"Sandy Bridge" is out!

PolyHertz

Been waiting for the new Sandy-Bridge cpus to be released for what seems like ages. Well they're finally out, so time to upgrade!

So anyhow I'm looking to get a relatively cheap mobo that supports usb3 and 6gb sata (dont care about sli), and it seems the Gigabyte branded ones are the most affordable (asside from Intel) atm. Does anyone here have experience with Gigabyte mobos and can recommend them? Am looking at this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128460

XenoKratios

I think ASUS is also releasing compatible Motherboards for the new Sandy Bridge CPU's.

The H67 and th P8P67's. They have all the good stuff you want!

edit: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131685&cm_re=h67-_-13-131-685-_-Product

I have never used gigabyte, but I know Asus provides a good mobo.

Rwolf

I just bought a i5 760 last month >.< eh, least it's not too far behind the i5 2500 in gaming performance.

willy-wilson

phew glad ill be making my computer purchases next month.

oXYnary

Then you can see how the AMD Bulldozer will match up. Totally new architecture on that as well.

Polyhertz, you might look at the MSI ones, the versions with the military grade hardware as per those should be very stable systems. Also MSI is supposed to be drooping BIOS for uefi. In short, bios has been modded so long and is so out of date. With UEFI you will get faster bootimes and things like ability to have drives larger than 2 terabytes.

00Zero

what does sandy-bridge bring to the table thats lacking in the i7?

i read up a little bit on it. seems like it combines cpu the gpu on one chip? what if you have a dedicated (good) video card. seems like its aimed at mobile/laptops with no dedicated video cards?

Blaizer

I prefer ASUS, but Gigabyte is also a good brand, and all depends of what you need for a mobo.

I'm gonna update my gaming pc with a i7 2500 or 2600K, mobo+cpu+memory.

PolyHertz

oXYnary wrote: »

Then you can see how the AMD Bulldozer will match up. Totally new architecture on that as well.

Also MSI is supposed to be drooping BIOS for uefi.

So Bulldozer is going to be getting shown/released in February? Also thought the 1155 mobos were all supposed to have UEFI, bummer.

00Zero wrote: »

what does sandy-bridge bring to the table thats lacking in the i7?

For people with discreet gpus its main advantage is in the high clock frequency, the 2600k goes up to 3.8ghz (3.7ghz for 2500k) using turboboost when not all the cores are being used. They overclock well too, getting up to 5ghz on air cooling.

piippo

Also, SB is faster clock-to-clock than Bloomfield(old i7). Going from i7 to these new ones isn't really worth it, but if you are like me and running E6400 - then it's about time for an upgrade. I'm getting the 2600K with HT. Big jump from 2 cores to 4 cores and 8 threads.

Tom Ellis

+1 for ASUS here, I used a 1366 Socket ASUS with my i7 and it's been fantastic. Also IIRC, the pricing wasn't too dissimilar to the Gigabyte counterparts.

haiddasalami

Gigabyte is a good brand and I used them when I used to overlock. Generally if an Asus or Gigabyte is cheaper. Man I really need to get back and start to update my computer. My q6600 and 3870 are crying Whats the price on these suckers? Might just end up giving this rig to my brother and starting again.

Joshua Stubbles

Im still sporting a Core2Duo E6600 and 3GB of ram, heh. My contract ends in 3 months so I need to save some cash, but I need to upgrade soon.

On a side note - what the holy fuck has happened to memory? It's DIRT CHEAP these days. You can get 8GB for less than $100! Maybe because of the finds in SSD development? I'm not complaining...

Xoliul

Worth upgrading from a Q9550? Doesn't seem that extreme of a differnce yet and my PC still seems very fast to me. Maybe i'll just wait for the next generation.

JostVice

checking here Sandy Bridge wikipedia page it seems prices are lower than the old i7 (at least on my local shop), how is this?

I would like to see some benchmarks, wonder how GTA IV runs in one of these I'm still running a Q6600, seems good enought.

ZacD

its similar enough to the earlier iseries that its cheaper, its like what happened with the core2's, the first wave was a bit more expensive, the 2nd was more affordable, an earlier adopter fee.

Target_Renegade

I'm still running a q6600 with a GTx260 and with most games i'm at the high quality settings. I wonder if its because of the console market? Kind of tempted to go with a more powerful socket 775 instead of forking out for a new MB and RAM.

ZacD

its all about the console market, which are basically equal to a pc w/ core2duo, 8800GT, and 2 gigs ram, so most console/pc games will have their very high settings with decent frame rates with that kind of computer.

XenoKratios

Kinda confused now, is there anyway to have the IBM/Sony cell processor into a regular PC? I know the Sandy is a 32nm architecture and the Cell is a 90nm ( I think?)... but isn't the cell better, even though some people say it's dead?

I heard they were making a smaller one, a 64 I believe for the IBM laptops, but what happened?

Xoliul

XenoKratios wrote: »

Kinda confused now, is there anyway to have the IBM/Sony cell processor into a regular PC? I know the Sandy is a 32nm architecture and the Cell is a 90nm ( I think?)... but isn't the cell better, even though some people say it's dead?

I heard they were making a smaller one, a 64 I believe for the IBM laptops, but what happened?

Why the F* would you want a Cell anyway? It doesn't work like a regular CPU, so it's not like it replaces your average quadcore. You wouldn't be able to do anything with it other than boast online. It requires applications or games to be specifically written for it, which is why it's so much harder to develop for PS3 than Xbox360.

XenoKratios

I just never understood the Cell, when it came out it was all the rave, I remember when they said the Pureisutēshon Surī had like... 32 cores.. then 10.. then finally it was like 8 ahaha...

Regardless I just never heard about it afterwords...

I know it's harder, but is it better? Thats all I really want to know...

I have always used AMD, and probably always will, but it's always good to take other stuff into consideration.. that super computer IBM made which was the fastest in the world from 08-09 had the cell in there, and amd. Soo could a cell be used to made the regular amd or intel CPU's faster? I don't know I never got the Cell...

Is it just harder because people have no knowledge of it?

oXYnary

PolyHertz wrote: »

So Bulldozer is going to be getting shown/released in February? Also thought the 1155 mobos were all supposed to have UEFI, bummer.

Actually doesn't sound like any of them are. Which is whacked because supposedly MSI was going to start full support this year. I heard UEFI is harder with third party things like usb 3.0 or sata3 aftermarket chips as the original designers have to give the MB makers code to work in UEFI. Maybe this is why you only see Intel MB with UEFI as they keep it "pure".

Yes, supposedly Feb is when we will get info on the Bulldozer.

Here is the latest listing from last year of UEFI enabled. As you can see only Intel is really offering the MB.
http://www.uefi.org/news/uefi_industry/UEFIEvaluationPlatforms_2010.pdf

oXYnary

Otay, did some more research.

for those wondering what the hell we are talking about...

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC05K5YjHqo&amp;feature=player_embedded[/ame]

Per MSI.

http://www.guru3d.com/article/msi-p67gd65-motherboard-review/1

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130553

Has the ClickBios which is UEFI (and the military components)

PolyHertz

Other boards from different manufacturers are listing UEFI though, such as the ASRock Extreme4:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157217

piippo

Cell isn't x86 compatible, it's PPC based RISC processor. Where as most modern desktop processors(well all of them) are x86 CISC based.

nVidia is trying to bring ARM based CPU+GPU hybrid to the desktop markets in the near future, but the thing is - x86 isn't compatible, you'd need to have virtualization/emulation of x86 on ARM to that to happen. Which would mean a loss in performance. I'm no pro-coder myself, but I've heard that Assembly(language) is bit easier on ARM than on x86.

Well that's that babble.

Xoliul wrote: »

Worth upgrading from a Q9550? Doesn't seem that extreme of a differnce yet and my PC still seems very fast to me. Maybe i'll just wait for the next generation.

That's a hard question to answer since Q9550 holds up pretty nicely. I think you are better off waiting another year for the 6-8 core versions of Sandy Bridge, codename Ivy Bridge. Produced on 22nm.

I think the upgrade is worth it, if one is running dual core now, and needs the extra power.

XenoKratios

Well I think I understand it better than I did before, thanks piippo.

On a side note, MSI makes wicked products, amazing quality! Someone had purchsed a video card from them, I think the dual fan one, I think it's called the Hawk? Anyways.. they told me to install it and I kind of tinkered about with it and opened it up. It was actually very well designed and super rugged/strong.

Sooo... yeah MSI totally gets my vote as well. I think I'm going to wait for a bundle from MSI that offers a mobo and gpu, when this new AMD processor is released ( I would go with Asus on this one, but MSI usually has good deals on this kind of stuff). Exited to see what they'll bring to the table because Intel is killing it right now and I hate to see my brand being second .

Also found this... just ridiculous

Using the kilo-core FPGA computer, the team was able to process 5 gigabytes per sec of movie files, which is about 20 times the rate that existing high-end computers can manage.

http://www.fastcompany.com/1714174/1000-core-cpu-achieved-your-future-desktop-will-be-a-supercomputer

PolyHertz

Do any 1155 boards support floppy drives? I'm re-using my old case and its got a floppy drive in it, seems like a waste to have it there and not be able to use it.

edit: n/m, looks like the ASRock board does, but Asus and MSI mobos don't.

soulstice

what do you use a floppy drive for these days? just curious hehe.

ZacD

PolyHertz is just a hipster with a large floppy and vinyl collection.

Joshua Stubbles

Was looking at picking this up:

- Sandy Bridge i5 2300 (2.8ghz, 3.1ghz boost)
- Gigabyte GA-H67A-UD3H
- 8GB OCZ DDR3 1333

My current system really dies after about 2-3hrs of Max+Zbrush+Photoshop use at home. The extra memory should help a lot, not to mention the 4 cores.

XenoKratios

He's probably got some DOS games... give it up Dangerous Dave was only fun the first 8000 times.

PolyHertz

ZacD wrote: »

PolyHertz is just a hipster

soulstice wrote: »

what do you use a floppy drive for these days? just curious hehe.

Flashing new firmware onto Hard drives, burners, etc. I've had trouble with usb in the past for that sort of thing. Floppys are ancient but they work well for that purpose.

oXYnary

Get a usb floppy drive. Close that front port. Choose what motherboard is the best without worries of needing support for ancient tech.

greevar

Wow, has nobody heard that the Sandy Bridge is coming with DRM built in? Given, it only is used when the content asks for it, but I for one do not want it in my machine.

piippo

greevar wrote: »

Wow, has nobody heard that the Sandy Bridge is coming with DRM built in? Given, it only is used when the content asks for it, but I for one do not want it in my machine.

Intel Insider - What Is It? (IS it DRM? And yes it delivers top quality movies to your PC)

Doesn't change anything.

Joshua Stubbles

HD content on your PC (legal HD content, anyways) already requires an HDCP secure connection to a compatible monitor. These DRM-esque chips are already in your monitor so I don't see why you should have issues with it being in your CPU. Stop downloading pirated shit

greevar

"... it keeps the data safe from pirates, but still lets you enjoy your legally acquired movie in the best possible quality."

That's supposed to make me feel ok about it? No matter how they try to sugar coat it, it's definitely a step in the wrong direction.

"This technology is built into the new Intel chips and will become even more important once wireless display technology like Intel’s WiDi become more popular, as it would prevent pirates from stealing movies remotely just by snooping the airwaves."

Yeah sure. The "pirates" are going to go war driving for content they can more easily get from file sharing. Har har. Propaganda and censorship is all this is. It's like stabbing someone in the back and trying to convince them it's for their own good.

Richard Kain

My brother is going to be working for Intel in a few months. And he's already assured me that I will be able to take advantage of his employee discount. Cha-ching! I have an old Mac G5 that hasn't worked properly in years. I think I'll strip it down, and use its attractive case as the basis for a new desktop system.

greevar

Joshua Stubbles wrote: »

HD content on your PC (legal HD content, anyways) already requires an HDCP secure connection to a compatible monitor. These DRM-esque chips are already in your monitor so I don't see why you should have issues with it being in your CPU. Stop downloading pirated shit

I have issue about HDCP as well. They're trying to stop something that can't be stopped and their strategy treats loyal consumers like criminals and infringes on our fair use rights. The DMCA outright bypasses that. If they slap DRM on your media, you can't make back up copies or store it on your HTPC without breaking the protection and automatically becoming a criminal. If you have to break the law to exercises your rights, then it's a law that shouldn't exist. That's my beef with this new DRM measure. But, it will be broken and only paying customers will have to deal with it.

PolyHertz

greevar: Well its either accept it or switch to AMD, which for years now hasn't been very much of a competitor. Maybe Bulldozer will level the playing field, maybe not, come February hopefully we'll know. I don't see buying the chip as supporting the drm though, just buying the media it affects, and at least for the moment said media is non-existent.

But I fully agree with you in principal, and drm is a big part of why I don't buy many PC games anymore.

Bigjohn

So just to make sure I understand this proper, the major thing this brings to the table is the higher clock speeds? I see some 3.8ghz i7 CPUs with this architecture now. And they don't seem too expensive either.

Joshua Stubbles

I believe they're cheaper, faster, run cooler and draw less power. They've also apparently got Nvidia based GFX tech built into the CPU, amongst other things. Even the lower end chip I'm eyeballin' should be a monumental jump forward over the Core2Duo E6600 I've been running since 2006.

greevar

I've used AMD for 10 years in my PC builds. They give good performance in the affordable price range, whereas Intel holds the fastest CPU title and charges a premium for it. I don't need bleeding edge CPU power. My Phenom II 4x 950 BE serves me just fine and they haven't gone through as many socket changes as Intel either. That makes me happy when I want to upgrade. I'd rather have more RAM than an i7.

PolyHertz

greevar wrote: »

I've used AMD for 10 years in my PC builds. They give good performance in the affordable price range, whereas Intel holds the fastest CPU title and charges a premium for it. I don't need bleeding edge CPU power. My Phenom II 4x 950 BE serves me just fine and they haven't gone through as many socket changes as Intel either. That makes me happy when I want to upgrade. I'd rather have more RAM than an i7.

As long as what you're doing doesn't need 'bleeding edge' that's fine, go with whatever you think makes the most sense for you. But for some things like Rendering you can never have too much cpu power.

edit: Just to compare price vs. performance, here's benchmarks of the 2500k ($225) vs the Phenom II X6 1090T ($230):
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/288?vs=146

The AMD chip is slower for basically the same price. It could be argued that its offset by the price of getting a new mobo, but that's assuming the potential buyer already has one that's AM3 compatible.

ZacD

^and cheaper in energy costs, for a extremely BUDGET gaming pc, amd may cheaper, but for a decent game art rig the prices really level out, but intel is still getting amd's butt with their i processors.

piippo

I've not had much issues with the socket changes. Since I upgrade so rarely, it's not a big problem. LGA1155 is used for the next processors from Intel too, but I doubt I'm getting one of those either

Going from E6400 to Sandy Bridge is long due upgrade for me.

Millah

One thing I don't get about Sandybridge is that I believe the mobos that support it only have 4 memory slots. This limits heavy resource hog users (like us) that want to totally max out RAM (Think zbrush, etc.).

Am I missing something here? Are there mobos coming that support 6 memory sticks? I know that Sandybridge draws less power but isn't that what good cooling is for anyways?

Looking at newegg, I could rebuild the heart of my machine (new cpu, mobo, and 24 gigs of RAM) for 834.00 right now non-sandybridge.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128423
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115211

Reading over what I wrote it sounds like I'm pooping on Sandybridge. Really I'm just curious as to whether it's worth limiting my sytem to 4 sticks of RAM to get the lower draw on power and slight increase in performance.

I've read many Sandybridge articles but none are really targeted towards users of Zbrush, etc.

PolyHertz

Most of the 1155 mobos support up to 32gb of ram via 4x 8gb sticks. 8gb sticks are crazy expensive ($300+ for a single stick), but 16gb via 4x 4gb isn't exactly a small amount either. You wont see tripple channel memory again until LGA2011 boards are released somewhere between Q3 this year and Q1 2012

XenoKratios

Did you decide on what you're getting PolyHertz?

Just to bring you over to the dark side:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vBN-cBPs98[/ame]

PolyHertz

Yep, this is what I ordered:

cpu: I5 2500K
mobo: ASRock P67 Pro3
ram: 2x 4gb of ddr3 1600
ssd: Crucial 128gb 300m
hdd: 2tb F4 Samsung spinpoint

The Asus board seems to be more popular but looked cramped compared to the ASRock with the PCIe placement.

I'm reusing my tower, burner, screens, speakers, power supply, gpu, and keyboard/mouse. All told came to about $800, a bit over budget thanks to the ssd but hopefully the speed boost will be worth it.

oXYnary

PolyHertz wrote: »

Yep, this is what I ordered:

cpu: I5 2500K
mobo: ASRock P67 Pro3
ram: 2x 4gb of ddr3 1600
ssd: Crucial 128gb 300m
hdd: 2tb F4 Samsung spinpoint

The Asus board seems to be more popular but looked cramped compared to the ASRock with the PCIe placement.

I'm reusing my tower, burner, screens, speakers, power supply, gpu, and keyboard/mouse. All told came to about $800, a bit over budget thanks to the ssd but hopefully the speed boost will be worth it.

Mmm. Tasty. Though man, why not get a new gpu to go with that system (and sell me the old )

Blaizer

I'm gonna get an i7 2600k (this one has HT and for rendering is what i need) + asus p8p67 pro + 16gb ram ddr3 1600, but it will be for february. There's not enough stock, and all is quite expensive now. Some friends bought the 2600k = 270euro, and it's now at 300 euro, damn demand...