New computer time

[gig0]

I'm looking for opinions on a new PC build. I've done a little research but most of the benchmarks I've seen are usually based on gaming and video editing application performance. Anyways, I've narrowed the processor down to either a dual core Xeon or Core i7 and was wondering which would have the best performance for all the various prepress apps we use. The Xeon processor is known for it's reliability for serious number crunching thats used on servers. The core i7 comes from the same die and has Turbo Boost technology (built in overclocking when the processor demands it) and am not sure if it's even applicable for when, lets say, generating a 3000 page PDF with variable data from IDCS5.

I also plan on getting a cheap Nvidia GPU (instead of an onboard Intel chip this time) and running this in a 64 bit environment (Windows 7) so if theres any other considerations/comments/frustrations I should know, please chime in. Thanks!

 

[jotterpinky]

We were in the same position several months ago...i.e. debating between the quad Xeon and the i7. In the end we went with the i7 system as it was more affordable. If you're running Visa/7 you definitely need a good GPU, for prices these days it's crazy not to get something with at least 512mb RAM and a good processor. We got several i7 machines with Intel's new SSD drives and RAID 5 arrays for storage and 16GB RAM in each. I'll be honest I was really expecting these things to scream but I've been a little nonplussed by their performance. However I worked on a system at our other shop last month and the difference between it (a 4GB, Core 2 Duo, Velociraptor) and these new systems is night and day. I guess I didn't really notice the difference until I had to step down.

I would probably go with the i7 system again due to it's more affordable nature. I thought increasing other areas that are bottlenecks like the GPU, RAM, and the Hard drive were worth more than raw processor speed. The SSD was the biggest performance boost since the swap file is super fast. If you're running Windows 7 don't even think about going with the 80GB version of these things. You'll need a minimum of 120GB if you want to install any software.

 

[Gabloo]

Go with i7, nothing will go wrong. I do recommend getting i7-930 but if u wanna save up a few hundred get either i7-860 or i5-750. I do agree with Jotter, put SSD will boost up performance. Make sure if you are picking i7-930 you have to get window 7 64 bits otherwise, system will not recognize 6 GB or more ram that you put in.

Have you look at AMD hex cores? They are a few hundred cheaper than i7 series but AMD processor does make a lot of heat. If you can get a good cooling system then it can run very nice.

From my own personal experience I will choose Intel over AMD.

I do have some knowledge about computer, if you need help or got questions you can send me a pm or post here. I will try my best to help you out.

 

[Victor]

Intel® Xeon® X5570 Quad-Core Processor 2.93 GHz
12 GB DDR3 ECC 1333 MHZ
1.5GB NVIDIA FX 4800, DUAL

Can we run with Microsoft Windows 7 - 64 bit?

 

[Magpie]

You can and you definitely have to run a 64 bit op system as like Gabloo mentioned on a 32 bit system you can address only 3 gigs of RAM. Anything above that would be more or less wasted.

 

[gig0]

Thanks. Yeah, the i7-930 is exactly what I was planning on. The price point -vs- the performance with prepress apps was just right. If I was doing movie editing or building a gaming rig, I would have gone with the i7 Extreme. Good points about the SSD cards too! Much appreciated. I'm going with the Crucial 128gb 6gb/s SSD (SATA3) as well. My only concern is the performance slow down. From what I've read, SSD drives never perform as fast as when they're new, but once they 'stabilize' they are still 2-5 times faster than HDD's.

Have you look at AMD hex cores? They are a few hundred cheaper than i7 series but AMD processor does make a lot of heat. If you can get a good cooling system then it can run very nice.
.

Back in my Quake/CounterStrike days, I was all about AMD on my gaming rig. You're right. Those puppies run hot and I've had to replace an Athlon due to it frying. The bottom of the heatsink literally showed a burned silhouette of the core. Thats when I upgraded to a more expensive Coolermaster HSF combo but temps still fluctuated quite a bit.