DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026
summers
summers Original post #1
Apr 9, 2012 at 10:46 AM
Please suggest whether it would be advisable to go for FX-8120 with a suitable AM3+ 990 FX series Motherboard instead of Intel i5 2500K with Asus P8Z68-V MB.

Is the price difference justified w.r.t to performance ..?
My budget is overshooting, so was thinking of AMD combo. Would i face any performance issues in multitasking / games / and general work..??

M really confused.
T
Apr 9, 2012 at 12:21 PM
If budget is constraint then buy a Phenom 970 BE. For regular work and gaming its more than enough.

This option will be cheaper by at least 6K (Mobo + CPU) than Intel Option you suggested.

Btw Unless you are in Hardcore Photoshop or rendering work 8 cores are never utilized. 4 are more than enough.
saswat23
Apr 9, 2012 at 12:33 PM
FX-8120 with a suitable AM3+ 990 FX series Motherboard would be a lot futureproof. But as of now the i5-2500k config would be a lot better.
d6bmg
d6bmg #4
Apr 9, 2012 at 2:06 PM
For multitasking, FX-8120 + 990 FX.
For gaming 2500K + Z68.
Cilus
Cilus #5
Apr 9, 2012 at 3:42 PM
For Multi tasking, AMD Phenom II 1100T + Biostar TA990FXE is the best choice. 1100T costs around 9.6K, 1K cheaper than FX 8120 and performs far better than it, especially in single threaded applications as well as in floating point calculations.
RiGOD
RiGOD #6
Apr 9, 2012 at 5:16 PM
^^But the 1100T has almost vanished from markets I guess. In that case 1090T will be the one to grab right?
$$Lionking$$
Apr 9, 2012 at 6:18 PM
Rigod - Yes. 1090T in that case.
summers
summers #9
Apr 9, 2012 at 11:19 PM
I am also concerned about making the rig future proof for atleast 2-3 years. Considering the fact that its an 8 core processor, n may be in future the applications may be designed for multicore processors.

Though i m more inclined towards an i5+ Z68 combo because FX series processors still fall behind the flagship i5 2500K in the benchmarks.

I was just looking towards FX-8120 as an option considering the budget.
Cilus
Cilus #10
Apr 10, 2012 at 2:14 AM
FX 8120 isn't a true 8 core processor, it has 8 integer cores but only 4 floating point units. Unless you're using very specific applications which can use advanced instruction sets like SSE4, AVX etc, 1100T is a better choice.
S
Souro_Ray #11
Apr 10, 2012 at 2:49 AM
Its true, summers... Bulldozer architecture is behind the Phenom ii x6's in multithreaded apps. So, if you can find an 1100T or a 1090T, go for it.. In the future, you can overclock it to squeeze out some extra performance...

One general question: if a processor has high IPC, does it mean it performs each task given to it quicker than a processor with the same work load and a lower IPC count?
summers
summers #12
Apr 10, 2012 at 9:23 PM
I think its wise to go with an i5 2500K processor considering its significant performance edge over the FX series AMD counterparts.

The i5 will certainly make my rig future proof for atleast 3+ years.

Its better to invest more for a good product rather than regret later.

Also, now that Z77 Mobos are available in market, i think i'll go for i5 2500K+Z77 combo instead of Z68.
RiGOD
RiGOD #13
Apr 10, 2012 at 10:54 PM
Then wait for the IVB. Lower TDP and most probably improved performance too compared to SNB.
summers
summers #14
Apr 11, 2012 at 12:08 AM
IMO, Ivy bridge would be costly as compared to Sandy Bridge....so i would rather go with i5 2500K at this moment alongwith Z77 chipset Mobo, keeping an option open for further upgradation if required in future.

Moreover, the Z77 mobos are approx similarly priced as Z68 Mobos.

Any suggestions are most welcome.
S
Souro_Ray #15
Apr 11, 2012 at 12:13 AM
If you can afford to wait, then go with what RiGOD is saying.. You can wait it out if you want to, but if you absolutely must buy it sometime soon, you cant go wrong with the i5 to be honest...

Again, you have to be careful about what you want to use it for. If your apps are greatly multi-threaded, then you should pay heed to what Cilus says...