So I've started a new job and I'm looking to build a new system. I've done some homework on the state of the art and I'm really stuck right now.

Intel recently released the Haswell line of processors which use a different socket than the Ivy Bridge line. Unfourtantly, the opinion has unanimously been that the Haswell's are not better than Ivy Bridge for gaming, and the integrated video on the processors still lag far behind AMD's.

AMD's released their new Richland based A series with integrated GPU/CPU. However, the GPU's on those chips are still based on the Radeon 6000 series. Their performance on new games is marginal.

So I'm torn between the following configurations
1. i7 Haswell (best and most costly) $340/CPU
2. i5 Ivy Bridge (no upgrade path, good cost/performance ratio) $220/GPU
3. AMD FX 3850 (comparable performance to i5, upgradable in theory, good cost/performance ratio) $200/CPU
4. A10-6800K + Radeon 6670 (very cheap, marginal performance on newest games) $150/CPU, $60/GPU

None of the options are particularly appealing, getting the i7 or i5 Haswell's are wasting money, getting the Ivy Bridge is a dead end. The AMD FX is a decent option, but it performs slightly worse than an i5 Ivy Bridge in single core applications, there's also rumors of a 5ghz version of the FX coming out soon. The A10 can have decent framerates at 1080p but it needs medium or low settings on newer games. The A10 would be a stopgap measure to wait for Broadwell or Skylake. So any advice on which poison to pick?

An i5 Ivy Bridge with an unlocked clock.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819116504

Now, granted, you have more computer skills than I do (I mean, you're Asian....of course you do!), but in my opinion, and from what I've heard, it all depends on what you're looking to do with this computer. Is it strictly for work? If so, I've heard Intel makes better products for multi-tasking and work computers. Is it for gaming? AMD definitely makes better products for gaming.
As far as the A-series GPU's...if you get those, definitely get another Radeon graphics card to work with it. It's a few years old, but I have the top-of-the-line (for a few years ago) overclocked A8-3870 with a Radeon HD 6670 graphics card added into the mix also, and I love it! Eventually, after all the medical bills get payed off, I'm going to upgrade to an A10 and a newer Radeon HD graphics card. I only play CSS with it, though, so I can't attest to how it is with newer games...but it does work great with older games! And HD movies look really awesome, too. OH! And, if you go for the A10...make sure the graphics card you buy to go with it works with the A10 processor. I think, if I've read it right, that some graphics cards can't be bridged with the processor...so just google it to be sure, I guess.
That's just my take on it.

Fyi joe, the highest supported card on the A10 is still the 6670. They only upgraded the cpu cores on the A10 and upgraded the memory controller so you you can use 2133 ram.

Oh wow, really? So I could go out and buy an A10 right now and not have to upgrade the video card to pair with it? Well F*CK me rotten....thanks for letting me know.

wifeys runnin an i5 very happy with it (my i7 920 still hangs with it tho :P)

Unless you have very fast DDR 3 ram (1866 MHz or better) it might not be worth it to upgrade. The main performance boost on the graphics comes from the higher memory speeds.

Also, AMD's coming out with Kaveri, later this year or early 2014, which has the much anticipated "Steamroller" CPU cores. Steamroller has been rumored to be up to 30% better. If you are happy with your current system, you might want to wait for the Kaveri before upgrading.

See...this is why we keep Asians around! You know all the good rumors. Thanks bud. See...why I was trying to help you, you helped me more.

I'm running an old Q uh...3600? It's an Intel Core 2 Quad. It's been a damn good processor, and still is, but i need to grab an i5 to get better memory support so I can run ARMA III.

Running the Q9550. I'd like to upgrade to either the 3570k or 4770k ~ I expect a great bump in performance. I'd like do a bit of video editing one day just for CSS videos as a start but it seems to be all games so far.

I'd go with intel. I build my system 2.5 years ago with i7-2600k and I'm happy with it. Intel is more expensive, but AMD is still way behind with the performance (http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html). Other thing I look at is the thermal design, so I know what to expect when it comes to the CPU / whole PC cooling and the noise level you may get on full load. With Haswell you gonna get something around 84W. With AMD you need to prepare for 125W. Note that Haswell and Ivy Bridge are both on 22nm. So It may be better option to go with Ivy. Or you can wait another year for next Intel's tick - Broadwell.

Despite all my planning my old computer had other plans. It melted its videocard over the weekend so I ended up buying an A10 Lenovo from staples for 450 and I'm planning to throw in a cheap 6670 asap