thinking of buying the new 980x chip any good feed back on it?

[timmo32]

hello too everyone ,im thinking of buying the new 980x chip,i currently run a 950 chip,do you think its worth it?any feed back on this new chip would be great thanks

[tennyson]

Timmo,

As has been posted a while ago, Intel are working away at the successor to the i7 chipset and it's due out next year, yes, next year, 2011!

I looked at upgrading my 940 and instead, opted to OC it. I just could not justify an expense of 1400 bucks on a chip that will be superceeded within 12 months.

If I were you, I'd look at other options and see what happens in the next 12 months. The 980X, if it is going to be superceeded, will drop dramatically in price, as the time draws nearer.

Frank

[timmo32]

great info frank and congrats on your setup too,and nice pics,well thats interesting in regards to the i7,im a very impatient man and are looking for a upgrade now , then in 12 months as you said it will be so cheap to buy,it will be most likely cheaper then a carton of beer lol,well thanks for the info will see wat i decide to do ,thanks for your reply

[alainneedle1]

Inside or around 12 month you will have something new called Sandy Bridge  http://www.guru3d.com/news/sandy-bridge-might-arrive-earlier/

BUT don't forget you will need a new mobo cause it will be a different socket so more $$$ and I'm not sure they will have 6 or 8 core to start with but I may be mistaking.

Are you looking for the best perf. as of now?....if you wait for the price of the 980x to drop you will be tempted to by the new kid on the block anyway (Sandy Bridge) if you wait you will stay with the same rig for another years and as far as price dropping I don't think you will see something major.....why....cause of this here.... i7 975 at $1,039.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115212 and the i7 980x at $999.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115223  the i7 975 should be cheaper right?? and look at this one here intel i7 970 6 core locked at $899.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115066  so for $100.00 more you can get the i7 980x unclocked multiplier?

I think the x series will be taking out of the market like the QX6850, QX9650 and other QX to be replaced by the Sandy Bridge X (when available) but this is just my thinking.

I waited 2 years to jump from the socket 775 to the 1366 because I wanted to see a BIG perf. improvement on my rig so I am not going to buy a i7 930 because they are only priced at $289.00us, there will always be something new on the market but to me you should buy the best available hardware WHEN you are ready to upgrade.... before the end of this years (I've heard september) the new i7 990x will be out so I will be waiting 1 to 2 more months, that is why I'm not buying the i7 980x and I am ready to upgrade now.

[brianos007]

Hi Timmo

I see in your Sig. you are running a I7 950 only at 3.03 ghz

Timmo this chip has a lot of potential OC it.

It will easily go past the 4 ghz mark

You will see a great performance leap in FSX i promise you

Dont wast 1400 dollars on a 980.

My advise (but who am i) spend your 1400 dollars on something else

OC your I7 950 and be happy.

The extra 1400 dollars is not worth it.

Grtz

[alainneedle1]

Guys it's not only a matter of GHz. you seems to forget you get 2 more core with the i7 980x, it's like me saying "Hey! my Q9650 is at 4.32GHz so I should be happy with it since some i7 920 can't even get to 4.32GHz" ....NoooOOO, the i7 980x has 2 more core take advantage of high MHz memory does overclock with less core voltage so less core voltage = less heat and less degradation and more...

If it was only a matter of GHz everybody would still be on the E series overclocked up to 4.GHz +, it's also a matter of bandwith speed and more......

Don't get me wrong I am not here to tell somebody to buy or not to buy what they want, of course if you already have an i7 950, 940, 920 or else overclock at 4.2GHz + you should run FSX pretty good but keep in mind if you want the best forget the rest.....

As I have always said "If you want to play you have to pay and there is no such thing as overkill in PC's hardware" specially with FSX.

Now let me tell you what I think is the best upgrade for everybody's PC,( refer to my sig.) first of take a look at your mobo spec. and put the best hardware it can take......will you go and buy a Ferrari Enzo ( if you can afford it) with a four cylinder in it and a Mazda Miata transmission?? How many guys here have a mobo who can take 2200MHz memory and will use 1600MHz memory in it......buy a mobo who will take 1600MHz and fill it up with 1600MHz memory.

Listen ....I'm not saying you should not buy an ASUS Rampage III Extreme if you are "gonna" put 1600MHz memory in it and a i7 920  or 950...it's your money and you do what ever you want with it but why will you buy a mobo like this and use 1600MHz memory?? The ASUS P6T6 WS Revolution will do the same job for less money and will be maxed out with 1600MHz memory...

Timmo, if you are "gonna" buy the i7 980X I will respectfully sugest to get (since your mobo can take it) some 2200MHz rams  at low timing and overclock that CPU at 4.4GHz + and you WILL see see a difference in perf. if everything is well tuned.

[gheeD]

Yes, its not only about GHz, 980x has  4mb more cache, made with smaller technology.  But when you overclock i7 930/920 to around 4.0-4.2 ghz range, 980x performance is not worth the 1100 extra $$$ it costs. So if you care about your money and want to be wise about what you buy and get the best performance for your dollars, get i7 930 and gtx480. If you want to overshoot it, get 2 xeon processors and 4-way GTX480 sli.

ofcourse if you just want most performance, you do not want to look at reviews or ask for assistance, just buy whatever is priced the highest.

[alainneedle1]

Yes, its not only about GHz, 980x has  4mb more cache, made with smaller technology.  But when you overclock i7 930/920 to around 4.0-4.2 ghz range, 980x performance is not worth the 1100 extra $$$ it costs. So if you care about your money and want to be wise about what you buy and get the best performance for your dollars, get i7 930 and gtx480. If you want to overshoot it, get 2 xeon processors and 4-way GTX480 sli.

ofcourse if you just want most performance, you do not want to look at reviews or ask for assistance, just buy whatever is priced the highest.

I think you missed that part...[Don't get me wrong I am not here to tell somebody to buy or not to buy what they want, of course if you already have an i7 950, 940, 920 or else overclock at 4.2GHz + you should run FSX pretty good but keep in mind if you want the best forget the rest.....]

That was just my own personal opinion, no strings attached......you all buy what you fell will give you the best bang for the buck.

[N058BM]

It all boils down to cash and patience. If you want it and can afford it now, then by all means go for it. it you wanna wait for the next one, hang on and wait a bit. We all know that there will always be something newer and faster. Trust me, if this wasn't the case I'd still be running the subLogic version of flight simulator on my TRS80 model 1. You might want to O.C. your machine a bit more before you get a 980X.The reality of the i7 980X making your simulator experience a worldly difference from your i7 940 will hardly be noticed. Not to say it wont make a difference because it will. I went from an i7 930 at 4.3 to the 980X at 5.0 and found subtle improvements. I experienced a more cinema like fluidness and higher frame rates but nothing earth shattering. Is it worth dropping another grand? No one can answer that question but your wallet and you. If $1000.00 isn't a big deal, then by all means, get the 980X. You can feel confident knowing that you have made an improvement as well as having the most powerful CPU available for a grand. Personally, for me, it's piece of mind knowing that I have a state of the art CPU. In my mind, it makes me a much cooler guy! In reality, it doesn't get me any hotter chicks! LMAO!!! When the next batch of hardware comes out, I'll get that stuff too. I am just one of those have to have it guys. In the end, it all comes down to the question, what kind of guy are you? 

thanx/Bruce

[timmo32]

thanks for all feedback on this,if i do puchase this chip,i wont be upgrading for a while,and,there is some good points in this topic too thanks a million guys,im lucky i have a mate who works a pc shop,so cheaper prices or i would not even think about it lol

[tennyson]

And don't forget timmo,

That Intel will be releasing the 970 soon. It's going be "virtually" a 980x, just running at 3.2Ghz instead of 3.3Ghz.

I believe the chip is going to be priced at less than half that of a 980X.

Might be worth having a look at....

Frank

[alainneedle1]

And don't forget timmo,

That Intel will be releasing the 970 soon. It's going be "virtually" a 980x, just running at 3.2Ghz instead of 3.3Ghz.

I believe the chip is going to be priced at less than half that of a 980X.

Might be worth having a look at....

Frank

Frank I think you missed my earlier post above the i7 970 is already out and it's priced at $899.99  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115066 $100.00 more get you the i7 980x unlocked...

[timmo32]

well guys i bit the bullet and brought the new 980x crazy i know but,thanks to your feed back frank and all the other guys on this topic,hopefull combined with the new gtx 480,ill get a little bit extra perfomance,i will be running it stock for a while tho,so i will report back soon ,when i get to test and compare the 950 to the new 980x,cheers. :)it will take 4-5 days to arrive also.

[timmo32]

ive also decided to upgrade the ram from 1600mhz now to 2000mhz,and will also be waiting for that to arrive,cheers.

[brianos007]

Concratulations Timmo

I cant wait to see some tests between those 2

Gtz

[JoseCFII]

well guys i bit the bullet and brought the new 980x crazy i know but,thanks to your feed back frank and all the other guys on this topic,hopefull combined with the new gtx 480,ill get a little bit extra perfomance,i will be running it stock for a while tho,so i will report back soon ,when i get to test and compare the 950 to the new 980x,cheers. :)it will take 4-5 days to arrive also.

Great move! This is a great starting point. Make sure that you pair this OC 980x with a gtx 480 and an SSD drive. You will be one happy man, as I am.

[alainneedle1]

ive also decided to upgrade the ram from 1600mhz now to 2000mhz,and will also be waiting for that to arrive,cheers.

Get the lowest timing possible on the rams......congrats on your new hardware.

[timmo32]

thanks for all your feedback on this,i will let you guys know wat the differents is between my 950 and 980 soon,i have to wait for delivery and its killing me :'( i want it all now ,but i dont exspect huge improvements at all ,tho i will be running it stock for a while and alainneedle thanks for the ram advice,i will order the ram ,the highest my mother board can fit in,and brian i will for sure let you know as in performance differences with the new chip,thanks guys

[alainneedle1]

thanks for all your feedback on this,i will let you guys know wat the differents is between my 950 and 980 soon,i have to wait for delivery and its killing me :'( i want it all now ,but i dont exspect huge improvements at all ,tho i will be running it stock for a while and alainneedle thanks for the ram advice,i will order the ram ,the highest my mother board can fit in,and brian i will for sure let you know as in performance differences with the new chip,thanks guys

Here are the fastest rams with the best timing your mobo can take.....  https://shop.corsair.com/store/item_view.aspx?id=1235506    kind of expensive.... I was odering them untilI found out the heat sink was to high for my CPU cooler.... 

I think the best rams will be the same as I have (don't know if you can get them in Australia?)  https://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=WX200UX6G7&title=Super-Talent-Speed-Series-DDR3-2000-6GB-3x2GB-CL7-Triple-Channel-Memory-Kit  200MHz less than what your mobo can take but they will be faster than any 2200MHz because of the low timing 7-7-7-20

You WILL see better perf. when you overclock the i7 980x.....good luck.

[timmo32]

thanks for that link,i can see wat you mean why it does not fit your case,the cooling fins are massive,and i notice ,out of stock :'(well could be in my future to get those providing it fits into my case,i will let you know today wat i will buy as in good ram

[brianos007]

Go watercooling

And everything wil fit

Grtz

[timmo32]

well i purchased the dominator corsair ram 2000mhz,the only thing is the timing which i think is 888-24 i could not get the other ram at low timing or should i say its a two week wait, :'(so ill try this ram and see wat happens,and hopefully my 980x arrive tommorow,then of to my brother inlaws to do the upgrade,will see wat happens guys.

[N058BM]

You made a great Choice timmo32. I am absolutely sure you will be very happy. By the way, the stock cooler will let you hit 4.2-4.5 so turn it up and enjoy!

[timmo32]

thanks for that positive feedback, no58bm,and thats a killer of a system your running mate,and oc to 5 gig well gees you must be burning those frames alive awesome mate. :)i plan on running mine stock for a while until i have the balls to up the gigs  we will see wat happens ,thanks.

[Condor]

Hi Timmo,

I bought the 980X couple months back and together with the GTX 480 vid card, you can't go wrong. I run everything smooth as a baby's butt which includes YBBN and YMML

Cheers,

Paul

[timmo32]

awesome paul,are you running your processor at stock speed?or have you overclocked,thanks

[Condor]

No Tim... stock standard. I don't really think it needs overclocking. Fast enuff as it is

Th Condor

[timmo32]

awesome mate,will hopefully have mine up and running next week mate thanks for your feed back.

[capt sl]

Paul hows the loading time of flights and also when changing time 

reason i ask is cause i was  checking out the performance on a work related PC with the I980  and for some reason every time i change the time of day or a diff day it takes  a long time before it happens

texture loading was also lagging at some stages

[timmo32]

hello capt sl ,try defragging your harddrives mate and see if the textures load faster,and make sure also your memory speed is set up correctly too,if textures lag fsx sometimes cant find the files quick enough from your hard drives,and normaly the result is either black screnery or blurry textures,hope that info helps

[capt sl]

Ta Timmo32 Ill check that out

any idea for the incredibly long time taken between time/day changing

[timmo32]

umm not to sure on that one,does your pc take for ever to load after you change the time from day to nite during mid flight?there is a mod you can apply to your fsx config file to possibly help,no promises tho on this,anyways try changing this,DAWN_DUSK_SMOOTHING=1,change the setting =1 to setting= 0,and see how you go with loading time,this is a nickn mod,DAWN_DUSK_SMOOTHING=0 ,this is wat it should look like ok goodluck

[Condor]

Hi Capt sl,

My flight loading time etc is pretty good actually..I have no real problem with that. Btw, are you running Win 7 64 bit?

I also got my hands on the latest Ultimate Defrag Ver 3 which I believe helps a real lot.

Hey Tim, you seem to have your fingers on the pulse

As I have stated earlier, the Nvidia GTX480 card has a lot of bearing on everything particularly load times.

Paul

[capt sl]

@ timmo32 - its actually at the beginning , the stage where you are selectiing airports/aircraft etc , change time and it just goes into a coma for a while then eventually comes -

@paul - yeah its windows 7 64, noticed in your last post you think the gtx480 does better, the one im playing around with has ati (not sure which one)

like i said its not my own but was hoping to use it as a trial for my own upgrade

anyway thanks for the info . certainly have a close look at those 

[timmo32]

hi paul im running windows 64bit,and havent really notice long loading times and im always changing between day and night,i cant see the gtx480 causing any delay in loading times,try a good defrag on your hard drive or post some of your settings on here,including ingame fsx settings and your fsx config file settings.