SandyBridge-E

[zombie67]

I am considering consolidating machines. Perhaps replace a couple of 8-way core2 machines with a SandyBridge-E machine (6 core/12 thread).

I guess Ivy Bridge is at least a year out. So really the only other option would be to wait for SB E5 (2P) series for 2x the density. I guess they will be out sometime in Q1'12? Not sure if I feel like waiting that long.

As for which E chip Core i7-3960X ($1050) or Core i7-3930K ($600), I just can't justify the X. .1ghz and 3mb cache for $450 more?

Any thoughts? Concerns? Any mobo recommendations?

[rgathright]

I am considering consolidating machines. Perhaps replace a couple of 8-way core2 machines with a SandyBridge-E machine (6 core/12 thread).
...
Any thoughts? Concerns? Any mobo recommendations?

Did I see mention of old Socket 775 machines in the old corral?

How much to wrangle one up from you?

[Fire$torm]

Hey Zombie, take a look at this Anandtech article ---> http://www.anandtech.com/show/5091/i...high-end-alive

In a nutshell, its Sandy Bridge with extra cores, 2.5Gb of L3 cache per core, uses Quad Channel memory controller (which means 4 stick mem kits), no integrated GPU, no USB 3.0 support and no SAS support. Also, its a monster of a chip, this proc is huge.

[John P. Myers]

Ivy Bridge spotted

Cache & Memory Benchmark

Best part about it is these are meant for socket 1155, which current Sandy Bridge CPUs use

[zombie67]

Hey Zombie, take a look at this Anandtech article ---> http://www.anandtech.com/show/5091/i...high-end-alive

In a nutshell, its Sandy Bridge with extra cores, 2.5Gb of L3 cache per core, uses Quad Channel memory controller (which means 4 stick mem kits), no integrated GPU, no USB 3.0 support and no SAS support. Also, its a monster of a chip, this proc is huge.

no GPU -> don't care. This will have a crunching GPU
no usb 3 -> don't care, dedicated cruncher
no SAS -> don't care, dedicated cruncher

If these are the only gotchas, this is looking good.

Thanks for the feedback!

[zombie67]

Did I see mention of old Socket 775 machines in the old corral?

How much to wrangle one up from you?

Heh. Yep. If I go through with this, I will be getting rid of two Dell 490s, each with dual X5355, 8gb or 10gb RAM, and an ATI 4870. Feel free to make an offer for one or both!

[Duke of Buckingham]

Sandy Bridge in The UK

[zombie67]

Thoughts on this build? I want to make sure that I am not missing out on some critical feature, and that I am not over spending stupidly. But I still am willing to spend on some things. Here are my thoughts on why I picked what I picked:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Pu...umber=18899386

• mobo: No idea here. I have the way-too-expensive BIG BANG-MARSHAL in my SB cruncher, and it's been flawless. So I just picked another MSI w/ 2011, with enough DIMM slots to get me to 2gb/thread without using 8gb DIMMs. For PCI-e, I plan to run a single dual-width cruncher 5xx card. But I want the option of adding another.
• Chassis: I already have one, and I just love this one. It's HUGE, and plenty of space for ANYTHING. Also, no more cut hands trying to squeeze things in. It will live long through many rebuilds, I expect.
• SSD: I am done with spinning media. I could probably go with a smaller version, but I want the flexibility of running several virtual machines.
• heatsink: I have the CORSAIR H60 in my SB build, and it's been great, nice and quiet too. My OC goals are mild.
• PSU: I want enough expandability to put in (say) dual 590s. It is doing just fine with my SB build with two 590s. Why pick something different? Is there something comparable, yet significantly cheaper?

Thoughts?

[Fire$torm]

First, Guru3D's detailed review of Sandy Bridge-E that includes the MSI board on your list ---> http://www.guru3d.com/article/core-i...79agd65-review

Second, On Newegg there are 3 user reviews for that MSI board. Two of them report an issue using SSDs. To be fair 3 reviews is not a good sampling but an indicator for early adopters.

Overall, your list is well rounded. So if MSI has ironed out the SSD bug (Which they should have by now), I'd say your all set. Maybe a call to MSI or Newegg will help to quell any concerns.

F$

[John P. Myers]

Thoughts on this build? I want to make sure that I am not missing out on some critical feature, and that I am not over spending stupidly. But I still am willing to spend on some things. Here are my thoughts on why I picked what I picked:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Pu...umber=18899386

• mobo: No idea here. I have the way-too-expensive BIG BANG-MARSHAL in my SB cruncher, and it's been flawless. So I just picked another MSI w/ 2011, with enough DIMM slots to get me to 2gb/thread without using 8gb DIMMs. For PCI-e, I plan to run a single dual-width cruncher 5xx card. But I want the option of adding another.
• Chassis: I already have one, and I just love this one. It's HUGE, and plenty of space for ANYTHING. Also, no more cut hands trying to squeeze things in. It will live long through many rebuilds, I expect.
• SSD: I am done with spinning media. I could probably go with a smaller version, but I want the flexibility of running several virtual machines.
• heatsink: I have the CORSAIR H60 in my SB build, and it's been great, nice and quiet too. My OC goals are mild.
• PSU: I want enough expandability to put in (say) dual 590s. It is doing just fine with my SB build with two 590s. Why pick something different? Is there something comparable, yet significantly cheaper?

Thoughts?

That build looks really good. Can't argue with anything. The BIOS for this board has been updated twice since it's release so the bugs F$ mentioned should be fixed. It's a great system. Have fun with it.

The only thing i could mention is your choice of liquid cooling. Dunno if the GPUs you may get someday will be liquid cooled or not. If so, you'll need a cooling system that offers expandability, instead of being locked into a CPU-only setup. If not, you're good to go.