Buying a new PC Which socket type should i choose for games and study?

Hi all,


At the moment i'm using a Intel socket 775 type with a core 2 duo E8600 CPU and GTX 275 and a G.B EP45-UD3P for the mobo.

Question: Should i be happy with my PC spec's, or should i upgrade to a i5's or i7's or should i wait until next year for the newer CPU and mobo's?


APPROX. DATE: Christmas 2009 or July 2010.

BUDGET RANGE: $4,000 (Australian).

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT:

1. High end games such as: Crysis, Crysis 2, Doom 4, RAGE, Modern Warfare 2, Mass Effect 2, Resident Evil 5

2. Study: Microsoft Office 2010, Windows 7, graphics applications

3. Safe and secure for surfing the net

4. Downloading vidoes, files

5. Save power for electricity bills


PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, sound card and case.


PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS:

- www.pcdiy.com.au
- www.itestate.com.au
- www.msy.com.au
- www.pccasegear.com


COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: I live in Australia.


PARTS PREFERENCES: Not 100% sure, i would like to use an Intel core i5 860 CPU

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] s_id=12405


with ASUS P7P55D-Deluxe for the mobo

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] s_id=12392



OVERCLOCKING: Yes, it really depends on the game and advantages it has. But i've heard that the i7's has overall better overclocking capabilitities.

First thing, it's a Core i7 860, not an i5. However, it uses a Socket 1156.

The alternative is Socket 1366 based system which will work with Core i7 9xx processors and next year's Core i9.

The Core i9 is a 6 core processor (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Core_i9) with up to 12 threads. For the applications that you listed, it is probably overkill, but some people would want to be able to run one just to say they have one.

You also mentioned that saving was important to you. The Socket 1156 processors are rated at 95W whereas the Socket 1366 processors are rated at 130W. So if you want to keep your electric bill low, you should stick the Socket 1156 line.

As for concrete recommendation, since your purchase date is so far out, it's hard to recommend specific things since specials and discounts come and go.


-b

Going for power saving can be tricky; easy to be penny-wise and pound-foolish. If you have an older PSU though, particularly one with a little red voltage switch on it, upgrading that to one that is 80+ certified will not only save power, it will also be better for the longevity of your parts.
If you just have the urge to build because it's a hobby and something you like to do, then build a second machine for everything but gaming and high-end graphics applications. Put a 45W AMD 4850e (or similar) on it, with either the IGP of a 790GX or 785G mobo, or with something minimal like a HD4670 on it. Use one of the little (300W-350W) Seasonic 80+ bronze PSUs to power it. Then only turn on the primary machine for games, and do everything else on this juice-sipper.