I don't disagree. The difference between a $160 6320 and $330 6700 is only $170, and 8 years (how old my Phenom II is...) reduces that cost to barely over $20/y

I don't disagree. The difference between a $160 6320 and $330 6700 is only $170, and 8 years (how old my Phenom II is...) reduces that cost to barely over $20/year. However, whether "the core is going to be fully utilized" is another question. If you only ever need 2 cores, it is wasted money, plus, if your focus is on gaming, and your budget requires you to make choices based on right now, the extra $170 can be the difference between getting a Radeon 480 or a Geforce 1070. (Since I hope my next build lasts another 8 years, I'll probably "pad" my build with an i5... I've fallen into the trap!)