Help me justify an A8.

[PaperclipGod]

Im looking to build a new budget rig, and i'm really intrigued with the llano stuff. Is there any area in which buying an A8-3870k would make more sense than going with an i3 or low end i5?

I've been thinking it'd be worth it as I don't do much flashy gaming these days, mostly just strategy games like Hearts of Iron and EU... but even when you add in the cost of a GPU, the intel stuff is still super competitive.

Any help or suggestions?

 

[Dangman]

Three conditions that must be observed IMO that would make the A8-3870K a viable choice:
1) You're not planning on adding a discrete GPU ever
2) You're planning on overclocking the CPU portion to at least 3.4Ghz to 3.6Ghz.
3) You don't care about power consumption and heat generation

If all three conditions can't be observed, then you're better off with an Intel setup. The $145 A8-3870K is slower than the $120 Core i3 2100 but can catch up and almost surpass that Intel CPU once you start overclocking it to around 3.4 to 3.6GHz. However, the A8-3870K's power usage is fairly high to begin so overclocking is going to increase that even further. In addition, if you're planning on a discrete GPU, that effectively negates A8-3870K's stronger GPU advantage over the Core i3 2120. Thus the extra cash spent, increased power usage, and heat generation of the A8-3870K wouldn't be worth it at all if a dedicated GPU is part of the plan.

 

[buttons]

I ordered the 3870 on the hunch that it would overclock like beast. Apparently that hunch was wrong, so i would only recommended a 3870 in the scenario that you want a powerful integrated GPU without having to buy or make a discrete GPU fit.

My problem is price. The 3870 is $145, you could instead get an AMD 651 quad core for $90 then with the money saved almost buy a 6770 which is far more powerful for gaming. Better yet, go AM3+ and get a 960T for $109 it will overclock much better and may even unlock to six cores.

 

[PaperclipGod]

Yeesh... some withering condemnation, guys.

As much as I want one, i guess i'll pass. Buttons, did you post anything about oc'ing your 3870k? I'd love to read it.