P67 or X79

Neither, I would go with a Z68/Z77 and i5-2500k/i5-3870k.

Obviously you intend to overclock, otherwise I would recommend H61/H67 for a micro-gaming rig.

Nope I am not going to be overclocking. I just don't want all the extra b/s on a board like the z77 or H6* boards have. I will have a dedicated graphics card and don't need or want all the extra ports on a motherboard.

Between those two, I would get the $99 one and have $200 to spend on other things (like an SSD, games, and/or girls).

If your not overclocking, why are you considering an unlocked cpu? All you need is a non-K series cpu and a H61 like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

I think you missed my point... I don't want onboard anything if I can avoid it. I don't need or want HDMI or DVI or RGB ports. This is extra Bull that does me no good. Just wasted space.

I understand your point, but having the ability to use the iGPU (with a capable CPU) is VERY useful in troubleshooting situations. And it's not like having the extra stuff there is harmful or anything. Why possibly handicap yourself in troubleshooting ability when the reason to do so is solely because the feature that allows it is "bull, and a waste of space" (not true anyway, it's not like that extra space is gonna be used for anything else).

It might be helpful if you told us what you plan to use it for. I doubt anyone would suggest you buy and outdated P67 board when the newer z68 & z77 boards offer more for the money.

Option A
an i7 is totally "worthless" for gaming; nothing would use the hyperthreading and would make it NOT cost effective at all.

I do some light gaming WoW, diablo III (when it comes out) and then just genral day to day use.

My current system if a bit dated. pentium d 930 4gigs ddr2 800 2x raptor 36gig radeon 5770

Agree an i7 is overkill, and you don't need a K series if you're not overclocking.
Go for one of the lower end i5's and save some money. Honestly an i3 would be sufficient for your needs.

Even if you don't need the extra ports, going with an z68 or z77 board will be a better choice over a p67 board. You could even go with an H67 board if you don't plan on overclocking.

Save some money and add an SSD to your system, you'll be amazed at how fast it is.

+1 to that!

I think YOU missed he point.

H61 is the most basic micro-atx board you can get for a sandy/ivy cpu...........and your choosing a cpu that's made for overclocking, yet your not going to overclock.....

How about this combo: ASRock Z77 Extreme4-M LGA 1155 Intel Z77 + Intel Core i5-3550

You get the benefits of the new platform and a CPU equivalent to a 2500K at a good price.

or go sb-e if you want, between the two if you're dead set on either just flip a coin.

imo gaming wise if you do some games whether hard core or casual, doesn't really matter, about other stuff wise, it also doesn't matter.

also just because they don't want to overclock doesn't mean they should not get a unlocked one,

Unless the op is pushing hi-res mutliple displays, any of the i series processors are more than enough for his stated needs. The only reason to go with a K series is to overclock, the small gain in speed a stock K gives you is negligible compared to the non-k versions. In real world applications you won't notice any performance gain of an unlocked CPU compared to the equivalent locked version (unless of course you plan to overclock which the op stated he isn't).

He could pick up an i3 with a fully loaded H77 board and put the savings towards an SSD and GPU, and it would be more than enough for his needs. If he really needs more power an i5-2300 would be another inexpensive option.

Most of us on here are enthusiasts, we prefer to get the best of the best (or at least the best we can afford). My i7 is great when I'm gaming at full res with everything turned up, but most of the time I'm just wasting it's power while I surf the web or answer my email. It's overkill. I could have had the exact same gaming experience with an i5. Hell I could live with a stock i5 with no overclock, as there is nothing I do that requires that much power.

I have 2 recently built PCs at home. The first is my gaming machine which is running an i7-2600k, the other rig is my HTPC which is running a i3-2100 on an H67 board. The HTPC has an SSD, the i7 does not. Everyone who stops over and plays with my rigs tell me that the i3 is much faster than my uber-expensive i7 (which will be getting a new 128GB SSD for the OS very soon).

My point is, for most people an i3 is more than enough. Building a balanced machine based around your usage means you get the most performance for your money. If the op were to go the i3/H77 route, he could add an SSD and a nice GPU and still be blown away by the performance.

OK I have narrowed my personal preference's down and want a little follow up opinion here if you all don't mind.

option 1
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Or

Option 2

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Both of these boards will handle an Ivy Bridge cpu. I ordered my boot SSD today and I will be transfering a 36gig raptor from my old machine. I plan to install windows to the SSD along with accesory programs. WoW and it's ocompanying files (vent/addons) will be on the raptor. WIll also have a 3rd large storage drive.

Both of these boards gfive me a little bit of expansion room based on current availablity. I plan to go with an i5 ivy bridge cpu or the low power i7 I am hoping for a quiet system compared to my current rig which is more then out dated. (socket 775 pentium D 930)

Best answer selected by Yarricc.

This topic has been closed by Nikorr