Help on a new system $1300

no i5 and 7850??
it is even better choice than above options  
dont worry about 4 core i5, it would stomp any software

my thought is that with 8 cores gives a bit more of a future proofing....... i know theres no such thing as future proofing a system but yeh 8 cores just seems a bit more future proof as i seem to think things will start coming out demanding 8 cores

Here is what I would recommend for your budget. The items above kinda made me want to cry. Here is what I changed about above.

First, the i7 3770 is only useful is you're going to be using a ton of threads in something like video editing so you don't truly need that.

Second the and 8320 is nothing compared the the processor below (and also you can't have a z77 motherboard with an amd cpu incase you were unaware).

Third I got the z77 motherboard that you wanted, though if you're not going to overclock I see no point in getting the z77 chipset.

For GPU you list many GPU intensive programs, and then you say you don't want a *couple* of fps, you won't be able to run much with a single 7770, so i figured lets stick within the budget, and get crossfire 7870s, a great performing machine. You won't get much with the suggested above and with a higher budget you will want to upgrade, this isn't a couple frames, the jump is massive. It would be from 30fps on low to 60frames ultra, that kind of jump.

You can hook up your tv just fine with this setup.

And you don't need to overclock the system, this is a top performing machine.

Here is my recommended build:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($51.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($157.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($97.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($238.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($238.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 922 ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1303.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-28 08:13 EST-0500)

First the term *futureproof* is wrong, there is no way to future proof a machine. You won't see demanding 8 core programs until intel starts mass producing 8 core cpus, right now nothing will use more than 4 cores, so the reason is moot. (nothing in the distant or near future is using 8 threads)

Also just because there are more cores in the processor and more GHz doesn't mean you're going to see an increase in performance, the i5 3570 performs better than the amd 8350 does in virtually every application.

maybe you arent familiar with this CPU, but it is quite popular in toms member and i think it suits you perfectly.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

similar with i7 with no onboard GPU and no OC ability. suitable for professional work. see the price  

leaves room for speaker, keyboard, mouse

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1230 V2 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($135.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($95.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($99.00 @ Scorptec)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card ($229.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Enforcer ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($115.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Monitor: Dell S2340L 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($219.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Total: $1220.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-29 00:41 EST+1100)

i think now things have started to open up a bit here in terms of options so i first my ask why one would choose to crossfire 2 7870's over the purchase of a gtx670 which for me buying in australia work out within $10 of eachother....

secondly would a better graphics card or cards with an i5 be the better option and choice for my application or should i opt for the intel xeon with just the 7870?

also thanks for your inputs so far really offered options i had not really thought about

A couple things that you didn't note, he wanted 8gb of ram, nothing will use the full 16gb so it's unnecessary.

Second you forgot to include an ssd which again was a wanted item.

Third powercolor is not a trusted brand for GPUs stick to the mainstream there, ie. msi asus gigabyte etc.

And finally he already has a monitor, why include another.


And to answer above, you don't need speakers probably, most people have some already. And most people have a keyboard and mouse already.

Im questioning all of your choices right now....

You can easily switch it to a single 670, both have similar performance, it will be within a hair it just depends on which gpu the game (or application) was optimized for.

The xeon vs i5 3570 is about the same, there really isn't much of a difference either one is a good option. I haven't done enough research on xeons yet to know the performance increase or decrease between the two.

im upgrading from a dell inspiron 1525 laptop         so no speakers keyboard or mouse.... heres the list i came up with, total cost is $1450 which i think i can manage so i did forget to mention i am buying everything sorry about that

cpu- i5 3570
mothrboard- asrock z77 extreme4
psu- Thermaltake TR-600
storage- 2tb hdd
ram-patriot viper ddr3 8gig
gpu- 2x msi 7870 (crossfire)
case- raidmax unicorn WB
dvd- lite-on dvd
monitor- samsung 27inch
keyboard- razor lycosa
mouse- what ever feels good inhand
speakers- Logitech Z506 5.1 Surrond Speakers