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$

[DrPop]

Ahhhhh...such a tough decision. I have been reading all the reviews and drooling, this CPU is a beast. Truly awesome high-end for a desktop CPU. However, you are paying 2x the price of a S.B. i7 2600 for LESS than 2x the performance. Significantly less than 2x the performance, actually.

There are a couple ways to think about this, and I'm sure it's exactly what's going on in your head . . . you could get a "regular" S.B. i7 2600 CPU for half the cost and hope that Ivy Bridge, which will be compatible with the mobo is enough better to be worth it. I'd say there's a pretty good chance that a high end Ivy Bridge CPU will perform pretty close to the S.B.-E CPU you are looking at now.

The other thought is, if you get the big S.B.-E CPU now, they are going to do an Ivy Bridge-E CPU months after the "regular" Ivy Bridge comes out, and it *should* be compatible with the S.B.-E socket you are thinking about. However, I have no idea if the cost of that CPU will be worth the upgrade to you or not at that point.

Third option - if you are really wanting to consolidate into less rigs, and use less energy: one of those 16 core AMD Interlogos Opteron 6272 server CPUs. Less watts than the S.B.-E CPU, and 16 cores. Now, even if Intel's cores were worth 2 of the AMD cores, you're still coming out 4 cores ahead with the AMD, and using less juice. Not only that...you could add another 16 core CPU any time you wanted, and not have to make another rig. Also, (supposedly) they are going to have a 20 core CPU for that socket within months. The mobo is not that much more than the one you're looking at for the S.B.-E, and this CPU is actually cheaper...and you could run 2 hog GPUs off that ASUS G34 mobo - the 8x slot on the bottom has an open end, so a 16x GPU will fit just fine.

Fourth option - if there is $ for it - an Intel XEON setup. You will pay dearly for it, of course, but it would beat the AMD system above. However, bang for the buck it is not. Simply for max power in one box...but I'd not be recommending it unless there was a somewhat endless supply of green stuff around!