Core 2 Quad or Core i5

[optimus290]

Hey guys. I am thinking of building a new pc but am really confused of the future proofing of the system.
I am thinking of going for a c2q q9400 6mb cache or amd phenom 2 920 along with a nvidia gtx 260/ radeon 4870 graphics card.

I was just confused whether I should go for the above build or should I wait for Core i5 and dx11 cards to release. I have heard that ati and nvidia are releasing dx11 cards in july and october respectively.

Once I buy the system I won't be upgrading it for at least 3-4 years. So, I was wondering whether the Hyper Threading feature of core i5 is really worth the wait and will there be a day and night difference between i5/c2q real time performance.

My sole purpose is gaming and learning 3ds max and programming.

I can hardly run any games on my current rig. P4/1.5gb ram/ 6600 agp.

Thanks.

 

[Rick James]

If you're looking for a comp you won't need to upgrade anytime soon get an I7. HT > Amd

 

[nyker96]

I concur with rick, if you don't upgrade much get i7, available now. the i5 is costing $200-$550 range for cpu, it's not much cheaper than i7. the i5 motherboard is just $50 cheaper than i7's, hardly worth the switch. and the i5s are prices too high to make them a good buy. if you can overclock, get i7 920 C0 w/ an aftermarket cooler. you should be pretty set. look at rick's signature system, that's pretty much the way to go. also the x58 board is set to support 8 cores later when intel makes that. so you got good upgrade path in the future as well.

 

[ilkhan]

HT will help with 3DSM. You can upgrade the GPU later, grab an i7 ASAP for the best results.

 

[dguy6789]

If you're keeping the same system for 3-4 years with no upgrades, without a doubt get an i7.

 

[optimus290]

@ nyker96 I live in INDIA and here the price of an asus p6t is 20,000 INR that is aprroximately equal to $400. So even if I manage to shell out some extra cash for an i7, the motherboard is not at all affordable. Also an intel x58 mobo costs around $350 here. This is the only reason why I am leaning towards a cheaper system.

Although I do agree that even when cost/performance ratio is concerned, i7 will anytime be a better option over i5.

 

[soonerproud]

Here are your two real choices if you don't upgrade often.

Budget: AMD Phenom II X4 955

If you are budget constrained and the extra $120 to $160 the i7 platform cost is not possible. This is the best in the upper midrange when it comes to price vs performance value.

High End: Core i& 920 of course. This is the best price vs performance value on the high end. If you can swing the extra cost, this is the one to buy.

 

[ShawnD1]

Originally posted by: soonerproud
Here are your two real choices if you don't upgrade often.

Budget: AMD Phenom II X4 955

I don't know if this one is worth it. The 940 black edition is around 3/4 the cost of the 955 but it can overclock to about the same speeds.

I was wondering whether the Hyper Threading feature of core i5 is really worth the wait

Not likely. For gaming, a lot of people are saying HT lowers frame rate (on the i7). Another potential issue was that HT increases heat, which partially limits your ability to overclock. HT has its uses, but it's not something to get excited about.

 

[soonerproud]

Originally posted by: ShawnD1

Originally posted by: soonerproud
Here are your two real choices if you don't upgrade often.

Budget: AMD Phenom II X4 955

I don't know if this one is worth it. The 940 black edition is around 3/4 the cost of the 955 but it can overclock to about the same speeds.

I was wondering whether the Hyper Threading feature of core i5 is really worth the wait

Not likely. For gaming, a lot of people are saying HT lowers frame rate (on the i7). Another potential issue was that HT increases heat, which partially limits your ability to overclock. HT has its uses, but it's not something to get excited about.

It's worth it if you are willing pay a little extra for the average of about 5% performance increase the combo of the X4 955, AM3 and DDR3 give you on a per clock basis compare to the 940 and DDR 2. The memory and motherboards are cost comparative now, so the only increase in cost is the processor and since it must last 4 years or longer, I would say getting that extra performance may be worth it in the long rung run.

If money is even too tight for the X4 955, then the X4 940 and X3 720 are both great alternatives to the X4 955 since the OP is going to be gaming and all these processors rock at gaming.