Yea, I am sure we should all run out and buy Bulldozer then huh? The fact is x79 platform is too much PC for most of what we use PCs for today. At least in the desktop setting. But the upside is its future proof. If you invest in it now, when software catches up, it will be ready and waiting to take advantage. Also, x79 will support Ivy Bridge-E when its released with a BIOS upgrade. So that's a plus as well. The only real downside to x79 and the accompanying CPUs is that the software needs to mature to take advantage.

actually you can buy a G34 server dual socket board from amd and a 16 core chip for 550$ so you will also get a proper board. even intels own server chips and boards are a better combination than the x79 series. only disadvantage is overclocking but i heard x79 is already a super hot socket

The downside is X79 is a hacked server platform being marketed to gullible sheep as a desktop config. As massau notes you can buy better, cheaper AMD server hardware or even Intel, so X79 is just fools gold.

Making everything AMD vs. Intel is silly as it does not change reality. If you like the inferior X79, then buy it. Intel is counting on enough technically challenged consumers to fill their coffers.

Hating the messenger doesn't change reality. Most every hardware review site has tried to spin the X79 but most admit it's not worth buying for desktop use.

If it makes you happy then that's what you should buy but most people with any technically knowledge would chose better.

I agree, X79 is for a very small niche market. And it doesn't even really try to appeal to upper end desktop, it's way too expensive for little to no benefit.

Don't know how the hate came in re:bulldozer, the truth is 1155 is the enthusiast platform that makes the most sense still. Bulldozer will hopefully be refined and shine a little later.

Who talked about bulldozer? Nobody. And this chip is not more future proof for the desktop at all. That would assume that mainstream software becomes massively parallel, which it shows no signs of doing.

The future is a balance of improvements in various areas, such as connectivity, newer memory buses and higher IPC. Look at how SB mopped the floor with everything else out at the time, including the high-end chips; it was IPC that put it on the pedestal.

And in terms of platform, the X79 is a turd for a new high-end chipset. It's a P67 in drag. I don't call lack of USB3.0 and only two SATA 6Gbps ports future proof, I call it mid-range desktop at best.

There is nothing stopping mobo makers from adding more SATA3/USB3 ports. Oh wait, they already do:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/a...p9x79-deluxe_3.html#sect0

Yep, this platform clearly and undoubtedly makes Nehalem based PCs obsolete. Not necessarily makes Nehalem owners immediately upgrade, but it's unanimously better choice, if you need the computing power. For 95% of people, 1155 is more than enough though.

As for memory itself, meh, buy the cheapest kit of reasonable quality and be done with it. Spending mad bucks on super-duper-OC-gamer edition RAM is a complete waste.

Can't argue the folding performance, and a lot of the media conversion benchmarks surely speak in its favor.
If I was a professional using heavily threaded media applications, I would not hesitate to buy the $500 rendition of those new chips.

But for my rig that does gaming/streaming/desktop app development and the odd video encode, a 2600K makes so much more sense.

It's a niche solution, and the X79 is particularly disappointing given its price.