Need help with an upgrade

Hey everyone, I'm looking to upgrade my setup in about a month or two.
Basically, I want to make the jump from AMD over to Intel. I'm looking for a motherboard, an i5 or i7 processor, and a decent cooler to go with them. The motherboard doesn't need to be anything crazy, just something solid enough to handle a light overclock, maybe up to 300+... Same goes for the cooler; nothing overkill, just something that won't let everything melt 😛. In short, I need one of those two CPUs to be powerful enough to support at least one more generation of GPUs without hitting a bottleneck. My power supply is a GS600, so that should be fine.

If anyone could put together a good combo for me, I'd really appreciate it 😁

Edit: My budget is around $1333, paying cash. Also, it doesn't have to hit $4,000; I'd prefer to stay under that if possible.

What’s the absolute maximum you’d be willing to shell out for this?

Larry Ortiz5 said:What’s the absolute maximum you’d be willing to shell out for this?

Around 4k, assuming that isn't cutting it...

What components do you actually need to get started?

Alright, let me know what you're running right now:
- CPU - exact model
- Motherboard - manufacturer/model
- RAM - brand - type (DDR2/DDR3) - speed
- HDD and DVD drive - give me the exact models and the interface: SATA or PATA
- GPU - manufacturer, model, amount of VRAM
- Case - manufacturer, model.

Once I have that, I can give you some solid advice on how to get the most bang for your buck.

Kimberly Gomez34 said:What components do you actually need to get started?

I listed:
-Motherboard
-Processor
-Appropriate CPU cooler

graniteharbor85 said:Alright, let me know what you're running right now:
- CPU - exact model
- Motherboard - manufacturer/model
- RAM - brand - type (DDR2/DDR3) - speed
- HDD and DVD drive - give me the exact models and the interface: SATA or PATA
- GPU - manufacturer, model, amount of VRAM
- Case - manufacturer, model.

Once I have that, I can give you some solid advice on how to get the most bang for your buck.

- CPU: AMD FX 4170
- Motherboard: MSI MS-7641
- RAM: 4GB DDR3 Kingston 1333
- HDD is SATA, don't use a DVD drive
- GPU: Sapphire HD 7850 2GB
- Case: Antec 900

Izvolis:

i5 4670K
Ereboss by RAIJINTEK
ASRock Z87 EXTREME3
Kingston 4GB 1600 MHz
Just picked up a Samsung 120 GB 840 evo Basic—honestly, if you haven't made the jump to an SSD yet, you're basically living in the stone age. It’s such a game changer for system snappiness.
ZALMAN Z3 plus WHITE ED. USB 3.0 MIDI ATX

That's $4k, shipping included.

What do you think of mine?
CPU: 450-$167
mbo: $50
For the GPU—I'd say aim for somewhere between $800 and $900. Honestly, if you can find one that still comes with a solid warranty, don't be afraid to push toward that higher end of the range.
case: $67

You’re all set on the RAM side for the long haul—don't sweat the 1600 MHz thing, since it'll just automatically throttle down to 1333 MHz anyway. Plus, you've got a way beefier processor that gives you the headroom to overclock past 4GHz (especially with a solid cooler keeping things chill), paired with that Z87 chipset which basically gives you the best possible foundation for overclocking.

So, you finally got an SSD? Man, that's a game changer—especially since you were stuck on an HDD before. It makes the whole system feel noticeably snappier compared to the old hard drive life.

I swapped out the case because yours is way too small to fit any decent cooler—and honestly, there’s no point grabbing an i7-4770K if you're just planning on doing tiny little overclocking bumps like that 300 MHz jump. So, I just went ahead and threw in the full package deal instead.

Plus, you're getting four fans, a potentiometer, dust filters—plus, the interior layout is way better designed. It’s quieter, cooling is definitely improved, you get that plexiglass side panel, and you're starting fresh with a new warranty too.

If you want, you could just hang onto that HD 7850 and overclock the hell out of it—honestly, it’s still a solid card—but if everything we talked about is already spoken for, you might be better off grabbing a new R9 280 or maybe even hunting down a used R9 280X. I know a few people selling them that are only about a year or two old for around $1.7k–$2k.

Since you didn't mention the HDD capacity—and if you're actually looking to pick one up—I'd honestly suggest going with something faster instead. SSHD So, you've got these hybrid SSD and HDD setups—basically a way to keep all that massive storage space but actually get some decent speed compared to a standard old-school hard drive—all without paying a single extra cent.

graniteharbor85 said:Izvolis:

i5 4670K
Ereboss by RAIJINTEK
ASRock Z87 EXTREME3
Kingston 4GB 1600 MHz
Just picked up a Samsung 120 GB 840 evo Basic—honestly, if you haven't made the jump to an SSD yet, you're basically living in the stone age. It’s such a game changer for system snappiness.
ZALMAN Z3 plus WHITE ED. USB 3.0 MIDI ATX

That's $4k, shipping included.

What do you think of mine?
CPU: 450-$167
mbo: $50
For the GPU—I'd say aim for somewhere between $800 and $900. Honestly, if you can find one that still comes with a solid warranty, don't be afraid to push toward that higher end of the range.
case: $67

You’re all set on the RAM side for the long haul—don't sweat the 1600 MHz thing, since it'll just automatically throttle down to 1333 MHz anyway. Plus, you've got a way beefier processor that gives you the headroom to overclock past 4GHz (especially with a solid cooler keeping things chill), paired with that Z87 chipset which basically gives you the best possible foundation for overclocking.

So, you finally got an SSD? Man, that's a game changer—especially since you were stuck on an HDD before. It makes the whole system feel noticeably snappier compared to the old hard drive life.

I swapped out the case because yours is way too small to fit any decent cooler—and honestly, there’s no point grabbing an i7-4770K if you're just planning on doing tiny little overclocking bumps like that 300 MHz jump. So, I just went ahead and threw in the full package deal instead.

Plus, you're getting four fans, a potentiometer, dust filters—plus, the interior layout is way better designed. It’s quieter, cooling is definitely improved, you get that plexiglass side panel, and you're starting fresh with a new warranty too.

If you want, you could just hang onto that HD 7850 and overclock the hell out of it—honestly, it’s still a solid card—but if everything we talked about is already spoken for, you might be better off grabbing a new R9 280 or maybe even hunting down a used R9 280X. I know a few people selling them that are only about a year or two old for around $1.7k–$2k.

Since you didn't mention the HDD capacity—and if you're actually looking to pick one up—I'd honestly suggest going with something faster instead. SSHD So, you've got these hybrid SSD and HDD setups—basically a way to keep all that massive storage space but actually get some decent speed compared to a standard old-school hard drive—all without paying a single extra cent.

Thanks a lot for everything 😁

One more thing, could you tell me roughly what percentage stronger that i5 is compared to my current FX? Just so I have a ballpark idea. I’m thinking about pulling the trigger on this whole setup by summer, and maybe picking up a new GPU around Christmas, so I'm worried the i5 might bottleneck it.

Roughly speaking — his current AMD rival would be the FX 8320 / FX 8350.

Don't even sweat the bottlenecking part—especially if you decide to overclock it later on.

Anyway, just check back in when you're actually ready to pull the trigger. Prices and what's in stock change basically every single day, but the setup we suggested should give you a pretty solid ballpark idea of what to expect.

graniteharbor85 said:Roughly speaking — his current AMD rival would be the FX 8320 / FX 8350.

Don't even sweat the bottlenecking part—especially if you decide to overclock it later on.

Anyway, just check back in when you're actually ready to pull the trigger. Prices and what's in stock change basically every single day, but the setup we suggested should give you a pretty solid ballpark idea of what to expect.

Cheers! I'll catch you later when the time comes.😁

graniteharbor85 said:Izvolis:

i5 4670K
Ereboss by RAIJINTEK
ASRock Z87 EXTREME3
Kingston 4GB 1600 MHz
Just picked up a Samsung 120 GB 840 evo Basic—honestly, if you haven't made the jump to an SSD yet, you're basically living in the stone age. It’s such a game changer for system snappiness.
ZALMAN Z3 plus WHITE ED. USB 3.0 MIDI ATX

That's $4k, shipping included.

What do you think of mine?
CPU: 450-$167
mbo: $50
For the GPU—I'd say aim for somewhere between $800 and $900. Honestly, if you can find one that still comes with a solid warranty, don't be afraid to push toward that higher end of the range.
case: $67

You’re all set on the RAM side for the long haul—don't sweat the 1600 MHz thing, since it'll just automatically throttle down to 1333 MHz anyway. Plus, you've got a way beefier processor that gives you the headroom to overclock past 4GHz (especially with a solid cooler keeping things chill), paired with that Z87 chipset which basically gives you the best possible foundation for overclocking.

So, you finally got an SSD? Man, that's a game changer—especially since you were stuck on an HDD before. It makes the whole system feel noticeably snappier compared to the old hard drive life.

I swapped out the case because yours is way too small to fit any decent cooler—and honestly, there’s no point grabbing an i7-4770K if you're just planning on doing tiny little overclocking bumps like that 300 MHz jump. So, I just went ahead and threw in the full package deal instead.

Plus, you're getting four fans, a potentiometer, dust filters—plus, the interior layout is way better designed. It’s quieter, cooling is definitely improved, you get that plexiglass side panel, and you're starting fresh with a new warranty too.

If you want, you could just hang onto that HD 7850 and overclock the hell out of it—honestly, it’s still a solid card—but if everything we talked about is already spoken for, you might be better off grabbing a new R9 280 or maybe even hunting down a used R9 280X. I know a few people selling them that are only about a year or two old for around $1.7k–$2k.

Since you didn't mention the HDD capacity—and if you're actually looking to pick one up—I'd honestly suggest going with something faster instead. SSHD So, you've got these hybrid SSD and HDD setups—basically a way to keep all that massive storage space but actually get some decent speed compared to a standard old-school hard drive—all without paying a single extra cent.

He doesn't need a new case; the Antec 900 is a solid chassis and everything fits in there perfectly.😛

1 x ASRock Z77 EXTREME3, Intel Z77, ATX, dual Channel 4 xDDR3 - 2800
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4, socket 1155, box
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL9, HyperX, KHX1600C9D3B1/
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo,2011,1366/1156/775/AM3/ 626g,13-32dB

$1020
This is how I’d do it. Last gen Intel Ivy Bridge. The gap between this and current Haswell isn't even worth mentioning, except that Haswell runs hotter than Ivy Bridge.

The setup is still solid. If you're missing front USB3, just slap an extra controller in there and call it a day.
http://www.bestbuy.com/front-panel-usb3-controller
1 x ASRock Z77 EXTREME3, Intel Z77, ATX, dual Channel 4 xDDR3 - 2800
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4, socket 1155, box
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL9, HyperX, KHX1600C9D3B1/
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo,2011,1366/1156/775/AM3/ 626g,13-32dB
1 x Samsung SSD 120 GB 840 evo Basic, 2.5"

$1235

Best Buy

Robert Rodriguez2

You're totally right—I mixed up the dimensions in my head. I thought it was 180 mm wide (it's actually +200 mm), which would've meant dealing with coolers over 155 mm tall. But honestly, the Z3 plus is just a better case overall, so if he wants to go with that, more power to him.

Honestly, whether you go with Ivy or Haswell doesn't really matter since Haswell prices have dropped quite a bit lately. Sure, it runs a little hotter, but it's beefier too, so you kind of win either way—it's a toss-up. As long as there's a decent aftermarket cooler available, temperature worries and overclocking headaches shouldn't be an issue.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:1 x ASRock Z77 EXTREME3, Intel Z77, ATX, dual Channel 4 xDDR3 - 2800
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4, socket 1155, box
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL9, HyperX, KHX1600C9D3B1/
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo,2011,1366/1156/775/AM3/ 626g,13-32dB

$1020
This is how I’d do it. Last gen Intel Ivy Bridge. The gap between this and current Haswell isn't even worth mentioning, except that Haswell runs hotter than Ivy Bridge.

The setup is still solid. If you're missing front USB3, just slap an extra controller in there and call it a day.
http://www.bestbuy.com/front-panel-usb3-controller
1 x ASRock Z77 EXTREME3, Intel Z77, ATX, dual Channel 4 xDDR3 - 2800
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4, socket 1155, box
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL9, HyperX, KHX1600C9D3B1/
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo,2011,1366/1156/775/AM3/ 626g,13-32dB
1 x Samsung SSD 120 GB 840 evo Basic, 2.5"

$1235

Best Buy

Looks good. I'm just wondering if Ivy Bridge can be overclocked as well as the newer models? I'll definitely grab the SSD; I've been planning on it for a while, and even 120GB is plenty since I'll probably only use about 40GB for my OS and programs. Definitely worth it.🙂 I might also need a new case, since my current one is pretty old and beat up—it was a hand-me-down. Regarding the cooler, I’m currently running the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo on my CPU, so it should fit this Ivy Bridge build, right? But like graniteharbor85 said, who knows what prices will look like by summer...

It's really up to you at this point—you've already been told it's basically the same thing, and honestly, there’s zero noticeable difference when you're actually gaming. They perform pretty much identically.

Like, if you overclocked a 3570K to 4.2 GHz, and then took a 4670K to 4 GHz, you'd end up right back where you started because those tiny performance bumps in Haswell just don't move the needle much.

As long as you've got the bracket for Intel socket 1155, your CM should fit just fine.

brightskipper40 said:Looks good. I'm just wondering if Ivy Bridge can be overclocked as well as the newer models? I'll definitely grab the SSD; I've been planning on it for a while, and even 120GB is plenty since I'll probably only use about 40GB for my OS and programs. Definitely worth it.🙂 I might also need a new case, since my current one is pretty old and beat up—it was a hand-me-down. Regarding the cooler, I’m currently running the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo on my CPU, so it should fit this Ivy Bridge build, right? But like graniteharbor85 said, who knows what prices will look like by summer...

I guess Ivy Bridge actually clocks better than Haswell... though I think our friend above already covered the performance side of things. 😉

brightskipper40 said:Looks good. I'm just wondering if Ivy Bridge can be overclocked as well as the newer models? I'll definitely grab the SSD; I've been planning on it for a while, and even 120GB is plenty since I'll probably only use about 40GB for my OS and programs. Definitely worth it.🙂 I might also need a new case, since my current one is pretty old and beat up—it was a hand-me-down. Regarding the cooler, I’m currently running the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo on my CPU, so it should fit this Ivy Bridge build, right? But like graniteharbor85 said, who knows what prices will look like by summer...

If you already have a cooler, great. Just ditch yours and grab a new case instead. 🙂
1 x Asrock Z77 Extreme3, Intel Z77, ATX, dual Channel 4xDDR3 - 2800
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz, socket 1155, box
1 x Samsung 120 GB 840 evo Basic, SSD disk, Capacity 120 GB, 2.5"
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL9, HyperX, KHX1600C9D3B1/
1 x Z3 plus mid tower case. 192(W)x465(H)x430(D)mm. MB standard

$1231
That’s basically it. 😁

I wonder what kind of case he'll go with. 🤷 I guess the Antec 900 might actually have better airflow than the Z3 plus.

ASRock Z77 EXTREME3, socket 1155.
I guess I'm looking at the Samsung SSD 120 GB 840 evo Basic (MZ-7TE120BW). It’s a 120 GB, 2.5" drive using a SATA 3 interface, with read speeds around 540 MB/s and write speeds near 410 MB/s. You might need a 3.5" bracket for it, too.
It looks like we've got an Intel Core i7 3770k on the table—Socket 1155, 3.4 GHz clock speed, and 8 MB of L3 cache. It features Ivy Bridge cores and comes with both the integrated graphics and the stock cooler included. I guess that covers all the basics.
PPatriot. DDR3, 1333MHz, 4GB (single 4GB stick) with 256x8 chips.

Total amount: $1267 Discount24.com

I mean, what's an i7 even going to do for him at this point? 😬 But I guess he doesn't necessarily have to swap it out after five or six years of having it tilted like that.

crimsonstag84 said:I wonder what kind of case he'll go with. 🤷 I guess the Antec 900 might actually have better airflow than the Z3 plus.

ASRock Z77 EXTREME3, socket 1155.
I guess I'm looking at the Samsung SSD 120 GB 840 evo Basic (MZ-7TE120BW). It’s a 120 GB, 2.5" drive using a SATA 3 interface, with read speeds around 540 MB/s and write speeds near 410 MB/s. You might need a 3.5" bracket for it, too.
It looks like we've got an Intel Core i7 3770k on the table—Socket 1155, 3.4 GHz clock speed, and 8 MB of L3 cache. It features Ivy Bridge cores and comes with both the integrated graphics and the stock cooler included. I guess that covers all the basics.
PPatriot. DDR3, 1333MHz, 4GB (single 4GB stick) with 256x8 chips.

Total amount: $1267 Discount24.com

I mean, what's an i7 even going to do for him at this point? 😬 But I guess he doesn't necessarily have to swap it out after five or six years of having it tilted like that.

smart enough, not a reader😁

He clearly said the case is in bad shape.😬