400 Euro Upgrade.

Nolars

1. What is your budget? [€400]

2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? Gaming - Arma 3, Dayz, bf4 etc etc

3. Do you need a copy of Windows? [No]

4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? [Hard drive/DVD Drive/Case/PSU/etc.] (If possible state brand and model of the parts to ensure compatibility) I will be upgrading my i3 - 2120, b75 pro 3 mobo to perferably haswell i5 & new mobo to O/C. Other Hardware I have 8gb ram, 120 gb ssd, 500gb harddrive, 450 SF amazon 80+. 7870 xt.

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? [1920x1080]

6. Do you need any of these peripherals? [Keyboard/Mouse/Wireless Card/Card Reader/Speakers/etc.] no

7. Are you willing to try overclocking? [Yes]

8. How can you pay? [visa]

9. When are you purchasing? [The next week]

10. If you need help building it, where are you based? [no]

What kinda of performance gains can I see going from a i3 to to the new haswell hopefully huge and worth the 400 euro
Thanks.

BloodBath

There's a wealth of z78 boards out at the moment so there may be better for the money.

For cpu bound games an overclocked 4670k should show massive gains over a 2120.


Item|Price
Intel Core i5-4670K Box, LGA1150|€217.34
Thermalright HR-02 Macho Rev.A (BW)|€40.48
MSI Z87-G43, ATX, Sockel 1150|€109.02
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€385.83

tuxy

Item|Price
Intel Core i5-4670K Box, LGA1150|€217.34
ASRock Z87 Pro3, Sockel 1150, ATX|€119.55
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - Intel/AMD|€28.37
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€384.25

Any game that can make use of 4 core will see a big improvement with the i5.

Monotype

I'd be cautious with the MSI Z87-G43. The Z77 G43 wasn't very good as you couldn't change voltage, so overclocks were limited.
They might have updated with Z87, but a quick search doesn't yield any reviews. You could probably find out if you trawl through the manual.

tuxy

Monotype wrote: »

I'd be cautious with the MSI Z87-G43. The Z77 G43 wasn't very good as you couldn't change voltage, so overclocks were limited.
They might have updated with Z87, but a quick search doesn't yield any reviews. You could probably find out if you trawl through the manual.

Having used a few Asrock and MSI motherboards in the last 2 years my personal opinion is that the Asrock were of better quality both in design and functionality.

Monotype

I've been using both too. I had to send one Asrock back, but I can't really complain about either brand as they both have their strengths and weaknesses. One weakness for MSI was their Z77A-G43 board but a strength was their Z77A-G45 (and the mATX one) which allowed for one of the best budget crossfire/SLI boards.

I reserve judgement for the individual motherboards depending on what they offer. The Z87 version might be improved, I'm just advising caution. I certainly wouldn't steer clear of MSI just because of one board not offering features that you're looking for.

BloodBath

The Z87 G45 is nice from the current line up of sli capable boards. It has better onboard sound than most as well. You're paying for that sli support though.

http://www.hardwareversand.de/DDR3/79672/MSI+Z87-G45+Gaming%2C+ATX%2C+Sockel+1150.article

Monotype

Ooh! Fancy looking. Actually has features/price more in line like their GD55 of last generation. Good spot on the sound too. Has a mSATA slot!

Had a look at the G45 manual. Looks like there's an abundance of options to configure for overclocking, so they haven't skimped there. They have a G41 listed on their website - perhaps they've shifted their products up one and that's the new motherboard to avoid!

Anyhow, G43 looks like a good buy afterall.