Best Gaming CPU for £100:
Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition
| Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | Deneb |
| Process: | 45 nm |
| CPU Cores/Threads: | 4 |
| Clock Speed (Max. Turbo): | 3.4 GHz |
| Socket: | AM3/AM3+ |
| L1 Cache: | 4 x 128 KB |
| L2 Cache: | 4 x 512 KB |
| L3 Cache: | 6 MB |
| Thermal Envelope: | 125 W |
In Gaming Shoot-Out: 18 CPUs And APUs Under £160, Benchmarked, the Phenom II X4 made a significant comeback compared to its competition, since many of the newer titles we tested are able to utilize multiple threads.
Sporting 6 MB of L3 cache and an unlocked ratio multiplier, AMD's Phenom II X4 965 is a solid performer at its stock clock rates, and it has some room to scale up with overclocking, too. Thanks to the Socket AM3/AM3+ interface's long life, you can buy this chip today and then upgrade to an FX model down the road (though we don't really see much reason to do so, based on the FX's relative gaming performance).
Read our review of the Phenom II X4 965 CPU here.
Best Gaming CPU for £110: None
Honourable Mention:
FX-6300
| FX-4300 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | Vishera |
| Process: | 32 nm |
| CPU Cores/Threads: | 6/6 |
| Clock Speed (Max. Turbo): | 3.5 GHz (4.1 GHz) |
| Socket: | AM3+ |
| L2 Cache: | 3 x 2 MB |
| L3 Cache: | 8 MB |
| Thermal Envelope: | 95 W |
While Intel's -3220 is a faster gaming processor, you'd have a hard time telling the difference between it and AMD's FX-6300. On the other hand, the FX is a bit cheaper, features an unlocked ratio multiplier for easy overclocking, which the Core i3 lacks, and features six integer cores that benefit performance in .
Read our review of the Vishera-based FX CPUs here.
Best Gaming CPU for £140:
Core i5-3350P
| Core i5-3350P | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | Ivy Bridge |
| Process: | 22 nm |
| CPU Cores/Threads: | 4 |
| Clock Speed (Max. Turbo): | 3.1 GHz (3.3 GHz) |
| Socket: | LGA 1155 |
| L2 Cache: | 4 x 256 KB |
| L3 Cache: | 6 MB |
| Thermal Envelope: | 69 W |
Intel's Sandy and Ivy Bridge-based Core i5 processors are well-known for their gaming prowess at reasonable prices, and the Core i5-3350P is a particularly interesting option at £140.
The P suffix is an indication that Intel disables its HD Graphics engine, but we're perfectly alright with such a decision. If you're buying a gaming processor, you're going to want discrete graphics anyway. Consequently, this CPU ducks in under 70 W.
Read our review of the Ivy Bridge-based CPUs here.
The 3570, maybe. The I3 3220, maybe. But considering the huge problems that exist with overclocking Haswell, recommending the 4670K over the 3570K would be a terrible idea.
The 965 BE, for example, goes for around £80. It should trump that i3 no problem. It's also cheaper.