Overwhelmed Builder Seeking Advice

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WillMatthews

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Nov 11, 2013
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I am looking to upgrade the CPU and MoBo of my current rig as a prelude to a total overhaul (I am a staunch Intel advocate). The last time I built a computer was about six years ago and the choices seemed more straightforward then; now I am overwhelmed and looking for advice.

I intend to use this computer for gaming, mostly underwhelming titles like Borderlands 2, Skyrim, L4D2, Minecraft, Civ 5, Mortal Kombat, the Arkham games, GTAV and Dark Souls 2 when they drop, but I am sure with the power to play them I will try my hand at more intensive games. I also intend to stream games, render videos, and virtualize Windows/networking for schooling and other various tasks.

I know about enough to know that Ivy Bridge-E is a decent yet expensive card; I like the idea of it being 22nm and taking less power, but that's all. I've got $800 to work with right now and I'd like to get something modern, something futureproof. I know I want my MoBo to be fully featured.

I'm looking forward to whatever advice this thread may provide, and will be happy to answer any further questions. Thanks in advance; I'm finding all of these choices overwhelming.
 
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Xeon E3-1230-V3 performs similar to an i7-4770K at stock speed. Xeon doesn't come with integrated GPU nor good at overclocking. However, if neither one of those is a concern, then it's a great pick for it's price and performance.
Xeon E3-1230-V3 performs a bit better than i5-4670K at stock speed. Xeon is also better at multitasking as it comes with hyperthreading and lower power consumption.

If you just need the CPU and motherboard replaced, then just go with the above suggestion with just the CPU/MB.

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IDontUnderstand

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Dec 29, 2012
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I don't know exactly what you have and what you need, but here is a build for $800 that will do you good for a while.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($139.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($319.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Antec GX500 ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $784.91
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-23 22:42 EDT-0400)
 
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WillMatthews

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Nov 11, 2013
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10,530
Well, I don't feel that SLI is well supported enough to shell out so much for such marginal returns. I intend to get a GTX 770 or 780.

As for what I've got now, there's 4MB RAM, a Radeon HD 7750, an E8400, and I'm not sure what kind of MoBo.
 
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IDontUnderstand

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Dec 29, 2012
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What HDD/DVD situation?

This is an Intel build, keep in mind that it only has 8 GB of RAM, so depends on how many applications you want to run simultaneously.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V3 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($244.68 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H87-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($95.24 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($319.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Antec GX500 ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $819.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-24 16:34 EDT-0400)
 
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WillMatthews

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Nov 11, 2013
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IDontUnderstand, I don't understand the place the Xeon line processors hold in Intel's lineup; how do they compare to the i3/i5/i7's?

Also, to clarify, I am not seeking a complete build. I have my HDD, PSU, case, and accessories already, and I intend to upgrade my current GPU at a later time. Windows is the impetus here; I had an OEM copy and somehow during the course of some troubleshooting it got the idea that I am not using the CPU it's linked to. I want to replace the CPU I have, and the MoBo out of necessity, so I can get my Windows in the clear here. I may upgrade to 8.1, but that's neither here nor there.
 
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IDontUnderstand

Honorable
Dec 29, 2012
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12,460
Xeon E3-1230-V3 performs similar to an i7-4770K at stock speed. Xeon doesn't come with integrated GPU nor good at overclocking. However, if neither one of those is a concern, then it's a great pick for it's price and performance.
Xeon E3-1230-V3 performs a bit better than i5-4670K at stock speed. Xeon is also better at multitasking as it comes with hyperthreading and lower power consumption.

If you just need the CPU and motherboard replaced, then just go with the above suggestion with just the CPU/MB.

 
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