Swicth from AMD to Intel now, or wait for Ivy Bridge?

[BhaswarD]

Hi,

I was planning to upgrade my PC this month, but I had some doubts whether I should upgrade now or wait.

My current config:

CPU AMD Phenom II X2 550BE
Mobo Biostar TA790GXBE
GPU Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 1 GB
PSU Corsair 650W
RAM Corsair 2GB + Transcend/Kingston 1GB
Display Samsung 2033SW 20" Widescreen
Cabinet Cooler Master Elite 335 Mid Tower
UPS APC 1100 VA

I was planning to upgrade CPU, Mobo, RAM, display and Cabinet (optional, but preferred).

But I was hearing a lot about Ivy Bridge coming out sometime soon. I do not know when though.

I have the following options for CPU-mobo upgrades:

1. Buy an i5-2400, H67 combo right now. It should last me 2 years, at least.
2. Wait till IB is released. If affordable, buy IB.
3. Wait till IB is released. If IB is costly, and if SB prices drop, buy SB (maybe i5-2500K, Z68).
4. Buy AMD Phenom II X4 955BE or Phenom II X4 960T (if compatible with current mobo). Wait an year or so, and then buy IB and switch to Intel.

Please advice, which is prudent at this moment? How much better is IB than SB equivalents? Any equivalent AMD coming out? What is the expected pricing models for the new tier of CPU/mobos?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Extreme Gamer]

Dont do anything now. The 7 series chipsets are out. Now wait for the IB processors to get released and then upgrade. For now if the dual core is slow for you then try the core unlocker if your CPU has it. Otherwise look for a cheap deal on a quad for now, and save for IB.

[BhaswarD]

Dont do anything now. The 7 series chipsets are out. Now wait for the IB processors to get released and then upgrade. For now if the dual core is slow for you then try the core unlocker if your CPU has it. Otherwise look for a cheap deal on a quad for now, and save for IB.

Any expected date for IB to hit Indian markets? How will the mid/upper-mid range processors be priced?

[ArcherMcKinley]

Ivy Bridge will supposedly have 5%-15% increase in performance than it's Sandy Bridge counterparts. And it should affect the prices of CPUs that are in the market currently.

As Extreme Gamer said, wait it out. Save for Ivy Bridge, or grab a Sandy Bridge quad-core when the prices come down, and pair it with a Z68/Z77 board for maximum benefits, including a good upgrade path ahead.

Read this article (slightly outdated) for information on the expected prices.

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[BhaswarD]

Ivy Bridge will supposedly have 5%-15% increase in performance than it's Sandy Bridge counterparts. And it should affect the prices of CPUs that are in the market currently.

As Extreme Gamer said, wait it out. Save for Ivy Bridge, or grab a Sandy Bridge quad-core when the prices come down, and pair it with a Z68/Z77 board for maximum benefits, including a good upgrade path ahead.

Read this article (slightly outdated) for information on the expected prices.

--

Thanks for the advice, Archer.

Seems like IB will cost same (maybe be a bit more at launch, and then settle down) as the SB counterparts currently do, and the SB prices will fall. Guess I will wait till May/June and switch to an appropriate IB/SB setup.

[BhaswarD]

Ivy Bridge will supposedly have 5%-15% increase in performance than it's Sandy Bridge counterparts. And it should affect the prices of CPUs that are in the market currently.

As Extreme Gamer said, wait it out. Save for Ivy Bridge, or grab a Sandy Bridge quad-core when the prices come down, and pair it with a Z68/Z77 board for maximum benefits, including a good upgrade path ahead.

Read this article (slightly outdated) for information on the expected prices.

--

Thanks for the advice, Archer.

Seems like IB will cost same (maybe be a bit more at launch, and then settle down) as the SB counterparts currently do, and the SB prices will fall. Guess I will wait till May/June and switch to an appropriate IB/SB setup.