buy now or wait

[Clarkson]

If you are primarily a gamer, I would only wait for ATI's 6xxx series cards. Sandybridge and Bulldozer will probably do nothing extra for an extra cost in regards to gaming.

Just read in another thread also that a Mod/OcUK staff has just said the early sandybridge will be WORSE than i7's... could be something like a year before any decent sandybridge is available.

Upgrade GPU as many other folks have said.

 

[Bakedgoods]

I'll probably hang fire for the new gen cards then but jump for a new system after that if we are talking longer than 3/4 months.

Maybe hang fire until Christmas and see where things are after that, but i'm just so tempted to get a shiny new machine

 

[Nelson Santos]

I would buy now, you are allways going to be chasing new hardware, and will allways be waiting, or paying premium. The new hardware even at budget level will be expensive at first compaired to what is avilable now.

 

[Cycrow]

if your thinking about i7, then i wouldn't bother to wait, as the first lot of sandybridge is the mainstream ones, ie i3/i5

with the i7 equivlant set to come out about this time next year.

but theres only been a rough timescale on them atm, so no one really knows when we are likly to see them.

any current gen cpu will still last a few years anyways, so its not like they will be obsolete when the new ones come out

 

[Liampope]

But isn't it still worth waiting if you can? Even if you intend to get an i7, aren't they likely to be cheaper when sandy bridge is released?

 

[Bakedgoods]

True, but if we are literally a month or so away from the next gen GPU will it not be worth waiting?

 

[Nelson Santos]

What differnce will the sandybridge bring over the current?

 

[allday247]

I would personally wait to upgrade but if you can get a cheap quad you will see vast improvement in FFXIV.

I've just gone from an E6750 @ 3.6Ghz to a Q9550 and there is a massive difference in game (FFXIV). My GFX is a GTX460 1GB.

Low benchmark score went from 3600 to 5400 (when the Q9550 is clocked to 3.6Ghz). Massive increase.

The CPU usage in that game on a dual was close to 100% but not on the Quads.

 

[nataku17]

hehe seems this is quite the topic xD

i am not sure if my motherboard will take a Q6600, it has a LGA775 socket but under the specifications it says it only takes a Core 2 Duo. the motherboard i have is the Intel Bad Axe 2.

i was looking at getting the OcUK pre built Titan Exodus or maybe the Ultimate Viper but i think i will just wait a little, friend of mine just told me the ATI 6xxx is suposed to be almost twice as fast as a 5xxx card

 

[Cycrow]

But isn't it still worth waiting if you can? Even if you intend to get an i7, aren't they likely to be cheaper when sandy bridge is released?

depends if u want to wait a year.

Q3 2011 is the predicted release day, which would most likly mean next september time

its a pretty long time to wait in hardware terms really.

especially as theres no guarntee of a reduced price.
look at he quad core 2 duos atm, they are still holding their price quite well

 

[WJA96]

Wait until at least February, or March if you can stand it. Prices peak between October and January to allow for big profits at Christmas and then 'supposedly' big discounts in the January sales.

 

[Xelene]

The pound has just crashed again, expect an imminent price hike. Not to mention VAT going up in a few months.

I'd build a base system now and keep the GTX for a month or two then replace that.

 

[Bakedgoods]

A rumour I read said that the highest end 6 series card which will beat the 5970 isn't likely to be released until the new year.

Any thoughts?

Getting a itchy trigger finger now, tempted to maybe buy the rest of my rig and use a cheap graphics card until I know what's going on.