AMD PII X4 955, or Intel Q9550?

Why would you even consider the Q at 269.99 When the I7 is 20 dollars more?

If you're going Quad the I7 should be the ONLY processor you consider.

775 is a dead socket

I understand about the mobo and memory being expensive. I was just giving you crap.

In the thread i'm going to link below. The Q is very good for overclocking but the 955 is very close being.

http://www.overclock.net/amd-cpus/ [...] 5-a-2.html

I'd go with the 955 then.

Agreed

that's what i will do then. thanks guys.

There is an article here on Tom's that slightly contradicts that i think. One of the statements made in the article you linked though, was that you would only notice the performance difference in games when you owned a really expensive gpu setup (sli/cf).

I know that the article on Tom's stated that for gaming, the processors perform about the same. When the graphical settings were cranked up, there was minimal difference.

An AM3 system will be upgradable longer and have similar performance and a slightly lower price. AMD chipsets rock for cheap, Intel DDR3 chipsets are expensive. Anyways, once you equip either of them with DDR3 you're starting to get into i7 price ranges.

alright well then i think i am gonna stick with am3 at this point. Thanks for all of ya'lls advice. This should be fun

From what i have been reading, it won't be "dead", but there won't be anything new coming out for it. There will just be lower prices on the processors that run on that socket. I could be mistaken, but that's what i have been reading.

955 because their will be faster cpu's coming out in AM3.
Q9550 is as fast as its gonna get (non upgradeable)

I also agree.

everyone says 955. I do to but i think its so strange to see all the AMD support. Honestly they need it. Its just nice having something new and different to advise ppl to get. And the Phenom 2 is a great cpu to advise on. I just got so tired of all these intel builds I done for like the last 3 yrs, The 955 will be everything you need plus its fun with the unlocked multiplier. Just a different age, I hope things stay with a little more options. I mean you cant just say one over the other anymore, there is a real option again. Its pleasing to see this.

you could get a Core I7 920 @ Micro Center for $200.00.

955..... +1

For all of the people suggesting the 955...

Do you guys find that you wish you had SLI support on your mobos?

I didn't know that SLI wasn't supported with AM3, and that is kind of disappointing to me. I'm not necessarily the kind of person that wants to put multiple GPU's in a system, but with the release of the new 4770's sometimes the best deal is to CF/SLI two weaker components. I just don't want to not have that option if Nvidia came out with a gpu with similar value as the new 4770 down the road.

One good thing is that I am pretty sure i will never want more than two GPU's (at least not for a long while) so since they are coming out with these dual-GPU cards I could get away with buying one of those cards and not worrying about SLI support on the mobo.

I'm not saying that I only want Nvidia products, but i do want the option of getting the best value/performance parts when they come out, and if that happens to be two Nvidia cards in SLI...

Anybody worried or disappointed about that factor in their systems?

Everyone waves around the $200 Micro Center i7 as if everyone lives near a Micro Center. Heck, I live in a large city (Charlotte), and I'd never even HEARD of Micro Center before I started visiting Tom's / Anand / Hard regularly.

@touchdown...

Since hd4770 is already out... I dunno why you brought up the option of the possibility of an equivalent NVidia gpu. It may never happened. Even if it does, a 955 or i7 could probably get old by then.

Just get the 955 and a 4770 right NOW and be happy with it. Get them and enjoy... no need to come back here to read more reviews of newer product. It wont make your joy last long. lol

@Ken

I don't really understand what you are saying. Yes i would be getting the 4770's NOW, but later down the road NVIDIA might have the better value.

THEREFORE...
I want the option of both SLI and Crossfire.

Does that make any sense or am i just crazy?

@touchdown...

I used AMD64 3000+ (socket 939) for 6 years. I had been in the market for Core2Duo Q6600... and then I heard of 45nm processor (supposed to be cooler and higher clock, more overcloking ability etc), so i waited. Before I picked any of those... rumour or Nehalem was out.. so i waited again.

Read the review at launch... it was amazing. But then you hear about the awesomeness of Phenom 2... since I already waited for like 2 years... thought I should wait for another month to see what AMD have with their latest cpu.
It endless... in the end I bought an AMD Phenom 2 940BE and just bought the Ati hd4770 few weeks ago. I am very happy with my choice. I didnt have to wait for AM3 processor and I bought the gpu the instant it is available in my area.

I hope you see where I'm coming from. If you want to have the option... i wish you goodluck in waiting OR just take what available TODAY.

goodluck

sounds like you want i7 then.

if you want both x-fire and sli, and have the budget then there is no convincing necessary

No. They all support CF, but SLI support is more limited.