Lately, I’ve been looking into upgrade possibilities from the C2D E6600.
I’ve been strongly considering the i7 920, but the Phenom II X4 940 has recently caught my eye.
Certainly it’s cheaper, but for anyone who might know, is it a significant step up from the C2D E6600, or should I continue to focus on the Core i7?
Thanks!
I’m curious, what are you doing that makes you think you need an upgrade?
Isn’t one AMD and one Intel? So you need to have a completely different motherboard at least? Can you keep your old ram with one of the choices?
I tend to try and buy a motherboard that can support a few CPU upgrades, so I get close the the first rev of a CPU with a certain pin layout so I can get a newer generation 18 months later. For example, I have an X2 6000 CPU now, and I should be able to upgrade to the Phenom II (I think, I hope it’s not just the Phenom I, which sucked.) It seems a lot cheaper to keep the box with the exception of the CPU/GPU for 2-3 generations if at all possible - that way you can buy each one separately, and give your machine a boost every once in a while when you feel you need it, instead of buying a whole new bag of kit.
As much as I want AMD to have a competitive product, if you are agnostic in the processor wars I would definitely stick with Core i7. You pay a moderate premium for it but then you are into the new architecture and it looks to be an Intel world for at least the next 18 months. That is assuming the multi-core apps matter to you. Microcenter’s 230 dollar i7 920 + Asus P6T + 6GB ram= set for now at a very reasonable price (~$525). In full disclosure, I was going to get a Q9650 to keep my LGA775 but after some analysis, I think I am going to get the above combo myself.
If you’ve already got a LGA 775 MB, why aren’t you looking at a Core 2 Quad instead? The Phenom II is price/performance-competitive with the C2Q, but you’d have to buy a new MB as well. I think the Phenom II is only worth it if (A) you’ve already got an AM2+ MB which is compatible with it and you want to upgrade; or (B) you’re starting from scratch, think the i7 is too pricey, and for whatever reason prefer AMD to Intel.
If cash is a consideration and you must upgrade your CPU right now buy a cheap Q9400 CPU to tide you over until the i7’s drop in price.