is i7 worth the extra money?

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mnewxcv

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I've been saving to upgrade my cpu and motherboard and I should have some money to do an upgrade in the next couple of months, but I face a decision. go 775, or i7. hmm, well lets look at the facts:

i have an am2 rig now, so that means I would need a cpu and motherboard in either case, and since this would become my htpc, new mem as well. So here are the prospective builds:

C2Q q9400 - $179
ASUS P5Q PRO - $119 - $15 MIR
G SKILL 2x2GB pc2 8500 - $40
total: $338

i7 920 - $229
MSI x58 PRO - $169
G SKILL 3x2GB pc3 10666 - $99
total: $497

I will be reusing my 8800gts 512 for at least another year, and my hard drives will probably be replaced within 6 months of the main components upgrade. psu stays the same, antec 550w, as does case. main uses are gaming and multitasking, some video encoding. so what do you think? is it worth $159 more to go i7 and have 6gigs?
 
i7 may save you from having to upgrade your PSU as it uses less power. Roughly +30% in encoding and general apps. There is no decent DDR2 for $40, so not sure what you are looking at. Your call.
 
I think I remember reading that the MSI X58 Pro doesn't do SLI, someone correct me if I'm wrong. Just a heads up if that matters to you.
 
For that small price difference, I'd get the Core i7. I'd look into how well that board will overclock. I think it's the least expensive board I've seen (but I don't want to label it cheap, maybe it's a bargain).
 
The GSkill 8800 is the only DDR2 RAM I would consider. DDR2 is a major limiting factor for 775.
 
I upgraded from a Q6600 @ 3.4 to a 920 running at 3.6. This system is great; just keep looking for those deals. I got my 920, EVGA x58, and 6 gig of ram for $499. Well worth the upgrade in my opinion.
 
mnewxcv said:
I've been saving to upgrade my cpu and motherboard and I should have some money to do an upgrade in the next couple of months, but I face a decision. go 775, or i7. hmm, well lets look at the facts:

i have an am2 rig now, so that means I would need a cpu and motherboard in either case, and since this would become my htpc, new mem as well. So here are the prospective builds:

C2Q q9400 - $179
ASUS P5Q PRO - $119 - $15 MIR
G SKILL 2x2GB pc2 8500 - $40
total: $338

i7 920 - $229
MSI x58 PRO - $169
G SKILL 3x2GB pc3 10666 - $99
total: $497

I will be reusing my 8800gts 512 for at least another year, and my hard drives will probably be replaced within 6 months of the main components upgrade. psu stays the same, antec 550w, as does case. main uses are gaming and multitasking, some video encoding. so what do you think? is it worth $159 more to go i7 and have 6gigs?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what OS you are using, but the extra RAM will only benefit you if you have a 64 bit OS. Win 32 bit can only see 3.2 gig of RAM. If you are staying with a 32 bit OS, you can run faster memory, and save $40. Link

Don
 
my advice is hold out as long as you can with your current rig and when the time comes go i7, there really isn't a point going 775 anymore, and keep in mind the prices will continue to drop as you are waiting.

and in all honesty you really should be comparing an i7 rig with a current quad, just to keep it apples to apples
 
For me it was, love this platform. :D

I upgraded from a Q6600 @ 3.6 with 4 GB of DDR2 800 memory. This i7 mostly slaps my ol trusty Kentsfield around like she is his bitch. :p
 
DonDon said:
I'm not sure what OS you are using, but the extra RAM will only benefit you if you have a 64 bit OS. Win 32 bit can only see 3.2 gig of RAM. If you are staying with a 32 bit OS, you can run faster memory, and save $40. Link

Don
Click to expand...

vista business 64

tritonj said:
my advice is hold out as long as you can with your current rig and when the time comes go i7, there really isn't a point going 775 anymore, and keep in mind the prices will continue to drop as you are waiting.

and in all honesty you really should be comparing an i7 rig with a current quad, just to keep it apples to apples
Click to expand...

the q9400 is still sold at stores, its one of the newer 775 quads. it was sort of a budget quad build but when i saw how close i7 was in price....
 
For that price? Definently. But do remember no SLI on that board.
 
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