Sandy Bridge i7 2600, Sandy Bridge-E 3820?

[dezork]

I'm badly in need a new machine for very CPU-intensive tasks (rendering). Should I wait for the new Sandy Bridge 3820 update, which will use the new 2011 socket and support quad-channel memory, or should I just pull the trigger now with the current model? I'd be waiting probably till November for the new chips, and I don't know how expensive the new x79 Patsburg motherboards will be.

I plan on buying 16 GB of some fast DDR3, so quad-channel support might be worth it?

I can't afford the highest end (3960X, 3930K), so it's really between the 2600K and the 3820.

Advantages of just pulling the trigger now is that I would be able to get to work a couple months earlier.

Thoughts?

 

[ikyung]

Last rumor I heard was that the 3960x was almost 50% faster then the current 2600K. Pretty hard to believe, but if that is correct then that is a HUGE boost. Not sure about the 3820, but it might be better to wait for benchmarks and if it isn't that big of a boost at least the price of 2600K will probably drop another notch by then.

 

[dezork]

Last rumor I heard was that the 3960x was almost 50% faster then the current 2600K. Pretty hard to believe, but if that is correct then that is a HUGE boost. Not sure about the 3820, but it might be better to wait for benchmarks and if it isn't that big of a boost at least the price of 2600K will probably drop another notch by then.

Well, I definitely can't afford the super-high end. I'm looking at around the price range of the current 2600k, which is ~315.

Can someone explain quad-channeling to me? If I'm getting 16GB of RAM, is a quad-channel supporting chipset a necessity?

Also, when is the Sandy Bridge E supposed to be released? Q4 2011 is almost over, and there's no sign of it.

 

[dezork]

bump

 

[x Heavy]

I use quad channel Gskill ram kit on my dual channel because I find the 4 Modules are usually hand matched to each other.

I would wait for the new 3xxx's to be reviewed and benchmarked. If they are a good upgrade, I would want to get one.

 

[inzone]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/core-i7-3960x-x79-performance,3026.html

 

[dezork]

If I have 4 dimms, is a quad-channel config necessary?

 

[x Heavy]

I have 4 dimms and run dual channel just fine with the i7 2600.

Just remember that you want matched ram sticks. Kits that give you 4 matched modules generally are better than trying to gamble on two seperate two module kits (More expensive too...)

The linked review only confirms my thinking that this i7 2600 is the chip to use. Intel will have to come with something absolutely Genesis-Like to change the way we do things and for that, they will have to get something out of the Server room using Animal control and tame it for us Home gamers.