Best Gaming CPU for £85: None
Honourable Mention:
FX-4100
| FX-4100 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | Zambezi |
| Process: | 32 nm |
| CPU Cores: | 4 |
| Clock Speed (Max. Turbo): | 3.6 GHz (3.8 GHz) |
| Socket: | AM3+ |
| L2 Cache: | 4 x 1 MB |
| L3 Cache: | 8 MB |
| HyperTransport: | 4000 MT/s |
| Thermal Envelope: | 95 W |
Best Gaming CPU for ~£90:
Core i3-2120
| Core i3-2120 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | Sandy Bridge |
| Process: | 32 nm |
| CPU Cores/Threads: | 2/4 |
| Clock Speed: | 3.3 GHz |
| Socket: | LGA 1155 |
| L2 Cache: | 2 x 256 KB |
| L3 Cache: | 3 MB |
| Thermal Envelope: | 65 W |
As our sub-£160 CPU gaming comparison article proved, the budget Core i3-2120 is a surprisingly capable gaming processor with the ability to beat some of the quad-core CPUs we've recommended at this price in the past.
Yes, you have to essentially forsake the potential for overclocking, given (what we consider to be) enthusiast-unfriendly locks on the multiplier and a base clock with very little room to scale beyond 100 MHz. But its stock performance is compelling, and this CPU still warrants a recommendation.
Read our review of the Sandy Bridge-based CPUs here.
Best Gaming CPU for £135:
Core i5-2310
| Core i5-2310 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | Sandy Bridge |
| Process: | 32 nm |
| CPU Cores/Threads: | 4 |
| Clock Speed (Max. Turbo): | 2.9 GHz (3.2 GHz) |
| Socket: | LGA 1155 |
| L2 Cache: | 4 x 256 KB |
| L3 Cache: | 6 MB |
| Thermal Envelope: | 95 W |
Intel's Sandy Bridge microarchitechture is undeniably fast. Test data suggests that the Core i5-2310 can stand toe-to-toe with older LGA 1366-based processors when it comes to gaming performance. We're not talking about the entry-level models, either. This affordable processor has the chops to compete with Intel's £800 Extreme Edition chips.
Read our review of the Sandy Bridge-based CPUs here.
Best Gaming CPU for £145:
Core i5-3450
| Core i5-3450 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | Ivy Bridge |
| Process: | 22 nm |
| CPU Cores/Threads: | 4 |
| Clock Speed (Max. Turbo): | 3.1 GHz (3.5 GHz) |
| Socket: | LGA 1155 |
| L2 Cache: | 4 x 256 KB |
| L3 Cache: | 6 MB |
| Thermal Envelope: | 77 W |
As fast as Intel's Sandy Bridge architecture is in gaming workloads, the 22 nm Ivy Bridge design performs slightly better per clock cycle, while using less power. For £145, the Core i5-3450 promises to be a solid contender with predictable performance, based on our experiences with Sandy Bridge-based chips in the same price range.
Read our review of the Ivy Bridge-based CPUs here.
Also, it would be great to see tags on the table for the recommendations and commended chips...
The ONLY 3 CPUs worth mentioning should be:
Celeron G530 (£32) -- BARELY 10% slower than the more expensive Pentiums, and yet you completely ignore it in favour of the useless Pentiums?
Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition (£75) -- (if you REALLY want to tell me a crappy Pentium is going to go anywhere near an overclocked Phenom with full 4 cores then you're living in Intel's cuckoo land). The FX 4100 mention is worthless since the 965 will mop the floor with it and at a lower clockrate.
Intel i5 2500K (£150) -- nothing above this processor is even worth mentioning besides the 3570K, and you proved yet again how clueless you were by even mentioning the 3930K and its "four channel memory subsystem", when it has a memory controller that's significantly slower than that of the 2500K, let alone the IMC of the new Ivy Bridge CPUs.
Terrible review.