Best Gaming CPU for ~£50:
Pentium G850
| Pentium G850 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | Sandy Bridge |
| Process: | 32 nm |
| CPU Cores/Threads: | 2 |
| Clock Speed: | 2.9 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 Pentium G630 beat the FX-4100, -6100, and -8120 in our sub-£160 CPU gaming comparison. In fact, it finished right on par with the Phenom II X4 955.
At 2.9 GHz, the Pentium G850 is 200 MHz faster than the G630, earning our recommendation at the £50 price point. 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 G850 is an even faster option that uses less power.
Best Gaming CPU for £70:
Pentium G2120
| Pentium G2120 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | Ivy Bridge |
| Process: | 22 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: | 55 W |
The extra £20 you spend beyond Intel's Pentium G850 buys an additional 200 MHz, DDR3-1600 memory support, and the company's 22 nm Ivy Bridge architecture in its Pentium G2120. Because the LGA 1155-based Core i3s and Pentiums are unfortunately crippled by locked multiplier ratios, paying a little more for a higher clock rate is worth the cost, we think. At 3.1 GHz, the Pentium G2120 is actually a capable budget gaming processor.
That's all I need to know about how well-crafted your argument is, right there.
Good article, BTW, Tom's.