either go for AMD, and a better GPU like I suggested, Intel and slower GPU, or Intel keep your current GPU then upgrade the GPU at a later date. If you go AMD, you will get far better multi threaded use (good if you stream or do other multi threaded workloads) but gimped single threaded speed unless you overclock. If you do overclock it, you can get it much closer to the a stock i5 in single threaded performance. Obviously, you will also save money and a GPU upgrade because of more budget because of this. If you go for the i5, you will have better single threaded performance, if you go for a 4670k and overclock it, the single threaded performance will win hands down compared to AMD (by a decent margin too), but multi threaded the AMD will win most of the time. Of course, due to this, you will have to buy a weaker GPU on your budget, or wait and upgrade later. Personally in your situation, If you want it all in 1 go, I would go for an 8320, an AM3+ motherboard (Preferably ASUS/ASRock/GigaByte/MSI not much difference between these brands), and an R9 280X. If you want to overclock, throw in a cooler master hyper 212 EVO. The way I see it, the single threaded performance of an i5 over an 8320 really isn't worth the £50 premium for you considering the AMD CPU wins in multi threaded anyway. The build is highly dependant on user needs really, for you, I have said what I feel would be the best. Here is the parts list with the evo, without it, it is just under £400. [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2LzMa]PCPartPicker part list[/url] / [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2LzMa/by_merchant/]Price breakdown by merchant[/url] / [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2LzMa/benchmarks/]Benchmarks[/url] [b]CPU:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-fd8320frhkbox]AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor[/url] (£107.99 @ Aria PC) [b]CPU Cooler:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2]Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler[/url] (£25.18 @ Aria PC) [b]Motherboard:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-ga970aud3p]Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard[/url] (£65.46 @ Amazon UK) [b]Video Card:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-video-card-gvr928xoc3gd]Gigabyte Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card[/url] (£223.66 @ Amazon UK) [b]Total:[/b] £422.29 [i](Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)[/i] [i](Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-02 00:09 GMT+0000)[/i]

[QUOTE=Meladath;43753793]You can either go for AMD, and a better GPU like I suggested, Intel and slower GPU, or Intel keep your current GPU then upgrade the GPU at a later date. If you go AMD, you will get far better multi threaded use (good if you stream or do other multi threaded workloads) but gimped single threaded speed unless you overclock. If you do overclock it, you can get it much closer to the a stock i5 in single threaded performance. Obviously, you will also save money and a GPU upgrade because of more budget because of this. If you go for the i5, you will have better single threaded performance, if you go for a 4670k and overclock it, the single threaded performance will win hands down compared to AMD (by a decent margin too), but multi threaded the AMD will win most of the time. Of course, due to this, you will have to buy a weaker GPU on your budget, or wait and upgrade later. Personally in your situation, If you want it all in 1 go, I would go for an 8320, an AM3+ motherboard (Preferably ASUS/ASRock/GigaByte/MSI not much difference between these brands), and an R9 280X. If you want to overclock, throw in a cooler master hyper 212 EVO. The way I see it, the single threaded performance of an i5 over an 8320 really isn't worth the £50 premium for you considering the AMD CPU wins in multi threaded anyway. The build is highly dependant on user needs really, for you, I have said what I feel would be the best. Here is the parts list with the evo, without it, it is just under £400. [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2LzMa]PCPartPicker part list[/url] / [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2LzMa/by_merchant/]Price breakdown by merchant[/url] / [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2LzMa/benchmarks/]Benchmarks[/url] [b]CPU:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-fd8320frhkbox]AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor[/url] (£107.99 @ Aria PC) [b]CPU Cooler:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rr212e20pkr2]Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler[/url] (£25.18 @ Aria PC) [b]Motherboard:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-ga970aud3p]Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard[/url] (£65.46 @ Amazon UK) [b]Video Card:[/b] [url=http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-video-card-gvr928xoc3gd]Gigabyte Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card[/url] (£223.66 @ Amazon UK) [b]Total:[/b] £422.29 [i](Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)[/i] [i](Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-02-02 00:09 GMT+0000)[/i][/QUOTE] You cannot use overclocking as an argument as there's no way to guarantee that you'll have a good stable overclock because of the silicone lottery. For that matter, spending money on a cooler completely beats the purpose of a cheaper CPU. Plus, you're using "it has better multithreaded performance" as an argument when the very majority of games aren't. The OP needs the computer to be focused on games, so single-threaded performance is key - the only performance advantage AMD's series has is in ARMA and planetside, while being beaten by freaking i3's and pentiums in single-threaded games(the majority of them.) If the better graphics card is the reason you're recommending the FX, why not get a cheaper i5, as it'll still outperform the FX in [U]games[/U], which is what the OP wants?