| bugrimmar said: so is the gap between regular quad core and i7 that large, and is it practical? (like, does any program even benefit from it right now?) |
No, it's not that large in games. It's much larger in video encoding and server apps, but I assume this is a gaming computer. For gaming, as I said in the PM, the processors are priced according to their performance, so buying more expensive will always be faster. So a Core i7 920 ($290) is faster than a Core 2 Quad Q9550 ($280) and a Phenom II X4 940 ($225) but slower than a Core 2 Quad Q9650 ($325)*. But I wouldn't recommend anything more expensive than a Core i7 920 as the performance/value isn't there.
The "difference" between a "regular quad-core" and a Core i7 is architecture. Core i7s are newer than Core 2 Quads. But what des it matter what the chip is like inside as long as it performs well? Don't be taken in by the numbers and marketing speak; performance and price are all that matters. And don't dismiss AMD quad-cores either.
*Yes, prices in USD, but should be about the same hierarchy in the UK.
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As for SSDs:
- They are relatively new and are very expensive for small capacities
- The main benefit is a slight decrease (maybe 20%) in boot time and game loading times.
- It could be difficult to set up two hard drives (one SSD, one HDD) to put Windows on one drive and your games on another.
