Please help me build a system.

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dirtyblacksocks

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Jun 27, 2013
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This is what I'm working with
I have this Mobo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131701

This graphics card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121775

and a full size tower, mouse, and keyboard, and monitor.

That is it.

I'm trying to build a computer for a friend in the Netherlands, where electronics are ridiculously expensive - but I'm having trouble finding a cheap i7 processor for that mobo.

Basically I want to build her a gaming rig that can handle what is coming up for the next few years, if it's possible - and keep it as cheap as is humanly possible.

I have fans laying around, all of that stuff. Essentially what I need here is RAM, a processor, a power supply, etc.

Can you guys try and put something together, with an i7 processor, that you think will handle games for the next few years? As cheap as possible?

Thanks.
 
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Rammy

Rammy

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That motherboard is a slightly older design so it's likely that a lot of the CPUs you might want to buy would need a BIOS update to work. As long as you already have an older 1155 CPU knocking around, you should be ok.

If you can get the BIOS updated, it supports all Sandy and Ivy Bridge i7s, though frankly if this is a gaming machine, and i7 is a relatively pointless waste of money.
If you are keen to stick with an i7, here's about the minimum you'd want to spend-
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($288.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($66.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $405.97
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-26 18:19 EST-0500)
Obviously dropping to a non overclockable i5 makes that total dip below $300
 
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dirtyblacksocks

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Could you please give a recommendation on the processor you would use and why you think i7 is a poor decision?

Unfortunately I do not have a processor laying around for the mobo, and nobody I know has one laying around with the proper socket type to plug into it. Is there any way to flash the mobo without a processor?

If not, do you have a processor you can recommend that I can still find for sale somewhere relatively cheap, or possibly find used on e-bay or something of the like?
 
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Rammy

Rammy

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i5s and i7s are fundamentally the same thing, but i7s have Hyperthreading and a bigger L3 cache. For gaming machines, i5s are usually the way to go as any potential performance increase is not worth the extra money ($100 extra on graphics for example, nets you a big boost). In the vast majority of games, i5s and i7s perform equally.
In my opinion, the "best" processor to fit that board, assuming you don't want to overclock, is the i5 3350P or 3470. The 3350P is among the cheapest i5s, so its value/performance ratio is great (the P means no onboard graphics, but your motherboard doesn't support that anyway). The 3470 however, is $2 more expensive (today), and 0.1Ghz faster. That'd be the one I'd buy. Availability of Ivy Bridge (3***) processors is still very good.


Some motherboards can be flashed without a CPU inserted.
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/M5A97_R20/ is a more modern version of your board -
USB BIOS Flashback - Easy, Worry-free USB BIOS Flashback with Hardware-based Design
Click to expand...
As far as I can tell, yours can't do this, and while it might work fine with an Ivy Bridge CPU, I wouldn't like to encourage you that it will. The CPU support, predictably, shows that most Sandy Bridge (2****) CPUs were supported in all BIOS versions. With that in mind, you are really looking at a i5 2400 or 2500, but these aren't as easily available and will probably charge a premium for less performance. If you are confident Ebaying, then its perhaps the place to look, but I personally wouldn't be terribly confident in buying a used CPU.
 
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dirtyblacksocks

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OK, so unfortunately all I'm finding for sale in either of those i5's are Ivy Bridge processors, do you happen to know where I can find a Sandy Bridge model to ensure it's compatible with the board out of the box?
 
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Rammy

Rammy

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There are a few options.
Firstly, check the motherboard BIOS version if you can. The specific revision should be printed on the motherboard. If you actually have revision 3, you should be fine. If you don't, then there are a few alternatives.

1) There is nothing wrong with that motherboard (in fact it is very nice) but as it is what is causing the problems, why not get another one? It might cost a little more overall, but it avoids excess spending on things that have no tangible benefit.
You can pick up a cheap (but more modern) motherboard for $50-70, which isn't going to limit the speed of any processor you chose and potentially will benefit from other modern features, and give you the flexibility to chose from AMD CPUs, or Intels latest Haswell offering. Selling on the P67 board might offset some of the cost.

2) Pay a premium for a Sandy Bridge CPU supported in all BIOS revisions to guarantee success. They are available, if a bit scarely. http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80623i52500 Superbiiz are out of stock, but the other two retailers listed seem to have some.

3) Find a $40 Celeron that is on the support list, hell, look on Ebay It doesn't matter if its worked a hard life, it only has to last 5minutes. Again, selling it on should offset some of the cost.

4) Pray to an appropriate deity, and get lucky. Even if your BIOS version is outdated, its not 100% certain that the CPU won't work at all. I wouldn't recommend it, but do you feel lucky? Well do you, punk? :D
 
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dirtyblacksocks

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Well, the motherboard was actually RMA'd due to the original one failing me - I just got off the phone with ASUS And the guy claims that while they were waiting for replacement parts to fix the board because it was failing to POST when booting up the Operating System - they opted to just replace the entire board.

Here's where things get tricky.

The cover for the processor slot that I sent out with the motherboard, was covered in arctic silver (the little plastic piece to protect the pins) and the motherboard that came back was covered in the same stuff.

That means they either just flat out replaced the motherboard and included the same piece of plastic to protect the pins.

Or they pulled the old serial number sticker off, and slapped a new one on then sent the thing back to me.

The problem is, I have no idea - and no means of testing to see if it works. I've been trying to find a computer repair store in the area that will plug it into one of their systems and do some benchmark tests for me, but everyone keeps saying they can't do it.

Now, on the plus side, if they really did replace the board - it's probably got the revision of BIOS on it - I'm waiting for a supervisor to e-mail me tomorrow with an answer to that question.

What are your thoughts, though?


The original purchase date of the board was 9/20/11 - I don't know if that helps in determining if it is REV 3.0 or not - but unless you can tell me where to look on the board I see no indications of what version of BIOS is installed on it, aside from the fact that where I bought it from specifically advertised it as a REV 3.0 board.

EDIT: Nevermind, the board says REV 1.03 on it. Which might be a good or bad thing, I can't tell by what I've read so far, some say 1.03 means it is REV 3.0.
 
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Rammy

Rammy

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Wow, that is super confusing.
I'd read 1.03 as 1.03, rather than 3.0, but then I'm thinking logically, and that's probably unwise.
A quick google search produces pretty confusing results as it appears they had a lot of problems with those boards and had to aggressively PR new versions.
1.03 seems to be the PCB version though, not the revision.

If the place you bought it from sold it as such, then I'd be fairly confident that you got what you paid for, but if its since been replaced, then who knows really.

Can I ask, if its a 2 year old board, where did the CPU go that was in it?
 
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dirtyblacksocks

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In the system I built when that motherboard broke down on me.

I'm now running an MSI MPower Z77 mobo

Processor is Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz

This board is going towards a build for a friend, and I'm just trying to build her a gaming system that will last the next few years.

We are both extremely broke and want to keep it as cheap as possible.

I've actually found an i5 2500k Sandy Bridge for 120 dollars, which seems to be a fairly good deal.

Or I could upgrade the processor in my motherboard to an Ivy Bridge - but I'm not sure the cost warrants the overall improvement I'd get.

Couple that with not being sure that the motherboard I RMA'd actually works and I'm very worried - as all of this is being shipped to the Netherlands for her.

It would be nice to find some one in Southern California who had the hardware to test the darn thing before I go to all that trouble.
 
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Rammy

Rammy

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Does seem like you have inadvertently walked into a bit of a clusterf**k.
All of this could be fuss over nothing, as you could buy a new CPU (even an Ivy Bridge one) and it could work absolutely fine with no issues, but it would be remiss of me, or anyone, not to point out the potential issues you might have.

Speaking as a European, a lot of our prices (depending on country) can be pretty nasty, especially on electronics, usually because our taxes are higher. I didn't realise the Netherlands was particularly bad though, at a glance their prices seem slightly (but not outrageously) higher than the UK.
 
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