Question 1

Does this cpu NEED a better cpu cooler to replace the stock cooler?

Accepted Answer

If your main goal is to overclock it, then yes buy some sort of heat sink or even better, buy watercooling. If your just in it for gaming and not trying to "overdue" it, then the stocked cooler should be just fine. Normally, when i'm playing BF3(and have some other programs in the backround running) i get around 45-60 degrees C. All in all, if you can afford to get a heat sink, or even better, water cooling. You should.

Question 2

Is it really worth it to spend extra $50 to get the 4.0 Ghz per core? Or should I go with the 8320 with 3.5 Ghz.

Accepted Answer

Hi NoNamezLeft4Me,

Since it's unlocked you can just increase the multiplier to quickly and easily overclock it. I was able to get it to 4GHz right out of the box this way with no other tweaking whatsoever. Just a simple overclock in the bios with the multiplier. It could probably be pushed higher, but you would need much better cooling and likely have to increase the voltage.

I would recommend getting an aftermarket heatsink before attempting any kind of overclocking though, just to be safe. I am using a Coolermaster Hyper TX3. Average Temp at full load on all 8 cores is around 65C. Room temp is around ~70F, and I have several fans in the case.

Hope this helps!

Question 3

does this processor include the fan?

Accepted Answer

Yes when you buy a boxed processor it includes fan.

The fan that is included is not bad, however if you want 
over - clock this processor I would recommend a more larger 
direct contact copper heat pipe or tubing fan.

I use a Corsair H80i for cooling my FX - 8320 it works great and you download the Corsair Link software to monitor temperatures.

Question 4

Does the 8320 come with thermal paste in box? thanks

Accepted Answer

Yes it comes with thermal paste and a cooler. All CPU's with included cooler have thermal paste on the cooler ready to install.

Question 5

Does it have thermal compound applied to it already?  Does it come with it? Or do i need to buy it?

Accepted Answer

The CPU will also come with a Fan. The fan has the Thermal Compound already applied, so you dont have to purchase additional compound, however it is always a good idea to have some on hand in the event that you may have to re-install the CPU for what ever reason.

Question 6

Would this be compatible with my A880g+ motherboard? I know it's pretty old, but i've used AMD in the past and I wasn't sure where to check that out. If not, could you recommend a decent mother board for me to get?

Accepted Answer

No it is not. It need to be an am3+ socket mother board with supported bios. Some thing like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131876 or this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131873 or this one is good also http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131851 If you need any thing else feel free to ask.

Question 7

can this cpu run next-gen games like gta 5 or battlefield 4 on very high to ultra settings?

Accepted Answer

Sure, why not?

I've yet to come across a modern game that this CPU can't handle.

I'd suggest getting a decent aftermarket cooler, such as the "Cooler master hyper 212 evo", and over clocking it. Even if you don't intend to overclock, a aftermarket cooler will let the CPU take better advantage of its built in turbo feature.

The future of gaming will be dependent on as many cores as a person has. Even now, when most games only use 2 - 4, it's always good to have extra cores for any multitasking.

I've also heard that this CPU rocks when using it to record gaming video, if that's your thing.

I'm not sure what GPU you're looking into, but, "IMO", the R9 280x is a hot GPU for around 300 atm. That GPU, and this processor should be able to handle anything you can throw at it on high - ultra @ 1080p

Question 8

Does This Come With A Heatsink And Fan?

Accepted Answer

Yes it does, however I highly recommend getting an aftermarket cooler, as the stock cooler is not sufficient if your case does not have a TON of airflow. And it is very loud at load.

Question 9

does this have intergrated graphics? i don't think it does, just want to know, (i'm getting a gtx 750 ti) because i am going to buy the computer first, and then in a few months get a graphics card or something

Accepted Answer

The FX series does not have any onboard graphics, however SOME AM3+ motherboards have integrated graphics, but these graphics are not good for gaming AT ALL.

Question 10

should i buy it now or wait till cyber monday to buy it?

Accepted Answer

Well, it's $30 cheaper than when I bought it recently and it isn't too likely to be on a deeper sale on Monday though there's always a chance that it will.

Overall it has been a good processor for me. It is stable and has generally strong performance for a much lower price than other processors in the same performance range. One thing to note about this processor is that while it has 8 cores and amazing performance on multi-threaded applications it has relatively poor single-core performance and some noteworthy titles have aspects that cannot be multi-threaded (AI on Total War: Rome 2, physics simulation on Unity engine games) and this processor will have less incredible performance on these sorts of tasks. Most modern games and productivity programs these days include good multi-threading support, but it's worth noting the downside to this processor.

Questions & Answers