i3 2120 Good Enough for Gaming?

[jsharpe30]

Right so i've been searching the internet looking for a definitive answer to whether the i3 2120 is good enough for demanding games such as bf3 on high/ultra settings. Some people say yeah its good enough but some others say you need an i5 or quad core. I'm looking to add a decent GPU (was looking at the AMD 78xx series or the new 660 ti) to my first ever build that i did a few weeks ago but i just need a definitive answer to whether the i3 will be good enough. Thanks!

 

[jamesriley94]

Those others are wrong

The i3 will be absolutely fine. Modern games rely more on a good gpu than a quad core cpu or anything since games are only really coded to use 1 or 2 cores anyway.

an i3 and a 660ti will play BF3 absolutely fine!

 

[seumasbeathan]

James Is completely right and I am currently facing the decision of either an i3 or i5 and I have decided to go with an i5 as I can see games in the future using 4 cores although for an i3 is completely fine

 

[jsharpe30]

Thanks for the help guys! Now i just need to decide which graphics card to go with

 

[jamesriley94]

How many screens? What resolution? and whats the budget?

 

[Devo234]

as long as you get the 1155 socket i3 which is the one you mentioned it will be fine. the i3 2120 is on amazon for bout £90. and because its 1155 you can always upgrade to an i5 or even i7 in the future without changing your MOBO

 

[Jeff_s510]

Linus made a nice little video about this issue a while ago
heres a link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4PDoy-mi0A&list=UUjTCFFq605uuq4YN4VmhkBA&index=52&feature=plpp_video

he compares single core, 2 core, 4 core, 6 core cpu's with different games to see how many cores are needed, and how much performance you gain with more cores

 

[jsharpe30]

Im using one 1080p monitor and going to play in 1920x1080. The budget is around the £200 mark could go up to £250 though if needs be.

 

[seumasbeathan]

Either a 7870 with a nice aftermarket cooler or a 7950 with a stock cooler

 

[SavageCupcake]

i used to game on a i3 2100 and it was absolutely fine for gaming

 

[jsharpe30]

Is the 660ti relevant or do the AMD cards outperform it at this price point?

 

[blaindev]

this could be a good contender for your GPU

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-054-HS&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1673

Also, dont rule out a GTX 570, slightly older card, but for the price they are retailing at (around 195-225 mark) you will get just as much bang for your buck

 

[jamesriley94]

Eugh!!! Get it away!!

I'd never let that thing anywhere near my PC. Agreed on the 7950 - just not that one

 

[blaindev]

haha!!!! its just an idea of what you might be able to get, otherwise, stock cooler it is for under 250 me thinks!

just spied this on aria:

http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Comp...+GPUs/Graphics+Cards+-+NVIDIA/GeForce+GTX+580

If you can stretch your budget by another 10-15 quid, this would be perfect