The core i7 is money well spent. Several months ago I figured it was time to upgrade my Gaming desktop machine.4 CPU's rocking was certainly nice, but after upgrading to the Intel Core i7, with Hyperthreading enabled I realized I had been rolling old-school!
As I mentioned, this used to be my gaming box, mostly for one of my old classic favorites Company of Heroes by Relic THQ. What really happened is that this CPU Mobo combo tremendously increased my efficiency for one of my favorite past times, editing and rendering High Def Video. Obviously, this setup chews up Company of Heroes with no problem even when coupled with a bit aged Nvidia GSX 8800 video card.
For my Mobo, I went with the Hyperthreading Ready P6X58D. This is a wonderful Mobo loaded with options and ready for as much memory as you can afford to dish out without diminishing returns. I hadn’t planned ( of course ) on spending quite so much since my old RAM wouldn’t work with this new shiny Motherboard from Asus. This Mobo’s Triple-channel memory can handle more than I was willing to dish out at the time, but it hasn’t been a problem. I love the 8 core CPU action to rock my High Def video renders in Sony Vegas. What used to take 2 hours to render was reduced to 20 minutes. It changed the way Booya produces videos. I used to have to finish the whole video edit, and pray that it turned out ok less I’d have to re-render. But with the core i7, I’ll render a damn video 2-3 times and end up with the perfection I was seeking in far less time!
When it comes to cases, I am not a snob, but I do like flexibility and prefer some type of modular removal system for Hard Drive, and CD/BluRay Drives. Therefore, I kept my previous case which has also worked out quite well. A big advantage is if you can build your own systems. That’s a personal call, but I have found it saves me money and allows me to customize individual hardware upgrades. Another consideration if you have multiple machines is to transfer your old CPU’s to your old boxes. In my case, my quad core is not exactly a piece of crap, so having a compatible mobo, I was able to keep it in the family. My old Quad made a wonderful replacement for my Windows Home Server machine. This allowed me to upgrade 2 machines at once ! Very Booya. Whether or not you should purchase depends on your budget and processing needs. The average Joe on the street can do without 8 cores of CPU in my opinion, but if you take things to the next level, are a big gamer, or love to edit and create videos like me then you will shed a tear of joy on your first Render with this slot LGA 1366 badass. The power of this setup will indeed change the way you game or work. I love it, and am extremely glad I spent the cash for one the favorite tools I own.
If your’re considering the purchase, rest assured you will smile. And after install, come on back to Booya and give us a virtual high-five because I’ll celebrate with you. I know you’ll love it. I can’t even wipe this nerdy smile off my face I love this setup so much. In fact, maybe it’s time to head back to Fry’s and pick up another 6GB of Patriot memory now that my gadget budget has been refreshed. Happy shopping. If you have a similar setup, let us know what you think. Booya !