Which Mobo for 3770k Upgrade?

[clintster442]

This is my first post but I have been lingering for a long time. I am building my first PC right now and initially had decided on an AMD FX-8150 / ASUS Crosshair V Formula setup but after seeing it get throttled time and time again in not only benchmark but actual user reviews, I have switched to an i7 2600k / X79 based platform instead.

I am not a hardcore gamer but as games are the most CPU/GPU intensive apps for the most part (I don't do any 3D video editing), my thought is that building a solid gaming PC shouldn't leave any lagging parts in other tasks such as music and phot editing, browsing, etc.

I already have the case (Antec Nine Hundred Two v3), PSU (Kingwin LZG-1000), HDD (WD Black Caviar 7200 1TB), and optical dives. I just have three qualms/questions before I go buy my mobo/processor/gpu setup:

1. I like the AMD Eyefinity compatibility on the Radeon cards. I would compare it directly to the NVIDIA Vision Surround on the GTX cards. I already have three 24" monitors so I won't be picking up new 3D monitors anytime soon so the 3D aspect of the GTX cards is moot for me at the time. The Eyefinity supports up to 6 monitors, the Vision Surround only supports 3. Whiel this is sufficient for the moment, it leaves zero room for expansion to additional monitors. Also, the list of compatible software titles is considerable longer for AMD.

2. ASUS includes proprietary OC software with their RoG boards such as the Crosshair V's. This makes OC'ing very simple (not that it's hard on an Intel) but most importantly, it can be done while booted in Windows through the app and doesn't require rebooting from the BIOS to take effect. Intel has a new software piece that seems similar; Intel Desktop Control Center. The ASUS suite seems much more robust and the Intel piece seems like 'OC'ing for Dummies" edition. Anyone used either who can comment?

3. If I do decide to go with Intel, I will definitely want to upgrade to the 3770k when it comes out in April. Intel states that Ivy will be backwards compatitble with sandy which is good. What mobo should I go with in the X79 platform that will be good fit for the 3770k?

And last but not least...

4. Can someone please explain to me WHY the 3.4GHz 4-core Intel chip is so much better than the 3.6GHz 8-core AMD chip? I am not arguing that it is better, it is. I've seen the benchmarks, I read the reviews. It's no longer opinion, its fact. All of that data shows HOW it is better but my simple little brain just can't understand why? How is 3.4x4 better than 3.6x8?

Thx

 

[deadjon]

2600k + X79? EH?

2600k is H61/H67/P67/Z68

X79 is Sandy Bridge - E which is the 3820/3930K/3960X

Please clarify

 

[pauls3743]

Put another way.

i7-2600K is LGA1155

X79 is LGA2011

the two don't mix.

 

[deadjon]

Put another way.

i7-2600K is LGA1155

X79 is LGA2011

the two don't mix.

Overcomplicating things is half the fun

But yeah this ^

 

[PurpleHayes]

I agree with deadjon-your CPU choice doesn't match your motherboard socket. X79 is an LGA2011 socket-it accepts chips like the i7-3930k and 3960X, but it's a dead-end path, like LGA1366 was. You should be looking at Intel's P67/Z68 motherboards, since you're not intent on high-end processor-intensive work such as 3D rendering. Also, the Z68 boards are what Ivy Bridge will be back-compatible with, so you should look for a Z68 motherboard, such as the ASUS P8Z68V-Pro or something similar.

Also, since you're not intent on anything insanely CPU-intensive, but rather on the best gaming experience, I'd recommend the i5-2500k. Almost all games today can't use more than four cores (most use 2-3 cores), so there's no reason to spring for a huge 6C/12T chip like the 3930K or a 4C/8T chip like the i7-2600k. That way, you can save $100+ and put it towards a better graphics card. If your budget can fit it (you're looking at high-end parts anyway), the Radeon HD 7970 is the fastest single-GPU card on the planet today; you can't do better than that

I havn't used either of those OC applications you've mentioned, but just as a rule of thumb, it is better to do overclocking through the BIOS (even if it is more tedious), because applications tend to overvolt quite heavily (there are horror stories of these applications pumping 1.5V through a processor to reach overclocks, which will hurt the chip), and the overclock isn't always guaranteed to be stable. However, the ROG overclocking utility has gotten good reviews.

As stated earlier, the Intel Z68 chipset is going to be compatible with Ivy Bridge, so you should be looking at any Intel Z68 motherboard.

Last but not least, AMD's Bulldozer is a big flop for several reasons. First off, the "8-core" they advertise it as isn't really 8 cores; each core can do its own integer calculations, but pairs of cores share the floating-point calculations. As a result, the "8-cores" are more like 4-core, 8-thread processors, just like the i7-2600k (which is also a 4-cores/8-threads processor). Furthermore, the clock speeds may be different, but GHz isn't only what matters; the Intel chips are far more efficient on a per-cycle basis. What this means is that with every passing clock cycle, the Intel chips can get more done than AMD's chips can. Here's a simple example; doing a simple multiplication problem might take 3 cycles on an Intel chip, but 5 on the Bulldozer chip. Thus, even though Bulldozer runs "faster" (more cycles per second), the Intel chip will finish before the Bulldozer chip because it doesn't need as many cycles to finish. I hope that helps

 

[clintster442]

My mistake, I have been looking at all the chipsets/processor options and got my wires crossed (no pun intended). I do not intend to go up to an extreme processor but do intent to go to the 3770k when it comes out so the Z68 would be the board I need.

As far as graphics go, would a single 7970 be a better option than a pair of 6970's? Also, of course they are compatitble, but there is no benefit/detriment to matching CPU to GPU? (AMD chip with Radeon, Intel chip with NVIDIA)

This is the exact explanation I was looking for on the AMD FX / i7 2600k difference and exactly what I needed to make my decision; Intel it is (I feel quite good typing that as well).

So I am off to Fry's for a Z68 mobo and I'll probably just go with the i5 2500k for now and upgrade to the i7 3770k in April/May.

 

[clintster442]

Best answer selected by clintster442.

 

[clintster442]

Quick question, what is the difference between:

i7 2600 and i7 2600k, both Fry's and Newegg list both?

ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe and Pro, would the extra $50 be a better option for future upgrade to IB?

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey