Do i need a Z77 chipset?

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Zarir

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May 7, 2013
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Hi,
I want to upgrade my old PC ( Phenom II 945 whit 4GB Ram DDR2) and decided to migrate to Intel platform (after 11 years using AMD) and my main problem is choosing motherboard .
I a not going to use SLI or Crossfire ( one Radeon 7770 is more than enough for me)
And i wont overclock because the additional equipments for overclocking (CPU Cooler, more expensive PSU and High-end mobo) will cost a lot more and i think a CPU like 3570(non-k) or 3470 is more than i need.
i will use 2 Sata III HDD and 1 SSD in the future .
I have 2 Question :
1- Which chipset should i get Z77,H77 or B75?
2- Will i see a significant improvement over My old Phenom II 945 CPU ?

Thanks a lot

and please suggest 1 or 2 mobo for me if its possible
 
Solution
photonboy
Upgrading:
You're really not talking about "upgrading"; you're talking about building a new system. Since your computer works now, it's best to keep it intact as the only thing you can likely salvage is the case anyway. Maybe sell it.

(Or just buy a new graphics card and upgrade later.)

My advice would be to hold off a few months and build based on the new HASWELL CPU and compatible motherboard.

There are some interesting changes coming with Haswell which are worth waiting a little bit longer for.

Example:
- i5-4670
- suitable motherboard
- 8GB DDR3 (2x4GB)
- Windows 8 64-bit
- START8 (Stardock)
- HD7770/HD7850, or GTX700 series
- 550W (quality PSU)
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killerhurtalot

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You would do fine with a h77/B75 motherboard since you're not going to do any overclocking or SLI/CF

Improvements would be strictly dependent on what you're doing. productivity, image editing, etc would be a good bit faster. but gaming wise, it's going to be a small improvement.

Pretty much any motherboard from a reputable manufacturer would be good for you. I would personally just go with the cheapest motherboard depending on your case.

Is your case use ATX or micro ATX boards?
 
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envy14tpe

envy14tpe

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Mar 3, 2012
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Z77 is for overclockers. Buy a H77 or B75. I think the B75 is just like H77 but no RAID. (most people don't need this)
For value. B75 is good but H77 isn't much more expensive. My vote is H77.

The Phenom II series were great and still are decent, even though they came out 4 years ago. However, I think you should wait longer. The Phenoms are good CPUs and jumping to an Ivy Bridge isn't that huge. I don't expect your gaming experience to improve that much. If you want to improve your gaming performance than something higher than get something higher than a 7770.

If you must spend some money how about a new case or PSU? I suggest those cuz I wouldn't upgrade RAM, CPU, and motherboard unless your dying for a new system. Can you sell off what you have?
 
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Z

Zarir

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I will use ATX i think.
I used a Asus Laptop With Amd A8 cpu with 4GB DDR3 And it was very faster and more responsive compare to my pc ( in Operating system performance ,multitasking and multimedia playback )
and i didn't mean improvement in game because that depends more to GPU than CPU )

 
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Z

Zarir

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I will buy New Case , PSU , New SATA III , 8GB DDR3 1600 and a 7770 gpu And yes i meant Lite Gaming
(Skyrim in High Details FXAA and Hon in 1900x600 ).
My Old VGA was MSI 4850 And i think 7770 even with 128Bit Memory Bandw Can do better.
I have OS and Monitor and i Already sold my Old pc with a reasonable Price.
 
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photonboy

photonboy

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Jun 20, 2006
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Upgrading:
You're really not talking about "upgrading"; you're talking about building a new system. Since your computer works now, it's best to keep it intact as the only thing you can likely salvage is the case anyway. Maybe sell it.

(Or just buy a new graphics card and upgrade later.)

My advice would be to hold off a few months and build based on the new HASWELL CPU and compatible motherboard.

There are some interesting changes coming with Haswell which are worth waiting a little bit longer for.

Example:
- i5-4670
- suitable motherboard
- 8GB DDR3 (2x4GB)
- Windows 8 64-bit
- START8 (Stardock)
- HD7770/HD7850, or GTX700 series
- 550W (quality PSU)
 
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Solution
K

killerhurtalot

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Aug 16, 2012
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in that case, you'll see a LARGE improvement in responsiveness and basically everything especially if you get a SSD.

I upgraded from a dell laptop (2 ghz core 2 duo w/ 4gb ram and go 7900 gs) to my current desktop and it's world's difference in almost everything from browsing internet to video watching and etc...
 
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Z

Zarir

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May 7, 2013
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I already did sell my old PC with a good price.
 
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envy14tpe

envy14tpe

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Would have been nice if you included that in your first post.
 
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Z

Zarir

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Yes
Sorry for that
It was my first post in Tomshardware
I do better next time
 
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photonboy

photonboy

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Graphics card:
I'm going to ONLY discuss the graphics card here to avoid some confusion. I'm recommending the HD7850 2GB card for you. Part of the reason is the games included, the other reason is that you mention games that would benefit with a better card (Skyrim is NOT considered "lite gaming" especially with a couple mods). Card I recommend is:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121651&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=6146836&SID=139wzq820o3az

The reasons are explained HERE (starts "Why so LOOOONG?...):
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1668048/7750-650-1gb-2gb-7770-1gb.html
 
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photonboy

photonboy

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YOUR PC:
*NO. You do NOT have to get a Z77 motherboard.

BUDGET:
To avoid too many confusing replies, we need to stick to a BUDGET. Let's avoid the monitor and other peripherals and stick to the CASE and the COMPONENTS therein. This includes Windows 8 64-bit OEM (about $100).

$600 is the bare minimum for a "lite gaming" PC, however I recommend an $800 minimum. WHY? There's a MINIMUM amount you can spend building a PC, but you can get a FAR better computer by adding a little more especially with the CPU and Graphics components. Additionally, if you have enough for the CPU, such as an i5-3570K it would last long enough to replace the graphics card in the future (if you wish) without being severely CPU-bottlenecked.

Note: SKYRIM is also CPU-dependent at times (the gap widens with BETTER graphics cards):
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-processor-frame-rate-performance,3427-6.html

SUMMARY:
Would you like to see what $800 gets you?
(Windows 8, case, motherboard, CPU...)
 
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photonboy

photonboy

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Jun 20, 2006
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Windows:
You said you already have your OS, however unless you have a "FULL" transferrable copy and also REMOVED it from the other PC you would need to buy a new copy of Windows.

It's VERY UNLIKELY that you can transfer your copy of Windows. Pre-built PC's use "OEM" Windows, and most people building PC's do as well. While Windows 8 OEM is now transferrable to a different motherboard (new build), Windows 7 OEM and previous can ONLY be installed on the same chipset (considered a REPAIR).

You could install Windows 7 for example, but ACTIVATION would either fail immediately or shortly thereafter once Microsoft discovers your copy is already Activated.

SUMMARY:
Let's confirm whether you require a NEW copy of Windows and establish the budget for the build.
 
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Z

Zarir

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May 7, 2013
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Thanks for your advice
I am seriously considering to buy a 7850 but my last VGA was MSI 4850 1gb And i could play (in 199x600 Res) with high details FXAA and 4xAA . i don't want to play in ultra high details .
and in my country a 7850 cost almost twice as 7770 .
there is couple videos in youtube playing skyrim at Max settings 16x AA with 7770 and it runs very smooth and fast.
At last i decided to Buy
Intel Core i5 3470
Asus P8h77-V LE
Kingston 8GBkit 1866
PSU Green 600EU
WD green 1TB
ODD Plextor
Windows 8

i want to wait for 1 month and save for a 7850 ( i hoping price will drop down a bit until then)


 
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envy14tpe

envy14tpe

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If the 7850 is too expensive then you could cut back on the CPU price. In games, a fx-6300 is the same as a 3470. Also, it is cheaper (in US) by $80. And AMD motherboards are cheaper and you can get a good one for $60USD. (I have no idea what the cost is in your country).

Don't forget the fx-6300 can be overclocked to 4.5GHz on Cooler Master Evo. On the other hand, the 3470 can not be overclocked.

In US:
3470+Asus P8h77-V LE = $300USD
fx-6300 + MSi 970A-G43 = $200

That means you could have an extra $100 to spend on your GPU which will give you better game performance than a 3470 build.

btw, get blue not green HDD.
 
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envy14tpe

envy14tpe

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