Is the intel core i7 940 processor good for a gaming pc?

Is the intel core i7 940 processor good for gaming?

nope, it is a waste, go for the i7 920.

If you have the money then i suggest the cheapest model (the 920) and just learn how to overclock it to high heaven. Also the Phenom II X4's are a great choice and it'll save you some cash.

nope, it is a waste, go for the i7 920.

samuraiguns

yep, mine overclocks to 3 ghz on stock air, and stays the same temps, will go much higher. the 940 is just as good but its more money.

Im new to pc gamign so whats overclocking and how do you do it? And is it good forthe pc?

Im new to pc gamign so whats overclocking and how do you do it? And is it good forthe pc?

Luthreidrome

Even with an after market cooler, overclocking is also a really good way to shorten the life span of your processor, no?

At this point, is overclocking a quadcore processor really even necessary? lol

Even with an after market cooler, overclocking is also a really good way to shorten the life span of your processor, no?

At this point, is overclocking a quadcore processor really even necessary? lolTheUberKnight

1. yes it does shorten it but by the time an i7 dies because of an overclock you need to upgrade anyways.

2. Yes it is good to overclock it (especially the 920) i have seen big gains in 3dmark06 and higher frames in Crysis and Prototype.

Even with an after market cooler, overclocking is also a really good way to shorten the life span of your processor, no?

At this point, is overclocking a quadcore processor really even necessary? lol

TheUberKnight

[QUOTE="TheUberKnight"]

Even with an after market cooler, overclocking is also a really good way to shorten the life span of your processor, no?

At this point, is overclocking a quadcore processor really even necessary? lol

cs45F

[QUOTE="cs45F"][QUOTE="TheUberKnight"]

Even with an after market cooler, overclocking is also a really good way to shorten the life span of your processor, no?

At this point, is overclocking a quadcore processor really even necessary? lol

TheUberKnight

It's complete overkill. Pick up a nice AM3 board and a Phenom2 and call it a day. It will be considerably cheaper with about the same results in gaming and with a better upgrade path at a pricepoint thats easier to swallow.

This is a high end Asus AM3 board and Phenom2 945 for the cost of just an I7 920. Anything more is just overkill since you won't notice a difference in gaming.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.211945

So, 3.3 or so, how are your temps idle and under full load? Would you recommend maybe taking the Intel fan off of that since it can be a little noisy, and just have the aftermarket cooler on the processor?TheUberKnight

[QUOTE="TheUberKnight"]So, 3.3 or so, how are your temps idle and under full load? Would you recommend maybe taking the Intel fan off of that since it can be a little noisy, and just have the aftermarket cooler on the processor?cs45F

[QUOTE="cs45F"][QUOTE="TheUberKnight"]So, 3.3 or so, how are your temps idle and under full load? Would you recommend maybe taking the Intel fan off of that since it can be a little noisy, and just have the aftermarket cooler on the processor?TheUberKnight

Get the phenom x4, Stock at 3.2ghz, No need to overclock, and you can safely overclock to 3.5ghz without after market cooler or any of that stuff.

i920 is rip off imo.(same price for 5 months.)

Get the phenom x4, Stock at 3.2ghz, No need to overclock, and you can safely overclock to 3.5ghz without after market cooler or any of that stuff.

i920 is rip off imo.(same price for 5 months.)

pureskull123

The Core i7 940 isn't/wasn't worth the price tag just for a 300mhz increase from the 920,it was also replaced by the 950(which is a little over 3ghz at stock)but still can be found online.As stated previously the i7 920 or PII 955 are great processors for gaming and are both high end processors.

The Core i7 940 isn't/wasn't worth the price tag just for a 300mhz increase from the 920,it was also replaced by the 950(which is a little over 3ghz at stock)but still can be found online.As stated previously the i7 920 or PII 955 are great processors for gaming and are both high end processors.

MCSIRLOIN

I7 is a sever chip that most desktop uses will never take advantage of and what happens when I5 hits? You don't think that i7920 won't go eol making the cheapest i7 chips around $500 bucks (1366 Xeon will work though)? Kind of kills upgrade paths.

nope, it is a waste, go for the i7 920.

samuraiguns

im getting an overclocked bundle with the 920 @ 3.8ghz on air colling and can even go to 4ghz ;).. so yeah go with the 920 =]

So if I go with the 920 is it absoluteley necessary for gaming to overclock it?And the the 940 is just a waste of money?

Nope, you don't have to overclock, the I7 is basically the fastest CPU on the market today, so if it can't run a game, no other CPU can. You only OC for fun, or if you want a little bit of an performance increase in 3D mark or some games. 3.2 i reckon is the sweet spot, and with a good aftermarket cpu cooler, you wont have to worry about it prematurely dying. Yes, the I7 940 is a waste, its the same chip, just clocked a tiny bit higher, in reality, it should only be 10-20 dollars more lol, get the 920.

Hope this helps.

Cahl

So if I go with the 920 is it absoluteley necessary for gaming to overclock it?And the the 940 is just a waste of money?

Luthreidrome

don't need to overclock at all 920 can max any game at stock. the video card is crucial when playing games. i suggest xfx or sapphire4890. i7 920 with stock cooler is all you need. and good thermal paste. the stock cooler works great on my rig, you can adjust the fan speed on the stock cooler it makes a little difference in temps. always runs cool even in summer.

This is a high end Asus AM3 board and Phenom2 945 for the cost of just an I7 920. Anything more is just overkill since you won't notice a difference in gaming.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.211945

artiedeadat40

Would you look at that? How cute... Artie recommending AMD. :D Anyway, +1 for this post.

I don't suggest staying with the stock, espically with such a powerful cpu, with a good aftermarket cooler, you can easily OC quite a bit, and still be under or on par with the stock cooler at stock speeds, and deffinetly don't reccomend overclocking at all with the stock, then your cpu will get very hot and could crash/prematurley die, even at small overclocks. Good aftermarket coolers are cheap anyways, the Scythe Mugen 2 is one of the best and is very cheap, $36 on newegg, huge and can be hard to install, but great cooler all round. For thermal paste, I got OCZ Freeze Extreme for my Core I7, think i put a tiny bit too much, but still cools great and my CPU is under 40 at idle (stock). Yeah, but any other questions feel free to ask. :)

If you haven't bought the parts for an i7 rig and are going on a budget, don't get i7 with i5 being around the corner.

yes:) it's a good CPU

So if I go with the 920 is it absoluteley necessary for gaming to overclock it?And the the 940 is just a waste of money?

Luthreidrome

I7 940, which I'm pretty sure is EOL and has been replaced by the 950, is a binned chip with a higher multi. Like I said I doubt that for strictly gaming that you need a workstation/server cpu like Nehalem.

I dont know where all these people are getting their information regarding the cost of the 920. I paid $199 for mine like 6 months ago. You do realize that there are more pc retailers than NewEgg right? Try TankGuys if you really need a certain stepping.freesafety13

Not everyone has a Microcenter nearby. Can you link a price like that from a store that ships? No, didn't think so.

So, suddenly it is now my responsibility to make sure everyone no longer overpays for computer components? I was merely pointing out the fact that there are other avenues for i7's other than the Egg. And to answer your request, at least once a month NewEgg has a 920 sale. A quick google search yielded a handful of online retailers that sell the 920 for less than the Egg, Tankguys, and TigerDirect.freesafety13

The tone of your post was very condecending and I was merely pointing out the fact that most people here can't get in on that Microcenter in store only deal.

[QUOTE="freesafety13"]I dont know where all these people are getting their information regarding the cost of the 920. I paid $199 for mine like 6 months ago. You do realize that there are more pc retailers than NewEgg right? Try TankGuys if you really need a certain stepping.artiedeadat40

Not everyone has a Microcenter nearby. Can you link a price like that from a store that ships? No, didn't think so.

[QUOTE="pureskull123"]

Get the phenom x4, Stock at 3.2ghz, No need to overclock, and you can safely overclock to 3.5ghz without after market cooler or any of that stuff.

i920 is rip off imo.(same price for 5 months.)

cs45F

[QUOTE="cs45F"][QUOTE="pureskull123"]

Get the phenom x4, Stock at 3.2ghz, No need to overclock, and you can safely overclock to 3.5ghz without after market cooler or any of that stuff.

i920 is rip off imo.(same price for 5 months.)

imprezawrx500

Is the intel core i7 940 processor good for gaming?

Luthreidrome

Are you serious Pentium III is where it is at. Don't go for the modern CPU, it's all hype and you'll pay over the odds for it. :P;)

What you should be more concerned about is your GPU. Graphics cards do the gaming. CPU do the processing. Get a Average CPU with a good graphics card, rather than a good CPU with a poor graphics card. Say like a Q6600 -Q9550 etc

[QUOTE="cs45F"][QUOTE="pureskull123"]

Get the phenom x4, Stock at 3.2ghz, No need to overclock, and you can safely overclock to 3.5ghz without after market cooler or any of that stuff.

i920 is rip off imo.(same price for 5 months.)

imprezawrx500

I completely agree.