Looking for advice ...

[alexsuo]

So ... after using my existing systems (Asus P5Q Pro + Q8200 + HIS 4870) for 4 years, I decide to upgrade to a new system.

Budget is 1000 - 1200 USD and my target is to use the new built system for another 4 years, mainly for PC gaming and sometimes for programming or enjoying video. I will re-use my monitor Dell 2410 and 3 HDDs total 4TB.

Now I am considering the following configuration and cannot decide with the part with choices below:

CPU XEON E3 1230 or i5 3570K
Mother Board Asus Z77 V-Pro or Gigabyte Z77 UD3 or UD5
Memory Corsair Vengance 16G (4G x 4)
Graphic Card MSI 7870 or 7950 or 7970
Case CoolerMaster 550 Silentio or NZXT H2 Classic
PSU Corsair TX 650 or 750

So any part with "or" above is in doubt in my mind ... and I really would appreciate your kind advice.

Another way to build this box, however, is to build something relatively cheaper but reserve space for upgrade without changing Case/PSU/MotherBoard. I have to dump my current PSU (400W) because it's not powerful enough. So that's why I'd choose a relative high-end PSU.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks
Alex

 

[warhead0]

CPU: go with the i5 3570K
MOBO: Asus Z77 V-Pro
MEM: Why not go with two 8GB sticks, this way you can always add more in the future if need be.
GPU: if you have the money why not go for the 7970?
PSU: either one will work fine, I would personally go with the 750W for a bit more future proofing.

 

[Bejusek]

CPU: Definitely i5-3570k
MB: No need for pricey boards. I recommend Asrock Z77 Extreme4, however if you want something more 'high-end' go with Gigabyte Z77X UD5 or Asrock Z77 Professional.
MEM: 8GB is enough for gaming. You can add more later.
GPU: Money saved on MB and MEM invest in 7970
PSU: 650W is enough for this system, however adding another later 7970 would require a 750W one.
CASE: Fractal Design R4 seems to be a best choice in this price range.

I would recommend getting SSD for system drive. Samsung 840 Pro 128GB.

 

[alexsuo]

Best answer selected by alexsuo.