I7 920 versus i7 860

Not sure which processor to go with thus stuck between which chipset to build out upon. Right now can get i7 920 for 199 at microcenter vs. i7 860 for 229. My concern is that it is not clear what the upgrade path will be for 1156 versus 1366 chipset. In addition it seems that at the current time both motherboards based on the 1156 vs. 1366 chipset are around the same prices thus negating any real price difference or advantage to the 1156. I only plan to moderately overclock the processor and will mainly use the computer for data cruching, image processing, and analysis.

Currently one can get a 1366 for about $170 when put together with i920 that will come to 370 as opposed to the 1156 which is 130-140 plus i860 229 comes to 360ish so about the same ballpark.

With Microcenter's low price on the 920, that does make for a difficult choice. So I think I would look to upgrades and go with Intel's designation. If you are an enthusiast (especially since your activities are so CPU intensive), do with the 920. Upgrades will likely cost more - but you want the faster processing right? If your use is primaily mainstream - go with the 860 and get the cheaper upgrades later.

The big upgrade down the road for 1366 will be the hexa - core i9 gulftowns. This will be overkill for most people; however, if you love CPU heavy tasks gulftown should rock your socks.