Maximum PC

With bigadv going away for us with 4core/8thread machines, is it better to continue running 8 threads with HT, or turn it off and just go with 4? Anyone tried it?

Basically, I'm asking because I have to rebuild a system (motherboard is going bad). I'm having trouble convincing myself to spend the extra $100 on a 2600k, when the biggest difference is the 2500k doesn't hyperthread.

I dont know about now with the new processors, but when i was running HT CPUs I got about 15% more points using HT than not using it.

While smaller bonuses, I think we're getting something for still running fast cores. The old non-optimized 920 went from maybe 12K to 8K while the 2105 4T still chugs along at about 4K. 2600K was worth a lot more than that thing as far as PPD...so is it worth the HT? Wow...that's tough. Cores, fake or not, are still cores as far as results go.

If you have to replace a board and CPU, then s2011 should be the answer. The 38xx CPU is priced right, but the boards are just stupidly out there in the ozone layer. The x79 Sabertooth should be about $150 and not $330. But if the board is bad, you can fix that with $100 and keep your 2500.

$80 gets a good s1155 iTX board (prices change).

Keep HT on for SMP folding.

So by this, the 2600k should significantly outperform the 2500k? I think I'll try running my 2600k without HT for an hour or so, and check the performance difference.

The board that's failing is an older s775 with Q6600 that's been running for quite a few years. Chumly, I appreciate the board recommendation, but I'm really looking for a full size. I was actually looking at the ASUS P8P67: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131770

HT adds only about 15-30% increase in performance, depending on the application.

Thats quite sizable to me!?!

So, without changing anything other than switching HT on or off, my 2600k just clocked 4:17 per frame without HT, 3:17 with HT enabled. I think It's worth spending the extra $100.

I just don't understand why you would turn off HT anyhow... you are paying for it in the first place...

I think you missed the OP. The question was whether the cost difference between the 2500k and the 2600k was worth it, when the major difference is that the 2500 does not have HT.

If you were building a gaming only PC, I would save some cash and get the 2500K. But if you are doing any video editing or folding, its worth it to add HT and get the 2600K. IMO

... I see you as the OP with:

Makes things even more confusing.

You should fold if you don't already.

i7-2600k
Clock speed: 3.4 Ghz
Intel® Smart Cache: 8 MB
# of Threads: 8

i7-2500k
Clock speed: 3.3 Ghz
Intel® Smart Cache: 6 MB
# of Threads: 4

Overall the 2600k is superior. Hyperthreading allowed you to fold bigadv units since it read the 8 threads otherwise you could not. As a multi-threaded application, you will receive a performance boost with HT/on. Now even without bigadv, there are still larger than average SMP units to fold as well. The ones I grabbed folded in about a day as compared to bigadv which folded 2-3 days.

I am folding.... close to a million points in less than a month...

I was saying I'm confused since the OP was contradicting himself if the quote above is from the same dude... He basically said the OP was questioning the cost difference between the 2500k and the 2600k when I see the OP as the guy who asks about bigadv questions with HT, nothing about costs.

then you should read the second post, the one he posted right after the original post.

Yeah, but right after my post saying its 15-30% difference, he posts

Literally right after mine... so he would have spent the cost for a cpu...

I think he already had a 2600k to try it out. Or bb is really fast at replacing it and wanted to see for himself!

damn, must be a sys admin if he's that fast! lol

or he's lucky and has a microcenter nearby for uber cheap in store only prices.

Yeah I wish there was a microcenter near here.