In this post I'll list multiple processors that are perfect for budget builders and I'll give you some details on why the processor would be a great choice for you.
The Best Gaming Processor Under $150
AMD Phenom II x4 965
While AMD may not be the top dog in the high-end desktop processor market, they do make some quality CPUs that are budget friendly and that can be overclocked to pretty insane levels. This is most true for the AMD Phenom II x4 965. Just a few years ago the Phenom II series CPUs were making waves and were the processors of choice among gamers. And, while a lot has changed since then, the Phenom II x4 965 is still the best budget processor on the market.
With four cores and a ton of overclocking potential, the x4 965 can compete with the higher end processors on the market. For just under $100, this CPU is the only choice for gamers on a serious budget. So, if you're looking to build your own gaming computer, you don't have to worry about spending $200+ on a processor... this one will give you excellent performance for under $100.
AMD Phenom II x4 965 Features
Reviews of the AMD Phenom II x4 965
From Carlos Franco on Amazon:
"Excellent processor. Excellent speed and performance on my pc. Good design of the cooling system. all at a good price" (Click here to read the review...)
From M. Strileckis on Amazon:
If you can grab this processor for under $100 for a budget build, I highly recommend it. Paired with a GTX 560, I can max out almost everything available. Also a very easy overclock to 3.9-4.1 GHZ using the AMD autotune software."(Click here to read the review...)
With four cores and a ton of overclocking potential, the x4 965 can compete with the higher end processors on the market. For just under $100, this CPU is the only choice for gamers on a serious budget. So, if you're looking to build your own gaming computer, you don't have to worry about spending $200+ on a processor... this one will give you excellent performance for under $100.
AMD Phenom II x4 965 Features
- A quad-core processor under $100... you can't beat that!
- Perfect for budget-builders who want to play the best games on the highest settings.
- Can be overclocked to extreme levels for extreme performance.
Reviews of the AMD Phenom II x4 965
From Carlos Franco on Amazon:
"Excellent processor. Excellent speed and performance on my pc. Good design of the cooling system. all at a good price" (Click here to read the review...)
From M. Strileckis on Amazon:
If you can grab this processor for under $100 for a budget build, I highly recommend it. Paired with a GTX 560, I can max out almost everything available. Also a very easy overclock to 3.9-4.1 GHZ using the AMD autotune software."(Click here to read the review...)
The Best Gaming Processor Under $150 in 2013
Intel Core i3-3225
For just under $150 you can have the best dual-core processor on the market. But don't let the fact that it's a dual-core CPU fool you... the i3-3225 competes with and surpasses a lot of the AMD quad-core processors. Not only that, but by going with an Intel processor, you are setting yourself up with the ability to upgrade to an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor in the future. And, since those processors are currently the top CPUs on the market, choosing an i3 now will give you options in the future if you choose to upgrade.
So, if you're working with a low-to-mid-range budget and you want to build for now and the future, then you would be hard-pressed to find a better CPU than the i3-3225.
Intel Core i3-3225 Features
Reviews of the Intel Core i3-3225
From April R. Holmstrom on Amazon:
"If you want a great CPU for a sub $140 price, this is your processor." (Click here to read the review...)
From H. Lee Eichelberger on Amazon:
"No complaints. It delivers the goods on both the processing and graphics sides. Best value Ivy Bridge chip you can buy." (Click here to read the review...)
So, if you're working with a low-to-mid-range budget and you want to build for now and the future, then you would be hard-pressed to find a better CPU than the i3-3225.
Intel Core i3-3225 Features
- All the benefits that come with Intel's efficient Ivy Bridge architecture.
- Matches up with and beats other similarly priced quad-core processors.
- Perfect processor for anyone who wants to upgrade to one of the bigger Intel chips in the future and still wants performance now.
Reviews of the Intel Core i3-3225
From April R. Holmstrom on Amazon:
"If you want a great CPU for a sub $140 price, this is your processor." (Click here to read the review...)
From H. Lee Eichelberger on Amazon:
"No complaints. It delivers the goods on both the processing and graphics sides. Best value Ivy Bridge chip you can buy." (Click here to read the review...)
The Best Gaming Processor Under $200
Intel Core i5-3470
Coming in at just under $200, the i5-3470 is an extremely energy-efficient and powerful quad-core processor. With a stock clock rate of 3.2 GHz and the ability to hit 3.6 GHz with Intel's Turbo Boost technology, this processor is fast enough to handle anything you throw at it.
This processor is perfect for mid-range builds and will keep your computer running strong for a long time.
Intel Core i5-3470 Features
Reviews of the Intel Core i5-3470
From J Doodle on Amazon:
"I have no bad things to say about this processor. Runs cool with stock fan, its lightning fast, and its well priced..."(Click here to read the review...)
From Michael Foster on Amazon:
"The benchmarks don't lie, if you don't plan on overclocking this CPU is the sweet spot. You get nearly 3570k benchmarks at a much cheaper price. Overclockers should avoid though." (Click here to read the review...)
This processor is perfect for mid-range builds and will keep your computer running strong for a long time.
Intel Core i5-3470 Features
- Quad-core processor that is strong enough to handle pretty much anything you throw at it.
- Built using Intel's award-winning Ivy Bridge architecture.
- Extremely energy efficient.
Reviews of the Intel Core i5-3470
From J Doodle on Amazon:
"I have no bad things to say about this processor. Runs cool with stock fan, its lightning fast, and its well priced..."(Click here to read the review...)
From Michael Foster on Amazon:
"The benchmarks don't lie, if you don't plan on overclocking this CPU is the sweet spot. You get nearly 3570k benchmarks at a much cheaper price. Overclockers should avoid though." (Click here to read the review...)
The Best Gaming Processor Under $300 in 2013
Intel Core i5-3570k
The Intel Core i5-3570k is the ideal processor for most gamers. It's ridiculously fast. It can be overclocked to pretty awesome levels. It's energy-efficient. It's not ridiculously expensive. All-in-all it's just the perfect processor.
With four cores and the ability to overclock, the i5-3570k will give you more than you could ever need. It's the perfect processor for a mid-to-high-end gaming computer.
Intel Core i5-3570k Features
Reviews of the Intel Core i5-3570k
From Matthew Koloski on Amazon:
"This processor is at the right price-point for gamers. Any more processing power is typically wasted and the returns for price aren't worthwhile..." (Click here to read the review...)
From Patrick Somerville on Amazon:
"I have this 3570k running at 4.5ghz overclocked using 1.248v. I am getting 30c idle and 74c-78c at 100% cpu usage. I am using a ARCTIC Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 with 92mm PWM Fan cpu cooler on a Asus p8z77-v pro motherboard. I am new to overclocking and used the asus auto tuning to help me figure it out. I have noticed a huge improvement in video ecoding time, almost cut in half from a i5 2400 sandy bridge." (Click here to read the review...)
With four cores and the ability to overclock, the i5-3570k will give you more than you could ever need. It's the perfect processor for a mid-to-high-end gaming computer.
Intel Core i5-3570k Features
- Crazy fast clock rates and doesn't use a ton of power.
- Can be overclocked for incredible performance boosts.
- The best processor available on the market dollar-for-dollar.
Reviews of the Intel Core i5-3570k
From Matthew Koloski on Amazon:
"This processor is at the right price-point for gamers. Any more processing power is typically wasted and the returns for price aren't worthwhile..." (Click here to read the review...)
From Patrick Somerville on Amazon:
"I have this 3570k running at 4.5ghz overclocked using 1.248v. I am getting 30c idle and 74c-78c at 100% cpu usage. I am using a ARCTIC Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 with 92mm PWM Fan cpu cooler on a Asus p8z77-v pro motherboard. I am new to overclocking and used the asus auto tuning to help me figure it out. I have noticed a huge improvement in video ecoding time, almost cut in half from a i5 2400 sandy bridge." (Click here to read the review...)
Best Gaming Processor Over $400 in 2013
Intel Core i7-3770k
Maybe you're a gamer with a large budget that isn't just a gamer. Maybe you're a video/image editor. Or maybe you work a lot with 3D graphics. Or, maybe you just want to record or stream your gameplay. Either way, if you're looking to get more out of your build, you will probably want to take a long look at the Intel Core i7-3770k.
The i7-3770k introduces hyperthreading to the table. While most games don't accommodate hyperthreading, there are a lot of other tasks (like video/image editing or video recording) that do benefit from hyperthreading. So, while the i7-3770k won't give you any increase in performance over the i5-3570k, it will help with other things you may or may not like to do with your computer. If you are looking to do some image/video editing, then the i7-3770k is the CPU for you.
Intel Core i7-3770k Features
Reviews of the Intel Core i7-3770k
From Michael Brule on Amazon:
"Blazing fast - video editing, photo editing, gaming - anything you throw at this it can handle!! This is such an awesome processor!" (Click here to read the review...)
From Scott B. Husted on Amazon:
"I have this mounted in an ASUS P8Z77-V LK motherboard and have it overclocked to 4.66GHz with absolutely no heating or stability issues. I am using an after market Cooler Master cpu air cooler, but temps are absolutely not a problem at all." (Click here to read the review...)
The i7-3770k introduces hyperthreading to the table. While most games don't accommodate hyperthreading, there are a lot of other tasks (like video/image editing or video recording) that do benefit from hyperthreading. So, while the i7-3770k won't give you any increase in performance over the i5-3570k, it will help with other things you may or may not like to do with your computer. If you are looking to do some image/video editing, then the i7-3770k is the CPU for you.
Intel Core i7-3770k Features
- Top of the line processor for gamers who also need to use their computer for other CPU-intensive tasks.
- Phenomenal overclocker for even more performance.
- Four cores and eight threads will keep this high-end processor future proof for a long time.
Reviews of the Intel Core i7-3770k
From Michael Brule on Amazon:
"Blazing fast - video editing, photo editing, gaming - anything you throw at this it can handle!! This is such an awesome processor!" (Click here to read the review...)
From Scott B. Husted on Amazon:
"I have this mounted in an ASUS P8Z77-V LK motherboard and have it overclocked to 4.66GHz with absolutely no heating or stability issues. I am using an after market Cooler Master cpu air cooler, but temps are absolutely not a problem at all." (Click here to read the review...)
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