Need help deciding which Mobo and Processor to buy for upgrade and OC'ing(Ivy Bridge)

[Bagain]

Basically looking to upgrade Mobo and Processor for Streaming Starcraft 2 and I don't know too much about the new motherboards.

So for Processors I'm looking to upgrade from an i7 860 to an Ivy Bridge i5-3570K http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116504

If I'm not mistaken, this will be a huge upgrade and I don't think I'll need the hyperthreading features the i7 has for streaming.

For the motherboard is where I'm confused, because I don't really know what the (Letter)(Number) combo means. But it seems the Z77 is quite good so I'm looking at:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131826

and

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813130645

If there are any better boards in that price range, let me know, but I'm really liking the ASUS Mobo, although it doesn't seem to have good onboard sound.

Furthermore, are there any good Mobos with HD audio? Or would it be better to get a USB DAC like a Fiio E7?

Thanks!

[Klutzington]

Actually, if you're going to stream in 720+, I suggest getting an i7. The hyperthreading helps tremendously, since you're probably going to be playing a CPU intensive game, then stream, your CPU will probably hover at 90%+ usage.

i7-3770k: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116501 - $349.99

ASRock Z77 MoBo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157312 -$149.99

However, if the 3770k is out of your budget range, get the i7-2600k (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115070), or further yet, the i5-3570k (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...6504&Tpk=3570k).

[Bagain]

Thanks for the quick reply Klutzington, but that ASRock Z77 Mobo seems extremely tight for space, and with a big CPU cooler and GPU how would it fair with ventilation?

[n0cturnal]

I believe he linked the wrong board. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157293

[Bagain]

I believe he linked the wrong board. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157293

oo this looks nice, is the "7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC898 Audio Codec), Supports THX TruStudio" pretty decent onboard audio?

[n0cturnal]

Yes the Realtek ALC898 is a pretty decent codec.

Realtek ALC898
Output Resolution: 24bit
Max Sample Rate: 192KHz
SNR: 110 DB

Input: 24-Bit, 192KHz, 104dB

[Bagain]

Ok, cool, thanks for the quick replies, is the performance increase I'd see while streaming with an i7 worth the extra $110 ? Or could an overclocked i5 come quite close in comparison?

I'd be streaming 1080p most likely, with a GTX 560 GPU

[BicycleMafioso]

I'd recommend against the AsRock Extreme4 for harder overclocking; I'd get a motherboard with more reliable power delivery and better power efficiency.
Reports have said it's a poor~ish overclocker for the money, but fantastic for price in other regards.
(Moving you over to build help)

[n0cturnal]

Ok, cool, thanks for the quick replies, is the performance increase I'd see while streaming with an i7 worth the extra $110 ? Or could an overclocked i5 come quite close in comparison?

I'd be streaming 1080p most likely, with a GTX 560 GPU

I can't find any solid numbers that would suggest it is worth the 50% increased price premium.

[Bagain]

I'd recommend against the AsRock Extreme4 for harder overclocking; I'd get a motherboard with more reliable power delivery and better power efficiency.
Reports have said it's a poor~ish overclocker for the money, but fantastic for price in other regards.
(Moving you over to build help)

Thanks, didn't realize I posted in the wrong sub forum. As for the AsRock Extreme4 being bad for harder overclocking, would 3.8GHz-4.2GHz be too much for that board?

[BicycleMafioso]

Not at all. I wouldn't trust it much past 4.4 though, but that depends on the silicone in the CPU as well.
I also read your avatar in reverse order.

[Bagain]

o.o and I thought you were banned until I realized "totally not"

Thanks for the help though!

[Klutzington]

I believe he linked the wrong board. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157293

It appears I did. /gasp.

I'd recommend against the AsRock Extreme4 for harder overclocking; I'd get a motherboard with more reliable power delivery and better power efficiency.
Reports have said it's a poor~ish overclocker for the money, but fantastic for price in other regards.
(Moving you over to build help)

Get the ASRock if you don't want to overclock. If you do though, here's another suggestion: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128545

[BicycleMafioso]

I think he was going to overclock.

Either way, in the mind of overclocking, I think keeping the current CPU and overclocking that to 3.8-4.0 should do the trick, actually. I have the almost the same CPU (but lacking Hyper-threading) and I can't imagine something I cannot be doing with it that getting a 3570K would solve. In fact, I doubt it'd much improve anything.

[Perderder]

If you want to get really into overclocking and push the limits of your CPU then you should look at the ASUS Maximus V Formula or Extreme. You will pay for it though as the Formula is $289. There are obviously some good boards already linked in this thread. I don't have personal experience with the GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H, but all of the reviews and things I have read say it's a solid performer.

[Gouca]

If you just want to get to ~4.4 GHz safely & with low budget, take the AsRock Z77 Pro3.

CPU: i5-3570k