Which X58 board for new i7 build?

[nightkhaos]

Precisely.

Who should we presure to begin design and production? MSI? Gigabyte? ASUStek?

*gets out pen and begins writing petition*

[nibbler]

I think the i7 920 has only one enabled at 4.8 GT/s. However the Gulftowns are meant to have 2x QPI, no word on transmission rate however. So maybe if we were going to get a duel-socket "Skulltrail" like board I would want to get it with Gulftowns rather than Bloomfields.

Well, If you're selling the 920 I'll take it off your hands
And by the way, While there are 2 i7 experts active on the thread I want to ask something. I understand that certain cores have codenames. For instance Deneb for phenomII, kentfield, bloomfield, yorkfield, wolfdale for intel to name but a few. However What is nehalem then? I thought this was architecture and that was the difference but what does that mean then?

[aileen]

read some good things about EVGA x58 SLI LE if you're on budget.

[nightkhaos]

Well, If you're selling the 920 I'll take it off your hands
And by the way, While there are 2 i7 experts active on the thread I want to ask something. I understand that certain cores have codenames. For instance Deneb for phenomII, kentfield, bloomfield, yorkfield, wolfdale for intel to name but a few. However What is nehalem then? I thought this was architecture and that was the difference but what does that mean then?

Nehalem is to i7 as Core is to 2 Quad. Nehalem is the chipset and socket design. The whole picture. Like Core, Pentium, etc. Bloomfield, Lynnfield, Gulftown, these are specific processors designed to work in Nehalem.

As technology develops legacy designs no longer prefrom well, and no amount of clocking, bus improvements, chipset development, etc, will improve the speed of the machine, so companies need to look at the whole picture. This is what nehalem is, a change of the whole picture.

Bloomfield and Lynnfield are just one part of the whole picture. X58 is another.

[kalniel]

Well, If you're selling the 920 I'll take it off your hands
And by the way, While there are 2 i7 experts active on the thread I want to ask something. I understand that certain cores have codenames. For instance Deneb for phenomII, kentfield, bloomfield, yorkfield, wolfdale for intel to name but a few. However What is nehalem then? I thought this was architecture and that was the difference but what does that mean then?

Nehalem is to i7 as Core is to 2 Quad. Nehalem is the chipset and socket design. The whole picture. Like Core, Pentium, etc. Bloomfield, Lynnfield, Gulftown, these are specific processors designed to work in Nehalem.

As technology develops legacy designs no longer prefrom well, and no amount of clocking, bus improvements, chipset development, etc, will improve the speed of the machine, so companies need to look at the whole picture. This is what nehalem is, a change of the whole picture.

Bloomfield and Lynnfield are just one part of the whole picture. X58 is another.

nightkhaos is almost there.

Nehalem is the 45nm architecture style, almost like the philosophy of the chip. Intel create several different chips with that computing design, for example Bloomfield and Lynnfield

Westmere is the 32nm version of that architecture, and Gulftown, Clarkdale and Arrandale are chips in that style.

Chips with the same style will share several design features (like core design for instance), but might differ in things like the number of those cores, having different busses connecting those cores to the outside, amount of cache etc.

[nightkhaos]

nightkhaos is almost there.

Nehalem is the 45nm architecture style, almost like the philosophy of the chip. Intel create several different chips with that computing design, for example Bloomfield and Lynnfield

Westmere is the 32nm version of that architecture, and Gulftown, Clarkdale and Arrandale are chips in that style.

Chips with the same style will share several design features (like core design for instance), but might differ in things like the number of those cores, having different busses connecting those cores to the outside, amount of cache etc.

Details! Pah!

I was trying to keep it simple but it turned out to come out a little vague.

[nibbler]

I'm annoyed that the i7 870 performs better than the 920 in some tests, but works on socket 1156 which is not intel's main socket for future performace cpu's (I think)
It's gonna make me feel 2nd best when I upgrade which is annoying

[nightkhaos]

I'm annoyed that the i7 870 performs better than the 920 in some tests, but works on socket 1156 which is not intel's main socket for future performace cpu's (I think)
It's gonna make me feel 2nd best when I upgrade which is annoying

Me too mate, me too. Just wait till Gulftown, we'll show them then!

And just think about when we get another Skulltrail like board. Duel socket Hex Core i9s at 3.6GHz...

[shaithis]

I'm annoyed that the i7 870 performs better than the 920 in some tests, but works on socket 1156 which is not intel's main socket for future performace cpu's (I think)
It's gonna make me feel 2nd best when I upgrade which is annoying

Sockets, sockets, sockets.

There was a time when a cpu socket hung around for ages, there was even quite a long period when both intel and amd CPUs were inter-changable.....

Those days are long over and having a socket become obsolete seem here to stay. It's even worse now as you can have a socket and CPU that match but the CPU will not work in it as the socket is only half the picture (chipset and voltage regulators also play a part).

These days you buy a CPU and motherboard together with the hope that when you want to upgrade your CPU, it will work in your motherboard.

[nightkhaos]

Sockets, sockets, sockets.

There was a time when a cpu socket hung around for ages, there was even quite a long period when both intel and amd CPUs were inter-changable.....

Those days are long over and having a socket become obsolete seem here to stay. It's even worse now as you can have a socket and CPU that match but the CPU will not work in it as the socket is only half the picture (chipset and voltage regulators also play a part).

These days you buy a CPU and motherboard together with the hope that when you want to upgrade your CPU, it will work in your motherboard.

And I am perfectly fine with that. For most mid-range systems it doesn't cost that much to get a CPU and motherboard anyway. Of course, not being a mid-range buyer this can be annoying, but I'm used to it.

[kalniel]

I'm annoyed that the i7 870 performs better than the 920 in some tests, but works on socket 1156 which is not intel's main socket for future performace cpu's (I think)
It's gonna make me feel 2nd best when I upgrade which is annoying

You're buying the bottom range chip in a series and you're annoyed? Just buy a 950 or 975 if you want the faster chip!

[nightkhaos]

You're buying the bottom range chip in a series and you're annoyed? Just buy a 950 or 975 if you want the faster chip!

For £500? Frell that.

[kalniel]

For £500? Frell that.

Then don't moan that you're 2nd best Pay 2nd rates, get 2nd performance

[nightkhaos]

Then don't moan that you're 2nd best Pay 2nd rates, get 2nd performance

Hey I'm not moaning. I'm cool with it... just a "would be nice" thing. After all I got my system specification decided well before the Lynnfields were finalised and I knew what I was coming up against. I'm very happy with it.

[nibbler]

Me too mate, me too. Just wait till Gulftown, we'll show them then!

And just think about when we get another Skulltrail like board. Duel socket Hex Core i9s at 3.6GHz...

I'm on a bit of a budget
I want to spend £1k total on pc. So dual cpu is out of the question and so it an £800 cpu
Whereabouts are you in glasgow night?

[nightkhaos]

I'm on a bit of a budget
I want to spend £1k total on pc. So dual cpu is out of the question and so it an £800 cpu
Whereabouts are you in glasgow night?

I understand. Budgets are annoying things aren't they. I work on Bothwell St, and live on the south side in Polloksheilds.