Need MB/GPU Advice -First Build

[Ranaven]

ETA the template:

Approximate Purchase Date: This Saturday

Budget Range: $800 - $900

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Games/Writing/Streaming/Movies

Are you buying a monitor: Yes

Do you need to buy OS: Yes. (Will be buying an upgrade version of Windows 8)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: www.danawa.com (it's in korean, blech)

Location: South Korea - will be traveling to Seoul to make the purchases at the computer market.

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 2560 x 1440

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Because I need a system I can effectively work on (currently using a notebook - I find it hard to work on it) and play on.



Hi guys.

I'm putting together a gaming PC, expected purchase date being this Saturday. I'm having trouble settling on which motherboard to buy - primarily because:

a) I want to be able to use Intel's Smart Response Technology; and,

b) I want the best value for money I can get.

Current options are, from starting with the cheapest:

1. ASRock z68 Pro3 Gen3 ($95ish)
2. ASRock z77M
3. ASRock z68 Extreme3 Gen3
4. ASRock Z77 Pro 3 (I'd go for this if I were sure it supports ISRT but the ASRock page is silent)
5. ASRock Z77 Pro4-M ($117ish)

I'm not particularly attached to ASRock but I'm in Korea and it seems to be cheaper here - I only see H61 and H67 boards from Asus and MSI in the same price range.

The other components of my build are:

CPU: Ivy Bridge Core i5 3570k
GPU: HD6870 1GB OR GTX 650ti 1 GB (Please comment on which you'd suggest for this too. In the unlikely event that I can afford it, I'd go for the 7850. Failing that, these two are the options)
SSD: Crucial M4 mSATA 32 gb
HDD: Samsung h5002HJ 500gb
RAM: 2x4gb @ 1600 (Some Korean manufacturer)
PSU: 600W (Some Korean manufacturer)
LCD: A giant Korean 27" 2560 x 1440 LED

(All of which will set me back around $800 - 900. Comments/suggestions on the build are welcome.)

Also, no, I am unlikely to try SLI/Crossfire in the future. I am more likely to try OC on the CPU/GPU.

Thanks in advance!

 

[AMD Radeon]

personally i would go with ASRock Z77 Pro 3

 

[Ranaven]

My gut says so too. But do you know if it's ISRT compatible? I'm not certain that ALL z77 boards are and while I've seen reference (guides) online to setting it up on the z68, I've seen nothing of the sort about Z77 despite having exhausted my googlisms.

 

[hytecgowthaman]

Mobo :Asrock z77pro3.
Gpu :
http://www.hwcompare.com/13678/geforce-gtx-650-ti-vs-radeon-hd-6870/
for higher resolution use 6870.
Ram : Transcend axe ram .
reason:
My recamend is fill all slots dont see capacity. see mhz in board and ram.Reason mhz is the key to achive speed. if board support 1600mhz u insert 1333mhz its waste because not get full speed of ram slot. if board support 1333mhz u insert 1600mhz its also waste of money (1333mhz ram is cheaper than 1600mhz)also u not utilise full speed of ram. (4x1600mhz=6400mhz =6.4ghz) vs (2x1600=3200mhz=3.2ghz).
______
other manufacturers give only 1year warenty but transcend give "lifetime warenty" so no need to warry about problems. Then cost "no more dealer and distributer " because anyone can "buy directly in TRANSCEND.COM" so cost lower then other.

 

[Ranaven]

Thanks for the input guys. I'm still looking for some more info on the Smart Response/SSD caching question.

 

[AMD Radeon]

^ that ISRT is tied with chipset... all i heard that it is from z68

not sure for z77