Ivy Bridge question

[arredondo]

From what we know so far about Ivy Bridge motherboards, is there anything significant it will add to gaming for people with video cards?

I've read a few preview reports and unless I'm missing something nothing stands out in that regard, except the fact that it will be compatible with more powerful processors than the i5-2500 chip at some point that Sandy Bridge boards might not accommodate. I'm trying to decide if it is worth waiting for it if there won't be a significant reason to do so.

 

[lehtv]

Current LGA1155 chipsets are compatible with Ivy Bridge CPUs, they just need a BIOS update from the manufacturer. According to Intel, IB should be 20% faster than SB, and it'll probably consume even less power (22nm vs 32nm).

Whether it's worth the wait really depends on how much you think you need a faster CPU. Personally I think a core 2 quad could be upgraded to 2500k, but a last gen i5-760 or i7-9xx is fast enough for now

 

[MrTransistorm]

From what we know so far about Ivy Bridge motherboards, is there anything significant it will add to gaming for people with video cards?

PCIe 3.0, though the consensus seems to be that by the time it has been adopted in full force by GPU makers, IB will not be so new anymore.

 

[arredondo]

Thanks for the info. I'll be handing down the old machine and make an entire new one but have only one part so far - the i5-2500K. I got it for $150 this past weekend after seeing this post at NeoGAF.

I was wondering about IBs because I don't want to upgrade for another 5 years or so and wanted to know what I may miss out on if I get a cheaper P67 or Z68 instead. Sounds like I won't miss out on much.

Next question... if I get a P67 over the Z68, is there any negative for not having on-board graphics built in? If I have a video card that shouldn't matter, correct?

 

[IntelEnthusiast]

The Z68 chipset really gives you three things over the P67:
-Intel® SRT (Smart Response Technology) for SSD caching
-Support for the IGP (Intergraded Graphics on Processor) good for back up graphics and with the LucidLogix Virtu software the ability to switch between the IGP and dedicated video to get the best performance in all applications. So the ability to use Intel Quick Sync.
-An Intel SATA III controller is said to be be better preforming then the older Marvel controller.

When you think that if there is a cost difference between the P67 and the Z68 it is generally a small one, it is easy to see the extra value in the Z68 chipset over the P67.

Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team

 

[lehtv]

The IGP is also useful for productivity (second monitor). Hooking up two monitors on one dedicated GPU stops it from downclocking to idle/2d clocks, which increases power consumption/heat/fan noise

 

[arredondo]

Hmmm, I'm not into exotic setups like dual monitors... I don't even think I want a SSD unless I find one REALLY cheap. Since my needs are rather basic, (gaming, internet) maybe I can save money on a motherboard by going with a Micro, like the one Zap has recommended in this forum: ASRock Z68 PRO3-M.

In general, if you get a micro board do you need to get a "micro" case to attach it to, a special sized heatsink, etc. if that makes sense? Or do most components connect to micro boards just fine?

BTW, I know the micro board I mentioned doesn't do Crossfire/SLI, but the micro-stuttering discussions have scared me off of that being a possibility. For a vid card I'll wait for the 7K series to see what looks good.

 

[vrait]

Hmmm, I'm not into exotic setups like dual monitors... I don't even think I want a SSD unless I find one REALLY cheap. Since my needs are rather basic, (gaming, internet) maybe I can save money on a motherboard by going with a Micro, like the one Zap has recommended in this forum: ASRock Z68 PRO3-M.

In general, if you get a micro board do you need to get a "micro" case to attach it to, a special sized heatsink, etc. if that makes sense? Or do most components connect to micro boards just fine?

BTW, I know the micro board I mentioned doesn't do Crossfire/SLI, but the micro-stuttering discussions have scared me off of that being a possibility. For a vid card I'll wait for the 7K series to see what looks good.

Cases usually fit many different sides.

Ivy bridge will have two different types of cpus. Ones compatible with 1155, and ones compatible with the new motherboards for Ivy bridge.

 

[Gunbuster]

X79 boards will have 8 DIMM slots so you can have 32gigs without buying $250 8gig sticks

 

[toyota]

X79 boards will have 8 DIMM slots so you can have 32gigs without buying $250 8gig sticks

only some boards will have 8 slots from what I have seen.

 

[greenhawk]

According to Intel, IB should be 20% faster than SB, and it'll probably consume even less power (22nm vs 32nm).

that 20% (actually 18% if you read the graphs) is if the two cpus run at the same power. To get the less power consumption, some of that performance increase needs to be traded for it.

ie: extra performance, or lower power, or a mix of the two. Reports / posts from intel on the topic that I have seen so far point to intel going the "both" path, which means we will not see the 20% performance increase.

Of course, that 20% is at the high end. At the lower end, the difference is even more noticable (based on the 3D transisters being used).

 

[arredondo]

I see. So translating that to games, if I am getting 50 fps in a game powered by an i5-2500K processor, if I subbed in the theoretically best Ivy Bridge processor I would get a 20% boost (60 fps)?

Also, do we know now which current Z68 boards will be compatible with IB?

 

[mrjoltcola]

I see. So translating that to games, if I am getting 50 fps in a game powered by an i5-2500K processor, if I subbed in the theoretically best Ivy Bridge processor I would get a 20% boost (60 fps)?

Also, do we know now which current Z68 boards will be compatible with IB?

Well that would depend on if the particular game were CPU bound. With your 2500K, it will be unlikely, I haven't seen a game yet that will peg that chip.

My 2600K runs at no more than 25% utilization in Crysis, with a single core at 50-75%. The GPU does more of the work.

I'd move forward with the 2500K, it is one fast chip. Clock it mildly to 4.0-4.2Ghz and you'll have that 20% right now.

UPDATE: 50-75% was wrong. I actually ran a benchmark with Crysis on 2600K @ 4.2 with only 1 core enabled, it keeps the core slammed 100% most of the time, however, it is actually playable.

 

[videopho]

I see. So translating that to games, if I am getting 50 fps in a game powered by an i5-2500K processor, if I subbed in the theoretically best Ivy Bridge processor I would get a 20% boost (60 fps)?

Also, do we know now which current Z68 boards will be compatible with IB?

My current z68 GB mobo has already been flashed to "22nm ready" which I assume IB ready.

 

[arredondo]

And that mobo is....?

 

[videopho]

and that mobo is....?

gb-z68xp-ud3

 

[arredondo]

There's a debate going on in this thread contesting Gigabyte's claims of full IB support on some of their current mobos. I don't know if this issue has been resolved, but do you have a link for your info? I still may go cheap and not worry about this feature, but would like more info anyway.

 

[videopho]

IB is still months away.
Who really knows whether the current mobo is IB ready or not.
I personally careless about it for now and worry (if I ever do) IB upgradability later.
As of now I absolutely have no reason why it should not be.

 

[arredondo]

I asked, so I care. If there is legit info that confirms which current mobos (if any) will supprt IB when it comes out, I would like to see the source.

 

[mrjoltcola]

I asked, so I care. If there is legit info that confirms which current mobos (if any) will supprt IB when it comes out, I would like to see the source.

+1

Me too, as I just spent $330 on a Maximus Extreme IV Z68 M/B, and I really would like to be able to preserve that investment when Ivy comes out, but, heh, who am I kidding, if history is any indicator, we'll all need new motherboards.

 

[videopho]

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3892#bios

 

[imaheadcase]

I just want to see if the SB-E motherboards are good or crazy expensive. That upgrade path makes more sense to me.

 

[arredondo]

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3892#bios

Your link says this:

0.3 x PCI Express x1 slots
(All PCI Express slots conform to PCI Express 2.0 standard.)

I believe the argument was over the fact that it isn't PCI Express 3.0. I looked up PCI Express 3.0 boards at NewEgg and saw the Asrock Z68 Extreme3 board was the cheapest of the seven choices there. In its description it says:

(PCI Express 3.0 with Intel Ivy Bridge CPU, PCI Express 2.0 with Intel Sandy Bridge CPU)

The reviews are decent; maybe that's the way to go if I'm on the fence about the future and don't want to spend a ton of money.

 

[videopho]

na

 

[gramboh]

X79 boards will have 8 DIMM slots so you can have 32gigs without buying $250 8gig sticks

X79 is Sandy Bridge-E.

Z77 will be the enthusiast platform for Ivy Bridge (socket 1155) in Q2-2012. Replaces Z68, according to info released so far, will remain dual channel DDR3 (but support higher speed DDR3). Other bonuses to Z77 over Z68: guaranteed PCI-e 3.0 (each lane is 2x as fast, that is why it's important), native USB3. That's about it as far as we know now.