Motherboard Basics

[SpectrumK]

Hello,
I'm building my first PC, which I intend to use for both programming purposes and gaming. I found a procssor with adequate stats that fits an LGA 1155 socket (it's an Intel Core i7-2600K BX80623I72600K Unlocked Processor) and now I'm wondering how to choose a motherboard, or even if I've made a good choice with this processor. More specifically, I need to know what to prioritize in terms of the Motherboard's capabilities and components. I don't want to spend more than $450 on this motherboard, making my decision even more complex. Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[rgd1101]

just the motherboard for 450? or that include ram, hd, video card, psu?

 

[DarkSable]

Have you bought the processor yet? If you don't support yourself through programming, and thus don't have massive compile waits, don't worry about the i7 - get the i5-3570k. Even if you want the hyperthreading, don't get the 2600k, get an ivy bridge processor.

 

[SpectrumK]

just the motherboard for 450? or that include ram, hd, video card, psu?

I'm only talking about the motherboard. What do you mean by PSU? Sorry, this is my first build, and more of an experiment than anything else.

 

[SpectrumK]

Have you bought the processor yet? If you don't support yourself through programming, and thus don't have massive compile waits, don't worry about the i7 - get the i5-3570k. Even if you want the hyperthreading, don't get the 2600k, get an ivy bridge processor.

Thanks, I haven't bought anything yet, and since my brother's games are likely to be the most resource-intensive programs that the PC will be running, I'm primarily concerned with the processor's speed and the mobo's layout--obviously, it needs enough space for a video card and RAM.

 

[Sridhar Nag S]

I'm only talking about the motherboard. What do you mean by PSU? Sorry, this is my first build, and more of an experiment than anything else.

PSU means - Power Supply Unit.

It is also referred to as SMPS.

Generally PSU's have different wattages. For a performance PC like yours, you should go for a minimum of 500W PSU. There are also many kinds of wattages in power supplies, 500W, 650W, 750W, 1000W, 1200W.

You can use this link to calculate the PSU you may need for your new PC build...
http://www.corsair.com/learn_n_explore/?psu=yes

 

[Sridhar Nag S]

Hello,
I'm building my first PC, which I intend to use for both programming purposes and gaming. I found a procssor with adequate stats that fits an LGA 1155 socket (it's an Intel Core i7-2600K BX80623I72600K Unlocked Processor) and now I'm wondering how to choose a motherboard, or even if I've made a good choice with this processor. More specifically, I need to know what to prioritize in terms of the Motherboard's capabilities and components. I don't want to spend more than $450 on this motherboard, making my decision even more complex. Any suggestions would be helpful.

I will be more able to suggest you if you can tell me what kind of applications and games you want to run. Do you want to do Heavy Video Editing or are you a hardcore gamer , which games and which applications you want to run on you pc...

 

[SpectrumK]

I will be more able to suggest you if you can tell me what kind of applications and games you want to run. Do you want to do Heavy Video Editing or are you a hardcore gamer , which games and which applications you want to run on you pc...

I'm not a hardcore gamer, but I will most likely be running Skyrim and possibly Battlefield 3 on PC. My main concerns are the ability to run medium-high quality graphics, while still keeping within a reasonable price range.

 

[SpectrumK]

Best answer selected by SpectrumK.