More build questions! (Z68 vs Z77, ASROCK vs ASUS, SB vs IB)

[bsoa]

This is my current build:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=23832307

Im getting closer to ordering, but I keep coming up with more questions as I read about the upcoming Ivy Bridge CPUs, pci-e 3.0, and current z68 and z77 boards. Some questions I have are:

1. What would be the best alternative to the Asrock z68 Extreme 3 Gen 3 and the Asrock z68 Extreme 4 Gen 3? (in the $100-$200 price range) It looks like a lot of the z68 Gigabyte boards have bootloop issues, so I would be leaning towards ASUS if I dont get one of the Asrock boards.

2. Any advantages / disadvantages in getting a Z77 board if I am planning on running an i5-2500k with a Radeon 7850?

3. Does the increased GPU performance from Ivy Bridge make any difference at all when using a discrete graphics card? Or does it only matter when using integrated graphics?

4. Ive read that the 7850 wouldn't make use pci-e 3.0 bandwidth speeds unless your doing some serious overclocking. Would there be any other benefits from using pci-e 3.0 with IB besides the bandwidth? Would there be any noticeable difference in running a Radeon 7850 on z77 board with and IB CPU vs a z68 with SB CPU? Or a z77 with a SB CPU?

Thanks again.

 

[gary1]

1 and 2. I would just get a Z77 board, I mean, just nice to have. Z77 Extreme3, Extreme4, or P8Z77 are all good.
3. Yeah, really no performance benefit anywhere else. Maybe a little.
4. Nothing on the market can even make full use of 2.0.. So.. doesn't matter if it's 2.0 or 3.0 as of now.

 

[87ninefiveone]

1. The only real boot loop issues I've seen have been with Gigabyte boards. I had a problem with my MSI Z68 board but it turned out to be a problem with incompatable memory (Crucial Ballistix Sport). Most other boot loop issues I've seen stem from a similar cause. For every boot looper there's 100 happy people with those boards, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.
2. Z77 has integrated USB 3.0, the new version of quick sync (switchable) graphics, and official PCIe 3.0 support. The only possible advantage is that the new quick sync software allows your IGP and GPU to team up. I think the jury is still out on how useful this will be though.

Good article here...

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/z77-express-virtu-mvp-benchmark,3174.html

3. See #2.
4. No card in existance will utilize 16 lanes of PCI 2.0 bandwidth let alone 3.0 bandwidth OC'd or not. There is a performance deficit incurred running a 3.0 card in a 2.0 slot, but it is negligable. I believe I read on the order of 5% or so. The same can be said of using a 2.0 card in a 1.0 slot.

In regards to SB vs. IB, IB is expected to be around 10-15% better. But this is pretty much speculation since few proven benchmarks exist at this point. In general CPU performance is noticable at low resolution, where high resolutions tend to be bottle necked by the GPU. My guess is that there will be little to no gaming impact when it comes to SB vs. IB. I personally wouldn't hesitate to stick with SB at this time.

 

[Tavo_Nova]

actually you can do it this way.

1- If your upgrading from sandy bridge i5/i7 then it's not worth it but if your upgrading from sandy i3 then yes it is worth it

2- If the sandy bridge i5/i7 price drop by enough margin which can cover the 10-15% performance difference go with sandy

3- If your in a tight budget and have to cut down performance go sandy

4- If Ivy fits in your budget and you came from anything below sandy then go ivy.

5- If you love technology to hell with price tag go ivy bridge

 

[gary1]

actually you can do it this way.

1- If your upgrading from sandy bridge i5/i7 then it's not worth it but if your upgrading from sandy i3 then yes it is worth it

2- If the sandy bridge i5/i7 price drop by enough margin which can cover the 10-15% performance difference go with sandy

3- If your in a tight budget and have to cut down performance go sandy

4- If Ivy fits in your budget and you came from anything below sandy then go ivy.

5- If you love technology to hell with price tag go ivy bridge

Wait for reviews first. The temperature problem is pretty alarming.

 

[bsoa]

Ok, so I am thinking I will be going with an 2500k on a z77 board unless there is a reason not to. I was looking at the ASUS z77 boards and I am liking these two:

ASUS P8Z77-V LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131820

ASUS P8Z77-V PRO LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131819

Both boards include Wifi, so I can justify the price a little by knocking out the USB wifi I was going to get. The main difference I see between the the two is the Voltage Regulator. The V has an 8+4 regulator vs a 12+4 on the V Pro.

Think the $15 extra for the V Pro worth it?

 

[Why_Me]

Ok, so I am thinking I will be going with an 2500k on a z77 board unless there is a reason not to. I was looking at the ASUS z77 boards and I am liking these two:

ASUS P8Z77-V LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131820

ASUS P8Z77-V PRO LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131819

Both boards include Wifi, so I can justify the price a little by knocking out the USB wifi I was going to get. The main difference I see between the the two is the Voltage Regulator. The V has an 8+4 regulator vs a 12+4 on the V Pro.

Think the $15 extra for the V Pro worth it?

I think waiting two weeks for the reviews would be the better decision. That way everyone will be able to read the reviews, see the benchmarks and nobody will be kicking themselves in the arse for not waiting 14 days. The reviews/benchmarks take all the guessing out of it...which is a good thing imo.

 

[vindog2424]

Nice build, I just created a similar post with almost the exact same build. Everything down to the case was spot on except I only included 1 120 gb SSD and the gpu was the Sapphire 7850. Also the the 212 EVO cooler. I'm pretty sure I'm going to purchase the parts soon, I'm just waiting another week or 2 to see if anything goes on sale. My plan is to play Diablo 3 on max settings at 1080 or 1200 res. I would like to possibly play other games like Skyrim or BF3 on ultra with 60 fps. If anyone has input , let us know. Also is this system pretty future proof ?

 

[Tavo_Nova]

actually if you can find intel i5 2500k sb for 180bucks on newegg and 130bucks on microcenter then it is the better buy imo.

lol in my local area you can see i5 2500k for 300bucks if you convert it and 400bucks for ivy bridge i5

 

[bsoa]

I think waiting two weeks for the reviews would be the better decision. That way everyone will be able to read the reviews, see the benchmarks and nobody will be kicking themselves in the arse for not waiting 14 days. The reviews/benchmarks take all the guessing out of it...which is a good thing imo.

Ahhhhh! I can't wait!

But your right. Will probably need to wait it out another week or 2 and see how IB shakes out.

Nice build, I just created a similar post with almost the exact same build. Everything down to the case was spot on except I only included 1 120 gb SSD and the gpu was the Sapphire 7850. Also the the 212 EVO cooler. I'm pretty sure I'm going to purchase the parts soon, I'm just waiting another week or 2 to see if anything goes on sale. My plan is to play Diablo 3 on max settings at 1080 or 1200 res. I would like to possibly play other games like Skyrim or BF3 on ultra with 60 fps. If anyone has input , let us know. Also is this system pretty future proof ?

I think if you go with a z77 board you will be pretty future proof. The downside though would be any early adopter issues and not getting all the benefits from a z77 board unless you use an Ivy Bridge CPU.

The z77 I have on my list now though is pretty pricey. There are ones for less than $200 too though.

 

[jonboy79]

Skill +1