i7 920 vs i5 750 (same price)

[fndngemo]

I can get an i7 920 or a i5 750 for the same price. Given this fact, is there any reason I would buy the i5 and a p55 motherboard vs the i7 and an x85 motherboard. I plan on using the pc for gaming, and i'd like it to be as "future proof" as possible since I only upgrade every 4-5 years.

 

[alyarb]

go with X58. you'll get a better overclock, you'll have double the amount of thread handling, 6GB of RAM instead of 4GB, more memory bandwidth and way more PCI express lanes on X58. Nothing is future proof on the order of 5 years, but X58 is the best you can do today.

 

[sgrinavi]

The i7 mother boards tend to cost a bit more, but if you are upgrading every 4-5 yrs it's worth the extra bucks.

 

[MrK6]

The i7 920 will cost more and produce more heat/use more power but will be faster, has hyperthreading, and will probably overclock a bit higher on average. On the other hand, the i5 750, while cheaper and consuming less power/producing less heat, will also perform slightly slower (~2-3% slower at a given frequency) and does not have hyperthreading. Given that you've stated about future proofing, I'd say the i7 920 would be the way to go.

 

[klocwerk]

Future proof for the same price?
No brainer, 920 on the 1366 chipset.

 

[harbin]

i7 920 is my pick, even if the platform costs $50~60 more.

 

[SunnyD]

i7 920, hands down. You can get mobo's for it in the $140's NEW now, plus you get a better/faster cpu overall than the 750.

 

[Phil1977]

For gaming?

Saver every cent on mobo and ram, so I would get the 750 and put the savings into a better graphics card...

Bloomfield will cost you more on the mainboard and Ram (you need to buy 3 sticks of ram vs. 2)

e.g. 750 + 5870 will always be a better gaming machine than a 920 + 5850.

For gaming HT is useless and most games run slower with HT on. But Turbo Mode is important as many games run on 1 or 2 threads only and Lynnfield has the better Turbo mode.

 

[lsv]

i7 vs i5
7 vs 5
7 > 5

 

[konakona]

how much extra is a decent x58 mobo over a decent p55?

 

[SunnyD]

how much extra is a decent x58 mobo over a decent p55?

About $50 to $120 extra, depending on the features.

 

[konakona]

well I was just curious, for the sake of my friends around me ...
I ended up getting a i7 860/p55 from fry's a while ago. Came out to be $250ish AR and tax..

$50 more really doesn't sound too bad. Can a near 4ghz 920 be made quiet (as in a decent heatpipe tower + GT@1850rpm or lower)? I am a bit weary of more heat it generates.

 

[klocwerk]

well I was just curious, for the sake of my friends around me ...
I ended up getting a i7 860/p55 from fry's a while ago. Came out to be $250ish AR and tax..

$50 more really doesn't sound too bad. Can a near 4ghz 920 be made quiet (as in a decent heatpipe tower + GT@1850rpm or lower)? I am a bit weary of more heat it generates.

Yes.
Case with good airflow, push/pull on a big air tower, you can OC it and stay under 60c.

 

[Arkaign]

I'm assuming this is Micro Center special pricing. If you can get the 920 for the same price as a 750, there's no question. The small extra amount on the mobo is worth it as X58 boards are typically more feature-rich than 55 mobos.

 

[cbn]

how much extra is a decent x58 mobo over a decent p55?

Take a look at the Asrock X58 Extreme Anandtech review. It is $169.99 at Newegg.

 

[klocwerk]

Take a look at the Asrock X58 Extreme Anandtech review. It is $169.99 at Newegg.

I just grabbed one off newegg earlier today, openbox, for $118.
Worth rolling the dice for $50 in savings.

Just walked back in from Microcenter with a 920 ($199) in my hands as well... can't wait to put this thing together.

 

[n7]

I'm going to nitpick, because this bugs me all the time when i see it posted.

YOU DO NOT REQUIRE 3 DIMMS FOR X58!

Repeat after me: 3 DIMMs is in no way, shape, or form imperative.

X58 runs just marvelously in dual channel, & real world performance is not wrecked at all, in fact it's basically not touched whatsoever. See: AT article

If you cannot afford 3x2 GB, there's nothing wrong with 2x2 GB on X58, regardless of what misinforming people try to tell you!

Now all this said, i do agree it definitely makes sense to go with triple channel if possible.
But if you cannot for financial reasons, it will not actually hurt you; dual channel runs just fine. :awe:

 

[alyarb]

of course. however it's really nice that you can get 6GB in there without the feeling that you are wasting DIMMs since you get 6 instead of 4. For a lot of people 4GB isn't enough and 8GB is cost prohibitive.

 

[2March]

of course. however it's really nice that you can get 6GB in there without the feeling that you are wasting DIMMs since you get 6 instead of 4. For a lot of people 4GB isn't enough and 8GB is cost prohibitive.

Meaning X58 is actually better value than P55

n7 beat me to it. Getting tired of all the people claiming X58 needs a DIMM more.

 

[vshin]

The X58 is not any more "future proof" than the p55 if the OP does not plan to upgrade in the next 5 years. The main reason why people assume the X58 is future proof is because Gulftown will use the same platform. However, the cheapest Gulftown will start at $562 and won't come out until Q3 2010. I doubt we'll see any <$200 Gulftowns for a long time. In fact, we'll probably never see them priced that low since it would cannibalize i5 sales.

 

[nyker96]

if you only upgrading every 5 years, just buy a nice system for here and now, in 5 years neither system (1156 or 1366) will be any useful. so just get a machine you think you can use for your purposes now. I'd personally just get a i5 750 oc to 3,6-3,8 or so. plenty fast. save the cash for a fast SSD drive upgrade at the same time. You will actually feel much faster than a 1366 i7 920 on a 7200 HD.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

1366

forget the rest

 

[AkumaX]

OP, can you consider i7-860?

also, in 5 years im pretty sure both sockets will be obsolete...

 

[aigomorla]

OP, can you consider i7-860?

also, in 5 years im pretty sure both sockets will be obsolete...

lol im predicting 5 years depending on how AMD rolls around.

If bulldozer changes the battlefield, say hello to 22nm in 2 yrs.

 

[BeatCrazy]

I am in the same boat. I have everything I need to build my system right here, except processor and RAM.

I have an EVGA P55 SLI mobo sitting unopened that I got for $119 and I have a $30 rebate. I've been waiting for the i7-860 to go down to $199 again, or I may just pick up the i5-750 for $179. I have a Microcenter 10 minutes away.

Reading all this has got me reconsidering taking the EVGA P55 back and going with the i7-920. I did some quick math today, and I'm thinking the upgrade to i7-920 over i7-860 might be $150 more by the time I get a more expensive mobo + 6GB of RAM vs 4GB.

Can anyone find me a comparable X58 board + RAM for under $250?