Endless Paradigm

my amd 64-FX duo core still runs strong for me, i really think the i7 is pretty unnecessary for gaming right now or any other quad core cpu (i can run dead space at full graphics settings with no slow down :P)

If anything, hopefully the Phenom II brings down the prices of the i7.  Wee need more competition in the CPU market - right now, Intel has a monopoly the high end CPU market, which means they can charge whatever they want for their CPUs.

Personally though, AMD's low priced CPUs are rather attractive.  If I were to build a PC now, I'd probably go for a Phenom 9550 - can get it for AU$189 here, whereas a Q6600 costs AU$295 (not to mention the additional costs for Intel motherboards).  I'd like the Q6600, but don't particularly think the 50% hike in price is exactly that worth it (though I dunno how well it performs overclocked compared to stock 9550).

ZiNgA BuRgA Wrote:If anything, hopefully the Phenom II brings down the prices of the i7.  Wee need more competition in the CPU market - right now, Intel has a monopoly the high end CPU market, which means they can charge whatever they want for their CPUs.

Personally though, AMD's low priced CPUs are rather attractive.  If I were to build a PC now, I'd probably go for a Phenom 9550 - can get it for AU$189 here, whereas a Q6600 costs AU$295 (not to mention the additional costs for Intel motherboards).  I'd like the Q6600, but don't particularly think the 50% hike in price is exactly that worth it (though I dunno how well it performs overclocked compared to stock 9550).

My thoughts EXACTLY. I won't be getting the mobo or the processor until at least early Feb or mid March because I have a feeling Intel will start dropping its i7 prices.  At first I was looking at the e8500 for great current-gen gaming right now, especially considering its great OC potential.  But then I decided I would prefer to be more future proof (I know, a horrible term when it comes to computers), so I was going to go with the q9550, or maybe even the q9450, but then decided to look at the q6600. I read about the 6600's great OCing potential, and huge price gap between the two processors.  However, I read a few posts on tomshardware, and got convinced that the q6600 was the way to go.  

The only reason I would go with the q9550 would be if I was extremely worried about heat, since I have read that the q9550 runs cooler than the q6600.  However, my main purpose would be gaming, and so I would need to be more concerned with the GPU, and the cash I'd save on the 6600 instead of the 9550 would be put toward the GPU. Also, I could probably do more with the x9 multiplier of the q6600 than the 8.5 of the q9550.  The q6600 could then definitely put up a fight, especially with extreme OCing.  You are probably a lot more informed about this than I am, but this was just what I had read about them, and many shared similar views.

I had heard that the Q6600 was getting phased out soon (early 09), despite its popularity (or maybe it was just a rumor... I forget)?  However, I am seeing the i7 do some great OCing, and it will definitely end up being much more future proof, which was an original reason I wanted a quad core anyways.

If the 965 or even the 940 can get dropped at least a couple hundred USD, I think wee'd start seeing a lot more people buying into the i7 series.  This would lead to more motherboards being made for compatibility quicker.  ATM, I find the 920 to be extremely well priced, considering that it can compete well with the higher models when OCed, and is the best bang for the buck in the series anyways.

^ By the way, I was referring to the Phenom 9550, not the Q9550 :P (if that's what you were thinking).

The i7 is still somewhat pricey - a 920 CPU costs around AU$500, an x58 motherboard is another AU$500 (usually more) and 4GB DDR3 1333MHz RAM will set you back AU$250 - that's AU$1250 for the CPU+m/b+RAM.  Instead, if I went with a Phenom 9550 + 4GB DDR2 800MHz RAM + AMD ~780 based m/b, that'd be around AU$400 - about 3 times cheaper than the i7 (plus the DDR2 RAM is actually faster, with a core clock of 200MHz as opposed to the DDR3's 166MHz).
Sure, the Phenom can't compete with the i7 in terms of performance, but for a third of the price, I'm not complaining... :P

This will change a bit soon as well, if DDR3 prices drop, and lower end i7 chipsets come out.

Ah, my bad. So used to only looking at Intel, that I forgot all about the Phenom 9550.  Most common questions I've been reading were the q6600 vs q9550, so I immediately made that connection to the numbers you mentioned.
XD

Well, now that my foot is thoroughly inserted into my mouth, might as well leave it there.

Anyways, I don't really find the 920 to be all that overpriced, considering the benchmarks it is showing in encoding, multi-tasking, and even gaming with the right GPU.  It is cheaper than the Q9550 here (295 USD vs 320 USD).  However, the current mobos that are available (which I mentioned before are still quite few, as you surely know) are more expensive than the 920, and will run 290 USD - 330 USD.

Really, it depends on what kind of a computer you are looking to set up, whether it is worth the cash or not.  If it was for the best bang for the buck current-gen gaming rig, then a well OCed 625 USD rig could run games that are currently out quite well.  In that case, I wouldn't recommend going i7 then, but for more future-proof gaming and cpu intensive applications, I can see the i7 to be quite nicely priced.

I am getting a ~1600 USD rig using P6T and a 920, and a Radeon 4870 1 gig GPU. I've seen other similarly priced e8600 setups, and even more expensive q9xx series rigs that were even more expensive.  

I will be CFing a 2nd 4870 a little later, when prices start going down again, and then I'll truly have a capable machine.  

Of course, a big problem is the current RAM available for the i7, since the set I am looking at is going to run me ~230 USD (6 gb ddr3 1600).  I know the ddr3 just isn't worth it, since there is pretty much no visible gain, especially considering the amount of cash, but I was wanting a decent triple channel set that could handle my OCing attempts, and had heard some of the best reviews for the G.SKILL set I am looking at.  I was originally looking at some VERY decently priced 4gb DDR2 mushkins for ~60 USD.

I am hoping some of these more volatile priced parts will decrease by the time I have obtained a sufficient amount of funds to get the rest of the rig (already got the PSU, Case, and OS for DRASTICALLY reduced prices on cyber monday).

Yeah, if you want a high-end rig, I'd go for the i7 at the moment.

I haven't read any reviews/benchmarks, but I can't see triple channel DDR being that beneficial.  The most important factor in RAM is still seek times, and triple channel doesn't help with it.  Unless you're going to be transferring tonnes of data in/out of RAM, constantly, you probably won't even notice a difference in performance.

Are you buying some components now?  Probably better to buy everything at once, since PC prices will always be going down (not exactly the case here in Aus, with the AUD plummeting against the USD).

I am trying to buy the majority of components all at once.  I have always held the same belief (fact) that prices are always going down. However, the pieces I bought would not be at such a low price when I buy all the components at once.  I got Vista at 70 USD (usually 100 USD), Antec TruePower 1000W PSU for 120 USD (Usually goes for ~200 USD), and a nzxt 921 Guardian for 50 USD (usually goes for 90 USD).  I just don't see those parts reducing in price by that much again by the time I am ready for all the rest of the parts; do you?  For the rest of the parts, many of which are priced quite high, I am going to buy all at once, since that way I'll get the absolute best price at that time.  I am hoping the mobo, RAM, processor, and GPU reduce a bit in their prices in a couple months.

Hellgiver Wrote:I am buying all the components at once.  I have always held the same belief (fact) that prices are always going down. However, the pieces I bought would not be at such a low price when I buy all the components at once.  I got Vista at 70 USD (usually 100 USD), Antec TruePower 1000W PSU for 120 USD (Usually goes for ~200 USD), and a nzxt 921 Guardian for 50 USD (usually goes for 90 USD).  I just don't see those parts reducing in price by that much again by the time I am ready for all the rest of the parts; do you?  For the rest of the parts, many of which are priced quite high, I am going to buy all at once, since that way I'll get the absolute best price at that time.  I am hoping the mobo, RAM, processor, and GPU reduce a bit in their prices in a couple months.

Well, they're unlikely to go up, especially considering the current economic situation (I'd usually recommend keeping the money in the bank at least, to get interest, but I doubt you're getting much interest in the US anyway).

ZiNgA BuRgA Wrote:Well, they're unlikely to go up, especially considering the current economic situation (I'd usually recommend keeping the money in the bank at least, to get interest, but I doubt you're getting much interest in the US anyway).

But you see, it was Cyber Monday, so they were only priced that way for 24 hours. They are all back to their normal prices again.  Also, I always try to keep enough cash in the bank so that I can bail myself out if I have car trouble, or have an emergency or something.  However, I couldn't see them reducing back down nearly 30%-40% again by February.  That was my main incentive for getting those again.

On second thought, perhaps Vista may go down within 4 or so months of it, with Windows 7 coming out mid-09, but that still isn't guaranteed.

Hellgiver Wrote:

ZiNgA BuRgA Wrote:Well, they're unlikely to go up, especially considering the current economic situation (I'd usually recommend keeping the money in the bank at least, to get interest, but I doubt you're getting much interest in the US anyway).

But you see, it was Cyber Monday, so they were only priced that way for 24 hours. They are all back to their normal prices again.  Also, I always try to keep enough cash in the bank so that I can bail myself out if I have car trouble, or have an emergency or something.  However, I couldn't see them reducing back down nearly 30%-40% again by February.  That was my main incentive for getting those again.

On second thought, perhaps Vista may go down within 4 or so months of it, with Windows 7 coming out mid-09, but that still isn't guaranteed.

Wow, you have those kinds of specials?
Over here, prices are pretty much only slightly more expensive than the cost of the item + shipping.
If the stores can reduce prices by 40%, they must be making a big margin...