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Gaming Build for 3 - 4 years

  • 22-10-2012 12:23pm
    #1
    farna_boy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,766 ✭✭✭


    Hey all,

    Thinking of doing a major upgrade to my system, but will only be replacing motherboard, CPU, RAM. The thing is I don't plan on changing these core components for another 3 - 4 years so I want to get as much as possible from what ever I buy now, but I don't want to waste money on features I will never use. ( I will of course be upgrading other components in these 3 - 4 years, so you need not worry about other weak spots that might be in my current build).So to answer the questions:

    1. What is your budget? €450 - Whatever I need to spend

    2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? Purely Gaming for the next few years

    3. Do you need a copy of Windows? No

    4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? Yes:
    Hyper 212 EVO
    2 x Sapphire Raedon 5770
    180 GB Intel 330 SSD
    250 GB Hard Drive
    750 GB RAID 1 Drive
    Corsair 500R
    600W OCZ Stealth Xtreme
    plus

    5. Do you need a monitor? No

    5a. If yes, what size do you need. n/a

    5b. If no, what resolution is your current monitor and do you plan to upgrade in the near future? 1920 x 1080

    6. Do you need any of these peripherals? No

    7. Are you willing to try overclocking? Yes

    8. How can you pay? [Credit card, paypal, laser, cash]

    9. When are you purchasing? Soon

    10. If you need help building it, where are you based? n/a

    I have been doing some looking around and these are the components I have come up with so far:

    CPU: Intel 3570K €215
    Mobo: ASUS P8Z77-V €175
    RAM: CORSAIR 2 x 4 GB DDR3-1600 - Vengeance €40

    Total: €430

    Now, I am reasonably happy that the CPU is the one to go for in gaming right now. From what I can tell, it is predicted that Haswell will only have approx 10% gains, but will be lower on power and heat which would be useful for overclocking but I am unsure whether or not it will be worth waiting for (although I am leaning towards no).
    The alternative would probably be the 3770K, but none of the current games (or upcoming games, as far as I can tell), use HyperThreading so I don't think I would gain much by buying that.
    As for an LGA2011 CPU, I think I may be throwing my money away, but I am open to correction.

    The motherboard is probably what I am most unsure of. I don't need WIFI or Bluetooth so in that respect I am happy. The board I have picked should be a good overclocker as well and has some good features. The one thing I am considering is whether I should spend more here and get a board that is capable of x16/x16 crossfire or SLI. There are a few Z77 boards that are capable of this i.e. the , the Asrock Extreme 9 or the Asus P8Z77 - WS, but these all come at a large premium that I am unsure will be of long term value.

    Although I said in the questions section that my budget is around €450, I will be probably be able to increase that significantly around March i.e. when Haswell is due. Would I be better off waiting for then or with the minor improvements that are reported for Haswell, will it really make a difference.
    The second main question is in terms of gaming only, are the premium boards that I have outlined really worth it? Should I consider paying that much extra for extra PCI-E lines? I know that x8/x8 usually only means less than 5% drop, but in terms of maximising the ability to upgrade, is the premium worth it?

    Thanks for all your help. All comments or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.


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