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Intel i7 860 ($470), is it decent?

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My Specs:

Intel Core2Duo E8200 @ 2.66GHZ
ZM660-TX PSU
Mainboard: Gigabyte Technology EP35-DS3R
4GB RAM
XFX Nvidia 275 GTX
320GB HDD
Samsung 22" (1680x1050)

I finally made the big move away from Windows XP and bought Windows 7 home edition.

I'm very happy with Windows 7. I've only had it for a few days and I have nothing but positive things to say about it.

However, I did notice a big hit in my performance in games. Games that ran smoothly on the highest settings in XP are a bit jittery in Windows 7, including games on the Source Engine that don't require much horsepower. These performance drops range from 25-50 FPS.

The hardware store I have access to (can't order online) sells the Intel i7 860 as it's fastest chip. They're charging $470 for it. A quick browse on the internet informed me that the retail price in the US is around $280, but since it is an import that has been taxed and tariffed here, the best I can do is just shy of $500 big ones.

Is it still worth it? Would it take care of my performance issues?

Cheers.

More about : intel 860 470 decent

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The i7 870 is a new socket, so you would need more than just the CPU. Minimum would be CPU/motherboard and maybe RAM.

I don't think this would help. It may just be game/driver specific issues that are causing the slowdown. For me, I noticed that Windows 7 was worse with AA than Vista (GTX260 and i7 920).

incognito84 said:
Another question: what is a good BUDGET CPU for my system that would increase my gaming performance substantially?


Have considered overclocking? It's a very budget friendly upgrade...free!
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CPUs Authority

There is something more to this than just the OS change. Windows 7 alone should not cause a 25-50fps drop in any game. Fix that problem first. It would say it is driver related. And if you want to increase your cpu speed look into overclocking.

someguy7 said:
There is something more to this than just the OS change. Windows 7 alone should not cause a 25-50fps drop in any game. Fix that problem first. It would say it is driver related. And if you want to increase your cpu speed look into overclocking.


Hmm... I didn't bother installing my Motherboard/Onboard sound etc. drivers because I thought they wouldn't be compatible with 7 and it seemed that the generic drivers worked just fine. Maybe thats what I need to try. I'll give it a shot.

I am still in the market for a new CPU, though.
CPUs Authority

A good upgrade for you would be a good overclock, after you fix your other issues. Read up.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/240001-29-howto-overc...

If you really feel you should upgrade, budget shouldn't be included considering the CPU you already have. :)  You're looking at $180+ (Q9400+) to get a worth while upgrade, but I guess you were considering the hugely priced (and overpriced I might add) i7 860 you found. So you know it goes for $290 on the egg http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... . Even then if you are gaming you will only see an increase in a few games (quad core optimized games), and even a decrease in some (non-quad core optimized games), considering how much more then E8200 will OC over the Q9400.

If you don't have one look up a good aftermarket heatsink and make sure your mobo is a decent/good overclocker (I believe its decent).
CPUs Authority

The games are probably slower because they are running in DX10 rather than DX9. Anyway, the i7 860 would be a sizable improvement, but you would also have to buy a new motherboard and RAM. Honestly I think you should just Overclock your CPU, or you could get a quad Q9550 and a new heatsink to overclock it with. Sure would be alot cheaper than the overpriced i7 you were thinking of buying :D .
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