Upgrading CPU and Motherboard, need suggestions

[vinny1001]

I currently have..

-Asus M3N72-D
-AMD Phenom 9950 Quad-Core 2.6GHz (overclocked to 2.8GHz)
-Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 (1GB vram)
-Nvidia GeForce 9600 GT (2gb vram; using this as physx card)
-8GB ram
-750W Modular PSU
-1TB drive and 500GB drive

I am looking to have a good gaming rig. Good FPS. And so on.
I want to focus upgrading the motherboard and CPU.
I was leaning towards Intel (at least a 4 core) rather than AMD.
I am planning to also upgrade to a full tower case.
I would like to have USB 3.0 as well as 4 ram slots. And could I get suggestions on some good ram. I would like DDR3 and 8GB, each 2GB sticks to fill up all 4 slots.

If I could get some suggestions and pointers that'd be great. Thanks!

 

[allanitomwesh]

You cant beat value for money on the Asrock Z77 Extreme 4 right now.
I wouldn't go lower than i5 2450 for a gaming rig.You can get the 3570K if you plan to overclock.
The AZZA Solano 1000 is on sale.
2x 4gb stick would work better and leave space for expansion. GSkill/Patriot/Crucial are good
Also if you're interested,the gigabyte hd7970 Ghz Edition had a price drop at ncix.

 

[vinny1001]

thanks for the suggestion. what if i just went with an i7? any suggestions on one of those? preferably a 4 core as well. wish more people responded to this...
I checked out that motherboard on newegg and a lot of reviews were good but there were a good amount of problems wiht it as well.. so idk if i'd trust it. but it's at a low enough price.. maybe that's why it breaks and what not that the people complain about.

 

[allanitomwesh]

i7 3770 is the best right now,performance on par with sandy bridge E. You can get the i7 3770k for overclocking.
There'll always be guys who can't use their stuff,that board is solid.
So
Core i7 3770
Asrock z77 extreme 4
2x4gb gskill Ares 1600mhz
Your current hard drives(the 1tb would do)
Corsair Force GT 120gb ssd
FSP RAIDER 750w 80+ psu
Azza Solano 1000.

If you're overclocking you can get the K processor and Hyper 212 EVO cooler.
Alternatives:
Asus P8z77 pro
Rosewill CAPSTONE 750w 80+
Samsung 830 128gb ssd
Any other low profile ddr3 ram
Coolermaster HAF X,bitfenix colossus,nzxt switch 810 are great cases.
Xigmatek Dark Knight II night hawk cooler.

 

[vinny1001]

I'm still a little iffy about the Asrock z77 extreme 4. Looking at the reviews on Newegg really make me worried about it. Are there any other motherboards around $130 that would be more trustworthy?

I also read about the i7 3770 and it seems great, but since it is fairly new, I am iffy with that as well. I read reviews and it appears to get hot. :\

For the case, I was also looking at the..
Rosewill THOR V2 Gaming ATX Full Tower Computer Case

COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced RC-932-KKN5-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case


Anyone, or the same person here, have any more suggestions? I am pleased with the help so far, just want to make the right purchases worth the money I am putting into this.

 

[allanitomwesh]

Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H
Asus P8Z77-V LX

About the core i7, it doesn't get better than that,and the heat isn't something to worry about in full tower with high airflow and and an aftermarket cooler. You probably will never run it in benchmark conditions ever the entire life you own it. Consider that.
The rosewill won't add much over the azza,the cooler master is solid,i'd go with that,but I remain with my recommendation on the HAF x.
I understand your concerns, but too much doubt and you end up with what might have been, waiting for what is to come as you own nothing.