Core i5, Core i7, CrossFire, And SLI: Gaming Paradise, Redux?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Dekasav

Distinguished
Sep 2, 2008
1,243
0
19,310
Only thing I don't like is how you knock Crossfire with 2 HD 4870X2's, since when is it even feasible that 4-way CF would scale as well as 2-way SLI?

But excellent review, overall, I'm actually surprised at how the 965BE did, I thought it'd be behind, where it was actually right in the pack.
 
I would have liked to see a 780a or a 980a SLI motherboard used to check the SLI numbers on the P2 965BE. I'm also surprised there's no overclocking numbers in the comparison, is that article still to come out?
 

anonymous x

Distinguished
Apr 22, 2008
121
0
18,680
Let us know what you think about this in the comments section, but it was pretty clear that Vista was never a favorite, so we're hoping Windows 7 is a more popular environment in which to test
I like vista, rock solid and stable since I got it years ago. Don't listen to the bashers who never have tried the product.
 

lashton

Distinguished
Mar 5, 2006
607
0
18,990
You giotta remember vista is design for spoecific hardware and powerfull hardware that can run it, so people with P4 3GHz and vista complain about its speed, vista is OK, i dont like it cause my computer doesm't like it thats fine i get over it and chnage my OS
 

crash27

Distinguished
Sep 5, 2007
35
0
18,530
So there's no benafit from adding a second 285 to a q9550s or an x4 965 be ??

I get a good performance boost from my second gtx280 with my q9650 @ 4 gz
 

cangelini

Contributing Editor
Editor
Jul 4, 2008
1,878
9
19,795
crash--
As mentioned in the story, these were tested on 790GX and X48 platforms, which don't do SLI. While there are Nvidia-based SLI platforms available for both configurations, I felt that they were quite a bit more rare and applicable to a much smaller contingent of readers than the CrossFire-capable platforms. The beauty of X58 and P55 is that they'll do both!
Regards,
Chris
 

San Pedro

Distinguished
Jul 16, 2007
1,286
12
19,295
Why so many tests today with 2 4870x2s?

I'd rather have seen 4890 and then 4890CF. That way you see single card performance compared to crossfire instead of dual corssfire compared to quad crossfire.

I do understand why the card is compared to the GTX 285 based on price though.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Let's be glad AMD is still around to provide competition to Intel. Gaming is obviously fine on either CPU, but some people say: "OMG, I must have the Core i7 because it can do the Monte Carlo simulation faster!!!". The performance difference between Core i7/Phenom II is marginal right now, but if AMD were to exit stage left, then these round ups would be VIA vs. Intel, and I don't know about you, but VIA's offerings really AREN'T fast enough for me... Consider a Phenom II, I love mine...
 

Pei-chen

Distinguished
Jul 3, 2007
1,279
5
19,285
[citation][nom]competition_fanbloke[/nom]Let's be glad AMD is still around to provide competition to Intel. Gaming is obviously fine on either CPU, but some people say: "OMG, I must have the Core i7 because it can do the Monte Carlo simulation faster!!!". The performance difference between Core i7/Phenom II is marginal right now, but if AMD were to exit stage left, then these round ups would be VIA vs. Intel, and I don't know about you, but VIA's offerings really AREN'T fast enough for me... Consider a Phenom II, I love mine...[/citation]
I wish there is a third and fourth player in the market so AMD won't sit on its butt and do nothing. AMD has this idea that “we don’t have to compete on performance, just make our product cheap enough and people will buy it”. That’s what doomed GM and Chrysler.

I wish Nvidia and NEC join/rejoin the CPU market.
 
Thank you, Toms, for the detailed Graphics comparison. Yet regarding the comments section, I have to shake my head that we're again continuing the AMD versus Intel wars.

I thought people should have learned by now that GPU~intensive tests say little about CPUs, except whether they're 'Good Enough', or not.
 

Sardaukarz

Distinguished
Oct 27, 2006
17
0
18,510
I wonder if u will ever include WOW in ur benchmark suite. Its just a MMORPG but it happens to be the most played game on the planet, thus making it interesting for a lot of us out there who are looking on information when deciding to buy one video card vs another or one processor vs another. Thnkz.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Pei-Chen: This article shobuld make it painfully obvious that AMD can and DOES compete on performance in games. AMD has brought plenty of innovation, even if they don't always finish first, but only for the CPU-based video rendering enthusiast does it make no sense to purchase AMD, the other 99.9% of us couldn't tell the difference in a taste test.

PS: If you want a 3rd and 4th player, you should go discuss x86 licensing with your beloved Intel...
 

Acclaim

Distinguished
Sep 8, 2009
5
0
18,510
The only question that remains for me is how things will turn once the DirectX 11 cards are announced.

Then, I can see x8 PCIe2.0 links hurting the P55 chipset and the X58 showing its true potential.

This will definitely affect SLI/Crossfire setups but I am not sure how it will affect single card solutions.
 
[citation][nom]anonymous x[/nom]I like vista, rock solid and stable since I got it years ago. Don't listen to the bashers who never have tried the product.[/citation]
Agreed. Vista was pretty good after all the manufactures released the drivers. I still think Win 7 is better than XP and Vista.
 
Few things people should know:

1. LGA775 is dead now, so don't build PCs on that unless really in a budget.

2. The LGA 1156 will NOT have hexcore CPUs.

3. The current LGA1366 is meant as the higher end option and was more or less designed for the HPC/server crowd along with the ethuist.

4. If you live near a Microcenter, you can grab a i7 920 for $200 which I believe is a very good idea.
 

AMDnoob

Distinguished
May 3, 2009
216
0
18,690
Why does AMD suck sooo much?!?! I (thought) I loved AMD but the 965 is a complete JOKE! 140W at 3.4Ghz and it just stays w/ the Intel i7-920@2.66????? o_O tht's not right. And trust me, I'm not hating on AMD, just constructive criticism :D and these i5's and new i7's are just going to bowl them over. They need to pull somethin out... like NOW!
 

aj28

Distinguished
Dec 3, 2008
3
0
18,510
[citation][nom]AMDnoob[/nom]Why does AMD suck sooo much?!?! I (thought) I loved AMD but the 965 is a complete JOKE! 140W at 3.4Ghz and it just stays w/ the Intel i7-920@2.66????? o_O tht's not right. And trust me, I'm not hating on AMD, just constructive criticism and these i5's and new i7's are just going to bowl them over. They need to pull somethin out... like NOW![/citation]

It's only constructive criticism if you drive down to Austin, TX and slap plans for a new industry-leading CPU down on the table in front of them... Three years ago... Unless you can manage that, I suggest you not call your baseless whining "constructive criticism" and keep it to yourself. AMD is a pretty damn small company compared to Intel, with not nearly as many engineers. They don't just put together a table of specs, draw up some line art in Photoshop and run it through a freakin' copy machine!!

Btw, clock frequency doesn't mean any more today than it did when the P4 was big. If it scales, it scales. Also, TDP isn't measured the same by both companies. I'm not saying which is over/underestimated, just that your complaint is complete bull because you're spitting our numbers you don't know the real meaning of.

Finally, nobody is going to bowl anybody over. Intel wants to compete with AMD. Why? Because they make huge margins competing against AMD's hardware. It's quite clear that they're not paying nearly as much to fabricate these chips based on relative performance to any given AMD SKU, and they like it that way.
 

tester24

Distinguished
Jan 22, 2009
415
0
18,780
The whole reason why intel is ahead now is because at first Sun went to them and talked about sharing their multicore knowledge Intel said FU and they went to AMD who gladly took their knowledge. Hence why dual core AMDs were faster than Intels first. After AMD was beating the crap out of Intel they asked Sun to help them out. Now that's why they're better. Nice to have a huge R & D budget.

Personally I'll stick with AMD because all I do is play games for the most part and the FPS difference is marginal.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.