X48 vs P45

[deehlyo]

I need some advise on which platform to build off of. First off about the only gaming I do is on X-Plane, but I work from my home, and am constantly multitasking in and out of CS4 Photoshop, Spreadsheets, homegrown apps etc. I am looking at the Q9650 & Q9550 processor's, and am leaning more towards the 9550. I am not looking at the i7 platform as I am waiting to see what Intel will release late in 2010. My challenge is this I have an old P4 on a 875 board that is not keeping up, I have maxed out the memory, so I am looking for a performance machine that will last for 1.5 to 2 yrs until I see what Intel comes up with next. I love Gigabyte & Asus, the Gigabyte board I am looking at is GA-EP45-UD3P for P45, but I am wonderign if I am settlign and should just go for a X48 platform. Suggestions? Comments?

 

[Proximon]

Have a look at my guide, linked in my sig or at the top of the forum. it covers this question pretty well.

Are you crossfiring then?

And are you confused about Intel release dates? Last I heard i5 is coming in a few months, not a year.

 

[Niktavalos]

The P45 is a great platform and not lacking in any significant way if you're not going to use DDR3 or tri-crossfire. I've always though the X48 was a waste of money for most people.

That said, have you considered an AMD build? The second-generation Phenoms have achieved performance parity with the Q9000 series, and since they use a newly introduced AM3 socket, you'll have a viable upgrade path for a while longer. Intel's non-i7 Quads are on the aging LGA775 platform.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103675
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128392

 

[megamanx00]

Go with a P45 board. The X48s only real advantage is that it has two full 16x PCI-E 2.0 lanes where the P45 would have two 8x PCI-E 2.0 lanes which only comes into play if you are using crossfire. Even then the performance difference isn't really worth the price premium unless, perhaps, you're going with two 4870X2s.

 

[deehlyo]

Niktavalos:
I have thought of an AMD build, but have not researched as much.

 

[geofelt]

If your application is CS4, consider a i7-920 build with 6gb of ram. CS4 is one of the few applications written to take advantage of more than 2gb of ram, and more than 2 cores to improve performance. Right now, the difference between a i7-920 build and a Qxxx build is on the order of $100. In a couple of months, the i5 series will launch, eliminating that $100 difference.

To answer your original question, X48 and P45 are about equivalent, unless you are looking for maximum overclocks, or crossfire.

 

[deehlyo]

Have a look at my guide, linked in my sig or at the top of the forum. it covers this question pretty well.

Are you crossfiring then?

And are you confused about Intel release dates? Last I heard i5 is coming in a few months, not a year.

I will probably crossfire, but I know that Intel is planning a release past the i5's or it is a least rumored, so I want to see what we be launched then. I am planning on using this for a while then making it a back up and building another once I see what the next processor is to come. I will check out you link, thanks for the advice!!

 

[deehlyo]

If your application is CS4, consider a i7-920 build with 6gb of ram. CS4 is one of the few applications written to take advantage of more than 2gb of ram, and more than 2 cores to improve performance. Right now, the difference between a i7-920 build and a Qxxx build is on the order of $100. In a couple of months, the i5 series will launch, eliminating that $100 difference.

To answer your original question, X48 and P45 are about equivalent, unless you are looking for maximum overclocks, or crossfire.

Any recommendations on an X58 board???

 

[geofelt]

Any recommendations on an X58 board???

I use the original Asus P6T deluxe, and am quite satisfied.

Really though all the X58 based boards seem to be good. Gigabyte, evga, and asus seem to be the most popular, and msi seems to offer some at lower cost.
If potential support is of importance to you, then evga would be the best. They are usa based and have an active support forum.
Otherwise don't spend more for features that you will not use.
Multiple sli/crossfire slots, or sas controllers for example. High end motherboards are catering to the record seeking overclockers.

I see crossfire/sli as a plus only if the power of the strongest single vga card is not sufficient for you. Today that is the $500+ GTX295.