I really can't recommend the i3-3225 it's priced too high relative to it's performance, it's a low power consumption component granted but it's really worth stepping up to the i5 range performance wise. Esp for software like lightroom which is multi threaded, the i3 range are not good buys performan...

For video work I can't see the point in looking at Trinity they're not bad by any means but really not ideal for that type of work. I would suggest if you want to stick with AMD that the FX6/8 series be the place to go for multi threaded performance. The FX6100 is pretty cheap, undervolts well (desp...

There is no real choice both are flawed candidates and for the average Joe out there it won't make a blind bit of difference who wins. The elite look after themselves.

I've used a few M1 units I like the flat cables myself (well worked well for my builds) No problems to report been reliable and quiet units. I see the price has gone up a bit on the M2 units..maybe that will drop down a bit over time. CM make some decent PSU's quite easy to recommend them having use...

I don't disagree with the review overall. Ie these APU's have a place for some users needs (ie GPU cost savings)
Have to point out one thing, let's not use itunes as a benchmark for audio encoding..this lame software is not optimal for multi threaded processors.

I'd get an SSD and a new motherboard. Even that quad core should be quite decent in for photo work.

Win 8 is awful most are predicting it's going to bomb worse than Vista.

IMO I would suggest updating to Win 7, it runs a lot better than Vista and as her needs are quite small then an i-3 would be a waste of cash IMO.

Is your board AGP or PCI express for graphics?
Fitting a modern GPU will solve video playback issues (as well as take the load off for flash etc)
But it you're not on PCI express it's going to be harder to find something.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/di ... html#sect0

As predicted a fairly modest increase in performance
Buyers will have to decide if the improvements are worth the price over the older models.

The idea is simple Noctua= Fairly expensive, high quality, last a long time In reality I have found the NF-S12B ULN models good fans (if you want a long lasting out of the box slow fan) So far I have no problems to report in relation to any issues. On the other hand I can't say I care for some of th...

The topic can encourage a debate that is not AMD v Intel but as I rightly pointed out (IMO of course) one based on performance/pricing points and competitors (and there is only one in this market). I see no problem with that. You cannot discuss a release of a processor and ignore the potential compe...

I have to agree there is heavy handed moderation and I do not approve myself. As long as a topic is dicussed in a manner which is respectful, I believe a healthy debate can take place, even a heated debate at times. Over moderation kills off any chance of a proper discussion and is simply a sign tha...

Okydoke, time to move back on topic. We are getting far afield. Lets agree to disagree and move on. I don't see this as a place to step in for moderation, I simply ask for clarification as to why some recommend this type of processor. A forum is a place to discuss, let's not go down this stamp on a...

Risking controversy I will question the logic of the i3 processors, IMO they are the least appealing in the range price/performance. i5 and i7 I can completely understand, but not the i3. Even with an Ivy Bridge update I would not expect that to change much.

I'm going to break with the Intel die hards and suggest you look at AMD (because I find it annoying people dismiss AMD completely nowadays and frankly it's poor advice too) Bang per buck you can get a very big performance update from an Athlon64 3500+ Even with a modest priced processor. That's my t...

I'm not waiting for SSD's to replace normal HDD's, I am waiting for them to be More reliable (sorry my own experience is not very good in this regard) More cost effecitve, I think they are overly expensive right now And higher capacity Everyone is entitled to an opinion on this. Quite happy for you ...

That is not my experience at all. Average Joe does not back up their data, some do most do not. I know this because I have built/serviced/repaired computers for quite some time now and the big area that stands out is "not backup up data" There is no debate about data recovery from SSD v HDD's becaus...

I share the view that SSD's are good, but need to mature more and prices need to come down too. Give it a few more years they might be worth a look. And they will get more reliable too. I hate to tell the HDD hate crowd this but I have a lot more confidence in magnetic storage than I do chips. I hav...

I tend to use the CM heatsinks TX3 and 212 are both good and well priced, recent updates minor variations but pretty much the same thing. The CM fans are not particularly good, I've seen worse but I don't care much for them. My solution is to swap out the fans with cost effective decent alternatives...

I used to spend quite a hefty sum on the latest best processors. I've learnt my lesson the hard way the latest greatest CPU is in a few years lower than a mid range one..and years later even the budget ones exceed the performance. I think a sensible compromise is a mid level point for most buyers. U...

I've no problem with cashback it's money back right? Ok you have to wait a bit for it but hey that's life. I've built Athlon II x2's for office type pc's (or budget ones where the user is mostly do web/email/watching the odd video etc) and so far nobody has complained about them being too slow. Real...

What alternatives? Couldn't find a better AMD alternative for the G620 last time I looked (April). i3 seems quite good as well: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/434?vs=289 In Europe the Intel Core i3 2125 3.3 GHz is currently more expensive than the FX6100 (which is on a cashback right now le...

No need to speculate. Win 7 end of support date: 1/14/2020 (could conceivably be extended as happened with XP) A better title would be why you should not bother buying a dual core processor, not delay it :lol: What's wrong with dual core CPUs? For a lot of users they're just fine. What's wrong is t...

The days of the dual core CPU are not numbered but clearly relegated to the budget league.
I suspect this will be the last time Intel can release a dual core processor in this price range. A better title would be why you should not bother buying a dual core processor, not delay it

It wouldn't make sense for them to cheap out with compound esp as they have to offer a warranty on these processors. No idea but I supposed maybe you save 50cents per CPU for compound and well you add that up over a lot of CPU's and it's a nice bit of cash saved! That's how some companies operate bo...

In my experience of AS5 yes there is def a break in period and it's not short either. But it does drop down when you hit that. I would have tried a thermal compound that didn't need a break in period I've tried Gelid GC-2 and MX-4 I would say both are close to the performance of AS5 without the brea...

Pay attention to the other statistics for MTBF because some makers user lower temps in their numbers. Higher temps def do cause premature bearing wear faster than lower temps. And in many cases it's really hit or miss if you can expect them to be accurate. I've had early bearing wear on Nexus non PW...

Games do take up a lot of space has to be said agree there.
I could get away with a 120Gb SSD, but I prefer to sit this one out and wait for price drops and improvments.

Win 8 is a disaster OS IMO metro being forced on desktop users will not work very well. As for desktop performance whlst the numbers are interesting who is unhappy with Win 7 performance on the desktop? Not something that cuts much water for me benchmarking taken to new levels of oddness. There are ...