New System, i7? i5?

[3870x2]

I will be planning on a new build. I have not been keeping up with hardware since the i7 965x came out, so ill need some advice.

I am more of a dual core user, cause im a gamer, i dont do much of any encoding, or multiple core functions at all, and when I do, i dont care about saving a few seconds because i spent an extra 300 dollars on a quad.

Regardless of this, if a quad will do better, ill do it. Im not sure if the dual i5s are any good (like the e8500 was faster than a q9550 in games, etc...) or if i5 will perform worse regardless. If this is the case, ill go i7 920.

What im thinking right now is:

CPU: i5/i7
Video card: 5870 (if it is below $320 in the following few months) if not, 5850
Ram: 2x3GB DDR3
Win7 retail (of course)
mobo: intel chipset of some sort, no use for SLI or CFX

also, since I mostly game, it might be a better idea to go ahead and get a cheap i5 and use the extra cash to get a 5870x2...

 

[JrRacinFan]

Just mentioning that in your venture for this upgrade. MSI Big Bang with Hydra is set for release on the 29th, unsure on pricing.

Although you do mention no use for multi gpu, you could go SLI GTX260's/Crossfire 4870's, they would be cheap used, would be between the GTX280/5850 & GTX295 in performance, would save you a few bucks on the build while awaiting 5870x2.

IMO, an i7 860 would be a pretty big step from your e8400 and would save you some cash on the motherboard front over an i7 920 D0. Oh and 2x2GB Ripjaws would work great.

 

[n-ster]

IMO l7 920 > i7 860 because that little extra you pay for the x58 mobo is worth it... you pay 30$ more for the 860 anyways... getting a ex58-ud3 (GB) would be great... i7 would be awesome for gaming

but for gaming your rig is fine you know... I'd wait b4 upgrading if I were you

 

[JrRacinFan]

little extra you pay for the x58 mobo is worth it

In what ways?

 

[n-ster]

the future upgradeability (i9), triple-channel RAM, being able to Sli or Xfire (I know the idk whats are coming out soon but still), and overall quality I guess... Anyways, isn't a p55 mobo 140$ and a x58 like 170$? and then the 860 30$ more so it comes about the same price?

I'm still a noob for p55 though ,didn`t do my full research yet

 

[johnnyfiive]

I still vote i7 920 and x58, Gulftown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[n-ster]

Yay

 

[h3llb3nd4]

Yep, as mentioned above, the i7!!

 

[Asylum]

Go with the 1366 platform.
Looks like the 1156 platform is dead already and just got started.

 

[JrRacinFan]

the future upgradeability (i9), triple-channel RAM, being able to Sli or Xfire (I know the idk whats are coming out soon but still), and overall quality I guess... Anyways, isn't a p55 mobo 140$ and a x58 like 170$? and then the 860 30$ more so it comes about the same price?

I'm still a noob for p55 though ,didn`t do my full research yet

I heard the "idk whats" boards are going to be released @ a $199 price point. So cfire/SLI is a moot point. So sacrificing performance for video card scalability would be well worth it. Imagine a GTX275 running alongside a 5850 with near perfect scaling. Triple channel doesnt yeild much benefits IIRC.

 

[DanishDevil]

Triple channel has not been implemented well enough to give the performance boost to justify its extra cost. I'm moving from X58 to P55 for a few reasons.

The X series chipsets have always been harder to OC. P series have often been the overclockers' dream platforms. I believe that this holds true for X58 and P55. While i7 920's clock very well, it's pretty frustrating at times to get all the settings right. P55 overclocking is much simpler.

Also, X58 northbridges run fairly hot unless actively cooled. There is no need to worry about this with P55. 1366 CPU's are also ungodly hot, and 1156 CPU's have more components on them, yet seem to run cooler.

Another reason is that x16 PCI-E 2.0 is not yet needed. If you want to run 3 GPU's, then by all means, go X58, but if you want to run 2, get a $150-$200ish P55 board, and you can run dual GPU's at x8 2.0. You have more flexibility for CPU's. X58 owners get the 920, or super expensive superior chips. There are no other options. With P55, you can downgrade to a dual core with HT, quads without HT, etc. IMO the only reasons to go X58 are:

• You are benchmarking competitively and need every last point possible.
• You are planning on running multiple top-of-the-line graphics cards.
• You want to upgrade to the i9 6-core HT processor.

That's my personal opinion, and why I just sold all my X58 stuff and am a few days out from having my P55 system up and running.

 

[mosheen]

why not wait for the dual core i5???

EDIT: I say i5 860 and 5870x2.

 

[shevanel]

i just got my i7 920 and msi platinum x58 sli up and I came from a q9550 @ 3.8ghz and this i7 at stock makes me laugh when I run cpu tests.

i7/x58.. then in a couple years you'll be buying gulftown cheap

 

[3870x2]

Just mentioning that in your venture for this upgrade. MSI Big Bang with Hydra is set for release on the 29th, unsure on pricing.

Although you do mention no use for multi gpu, you could go SLI GTX260's/Crossfire 4870's, they would be cheap used, would be between the GTX280/5850 & GTX295 in performance, would save you a few bucks on the build while awaiting 5870x2.

IMO, an i7 860 would be a pretty big step from your e8400 and would save you some cash on the motherboard front over an i7 920 D0. Oh and 2x2GB Ripjaws would work great.

I plan to be using dx11 when it comes out, 58xx is necessary.

IMO l7 920 > i7 860 because that little extra you pay for the x58 mobo is worth it... you pay 30$ more for the 860 anyways... getting a ex58-ud3 (GB) would be great... i7 would be awesome for gaming

but for gaming your rig is fine you know... I'd wait b4 upgrading if I were you

Does the 860 outperform the 920? i figured the 9xx series would be better, but i saw that the 860 is more expensive. Anyone care to explain?

why not wait for the dual core i5???

EDIT: I say i5 860 and 5870x2.

I thought i5 was only dual core. In that case, i want the i5 dual, not quad, just plan to get another i7 dual up to 4.4 on air like my 8500.
5870x2 seems like a reality for me, but the build will probably be december to january, and by then Nvidia offerings will be out, and hopefully the dual core i series will be out. Are there any plans for a high-end dual core i-series? If not, intel is losing out on a would-be great market for gamers, but at the same time ive never had a quad, and I wouldnt mind experiencing one.

Thank you all for the replies, and you can keep em coming if you wish!

 

[lemode]

Looks like the 1156 platform is dead already and just got started.

Dead already? Really? I would LOVE to see your rebuttal after making claim that bold. You should enlighten the rest of us and fill us in on precisely how the platform is 'dead'.

 

[DanishDevil]

Does the 860 outperform the 920? i figured the 9xx series would be better, but i saw that the 860 is more expensive. Anyone care to explain?

I thought i5 was only dual core. In that case, i want the i5 dual, not quad, just plan to get another i7 dual up to 4.4 on air like my 8500.
5870x2 seems like a reality for me, but the build will probably be december to january, and by then Nvidia offerings will be out, and hopefully the dual core i series will be out. Are there any plans for a high-end dual core i-series? If not, intel is losing out on a would-be great market for gamers, but at the same time ive never had a quad, and I wouldnt mind experiencing one.

The i7 860 (LGA 1156) has the exact same specifications as the i7 920 (LGA 1366) but is more expensive because it is a high-end 1156 chip, while the i7 920 is a low-end 1366 chip.

There are two main 1156 players on the field now. The i5 750 (quad-core) and the i7 860 (quad core with HT). There are roadmaps detailing LGA 1156 i5 dual cores with HT, which would likely mimic the E8xxx series on LGA 775. I plan on getting one to play with myself.

Hope that helps

 

[3870x2]

The i7 860 (LGA 1156) has the exact same specifications as the i7 920 (LGA 1366) but is more expensive because it is a high-end 1156 chip, while the i7 920 is a low-end 1366 chip.

There are two main 1156 players on the field now. The i5 750 (quad-core) and the i7 860 (quad core with HT). There are roadmaps detailing LGA 1156 i5 dual cores with HT, which would likely mimic the E8xxx series on LGA 775. I plan on getting one to play with myself.

Hope that helps

This does help, thank you. I could tell you anything about technology from the 965x back, but I just havent kept up in the past few months or so.

You would think that the 920 would be more expensive. My reasoning for this is that getting the 920 leaves room for expansion, while the 860 is the top of the charts, with it being the final processor in the platform with little expansion in its future. Maybe the price of the chipsets? dunno....

I would not put out phenom altogether. To tell you the truth, If i could get a high end ix dual for under $200, that would leave me room for a 5870x2 or GTX395, etc... I also plan to do my next build on a RAID-0 SSD setup (probably 2x128GB, depending on the prices when they come out) and my current 5TB for my media (yes, 5TB, i have just about every gold/platinum album dating back ti 1977, several thousand movies, and several series like family guy ETC...)

 

[DanishDevil]

Consider this. You just bought a P55 board and an i5 750. You realize you need a quad-core with HT. Will they charge more for something to max your current system, or on a chip that requires you to spend even more money? It's a way to give you an incentive to spend more money by going to a higher platform.

 

[3870x2]

Consider this. You just bought a P55 board and an i5 750. You realize you need a quad-core with HT. Will they charge more for something to max your current system, or on a chip that requires you to spend even more money? It's a way to give you an incentive to spend more money by going to a higher platform.

lol, you make it sound like HT is going to become a compatibility issue, "Error: Starcraft 2 requires HyperThreading(TM). Please visit your bank acount, and send your routing number and first born to Intel"

you make a good point though.

My question is:

1. Did intel make the incompatible platforms because of marketing, and $$$?
or
2. Did they find that it would be better for the i7 technology to separate it, keeping the user in mind?

 

[DanishDevil]

They have always had a Performance and an Extreme platform (e.g. P35/X38 and P45/X48). Now it's P55 and X58.

The exact reasoning for their configuration is known only by the person who came up with it. Lots of people don't agree with it, including myself, but it is what it is, and we have to figure it out.

 

[3870x2]

They have always had a Performance and an Extreme platform (e.g. P35/X38 and P45/X48). Now it's P55 and X58.

The exact reasoning for their configuration is known only by the person who came up with it. Lots of people don't agree with it, including myself, but it is what it is, and we have to figure it out.

probably marketing, intel isn't too far from nvidia in my mind, seems like they will turn a profit if it means taking money out of the lost children jar.

There is a big difference between the previous p/x, they were still LGA775 from core2 and up, and there is a huge difference between xtreme and 1366.

Thank you all for the help, unless i win the lottery, ill probably go with the ix dual cores, if they are out, and if not, probably the 920, if it still exists when I plan on purchasing.

 

[n-ster]

care to tell me WHY you want to upgrade? You definitively don't need to

 

[Kantastic]

i just got my i7 920 and msi platinum x58 sli up and I came from a q9550 @ 3.8ghz and this i7 at stock makes me laugh when I run cpu tests.

i7/x58.. then in a couple years you'll be buying gulftown cheap

Do you notice a different aside from benchmarks?

 

[PaulieG]

care to tell me WHY you want to upgrade? You definitively don't need to

Enthusiasts do not buy based on logic.You've spent enough time around here to know that. We buy to play with something new, to see how it performs, to make comparisons. That IS the hobby for some of us. At last count, I've been through 11 core i7 chips. Only 2 of them were logical purchases, and even that is debatable.

 

[Kantastic]

Enthusiast do not buy based on logic.You've spent enough time around hear to know that. We buy to play with something new, to see how it performs, to make comparisons. That IS the hobby for some of us. At last count, I've been through 11 core i7 chips. Only 2 of them were logical purchases, and even that is debatable.

Amen