Which Mobo for a mid level gaming pc

[pondfisher]

Hello,


I am getting closer to my 1st build (cmon March!...hurry up already! ) and I am just tweaking my setup:

Antec 300 Illusion: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066
Intel I5 750 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115215
Corsair 4gig Mem: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145260
BFG GTX 260 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143198
BFG 550W PSU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817702010
500gb drive http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148395
dvd burner http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

I am looking at two EVGA mobos and i cannot decide which one to pursue.

The EVGA P55 LE 123-LF-E653 seems like a basic board that will serve me well but im a little concerned about its limited expandabilty. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188054

The EVGA P55 SLI 132-LF-E655 has alot more going for it but i dont know if its worth the extra dough. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188055

I am still new to this and I am unable to assess the pros and cons of these boards minus the obiovious (SLI, number of slots, ect). Are there any glaring differences that would greatly affect my enjoyment of my gamins system? Bottleneck issues?


Thanks in advance for your input!

Pondfisher

 

[capt_taco]

I wouldn't get either one of those boards. For a system you're just building now, get one that supports USB 3.0. You'll be glad you did. I also wouldn't choose a motherboard that basically steers you toward one brand of video card exclusively.

I don't like the GTX 260, simply because I wouldn't spend $200+ on a DirectX 10 card. Is your heart set on Nvidia for some reason? Because otherwise I'd say the 5850 is a better card and a MUCH better match for your CPU. Nvidia also tends to be overpriced these days, and the card you picked is no exception.

If you can afford it, something like this would help you a lot:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131621
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127471

 

[pondfisher]

I like the mobo. I just researched usb 3.0 and while i do not have anything right now that would utilize it, but will be very useful in the near future. Good Suggestion!

Concerning the GPU- the card you linked is out of my league....about $200 is my limit. The 5770 has been suggested before but for some reason, im not willing to jump to ATI yet. Im not exactly a fan of Nvidia...just have experience with their cards. Im not too concerned with Direct 11 as the majority of the games im interested in at the moment are 10 or older.

 

[capt_taco]

You're right that you don't need DX11 in the short term ... However, it sounds like you'll be keeping the machine for a few years, so if you get a DX10 card, you'll probably need to replace it sooner than you ordinarily would.

On the other hand, when we get to that point, a 5770 isn't going to be powerful enough on its own either. Now, TWO 5770s in crossfire are about equal to a 5850, so adding a second one later would always be an option.

Basically, I guess my point is, if you're getting a DX10 card, don't get one that costs $200 regardless of brand. For the short term, might as well just get a 4850 for half the price and still get OK performance until you can either afford a 58xx or the prices come down. (edit: or, for that matter, the prices on Nvidia's DX11 cards could come down by then, although I think that's highly unlikely)

 

[saint19]

Hi.

What is your budget?

Advices:

1- Change the GPU, with $ 169.99 you can get a 5770, or with $299.99 you can get a 5850, both are better that the GTX260

2- The PSU isn't good. Change for this Antec 550W $ 89,99

3- I would change the HDD for the Spinpoint F3, same price better perfomance.

4- IMO This mobo is better.

 

[pondfisher]

My budget is (was) $800 or so. I am able to push it a bit higher..to about $900.
I have been going back or forth between 5770 and a GTX 260 and i think ill make the plunge to Ati.....the price point cant be beat...and on my crappy monitor (HP 17') Im pretty sure ill be happy with what the 5770 can provide.
I do agree that i have had some reservations about the psu...i have moved over to the antec 550w. I have read that you do not want to skimp on 3 things - cpu - psu-and mobo.
Another nice mobo! looks like i can crossfire this and use two 5770's down the road. Lose the usb 3.0 but im willing for the price.

thanks for the help! With everyone' suggestions, i altered my setup to allow me to upgrade fairly easily. My old setup might have been an obstacle down the road.

Quick question: Which 5770?

5770 XXX edition http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150464
or
5770 regular?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150462

Again thanx for the help...love this site...

 

[saint19]

Hi again.

You can check this configuration.

CPU $ 98,99 Here
MOBO $ 178,99 Here
RAM $ 114,99 Here
GPU $ 179,99 Here
HDD $ 54,99 Here
PSU $ 89,99 Here
CASE $ 109,99 Here

Total: $ 827,93 + MIR + SHIPPING

 

[squirrel15]

Pondfisher, I say you get the regular 5770. The other one is just a slightly overclocked version for an extra $20 which you can do yourself. Plus you can combo that regular 5770 with a free game (battleforge). Enjoy!
Have you considered an AMD build at all? Its cheaper and I have about the same budget $850 to $900 and I could fit a 5850 and a 955 BE CPU in with a decent case and good mobo, and the PSU is 700W.

 

[pondfisher]

Squirrel15- I think i will get the regular card. It appears that OC'ing looks easy.....after some research.

Concerning INtel / AMD- the little research ive done tells me that the i5 is a superior chip (by a hair). I realize that your build sounds more fiscally sound but i wanted to put the majority of my $$ into the CPU, mobo, and Psu. Ill be honest in saying that im truly a beginner here...

Thanks for the tips though!

Depending on this build, i might pursue a amd build in a few years.

 

[squirrel15]

I understand, i wanted to do the same thing at the beginning of my build, I wanted an i5-750, the a mobo that crossfired and has 3.0 USB and all that stuff but I just didnt have the money. If your your on a budget then AMD is the way to go, the best bang for buck IMO. If you got some money to burn and you want a great pc, intel is the way to go but I heard they do change a lot though, like with sockets and such. The i5 is definitely superior but I wasnt exactly sure of your budget. I was a noob at all of this much like you but I did a good 2 weeks of hard research on everything and I feel confident in getting my build together. Good luck with your build pondfisher. When are you planning on making your build?

 

[pondfisher]

Planning to order the parts march 1st. Estimate 3-6 days for the parts to arrive then im going into mad scientist mode till the thing is finished.


Concerning the budget....i originally started with a $600 dollar build...then it moved to $800...right now its about $860 before combos with newegg. I was able to budget in an extra $200.

This is my first build and I am addicted....i cant seem to stay away from newegg and their damn convenient wish list feature!

 

[squirrel15]

Haha me either! I had my build at 500 then before I knew it I was at $850. lol I'm confident in my build. It has the AMD 955 a 5850 video and a good mobo. Things can change though before march 1st for sure.