Ivy Bridge vs. Sandy Bridge-E

**Kain** · 10-31-11, 10:02 AM

Any opinions/comments on how Ivy Bridge's version of the 2500K and 2600K will compare to the Sandy Bridge-E's 3930K?

**Kain** · 10-31-11, 12:43 PM

Will a 3930K be more "future-proof" than a 2500K or 2600K (and the Ivy Bridge equivalents) since it is a 6-core CPU (talking about gaming)? I usually don't upgrade for at least 4-5 years and so I usually try to buy the best that is available at the time.

I'm thinking a 3930K + two GTX 680s or HD 7970s. Or, should I just save money and go with Ivy Bridge (which means a 4-core CPU)?

frenchy2k1 · 11-01-11, 11:57 AM

it's difficult to give a definite answer as neither is released, but expectations are slightly different for each product.
E parts (sandy bridge-E and rumored ivy bridge-E) are geared for high end workstation. They have ludicrous amounts of memory bandwidth (4 channels vs 2 for the non-E), more PCIe lanes and generally "more" of everything (core, cache..), including of course price. All E parts are expected to be much more expensive than consumer parts.

To know which product is a good fit for you depends on what you are looking for, but E parts should not be great values, they are the best money can buy. See it a bit like 2500k vs 2600K, very few differences, especially if you overclock, but ~30% more in price...

Ninja Prime · 11-02-11, 01:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kain

Will a 3930K be more "future-proof" than a 2500K or 2600K (and the Ivy Bridge equivalents) since it is a 6-core CPU (talking about gaming)? I usually don't upgrade for at least 4-5 years and so I usually try to buy the best that is available at the time.

I'm thinking a 3930K + two GTX 680s or HD 7970s. Or, should I just save money and go with Ivy Bridge (which means a 4-core CPU)?

Save your money for Ivy Bridge. 6 cores is a waste for 99% of the things people do on computers. Hell, if you want something now, your money would be better spent on a 2500k or 2600k with good cooling than wasting the extra money to get a 3930k.

10-31-11, 10:02 AM	#1
Kain Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Dubai, UAE Posts: 1,264	Ivy Bridge vs. Sandy Bridge-E Any opinions/comments on how Ivy Bridge's version of the 2500K and 2600K will compare to the Sandy Bridge-E's 3930K? __________________ Intel Core i7-3930K Corsair Hydro Series H100 with 2 x Scythe GentleTyphoon 1850 rpm fans GIGABYTE GA-X79-UD3 16 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 MHz EVGA GeForce GTX TITAN Superclocked Signature Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD Crucial m4 256 GB Western Digital Caviar Black 2 TB Pioneer BDR-206DBK Corsair Professional Series Gold AX850 Corsair Obsidian Series 650D Samsung SyncMaster S23A700D Corsair Gaming Audio Series SP2500 Microsoft SideWinder X4 Logitech G9x Microsoft Windows 8 Pro 64-bit

10-31-11, 12:43 PM	#2
Kain Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Dubai, UAE Posts: 1,264	Re: Ivy Bridge vs. Sandy Bridge-E Will a 3930K be more "future-proof" than a 2500K or 2600K (and the Ivy Bridge equivalents) since it is a 6-core CPU (talking about gaming)? I usually don't upgrade for at least 4-5 years and so I usually try to buy the best that is available at the time. I'm thinking a 3930K + two GTX 680s or HD 7970s. Or, should I just save money and go with Ivy Bridge (which means a 4-core CPU)? __________________ Intel Core i7-3930K Corsair Hydro Series H100 with 2 x Scythe GentleTyphoon 1850 rpm fans GIGABYTE GA-X79-UD3 16 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600 MHz EVGA GeForce GTX TITAN Superclocked Signature Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD Crucial m4 256 GB Western Digital Caviar Black 2 TB Pioneer BDR-206DBK Corsair Professional Series Gold AX850 Corsair Obsidian Series 650D Samsung SyncMaster S23A700D Corsair Gaming Audio Series SP2500 Microsoft SideWinder X4 Logitech G9x Microsoft Windows 8 Pro 64-bit

11-01-11, 11:57 AM	#3
frenchy2k1 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 446	Re: Ivy Bridge vs. Sandy Bridge-E it's difficult to give a definite answer as neither is released, but expectations are slightly different for each product. E parts (sandy bridge-E and rumored ivy bridge-E) are geared for high end workstation. They have ludicrous amounts of memory bandwidth (4 channels vs 2 for the non-E), more PCIe lanes and generally "more" of everything (core, cache..), including of course price. All E parts are expected to be much more expensive than consumer parts. To know which product is a good fit for you depends on what you are looking for, but E parts should not be great values, they are the best money can buy. See it a bit like 2500k vs 2600K, very few differences, especially if you overclock, but ~30% more in price... __________________ As the universe is curved, there cannot be a straight answer...