This month, we talk about new Llano-based APUs with unlocked core and graphics clock multipliers, Intel's upcoming Atom CPU refresh, and a few notable price adjustments. Then, we bid farewell to a few favorite processors that are quickly disappearing.
If you don’t have the time to research benchmarks, or if you don’t feel confident enough in your ability to pick the right processor for your next gaming machine, fear not. We at Tom’s Hardware have come to your aid with a simple list of the best gaming CPUs offered for the money.
January Updates
There weren't any groundbreaking new processors launched in the last month of 2011, though AMD did refresh its Llano-based APU family with two new models boasting unlocked multiplier ratios (including the graphics clock). The A8-3870K and A6-3670K are also interesting in that they embrace Intel's K-series suffix, rather than AMD's traditional Black Edition label. And, we can't help but notice more than a passing similarity to the naming Intel chose for its Sandy Bridge-E-based Core i7s. Trust us, this APU isn't anywhere near as fast as the £460 -3930K.Despite the shameless naming mimicry, these APUs might be an interesting low-budget option for tweakers who aren't interested in discrete graphics. The A8-3870K is the 100 W quad-core model with 400 ALUs and a 3 GHz processor clock and 600 MHz graphics frequency. The A6-3670K has 320 shaders running at 444 MHz, complemented by a 2.7 GHz processor clock. We spotted the A8-3870K for sale on Dabs at £105, while the A6-3670K is priced at £89.98. Neither of these APUs are recommended as serious gaming processors given the solid values currently available on more capable CPUs, so they don't make it to our list this month.
We don't have anything new from Intel either, though the company did recently announce its Cedar Trail family of next-generation Atom processors manufactured at 32 nm, which should start emerging in early 2012. Two models are mentioned in the press release: N2600 will arrive with a core frequency of 1.6 to 1.86 GHz and a TDP of less than 3.5 watts, and N2800 is expected to feature clock speeds of 1.86 to 2.13 GHz and a TDP of less than 6.5 watts. The 1.7 GHz N2650 and the 2.0 GHz N2850 were not announced, but are already listed in the company's technical documents. In any case, gamers should skip any processor bearing the Atom brand anyway.
The price of the 3.3 GHz Core i3-2120 dropped in price, in some places undercutting the 3.1 GHz Core i3-2100 and earning it a place in our recommended buy list. This price adjustment comes as a surprise, since the Core i3-2100 was already our favorite choice, beating out the Phenom II X4 955 for that honor. AMD's option remains viable, especially given its unlocked multiplier. However, the faster Core i3 demonstrates that Intel is serious about competing in the budget arena.
Aside from those changes, the most notable news is not an introduction, but a handful of goodbyes. The Phenom II X4 840 was recently EoLed, leaving the 200 MHz-slower Athlon II X4 640 to represent AMD at the budget price point. [Editor's Note: Here in the UK, the X4 640 is becoming increasingly hard to source from online retailers. As a result, the price has been driven up to around the £100 mark at many of the most popular retailers. However, it is still possible to find the X4 640 for around £70-£80.] In addition, Intel's Core i5-760 is no longer in production, and it's becoming difficult to find on store shelves, eliminating what was previously the only LGA 1156-based upgrade on our recommendation list.
Some Notes About Our Recommendations
This list is for gamers who want to get the most for their money. If you don’t play games, then the CPUs on this list may not be suitable for your particular needs.
The criteria to get on this list are strictly price/performance. We acknowledge that there are other factors that come into play, such as platform price or CPU overclockability, but we're not going to complicate things by factoring in motherboard costs. We may add honorable mentions for outstanding products in the future, though. For now, our recommendations are based on stock clock speeds and performance at that price.
Cost and availability change on a daily basis. We can’t offer up-to-the-minute accurate pricing information in the text, but we can list some good chips that you probably won’t regret buying at the price ranges we suggest.
The list is based on some of the best US & UK prices from online retailers. In other countries or at retail stores, your mileage will most certainly vary. Of course, these are retail CPU prices. We do not list used or OEM CPUs available at retail.
Based on price/performance, from what I've read, including motherboard cost, I reckon the FX4100 is one of the best budget solutions around.
I estimate it delivers 75% - 80% of the gaming performance of a 2500K, but for 60% of the cost, (CPU & motherboard, AM3+ boards being significantly cheaper than 1155 boards).
Yet several months after launch, they still don't make it to what I consider to be the Rosetta Stone of CPU information.