CPU to pair with GTX460

[JakupRasken]

Hello, I got my hands on an old machine that I would like to use every once in a while, the PC is fully working with AMD A6-5400K APU. But I think some new CPU would breathe new life to the 460, so what FM2 CPU would you recommend to me?

 

[HardReset]

I would put Athlon X4 series CPU since you have no need for integrated graphics.

Like Athlon X4 750K or Athlon X4 760K.

 

[neeyik]

I would put Athlon X4 series CPU since you have no need for integrated graphics.

Like Athlon X4 750K or Athlon X4 760K.

The A8-6500 might be a better option, as it has the same TDP (65W) as the A6-5400; the likes of the X4 760K is 100W, due to its higher base clock (3.8GHz vs 3.4GHz). In normal use, the lower base clock won't be a problem, whereas the lower heat output means the cooler won't need to be replaced.

Though if that's not an issue, then might as well slap an A10-6800K to get as much performance as one can out of the FM2 platform (4.1GHz base clock, 4.4 GHz boost clock, 100W TDP).

 

[JakupRasken]

The A8-6500 might be a better option, as it has the same TDP (65W) as the A6-5400; the likes of the X4 760K is 100W, due to its higher base clock (3.8GHz vs 3.4GHz). In normal use, the lower base clock won't be a problem, whereas the lower heat output means the cooler won't need to be replaced.

Though if that's not an issue, then might as well slap an A10-6800K to get as much performance as one can out of the FM2 platform (4.1GHz base clock, 4.4 GHz boost clock, 100W TDP).

And in your opinion, is the 10%-20% performance increase worth the money and time, or will it be so insignificant, that I shouldn't bother with it?

 

[neeyik]

And in your opinion, is the 10%-20% performance increase worth the money and time, or will it be so insignificant, that I shouldn't bother with it?

Something else to consider is the fact that all of the CPUs recommended by myself and HardReset have twice the amount of cores/threads and L2 cache, compared to the A6-5400K. So while the A10-6800K only has a base and boost clock 14% and 16% higher, respectively, the actual overall performance in everyday usage will be better than that, because of the larger cache and multithreading ability.

You can determine this from our review of the 6800K (here) by comparing it to the A4-5400 in that review. That particular APU is basically just a slower-clocked version of your A6-5400K, with a 3.6GHz boost clock (everything else is exactly the same). In some tests, the 6800K was 140% faster than the 5400.

To be honest, any of the recommended CPUs will be a decent improvement over the 5400K.