With the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing pounding out announcements and the year to date filled with hints and signs from AMD, enthusiasts everywhere could probably use a little guidance on what to do in the months ahead. If that’s your bag, you’ve come to the right place; we’re suckers for leaked slides and whispers on the wind, and we’ve put it all together in a nifty handbook that spells it all out.
What Intel is doing
Dubbed Sandy Bridge, Intel’s next CPU series will be based on the 32nm process the company prepared and tested on the Westmere family (Core i5, Core i7 980X). However, where Westmere was a die shrink and a retooling of the Nehalem architecture, Sandy Bridge is brand new. Being prepared for a limited release at the end of 2010 and hitting the streets in volume by mid-2011, Sandy Bridge comes about two years after the 2008 intro of the Core i7, a schedule that follows Intel’s “tick-tock” release strategy.
Here’s what you need to know if you plan to stick with Intel:
- Sandy Bridge will use socket LGA1155 (or higher), meaning your current LGA1156 and LGA1366 motherboards must be replaced.
- Forcing a socket upgrade in this case is neither malicious nor willful: Sandy Bridge has several new architectural elements that require a reshuffling of the voltage and data pins, which means a new socket.
- Sandy Bridge will launch alongside a partner chipset currently known as X68, meaning you’d probably want to replace your motherboard even if it were compatible.
- If word can be believed, X68 will use quad channel DDR3 (four DIMM slots). The move to quad channel raises memory bandwidth while lowering stress on the memory controller. In other words, prepare for better overclocking and another stick of RAM.
- Sandy Bridge will launch in dual core or quad core variants.
- Legitimate successors to the Core i5 and Core i7–that is, Sandy Bridge CPUs with six or eight cores–will not launch until the middle of 2011.
What to do: If you currently own a Core i5 or Core i7, the initial salvo of Sandy Bridge chips are not likely to be significantly better than what you have. If you want to upgrade to the new architecture, wait for the six or eight core CPUs in the middle of 2011, then prepare to overhaul your motherboard, your CPU and pony up for another stick or two of DDR3.
If you’re comfortable not being on the bleeding edge, Sandy Bridge should get a small price drop at the end of 2011 when Intel tests their 22nm technique on a slight rejigger of Sandy Bridge (“future processor,” above right). The 22nm revamp shouldn’t be drastically superior to the 32nm version, so you can save a wad of dosh by waiting around. If we had to hazard a guess, a six or eight core Sandy platform probably won’t see another big price drop until 2012.
What AMD is doing
On the AMD front, there are also several important movements that we have covered extensively in our four-part series on AMD’s product strategies. To summarize in brief, AMD will also launch an all-new microarchitecture in mid-2011, hitting volume by the end of the year. Codenamed “Bulldozer,” AMD’s new chip will also feature 32nm technology and a big heart for multi-threadeded performance.
Here’s what you need to know if you plan to stick with AMD:
- Bulldozer will use socket AM3, meaning it may be compatible with the most the AMD 790FX or, more likely, the upcoming AMD 890FX. A BIOS update will undoubtedly be required, and the likelihood of one arriving for your board drops dramatically as your board ages.
- AMD’s chipset releases tend to coincide with major CPU releases, meaning that Bulldozer may launch alongside a new chipset that would be prudent to own.
- If word can believed, Bulldozer will use dual channel DDR3 for its desktop variants.
- Bulldozer will launch in quad and octo core variants.
- Legitimate successors to the Phenom II–that is, octo core parts–should be available right away.
What to do: If you currently own an AM3 motherboard and a Phenom II, you will likely be able to upgrade your system by replacing the CPU in the second half of 2011. Though your motherboard may be compatible, it will likely be advisable to replace your motherboard as well; missing out on a new CPU’s new chipset isn’t the best idea.
If you’re comfortable not being on the bleeding edge, it wouldn’t hurt to wait until the first half of 2012. AMD’s position relative to Intel makes for fast and heavy price drops, meaning you can cash in on a fat discount if you’re patient.
Final thoughts
With both AMD and Intel on a fairly predictable release schedule, it is fast becoming easier than ever to take the best possible position for future upgrades with the platform of your choice.
However, the topic of upgrading also bears repetition of some eternal wisdom: Barring some incredible feature that you cannot do without, it is often best to buy into every other generation of CPUs. For example, the Core i7 isn’t drastically superior to the Core 2 Quad, but a 4-5 year old Core 2 Quad system might be ready for an upgrade to Sandy Bridge in 2011. This wisdom is especially true considering the mounting influence of the GPU in a system’s overall performance.
Nevertheless, a PC upgrade is an exciting time for any enthusiast, and we’re blessed to live in a time when all roads lead to greatness. Wherever the upgrade path takes you, know that Icrontic will be on hand to help every step of the way.
Articles RSS