Can't afford Intel and need at least 4 cores so I must go with AMD. I prefer Phenom unless Athlon gives you equal gaming performance. How about bulldozer because I can get a FX-4100 for 100$ so is it worth it, and if I were to get the Bulldozer, which MOBO should I get. Thanks
AMD's best quad core CPU is not a Bulldozer chip. It is the Phenom II x4 980. It is also AMDs fastest clocked (at stock) CPU running at a 3.7 GHz. If you are wanting AMD, and a quad core, then it is the way to go. Especially if you plan on gaming. Also, the 980 is superior to the 955 by quite a bit, and can be overclocked just as easily. I know you say that money is tight, but try not to cut corners on your CPU. If you get the 980 (which is about $150), you'll get a couple of good years out of it. One last thing. Today, gaming is heavily dependent on the graphics card, even more so than on the CPU. So whatever CPU you end up getting, make sure to get a decent card like a 6870 or 6950 to go with it.
Bulldozer is a disappointment right now but you can still buy an AM3+ mobo if you want. They should be computable with the older generation cpu. You could get Phenom II 955. Works well on all my games even without overclock.
