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Great performance: Choose the Intel Pentium processor for excellent performance that won't slow you down. From high-quality gaming to streaming HD videos and movies, the Pentium can do everything you need.
Pros: Cheap but still VERY capable, even for Gaming DDR3 1600MHZ vs 1333MHZ
Cons: Heatsink is a joke and the temps back it up Retail Price isn't justified vs the Pentium G3220
Overall Review: I was considering a budget CPU and was 99% sure I was going to get the Pentium G3220 but then this lil guy went on sale and only cost $3 more over the G3220. For the price difference you get 200Mhz faster clock speed and 1600MHZ RAM support which gives you a slight bump in Max Memory bandwidth. (25.6GB/s vs 21.3GB/s). The Max GPU clock is 50MHZ faster too. Is that worth the price difference vs the G3220? Not in my opinion, at retail price anyway. To be honest I dont even understand why this SKU exists... But like I said, if it weren't for the sale I would have went with the G3220. Bearing in mind they are same CPU (die wise) and the reviews for the G3220 were so solid it was a no brainer to "upgrade" to this one for the sale price. Know that the heat sink is a absolute joke! No copper core. just a 1" thin extruded aluminum finned heatsink. It will get the job done, but at the expense of noise. If you plan on actually putting this CPU to work with any real Loads (Gaming etc) then get ready for some real fan noise. Even with good ventilation, At idle the temp sits at 40-50c, any load at all and the temps spike up past 60c in a hurry. The bottom of the heatsink is barley flat and probability 1/2 the problem. A good Lapping might help. Also..... I actually had to remove the stock Paste and use some 3rd party TIM due to several cardboard fibers being stuck on the surface of the paste from the factory. Its Not from touching the box but from loose cardboard material tumbling around in the box during handling. This might be a problem for less experienced builders as the thickness of the fibers would definitely prevent direct metal to metal contact and cause even worse temps. I'm not trying to come off as negative. Maybe im being super picky but to be honest I expect more from Intel even at with Budget tier products. so i have to knock off one star for that. the CPU itself is solid and pretty much blows away anything from AMD at the same price point regardless of clock speed or core count. Bottom line, get the G3200 if you are looking for a solid budget CPU. Consider this one if its on sale and don't expect much from the included cooling solution.