17 socket longevity

[ajrunke]

Hi all,

I currently have a socket 775 but I am looking to upgrade my processor. My main usage is gaming. Anyway, I'm at the point where I'd like to upgrade from my current 2.4 Ghz core2duo to something better. My main question is: Is it worth the extra cash to upgrade my mobo to be able to accept an i7 (along with the extra cost of the i7 itself)? Also, does the L2 cache make a large difference going from 6 to 12?

At this point I'm leaning towards Q9550.........

Then it begs the question about gfx cards.....I currently have an 8800gt, but I will be upgrading within 6 months. My current mobo is an Asus P5B which does not support sli (or express 2.0). Now days, graphics cards are coming out that are complete beasts which have the same power as 2 880gt's, so with these powerful gfx cars, is a new mobo that supports sli really necessary?

 

[o1die]

Future proofing is a losing proposition. Get what you can afford now; microcenter has sold the 9550 for $170; frys had it for a few dollars more with motherboard included. If you can sell your old board, cpu, and ram for a decent price on craigslist or ebay, then you can afford the i7. But try selling it first before buying the expensive upgrades; you may not get any decent offers.

 

[sminlal]

The issue isn't how long Intel will keep using the socket - the issue is how long will the motherboard manufacturer keep issuing firmware updates for old boards to support new CPUs. THAT time is likely shorter.

Manufacturers usually only do firmware updates for the current generation of motherboards or perhaps one generation back. Motherboards go through a new generation typically every year or so because new improvements like SATA 3, USB 3, new PCIe versions, etc. are constantly coming out.

 

[jaguarskx]

In the recent past several years Intel sockets tend to live about two years before being replaced.

 

[enzo matrix]

In the recent past several years Intel sockets tend to live about two years before being replaced.

socket 775 has been around since 2006

 

[BadTrip]

The issue isn't how long Intel will keep using the socket - the issue is how long will the motherboard manufacturer keep issuing firmware updates for old boards to support new CPUs. THAT time is likely shorter.

Manufacturers usually only do firmware updates for the current generation of motherboards or perhaps one generation back. Motherboards go through a new generation typically every year or so because new improvements like SATA 3, USB 3, new PCIe versions, etc. are constantly coming out.

Major league +1

 

[BadTrip]

socket 775 has been around since 2006

socket 775 doesnt really count. The memory controller being onboard ment that have boards that dont support newer cpus due to chipset limitations.