SneakyStephan said:
It very much is...
But you know what, people want to fuck themselves over in near future games that support more than 2 hardware threads to save 5 bucks, let them.
Normal people buy their cpu to last a few years, and bang for buck/future proofing a 955BE still shits on that cpu from great height.
That i3 combined with a feature stripped SB mobo is only for a total penny pinching instant satisfaction boner for intel and their premiums build.
It's also as locked down as can possibly be, no OC'ing if you get one.
The game doesn't care if it's a "hardware" thread. While 2 HT threads aren't as good as 2 real threads, they provide about 60% of the performance. There is no reason not to get an i3 if you don't want to spend a lot of money just to play games(nothing wrong with that).
I've been PC gaming for close to 20 years and have never bought a high-end rig and never had trouble playing 98% of the games out at the time I've had on each system maxed out.
My current system is an i3 540@4.4, 4GB DDR3 1600Mhz and on overclocked 6870 and couldn't be happier with it. This CPU shits all over anything AMD has out right now for games, and at worst matching it. An i3 2100 is about equal to a Phenom II x4 at 3.5-3.7, so plenty for playing games. In stuff like Starcraft 2 or ports, there is no comparison.
People overestimate what kind of hardware you need,especially since you CAN'T futureproof a rig. It's impossible. People that spend 2k on their system typically upgrade at the same rate someone that spent 700 and at best only enjoyed a few more games running at higher settings at a higher resolution.
I had a Phenom II x4(some Athlon IIs as well) system and it's a joke people(myself included) recommended AMD for budget gaming when the i3s were cheaper and far better suited for gaming.