Build Advice Before you post a thread for a new build beore January 9th..

Please bear in mind that Intel's new Sandy Bridge platform will be coming out on Jan 9th.

To make a long story short, Intel's new platform will be using a different socket - new CPUs and new motherboards are mandatory, and performance is expected to be a fairly significant jump over the current-gen stuff. Therefore, if you post now for a build, you will get tons of replies telling you to wait for the new stuff.

Unless you need a computer *now* (i.e. in the next few days), it's worth waiting, even if cost rather than performance is your priority. You will be able to see the actual retail prices of the new kit. Alternatively, you will be able to score some second-hand kit from the Member's Marketplace on this forum as the other members seek to upgrade to the latest and greatest kit.

You can read Bit-Tech's coverage of Sandy Bridge here.

EDIT: Bit-Tech's review is now up. Apparently, Intel pulled the NDA date back to today.

 

Thats my birthday..MMMMMMM should I treat myself?? What a dilemma to be in..lol

 

I bet retailers are loving Intels timing... :/

 

As SandyBridge-motherboards are allready being sold by eShops it's no problem to start with a new build now actually, and the 1155-socket will use the same heatsinks as 1156 to make things rather easy for planning.

The only part unavailable atm are the CPUs themselves, but there's lot's of previews and benchmarks available to make a choice.

 

Don't think so, it would of killed the pre-Christmas rush of mid-range systems, buyers are all waiting to Jan now.

Only winner here is HMRC as they will get an extra 2.5% VAT on all those Jan sales

 

Scarcasm alert...

 

90% of the people buying PCs aren't tech-savvy and still buy the currently available hardware without thinking about SandyBridge coming next month.

 

"I bet retailers are loving Intels timing... :/"
He was being sarcastic.

http://en.inpai.com.cn/doc/enshowcont.asp?id=7947&pageid=7705
Sandy bridge benchmarks are out now. For mid range the 2500k is about 20% better in general cpu benchmarks and 10% in games. There link by the side for i7 2600k to the side of the article.

 

Sorry missed that, Christmas stress

 

Where is part of the forum? I can't find it

 

You have to be here for a month and had made 75 post's to get access.

 

You only get access to the marketplace once you've made a certain number of posts (70, I think? Maybe 75).

 

Very tempted here by SB having skipped the first 'i' generation of CPUs. Also gives me a good excuse to get an SSD if I'm going to be reinstalling my OS for a new motherboard/CPU/RAM combo.

 

You need to offer a cheesecake to the Bit-Tech gods and hope they allow you into the sacred marketplace.

 

Lol!

Well, I'm not exactly a cheesecake type of guy so I wouldn't know which one to tempt them with I am a cupcake fiend though and could make them some?

 

I'm going to wait and see what goodies come up on the market place. Buyers market yay!

 

Get out!!!!!!1111!!!oneoneoneeleven!!

 

I don't think they care TBH. Its only enthusiasts that really care or seem to know about it. Im sure curry's and PCworld are happy enough flogging the i3 as bringing multitasking to PC............possibly after the iphone got it first, adverts seem a bit vague about the timing.

People who want a new laptop or desktop will buy one anyway and the Retailers will convince them they need whats out now and unless the customer about "new releases that have the same i3/i5/i7 branding" they won't tell them otherwise. Not a dig a sales people but unless you ask them specifically about something they're not gonna advise you on it or acknowledge its existence.

3 People have asked for advice yet after learning about upcoming releases they don't care nor will they use their systems for anything more intensive than flash games. Retailers will probably love it more since they get to slap "new" and "improved" and "greener" crap all over it and make a sale all over again. Even better now that they cleared Christmas stock that didn't sell after back to school!

 

Am I right in thinking Sandy Bridge will sit somewhere in the middle performance-wise with Intel's current "i" range?

What do you lot recommend for hardcore gaming?

 

A better graphics card