9262 Cpu Help

I have recently decided to buy a 9262 for myself. Problem is, I have read that the prices on some of the cpu's are going to drop very soon. Specifically, the q9550 is going to drop to $316 from $530, the q9450 will be phased out and the q6600 will be $203 from $223 . My question is, should I wait it out and buy the q9550 or should I jump the gun and just buy the q9450? The q6600 is always a choice if you guys recommend it, but I am willing to spend the extra money now for the q9450 or when the price drops for the q9550.
BTW: Does anyone know when these prices might go into effect? I know q3 but not a specific date or month.

 

go for q9550 imo.

 

q9550 now, or when the price drops? My only concern is waiting for that price drop. I mean, it could be anywhere from now to the end of September.

 

when the price drops. where'd you find the new prices anyway?

 

well, I did a simple google search and pulled up http://www.guru3d.com/news/intel-plans-fast-quadcore-q9650--processor/ . However, there are many websites detailing it so I'm not just going on one websites rumor.
This website has a good chart http://translate.google.com/transla...fs=c3nh&prev=/search?q=hkepc&client=firefox-a I thought I would add that one on here.

 

If you're comfortable with the price-drop forecasts, why not just go with the base E8400 CPU (which isn't a 98-pound weakling, by any stretch of the imagination) and which doesn't add anything to the price, and then upgrade to the processor of your choice when the prices actually do drop?

 

Well, wouldn't I have to pay full price for the next cpu if I bought the E8400? I dont think xoticpc or powernotebooks does a trade in/replacement type deal so I would be paying for a brand new processor.
Right now I can just upgrade the processor to q9450 and pay $165. Once the price drops I assume I would pay $165 to upgrade to the q9550.
So if they do do a replacement for just the upgrade cost then I am totally in tune with what your saying, but I would assume that they would charge me the entire processor cost which is $151 more than just the upgrade.

 

You seem to misunderstand - the point had nothing to do with whomever you purchase from and everything to do with the fact that, as new CPUs come into the market, the price for the older CPUs drops. In particular, once the Nehalem series CPUs are released, the prices for pre-Nehalem CPUs will start to drop (some quite rapidly, I would think) as Intel and the vendors who sell Intel CPUs try to clear remaining stock (or make due with thinner margins by boosting volume).

Under those circumstances, you would simply walk (or websurf) to your nearest and dearest computer retailer and purchase a Q9550, for example, at a price that will at that point be substantially less than the price of the same processor today. Of course, you'd also buy some fresh AS-5 or some other good thermal paste and, if you didn't already have them, a good anti-static wristband and an anti-static workpad. You would then open up the computer, remove the E8400, clean off any of the original thermal paste remaining on the system, apply new thermal paste to your just-purchased Q9550, and pop it in. Bingo, you would then have a D901C with a Q9550 in it.

In addition, to the extent that Intel puts out any further steppings beyond what's available now, those future steppings may be better than the current Q9550 inasmuch as a new stepping is usually done, amongst other reasons, to fix certain problems that cropped up with earlier steppings. Assuming a discount rate of 5%, that $165 today is the equivalent of $175 in about a year's time, so the only additional out-of-pocket you'll have is whatever the difference is between that (use either the present value or the future value since the difference isn't much) and whatever the reduced price of the Q9550 is in the future.

Right now, a Q9450 goes for about US$328.50, so there's a good chance that, once Nehalem comes out, the price will not be significantly greater than the $165 you'd be saving today. It's a risk, of course, but if you're too risk averse, or if you reasonably believe that the price will not come down and you must have a quad, then by all means, pay the extra $165 now and get the Q9450.

 

I totally understand what you are saying in your last post, but I am really much more comfortable letting the retailers install it. I know I will be buying this within the next month, which is much before Nehalem. One of my concerns is how much this will end up costing me if I install it myself. The q9550, if I buy it myself after the price cut, will be $316. If I let the installers do it for me, after the price cut, it is only $165. My other more important concern is when the price cut will actually happen. Again, I have a month to make the purchase and I am praying for the price cut to happen this month.

 

Then you should go with the Q9450 now. In terms of the price of that chip getting cut - keeping in mind that I have no inside information from Intel or anyone else - I would not count on any significant price cuts until Nehalem comes out. Once the Q9650 is released, there may be some price cuts, but not enough to make the Q9450 as cheap as the E8400 is currently.

Since you are uncomfortable with the idea of swapping the CPU yourself (congratulations on being honest with your self-assessment; in these forums it can sometimes be difficult to admit to being something less than an uber-geek ), I would just go ahead now and get the Q9450 instead of getting the E8400 now and uograding at a later date - if you have to pay someone else to do the CPU upgrade for you, then you will definitely lose any financial benefit you might have gained by waiting for pricing on the Q9450 to come down. In your case, since the Q9450 effectively "costs" you only $165, it makes the most sense to get it now.

 

Or a Q9650 which would reasonable priced as per Donald.

 

My feeling on this subject is simple, and based on the fact no matter what you do or when you do it, there will always be a price drop, new stuff that comes up after you purchase.

So my advice is if you can wait on the machine and want to do so fine. Other wise by what you want/can afford now and be happy.

Pete

 

I agree with that 100%.
Buy what you need, when you need it.
There's always something new just around the corner.

 

I definitely see what your saying and I am down to the q9450 and q9550. Its just a matter of if I can wait it out until the q9550 drops to the q9450 price. Based on history its the third week of July, but its risky to wait.

 

Is there even a noticeable difference between the q9450 and q9550 to even make it worth buying the q9550 over the q9450?

It'a only a differenc of 0.17Ghz ........ 2.83 and 2.66 ....... could the q9550 really be that much faster than the q9450?

 

Honestly, from what I have seen in benchmarks, there isnt a HUGE difference. However, the q9450 is going to be phased out and the q9550 is going to take its place price wise, so theres really no reason not to buy the q9550 when the prices come down. Here is the link to tests. http://www.hardwarezone.com/articles/view.php?cid=2&id=2521