Helping a friend build a Gaming Desktop

[DMullane]

Hey all,

I'm helping a friend build a gaming desktop and since it's been a while since I built mine, I wanted to get some feedback on the build before he buys the parts.

CPU - Intel i5-3550 @ 3.3GHz
GPU - Radeon HD 6850
MoBo - GIGABYTE GA-B75M-D3V Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
PSU - Antec Neo Eco 520W
DVD- ASUS 24X DVD Burner
RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaw Series 8GB 240-pin DDR3 1600
Case - Lian Li PC-7B plus II Black
HDD - Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB

He plans to stream some League of Legends on it and hopes for it to last a while before needing updating to play new games as they come out.

Is ivybridge much better than sandybridge for gaming? Seems like this ivybridge is a good price anyways so unless there's some really good deal I think it's a solid pick. Graphics Card should be plenty enough for streaming LoL if I'm not mistaken. RAM, PSU, and HDD are same as mine and my computer works fine. But I wasn't sure about the motherboard. Would it be better to get a Z77 motherboard? Or does it really make much of a different for just playing games? Seemed like all the z77 motherboards were much more expensive and I didnt know if the extra money would really make any difference.

So in summary, my main questions are is the ivybridge cpu and better for gaming than say, the sandybridge i5-2500k. AND is the motherboard good? Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

 

[smorizio]

the z77 mb are made for the k version of the unlocked chips out there. if your not going to use one then then using a h or b rev chipset is fine. just look at the mb and is spec. (ie how many sata ports and usb ports are on the mb.) for the power supply swap it out with a know good bronse rated power supply like a cosair unit. cheap power supply can take out youyr gaming rig or cause issues.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129182
i have this gaming case it a nice case.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139016
the non window unit is 10.00 less.

 

[goodguy713]

6850 is alright but you might want to look at 6950 instead .. or 7850 because of the 2GB of video ram .. 6850 is a good card dont get me wrong however you wont be able to play certain games at there ideal settings. just a sugjestion .. the extra 30 to 50 dollars makes a huge difference ..

 

[Why_Me]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1026255 $261.98 save: $13.00 FREE SHIPPING
Intel Core i5-3470 Ivy Bridge 3.2GHz (3.6GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2500 BX80637i53470
GIGABYTE GA-B75M-D3H LGA 1155 Intel B75 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

http://www.amazon.com/Antec-Three-Hundred-Two-Gaming/dp/B006TVQTHW/ref=sr_1_6?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1344685796&sr=1-6 $69.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Antec Three Hundred Two Gaming Case, Black

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231544 $43.99 FREE SHIPPING
G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C9D-8GAO

 

[DMullane]

Best answer selected by DMullane.

 

[DMullane]

thanks everyone for the replys! made me feel much better about this build. i like the case suggestions, i actually have the antec 300 illusion myself and had recommended some of the ones you guys posted but the one he decided on was $40 off so it was only $50 for a $90 case and he really liked the looks of it. Thanks for the feedback on the motherboard and such though! Much appreciated!