Dual core decision - G3258 vs i3-6320

[Vulcansheart]

I am helping my neighbor replace his very old AMD single core machine. The most intensive application that he runs is MS Flight Sim X on a 1080P monitor. He has a lot of money invested in addons like texture packs, planes, etc. Other tasks include watching videos and web browsing. So, I've got the rest of his build ready to go, but I'm not sure which way to go on the CPU. Please help us decide!

Intel Pentium G3258 (unlocked anniversary edition) - $67
Stock at 3.2GHz, but will be matched to a ASRock H97 board and overclocked on a Corsair H60 to around 4.5GHz.

Or...

Intel Core i3-6320 (most powerful i3 in the current lineup) - $160
Stock at 3.9GHz, matched to a MSi B150 board with stock air cooler.

The reason for the dilemma is that while the G3258 will probably have greater performance on FSX (not a multi-threaded application), it is a much older chip and not so future proof. It has to run at high clock speeds to maintain competition. It is also significantly cheaper, even after adding in the Corsair H60. The i3-6320 is much newer, uses DDR4 memory, has hyper-threading and thus is more future proof. However, it's locked in at 3.9GHz so there is no potential for increasing performance.

What do you guys think? I'm trying to keep the entire build under $600, so please no 10-core i7 comments lol...

 

[Jetster]

Definitely the 6320 unless that $60 is a deal breaker. Na just get the 6320 dont even mess with the 1150

 

[GoldenX]

My inner money saver side screams at me saying that $160 for a dual core is madness, plus it can't be overclocked.
What are the rest of the specs?

http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/305/Intel_Core_i3_i3-6320_vs_Intel_Pentium_Dual-Core_G3258.html Stock vs stock, overclocked the Pentium should offer better single core performance, for $100 less money. Also I think a H60 is a bit of overkill to overclock a dual core.

 

[Jetster]

I would put more money into the board. Get a 6100 and later to upgrat to an i5 and K chip

 

[Kursah]

I3... Can utilize higher speed RAM on sub Z8/97 boards and has HT and higher clocks. I recently upgraded my kids PC from an OCd 3258 to a i3-4160 and it was noticeable across the board but especially with multitasking and multithreaded games. The newer ones are even better.

The G3258 will only support DDR3 1333 speeds on H97. Going from 1333 to 1600 is noticeable in my experience and worth it.

Whether or not FSX will use the extra threads everything else he's running and Windows will.

Not that you need to get the fastest i3, I haven't checked recently but the 6100 makes more sense. 200MHz won't make the difference worth the price.

And the i3 is worth it over the older Pentium for the extra CPU cache, better efficiency, faster RAM support, onboard GPU should the add-on fail (iirc the G3258 is w/o iGPU), newer platform with more upgrade opportunities, better at everything really.

Not that the Pentium is a bad idea...I'd buy used if I were you...usually can snag em around $50 shipped or so. I'd also say get a z97 to OC it better and use faster DDR3. To come close to the i3 6100, the Pentium would need to probably be around 4GHz and closer to 4.2+ compared to the 6320...which should be easy-ish to achieve depending on CPU. YMMV.

Both are solid options...and really it depends on budget here...one kit can be had for the price of the CPU on the latter. What does the user need? How do they use their PC? How often will you need to maintain it? OCs can lead to St ability issues later on resulting in lower clocks, stock clocks or failed parts...that said I have several 6-8yr old OCd systems. So a lot goes into play here and needs thought out. Or simply decide on budget needs.

What GPU does he have? How about PSU? If the PSU is questionable either go cheaper i3 or Pentium route and get a better PSU asap.

 

[m&m's]

i3-6100.

Cost $30 less and performs the same (-1%).

 

[Frick]

i3-6100.

Cost $30 less and performs the same (-1%).

That's what I would do.

 

[natr0n]

I would get the g3258 and oc it and it's cheaper.
Pair it with the Corsair H60.

When you buy locked cpu's you lose the fun really.

http://hwbot.org/hardware/processor/pentium_g3258/
4620 on water...... do it

 

[sutyi]

i3-6100.

Cost $30 less and performs the same (-1%).

Pretty much this. Get a Skylake based i3, pretty decent performance with the two core + hyper threading combo.

 

[Vulcansheart]

I see a lot of hands raised for the i3-6100. I grabbed some snips of the synthetic benchmarks which shows the 3258 beating out the 6100 at stock clocks on single threaded work, while the 6320 takes the top rank of the three (again at stock clocks only). I was surprised so many of you leaned toward the i3 series given the overclocking potential of the Pentium. Again, FSX is more or less single threaded, which is why I bring this up...

Just looking for some more input before we settle on a chip/mobo. Thanks for all the comments thus far!!

 

[rtwjunkie]

I see a lot of hands raised for the i3-6100. I grabbed some snips of the synthetic benchmarks which shows the 3258 beating out the 6100 at stock clocks on single threaded work, while the 6320 takes the top rank of the three (again at stock clocks only). I was surprised so many of you leaned toward the i3 series given the overclocking potential of the Pentium. Again, FSX is more or less single threaded, which is why I bring this up...

View attachment 81464

Just looking for some more input before we settle on a chip/mobo. Thanks for all the comments thus far!!

I'm going to say, probably because although capable, the 3258 began being outdated/outclassed as soon as it was released. FSX might be it for now, but you never know what else your needs might change to or grow to even in non-gaming. So I would also advocate the i3 for the longer run.

 

[GhostRyder]

I see a lot of hands raised for the i3-6100. I grabbed some snips of the synthetic benchmarks which shows the 3258 beating out the 6100 at stock clocks on single threaded work, while the 6320 takes the top rank of the three (again at stock clocks only). I was surprised so many of you leaned toward the i3 series given the overclocking potential of the Pentium. Again, FSX is more or less single threaded, which is why I bring this up...

View attachment 81464

Just looking for some more input before we settle on a chip/mobo. Thanks for all the comments thus far!!

Still though, in the long run the i3 will be better especially if he updates to new versions of the game in the future or another one (Not to mention new activities on the computer). I have played with tons of G3258's and they are awesome chips but really suffer in many applications where the i3's stock clocked did not.

 

[Jetster]

Even if it clearly beat it I would still want the newer socket

 

[FilipM]

https://ark.intel.com/products/88179/Intel-Pentium-Processor-G4400-3M-Cache-3_30-GHz

How about a G4400?

 

[Kursah]

I see a lot of hands raised for the i3-6100. I grabbed some snips of the synthetic benchmarks which shows the 3258 beating out the 6100 at stock clocks on single threaded work, while the 6320 takes the top rank of the three (again at stock clocks only). I was surprised so many of you leaned toward the i3 series given the overclocking potential of the Pentium. Again, FSX is more or less single threaded, which is why I bring this up...

View attachment 81464

Just looking for some more input before we settle on a chip/mobo. Thanks for all the comments thus far!!

Synthetic benchmarks are only so useful but that's an interesting comparison. Actually being able to compare them is best...and I've been able to do that with Haswell i3's vs G3258's. If he's going G3258 w/DDR3 1333 limitations on an H97, it's going to be slower overall in gaming/media usage. Keep in mind the newer i3 6xxx's use DDR4 with much more bandwidth than DDR3 1333.

Going from a G3258 to an i3-4160 on the H97 (specs in sig) made a noticeable difference in everything that system did. Starting with the DDR3 running at 1600 which helps the overall system use. Everything we used/tested/tried was smoother, faster, snappier than the Pentium was able to muster even at 4GHz. Keep in mind the i3-4160 is a Haswell-based 3.60GHz dual core HT. That synthetic benchmark is only a slice of the pie...there's a lot that it leaves out of the equation for system usage.

Going by the results above, what we noticed on my son's PC shouldn't have been as noticeable of an improvement with what is still single threaded out there...yet there wasn't a thing that the i3 didn't do faster with what my kid does on his PC. Though I went "by the seat of my pants" rather than measuring or benching (not my thing anymore, unless it includes stress testing stability), the feeling was there, the system was faster, games loaded and ran faster and achieved higher FPS, everything performed smoother when multitasking, switching between browsers, Windows Explorere, alt+tabbing out of games, getting back into games, you name it. Those differences alone were worth it. OC-ing the G3258 is fun and what it brings to the table...beyond that, there's no reason to assume it would be any better than an i3. Multitasking is something many users and pieces of software and of course operating systems are doing these days.

For more basic users the Pentium is a strong offering, they make great budget SoHo and even tight budget gaming PC's. I still build and sell bunches of them...most of the guys that buy gaming PC's with Pentiums upgrade to an i3/i5/i7 within a few months to a year (as that's how it is usually planned out), never once complaining or being disappointed even if they go with a non-K part.

Really it comes down to budget and needs...does the user want to spend more for more performance and upgradability with newer generation CPU's now or do they want to save a bunch of money and have something good enough to handle most of what they need (especially with a 4.0+ OC) that's fun to OC and tweak but won't really be keeping up as much into the future? Are they even interested in OC-ing and maintaining an overclocked system for a long period of time or will the OP have to babysit that portion of it? Is the OP selling something that they'll have to keep an eye on or hear about when something goes wrong? At that point, selling a non-OC'd system that is newer and faster now makes more sense.

Honestly this is a good comparison as this is a lower level of PC gaming and while there is a difference in systems, and it will be noticeable, depending on the user it might not be as big of a deal to be slower or not as able to multitask or as smooth in some software and games. If the user decides the G3258 isn't up to snuff they could always get an i3/i5/i7 for 1150 and probably be just fine as well. So plenty of ways to go about it. Frankly going G3258 now means to me upgrading in a few months to a PC that can better handle multitasking and more threads and resources....that's what I've seen at least. YMMV.

 

[peche]

For more basic users the Pentium is a strong offering, they make great budget SoHo and even tight budget gaming PC's. I still build and sell bunches of them...most of the guys that buy gaming PC's with Pentiums upgrade to an i3/i5/i7 within a few months to a year (as that's how it is usually planned out), never once complaining or being disappointed even if they go with a non-K part.

+1

https://ark.intel.com/products/88179/Intel-Pentium-Processor-G4400-3M-Cache-3_30-GHz

How about a G4400?

also:
Intel® Pentium® Processor G4520
(3M Cache, 3.60 GHz)

another Pentium beast, formerly skylake familly!

 

[biffzinker]

Is waiting for the Kaby Lake Pentium that's supposedly now 2 cores/4 threads or the overclockable i3 7350K an option?

 

[thebluebumblebee]

The G3258 is fine for those who know how to OC, but do you really want to be the one that troubleshoots any issue that comes up? I voted for the i3 because they just work and it is the better choice for the future. Also, if the neighbor has waited this long, you might want to wait until Zen comes out (January) to see how that will shake up the market.

i3-6100. Cost $30 less and performs the same (-1%).

Actually, right now it's a $55 difference at Newegg. $55 for 200 MHz is not worth it. Intel has always over charged for their fastest i3's.
@Vulcansheart , I am very suspicious of that chart that you just posted. I can't see the G3258, with it's older tech and lower clock speed, beating the i3-6100 with its newer tech and higher clock speed on the "Single Thread Rating". I would suspect that most who have submitted results with the G3258 had it OC'd. Look at the how "Single Thread Rating" the G3258 compares to its locked version:

Edit: If you or your neighbor is taking a trip to Atlanta, you could grab a bundle deal at Microcenter. Right now you can get an i5-6500 (bundled with a motherboard) for $170!

 

[newtekie1]

1.) Maybe I'm mistaken but last I checked the G3258 required a Z87/Z97 motherboard to overclock. The H97 doesn't have the ability to change multipliers.

2.) If you get a Z170 AsRock motherboard, and a few other Z170 motherboard, you can overclock any of the 1151 processors, locked or unlocked. Because they allow the BCLK to be adjusted freely. There is also a few non-Z170 motherboards that allow this type of BCLK overclocking too.

 

[Jetster]

1.) Maybe I'm mistaken but last I checked the G3258 required a Z87/Z97 motherboard to overclock. The H97 doesn't have the ability to change multipliers.

2.) If you get a Z170 AsRock motherboard, and a few other Z170 motherboard, you can overclock any of the 1151 processors, locked or unlocked. Because they allow the BCLK to be adjusted freely. There is also a few non-Z170 motherboards that allow this type of BCLK overclocking too.

The H97 can change multipliers but not voltage. At least the one I had did

 

[newtekie1]

The H97 can change multipliers but not voltage. At least the one I had did

Maybe you're right, its been a while since I had an H97. Either way, without voltage control, there won't be much headroom for overclocking the G3258, and 4.5GHz is a pipe dream.

 

[Kursah]

Yep my Asrock H97 had ran a G3258 @ 4GHz for a few months before I upgraded to an i3 (see KidPC2 in sig). I bought the board and CPU as a combo from another TPU user earlier in the year and he'd ran them OCd as well. 3.8-4GHz is common at stock volts from my experience anything beyond that is a very mixed bag and requires voltage control.

Z8/97 would do it better, the H97 is limited...and as I stated before the G3258 only supports DDR3 1333 speeds...the Z97 can allow for higher memory speeds the H97 cannot with that CPU. You can change FIVR input voltage but that doesn't help when you can't change core voltages.

 

[biffzinker]

Edit: If you or your neighbor is taking a trip to Atlanta, you could grab a bundle deal at Microcenter. Right now you can get an i5-6500 (bundled with a motherboard) for $170!

That's a sweet deal for a Intel i5 quad core plus motherboard.

 

[biffzinker]

Isn't Microsoft pushing out that Intel Microcode update through Windows Update that disabled overclocking a G3258 on the H97/B85/H81 PCH equipped motherboards?

 

[Vulcansheart]

This is good stuff. The decision is even less cut and dry now, but I guess that's what makes building PC's fun and addictive...

Starting to lean towards late model offerings now because there are a lot of good arguments against the 3258, so going to start looking very closely at the current (and future) i3 and Pentium lineup.


Edit:
For those interested, this is the rest of the build as of right now on pcpartpicker:
Memory: TBD based on CPU/Mobo
Storage: Seagate FireCuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus Radeon RX 470 4GB STRIX Video Card ($181.99 @ Newegg)
Case: DIYPC Cuboid-R MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($49.89 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair CX650M (free product review item)
Monitor: Existing unknown make/model 1080P @ 60hz