Is intel core i7 930 still worth keeping?

[darkstar845]

Should I upgrade to i5 2500k or i7 2600k OR keep my current cpu and wait for the LGA 2011 CPUs?

 

[outlw6669]

An i7 930 is still a hugely powerful CPU, especially when overclocked.
For you, upgrading would be a complete waste of cash.

Spend some of your upgrade budget on a new CPU cooler (or a WC setup), overclock your 930 to the wall and save the rest for a night out with your woman

 

[Ubrales]

The i7-930 is a fast processor, capable of being OC to 3.8 GHz with no problems; maybe higher with some good heatsinks.

From i7-930 to i7-2600K you will not see much of a performance jump to justify the cost of a new motherboard and a new CPU.

It is worth waiting for this year's Q3 for the release of LGA 2011 along with the X-68 chipset (4 channels of memory among other things).

http://hothardware.com/cs/forums/p/48166/359381.aspx
http://semiaccurate.com/2011/02/03/intels-romley-platform-will-be-available-lga-1356-and-lga-2011/

You can still keep/sell your i7-930 computer.

 

[jfby]

I know very few people who upgrade their CPU/mobo every year, or even every two years. Many people are still gaming with Core 2 Duo systems with Radeon 5xxx/GeForce 4xx series GPUs and are quite happy. Personally I plan on keeping my i7-930 system as my gaming system through at least the successor to Ivy Bridge, and honestly beyond. I've got a budget to keep and part of that is not spending $1500 every year building the best mid-high end gaming machine I can.

Don't just look at the maximum potential and say 'I've got to have it', look at the data people have provideded you and be informed.

The point when it would become 'needed' is when you have a game you are playing and it's not performing how you like. After you change/OC your GPU around to boost performance and it just doesn't cut it, and you've OC'd your processor to the max, that's when I would start shopping around. Even then I'd probably still just set game details to medium first and live with that for awhile before upgrading.

 

[Chad Boga]

As has been said here by everyone else so far, it would be an excessive waste of money to upgrade what you have now to a 4 core Sandy Bridge.

Because you have an i7 930 rather than an i7 980x, I'll assume you don't go make crazy computer purchases just for the hell of it.

It will probably be at least 3 years before your CPU becomes a bottleneck to being able to play games, so I would be looking to do a GPU upgrade(if you are a gamer) when ATI and Nvidia have 28nm cards out, if there are any decent games out that would benefit.

I know with my i7 860, I won't be doing a CPU/motherboard update till Haswell generation at the earliest and even then I think I would rather get the 16nm successor.

Hell if AMD surprise on the IPC and performance front, my next CPU may once again be an AMD powered one, but either way, not for 3 more years for me.

 

[Ubrales]

Now that the logic part has been fully addressed, who says that logic must be applied for buying a new toy?

Studies still show that new cars are an impulse buy. Why not new computers?

 

[jfby]

Yes my i7-930 was more than I needed when I bought it and will be for some time, but that doesn't mean I want to go buy a SB setup, then a Ivy Bridge, then a Rockwell, Haswell, etc. Do I have the money? Maybe, but there are plenty of much more worthwhile things I can do with my money (charity, help friends out, etc.).

For some it is a way to get their kicks to always stay on top, but for me it's just fun to be able to participate at a relatively high level if only for a short time every few generations.

Just my $0.02.

 

[majin ssj eric]

You have a friggin i7 dude! Thats plenty!