Hello, I follow this guides for about 6 months. I decided to go and buy the "Enthusiast Overclocker September 2010", published here but I read the notice about Intel LGA1155 and that there will be no more updates for LGA 1156 and that those two will be incompatible, and if i want a better cpu I will have to buy another MoBo and CPU. I was shocked by that because I dont want to waste my money on something that I wont be able to upgrade later. I dont want to buy 2 components if I can just buy one. So I begin to look into many places and forums, where ppl said that AMD had no such problems, that I could buy a CPU and then change it and my new CPU will be compatible with my old MoBo (I am not sure if that is true) ; so I think im gonna buy an AMD cpu and AMD compatible MoBo, with everything else exactly the same as this review told me, so .. I need some advices ppl, especially if some of the reviewers can help me it will be awesome. I want to buy 2 pcs one for me and another for my gf, so please, give some advice about what to do
With the introduction of the first AM2 socket by AMD, their goal was exactly that. Allow newer CPU's run on older sockets. However, AM3 stopped that, due to support for DDR3 memory. No one knows for sure.. but my personal guess is that due to the increase bandwidth of the DDR3 memory and possibly important architecture modification in supporting quad core and later six-core processors, the pin layout had to be changed. Maybe, one day, we might see some sort of CPU socket converter, like it existed in the old days. Ah the good old days Anyway, basically, what I want to say, is: you never win with technology. If you are able to get a CPU that well exceed your needs (all by staying on budget), then it will last long. At the time it comes to point where your CPU can't deliver anymore, even after overclocking it (~5 years, or more). Then it's time to upgrade, obviously. By that time new technologies will out, which will make change. Let say you wait for Intel coming up CPU, a sound choice.. then again the Core i series will most likely (and already is now) dropping price, including the motherboards. Ok you buy it, get a fancy motherboard with it... next year.. guess what... PCI-E 3.0 (no joke), add 2 years and not only more devices will be on USB 3.0, which mean you might be out of ports, but new graphic cards comes out as PCI-E 3.0 and might be fast enough to actually use the extra bandwidth to some level. Now what? You want to upgrade your CPU.. fine.. but you know that your GPU is starting to stress with current games... I am sure you'll say screw it, and buy a new motherboard + CPU and possibly new RAM, so that you can do something with the old computer, and that you needed more (and possibly faster, as well) RAM, in any case. And that is just PCI-E.. how about a DDR4 RAM? or something else? In reality of things, as soon as the product is in the manufacturing stage, the hardware companies are already polishing the next gen product. Sometimes, they modify it to meet the competitive demand, sometimes they discover issues that needs to be solved, but essentially the product is done.. add a few more weeks, and if the company really wanted they could release it.. but they don't. Hardware companies are always 2, minimum step ahead. I am sure Nvidia (let's say) is polishing the GTX 600 series now, and are starting to plan and work on the GTX 700 series, while another team works on the mobile version of the 600 series. This way, if the current product fails, due to a better product of the competition, they have something to counter. Companies try their best to not show this, as else, no one will buy anything as everyone will be waiting for the next best thing, as it would be a better deal, especially if you can wait.. but that means no money... ever... as everyone will be waiting. For example, what if I told you that Nvidia GTX 600 mid-range card is twice the performance of the GTX 580, consumes half the power, thus create less heat and cost 150$. It comes out in 6 month. What will be your GPU on your new computer . Most likely you'll keep what you have for the time being, and not buy anything, while if you didn't know that, you'll buy something now, and later when the times comes, you'll upgrade. But then.. if close to the release of that new GPU, you knew for sure that the company has something even better next, which some crazy thing that can process any software that uses the CPU, take it, and do it on the GPU instead for added performance, or some crazy thing like that, and cost the same... and comes out in 3month after that point... would you wait?
This is much easier to do if you have a particular use for the machine you are building. Very true. For example, it is my opinion (not some others I must say!) that the Q6600 (775) is still a formidable CPU for gaming, whilst multi-tasking these days probably requires something with a little more bang, at least if you are gaming aswell. Heck I can still get a good turn out of my E4500!
I understand, maybe is well worth it if I wait until the new MoBos and sockets are released, but assuming I dont wait. What AMD system could win against my i5-760 build? for gaming mostly and programming (with good or better Overclock than the i5). Because maybe if I buy an AMD system now later in future I could buy a MoBo first and later the CPU. Its an idea, I just wanted to be sure that I will be able to upgrade without rebuying all the stuff at once. Here in Peru prices are high due to taxes I think.
You're missing one point here - you do HAVE an upgrade path. There's still the i7-860 and 870 available to upgrade to. They'd drop straight in to your motherboard.
He's missing quite a few more than one points mate. Like how hardware advice requests go in the hardware forum, among others.
