Do I buy a I7 920DO?

[Syd]

Pretty straightforward question.

Putting together a new w/c rig atm and have decided to change the processor/mobo - so once it's built it can stay together for quite a while (i hope!)

I want to get the best performance and want to overclock as much as poss and have been hovering over the buy button for

i7920 DO
Asus P6TD
6GB Ram

But I can't seem to find much opinion as to whether the i5 is thought to b quicker - or just generally cheaper - Will the i7 continue as the more 'high end' product????

I want to get on with the build and do not want to put £450 in if waiting another couple of weeks will give me better performance................

[shaithis]

i5 should give you pretty much the same performance but at a cheaper price.

You also get more flexibility with RAM (dual vs tri channel) and the 55% off MSI boards tomorrow potentially.

I haven't seen any i5 WC kit yet but I expect most of it to be i7 + a bracket.

[Syd]

Thanks for your take Shaith

So i wouldn't be buying less performance with the i7 - just paying more for it? If that is the case - and say I wanted a premium mobo and i7920 equivalent, how much do you THINK it would be?

Do you think that the i5 will be as overclockable as the 7? and will the i7 continue as a product line?

[Phage]

We don't have any hard data yet on the i5, although this article does show that for most uses, the i5 represents better value for money, if prices on release are as expected.
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2009/...mance_preview/

Better performance depends on which chip you buy. The i5-750 looks like a great deal, but lacks hyper-threading (think 955). Given that few applications make full use of HT ATM this may be of little value, and would be a smart choice. The i5 8-series will have HT and similar levels of performance to the i7 920 or 940, but will cost more

OTOH - the i7 920 and the 1366 mainboard will allow eventual upgrade to the i9. Prices are likely to fall on this good value chip. (I'm reminded of the old 300A back in the day) It really depends on your usage and your pocket.

[Syd]

We don't have any hard data yet on the i5, although this article does show that for most uses, the i5 represents better value for money, if prices on release are as expected.
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2009/...mance_preview/

Better performance depends on which chip you buy. The i5-750 looks like a great deal, but lacks hyper-threading (think 955). Given that few applications make full use of HT ATM this may be of little value, and would be a smart choice. The i5 8-series will have HT and similar levels of performance to the i7 920 or 940, but will cost more

OTOH - the i7 920 and the 1366 mainboard will allow eventual upgrade to the i9. Prices are likely to fall on this good value chip. (I'm reminded of the old 300A back in the day) It really depends on your usage and your pocket.

I would like the best performance/overclockabilty for the money - it'll be cooled by water.
So I am still being drawn to the i7 atm - esp if I would need to spend more on the i5 chip to get the same performance as the i7

[Phage]

IIRC it's only a few days until the i5 is released, and the web will be chock-full of comparison tests. It's worth waiting a couple of days.

If the results are inconclusive....get a i7 920 D0 and OC the pants off it.

[Terbinator]

I would like the best performance/overclockabilty for the money - it'll be cooled by water.
So I am still being drawn to the i7 atm - esp if I would need to spend more on the i5 chip to get the same performance as the i7

Lynnefield is expected to overclock better than Bloomfield becuase your not restricted by the QPIRAM ratio.

[Syd]

Hmmmmmm - Life would be easier if I wasn't inherentley impatient !

But I guess for the sake of a couple of days I should hang on?......?

Also I was gutted to see that scan have increased their price for the 920 by about a tenner and the Asus P6 board has gone up by a tenner as well!!!!

[Terbinator]

Also I was gutted to see that scan have increased their price for the 920 by about a tenner and the Asus P6 board has gone up by a tenner as well!!!!

The new stuff is out tommorow, hardly a few days

[Phage]

Wait - the rumours on the i5 look good. When are they due out ? Tomorrow ?

[kalniel]

But I guess for the sake of a couple of days I should hang on?......?

YES!



For the same money, the core i7 8xx series (lynnefield, p55 etc.) are expected to be faster than you could buy with the core i7 9xx (bloomfield, x58 etc.). But the next generation chips for the x58 platform will be faster than the next generation chips for the p55 platform.. so if you're buying for now then almost certainly the i7 8xx will get you faster performance for the money, but if you're buying to replace the CPU within a generation or two the you'll end up with a faster system by going x58 (but will have to pay more for the priviledge).

Wait - the rumours on the i5 look good. When are they due out ? Tomorrow ?

Yep. NDA lift at least.

[Syd]

YES!



For the same money, the core i7 8xx series (lynnefield, p55 etc.) are expected to be faster than you could buy with the core i7 9xx (bloomfield, x58 etc.). But the next generation chips for the x58 platform will be faster than the next generation chips for the p55 platform.. so if you're buying for now then almost certainly the i7 8xx will get you faster performance for the money, but if you're buying to replace the CPU within a generation or two the you'll end up with a faster system by going x58 (but will have to pay more for the priviledge).


Yep. NDA lift at least.

Thanks Kalniel

You kinda confirmed what I thought/hoped, but do you honestly think that the faster - next gen i7 kit will be supported by todays i7 boards - or would I have to change the mobo.........

[Phage]

The 1366 socket will be used for the i9 and you will not have to replace the board if you follow that path. It's likely that you'll have to update the BIOS though.

[shaithis]

The 1366 socket will be used for the i9 and you will not have to replace the board if you follow that path. It's likely that you'll have to update the BIOS though.

The idea is that they will work, no one will guarante it and between now and i9 release day intel could change any one of a multitude of design parameters and make the new chips incompatible with the older motherbards.

Just like Core2Duo and most i945 boards and then again with Core2Quads and certain i975 boards.....Your SOL if they do.

[Syd]

I have no objection to a bios update (well not so far)

And if the upgrade path to performance looks better on i7 it looks like that will be the way to go for me.....................................

I might just wait till tomorrow to see the pricing of the i5 kit though lol

[shaithis]

I have no objection to a bios update (well not so far)

Apart from the fact that twice in the era of Core2, intel has changed things that has meant a new mobo instead of a bios upgrade.

Just bare that in mind, else you might get stung 200-300ukp for a new "workstation/server" mobo 6 months down the line when you want i9....