Hello, I wanna build a computer, but I'm not sure what CPU to get on a budget. I was just wondering how an AMD Phenom II X4 965 (Oc'd @4ghz) would perform against a locked Intel i5 2400 at stock 3.1ghz? I would like to know because it's really not looking like I'll be able to afford an i5 2500k right now.

The i5-2400 would most definitely beat out the 965. The only time I would recommend the 965 would be if you had an AM3+ motherboard and wanted the 965 as a placeholder til Bulldozer. Unless that's your planned upgrade path I'd recommend the i5 2400 Also the 2500K is only $30 more at Newegg...

Alright, so even overclocked the i5 2400 still beats out the 965. I also realize that the 2500k is only $30 more at Newegg, but then I would also have to buy a more expensive motherboard and cpu cooler to take advantage of the overclocking abilites of the processor, so it's really about $90 more.

There we go again. According to members here @forum they advise i5 2500-2600 K (damn these numbers) and it's only a little more than the Phenom then even I would advise an i5 2600k . Phenom is a good performer but it is somewhere between a C2D and possibly the older i3/i5 that I SUPPOSE. Bulldozer, there is no clear information but they say it may be a HPC (High performance computing)

My X4 rocks in both FS04 and FSX and I hardly have it OCed! (And I saved a ton of $$$ when it was on sale!!)

Alright, so even overclocked the i5 2400 still beats out the 965. I also realize that the 2500k is only $30 more at Newegg, but then I would also have to buy a more expensive motherboard and cpu cooler to take advantage of the overclocking abilites of the processor, so it's really about $90 more.

Get the Asus P8P67 board (or Asrock if it´s cheaper) and Coolermaster Hyper 212+ (with two fans in push/pull config.) and you can clock the i5 2500K / i7 2600K to 4.6 Ghz with no problems at all...

Alright, I guess I'll just spend the extra $$$.

My X4 rocks in both FS04 and FSX and I hardly have it OCed! (And I saved a ton of $$$ when it was on sale!!)

X3 rocks too :) a little OC was needed minus heavy add ons don't need them ATM.

Alright, I guess I'll just spend the extra $$$.

Hey you did post a different topic yesterday, you still are confused aren't you ? make it simple. How many voted for intel and how many for amd ?. And whatever CPU you buy get a decent cooler for it.

Alright, I guess I'll just spend the extra $$$.

You don't need a better cooler for the 2500K, actually it's the other way around because Sandy Bridge runs much cooler (relative to it's maximum temp) than Phenoms. In Sandy Bridge you usually hit the Vcore wall well before temps become an issue, so yeah, get a 212+ and you're setThere are motherboards for little more than $100 that will suffice

You don't need a better cooler for the 2500K, actually it's the other way around because Sandy Bridge runs much cooler (relative to it's maximum temp) than Phenoms. In Sandy Bridge you usually hit the Vcore wall well before temps become an issue, so yeah, get a 212+ and you're setThere are motherboards for little more than $100 that will suffice

Yeah, I'm definitely getting the i5 2500k. Thanks.

You won´t regret that, jonnybear, good luck and enjoy!

You won´t regret that, jonnybear, good luck and enjoy!

Absolutely.