I’m going to upgrade half my computer early in the new year. I have been looking at getting an i7 obviously lol, but was wondering which model (920, 930, 950 etc) would be the best value wise. Also, due to most people overclocking their i7s, I was also wondering what cpu cooler wouyld offer the best performance. I have been looking at Megahalems, but i’d like to see others opinions first.
Thanks a ton.
Xtrude
When i saw the thread title i assumed you were going to a post pubescant girlfiend, without the penis attachment on your current model. I stand corrected, you are keeping the little boy and buying a bigger toy.
Firstly, reconsider whether you want to purchase the 1366 socket over the 1156. The new 1156 Sandy Bridge CPUs are scheduled for release 05/01/2011, might be worth waiting to see how they perform. There isn’t much between each socket performance wise. If multi x16 lane PCI-E capability and triple channel memory are high on your list, then 1366 is the clear choice. I’ve not seen either of those features really make any real difference in game.
Have a read around, you’ll come across articles like this that pinpoint the differences.
http://www.overclockers.com/core-i7-head-to-head-1156-vs-1366/
If you do decide to stick to the 1366 socket, the best CPU for the money would be the i7 950. At ~$320 it is very closely priced to the 930 and it is most likely a higher binned chip that will OC a bit better. If you don’t decide to OC, it is already a quick CPU. The 920 is long gone, but if you can pick up a D0 revision somewhere cheap, it would be another thing to consider as they clock hard.
In regards to after market air cooling, there are so many adequate coolers out there that it really is just up to you and how much you want to shell out. Find something you like, find a review, post it here if you want a second opinion. The Prolimatech Megahalems is a good cooler, just remember to factor in the price of fans as it doesn’t come with them AFAIK.
Well. I’ve change my mind again lol. The TV would probably screw up my eyes.
What do you think about these:
CPU: Intel i7-950 Core i7 CPU (Comes with OEM Cooler)
M/B: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R MB (UD5 instead if available)
RAM: [COLOR=Purple]8GB 1600MHz Triple Channel[/COLOR] (Preferably Corsair)
Would cost $780. I’ve got $800 to spend. I’ll get CPU cooler later on.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions/help.
On an unrelated note, how do i get rid of the countdown thing in my sig. Its weirdly irritating!
Looks fine, I’d ditch the 12GB of RAM for 6GB as you’ll never manage to utilise anywhere near that much. Then again, it’s pretty cheap and it’s not going to hurt performance.
The UD3R is a capable board, the UD5 would be ideal but the board you have chosen will not hold you back for your average OC. If it was me, I’d drop down to a 6GB kit of RAM and use the money saved to jump up to the UD5.
The 950 is the best value 1366 i7 about atm, best choice to make if choosing to go down that route.
I’ve got 8gb now, so i might get 8gb instead of 6 or 12. Thanks for the input, i’ll surely look at the UD5
x58’s run in triple kits, so 3gb,6gb,12gb sets. Just grab 6 … you’ll never need the rest probably
well. The site I’m on shows 2gb sticks and 4gb sticks. I was just gunna grab 2x4gb sticks…I’ll see, I’m waiting for price drops after the sandybridge release anyway lol.