Upgrading to i7

[Marne]

Well the time has come for me to leave 775 behind and join the ranks of the i7 folk. its been out long enough and has plenty of support in both overclocking,watercooling and gaming.

I currently run an EVGA 790i Ultra SLI, intel core 2 duo e8500, and 4 gb (2x2gb) of Patriot 2000mhz DDR3 ram.

I want this build to be able to OC to at least 4.0 and perform well in games. i am looking to use the funds form selling my current stuff and a lil extra to cover this. I am looking to watercool board. i already have HK 3.0 block (just need 1366 mounting kit- i think current HK 3.0 backplate should be fine).

I would like to get a board that has WCing support as well. actual blocks for it not some one off generic BS like a MCW60 for a GPU.

Please keep the fanboyism to a minimum. gonna be agming and crunching on it but dont wanna kill credit card either.

[Crow]

Do my upgrade.

Foxconn InfernoKatana GTI, Mushkin Enhanced Blackline DDR3 1600 Cas 7 (or keep your current RAM) and an i7 860.

You can get Duniek from the Benchtec.co.uk forums to make any mobo waterblock you want, for about US$100. Funky got him to make his FlamingBlade block.

[EIGHTLUG]

I was roughly 500 bucks into my first i7 upgrade Marne. I'm running the EVGS X58 SLi LE board, i7 920 DO step, and 6 gigs of G Skill Trident RAM. It has been bulletproof so far Bro :up: I've been running the proc @ 4.01 24/7 crunching on air since day 1.

[mattgmann]

The LE board is nice, but only has x16/x8 pci-e slots. It overclocks well, and there is a full chipset block for it (although it's ridiculously expensive). You don't really need to WC the board though. I'm running 24/7@4.5ghz and my board hardly gets warm.

Enzotech has a new chipset block for the x58 vanilla, but it looks like it may fit the LE as well.

Memory wise, just try and get the best kit you can. I'm using an ocz ddr3 1600 cas 7 kit that ran ~$100, but now goes for ~$150. It's not bad. Runs at rated speed and OCs north of 1800 at cas 8. Memory prices are out of control at the moment.

Watercooling the x58 boards isn't all that necessary since the NB no longer controls the memory. Most of the boards that have FC chipset blocks are on the upper end ($300+). I'd just look for a board that has the features you want and is in your price range. They all OC about the same (within a few mhz). And if you're shooting for 4ghz, that's pretty easy with any board. I've only dealt with one i7 D0 that I couldn't get to 4ghz (with resonable settings).

[ablatman]

If I were you marne, I'd go with 1366 over 1156 for a few reasons:

*1366 uses QPI (basically the same concept as Hypertransport that AMD uses -- with it the processor has much faster/better access to other hardware) while 1156 does not.
*1156 has issues with some sockets not making full contact with the processors and causing processors/sockets to burn out because there aren't enough of the necessary power pins connected (just google "1156 foxconn"). The short of it:

http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/motherboards/2009/msip55/burnedpadS.jpghttp://images.anandtech.com/reviews/motherboards/2009/msip55/burnsocketS.jpg

*A good 1156 costs around the same as a good 1366 board...




I say you get your ass in your car, get on 476 going South, get off at US Rt. 30 and go West for a few lights and make a left into Microcenter's parking lot, then get out and buy yourself a 920 there. 200 USD there vs 289 at Newegg..... Hard choice. I checked their site half an hour ago and it showed them having 27 920's in stock....

Basically, if you do this right, it'll probably cost you in the neighborhood of 410 for CPU+mobo and then some more for RAM... Decent 3x2GB kits run 130-230, so it's really up to you... I have heard some good things about the cheap naked Crucial sets OCing well, but YMMV. You could always get a MIPS block for the RAM too.... (just make sure you don't get the "corsair edition" if you don't have corsair modules, b/c that's just the same block without RAM heatspreaders (which you'd need if you don't have the current DDR3 Dominator modules)...


Watercooling the x58 boards isn't all that necessary since the NB no longer controls the memory.

Yes and no. The NB/SB don't really need to be watercooled on X58, what does usually is the VREG/MOSFETs, along with an NF200 (if the board has one)....

[Crow]

To be honest, For $200, and a bit of driving, I'd take the 920, because of the unlocked multiplier, and spend the $50 I saved on some good memory like this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226030).

(Yes, Mushkin is my new high, sorry OCZ)

[ablatman]

To be honest, For $200, and a bit of driving, I'd take the 920, because of the unlocked multiplier, and spend the $50 I saved on some good memory like this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226030).

(Yes, Mushkin is my new high, sorry OCZ)

Or these (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226050)...

[Darkvine]

A EVGA X58 board either standard or LE will be more then enough.

Memory I would go with G.Skill Trident 1866mzh Here (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231262)


Edit: the redlines would be fucking tops if you can afford them, they are some of the best ram out there.

[Crow]

Screw 3GB. Welcome to 200-freaking 9.

And I'll be damned if I ever spend $200 on RAM.

Also, windwithme reports that the highest base clock he's gotten on LGA 1366 was on a Foxconn FlamingBlade GTI.

G'night.

[Darkvine]

Damn linked to the wrong one. Meant this one Here (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231261)

[ablatman]

Memory I would go with G.Skill Trident 1866mzh Here (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231262)

Eh...

3 GB is way underkill these days; As far as I'm concerned, 2GB per channel is the baseline for any current computer system. Also, buying faster RAM really won't net you much of a benefit for the cost -- 1600 MHz seems to be the sweet spot for performance to price ratios....

[Darkvine]

Like I said, I posted the wrong link. I clicked on the 3GB rather then the 6GB kit in the product list.

[slpdLoad]

I really like my EVGA LE + EK fullcover block. Hits 4.0-4.2 no problem on my 920, and the 8x PCIe slot is not going to slow anything down for a long while.

[Marne]

i was wondering about that 16x 8x slot thing. are you sure i wont notice a difference?

[cstkl1]

sishh

i7920/i7950
EVGA Classy 760
Corsair Dom GT 2k C7 6gb
Gskill Perfect Storm 2k C7 6gb

[mattgmann]

i was wondering about that 16x 8x slot thing. are you sure i wont notice a difference?

Only in direct comparison benching, and then your talking only a few percetage points. And that's only with the highest end cards. If that's a concern there are plenty of other boards out there that are dual x16. Like I said, overclocking is really close between all of the boards, and the cpu you end up with will matter way more than what mobo you get. Just pick the one that has all the features you want.

[Septim]

if you're gonna do sLi anyways, i doubt you'd notice the differences.

[Greedseed]

I was roughly 500 bucks into my first i7 upgrade Marne. I'm running the EVGS X58 SLi LE board, i7 920 DO step, and 6 gigs of G Skill Trident RAM. It has been bulletproof so far Bro :up: I've been running the proc @ 4.01 24/7 crunching on air since day 1.

dam 500 where did u buy !!
if i wont to get upgrade it costs me 600€or more !

[Crow]

Man, screw G.Skill. They used to be great and had the cheapest RAM in their Freq/Timing ranges, but then they got popular. SMH

Plus, if it can't do at least 1900Mhz at Cas 9, it's not worth it. And the kit that Bjorn3D got couldn't even do that.

[cstkl1]

the day ppl actually think reviewers can clock rams
lol
other than anandtech and hardwarecanucks
rest are noobies

[Crow]

I trust Bjorn3D, Madshrimps, Anandtech, and Guru3D. :up:

[Floyd]

Man, screw G.Skill. They used to be great and had the cheapest RAM in their Freq/Timing ranges, but then they got popular.

I like my Gskill black Pi ram. Of course im not much into OCing my ram.

[cstkl1]

I trust Bjorn3D, Madshrimps, Anandtech, and Guru3D. :up:
lol on bjorn3d, madshrimp and guru3d
especially when a review for ram
blame the mobo

like for fuck sake then dont use review units and get a mobo that can
or if its a proc buy as many proc until it works

[ablatman]

sishh

i7920/i7950
EVGA Classy 760
Corsair Dom GT 2k C7 6gb
Gskill Perfect Storm 2k C7 6gb

Dude, he's trying not to spend 1500 USD.

Also, as the 759 is available again (or was as of yesterday), if he was going to get a classified, that's what he should get.... That, and the 950 is a bullshit processor that really doesn't make any sense to get.


As for how he might get everything he's looking for for ~500 USD... I think he's under-budgeting RAM a bit, but bump that figure up by 50-100 USD and it's completely reasonable.

How? Microcenter. They've got the 920 for 200 USD, and the EVGA X58 LE for 230 (before 20 USD MIR), meaning that he's looking at spending ~456 after tax and before rebate, leaving 144 USD to spend on RAM while still keeping it under 600 USD.

[Marne]

Dude, he's trying not to spend 1500 USD.

Also, as the 759 is available again (or was as of yesterday), if he was going to get a classified, that's what he should get.... That, and the 950 is a bullshit processor that really doesn't make any sense to get.


As for how he might get everything he's looking for for ~500 USD... I think he's under-budgeting RAM a bit, but bump that figure up by 50-100 USD and it's completely reasonable.

How? Microcenter. They've got the 920 for 200 USD, and the EVGA X58 LE for 230 (before 20 USD MIR), meaning that he's looking at spending ~456 after tax and before rebate, leaving 144 USD to spend on RAM while still keeping it under 600 USD.

fuckin right

[Darkvine]

sishh

i7920/i7950
EVGA Classy 760
Corsair Dom GT 2k C7 6gb
Gskill Perfect Storm 2k C7 6gb


That is some amazing ram, I mean I have seen people get the perfect storm to some fucking high ass speeds with cas 7 timing but damn the man said cheap. Anyone of those RAM kits would blow half if not more of his budget.

The Trident or Muskin blackline would do him just fine for $100 cheaper.

[ablatman]

That is some amazing ram, I mean I have seen people get the perfect storm to some fucking high ass speeds with cas 7 timing but damn the man said cheap. Anyone of those RAM kits would blow half if not more of his budget.

The Trident or Muskin blackline would do him just fine for $100 cheaper.

Seriously? Last I checked the Corsair Dominator GT 2000 CL 7 kit was ~600 USD. That seems to be his entire budget for CPU, RAM, and mobo.

[Darkvine]

Seriously? Last I checked the Corsair Dominator GT 2000 CL 7 kit was ~600 USD. That seems to be his entire budget for CPU, RAM, and mobo.

I based that off the CL 8 2000 kit, wasn't sure on a CL 7 and didn't feel like running my mouth off about something I wasn't sure on. Either way the point was made, even though it was a lower amount.


Really it comes down to what you want Marne. There are a ton of options for both low latency and high speed ram even on a budget. If you have a preferred company sure they make something in the range.

[ablatman]

I based that off the CL 8 2000 kit, wasn't sure on a CL 7 and didn't feel like running my mouth off about something I wasn't sure on. Either way the point was made, even though it was a lower amount.

Even so my numbers were off; Once you figure in shipping, the CL 8 2000MHz kit will run you about 400, and the CL7 2000 MHz will run you about 500 USD.


Really it comes down to what you want Marne. There are a ton of options for both low latency and high speed ram even on a budget. If you have a preferred company sure they make something in the range.

Right on.

[BDW88]

Dom GT's 2000mhz CL7 are almost impossible to find been trying to get my hands on some for a while.

[ablatman]

Dom GT's 2000mhz CL7 are almost impossible to find been trying to get my hands on some for a while.

https://shop.corsair.com/store/item_view.aspx?id=766411

There you go.

[BDW88]

Ahh there back in stock thanks!