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Question about old and new components

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Why is it that even this Q1 of year 2011, there are still people building rigs or components that were released about 2 years ago. A good example would be gaming rigs. I've read a lot of threads wherein people are asking which mobo they should pair with a Phenom II x4 965 processor. This processor was released almost 2 years ago and costs as much as the i5 2400 Sandy Bridge processor which was just released early this year and definitely provides better performance. I can't get why they are willing to spend as much money on something that may be obsolete in just a few months. I know there's a problem with the LGA 1155 board and it won't be available after a month or so, but if you really think of it, it's worth the wait. I'll just have to wait a few more days and I'll be able to buy the latest from Intel, which would probably last a good 2 years as compared to something that was released 2 years ago, which would probably last a few more months or so, especially considering the fact that AMD will also be releasing their Bulldozer processsor soon. I don't have anything against AMD, but I've read a lot of benchmarks and it seems that AMD often trails behind Intel when it comes to FPS, but that's not the point. My point is, it would be better to wait a few more days and get a better rig and I'm sure people can wait, but they still choose to buy the old components, which were released almost 2 years ago.

Please give me a reasonable answer. >,< I'm really having a hard time accepting it. Any opinion will do for me. Thanks!

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CPUs Master

AMD mobos tend to be cheaper so the overall cost is actually less then intel

AMD has a better track record then intel of socket support.

the Phenom II series will not be obsolete in a few months. they can be fine gaming CPUS for some time, people think games are constantly increasing in graphic demands...they are wrong. just about every new game is designed for mass PC sales (MMO's, flash based, indy,etc.,) or console ports. you can still play any new game on a fast dual core and Nvidia 8800GT. Really the biggest graphic card push has been the increase in monitor size and resolution, not game performance.

gaming is still far more reliant on the GPU rather then CPU

some people just don't like intel

all that being said, yes intel offers the faster CPU performance.
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CPUs Master

I'm not so sure there is a point to this madness; regardless of what the OP claims.

A shiny new i5 2400, or PhII 955 or BD Zambezi does not make obsolescence. As BM said, "People buy what they want ..." not necessarily what they need.

I suspect the OP is a young chap duped by marketing and peer pressure, forever tilting at 'bottlenecks' and 'future-proofing'.

Even CD-ROMs are not obsolete to folks who only want to play CDs. Now, ISA slots are pretty much obsolete but I'll bet there are quite a number of folks at THG who have an ISA card or two lying around.

I wonder what he would think about my U320 SCSI 15k drives I just bought at $50/pop ;) 
CPUs Expert

emmanuelxian07 said:
Why is it that even this Q1 of year 2011, there are still people building rigs or components that were released about 2 years ago. A good example would be gaming rigs. I've read a lot of threads wherein people are asking which mobo they should pair with a Phenom II x4 965 processor. This processor was released almost 2 years ago and costs as much as the i5 2400 Sandy Bridge processor which was just released early this year and definitely provides better performance. I can't get why they are willing to spend as much money on something that may be obsolete in just a few months. I know there's a problem with the LGA 1155 board and it won't be available after a month or so, but if you really think of it, it's worth the wait. I'll just have to wait a few more days and I'll be able to buy the latest from Intel, which would probably last a good 2 years as compared to something that was released 2 years ago, which would probably last a few more months or so, especially considering the fact that AMD will also be releasing their Bulldozer processsor soon. I don't have anything against AMD, but I've read a lot of benchmarks and it seems that AMD often trails behind Intel when it comes to FPS, but that's not the point. My point is, it would be better to wait a few more days and get a better rig and I'm sure people can wait, but they still choose to buy the old components, which were released almost 2 years ago.

Please give me a reasonable answer. >,< I'm really having a hard time accepting it. Any opinion will do for me. Thanks!


Some people have a preference and this preference defies logic, reason and rationality. That having been said I am not insinuating that purchasing and AMD Phenom II based system is illogical, unreasonable or irrational but rather than some people hold certain Corporations to a higher subjective standard.

People who mention AMD's "Track record" regarding processor socket support are such people. They don't seem to remember socket 754/940 to socket 939 to socket AM2 to socket AM2+ to socket AM3 to socket AM3+. A few half generations in there did have socket leeway but it is nowhere near the level some folks would have you believe.

Take Bulldozer for example... it will be based on the Socket AM3+ and will not work on AM3. Sure if you purchase a Socket AM3+ board you could run a socket AM3 processor... but what would be the point? End result is... you need a new board for Bulldozer.

Many Intel fans still, to this day, claim that Intel processors are more "compatible"... I'm sorry but the days of the AMD K5 RISC based processor are LONG LONG LONG over. This claim is as ridiculous as the socket claim.

If you're a conservative minded person then you have no business holding opinions in the technology sector. Technology evolves and changes... it moves forward... if you can't stand that then you might as well turn Amish and get it over with.

Sockets will change, RAM will change, Buses/Interlinks will change, Processors will change... everything will change. It is an evolutionary process. Adapt or die.
CPUs Master

emmanuelxian07 said:
My point is, it would be better to wait a few more days ...

There's always something better, faster, cheaper, larger, smaller coming soon. And if you keep waiting for it, you will never build or buy.

I have three highly overclocked Core2 systems that still perfectly suit my needs. Sometimes "good enough" is good enough.

While I'm with you and would wait if I was interested in building a system now. I think you can always put off a new build until that next great tech advance comes. By the time Sandys are rereleased there will be better Sandys on the horizon and even more Bulldozer speculations and we'll still be waiting for that SSD price/advancement or the Radeon 6990 or some other thing. At some point you just got to say to hell with it and build a system with whats available now. There is always going to be something just around the corner to make your shiny new PC look like a dinosaur.
Probably many of the people building AMD systems right now wouldn't build a Sandy system anyway. They just prefer AMD (platform) or feel that the price/performance is same/better.
Nettops are enough for some people. AMD enough for others. (currently vs Intel)

Still GPU >>> CPU for gaming. Though I might remind everyone considering this to remember September's SBM's $2000 AMD/Nvidia abomination.

Would you wait if you currently did not have a computer at all?
CPUs Authority

I will agree with OP in one respect: Sandy Bridge has set the cat amongst the pigeons when it comes to price vs performance. I am a long-time AMD user and have always picked them over Intel because of the value proposition I can get out of an AMD system on my limited budget.

Thanks to SB, for the first time in years, I actually feel I can put together a very decent Intel system that won't break the bank. Having said that, i will wait for Bulldozer to hit the market before I buy anything.
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