EastCoasthandle
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- Joined
- Apr 21, 2005
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System Name | MY PC |
---|---|
Processor | E8400 @ 3.80Ghz > Q9650 3.60Ghz |
Motherboard | Maximus Formula |
Cooling | D5, 7/16" ID Tubing, Maze4 with Fuzion CPU WB |
Memory | XMS 8500C5D @ 1066MHz |
Video Card(s) | HD 2900 XT 858/900 to 4870 to 5870 (Keep Vreg area clean) |
Storage | 2 |
Display(s) | 24" |
Case | P180 |
Audio Device(s) | X-fi Plantinum |
Power Supply | Silencer 750 |
Software | XP Pro SP3 to Windows 7 |
Benchmark Scores | This varies from one driver to another. |
Ok, I know this will be something that's going to be asked once prices start to go down on these CPUs. So I want to provide some basic information on the differences. The i7 800 series for the most part has some limitations that the i7 900 series does not. So let's get that out of the way.
2. Once USB 3.0 and Sata 6.0 are standard you want to make sure that the MB chipset supports the feature through some sort of PCIE bridge chip. If it doesn't it will reduce your PCIe x16 lane to a x8 using 1 video card. For example the ASUS P7P55D-E PRO which uses a PLX solution prevents this from happening.
3. 1136 will be limited to 4 cores while there are plans to use 6 cores on the 1366.
4. Some i7 860 may require a lot more voltage to get 4.0GHz then with a i7 920.
These are the only 2 that I know of that are true limitations. Another thing is that some of the 1156 socket motherboards appear to cost as much as 1366 socket motherboards that offer more features. So, you may have to do some research to find a good deal.
2. 860 has a lower Max TDW (85W vs 130 W for the 920)
3. 860 has a higher Max Turbo Frequency (3.46Ghz vs 2.93Ghz on the 920)
More spec here
4. P55 only has QPI of 2.5 GT/s. The P65 will have QPI of 5.0 GT/s.
The price between the 2 will depend on who you buy from. A quick glance at Newegg has the 920 a tad more (about $10) then the 860. Which is not a big deal IMO. As far as overclocking goes I've read good reports on both CPUs doing very well so that's IMO is also a wash. As for performance the i7 870 does appear to performe a tad better then the i7 920 at stock clocks from the review(s) I've read so far. Perhaps someone else can provide more insight if there are any other points of interest between CPUs. However, between the two the incentive of the 860 is power consumption and cost. However, not everyone cares for this. Other's pick the 920 as they beleive it's more future proof and overall a higher end upgrade to the 860 do to the ram and socket design.
So in the end the choice is yours to make.
i7 860 limitations:
1. This series of cpus can only do crossfire/sli in x8/x8. The i7 920 can do 16x/x16. 2. Once USB 3.0 and Sata 6.0 are standard you want to make sure that the MB chipset supports the feature through some sort of PCIE bridge chip. If it doesn't it will reduce your PCIe x16 lane to a x8 using 1 video card. For example the ASUS P7P55D-E PRO which uses a PLX solution prevents this from happening.
3. 1136 will be limited to 4 cores while there are plans to use 6 cores on the 1366.
4. Some i7 860 may require a lot more voltage to get 4.0GHz then with a i7 920.
These are the only 2 that I know of that are true limitations. Another thing is that some of the 1156 socket motherboards appear to cost as much as 1366 socket motherboards that offer more features. So, you may have to do some research to find a good deal.
The Pros for the i7 860
1. 860 has a higher Bus/Core Ratio (21 vs 20 for the 920)2. 860 has a lower Max TDW (85W vs 130 W for the 920)
3. 860 has a higher Max Turbo Frequency (3.46Ghz vs 2.93Ghz on the 920)
More spec here
4. P55 only has QPI of 2.5 GT/s. The P65 will have QPI of 5.0 GT/s.
The price between the 2 will depend on who you buy from. A quick glance at Newegg has the 920 a tad more (about $10) then the 860. Which is not a big deal IMO. As far as overclocking goes I've read good reports on both CPUs doing very well so that's IMO is also a wash. As for performance the i7 870 does appear to performe a tad better then the i7 920 at stock clocks from the review(s) I've read so far. Perhaps someone else can provide more insight if there are any other points of interest between CPUs. However, between the two the incentive of the 860 is power consumption and cost. However, not everyone cares for this. Other's pick the 920 as they beleive it's more future proof and overall a higher end upgrade to the 860 do to the ram and socket design.
So in the end the choice is yours to make.
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