Chip Comparison: FX-8120 v Core i5

[Jonathanese]

I'm looking to upgrade my core2 Duo E8400 to something more future-proof.

I'm currently running:
C2D E8400 @ 4GHz
4GB DDR2 800 @ 1081MHz
Geforce 9800GTX+
2x Seagate HDD (133MB/s)
P5Q Pro Turbo
Dual Samsung Monitors (4096x1152 resolution)

What do I use it for?:
-FL Studio Primarily now
-GP (Like browsing waterfox, watching videos,etc)
-Plenty of Audio/Video converting.
-Autodesk Inventor, Mathematica, Visual Studio
-Minecraft, UT3, Crysis, Portal 2.
-Overclocking

I don't do a lot of gaming, and even so, I figure I'll be more GPU-limited than anything. I'm mostly looking for more cores, more memory bandwidth, and better Hard disk performance.

So, here's what I'm considering:
-OCZ Agility 3 60GB ($50ish on newegg)
-A-DATA DDR3 1600 2x4GB
-Same Graphics card
-Asus Motherboard (I want versatility in fan controls, and I love the brand)

And I'm trying to keep this all in the $300-$400 range.

So here's where I'm tied down: I've been seeing the FX-8120 on newegg for about 170, with an ASUS mobo with all the features I want for $90-something. However, I'm also seeing Intel's Sandy-Bridge series for about $20 more, and I'd need to spend at least $100 for the boards that even support the RAM.

So basically, I'm torn between the two setups.

Do I go for the 8-core setup for the trimmed prices, or Would the extra money be worth it for the Intel offering? I'm in college, so every penny counts.

 

[amuffin]

That would be the i5.

 

[rds1220]

Either an I5 or I7 would fit what you're looking for.

 

[Jonathanese]

Okay, I did much more research after seeing your responses. Yes, i5 DOES sound awesome.

Next question, though: Ivy Bridge or Sandy Bridge? I want the ddr3 1600 speeds available, but doesn't ivy run hotter due to bad TIM?

 

[amuffin]

Sandy and Ivy both support 1600mhz+ ram. I would vote sandy since you are overclocking.

 

[Jonathanese]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing: Put in an extra 20 bucks and get the 2500k instead of the 3550.

The ASUS Z68 motherboard I'm looking at seems to be a beast in overclocking, much like my current board.

But I'm reading the specs about the 2500K, and I'm seeing only 1066/1333 speeds supported by the integrated memory controller. I suppose this doesn't matter if my multiplier is unlocked and thus I can boost the interface speed without sacrificing RAM stability.

I just want to make sure I'm getting the most out of my hardware. 2500K is looking pretty good right now.

 

[Jonathanese]

Hold on a sec, I'm comparing benchmarks again.

http://www.guru3d.com/article/amd-fx-8150--8120-6100-and-4100-performance-review/1

Now, remember that the 2500K is currently $220 on newegg, it's the main competitor to the FX which has an unlocked multiplier. It would be placed in a $110 motherboard in order to get the fan controls, RAM support, and 2 PCI-E slots I want. $330 in total.

The FX-8120, while it was a disappointment as an architecture, is only $170 on newegg with everything unlocked. And the motherboard will be $95 with both PCI-E slots, RAM support, and fan controls. A total of $265

So, the performance seems similar either way, but there is now a $65 price delta, which is pretty significant in a budget tech update.

And if the 8120 overclocks as well as they say, I should be able to notch it up past the Sandy Bridge proc.

 

[amuffin]

The FX 8 cores aren't faster until you reach 4.5ghz+ you can only surpass a stock clocked i5-2500k. But if you overclock the i5-2500k, to 4.5ghz which is VERY easy to do as the multiplier is unlocked, you would need a 6ghz FX 8 core to beat it!

 

[Jonathanese]

Okay, so here's where I stand as far as my purchase/sell options:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvUtKqTGZVH9dGo3UXVRSi1IaURER1JxcGFZaHNxZWc

Hopefully the doc is available.

 

[Guest]

are those IDE hard drives you are going to re-use?

 

[ohyouknow]

Do you live near a microcenter by chance? Their combo's are impossible to beat.

www.microcenter.com

 

[Jonathanese]

I'm about 3 hours east of St Louis, so I suppose it's doable. Especially with some of the deals I'm seeing. Right on the first page, I see I can get a core i7 for the same price!

To Looniam: I haven't used IDE in, heck, forever. I'm currently running two 160GB SATA drives that I got completely free. They're running in RAID-0 ATM. I was going to put the OS on the SSD and have the HDD's for extra room.

 

[Guest]

I'm about 3 hours east of St Louis, so I suppose it's doable. Especially with some of the deals I'm seeing. Right on the first page, I see I can get a core i7 for the same price!

To Looniam: I haven't used IDE in, heck, forever. I'm currently running two 160GB SATA drives that I got completely free. They're running in RAID-0 ATM. I was going to put the OS on the SSD and have the HDD's for extra room.

oh

2x Seagate HDD (133MB/s)

threw me off. . .

 

[Jonathanese]

lol. Didn't think about that. hah.

So, I'm seeing a core i7 at a reasonable price at microcenter. About $220, same as I was willing to pay for the i5-2500k. However, it's ivy bridge and isn't a K model.

 

[Jonathanese]

Nevermind. SB-E is the core. sorry.

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0383144