|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
41.183.0.21
In Reply to: RE: cMP - the open source high-end Memory Player posted by cics on December 30, 2007 at 05:42:01
Intel's 32nm Core i3-530 may be a significant step up from the excellent 45nm E7xxx CPU. This base model has 2 cores and 4 threads (hyperthreading). For cMP, its best to disable hypertherading (via BIOS) when 2 or more cores are available.
Gigabyte's GA-H55M-S2H seems ideal with just 2xDDR3 (1.5V) RAM slots. Another alternative is GA-H55M-UD2H which offers eSATA, slightly better onboard audio (ALC889 vs ALC888B) and 2 more RAM slots.
Overall, we get a more power efficient CPU, less mobo complexity (1 chipset instead of 2) and lower powered (1.5V vs 1.8V) DDR3 RAM. It's definitely worth exploring these new exciting technologies!
Follow Ups:
From what I see both mobos use the same BIOS offering excellent adjustments. There's more voltage settings (CPU & chipset related). No disabling of SSC (Spread Spectrum Clock) - will have to get GB to modify BIOS.
Problem I'm having is which mobo to choose. I like UD2H for its added "copper" quality (especially the Ground plane). S2H offers less complications (less RAM and cleaner PCI interface). RAM interface is not too much of an issue as the new CPU's disable unused RAM slots. Problem is the PCI interface - firewire is added on UD2H. If soundcard is PCIe or USB, choice would be UD2H.
Block diagram (S2H vs UD2H):
Cics,
Have you done any testing with the i3 and the new gigabyte motherboard yet?
Thanks,
Alan
I will be waiting to hear your thoughts on this new CPU and mobo combination in regards to a cMP^2 rig. Please also think about telling us about any tweaks you've discovered along the way.
My main interest is on sound quality and future upgrade potential. The little bit I've read about the i3 and i5 is very promising. While I'm a pure 2 channel listener, I am interested in having the option to go 5.1 or 7.1 if I wanted and the i3 and H55 combo seems to allow for bitstream Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD-MA over HDMI. Outputting 8-channel LPCM over HDMI is also supported.
____
"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return." - Leonardo da Vinci
Hi cics,
Could you let me know how your testing goes?
Thanks,
Alan
Thanks to IMC and the lack of NB, the data travel path has been significantly simplified. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but if PCI-E soundcards can now communicate directly to the CPU like discrete graphic cards, wouldn't that make them (in theory) noticeably better than their PCI counterparts?
Speaking of new CPUs, what about the 32nm Pentium G6950? Isn't it basically a less powerful, HT-less i3-530?As for the MB, I think the GA-H55M-UD2H may be more favorable due to its "Ultra Durable" features. In my past experience, MBs with "UD" such as the EG45M-UD2H are superior to similar "UD"-less ones in terms of sonics.
"We should no more let numbers define audio quality than we would let chemical analysis be the arbiter of fine wines." N.P.
Edits: 01/07/10 01/07/10 01/07/10
Pentium G6950 would be better than Core i3-530 had it supported SSE4.1. See this review showing CPU-z screen shots of Core i3/i5 and G6950. Also, the GB mobos don't list this CPU in their specs.
GA-H55M-UD2H may be the better option - I have not tested any UD models. GA-H55M-S2H offers a slightly smaller form factor and 2 less RAM slots.
On soundcards, take a look at the system diagram (H55):
Only PCIe 2.0 x16 (i.e. graphics cards) runs off CPU whilst the rest (including PCIe x1) runs off DMI and FDI (for display). I prefer the DMI approach as this offers some isolation from CPU (which would be very busy with resampling) whilst soundcard is streaming.
Ouch, I still can't believe that Intel released a SSE4-less Clarkdale :(
"We should no more let numbers define audio quality than we would let chemical analysis be the arbiter of fine wines." N.P.
Post a Followup:
FAQ |
Post a Message! |
Forgot Password? |
|
||||||||||||||
|
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors: