# Bulldozer-Worth the wait?



## kciaccio (May 23, 2011)

I have started building a new computer. Probably take two more months to fully complete. 

Buying the parts in stages. I have the case. Buying the power supply next, then the memory ect.
Probably buying the motherboard and CPU last.

I don't plan on gaming on it a lot, but I multi-task a like with ENCODING, converting videos, supporting ORB and Airvideo for friends ect.

I currently use an AMD Athlon IIx4 630 O.C. to 3.22 and 4 gigs of DDR2 O.C. 1066.

Is it worth the wait to get the Bulldozer CPU?


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## Evolved (May 23, 2011)

It is literally 30 days from now, 'till the launch of AMD's new line of Multi-core Processors.

It sure is worth the wait! You should get the biggest bang for your buck and become future proof for the next 5+ years!

I'd say a 6-Core Bulldozer will be the ultimate choice for Price/Performance ratio!

Or you can even get a Phenom II X6 1100T, as the Phenom II 6-Core CPU's will definitely
drop in prices when Bulldozer comes out - so a lot of savings there!


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## Doherz (May 24, 2011)

If your doing your build over time *definately *wait.

I know its not easy but it will be worth it. I'm currently having to force myself not to buy a phenom 2 which look attractive due to the price drops. 

Simple thing is bulldozer should push phenom prices down and if its good should offer parity with Intel's sandybridge. If its really good it will beat sandybridge and knock all prices down. So even if your not able to afford bulldozer the effect on the market should change prices on most things favourably.


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## Frizz (May 24, 2011)

Yes you should wait, if anything this is the only time period with tech that you should wait to buy something. Because once you decide to buy a 1100T a month will fly by and you would have wished you waited. My 0.2


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## JrRacinFan (May 24, 2011)

Food for thought: pickup your motherboard & ram over the next month or 2. That should get you a 9 series AMD chipset & ddr3. That will also allow you to run your current cpu on that board.


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## fullinfusion (May 24, 2011)

id wait for 6months before jumping on this one for sure.


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## micropage7 (May 24, 2011)

yeah, if it just about 3 months or like that i better waiting for the newer one


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## happita (May 24, 2011)

I hope this doesn't end up like their HD 5000 launch, where it debuted at a decent price, then skyrocketed and then stayed at that level until 6000 came out 
I will be getting a new CPU/MB/RAM, but time will tell when. I'd hate to buy it then see the next week it drops $20-$30


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## Champ (May 24, 2011)

I know we have flocks of bulldozer fans, so please don't beat me up.  This processor does sound good, but I have no doubt Intel with make another chip to overshadow it like they always do.  Always more expensive as normal, but we know how this back and forward with them goes.


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## FordGT90Concept (May 24, 2011)

It is never worth waiting for technology because the moment the "new" stuff comes out, it is already old.

Personally, I don't have much faith in Bulldozer being competitive with Sandy Bridge.  Even if AMD manages to make a chip faster than Sandy Bridge, Intel has tons of headroom with their clock speeds so they can counter very fast.


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## micropage7 (May 24, 2011)

happita said:


> I'd hate to buy it then see the next week it drops $20-$30



yeah thats why i dont like to buy high end cards


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## toastem2004 (May 24, 2011)

I can say from the intel presentaion i saw just last week, that Ivy Bridge is not till "1H'12" and that the only CPU's they plan to launch the rest of the year is the Celeron, Sandy Bridge Pentiums, and an i7-2700k 4Q'11. There will be the 2011 launch 3Q'11, but they will only be 6c/12t & 4c/8t , the rep clearly stated that intel did not see the need for 8c cpus in the consumer market.

So OP, defiantly wait. Its hard, cause im doing the exact same thing as u, except im waiting to buy till the HD7xxx series is out.


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## Damn_Smooth (May 24, 2011)

FordGT90Concept said:


> It is never worth waiting for technology because the moment the "new" stuff comes out, it is already old.
> 
> Personally, I don't have much faith in Bulldozer being competitive with Sandy Bridge.  Even if AMD manages to make a chip faster than Sandy Bridge, Intel has tons of headroom with their clock speeds so they can counter very fast.



It's nice to hear that someone knows how much headroom Bulldozer will have. Do you mind filling the rest of us in?


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## Over_Lord (May 24, 2011)

Evolved said:


> It is literally 30 days from now, 'till the launch of AMD's new line of Multi-core Processors.
> 
> It sure is worth the wait! You should get the biggest bang for your buck and become future proof for the next 5+ years!
> 
> ...



LOL if the 4 core BUlldozer unlocks I think that will sweep all the prizes in the VFM category...!!


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## PopcornMachine (May 24, 2011)

You have to wait to find out if it's worth the wait. 

Myself, I see three possible upgrade paths. Go with X58, go Sandy Bridge, or Bulldozer.

I'm intrigued by the possibility of AMD becomming competitive with the Intel platforms above.  It's been a long time since I've built anything but Intel. But no one will know until benchmarks and reviews are released.

I am in no hurry and content with waiting a few weeks.


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## Evolved (May 24, 2011)

I'm banking on Bulldozer being exactly on Par with Sandy Bridge, so really, 
you're paying the extra $20 or $40 for 2 more cores (I'm only referring to the 6-Core versions).

Do you guys think the 2 extra cores is worth the extra dough?


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## Damn_Smooth (May 24, 2011)

Evolved said:


> I'm banking on Bulldozer being exactly on Par with Sandy Bridge, so really,
> you're paying the extra $20 or $40 for 2 more cores (I'm only referring to the 6-Core versions).
> 
> Do you guys think the 2 extra cores is worth the extra dough?



It depends on what you do with your PC. For just gaming, it's not really needed right now. But someday, developers will actually take advantage of more than 4 cores and you will see a big difference then.


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## CJCerny (May 24, 2011)

There's no reason to wait if you are building a budget PC. Newly released parts, like Bulldozer, are always going to be more expensive then stuff that's been out for a while. If your goal is to have the best PC money can buy, then you should wait for Bulldozer. If your goal is to just build a great value PC, the only thing that waiting for Bulldozer is going to do is make it cheaper for you to buy current CPUs and the like. 

Take all the "wait" advice with a grain of salt.


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## happita (May 24, 2011)

CJCerny said:


> There's no reason to wait if you are building a budget PC. Newly released parts, like Bulldozer, are always going to be more expensive then stuff that's been out for a while. If your goal is to have the best PC money can buy, then you should wait for Bulldozer. If your goal is to just build a great value PC, the only thing that waiting for Bulldozer is going to do is make it cheaper for you to buy current CPUs and the like.
> 
> Take all the "wait" advice with a grain of salt.



I agree.
Mainstream Bulldozer CPU's won't see the light for at least another 3-4 more months after the enthusiast parts are launched. I'd say if your going for a low power system, do it NOW.


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## sttubs (May 24, 2011)

You could buy used & get a great deal on the AM3 setup from someone that has upgraded to AM3+


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## LagunaX (May 24, 2011)

As much as I would love to support AMD (Actually I do as far as graphics cards) I just don't think AMD can "Bulldoze" an overclocked 4 core 8 thread i7-2600k.  i7-2600k's are stable at 4.5ghz++ and AMD chips haven't been as great as far as overclocking potential since the opteron 165-170's.  If it is, I WILL buy and run it =).

Given the above, I'd grab an Asus Z68 Vanilla or Pro and an i7-2600k with an aftermarket cpu cooler.
When Bulldozer arrives, you can compare benchmarks.
If it isn't as great, the mobo will be able to support the Ivy's with a bios flash.

Or you can wait 30 days or so but I think I'll probably be right...


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## kciaccio (May 25, 2011)

I guess that is the cross roads I am at, the motherboard. Will the MB be compatible with the Bulldozer CPU if I go with a non-Bulldozer chip right away?


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## FordGT90Concept (May 25, 2011)

There are 6 AM3+ boards available now.  Correct me if I'm wrong but I think AM3+ boards are intended for Bulldozer "Zambezi" chips.  I'm sure they come at a premium though.


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## happita (May 25, 2011)

kciaccio said:


> I guess that is the cross roads I am at, the motherboard. Will the MB be compatible with the Bulldozer CPU if I go with a non-Bulldozer chip right away?



AM3+ (Bulldozer) CPUs cannot be placed into a NON-900 series chipset motherboard (albeit a select few motherboards that a few manufacturers are going to support with a bios update I think)....

AM2 AM2+ AM3 CPUs can be placed in a 900 series chipset motherboard.


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## Frizz (May 25, 2011)

FordGT90Concept said:


> It is never worth waiting for technology because the moment the "new" stuff comes out, it is already old.



While that is true with all tech, I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with this one for the OP's situation. For one that is only true when you buy hardware and something better is announced, in this case that something better has already been announced and will be released in a few weeks and I doubt Bulldozer 2 will be released a month after.


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## micropage7 (May 25, 2011)

LagunaX said:


> As much as I would love to support AMD (Actually I do as far as graphics cards) I just don't think AMD can "Bulldoze" an overclocked 4 core 8 thread i7-2600k.  i7-2600k's are stable at 4.5ghz++ and AMD chips haven't been as great as far as overclocking potential since the opteron 165-170's.  If it is, I WILL buy and run it =).
> 
> Given the above, I'd grab an Asus Z68 Vanilla or Pro and an i7-2600k with an aftermarket cpu cooler.
> When Bulldozer arrives, you can compare benchmarks.
> ...



yeah AMD wins on price, and one that i like from AMD is it consistent stay on the same socket for kinda long time before switch into newer one, not like the other


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## trickson (May 25, 2011)

Evolved said:


> It is literally 30 days from now, 'till the launch of AMD's new line of Multi-core Processors.
> 
> It sure is worth the wait! You should get the biggest bang for your buck and become future proof for the next 5+ years!
> 
> ...



LOL just how do you KNOW all this ? I mean they are not even on the market yet and you all calling it ! LOL . Future proof ! Are you kidding in 6 months the thing will be a dinosaur ! Mine is a dinosaur And I have a Q9650 !


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## xenocide (May 25, 2011)

trickson said:


> LOL just how do you KNOW all this ? I mean they are not even on the market yet and you all calling it ! LOL . Future proof ! Are you kidding in 6 months the thing will be a dinosaur ! Mine is a dinosaur And I have a Q9650 !



Your CPU is 2.5 years old, not 0.5 years old like in your example.

As for the situation, it's worth waiting for Bulldozer just to see how the market reacts.  If Bulldozer offers great Price\Performance you know what to do, if not, it might make Intel's SB CPU's drop in price to double up on their advantage.  When there's something this big only 2-3 weeks away, it's definitely worth waiting for.


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## FordGT90Concept (May 25, 2011)

random said:


> While that is true with all tech, I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with this one for the OP's situation. For one that is only true when you buy hardware and something better is announced, in this case that something better has already been announced and will be released in a few weeks and I doubt Bulldozer 2 will be released a month after.


Ivy Bridge and "Enhanced Bulldozer" are coming in 2012.  Both on the 22nm process most likely.

LGA 1356/2011 platform is coming out in Q4 2011.  It is likely to be a substantial performance step up from current, LGA 1155 Sandy Bridge chips (but expensive too).


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## trickson (May 25, 2011)

xenocide said:


> Your CPU is 2.5 years old, not 0.5 years old like in your example.
> 
> As for the situation, it's worth waiting for Bulldozer just to see how the market reacts.  If Bulldozer offers great Price\Performance you know what to do, if not, it might make Intel's SB CPU's drop in price to double up on their advantage.  When there's something this big only 2-3 weeks away, it's definitely worth waiting for.



Well my example fits great . Future Proof ? 5 years ? I think not . if I wait 5 years man this thing will be so slow !


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## Frizz (May 25, 2011)

FordGT90Concept said:


> Ivy Bridge and "Enhanced Bulldozer" are coming in 2012.  Both on the 22nm process most likely.
> 
> LGA 1356/2011 platform is coming out in Q4 2011.  It is likely to be a substantial performance step up from current, LGA 1155 Sandy Bridge chips (but expensive too).



That is a different story, Bulldozer is apparently coming out in a months time or less, not waiting would be a really bad decision at this point especially since AMD don't change their platforms so often unlike intel.


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## Evolved (May 25, 2011)

trickson said:


> LOL just how do you KNOW all this ? I mean they are not even on the market yet and you all calling it ! LOL . Future proof ! Are you kidding in 6 months the thing will be a dinosaur ! Mine is a dinosaur And I have a Q9650 !



I'm using an E8400. Still works for EVERYTHING I do.
It's been just over 3 years since I bought it.

And what makes you think I can't go another 2 years?

Keep in mind, this is a Duo Core.
if I had your Q9650, I wouldn't upgrade for at least after 5 years.

Maybe even 6 years.

Now a brand new, BULLDOZER (keeping in mind its advanced architecture compared to Core 2 Duo's and Core 2 Quad's),
will give even more leeway to being more 'FUTURE PROOF' than anything else, (and also because it's a SIX-CORE).

And to me, 'Future Proof' means a minimum of 5 years or more.

Man, I honestly WISH I had a Q9650 right now!


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## LagunaX (May 25, 2011)

Man why are these q9650's $300-350 on ebay?
Those are i7-2600k prices!


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## Evolved (May 25, 2011)

LagunaX said:


> Man why are these q9650's $300-350 on ebay?
> Those are i7-2600k prices!



Yeah, that's why it's so not worth it anymore.

Were they always $350?


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## LagunaX (May 25, 2011)

Dunno but I saw a Microcenter $300 i5-2500k + P8P67 combo last week!


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## JrRacinFan (May 25, 2011)

@happita
Am3(+) only. Am2(+) do not have ddr3 imc's.


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## claylomax (Jun 1, 2011)

Bulldozer has been around the corner for ages now, if it's about waiting I'd rather wait for the X79/2011 platform: http://www.nordichardware.com/news/69-cpu-chipset/43291-bulldozer-delayed-again-slated-for-september.html http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20110530130539_AMD_Needs_to_Boost_Clock_Speed_of_FX_Bulldozer_Chips_Sources.html   I hope these stories are not true. :shadedshu


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## Play3r (Jun 1, 2011)

claylomax said:


> Bulldozer has been around the corner for ages now, if it's about waiting I'd rather wait for the X79/2011 platform because I'm tired of waiting: http://www.nordichardware.com/news/69-cpu-chipset/43291-bulldozer-delayed-again-slated-for-september.html http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/cpu/display/20110530130539_AMD_Needs_to_Boost_Clock_Speed_of_FX_Bulldozer_Chips_Sources.html   I hope these stories are not true. :shadedshu



You'd rather wait because you're tired of waiting


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## Play3r (Jun 1, 2011)

I would wait for Bulldozer, as i have been waiting for it for about a year for some laptop goodness. my hatred for intel has only grown.


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## >>PhoeniX<< (Jun 1, 2011)

Evolved said:


> It is literally 30 days from now, 'till the launch of AMD's new line of Multi-core Processors.
> 
> It sure is worth the wait! You should get the biggest bang for your buck and become future proof for the next 5+ years!
> 
> ...



I would not suggest getting the 1100t, it is a waste of a money with only 100MHz increase. You can easily OC past that. Besides the matter 100MHz will not effect more current systems. Just wait for Bulldozer, I went with a 1090t about two months ago and will most likely be replacing it when BD comes out. (Just because I have another system waiting for a CPU)


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## claylomax (Jun 1, 2011)

Play3r said:


> You'd rather wait because you're tired of waiting



I didn't mean that. Post edited.


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## fullinfusion (Jun 1, 2011)

If BD is delayed again I'll be saying good bye to amd and hello to intel. Id rather stick with what I know but for shit sake how long do we need to wait?


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## claylomax (Jun 1, 2011)

fullinfusion said:


> If BD is delayed again I'll be saying good bye to amd and hello to intel. Id rather stick with what I know but for shit sake how long do we need to wait?



They are just rumors; check my links a few posts back, here's another one although with no source: http://www.bit-tech.net/news/hardware/2011/05/31/rumour-am3-cpus-delayed-until-september/1


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## bucketface (Jun 1, 2011)

fullinfusion said:


> If BD is delayed again I'll be saying good bye to amd and hello to intel. Id rather stick with what I know but for shit sake how long do we need to wait?



between 60 & 90 days from today. eg. best case july 30, worst case august 29. probably somwhere between.
http://www.fudzilla.com/processors/item/22942-amd-officially-confirms-bulldozer-delay
i'd wait, if your not in any rush to upgrade.
also AM3+ mobo's are available june 30 - july 1st


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## xenocide (Jun 1, 2011)

bucketface said:


> between 60 & 90 days from today. eg. best case july 30, worst case august 29. probably somwhere between.
> http://www.fudzilla.com/processors/item/22942-amd-officially-confirms-bulldozer-delay
> i'd wait, if your not in any rush to upgrade.
> also AM3+ mobo's are available june 30 - july 1st



Oh come on AMD...


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## btarunr (Jun 1, 2011)

If you have absolutely anything LGA1155 in plans, then Bulldozer will be worth the wait. It's a bad time to buy Core i7-2600K.


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## fullinfusion (Jun 1, 2011)

btarunr said:


> If you have absolutely anything LGA1155 in plans, then Bulldozer will be worth the wait. It's a bad time to buy Core i7-2600K.


Why is that?


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## btarunr (Jun 1, 2011)

fullinfusion said:


> Why is that?



Because AMD has a competitive part to 2600K.


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## happita (Jun 1, 2011)

btarunr said:


> Because AMD has a competitive part to 2600K.



Hence a possible price reduction


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## btarunr (Jun 2, 2011)

happita said:


> Hence a possible price reduction



Hence this is a bad time to buy 2600K.


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## FordGT90Concept (Jun 2, 2011)

btarunr said:


> Because AMD has a competitive part to 2600K.


Are you certain of that?  And I mean a quad-core that comes close to the performance of a 2600--not a hexa-core or octo-core.

Intel's prices would no doubt move if that were the case.


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## techtard (Jun 2, 2011)

The wait isn't gonna be that much longer, but it getting difficult.
As some of the other posters have stated, it's worth waiting due to potential price reductions in competitive product lines.

You just have to ask yourself if the current performance you are getting out of your rig is good enough or not.

That said, it's your money.  I know I am tempted by sandy bridge. My current setup is a stopgap and some of the parts are starting to fail. 
Must wait...longer.


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## btarunr (Jun 2, 2011)

FordGT90Concept said:


> Are you certain of that?  And I mean a quad-core that comes close to the performance of a 2600--not a hexa-core or octo-core.



I'm certain that the single-thread performance of that octo core will be competitive with the single-thread performance of 2600.


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## FordGT90Concept (Jun 2, 2011)

Hmm, well, what I can't figure out is if Bulldozer supports or doesn't support SMP.  If it does, then each of its "cores" can outperform Intel's architecture on a single-threaded application but it could hurt heavily when it comes to multithreaded processing.

The leaked benchmarks simply aren't scientific (eliminate variables) enough to draw any real conclusions.  We'll know what's what in 3 weeks.


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