Highend PC - Which motherboard

[Deleted]

Hello!

I am planning to buy an new Highend-Gaming-Pc.

.) ASUS GTX680-DC2T-2GD5, GeForce GTX 680, 2GB GDDR5
.) Intel Core i7-3770K, 4x 3.50GHz
.) 16 GB ddr3 ram

Now, which motherboard should i get? I am always confused which motherboard to choose.
Can someone help?

Please feel free to post if you think that another cpu or gpu is better.

What tower would you suggest for low-noise?

[Friendlychap]

ASUS Z77 Sabertooth. Best motherboard available for consumer 1155 socket IMO!

Stick with the GTX 680 if you actually sure it's instock from where you're buying....if you're in a country where the 600 series is pretty much nonexistent (like it is for me in Australia) just buy a 7970.

Zero issues with my Sapphire 7970 OC edition GPU. Works a fucking charm 60fps minimum on all games including bf3 on ultra @ 1080p. Runs very quiet and cool aswell....and it's about $150-200 cheaper than a 680 now. Zero problems with drivers either...so very good card overall!


By the way. Regarding the CPU. If you're going to OVERCLOCK and you actually need hyperthreading. Get the 2700k instead of the 3770k. You'll get much much better results regarding stability/temps with a 2700k than you will with a 3770k

If you're not going to overclock/don't need hyperthreading then just get the 3570k.

[Deleted]

If you have to ask, the ASRock Z77 Extreme4 will more than likely suffice for all your needs. Little point spending more unless you know exactly what you are after.

Also, if you won't be doing any heavy computing work (again, if you have to ask the answer is most likely that you won't) the 3570k is the better choice.

[hapylol]

If you have to ask, the ASRock Z77 Extreme4 will more than likely suffice for all your needs. Little point spending more unless you know exactly what you are after.

Also, if you won't be doing any heavy computing work (again, if you have to ask the answer is most likely that you won't) the 3570k is the better choice.

I will mirror this post and say that the 3570k is most likely going to fit your needs.

As for the motherboard, unless you plan on ever having 2xGPU's you could look at the Asrock z75 Pro3.

[Deleted]

Thanks for the answers! The Z77-Series looks quite good.

About the cpu. I plan to have the PC for a longer peroid. My current PC i bought about 8 years ago.
So the best cpu atm is the 3770k as i see? The only differents between the 3550k is the price, right?

And, for the 3770k...which cooler would you suggest?

I just searched for some cases and i think i will take: Antec P193 V3

[Deleted]

About the cpu. I plan to have the PC for a longer peroid. My current PC i bought about 8 years ago.
So the best cpu atm is the 3770k as i see? The only differents between the 3550k is the price, right?

The main difference between the 3770k and the 3570k is HT, which essentially gives the i7 4 extra, virtual cores (2 threads to every core). This has little to no benefit in games; they are both within margin of each other. The best choice for a gamer is the 3570k, as the extra money for the 3770k isn't worth it at all.

If you want to overclock however, I'd vote for the 2500k. It doesn't reach a heat-roof to the same extent as the 3570k does.

In regards to the 8 years you listed, the CPU will most definitely last that long but how it will perform compared to current CPUs at that point is impossible to say. I'd say you can expect a good 4-5 years at best out of a current generation CPU before it can be regarded as "obsolete".

Cooler depends on your intentions. A NH-D14 is regarded as one of the best air coolers for example, but it's perhaps not the most silent (in any regards this mostly depends on the fans though). You could also side with a closed (pre-assembled) watercooling solution like the Corsair H80 or H100.

[Deleted]

About the cpu. I plan to have the PC for a longer peroid. My current PC i bought about 8 years ago.
So the best cpu atm is the 3770k as i see? The only differents between the 3550k is the price, right?

Assuming this is just for gaming and nothing more demanding due to the tone of your posts;

The 3770k will be overkill for gaming both now and likely for the lifetime of your pc (Most games do not make any use out of hyper-threading, what you are essentially paying extra for.) , you are much better off saving your money with a 3570k and investing it somewhere else if you are insistent on spending it.

Edit: Marest beat me to it!

[Deleted]

Ok..i missed to specifiy for what i will use the PC

I will use it for gaming, programming, working with Videos(adobe premiere, after effects), etc
I want the PC to be as silent as possible. But no water-cooler(have no clue of it).

Another question i just had was about the memory. I prefer kingston, but there are 1066mhz - 2400mhz. Which to choose?

[protput]

Ok..i missed to specifiy for what i will use the PC

I will use it for gaming, programming, working with Videos(adobe premiere, after effects), etc
I want the PC to be as silent as possible. But no water-cooler(have no clue of it).

Another question i just had was about the memory. I prefer kingston, but there are 1066mhz - 2400mhz. Which to choose?

Ah, you do video editing. Better off going with a 3770k then. The 3570k would be good enough for gaming, but for video editing, an i7 is better for rendering etc.

As for the speed of ram, it's barely noticable anyways. Just got for an 8gb or a 16gb kit at 1600mhz. Should be more than enough.

And for the love of god, go for an SSD to install stuff like windows, after effects etc, you'll never look back!

[Deleted]

reread Marests post, about the "water cooling".

http://www.corsair.com/en/cpu-coolin...pu-cooler.html

Here you go. Corsair H100! just ordered mine since it's my first build and i don't want to go all out on water cooling just yet.

[Deleted]

Would the H100 cooler work with this case? -> Antec P193 V3

[Drakoes]

After looking at some of the dimensions on your case's manual (http://www.antec.com/pdf/manuals/P19...0Manual_EN.pdf), I would say yes, but you could always double check at the Corsair forums if you're in doubt.

[ApocolypticTampon]

The term "High End" comes to mind as puzzling as to why someone would recommend a budget line board like Asrock.

ASUS Sabertooth or if you can wait till later this month the ASUS Z77 Formula ROG board soon to release.

[Deleted]

What do you think about this setup:

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K, 4x 3.50GHz, boxed
GPU: ASUS GTX680-DC2T-2GD5, GeForce GTX 680, 2GB GDDR5, 2x DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort
SSD: Intel SSD 520 Series 240GB, 2.5", SATA 6Gb/s
Case: Antec P193 V3 black
Cooling: Corsair Hydro Series H100
Board: ASUS Sabertooth Z77, Z77
Memory: Kingston HyperX DIMM XMP Kit 16GB PC3-12800U CL9-9-9-27
DVD: LG Electronics GH24NS schwarz, SATA, bulk
Power: be quiet! Straight Power E9 CM 580W ATX 2.3


My biggest concern is if the cooling-system(corsair h100) fits in the case.

Do i miss anything? Do i need any more cables or something(for example connect everything with the power?)
Any other suggestions?

[Deleted]

The term "High End" comes to mind as puzzling as to why someone would recommend a budget line board like Asrock.

ASUS Sabertooth or if you can wait till later this month the ASUS Z77 Formula ROG board soon to release.

ASRock moved away from making only budget oriented boards a good while ago. As of now, they offer very good boards in the mid-to-high-range section as well.

If you read my post, you will understand why I suggested it. If you have to ask, a high end board is most likely not what you seek. Anyone can spend $300 on a motherboard, but a smart person would realize that they would never use it's full potential and that a $150 board would suffice for their intentions.

The OP (do pardon me if this is wrong) doesn't seem like an enthusiast, which is why a board like the Sabertooth (or a high-end ROG board) would most likely be wasted money, plain and simple. Essentially, if you have to ask you don't need such a motherboard of that caliber.

[Deleted]

You are right. I just want everything to run smoothly. I am not the type of person who OC's the CPU or change the fan of the GPU.

The updated setup:

Intel Core i7-3770, 4x 3.40GHz, boxed http://geizhals.de/760572
ASUS GTX680-DC2T-2GD5, GeForce GTX 680, 2GB GDDR5, 2x DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort http://geizhals.de/767446
Intel SSD 520 Series 240GB, 2.5", SATA 6Gb/s http://geizhals.de/724453
Seagate Barracuda Green 5900.3 2000GB, SATA 6Gb/s http://geizhals.de/588865
Antec P193 V3 black http://geizhals.de/613616
Noctua NH-D14 (Sockel 775/1155/1156/1366/AMD/AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/FM1) http://geizhals.de/478667
ASUS P8Z77-V, Z77 (dual PC3-12800U DDR3) http://geizhals.de/749618
Corsair Vengeance Low Profile schwarz DIMM Kit 16GB PC3-12800U CL9-9-9-24 (DDR3-1600) http://geizhals.de/656306
LG Electronics GH24NS schwarz, SATA, bulk (ACHTUNG! Brauche ich 3x) http://geizhals.de/493157
be quiet! Straight Power E9 CM 480W ATX 2.3 http://geizhals.de/677396
PureLink Basic+ High Speed HDMI Kabel schwarz 3m http://geizhals.de/304487
Digitus DA-70330 Card reader, extern/USB 3.0 http://geizhals.de/766913

[kidsafe]

The difference between Asus and ASRock applies to all types of users, not just people who know everything there is about putting their own PCs together. Asus's digital power management and UEFI will offer utmost control for the power user, but are also in readable, descriptive English. The "EZ Mode" is by far the most novice friendly implementation of a dumbed down UEFI. Fan control is still a major sticking point...the Asus UEFI can do it better than most external fan controllers while ASRock's fan control is limited to a linear curve or worse. Asus's customer support and enthusiast community presence is much better than ASRock's. Asus has released at least 11 UEFI updates for my P8P67 Deluxe for example...nearly double that of the ASRock P67 Extreme4.

He might not need a Sabertooth, but a P8Z77-V features all of Asus's refinements that ASRock doesn't offer.

[Deleted]

He might not need a Sabertooth, but a P8Z77-V features all of Asus's refinements that ASRock doesn't offer.

Oh, I definitely was not saying ASRock > ASUS, I just pointed out why spending $300 on a motherboard would be... less smart, and that a $150-200 would suffice as a "high-end" board for the OP.

[Milkshake86]

reread Marests post, about the "water cooling".

http://www.corsair.com/en/cpu-coolin...pu-cooler.html

Here you go. Corsair H100! just ordered mine since it's my first build and i don't want to go all out on water cooling just yet.

H series are pretty far from a custom water loop. The only similarities really is water and radiator, pump is internal tubing preassembled its about the samed as adding an aircooler. Now I won't recommend the H series to anyone because simply they are not as good as say the NH-D14, but if you want a cleaner look or more real estate to work with then it should be considered.

---------- Post added 2012-06-01 at 11:14 AM ----------

The difference between Asus and ASRock applies to all types of users, not just people who know everything there is about putting their own PCs together. Asus's digital power management and UEFI will offer utmost control for the power user, but are also in readable, descriptive English. The "EZ Mode" is by far the most novice friendly implementation of a dumbed down UEFI. Fan control is still a major sticking point...the Asus UEFI can do it better than most external fan controllers while ASRock's fan control is limited to a linear curve or worse. Asus's customer support and enthusiast community presence is much better than ASRock's. Asus has released at least 11 UEFI updates for my P8P67 Deluxe for example...nearly double that of the ASRock P67 Extreme4.

He might not need a Sabertooth, but a P8Z77-V features all of Asus's refinements that ASRock doesn't offer.

Many updates does not equal better or even mean quality. It actually means the quality is bad and they cannot fix it fast enough. Near everything featured on ASUS boards is also featured on ASRock boards maybe not the specific board mentioned and enthusiasts don't use onboard fan controllers, maybe novice or newbs to the scene but not a true enthusiast.

[kidsafe]

Many updates does not equal better or even mean quality. It actually means the quality is bad and they cannot fix it fast enough. Near everything featured on ASUS boards is also featured on ASRock boards maybe not the specific board mentioned and enthusiasts don't use onboard fan controllers, maybe novice or newbs to the scene but not a true enthusiast.

Nobody uses BIOS fan control because other than Asus (and the defunct Abit,) they are all terrible at it. I assure you Asus Fan Expert II is better than most of the bay fan controllers on the market except in terms of per channel power. Unless you are using multiple finger chopping Deltas or Sanyo-Denkis on each channel, that shouldn't be an issue.

For air-cooled setups and closed-single-loop water solutions, Asus BIOS fan control is perfect. The only reason I don't use it is because both major sources of heat in my PC are part of a complex water-loop. Since all the heat goes into two radiators, I use digital thermalcouples taped to both plus a T-Balancer BigNG programmable fan controller.