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Linxeos
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19. November 2008 @ 12:38 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Ok first off, I am torn between the AMD Phenom 9950 and Q9550, but since this i7 came out.. I am just baffled as to which unit set up I should go for.. I am looking for something that will last several years.. such as 5+ and will EASILY play anything that comes out in that time frame without a new setup.. so here is my basic system setup without CPU/MOBO and RAM:

HDD: OS HDD (Vista 64 bit Ultimate): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136296
Storage HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148301

Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102768

PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

Now that is my standard rig setup as of right now.. here is the CPU/MOBO and Ram choices I've made.. just which one will be the best option for the next 5 years?

i7 setup:
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202

MoBo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130215

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145222

Q9550 setup:
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115041

MoBo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131274

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145198

And finally the Phenom

CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103291

MoBo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131292

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145214

Well I think I got everything covered.. besides the dvd burner and players but that is standard, Well let me know what should be the better option again.. looking for something that will play anything for the next 5 years, with MINIMUM upgrades.
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19. November 2008 @ 14:48 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Phenom - cheap, slow
Q9550 - expensive, fast
i7 - Really expensive, very fast

A system that can play games well for 5 years plus will never exist, games just change too much. The best system in my mind for that is the Socket 775 Q9550 one, as it is close to the i7 in performance and half the price. In fact, with a motherboard that good, you could probably beat the i7 system purely on how far you can overclock the Q9550 (the i7s only make 3.8Ghz on a good motherboard, and the Q9550s will make the same, if not further)



Afterdawn Addict // Silent PC enthusiast // PC Build advisor // LANGamer Alias:Ratmanscoop
PC Specs page -- http://my.afterdawn.com/sammorris/blog_entry.cfm/11247
updated 10-Dec-13
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19. November 2008 @ 16:24 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
if you want the system to last longer you should go with i7. the new socket will compatable with at least the next revision of i7. a nice i7 setup could last up 3 years with a video card upgrade in between. i7 is not that much more expensive. the cpu is actually cheaper than the q9550 but memory costs 4x as much. i would personally get the i7 system. but i would get this motherboard instead.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128362

GAMING COMPUTER - Intel q9550 @ 3.4ghz | EVGA GTX 260 core 216 | Gigabyte ds3l | 6gb Gskill DDR2 800 ram | Silverstone 700 watt psu | WD 640gb hdd | Seagate 300gb hdd | LG dvd burner | Samsung dvd burner | Antec p182 case | logitech 2.1 speakers | logitech g11 keyboard | Samsung 25.5in 1900x1200 monitor | 19in 1440x900 secondary monitor | Windows 7 64bit | SERVER - Gigabyte 785g motherboard | AMD Phenom 9650 | 6gb ram | three 1.5tb hdd | Seagate 1tb hdd | WD 750gb hdd | two 300gb hdd | Maxtor 200gb hdd | Ark rackmount case | CentOS 5.5
Steam name = "krj15489" alias = Jordan-k
Linxeos
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19. November 2008 @ 16:30 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Yeah I was crunching the numbers and the i7 system was going to cost me about 300-800 more.. for 2 systems.. forgot to mention that ><.. I am building 2 identical systems for me and my wife, anyway.. I had actually moved from the MSI board to the Asus Rampage II LGA 1366 board: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16813131352

Now the only difference I can tell; of importance atleast, not the sata & raid hook up differences, and the ob audio, is that the Asus system has 3 pci express 2.0 x 16 slots.. and doesnt mention any others, ill have to check it out on there site but I believe it has more. Well let me know if it is worth the extra $100 than the gigabyte board you posted.
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19. November 2008 @ 16:41 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
the asus board isnt much different from the gigabyte board i posted. they both have 3 pci x16. i think it would be a waste to get that board. if you dont really need sli you could get the cheaper msi board.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130216

sam is right about a q9550 having similar performance. it wont be quite a fast but you could get a cheaper p45 board and 8gb of ddr2 for less. the only other disadvantage is you have to upgrade your motherboard ram and cpu when you want a new cpu.

mobo http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358

ram x2 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231145

GAMING COMPUTER - Intel q9550 @ 3.4ghz | EVGA GTX 260 core 216 | Gigabyte ds3l | 6gb Gskill DDR2 800 ram | Silverstone 700 watt psu | WD 640gb hdd | Seagate 300gb hdd | LG dvd burner | Samsung dvd burner | Antec p182 case | logitech 2.1 speakers | logitech g11 keyboard | Samsung 25.5in 1900x1200 monitor | 19in 1440x900 secondary monitor | Windows 7 64bit | SERVER - Gigabyte 785g motherboard | AMD Phenom 9650 | 6gb ram | three 1.5tb hdd | Seagate 1tb hdd | WD 750gb hdd | two 300gb hdd | Maxtor 200gb hdd | Ark rackmount case | CentOS 5.5
Steam name = "krj15489" alias = Jordan-k
Linxeos
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19. November 2008 @ 16:46 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
I will not be going sli, I am getting the 4870 x2 gpu : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16814102768
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19. November 2008 @ 16:52 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
than you would be fine going with the msi board that is half the price of the asus rampage. the more expensive boards have support for sli and crossfire so that is one of the reasons they are more expensive. since your not going to use that this board will be fine.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130216

GAMING COMPUTER - Intel q9550 @ 3.4ghz | EVGA GTX 260 core 216 | Gigabyte ds3l | 6gb Gskill DDR2 800 ram | Silverstone 700 watt psu | WD 640gb hdd | Seagate 300gb hdd | LG dvd burner | Samsung dvd burner | Antec p182 case | logitech 2.1 speakers | logitech g11 keyboard | Samsung 25.5in 1900x1200 monitor | 19in 1440x900 secondary monitor | Windows 7 64bit | SERVER - Gigabyte 785g motherboard | AMD Phenom 9650 | 6gb ram | three 1.5tb hdd | Seagate 1tb hdd | WD 750gb hdd | two 300gb hdd | Maxtor 200gb hdd | Ark rackmount case | CentOS 5.5
Steam name = "krj15489" alias = Jordan-k

This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 19. November 2008 @ 16:52

Linxeos
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19. November 2008 @ 17:02 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Ok but I am also loosing a good ob audio system from the asus board and the sata 3.0 gb/s plug ins. I will also loose an extra pci 2.0 x 16 slot and be bumping down from the 1600 mhz ddr 3 i was going to use to 1333 ddr3. I will eventually be planning on acquiring an extra 4870 x2 per system but it does not look like it is needed any time soon. I think that my choices are really the Asus, the Eclipse MSI board, and the Gigabyte board.
AfterDawn Addict

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19. November 2008 @ 17:03 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
The X2 doesn't even require a crossfire compatible board, so any will do. Genuinely though, for gaming the i7 is no better, the only thing you gain is not having to change your motherboard when the next CPUs come out in a year or so, but as you've seen the initial outlay is currently horrendous. Upgrading later might not work out any more expensive anyway.

Linx: i7 can't support high speed DDR3 at all, and using DDR3 is a waste anyway as it doesn't change performance a damn bit. DDR2 1066mhz is plenty, I assure you.



Afterdawn Addict // Silent PC enthusiast // PC Build advisor // LANGamer Alias:Ratmanscoop
PC Specs page -- http://my.afterdawn.com/sammorris/blog_entry.cfm/11247
updated 10-Dec-13

This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 19. November 2008 @ 17:04

Linxeos
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19. November 2008 @ 17:15 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Who knows, I am not looking to buying the ram, mobo, and cpu till after january most likely, waiting for that price drop ;) escpicially with the release of the phenom II x4.. and that might be worth the wait?
Senior Member
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19. November 2008 @ 17:18 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
i doubt that the prices of ram will drop much by then. also i dont think that phenom II will outperform i7. it will most likely be competitive with core2.

GAMING COMPUTER - Intel q9550 @ 3.4ghz | EVGA GTX 260 core 216 | Gigabyte ds3l | 6gb Gskill DDR2 800 ram | Silverstone 700 watt psu | WD 640gb hdd | Seagate 300gb hdd | LG dvd burner | Samsung dvd burner | Antec p182 case | logitech 2.1 speakers | logitech g11 keyboard | Samsung 25.5in 1900x1200 monitor | 19in 1440x900 secondary monitor | Windows 7 64bit | SERVER - Gigabyte 785g motherboard | AMD Phenom 9650 | 6gb ram | three 1.5tb hdd | Seagate 1tb hdd | WD 750gb hdd | two 300gb hdd | Maxtor 200gb hdd | Ark rackmount case | CentOS 5.5
Steam name = "krj15489" alias = Jordan-k
Linxeos
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19. November 2008 @ 17:19 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
well not looking for a price drop on the ram per say, but a better deal on newegg.com
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19. November 2008 @ 17:19 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Indeed, it'll give the earlier core 2s a run for their money, but the later ones and the i7s will probably beat it.



Afterdawn Addict // Silent PC enthusiast // PC Build advisor // LANGamer Alias:Ratmanscoop
PC Specs page -- http://my.afterdawn.com/sammorris/blog_entry.cfm/11247
updated 10-Dec-13
Linxeos
Newbie
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19. November 2008 @ 17:24 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
The Asus Rampage II 1366 board has a few nice combo discounts, one of which is 6 gigs of Corsair XMS3 ddre 1600 ram.. $30 but hey.. still better than nothing ;).
Linxeos
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19. November 2008 @ 18:05 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Looking at AMD's timetable; http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/n...ii-athlon-x4-oh

I may wait till Feb. to purchase my mobo and cpu set,..
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19. November 2008 @ 18:09 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
I'm somewhat doubtful of the overclocking performance, especially given the stock power consumption. Even moreso based on how far all AMD's previous chips have got. On top of that, a current Phenom needs to be at 4Ghz to beat a 45nm Core 2 Quad at only 3.5Ghz, so unless that overclocking figure is accurate, and the performance gain of the new architecture is at least 15%, Deneb will sit behind Yorkfield, let alone Bloomfield.



Afterdawn Addict // Silent PC enthusiast // PC Build advisor // LANGamer Alias:Ratmanscoop
PC Specs page -- http://my.afterdawn.com/sammorris/blog_entry.cfm/11247
updated 10-Dec-13
Linxeos
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19. November 2008 @ 18:11 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Could care less how it performs, just looking for the i7 equipment to go down ;). I am sold on the i7 and asus board, unless one better comes out :D, just wanting amd to help out the consumer :D
spamual
Suspended permanently
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20. November 2008 @ 01:39 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
mmm also for dual/tripple GPU situations, i7>c2d :D
Linxeos
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20. November 2008 @ 10:18 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
I was looking at my two cases I have laying around that I was going to through these parts in ;).. Both are mid towers, should I just bite the bullet and buy 2 abs Canyon cases: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811215012

Or should the Rampage II board be universal? How can I tell that it will fit the plate before I get the pieces at my house and then have to order a case to fit it in?
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20. November 2008 @ 10:40 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
A coolermaster stacker would fit that board for half the price. Or, you could just buy a normal ATX board that would fit in a $100 case.



Afterdawn Addict // Silent PC enthusiast // PC Build advisor // LANGamer Alias:Ratmanscoop
PC Specs page -- http://my.afterdawn.com/sammorris/blog_entry.cfm/11247
updated 10-Dec-13
Linxeos
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20. November 2008 @ 10:47 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
I correct myself, one is a full atx tower; which will fit the board, the other is a mid atx tower; so both are good. Looks like I wont need a new tower ;). The full tower has a total of 7 80 mm fans; 4 in the front right on top of the hdd ports, a side fan, and 2 rear fans. The Mid tower has a total of 4 80 mm fans; 2 in the front near hdd's one on the side and one in the rear. I may replace this one for a better cooling system case.
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20. November 2008 @ 11:39 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
As long as the full tower fits E-ATX, not all do.



Afterdawn Addict // Silent PC enthusiast // PC Build advisor // LANGamer Alias:Ratmanscoop
PC Specs page -- http://my.afterdawn.com/sammorris/blog_entry.cfm/11247
updated 10-Dec-13
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