Which CPU platform should I get?

[Monkey_Business]

That's why I'm using all Ultimate and Pro at this point.

BTW WHS works fine as a backup for even Win 7 starter. And if you REALLY want to run an XP machine in a virtual machine there is always virtualbox or put Hyper-V on a cheap box.

If you go AMD, don't spend more than $250 on a CPU + motherboard. It just isn't worth it. Also if you go AMD, you may as well get the 890 chipset with SATA3 and USB 3.

One BIG advantage of the i7 right now is that the expandability is great. Lots of PCIe lanes for add in cards and 6 ram slots for cheap 12GB ram options (which most users won't need).

Another, less exciting option is an i5-650. Cheap, Hyperthreading + Turbo, and stock v. stock faster at handbrake encoding than my Q6600's... oh and idles at <30w (CPU + Mobo + PicoPSU + SSD + 4GB ram).

I didn't know that the AMD 800 series chipsets were even out yet.

 

[heyheybooboo]

I didn't know that the AMD 800 series chipsets were even out yet.

The 890GX has been out for a while.

The 890FX motherboards will most likely start rolling out next week along with the x6 Thuban.

 

[Monkey_Business]

The 890GX has been out for a while.

The 890FX motherboards will most likely start rolling out next week along with the x6 Thuban.

Will a gaming version of a 800GX/FX motherboard be made?

Will the bulldozer chips work in the 8xx series chipsets? Or do we have to wait until AM4 sockets?

 

[hans007]

Will a gaming version of a 800GX/FX motherboard be made?

Will the bulldozer chips work in the 8xx series chipsets? Or do we have to wait until AM4 sockets?

bulldozer is am3 so it should work assuming bios support.

 

[Monkey_Business]

bulldozer is am3 so it should work assuming bios support.

I thought the bulldozer processors were supposed to be AM4 or at least AM3+ sockets.

Do you think the bulldozers will outperform the i7's?

 

[Phil1977]

Why not get a P55 board and a i5 750 or i7 860?

Both are usually ahead of the AMD solution.

 

[Monkey_Business]

Depending on whether or not the AMD "bulldozer" chips take an entirely new socket type (probably AM4) instead of AM3, will determine which platform I get.

The i7's will probably outperform anything AMD has for quite a few years. The LGA 1366 is a dead socket, the next Intel CPU micro-architecture will likely use an entirely new socket. Just as the Core 2 processors were the last things to use LGA 775.