CPU, MOBO, RAM recommendations

cplmac

cplmac

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Nov 16, 2010
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It's time to move my PC out of the core 2 duo days and upgrade my cpu, motherboard and ram. I'm looking for the best I can get between $500-$700. I've kind of settled on the i7 3770k for the CPU unless there is something wrong with it, but I'm not too sure about the mobo or ram. The mobo will dictate the ram speed so I guess it's mostly about the mobo. So far I'm looking at these three the hardest:
CPU
MoBo
RAM

I would like to order all of this stuff either tonight or tomorrow so any help would be awesome. Thanks.
 
RAM you don't really need more than 8GB. You can if you want, but 16GB is not necessary IMO.

MOBO: You want something around $150-$200 so it will be high end enough to support the newer sockets and such. ASRock is an awesome brand that just suddenly appeared one day. My current MOBO is an ASRock and I love it.

CPU: i5 2600k, this is the CPU my friend has and he has it OCed to 5GHz and stable on an Corsair H50 cooler.

That is my input, hope you find it useful ^_^
 
What is the difference between DDR3 14900 and DDR3 15000? They are both 240 pin DIMM and they are both 1866mghz.
 
I'd get the core I7-2700k from Microcenter-it's $229 and doesn't run near as hot as the 3770 does. Intel fucked the new chips by altering the thermal paste process in production. They now run about 20C hotter than the 2700k Ivy's. The performance difference for gaming is near zero. The only difference you'll see is in heavy cpu intensive applications like video editing large amounts. Save yourself some money and get the 2700k, an 1155 motherboard and 8gigs of DDR3. The DDR3 2100 is actually cheaper than the 1866mhz from what I've seen. You can do all that and still be under $500. Add in a 240 or 256gb SSD and you're still under $700.

I like this MB here and for $189 you get good bang for the buck. Newegg.com - ASUS Maximus V Gene LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
 
Rams easy you need more than 4GB. We dont live in the stone age so it will be 8 not 6. Corsair Veangence is a safe bet with intel. 8GB 1600mhz is like 40 bucks i doing more than gaming popped for the 16gb.

Any manufacturer or model is easy to get a dud but most here will tell you to avoid MSI. After my experience with my P8Z68-V Pro id recommend you the Z77 model. There is the more expensive deluxe but at that point id be shopping a different category. There is the lower V and its cut down models the LX and shit. The further down u go less goodies you get as well as less voltage regulation. Id have to ask what you want in the way of sata ports and overclocking.

Should be able to ignore the Maximus type boards unless your going quad gpu. If you were you would be aiming at intels x79 platform anyways.
 
RainMotorsports is right, go with 8GB of RAM. The price for the i7 2700k is excellent. And that mobo sixer linked is nice for its price as well.
 
It depends on how you use your RAM. Some people absolutely need more than 8 gigs. I have 18 right now:D But I might have a game open while i have photoshop open as well as 120 browser tabs and 25 things in my taskbar. So it all depends on how you use your machine.
 
I think 8 gigs would be plenty, right now I run 4 and I don't usually run short on memory although I'm probably using 75% when gaming. The CPU is my real problem area. I really like the i3770 and sixer this is the first I've heard about a heat issue with it. How close is the 2700k performance wise? I'm fine with the price of the 3770 so it's more about the performance, do you think the heat issue is significant enough to take the performance hit moving down to the 2700? Also I really like the Sabertooth, I'm pretty sure that's the mobo I'm going to get. RAM looks like I'll be getting this:
RAM
Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more!
MOBO
Newegg.com - ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
CPU
Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770K (unless we decide that the 2700 is almost as good performance wise)

I don't like heat since I air cool so the heat issue is definitely worth considering for me. Thanks guys for your input.

PS
I use my PC to play BF3, watch BluRay's and browse the web, that's it. BF3 is by FAR the most demanding thing my PC does.
I just noticed it's only a $20 price difference between the 2700k and the 3770k. They have the same memory but the 2700 runs 95 watts and the 3770 runs 77 watts.
 
I was getting low memory errors constantly when i had 8 gigs. I was plannin on just going to 12, but the price was only a few bucks more so i said fuck it.
 
I use the 3770k + a corsair H100 , temps never go above 60c , but that is with a 240mm radiator. And two 120mm fans. I remember a story somewhere about the internal thermal paste issue. -


Thumbed with my iPhone
 
Thermal paste issues-running hotter due to change from fluxless solder to thermal paste. There have been many articles about it, but whatever meets your needs the best is what you should get.

Intel caught using cheap thermal paste in Ivy Bridge? -- Engadget

Maximum PC | The Proof is in

Ivy Bridge chips run hot due to Intel's thermal paste choice

Ivy Bridge thermal grease is the culprit for heat problems after all? - eTeknix

TIM is Behind Ivy Bridge Temperatures After All | techPowerUp

ivy-bridge-temperatures.jpg
 
Yup thats the one thing that put me off about Ivy Bridge but if your not overclocking and have a decent cooler you should be okay. I would say the PCI-E 3.0 would be worth having if your going to keep the machine more than 3 years.
 
Same here, I just could not justify 20- 30C hotter on the cpu, and for what?
 
And we're done. Sixer you talked me out of the 3770, last night I bought the 2700k the Sabertooth motherboard and 16 gigs of Corsair Vengeance 1866 RAM. I air cool, so I think it's best to steer clear of a hot cpu. I'm not much for overclocking but I've never had a rig taylor made for it either so I expect I will probably OC the 2700. Oddly I think the CoolerMaster 212 heatsink that I've been using on my core 2 duo also works on socket 1155 which would be pretty cool.
 
Its only odd if the cooler was bought before 1156 existed which uses the same hole pattern as 1155. If it came with 775 only brackets or you lost the brackets (if they're not of the permanent variety) then your screwed. The later 212 varients have been wildly popular with the budget cooling crowd. I went with something a little better but in roughly the same size and nearly the same performance. But the beauty of the 212 is you can change the fans easily.

As far as overclocking once off the stock cooler and on some decent paste you should easily be able to get an extra 1 Ghz out of even a dud of chip and not have to worry about temps. You can certainly count on holding it at its turbo speed which was what 3.9 Ghz? You wont need it for gaming anytime soon but if you start recording gameplay you will enjoy it in lowered video encoding times.
 
It's going to be a world of difference between what you're building and what you have now. I think you'll see a tremendous difference gaming and in everything else from starting Windows, opening applications, etc. Do you have an SSD yet or have you considered getting one? Even the 120 gb ones are around $80 right now. Anyway, I'm happy you're building a new system. Congratulations and post some pics when you get it all set up.
 
Sizer is right about the performance pick up. And he steering you on the right direction about the SSD's. it is night and day difference on the HD performance.


Thumbed with my iPhone
 
SATA ports are fully independant there should be no case of that. The 2700k/z68 has 2 native 6 gpbs ports and 4 native 3gbps ports. This aint no jerry rigged ide backwards supporting pos from the day of XP being launched.
 
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