I'm looking to build a gaming PC for around 800 USD and everybody recommends the i5. I plan on purchasing the HIS 7870 IceQ GHz Edition, 8GBs of RAm, the usual. The Phenom is quite a bit cheaper, and I can't find any good benchmarks alongside the i5. I'd like to know which I would be better off going with, and if you recommend the Phenom, what motherboard would you recommend for around 100 USD, give or take like 20 USD. Thanks.
I like overclocking so id go for the 965, but at stock clocks the i5 will perform better
Maybe I should go with a AMD FX-4170? I mean it's a lot newer than the Phenom, and it's still cheaper than the Intel.
The Phenom is faster than the FX-4170 in most tasks, the Phenom is about the speed of an Intel i5-750 (first gen). An Intel i5-3350P will outperform both, with or without overclocking the AMD's. The i5-3350P can't be overclocked, so you can get a cheaper mobo like with the business-class intel chipset (B75). It's a good value, but locks you out of enthusiast features pretty much within a comparable budget.
The best value in AMD is the FX-6300, you don't need the most expensive motherboard to overclock it, and it will perform like an i5-3570 when overclocked, but it will be a hell of a lot cheaper.