P55 vs X58 - What should I go with?

[DrkLrdsSlv]

I'm finally going to make the jump to an entirely new system, and have my heart set on the i7. Now to make the choice between the two sockets....

I'll preface by saying I don't do a whole lot of gaming, but once in a while I'll play a game or two. I'd rather have processor performance + a large amount of ram over a shiny gpu.

What's on the horizon for both p55 and x58? Does triple channel memory offer a big difference over double channel?

I'd be going with the i7-860 on the p55 side or the i7-920 on the x58 side.

I've been out of the loop for a very long time and apologize if I'm beating to death a question asked a million times over

Thanks!

 

[Tuhran]

I'm in the same situation, but with the added issue of being interested in the emergence of USB 3.0 and SATA 3 (not so much the latter as the former).
This pretty much confines me to P55, though, and kills my upgrade path to the i9.

But do I realistically expect myself to tear down my whole system in 6 months and swap processors? Somehow I doubt it.

Committing to P55 and wanting USB 3.0, however, has me looking at motherboards by either Gigabyte (PCI-e crippling, and I am a gamer), or Asus (super whiz-bang with sprinkles, almost $300!).

...or an add-on PCI card, which seems kludgy, but might open up the option on an x58 board...

AAARRGH!

Memory-wise, I do like the idea of triple-channel, and I think 6G of high-quality stuff is probably a good sweet spot these days, with most boards having room for more later if needed.
The p55 would compel me to use 8G, and would fill all the slots. An issue? Probably not, just a consideration.

So, I feel your pain, my brother. Maybe wisdom from our peers will be soon forthcoming.

 

[ChinStrap]

what it comes down to is money you wanna spend.

if you have the extra coin, theres no reason to NOT go with a i7 920. if your looking for a "lighter" i7 series build - go with the i7 860.

personally, i don't like the CPU placement on my current Asus board and am going to be moving back to my i7 920 + Rampage 2 Gene setup as soon as i have a little extra time.

as of late, all i use my computer for is semi-high res gaming (1920x1200) and i couldnt tell a difference between i5 750 and i7 920 (both were/are overclocked).

triple channel mem looks cooler though

 

[theflyingrat]

...or an add-on PCI card, which seems kludgy, but might open up the option on an x58 board...

What's kludgy about a PCI or (better yet) PCI-Express USB 3.0 card? Aren't these the kinds of things that gives motherboard manufacturers a reason to put all of those pretty slots on their products?

 

[DrkLrdsSlv]

Does the extra clock speed of the 860 give it an edge over the 920?

A strange thing I've noticed is that I can get more ram for cheaper with the x58 boards than the p55. I suppose I should mention saving money is a factor here. I most likely wouldn't be upgrading to the (most likely) insanely-priced i9....but nor would I be too excited about the core i3!

 

[antipesto93]

+1 x58

 

[Tuhran]

What's kludgy about a PCI or (better yet) PCI-Express USB 3.0 card? Aren't these the kinds of things that gives motherboard manufacturers a reason to put all of those pretty slots on their products?

Eh, I'm a simplist.

Built-in means cleaner, less cluttered, not to mention better airflow.

Having to use an add-on card to incorporate a technology is a good sign that a bit of waiting might be in order.
And I'm a patient man (see sig...)

 

[Spyd3r]

Does the extra clock speed of the 860 give it an edge over the 920?

From what I've seen, at stock the 860 will have an advantage but then when overclocked, I think it becomes a different story.

 

[mattspalace]

x58 is certainly more future proof, if you're concerned about that.

 

[MetalRacer]

I'm in the same situation, but with the added issue of being interested in the emergence of USB 3.0 and SATA 3 (not so much the latter as the former).
This pretty much confines me to P55, though, and kills my upgrade path to the i9.

But do I realistically expect myself to tear down my whole system in 6 months and swap processors? Somehow I doubt it.

Committing to P55 and wanting USB 3.0, however, has me looking at motherboards by either Gigabyte (PCI-e crippling, and I am a gamer), or Asus (super whiz-bang with sprinkles, almost $300!).

...or an add-on PCI card, which seems kludgy, but might open up the option on an x58 board...

AAARRGH!

Memory-wise, I do like the idea of triple-channel, and I think 6G of high-quality stuff is probably a good sweet spot these days, with most boards having room for more later if needed.
The p55 would compel me to use 8G, and would fill all the slots. An issue? Probably not, just a consideration.

So, I feel your pain, my brother. Maybe wisdom from our peers will be soon forthcoming.

This new x58 board from Asus has USB 3.0 and SATA 3.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131614

 

[AEternal1]

im running the p55 with i5 @ consistent 3.8, and occasionally 3.9...hard drives and ram slowing me down....when i can run 3.9...i run everything at near instantaneous speed.your gaming will be affected only by the quality of your cards, as my setup, as budget limited as it is...plays ALL games on the market at full settings....

 

[Tuhran]

This new x58 board from Asus has USB 3.0 and SATA 3.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131614

WOOT!
"Added to Wish List"...

Now I just need to wrap my brain around the idea of a $300+ motherboard...

Still, Thanks!
Budget shot, Problem solved!

 

[Alien432]

WOOT!
Now I just need to wrap my brain around the idea of a $300+ motherboard...

It's easy to wrap your brain around the idea of a $300+ motherboard when you think of the EVGA Classified E762-A1 4-way SLI for $499.99