Is Sandy Bridge REALLY worth the wait?

[Anomaly1964]

I dont see why you think availability will be a problem because it will be a huge hard launch. there are already lots of cpus and mobos floating around right now.

HOLY CRAP...why are the i7 980s $1000?

Cause they are 6 core?

 

[smakme7757]

Hmmm, the last few post have me leaning toward waiting...

...I HATE waiting, LOL!

If it makes you feel any better; I have just purchased my first watercooling loop (never done WC before) which will be used on a Core i7-2600k when i can finally get my hands on one! All the parts are in the mail and seeing as i ordered from the USA i ordered early so the parts are here in good time before i get the Motherboard and CPU. This will be a full system rehaul with the only exception of keeping my existing case Corsair 800D

By the way i sent an email to a guy called Windwithme who has been testing the new SB chips and asked him if the 1156 waterblocks/air coolers will fit the new 1155 socket. He confirmed that they do indeed fit!

I'm mega exited and i havn't even got any of the parts yet! - I hate waiting to, but just hang in there, the money will be better spent on SB.




.....
At least i hope so...:ninja:

 

[iLoveNvidia]

My name is happy medium and plz get Nvidia cards. They are good.



Goodbye


esquared
Anandtech Forum Director

 

[Anomaly1964]

Ok, keep this simple for ME...

I build a new pc, if the processor is coupled with 6-8GB of RAM and a GTX570, will my HUMAN EYE detect a noticeable difference in playing Crysis 2 whether the processor be Sandy Bridge or say an i7 875k, i7 950, etc?

 

[Dark Shroud]

HOLY CRAP...why are the i7 980s $1000?

Cause they are 6 core?

The 980X is an Extreme branded CPU, those always start out at $1000.

 

[flopper]

Ok, keep this simple for ME...

I build a new pc, if the processor is coupled with 6-8GB of RAM and a GTX570, will my HUMAN EYE detect a noticeable difference in playing Crysis 2 whether the processor be Sandy Bridge or say an i7 875k, i7 950, etc?

Not likely.
might show with max overclock, I doubt that tho.

 

[smakme7757]

Ok, keep this simple for ME...

I build a new pc, if the processor is coupled with 6-8GB of RAM and a GTX570, will my HUMAN EYE detect a noticeable difference in playing Crysis 2 whether the processor be Sandy Bridge or say an i7 875k, i7 950, etc?

You won't notice a difference, but it's only logical to buy into a platform which will give you the ability to upgrade in the future. Considering the release date is so near and the prices are not going to be mega insane, SB is the way to go.

If on the other hand you want to buy now and you just want someone to reassure you that you won't be wasting money, then yes, you will have a nice system. But when better components will be available in only a few weeks you might suffer a dose of buyers remorse!

 

[Anomaly1964]

You won't notice a difference, but it's only logical to buy into a platform which will give you the ability to upgrade in the future. Considering the release date is so near and the prices are not going to be mega insane, SB is the way to go.

If on the other hand you want to buy now and you just want someone to reassure you that you won't be wasting money, then yes, you will have a nice system. But when better components will be available in only a few weeks you might suffer a dose of buyers remorse!

I only ask because I truly don't know...

When you say UPGRADEABLE, do you mean in the SANDY BRIDGE class only, or will the MB it takes be upgradeable to future Intel chips (it seems everytime a new chip comes out you have to get a new board too)?

 

[smakme7757]

I only ask because I truly don't know...

When you say UPGRADEABLE, do you mean in the SANDY BRIDGE class only, or will the MB it takes be upgradeable to future Intel chips (it seems everytime a new chip comes out you have to get a new board too)?

I'm pretty certain Intel will release new chips for the 1155/2011 platform for at least 2 to 3 years, just like they have done with 1156 and 1366 as well as 775.

So if you buy socket 775, 1156 or 1366 you can only upgrade to what is available now as i doubt they will release more processors for those platforms.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Good ole X-58. With all the performance I've gotten out of my i7 I was able to just yawn when they came out with the $1000 6 core and even Sandy bridge has me yawning again. I'm set till 2012 more than likely and it's not like I'm even sacrificing any performance by staying with X-58 either.

 

[Kuzi]

I'd say wait for sure. I mean it's like less than a month away. You definitely want to buy a new platform that offers higher performance and better longevity. Especially if you build a system once every three years or more.

Also while I love AMD systems, if all you are concerned about is gaming, and are willing to pay slightly more, then go with an SB rig. As it is right now, Intel processors are noticeably faster than Phenom II's, the difference is more pronounced in games that are more CPU limited, and SB will only widen this gap (about +15&#37.

 

[smakme7757]

Good ole X-58. With all the performance I've gotten out of my i7 I was able to just yawn when they came out with the $1000 6 core and even Sandy bridge has me yawning again. I'm set till 2012 more than likely and it's not like I'm even sacrificing any performance by staying with X-58 either.

If i was on an X-58 rig i'd skip 1155 and wait and see what 2011 has to offer, but im on an old Q9450 so SB is looking mighty fine. But i suppose the question is if you would buy into X-58 now if you were still on a P4 or C2D/Q or an old AMD chip.

 

[SickBeast]

SB is worth the wait if you're planning to spend over $200 on your CPU, or else if you don't overclock. It will also be nice if you use integrated graphics.

If you're a gamer looking to build a cheap system, IMO you should go with a $100 AMD CPU and put the savings toward a better GPU.

 

[boggsie]

Good ole X-58. With all the performance I've gotten out of my i7 I was able to just yawn when they came out with the $1000 6 core and even Sandy bridge has me yawning again. I'm set till 2012 more than likely and it's not like I'm even sacrificing any performance by staying with X-58 either.

If i was on an X-58 rig i'd skip 1155 and wait and see what 2011 has to offer, but im on an old Q9450 so SB is looking mighty fine. But i suppose the question is if you would buy into X-58 now if you were still on a P4 or C2D/Q or an old AMD chip.

This is exactly the situation that I find myself in ... In the past three weeks I flip-flopped so many times, I started to doubt my ability to make a decision. Ultimately, I went ahead and ordered the SB components (motherboard, ram, etc) for a new build, because I didn't want to buy into the "legacy" i7 platform, no matter how wonderful the present X-58 options may be.

Best regards,
-boggsie

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

If i was on an X-58 rig i'd skip 1155 and wait and see what 2011 has to offer, but im on an old Q9450 so SB is looking mighty fine. But i suppose the question is if you would buy into X-58 now if you were still on a P4 or C2D/Q or an old AMD chip.

I really don't know if I would buy X-58 if I was on a p4, c2d/Q, etc if I had to make the decision right now. It really depends on the overall cost of either SB or X-58. I guess it would come down to cost and whether or not you want a multiple gpu setup. I always buy the best single card I can afford so if I was in the market today I'd probably go SB. I'm extremely happy with my i7 and the X-58 platform. Hell I'm running my i7 at stock speeds cause it's so damn fast even at stock speeds.

 

[StinkyPinky]

SB is worth the wait if you're planning to spend over $200 on your CPU, or else if you don't overclock. It will also be nice if you use integrated graphics.

If you're a gamer looking to build a cheap system, IMO you should go with a $100 AMD CPU and put the savings toward a better GPU.

Yeah, but there's no AM3+ motherboards so that's effectively a dead end upgrade. At least with S1155 there's a high chance you can upgrade to Ivy Bridge down the line.

If Am3+ mobos were around I would likely go AMD, but they're not for some reason.

 

[CosmicMight]

Ok, keep this simple for ME...

I build a new pc, if the processor is coupled with 6-8GB of RAM and a GTX570, will my HUMAN EYE detect a noticeable difference in playing Crysis 2 whether the processor be Sandy Bridge or say an i7 875k, i7 950, etc?

You've been given the answer to this several times over already.

You haven't said what your current proc is. If you have an I7, skip SB and just buy a nice video card. No, you probably aren't going to notice a difference.

If you don't - and it seems like you don't - then it is foolish for you not to wait.

You will NOT save much money with an older solution over a SB combo, in fact you will come out behind when you factor in performance. Again, go look at the prices for 1366 mobos at NE...most of the decent ones are all still $175+. The 2500/K is throttling the 760's in all benchmarks - and will only be $200 at launch.

You will NOT be able to add newer chips in your 1366 mobo, whereas you will be able to with a SB mobo if you want to upgrade down the line.

You will save power, heat, and have a faster system bus.

I'm not an Intel schill - I just think you're trying to talk yourself into something that doesn't make any sense. But I will go away now.

 

[Patrick Wolf]

Ok, keep this simple for ME...

I build a new pc, if the processor is coupled with 6-8GB of RAM and a GTX570, will my HUMAN EYE detect a noticeable difference in playing Crysis 2 whether the processor be Sandy Bridge or say an i7 875k, i7 950, etc?

You're asking about CPU dependency which depends entirely on the game. There's very few games available now that really need a good CPU to run smoothly (without your FPS dipping to a point that's noticeable to you). I imagine more games will be developed to use 4+ cores but that doesn't mean they need a fast CPU to play smoothly. That being said, most games crave speed and efficiency where SB has a clear advantage, especially given the talk about the K versions being massive overclockers.

You'd just be seriously limiting yourself going with a current platform. 1156 would just be silly. And if you went 1336 your best option would be the $1000 980X as it's unlikely Intel will ever release any mainstream Sandy or Ivy Bridge CPU's for it.

 

[Anomaly1964]

You've been given the answer to this several times over already.

You haven't said what your current proc is. If you have an I7, skip SB and just buy a nice video card. No, you probably aren't going to notice a difference.

If you don't - and it seems like you don't - then it is foolish for you not to wait.

You will NOT save much money with an older solution over a SB combo, in fact you will come out behind when you factor in performance. Again, go look at the prices for 1366 mobos at NE...most of the decent ones are all still $175+. The 2500/K is throttling the 760's in all benchmarks - and will only be $200 at launch.

You will NOT be able to add newer chips in your 1366 mobo, whereas you will be able to with a SB mobo if you want to upgrade down the line.

You will save power, heat, and have a faster system bus.

I'm not an Intel schill - I just think you're trying to talk yourself into something that doesn't make any sense. But I will go away now.

No...I just needed to understand better and you guys have made great points...

I WILL be waiting...

Thanks to EVERYONE

 

[CosmicMight]

No...I just needed to understand better and you guys have made great points...

I WILL be waiting...

Thanks to EVERYONE

I think you made a wise one. I will be waiting impatiently with you, trust me.

 

[BoomerD]

I'd say it's worth it to wait. I'm hurting pretty bad myself since I'm posting this from a P4 system. I have everything but the new mobo, CPU, & memory.

I really want a hexa-core cpu but I can settle for a new SB quad-core and upgrade to octo-core later at Ivy Bridge.

I'm sort of in the same boat...I'm still living with a P4 Northwood myself...but I've already bought the i5-760, motherboard and RAM...(delivered last week) I MAY just return it all and wait for the SB release, but I suspect the i5-2500K will be quite a bit more $$$.

http://www.semiaccurate.com/2010/11/22/sandy-bridge-pricing-leaks-sweden/

"This brings us to the first K model, the 3.3GHz Core i5 2500K which is priced only slightly higher than its non K sibling at SEK 2328 or $337 with VAT or about $270 without."

The i5-760 was just on sale at Newegg for $180...and motherboards are available for the 1156 at reasonable prices.

AFAIK, there's no reliable info on motherboard prices yet either, but if they're priced like the 1366 boards...then $200 will be the beginning price for GOOD boards...

 

[CosmicMight]

I'm sort of in the same boat...I'm still living with a P4 Northwood myself...but I've already bought the i5-760, motherboard and RAM...(delivered last week) I MAY just return it all and wait for the SB release, but I suspect the i5-2500K will be quite a bit more $$$.

http://www.semiaccurate.com/2010/11/22/sandy-bridge-pricing-leaks-sweden/

"This brings us to the first K model, the 3.3GHz Core i5 2500K which is priced only slightly higher than its non K sibling at SEK 2328 or $337 with VAT or about $270 without."

The i5-760 was just on sale at Newegg for $180...and motherboards are available for the 1156 at reasonable prices.

AFAIK, there's no reliable info on motherboard prices yet either, but if they're priced like the 1366 boards...then $200 will be the beginning price for GOOD boards...

I've been watching the threads on Xtreme Systems a lot - other countries are already eating up mobos and procs left and right, and the prices are all in line with what has been predicted so far (minus some price gouging + VAT).

If you don't like the source, I understand. Then again - what I've read seems a hell of a lot more trustworthy than what Inaccurate has to say. But as someone else said, this is going to be a very hard launch and I don't think supply will be an issue. Imho, unless you just surf the web + play minesweeper, I'd return everything.

What I am 130% certain of - the 2500k will eat the 760 for breakfast. I don't care to do the math, but even if they were $250, I think the performance gain over a 760 would be worth it. Ymmv.

 

[toyota]

2500K will be about $216 which is basically the same as as the i5 760. and plenty of mobos will be $149 and under. the 2500K is clocked quite a bit higher plus its already faster clock for clock. all that while consuming less power and having way more overclocking headroom than a 760.

 

[BoomerD]

2500K will be about $216 which is basically the same as as the i5 760. and plenty of mobos will be $149 and under. the 2500K is clocked quite a bit higher plus its already faster clock for clock. all that while consuming less power and having way more overclocking headroom than a 760.

Links? I agree that the performance increase will be worth the upgrade...I just don't know about the pricing...I'm on a tight budget.

 

[Patrick Wolf]

Links? I agree that the performance increase will be worth the upgrade...I just don't know about the pricing...I'm on a tight budget.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Bridge_(microarchitecture))

Anand's SB preview also mentions it ($205-$216).
http://www.anandtech.com/Show/Index...=the-sandy-bridge-preview-three-wins-in-a-row