How much is i7 worth?

L

Lrdtalon

Weaksauce
Joined
May 24, 2005
Messages
123
Ok so i am trying to decide how much it is worth it to get into an i7 build. i have been out of the loop for a while and i have spec'd out 2 pretty decent systems (i think). they are both brand new build so i am not reusing anything. Except a 24" monitor. I do mostly browsing, photoshop, and some video rendering/editing...

The i7 build is coming in about 200$ more expensive.

Is there a good guide anywhere for a bargain i7 build or a comparison?

I am looknig at a Phenom 955 vs i7 920.
 
Post your builds and answer the questions in the sticky.

Generally speaking, though, Phenom II's perform almost as good as Core2's. AMD has nothing to compete with Core i7. As far as reducing build costs, post what you have so far and answer the questions for better cost cutting advice.
 
Post the builds you have spec'd out and their respective prices so we can determine whether or not they are worth it over an i7 920 build.
 
if all you want is a gaming machine.. go phenom II.. if you need a gaming machine + video editing + 3d rendering then go i7.. gaming wise the phenom II and i7 are exactly the same.. there arent enough games out there that really take advantage of CPU's.. the only limitation that the phenom II has that the i7 doesnt is when running triple SLI or quad sli it becomes cpu bottlenecked in some games.. mostly crysis.. but who the heck plays crysis anymore..
 
Here are the 2 prospective builds. with the video cards being equal the price difference is much less. Are these good builds and is the i7 worth the extra? I am think from a future lasting value (3+ years with upgrades). I do some gaming, and the some video ripping/converting, and i use Adobe Lightroom to manipulate RAW images.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
- Mild gaming, photoshop, browsing, video ripping/converting. itunes
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
- like to stay less then about 900$ with shipping and tax
3) Where do you live?
- Washington state
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.
- Motherboard
- Processor
- RAM
- Video Card
- Case
- Harddrive
- CPU Cooler
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
- None
6) Will you be overclocking?
- Maybe, but not incredibly hardcore
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
- Have a Samsung 245BW
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
- Once the wife oks the purchase (hopefully in the next month or 2 )
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
- Nothing specific per-se
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?
- Yes (Vista Ultimate) would prefer to run 64 bit


i7: $911.94
Case - COOLER MASTER Mystique RC-632S-KKN1-GP Black Aluminum/ SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119129
MB - GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128375
Video - MSI R4870-MD1G Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127413
Powersupply - BFG Tech LS SERIES LS-550 550W Continuous @ 40°C ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.8 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified ... - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817702008
CPU - Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202
RAM - OCZ XMP Ready Series 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3X1600LV6GK - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227388

AMD: $852.95
Case - COOLER MASTER Mystique RC-632S-KKN1-GP Black Aluminum/ SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119129
MB - GIGABYTE GA-MA790XT-UD4P AM3 DDR3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128378
Powersupply - BFG Tech LS SERIES LS-550 550W Continuous @ 40°C ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.8 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified ... - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817702008
CPU - AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor Model HDZ955FBGIBOX - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103674
RAM - CORSAIR XMS3 DHX 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TW3X4G1600C9DHX - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145200
Video - MSI R4870-MD1G Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127413
Cooler - COOLER MASTER Hyper N 520 RR-920-N520-GP 92mm Sleeve CPU Cooler - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103057
 
Last edited:
Please list out the names of those parts. I have waay too many tabs open at the moment.

But the only parts I clicked on were the PSUs: They're both extremely poor choices. There are significantly better quality PSUs in the same price range as that Antec Basiq and OZ ModXStream PSUs. I would also recommend using the same PSU for both setups since the Phenom II CPUs uses about the same amount of power as a Core i7. So I recommend getting the BFG LS-550 as a minimum for both setups.
 
Specs updated with part names and questions answered! Changed out the PSU.

Thanks for everyones help!
 
The only real problem I have with the Core i7 setup is the Open Box motherboard. If you don't mind the open box status, go for the mobo.

For both setups, I'd recommend getting the BFG GTX 260 instead. It performs about the same as the HD4870 1GB but comes with a lifetime warranty for only $5 more once you register the card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143140

Oh and for your needs and if you can meet your budget, definitely the Core i7 setup.
 
Do you know what kind of warranty you can get with the open box (i.e if it goes tu will they replace it?)
 
Lrdtalon said:
Do you know what kind of warranty you can get with the open box (i.e if it goes tu will they replace it?)
Click to expand...

They're covered by a 30 day warranty from Newegg. As far as Manufacturer warranty, I do not know.
 
Can you recommend a better MB for the i7 setup that is within that rough price range? I to am concerned with the open box item after reading their policy...
 
The UD3R or the P6T SE are the only lower priced boards I'd recommend. The MSI X58 Pro is nice and cheap, but MSI's support and build quality overall isn't as good as Asus and Gigabyte.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top