AMD FX-Series FX-8350 8-core AM3+

The FX-8350 is an eight-core dinosaur that still works for basic tasks and older games. Multi-core performance is middle of the pack, single-thread is weak, and the 125W power draw is rough. At USD 60 to USD 81, it's only worth it if you already own an AM3+ board and need a cheap drop-in upgrade.

The FX-8350 posts a PassMark multi-core score of 6,096 and a single-core score of 1,580. For context, that multi-core number is solidly middle of the pack in our database, while single-thread performance falls behind most modern chips. The 8MB of L3 cache helps in some workloads, but the 125W TDP means you'll feel it on your power bill and in your case temps. Overclocking is unlocked, which is where this chip earned its Black Edition reputation. Push it past 4.2GHz and you can squeeze out more, but you'll need serious cooling. The DDR3 memory support and PCIe 2.0 are both dated, so don't expect modern GPU bandwidth or fast RAM speeds.

Stacked against something like the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, the FX-8350 gets absolutely demolished. The Ultra 5 is a modern chip with efficiency cores, DDR5 support, and single-thread performance that makes the FX look like a calculator. But that's not a fair fight. The FX-8350's real competition is other used AM3+ chips and maybe a Dell Xeon E5-2637 V2 if you're looking at old workstation pulls. The Xeon has fewer cores but better single-thread in some workloads. The Phenom II X6 is older and slower, so the FX wins there. The be quiet! Ryzen 3 Dark Rock Pro 5 isn't even a CPU, it's a cooler, so that's a weird comparison. Bottom line: the FX-8350 is the best of the old AMD FX lineup, but that's like being the tallest kid in kindergarten.

At USD 60 to USD 81, the FX-8350 is cheap. But cheap doesn't always mean good value. You're buying into a dead platform with no upgrade path. The best deal in our data is the USD 60 listing, which is the lowest price we've seen for this chip. If you already have an AM3+ board and just need a drop-in upgrade, that's a reasonable spend. If you're building from scratch, you're better off putting that money toward a used Ryzen or even a budget Intel chip. The value score of 64.9 out of 100 reflects that: fine for the right person, questionable for everyone else.

The AMD FX-8350 is a relic from 2012 that refuses to die. Eight cores, 4.0GHz base, 4.2GHz boost, and an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. On paper it sounds like a budget monster. In practice, it's a 32nm Vishera chip that drinks 125W and shows its age the moment you ask it to do anything modern. But here's the thing: people still buy these. The 4.6-star rating across 6,657 reviews tells you there's a loyal crowd keeping AM3+ systems alive.

We pulled the numbers and the story is mixed. Multi-thread performance sits at the 43rd percentile, single-thread at 37th. That's not great, but for the price range of USD 60 to USD 81, you're getting a lot of cores for very little cash. The real question is whether your motherboard and power supply can handle it, and whether you actually need eight threads from 2012.

Skip this if you're building a new PC, period. The AM3+ platform is dead, DDR3 is obsolete, and the single-thread performance will bottleneck any modern GPU. If you need a cheap CPU for a new build, look at used Ryzen 3 or Intel i3 chips instead. Also skip it if you're sensitive to fan noise or power consumption, because 125W of heat needs active cooling and your electricity bill will notice.

Buy this if you have an AM3+ motherboard already and need a cheap upgrade to keep an old system running. It's fine for office work, older games, and light multitasking. Don't buy it for a new build. Don't buy it for modern gaming. Don't buy it if you care about power efficiency. The 4.6-star rating comes from people who bought this years ago and are still happy with it, not from people comparing it to a Ryzen 5.