Possible i7 Upgrade Feedback

[PCJake]

Hey guys, I'm looking to upgrade to an i7 setup (new motherboard, CPU, RAM, and CPU Cooler) within a few months, and I'd like some feedback on the list I've come up with so far. I will be using everything from my current system except for the parts that I'm replacing. Here's my current system:

Gigabyte EP35-DS3L | Q6600 G0 @ 3.33GHz | AC 7 Pro
EVGA GTX 280
G.Skill 8GB (4x2GB) DDR2 800
300GB Velociraptor | 150GB Raptor | 500GB WD External
Creative X-Fi Xtreme Gamer 7.1
Corsair 750W PSU
Cooler Master Cosmos 1000

-Plus an Intel X25-M 80GB SSD and Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade that I ordered today

Here are the parts the parts that I'm looking at getting:

Asus P6X58D X58 motherboard
Core i7 930
Corsair Dominator 6GB (3 x 2GB) DDR3 1600
Corsair H50 Liquid Cooler

That set of upgrades carries a $904.96 price tag on Newegg. I'd like to know if I'm on the right track, and I'm most curious as to whether or not the motherboard and the H50 cooler are good choices (I will definitely be overclocking). I will be using the system for gaming (at 1920x1200) and 3d editing/rendering. I'd appreciate any feedback!

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

You could save @ 100$ if you bought your CPU at MicroCenter. They go for 199$ in-store pickup only.

 

[PCJake]

You could save @ 100$ if you bought your CPU at MicroCenter. They go for 199$ in-store pickup only.

I'm in Iowa and they don't appear to have a location here. Such a shame. But what about eBay? I see quite a few new i7 930's available for around $259. Does it really matter where I order it from? Wouldn't Newegg's customer service be worth a little extra money?

 

[MisterDonut]

Nothing wrong with your original rig, imo. Unless your rig is struggling significantly, I see no reason to upgrade (it would be a lot of money to do so). Maybe an SSD or a new watercooling kit (and push that baby to 3.6!). Sure 1366 is faster, but it's also going dead and I don't know if the speed difference would be worth what you would have to pay.

 

[PCJake]

Nothing wrong with your original rig, imo. Unless your rig is struggling significantly, I see no reason to upgrade (it would be a lot of money to do so). Maybe an SSD or a new watercooling kit (and push that baby to 3.6!). Sure 1366 is faster, but it's also going dead and I don't know if the speed difference would be worth what you would have to pay.

Fair enough, my current setup is nice and stable, and in fact I did just order an SSD to run Windows 7 on yesterday. I doubt I'll get much more out of my Q6600 than 3.33, though, even on water cooling. It crashes when I go higher before it even has a chance to overheat. If I thought it would go higher, I might go ahead and get that Corsair H50 cooler and try again, since I do believe that I'm starting to be CPU bottlenecked when it comes to playing Bad Company 2 (Lowering most graphical settings to low instead of high has very little effect on the FPS). My understanding of CPU bottlenecking in games may be off a bit, though.

Out of curiosity, what do you mean when you say the 1366 is going dead? Isn't the upcoming Gulftown going to be a 1366?

 

[MisterDonut]

BFBC2 does like a fast quad, but your quad is already....fast. You'll see some gain in minimum FPS, but nothing significant that will enhance your overall gaming experience (for like $400 that is). Overall though, it still remains mostly GPU-dependent. I have a few friends playing on C2D's just fine. Very few games are really CPU-dependent (GTA IV, DA:O partially, etc.). The 280 should be able to handle anything. Highest I've ever seen anybody push a Q6600 is 3.6. Seems like it's the cap for the chip. I wouldn't do H50 if you already have a cooler. Either bump it up to a full custom kit, or stick with what you have.

Yeah, Gulftown uses the 1366 platform, but I can't really imagine any typical consumers really needing that chip. Sandybridge is set to replace current Intel sockets. Google Intel roadmap and you'll be able to see for yourself. Also, 1366 is really not necessary for gaming unless you need the full PCI-E lanes (even if, tests with x16, x8, x4 all show within 10% performance difference). However you do mention 3D rendering, etc. I'm not well informed in that category, so I won't speak for that. Regardless, your current rig will hold its own. Your SSD will make you very happy .

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

I'm in Iowa and they don't appear to have a location here. Such a shame. But what about eBay? I see quite a few new i7 930's available for around $259. Does it really matter where I order it from? Wouldn't Newegg's customer service be worth a little extra money?

Stick with New Egg on that one.

Nice build :thumbsup:

 

[PCJake]

BFBC2 does like a fast quad, but your quad is already....fast. You'll see some gain in minimum FPS, but nothing significant that will enhance your overall gaming experience (for like $400 that is). Overall though, it still remains mostly GPU-dependent. I have a few friends playing on C2D's just fine. Very few games are really CPU-dependent (GTA IV, DA:O partially, etc.). The 280 should be able to handle anything. Highest I've ever seen anybody push a Q6600 is 3.6. Seems like it's the cap for the chip. I wouldn't do H50 if you already have a cooler. Either bump it up to a full custom kit, or stick with what you have.

Yeah, Gulftown uses the 1366 platform, but I can't really imagine any typical consumers really needing that chip. Sandybridge is set to replace current Intel sockets. Google Intel roadmap and you'll be able to see for yourself. Also, 1366 is really not necessary for gaming unless you need the full PCI-E lanes (even if, tests with x16, x8, x4 all show within 10% performance difference). However you do mention 3D rendering, etc. I'm not well informed in that category, so I won't speak for that. Regardless, your current rig will hold its own. Your SSD will make you very happy .

That makes sense, I think Sandy Bridge is the one I was looking forward too anyway. I haven't been doing a ton of 3d rendering lately, so don't have a pressing need to upgrade the CPU yet; I just thought it would be fun.

That being said, I've still got the itch to upgrade. What would you guys recommend in the way of a new graphics card (to upgrade from the GTX 280). Any card would be cheaper than the CPU+Mobo+RAM+Cooler upgrade, since I don't have the SLI option. Would a single GTX 480 be worth it?

 

[MisterDonut]

Just me, but I would steer clear of Fermi (heat, power, etc.; yes, I know it's fast, but I don't need anything faster than my 5850). The 5850 is likely one of the best cards to get if you are behind in architecture, but your GTX 280 will do fine. There's no real reason to upgrade from that. Wait for AMD in September (rumored to have 6xxx!!!). The only significant upgrade left, imo, is that juicy new SSD comin' for ya.