Thoughts about my next upgrade

[derchris]

Ok people,

I'm in the planning process for my new upgrade.
Looking at the specs of my current setup most of you will probably say "Are you crazy !!!!!"
But that should not be topic of this discussion.

The topic I would like to throw in for discussion is i7 990X vs i7-2600K.

So here is the deal.
I currently have an i7 920, Asus Rampage III Extreme, 12GB Corsair memory, 2x Crucial 80GB SSD in Raid0, 2TB Data HDD and 2x HD5970.

Then I thought about updating it to a even more powerful setup

After looking around, I found the review of the i7 990X.
It still dominates all benchmarks when it comes to multi-cores.

On the other hand, there is the i7 2600K, which can run at 4GHz on a stock CPU fan without problems.
Even when overclocked, it was not able to cope with the 990X.

But it is the next generation of Intel CPUs, and will at some point outrun the old i7 CPUs.

I like the triple channel config with my current setup, and the 990X is still the fastest CPU available.

On the other hand, there are not that many boards available for the 2600K CPUs.
And that CPU is only the first from a new series.

So at the moment I'm not sure if I should go with my planned 990X, or wait for better boards/CPUs.

What are your thought about this?

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

AMD Bulldozer is out next month BTW so I would wait and see how this performs. Sandy Bridge E which uses socket 2011 is the true successor to the socket 1366 platform and is being released at the end of the year.

[Skulltrail]

Unless you go down the route of really elaborate cooling, an i7 970 @ 4.2-4.4GHz for ~£450 should serve you better than a 990X @ 4.6-4.8GHz for ~£775, and then prehaps put the spare into a better monitor?

[derchris]

I'm not looking for new Monitors. Have 3x 28"
Also not bothered about price. So 970 is also not something I consider looking at.

[ehhhhhhh]

Also not bothered about price.

In that case why don't you build a rig with 2x intel 6 core CPUs

there's some very nice MBs with CF/SLI support

[derchris]

If you can show me some MBs with said CF support

[jim]

EVGA SR-2 is the obvious choice.

At least, if I won the lottery, I would. Actually, scratch that. If I won Euromillions I would.

[Pob255]

Well depending on your current setup (which you've not mentioned) I'd look at Monitors (note plural) Case, probably water cooling + more overclocking.

I'd also agree with Skulltrail on a more sane price vs performance cpu

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

The thing is that the socket 2011 Sandy Bridge E is not only going to have improved IPC over the existing socket 1155 Sandy Bridge CPUs but will also have six core versions too. Bulldozer will also have 8 core versions too and is being released next month. Both will use platforms which will be supported for a while to come. Socket 2011 is replacing socket 1366 at the end of the year.

[derchris]

Well depending on your current setup (which you've not mentioned) I'd look at Monitors (note plural) Case, probably water cooling + more overclocking.

I'd also agree with Skulltrail on a more sane price vs performance cpu

I currently have an i7 920, Asus Rampage III Extreme, 12GB Corsair memory, 2x Crucial 80GB SSD in Raid0, 2TB Data HDD and 2x HD5970.

All WC, Case is also more then big enough.

[derchris]

EVGA SR-2 is the obvious choice.

That only supports Intel Xeon CPUs

[Pob255]

As far as I remember the socket 1366 xeon's are just i7's with an EEC memory controller.

And sorry my bit should of read

Well depending on your current setup (the areas of which you've not mentioned)

Why I suggested water cooling as you never mentioned it in your first post.
What monitor setup are you running? have you gone eyefinity?

[derchris]

Yes, it is a 3x1 Eyefinity setup with 3x 28"

[jim]

That only supports Intel Xeon CPUs

Well yeah, obviously. You're not going to find a dual-socket board that isn't powered by Xeons.

[Phage]

My 0.02.
At your level of expenditure I would be waiting for the next new-gen archtecture, on the basis that there isn't an SB system that would be worth the money and hassle of switching when compared to your current rig.
According to this thread http://forums.hexus.net/hexus-hardwa...astest-pc.html the tops of the heap are still dominated by the 1366. I would wait for 2011 sockets.

However should you decide to upgrade, I would be very interested in parts of your old rig.

[derchris]

Well yeah, obviously. You're not going to find a dual-socket board that isn't powered by Xeons.

Why is that obvious?