Intel Core i5 3550 or AMD FX 8120?

[RUstAuSi]

Hi, I am making a custom PC soon and I need help with what CPU I should use.
I am a gamer and I play games with demanding requirements. I also edit videos too.
Both processors look great but I don't know which one is better. It would be great to have some opinions and advice.
Thanks for reading.

 

[Sharky.]

2600k or 3570k if you absolutely want Ivy Bridge. AMD doesn't even get a look in in the desktop performance CPU market these days.

 

[CMvan46]

I wouldn't touch an AMD processor with a 10 foot pole. If you plan to overclock then what Sharky said, if not the 3550 is fine.

 

[Grayfox]

The FX 8 core CPUs from AMD are so horrid they are like a celeron.
Go i5 3570k.

 

[Finduszip]

Oooh, too bad I just purchased an FX-8120

 

[djinline]

Oooh, too bad I just purchased an FX-8120

Well actually it shouldn't be bad at all if you give it a good overclock. Especially for heavy video encoding and other media stuff.

 

[nick09]

Actually the FX-8120 will be good for multitasking multiple programs and as djinline has mentioned, it's good for video encoders that make use of all 8 cores(Such as Handbrake). I've used it myself in Handbrake and it's two times faster than my laptop with a Core 2 Quad @2GHz(Same file would take 40 minutes on my laptop vs my desktop with the FX-8120 at 20 minutes). Other than that the FX-8120 an average CPU compared to the i5-3550. That does not mean the FX-8120 is bad but rather it is "less" compared to the i5-3550.

 

[G.T]

For average users you wouldn't really tell the difference between the two. But otherwise the i5 is superior in almost every area. Unless, as mentioned, video encoding, but even then I don't think there is much difference between both CPUs. If you have the right AMD GPU, that will do the encoding anyway if you have the right software, making even that aspect redundant. i5 all the way I'd say, unless you are just a light user.

 

[tlowr4]

Though to be frank, a lot of the '8 Core' shares componants, it's not a true 8 core. Think of it as a 2700K with hyper threading. It looks like an 8 core but it's not. Honestly I, personally, think of the 4100 as a dual core, 6100 as a Tri core, and the 8120/8150 as a quaddy. Considering that's the performance they have compared to Intel chips anyway, I think that's fair to say.