- Apr 14, 2009
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So I'm buying a new system, and I've narrowed down my choices to the Q9650 and the i7 920.
From a performance standpoint, they are roughly equal in my eyes. I've read that Q9650 actually does better than the i7 920 for my primary CPU bound gaming purpose: Supreme Commander, but that the I7 920 generally does better in other games.
Also, I've found builds that are within $100 of each other for these, so price really isn't a concern.
Now, for many reasons (upgrade potential, DDR3, PCIe 2, etc.) I would prefer a i7 platform, however after reading up on the i7 I am concerned about the relative stability of that platform and in the heat and noise generation of such a system compared to the much more refined Core series/platform. (my current setup is an E6750)
I want to build a reasonably quiet air cooled system optimized for Gaming (esp SupCom) and as a platform to try out and SSD and maybe even SLI for the first time. Of course while gaming I don't expect quiet operation, only while doing other tasks like browsing, listening to music, light gaming, etc. but the less noise at all times the better.
The setup is going in an Antec P182 so I have 2 120mm fans to get decent airflow even at low RPM, and I will likely drop a Thermalright 120 or perhaps a Zalman as the cooler.
So,
1.) Is the i7 platform (X58 based boards) reasonable stable at this point.
2.) Will I be able to achieve a near silent setup with air cooling (during non intensive tasks) as I can now with the E6750.
From a performance standpoint, they are roughly equal in my eyes. I've read that Q9650 actually does better than the i7 920 for my primary CPU bound gaming purpose: Supreme Commander, but that the I7 920 generally does better in other games.
Also, I've found builds that are within $100 of each other for these, so price really isn't a concern.
Now, for many reasons (upgrade potential, DDR3, PCIe 2, etc.) I would prefer a i7 platform, however after reading up on the i7 I am concerned about the relative stability of that platform and in the heat and noise generation of such a system compared to the much more refined Core series/platform. (my current setup is an E6750)
I want to build a reasonably quiet air cooled system optimized for Gaming (esp SupCom) and as a platform to try out and SSD and maybe even SLI for the first time. Of course while gaming I don't expect quiet operation, only while doing other tasks like browsing, listening to music, light gaming, etc. but the less noise at all times the better.
The setup is going in an Antec P182 so I have 2 120mm fans to get decent airflow even at low RPM, and I will likely drop a Thermalright 120 or perhaps a Zalman as the cooler.
So,
1.) Is the i7 platform (X58 based boards) reasonable stable at this point.
2.) Will I be able to achieve a near silent setup with air cooling (during non intensive tasks) as I can now with the E6750.