Best Gaming CPU for ~£50:
Pentium G630
| Pentium G630 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | Sandy Bridge |
| Process: | 32 nm |
| CPU Cores/Threads: | 2 |
| Clock Speed: | 2.7 GHz |
| Socket: | LGA 1155 |
| L2 Cache: | 2 x 256 KB |
| L3 Cache: | 3 MB |
| Thermal Envelope: | 65 W |
It turns out that the budget-oriented Sandy Bridge-based Pentium family performs very well in games. Specifically, Intel's £48 Pentium G630 beat the FX-4100, -6100, and -8120 in our recent sub-£160 CPU gaming comparison. In fact, it finished right on par with the Phenom II X4 955.
As a result, Intel displaces AMD at the bottom rung of our recommendation list yet again this month. There's not much else to add, except that if you consider the Phenom II X4 to be a capable gaming CPU, Intel's Pentium G630 is just as viable.
Best Gaming CPU for £70:
Pentium G870
| Pentium G870 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | Sandy Bridge |
| Process: | 32 nm |
| CPU Cores/Threads: | 2 |
| Clock Speed: | 3.1 GHz |
| Socket: | LGA 1155 |
| L2 Cache: | 2 x 256 KB |
| L3 Cache: | 3 MB |
| Thermal Envelope: | 65 W |
The extra £20 over a Pentium G630 buys you 400 MHz and DDR3-1333 memory support in the Pentium G870. Because the LGA 1155-based Core i3s and Pentiums are unfortunately crippled by locked multiplier ratios, paying a little extra for a higher clock rate is worth the added cost, we think. At 3.1 GHz, the Pentium G870 is actually a capable budget gaming processor.
It's impossible. You get 3fps in minecraft.