How Much Would It Cost To Upgrade To Core I7

With the Core I7 now out since late November, is it time to upgrade your old 65 nm Quad Core or Core 2 Duo to the latest in Processor Technology? Well the answer is yes because the overall performance gain is just huge compared to the previous processors. The question is though, how much will it cost you?

Well the answer is about $600. The problem is the new Core I7 processor is only compatible with the brand new X58 motherboards and to top it all off your dirt cheap DDR2 RAM will not work with the Core I7 architecture either so your going to have to upgrade to the brand new DDR3 RAM also.

So lets get to each part:

Core I7 CPU
Cost $288.99
The price on this has only fallen $20 since its release and probably will not fall until a new line of Intel CPU’s come out. If you look online though you can sometimes find it cheaper. Microcenter has it on their website right now for only $230! The fact is though nothing will compete with this processor, not even the $1500 core 2 extremes. Also I would not bother buying a more expensive Core I7’s because you can easily overclock this one to 3.0Ghz without any hassle.

DDR3 RAM
$70-$90
With DDR3 memory being around for a while now the prices have really started to drop. As. The sweet spot for memory for DDR3 right now is 6GB. Really you only need 4GB, but the prices difference is so small you are better off opting for 6GB. For more on DDR3 memory check out this post on TomsHardware. As far as pricing goes it will cost about $80 for a good set of G Skill 6GB RAM. If you want to overclock at all or just want the best I would highly recommend getting the $166 CORSAIR DOMIATOR.

X58 Motherboard
Cost $200-$300
Now the hard part comes, choosing the right motherboard. With so many features and brands to choose from, it can seem like a daunting task to choose the right motherboard for your build. As of writing this there are currently only 40 motherboards that support the Core I7. The sweet spot for me was around $250. I chose the EVGA 132-BL-E758-TR. It costs $255 and it comes with all the needed features, its easily overclockable, supports 3 way SLI & Crossfire, and has great reviews. If you are on a budget I would suggest not going any lower than $200 and try to stick with a name brand, you just want to make sure you get a motherboard that works and supports all the normal features. Too many people skimp on the motherboard and regret it later.

Overall I feel you will be impressed on how much better your computer runs if you upgrade to this build. You should see a vast improvement in your programs, but if you are doing this solely for gaming then I would recommend getting a better video card because the CPU can only do so much before your video card tops out. If you have any comments or questions make sure to leave a comment.
Written By: Mike Howard