ATOT Nef Thread?

[IndyColtsFan]

I just got a small "bonus" for a project I did. Adding that to my Amazon stash will put me at $300 or so.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

What to buy, what to buy....

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Maybe I should just get a 6970 and sell my 6870. Of course, adding a second 6870 would be cheaper and give me much better performance.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

That would now push me within $100 of the Intel 160 GB SSD, however. Hmmmm.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I just don't know much about CrossFire. For example, are there some games that just won't work at all?

 

[MotF Bane]

Nef!

 

[MotF Bane]

It appears that the days of multiple GPU systems not working in some games are behind us. It's becoming a very common technology.

That being said, what games do you play that justify that kind of graphics power?

 

[zzuupp]

nef

 

[IndyColtsFan]

It appears that the days of multiple GPU systems not working in some games are behind us. It's becoming a very common technology.

That being said, what games do you play that justify that kind of graphics power?

Nothing right now. But at this stage, I am making the assumption that I will be building a new box within a year. So anything I buy now would be bought with that in mind and specifically, would be bought with the purpose of moving it over to that system. That's why I've been reviewing SSDs, power supplies, and Crossfire lately.

 

[MotF Bane]

http://thoughtcatalog.com/2011/20-w...-sarah-lawrence-hampshire-bard-bates-amherst/

Lulz!

 

[IndyColtsFan]

The only game that I have slight issues with would be BC2 and I think that is more CPU related since it is one of the few games to take advantage of 4 cores. And for the most part, the only "issue" I have is when I first start the game and it stutters while loading textures.

 

[MotF Bane]

Nothing right now. But at this stage, I am making the assumption that I will be building a new box within a year. So anything I buy now would be bought with that in mind and specifically, would be bought with the purpose of moving it over to that system. That's why I've been reviewing SSDs, power supplies, and Crossfire lately.

Why not just buy it all then, with that latest technology and pricing?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Why not just buy it all then, with that latest technology and pricing?

Because I basically have $300 of "free" expenditures now and I think I should take advantage of it. That's why I am leaning towards components which probably won't be obsolete in a year, like a power supply, an SSD, and even RAM. Since RAM prices are so cheap and can be volatile, I've seriously considered buying 16 GB now since DDR3 will be the standard this year, next year, and probably even in 2013.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I've also seriously considered just getting a Q9550 or Q9650, throwing it in my box, and not upgrading again for another 3 years. I just don't like the idea of spending that much on socket 775 right now and for most games, those CPUs would be slower than my E8400 @ 4 Ghz.

 

[MotF Bane]

Nef!

 

[MotF Bane]

I've also seriously considered just getting a Q9550 or Q9650, throwing it in my box, and not upgrading again for another 3 years. I just don't like the idea of spending that much on socket 775 right now and for most games, those CPUs would be slower than my E8400 @ 4 Ghz.

Most programs will not see an advantage from four cores, and you'd end up losing clock speed. Don't do that. Same goes for i7. Four native cores, but still programs don't use them, and getting to 4.0 is going to be tougher, involve more power and heat. You're best off staying with your E8400 unless something breaks, or you have a four-thread program that needs more processing power.

 

[MotF Bane]

Because I basically have $300 of "free" expenditures now and I think I should take advantage of it. That's why I am leaning towards components which probably won't be obsolete in a year, like a power supply, an SSD, and even RAM. Since RAM prices are so cheap and can be volatile, I've seriously considered buying 16 GB now since DDR3 will be the standard this year, next year, and probably even in 2013.

SSD. Power supplies degrade over time.

I wouldn't risk saying DDR3 will be the standard in 2013. Nor would I risk saying DDR3 wouldn't have higher-capacity modules in 2012, or a different channel configuration (dual, triple, I doubt quad though).

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Most programs will not see an advantage from four cores, and you'd end up losing clock speed. Don't do that. Same goes for i7. Four native cores, but still programs don't use them, and getting to 4.0 is going to be tougher, involve more power and heat. You're best off staying with your E8400 unless something breaks, or you have a four-thread program that needs more processing power.

But the newer i7s are going to hit 4 Ghz rather easily and have higher IPC than my E8400 so I should see a decent gain, correct? Although, I think it was OCGuy who said he only noticed a different between a Wolfdale and Nehalem in a single game and otherwise, they were pretty similar in "feel."

Honestly, my upgrade plan (assuming I decide to do it later in the year) would be to skip quad and go to 6 or 8 cores.

 

[alfa147x]

I shall neff till I am given work!

 

[MotF Bane]

SSD's have improved since last August. Prices have dropped by about 50% in terms of GB/$, and benchmark speeds have moved up a little. But overall, we're talking small performance gains despite an entire year. Once you get an SSD, it will last a long time, and even the new faster ones are unlikely to have a perceptible difference unless you sit there and run benchmarks on them all day.

 

[MotF Bane]

I mutter angrily about my SSD, but I understand rationally that I'm being an idiot, the only thing a new one will net me is double the space.

 

[alfa147x]

Neff

 

[IndyColtsFan]

SSD. Power supplies degrade over time.

I wouldn't risk saying DDR3 will be the standard in 2013. Nor would I risk saying DDR3 wouldn't have higher-capacity modules in 2012, or a different channel configuration (dual, triple, I doubt quad though).

Samsung just announced the first DDR4 chips IIRC. I seriously doubt we will see DDR4 this year and think we'll see it starting to trickle in sometime in 2012. I think the situation in 2013 will probably be like the RAM situation in 2008 -- DDR2 was still the de facto standard but DDR3 was there and available, albeit for a huge premium. That's why I anticipate it will be later in 2013 before we see DDR4 become the standard.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Intel 160 GB G2 SSD is like $389 on Amazon. I can target that one now.

 

[MotF Bane]

But the newer i7s are going to hit 4 Ghz rather easily and have higher IPC than my E8400 so I should see a decent gain, correct? Although, I think it was OCGuy who said he only noticed a different between a Wolfdale and Nehalem in a single game and otherwise, they were pretty similar in "feel."

Honestly, my upgrade plan (assuming I decide to do it later in the year) would be to skip quad and go to 6 or 8 cores.

I wouldn't call 4.0 easy, especially because the i7 overclocking settings are possibly worse than those of AMD. There are guides all over the net for overclocking an i7, and the chips are still all gifted overclockers with a little pushing... but then you need some serious cooling. There's more than one reason I run water.

Four cores aren't used by programs, you think six or eight will be any better? We're still barely getting past 32 bit architecture.