Best Gaming CPUs For The Money: March 2012

March sees AMD's Phenom II X6 1045T hit retail. The FX-8150's amount dropped, additional we accept advice on the FX-4170 and FX-6200. Intel gives us beginning Core i5-2380P and -2450P CPUs, additional Core i7-2550K, -3820, and the Xeon E5s. Amount reductions abound, too.

If you don’t accept the time to analysis benchmarks, or if you don’t feel assured abundant in your adeptness to aces the appropriate processor for your abutting gaming machine, abhorrence not. We at Tom’s Hardware accept appear to your aid with a simple account of the best gaming CPUs offered for the money.

March Updates

Despite delays on Intel's Ivy Bridge-based processors, there's still a lot of account to altercate for the ages of March. First, AMD's Phenom II X6 1045T is now accessible at retail. Although this 2.7 GHz hexa-core processor was already about as an OEM-only part, you can now aces it up in a box, with a calefaction sink. At $150, it's absolutely an absorbing advantage for association adorable for lots of cores to bandy at threaded workloads. But because best amateur don't accomplishment any added than three or four cores, we won't be advising this allotment to gamers.

The FX-8150 is additionally $20 cheaper; it now sells for the $250. At this point, the $200 FX-8120 is apparently a added acceptable bet for AMD admirers adorable for the accompaniment of an eight-core processor with an apart multiplier. We're aloof animated that to see the aggregation hit its advance amount on the -8150, alike if it took bristles months afterwards its introduction.

There is some able account for AMD fans, though. We apprehend to see a brace of beginning models for auction soon: there's a 4.2 GHz (4.3 GHz best Turbo Core) FX-4170 with two Bulldozer modules and a 3.8 GHz (4.1 GHz best Turbo Core) FX-6200 with three Bulldozer modules. Selling for $140, the -4170 costs $12 added than a Core i3-2120. That's a dent we already like for its value, so we'll be adorable for AMD's prices to dip a little more.

AMD isn't the alone CPU architect with beginning products. Intel has its own accumulating of beginning introductions, starting with a few P-series parts. Take the Core i5-2380P, for example. This is basically a Core i5-2400 after the dent HD Cartoon 2000 engine, and it shares the -2400's $190 amount tag on Newegg appropriate now. There's additionally a $205 Core i5-2450P additionally defective on-die graphics. Running at 3.2 GHz (3.5 GHz best Turbo Boost), the -2450P sits amid Intel's Core i5-2400 and Core i5-2500. Neither beginning processor is a abundant another to the models we've already tested, back you aren't extenuative any money by sacrificing HD Graphics.

The Core i7-3820 is assuredly accessible for $320, too. We advised this one three months ago in Intel Core i7-3930K And Core i7-3820: Sandy Bridge-E, Cheaper, and already knew its four anamnesis channels and on-die PCI Express 3.0 apparently wouldn't absolve the platform's exceptional price. Although you can save $280 by affairs this dent instead of a Core i7-3930K, the absolute acumen to accede Sandy Bridge-E is absolutely its added cores. After them, a multiplier-unlocked Core i7-2600K for $330 is aloof as, if not added attractive.

Intel additionally sells a Core i5-2550K for $240 now. Its 3.4 GHz abject alarm and 3.8 GHz best Turbo Boost abundance represent 100 MHz improvements over the $225 Core i5-2500K. When you accede that the -2500K's backbone is its apart multiplier, advantageous added for an added 100 MHz seems asinine (unless we acquisition out after that these chips accept added overclocking allowance up top, that is).

The Core i7-2700K afresh alone $30 to $340, conceivably to accumulate it aural arresting ambit of the Core i7-3820. It's now aloof $10 added big-ticket than the -2600K. That's a appealing baby premium. If Intel bins the flagship part, it could facilitate added acceptable overclocking headroom, and we ability be accommodating to pay the aberration to acquisition out.

Lastly, Intel aloof launched its Xeon E5 processors for servers and workstations. They're by no agency gaming processors. However, if you appetite to see what one workstation cranking on 32 accoutrement accompanying looks like, analysis out Intel Xeon E5-2600: Doing Damage With Two Eight-Core CPUs.

Some Notes About Our Recommendations

This account is for gamers who appetite to get the best for their money. If you don’t comedy games, again the CPUs on this account may not be acceptable for your authentic needs.

The belief to get on this account are carefully price/performance. We accede that there are added factors that appear into play, such as belvedere amount or CPU overclockability, but we're not activity to complicate things by factoring in motherboard costs. We may add atonement mentions for outstanding articles in the future, though. For now, our recommendations are based on banal alarm speeds and achievement at that price.

Cost and availability change on a circadian basis. We can’t action up-to-the-minute authentic appraisement advice in the text, but we can account some acceptable chips that you apparently won’t affliction affairs at the amount ranges we advance (and our PriceGrabber-based agent will advice clue bottomward some of the best prices for you).

The account is based on some of the best US prices from online retailers. In added countries or at retail stores, your breadth will best absolutely vary. Of course, these are retail CPU prices. We do not account acclimated or OEM CPUs accessible at retail.