<$600 for Mobo/CPU, cooler, ram

[neal93103]

Hello,

Approximate Purchase Date: This month

Budget Range: $600 or less
System Usage from Most to Least Important: GAMING, surfing the internet, watching movies

Are you buying a monitor: No

Parts to Upgrade: Mobo/Cpu, 8 gigs RAM, Cooler. I currently have a recently purchased Corsair GS600 PSU. Everything else on my old PC I can use. Have been looking at a Z77 mobo and and Intel i5-3570 (3770?) cpu unlocked quad core.

Do you need to buy OS: No


Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Just looking for the best price. I have used Tiger Direct with good results.

Location:Santa Barbara, CA. US

Parts Preferences: Intel cpu, mobo- any

Overclocking: yes, a little

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe down the line

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080 AOC 2243W with a MSI GTX 460. (I know, a little slow but will work for now)

Additional Comments: Don't need bling, lights, neon, etc. I am looking for ability to upgrade and futureproofing (at least as much as possible)

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Current system is slow for gaming. AMD dual core athlon, M2N32 SLI deluxe mobo, 4 gigs old ram.

 

[DeusAres]

Try this...

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 612 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($47.49 @ CompUSA)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($55.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $413.46
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-08-01 16:01 EDT-0400)

If you want to lower the price a little more, get the Hyper 212 Evo

 

[bigcyco1]

Well this is what I would get for overclocking you need the i5-3570k the one your looking at doesn't overclock:

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2373004&Sku=I69-3570K

MOBO: ASUS P8Z77-V Pro
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2291301&sku=A455-2036

RAM: 8GB Crucial Ballistix @1600mhz
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1412141&CatId=10

CPU COOLER: Thermaltake Frio
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6046364&Sku=T925-3046

 

[neal93103]

Thank you for the info

I have a very old Creative SB X - Fi Extreme Gamer Pci sound card. Is the on-board sound better on the new mobos than what I have? And if I bumped up the mobo, can I get good sound quality?

 

[DeusAres]

Depending on how old that card is, the onboard sound may be better. Mobos these days are much improved than what they were 10 years ago.

 

[neal93103]

What can I benefit from upgrading the motherboard than the ones mentioned above? Is it worth it? I was looking at the MSI Z77A-GD65.

And, although slightly off topic, since I'm using my old HD, can someone point me or tell me the best way to install/reinstall my Windows 7 64bit. Easy way to do it?

Thank you for any and all support.

 

[DeusAres]

It's a good board. But you can get the same features by going with one of the boards listed above. No need to pay more for a comparable board.

Windows 7 isn't my particular area of expertise. Try putting your copy of win 7 in the dvd drive, set the boot priority to the dvd drive as 1st in the bios, then see if the installation process will begin. If you don't care about the info on your old HDD, you can even reformat it and delete everything off it like it was when you first received it.