Original i7 versus new i5

[Chris Barry]

Hey everyone, Really loving this site so far, so much useful info for a nerd like me! ANYWAYS... Ok so I purchased the orig i7 2.7ghz when it came out like 3-4 years ago? and also the MSI x58 pro Mobo.. I cant seem to find if it's worth upgrading my gpu and my mobo. Im not sure if these are out of date or not, I see the x58 for sale for around $150 and my processor around $200.. I was wondering with the new technology in these new intel CPU's like the Ivy bridge and sandy ect.. Is it worth selling my i7 and picking up a new i5 or heck even a new i7... Also same for the mobo.

Thanks for looking and any help would be appreciated.

Note* Games run great, I just love upgrading

 

[slh28]

It sounds like you have an i7 920?
Unless you're frequently using CPU intensive applications I don't think it's worth upgrading. Overclock it to 3.6-4.0Ghz and it will run all current games fine.

Just do what a lot of 920 owners are doing (including me): wait for Haswell next year.

 

[Chris Barry]

Yes, it's a 920, and Iv always been iffy about overclocking... Just seems like you really need to know what your doing. Im not good with voltage and rails and all that stuff.. Any good guides? and thx for the response.. I think I will wait for Haswell.

 

[LNCPapa]

You can probably get a decent bit of overclocking out of that without touching the voltage if that makes you uncomfortable. Not anywhere near 4.0, but enough to make a difference.

 

[slh28]

You can get a decent OC without touching the voltage, you only need to change the FSB speed, memory ratio and maybe the multiplier. I actually undervolt my 920, it came with a very high 1.25V stock voltage.

There's loads of guides out there, but check which stepping you have (C0 or D0) as the D0 requires much less voltage and is more OC friendly.

 

[nazartp]

My son has i7 920, I just got myself i5 3570. Comparing performances, honestly, I think you can easily get another year out of yours. As people above are stating, just bump up the FSB frequency a bit and you are golden.