In the last month, we've seen AMD launch one new processor and Intel introduce five. We draw some conclusions about these recent releases and talk about price shifting. Moreover, we updated our look at AMD's Trinity-based APUs on the desktop.
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.
July Updates:
AMDThere isn't a lot to report from AMD's camp this month, except for the commercial availability of its Athlon II X4 641, a Llano-based quad-core CPU with its graphics hardware disabled. Operating at 2.8 GHz, it's 100 MHz faster than the A6-3670K and 100 MHz slower than the A8-3850. It doesn't hold up well against the similarly-priced Pentium G860 as a gaming-oriented processor, so it doesn't get a recommendation.
As far as when we might see AMD's Piledriver architecture emerge on the desktop, the company let us know not to expect the desktop version of its Trinity-based APU in the channel until October, at least. Apparently, the delay is intended to clear the supply of Llano-based APUs, which makes sense. It's also be a little awkward if the quad-core APUs turned out to be faster than quad-core FX-based CPUs still based on Bulldozer. We have heard rumors of a Piledriver-based FX processor in Q3, though. If that turns out to be true, AMD could roll out new CPUs and APUs in relatively quick succession.
IntelThere's much more to report from Intel, including new models and price adjustments. First, there's a new Celeron G550 at 2.6 GHz selling for £45. In essence, it's a Celeron G540 running 100 MHz faster. As a gamer, that's hardly worth getting excited about. The 3.1 GHz Pentium G870 is a little more interesting, since it takes the place of the G860. Boasting a 100 MHz-higher clock rate, it steals the £70 recommendation from its predecessor. A 2.8 GHz Pentium G640 appears identical to the 2.8 GHz Pentium G840, except that it doesn't' support 1333 MT/s DDR3 memory. No matter; neither chip looks like something we'd audition in a gaming machine anyway.
Intel's Core i5 line-up is a little more complete now in light of new -3470 and -3570 CPUs. The Core i5-3470 takes its place at 3.2 GHz (3.6 GHz maximum Turbo Boost speed), right between the 3.1 GHz Core i5-3450 and 3.3 GHz Core i5-3550. Dabs is selling the thing for £150. As for the £168 Core i5-3570 at 3.4 GHz (Turbo Boost up to 3.8 GHz), it's the same chip as Intel's £170 Core i5-3570K, except that its multiplier ration is locked.
Frankly, it's a little strange that Intel now has four Ivy Bridge-based Core i5s between £160 and £180, each separated by a mere 100 MHz and just a few pounds. Our recommendations don't change in the face of these introductions, though. If you're a gamer, save a few bucks and grab the £147 Core i5-3450. Or, commit to overclocking and choose the £178 Core i5-3570K.
Speaking of saving a few quid, we've seen a handful of price drops on Intel CPUs over the last month. Core i5-3570K is a bit cheaper these days. It'd be silly for us to recommend the £165 Sandy Bridge-based Core i5-2500K for just over £10 less. The Core i7-2600K and -2700K are priced at £230 and £240, respectively. Finally, the Sandy Bridge-E-based Core i7-3930K is selling for £450.
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 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.
It's impossible. You get 3fps in minecraft.