Last Minute HELP! 2 Potential builds, help me decide!

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SirSavage

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May 28, 2011
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Okay so I've gone back and forth on this and I've gotten about 50/50 responses about whether I should overclock or not. Originally, I was going to say no overclock and keep it simple, but I'm wondering if it is worth it or not. So basically I've got 2 potential builds here, 1 that is overclockable, and one that isn't. Help me decide if its worth the extra $120 or so for the OC build:

Non-overclockable:
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/JFKerns/saved/1HsJ

Overclockable:
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/JFKerns/saved/1Hth


I originally shot down the overclocking idea because it was going to up the cost, I was afraid it would shorten the life of the CPU, and make the computer less stable. But the more reading I do, it seems like I could easily overclock the i5 to 4.2Ghz and probably have no troubles whatsoever, and maybe the computer would be able to handle games in the future a bit better.

So basically, by spending the extra money, should this computer be able to stay somewhat "current" for an extra year or so?
 
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tiny voices

tiny voices

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The non-overclocking one has a better PSU. Coolermaster PSUs are junk. That one in particular, when reviewed by hardwaresecrets.com, was described as a poorly polished turd.

I don't really like that case either. Have a look at NZXT, Coolermaster, Corsair, Antec for some quality cases.

For a PSU stick with Antec, XFX, Corsair, Seasonic.
 
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caydn12

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Well with the i5-3570k, let's say you want this to be a gaming PC for idk.. 5 years. Eventually you will need to upgrade the graphics card. However, if you get the overclockable CPU, then you can overclock it so that it doesn't bottleneck future video cards as much as the non-overclockable version. So honestly, if you are willing to, and want to learn about overclocking the 3570k is a great choice.

SIDE NOTE:
Haswell is out.. It's not a huge performance increase, but why not buy it since the 3570k is "obselete" (it is still a freaking boss of a chip) but you might as well go with latest. Just another thing to look into.
 
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SirSavage

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Sorry, I forgot to mention the SSD + HDD thing. Those were salvaged from old builds. Don't worry about the pricing on those or anything, got them from my old computer.

Okay well I decided to look into Haswell. Here's the cheapest build I could come up with. This definitely takes my budget up quite a bit. But hopefully it would be worth it and get me buy quite a bit longer. If you guys know any better/cheaper ways to do it, let me know! I want to buy this thing TONIGHT if possible.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/12Lla
 
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SirSavage

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You just LOVVVEEE getting me to blow my budget, don' t ya? Haha, well it was tempting so I looked into it. Now this is the cheapest build I could put together with Haswell. Definitely putting my budget up more than I originally wanted. But I'll say this... I'd rather put in an extra $100 now and have the computer last me an extra year or two down the road.

So this build will allow me to overclock the "latest and greatest" new chip, much better PSU, better MOBO, better case, all the works. So now... is this worth the money?

Okay okay... so people bitched at me for not considering Haswell. Here's the last possible option, even more expensive, so I'm starting to blow out the budget... but maybe this would last me even LONGER??

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/12Lla
 
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caydn12

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That gaming build will last you... An easy 5 years. Although you probably could push it to 7 if you overclock the cpu. The only part you will need to replace is the graphics card, and that will probably need to happen in 2-3 years if you want to continue playing on ultra settings.
 
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SirSavage

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So I could probably just buy another 7870 XT in a couple years and do Crossfire and that would get me by another couple years wouldn't you think? And I'm sure that card will be a shitload cheaper in a couple years, so that could be an affordable upgrade.
 
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SirSavage

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Well I definitely don't have the money to Crossfire it right now, nor do I think it'd be necessary with a 7870 XT right now. I just mean if the rest of the computer CPU, MOBO, etc., will last me 4-5 years, I can either upgrade the video card, or get another one for Crossfire in a couple years and it should still be good. Right?
 
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SirSavage

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Okay guys, sorry to backpedal for a minute here, but can I get some opinions on this.

I was originally just going to get the i5-3570k with a Z77 board, but since I found the same Haswell/Z87 combo for only $30 more than the Ivy/Z77 combo, I figured why not get the newest chip. I've gotten such an unbelievably mixed response from people about this that I'm like a deer in the headlights trying to make a decision. Here's my concerns:

1) Haswell is new, and looks like it already has the USB 3.0 bug, and maybe more.

2) 1150 socket MOBO's are all new, and hard to predict their reliability.

3) Haswell doesn't seem to overclock terribly well, but I'd only probably shoot for something like 4.2Ghz anyways.

4) Ivy bridge probably isn't a big step down, but it certainly is investing in a "dead" platform. I suppose this isn't necessarily a bad thing because it has had more time to be tested and proven, but it seems lame to spend the same amount of money on an old generation.

What is your gut feeling on this? Suck it up and take a gamble on the new tech? I feel like Haswell might have some small issues (like USB 3.0), but in the long run it will still outperform Ivy. I don't know though. Thoughts? And thanks again for your help on this, it is VERY much appreciated.
 
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