Finally Upgrading my 2009 Build

[Scorpiuscat]

My 2009 build has been so solid performance wise that I have not upgraded anything other than the operating system in all this time.

2009 Build
Intel Core I7 920
EVGA X58 Mo/Bo
6GB OCZ (3x2GB) Triple Channel
2xGeforce 260 Core 216 Super Clocked in SLI
Corsair HX 1000watt PSU
2x750GB Western Digital HD's
Creative X-FI Sound Card
Samsung 24" LCD
CoolerMaster CMStacker Full Tower Case

However, she was starting to show her age as I had to turn down some setting on SW:TOR to get better FPS.

So, the above will be replaced with my 2012 build:

Intel Ivy Bridge i7-3770
EVGA Z68 FTW Mo/Bo
Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600
Geforce GTX 680
Samsung 830 256GB SSD
ASUS VG278 120HZ 3D 27" LCD Monitor w/Nvidia Vision 3D 2 Tech (Glasses Included)
CoolerMaster HAF 932 Advanced Blue Edition Full Tower Case

I am reusing my PSU, Optical drives and I am ditching the Creative sound card as it has been the only piece of hardware that actually ever gave me any problems, we will see how on-board sound does for a while, if I don't like it I will get a discrete sound card.

My two 750GB HD's are going to become storage as the SSD will take over as the main drive.

I went for the i7-3770 instead of the 3770k because for the extra $30.00 you only go from 3.4GHZ to 3.5GHZ, that did not seem worth it as I'll bet you can gain much more than that by simply overclocking, I pulled the Corsair Vengeance out of the TR 2012 build guide, it seemed like a really good choice and man was it dirt cheap.

So why the 3D monitor and change in towers?

First off, I wanted a change, my old tower is pretty bland (no window, brushed aluminum) and while it made a great home for a long time, I decided it was time for something more modern with some bling and I like the blue LED fans it comes with, the SSD trays for my new SSD and the fact that I can mount the PSU at the bottom or top.

I think the most controversial portion of this build will be the ASUS 3D monitor, but here is why I wanted to go this route.....this last April at a Sci-Fi convention there was a local high end builder that had a booth with a 3D monitor on display that you could sit down and try out some games in 3D and I found that I really, really liked it.....I mean I REALLY liked it, I was blown away with how freaking cool it looked so I said to myself that I was going to pop for a 3D display on my next upgrade and besides, how can you go wrong with a 120hz refresh rate?

So there we go, everything is on order and should arrive in time for a weekend of tearing down my old computer and building the new one, its been to long...I cant wait.

[Jon1984]

Intel Ivy Bridge i7-3770

Why not a i5-3570K and you'll save some more bucks? You won't see much difference with hyperthreading in gaming. Good for overclocking also.

You could add some 2x8Gb modules of memory, futureproofing wise.

[Scorpiuscat]

Intel Ivy Bridge i7-3770

Why not a i5-3570K and you'll save some more bucks? You won't see much difference with hyperthreading in gaming. Good for overclocking also.

You could add some 2x8Gb modules of memory, futureproofing wise.

I went with the i7-3770 because I do a little photoshop and video converting work from time to time.

As far as the RAM is concerned, my Mo/Bo choice has 4 DIMM slots, so as I did have a budget to fit into and I stretched it pretty hard as it was, so I figured I could add more RAM down the road.

[DPete27]

Hate to burst your bubble, but that "K" on the end means you can overclock. You're going to be dissapointed that you will NOT be able to overclock your i7-3770. Since Sandy Bridge, overclocking is done by changing the CPU multiplier ONLY. No more BCLK adjustments. K series processors have unlocked multipliers, non-K parts do not. Regardless of the lack of overclockability, the i7-3770 will last you quite a while.

I would have said that you only really needed to upgrade your GPU and get an SSD, but whatever floats your boat I guess. The i7-920 is a still a perfectly potent gaming chip (i7-950 is the closest comparison on that chart, but close enough) I also hope you didn't spend extra on the i7 if all you're using it for is gaming...see charts below, i7-2600K = i7-3770K (quad core w/ hyperthreading) and i5-2500K = i5-3570K (quad core only) I suppose having the hyperthreading may add a little "future proofing" if you plan on sticking with this setup for an extended period of time, but it also costs almost 50% more than an i5-3570K. I guess $120 is just drops in the bucket when you're talking about a....$2000(?) build I suppose.

[Chrispy_]

Honestly, your old base system seems pretty decent still.

Slap in 6GB more RAM (assuming you have 3x2GiB at the moment) and go with the SSD and GTX680. You'll save yourself a ton of money not changing the CPU/motherboard, and for games you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference.
An i7, even and old 920 is still going to be more than adequate for gaming on Ultra settings. The number of games that don't run well on even an i3 can be counted on one hand, and it's not because they're really CPU intensive, more that they're just abysmally coded.

Put the $500 you save aside, and spend it when you actually need it - for $500, you will see perhaps a 5% improvement in games by moving up to an i7. Games are almost entirely GPU bound, and those that aren't GPU bound are only CPU bound at low resolutions. Also, if you are worried about the absolute best gaming performance, you won't do better than a 2500K. It'll overclock better/cooler than any Ivy Bridge chip, and the Sandy Bridge i7's offer practically no advantage in gaming over an i5 yet they draw more power (and thus overclock less well).

[Scorpiuscat]

The guts of the old computer are going into a system for the kids, so while my old system was seemingly getting long in the tooth, I was able to make all interested parties happy.

[TDIdriver]

Hate to burst your bubble, but that "K" on the end means you can overclock. You're going to be dissapointed that you will NOT be able to overclock your i7-3770. Since Sandy Bridge, overclocking is done by changing the CPU multiplier ONLY. No more BCLK adjustments. K series processors have unlocked multipliers, non-K parts do not. Regardless of the lack of overclockability, the i7-3770 will last you quite a while.

^this sums it all up nicely
basically it's either 4.6Hz+ or 4.1GHz

[Scorpiuscat]

Hate to burst your bubble, but that "K" on the end means you can overclock. You're going to be dissapointed that you will NOT be able to overclock your i7-3770. Since Sandy Bridge, overclocking is done by changing the CPU multiplier ONLY. No more BCLK adjustments. K series processors have unlocked multipliers, non-K parts do not. Regardless of the lack of overclockability, the i7-3770 will last you quite a while.

^this sums it all up nicely
basically it's either 4.6Hz+ or 4.1GHz

Well, I did forget that basic fact when I was shopping....can't remember everything I guess.

Still I am happy with the parts I picked out, don't think I will be disappointed in the build.

[derFunkenstein]

It'll be fast for sure. Since it's already on order it's too late for me (or anyone else) to offer much in the way of advice. I don't think that was the point of the thread in the first place, though. Still, looks pretty fast.

[rogue426]

Why a Z68 board over a Z77? Z77 is most recent plus native PCIe 3.0 support. My 2 cents ,nice build , I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

[zzz]

basically it's either 4.6Hz+ or 4.1GHz

That's not accurate, it's 4.6GHz+ quad vs 4.1GHz on a single core. Although games aren't cpu limited anyways.

[Scorpiuscat]

Why a Z68 board over a Z77? Z77 is most recent plus native PCIe 3.0 support. My 2 cents ,nice build , I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

Basically, cost.

Having blown a large amount of the budget on the ASUS monitor along with the SSD and a new case, I had to shave off a few dollars here and there.

[flip-mode]

Sandy and Ivy are so fast that overclocking is not the thrill that it used to be.

I'm still sitting on my 2009 x4-955 build at home. I've upgraded the video card and added a hard drive. It will officially turn 3 years old this September. It will absolutely last till Haswell, and maybe longer. But by golly it will be getting an SSD soon.

Whenever the day comes, I figure my next build will never be overclocked. This x4-955 has only been overclocked to see what I could squeeze out of it and then I set it right back to stock.

[Airmantharp]

Somehow I didn't comment on this before, but a few ideas (for those that might follow your build):

The 'k' variants drop higher-order virtualization support for an unlocked upper multiplier. While this isn't the biggest deal, as you're not likely to get Ivy much past 4.6GHz without adding voltage, 4.6GHz could make the difference for some things. The virtualization support might also be a decider for some that need hardware-level access for their VMs, but I'd consider that a very special niche of people.

Z77 will add precious little to your computing experience over Z68, but real USB3.0 support is something that most would want. The integrated Intel stuff is faster, and more importantly, boot-able. You could run OS's off external drives, and especially with SSDs, lose almost no performance compared to SATAII, and approach SATAIII speeds. Just an example.

I consider a good monitor very important, and I am therefore an IPS fan-boy. But I can also appreciate 3D, so color me jealous. Still haven't hammered this out with my LG's passive 3D 55" screen, which is on the list after figuring out WiDi .

For the discrete sound card, ASUS just updated their PCIe line, $40 options included. The [H] has reviews. I will say though that while my X-Fi Titanium isn't perfect, it beats the hell out of Crab audio in the analog department when hooked to real cans (HD555s). Seamless DD/DTS 5.1 encoding, which ASUS makes quite painful, is blessedly simple with Creative's drivers, if you need/can use that.

@Flip: I'm actually with you on overclocking, but I'd also say that the Core2-era IPC of those AMD X4's is a limiting factor. I put one that I'd purchased from a member here in a system for a sibling, used for school and amateur photo work, and while it's plenty fast for desktop use, it's not going to keep up with Intel for gaming (as no AMD CPU can these days, sadly). Also, I did put in an ancient SSD for her to use. It was an Indilinx Barefoot Eco built by Corsair, the first controller with Trim, and it made a world of a difference!

[JdL]

I would just upgrade the RAM, get the GeForce 680, and add an SSD.

Edit: nevermind. Guess I need to stop browsing TR forums from my iPhone :-/

[flip-mode]

@Flip: I'm actually with you on overclocking, but I'd also say that the Core2-era IPC of those AMD X4's is a limiting factor.

It certainly can be a limiting factor, but it has not been for me. The most limiting factor of my platform for me is that it is DDR-2 and way too expensive to upgrade. I have 8 GB, but I'd like to have 16 GB because on occasion I experiment with VMs. VM disk access is also an issue but that's not because of my platform, it's because of my disk configuration

[clone]

Why a Z68 board over a Z77? Z77 is most recent plus native PCIe 3.0 support. My 2 cents ,nice build , I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

Basically, cost.

Having blown a large amount of the budget on the ASUS monitor along with the SSD and a new case, I had to shave off a few dollars here and there.

jm2c but why not keep your cpu, mb since they can overclock, and just upgrade your SSD, case, ram, and video card.

given the cpu and mobo are 3 years old and your ready to replace why not have some fun and bump em up without any significant concern..... or is the triple channel ram the nail in the coffin?

[Prestige Worldwide]

Why a Z68 board over a Z77? Z77 is most recent plus native PCIe 3.0 support. My 2 cents ,nice build , I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

Basically, cost.

Having blown a large amount of the budget on the ASUS monitor along with the SSD and a new case, I had to shave off a few dollars here and there.

jm2c but why not keep your cpu, mb since they can overclock, and just upgrade your SSD, case, ram, and video card.

given the cpu and mobo are 3 years old and your ready to replace why not have some fun and bump em up without any significant concern..... or is the triple channel ram the nail in the coffin?

He said that his current parts are going into a rig for his kids.

The guts of the old computer are going into a system for the kids, so while my old system was seemingly getting long in the tooth, I was able to make all interested parties happy.

[vargis14]

I would definitely drop to the 3570k unless you run alot of VMs...that i don't ever do:) and get a nice z77 board, the money saved on the cpu will allow you to get a nice z board once you factor in the price of the z68 board and cpu savings...my 2 cents.
Idid not notice what memory you selected now that i am replying but 1866 is a sweet spot with the ivys....i would not worry about tight timings so much, it seems it does not make much of a difference anymore, just read a article on selecting best ram for ivy bridge but i cannot remember where....well back to work good luck!

I remember the ram site article xbitlabs, a decent read

[Bomber]

My system is similar to yours. I have a Core i7 875k overclocked to 4.2ghz, however. I have zero issues playing SW:TOR at max settings when I was playing on a single GTX275 during all of beta and the first 6-8 weeks of release. However just upgrading my video card to a GTX560 448 earlier this year made a pretty good difference. I'd save your money, max out your RAM, get a GTX670 and an SSD. The first gen Core processors still have life in them for a while yet.

For the family, build a small Core i3 system and you will still spend a LOT less than building a top end machine especially if you transplant the parts you replace in your machine into the new one.

[flip-mode]

I would definitely drop to the 3570k

I'd save your money, max out your RAM, get a GTX670 and an SSD.

The parts are already ordered, people

[clone]

He said that his current parts are going into a rig for his kids.

ahhh.

[DPete27]

This is a great thread. Essentially the OP was just looking for a "good for you" type comment and instead got his build choices torn apart by the gerbils. Moral of the story would be to consult system builders anonymous BEFORE your build next time and save some money.

[flip-mode]

This is a great thread. Essentially the OP was just looking for a "good for you" type comment and instead got his build choices torn apart by the gerbils. Moral of the story would be to consult system builders anonymous BEFORE your build next time and save some money.

The only bone I'd really pick with the build is the Z68 mobo. Should have gone with a Z77 or maybe even an H77. I think the 3770 is a fine choice. The extra thread are nice. I know it's not very enthusiast-minded to say this, but I can't see the point of overclocking Sandy or Ivy except in rare cases. They just so damn fast already, and at stock settings they sip power.

None the less, I have to say your post is QFT-worthy.

[kvndoom]

Ah, I can't wait to finally retire the Socket 939 X2 and move out of the last decade! Few more months...

[Scorpiuscat]

This is a great thread. Essentially the OP was just looking for a "good for you" type comment and instead got his build choices torn apart by the gerbils. Moral of the story would be to consult system builders anonymous BEFORE your build next time and save some money.

It’s no big deal and you do make a good point.

I should have been more patient and done more research than I did, but when I got the money all ready to go, I found myself over-excited because I have not done any upgrades in couple of years and I have always enjoyed building my own computers; on top of that I really, really am looking forward to some 3D gaming THIS coming weekend.

Anyway, I always welcome the feedback good or bad, maybe if I can stand it when everything arrives, I will send that Z68 back and have them send me a Z77 instead...we will see.

[flip-mode]

Ah, I can't wait to finally retire the Socket 939 X2 and move out of the last decade! Few more months...

[TDIdriver]

basically it's either 4.6Hz+ or 4.1GHz

That's not accurate, it's 4.6GHz+ quad vs 4.1GHz on a single core. Although games aren't cpu limited anyways.

Actually it is accurate. You can force non-K cpus to run all cores at max-Turbo speeds. Some boards even do that by default.

[Airmantharp]

That's not accurate, it's 4.6GHz+ quad vs 4.1GHz on a single core. Although games aren't cpu limited anyways.

Actually it is accurate. You can force non-K cpus to run all cores at max-Turbo speeds. Some boards even do that by default.

Yup, and this is why overclocking is less important these days- Turbo-boost takes away most of the need.

[flip-mode]

Actually it is accurate. You can force non-K cpus to run all cores at max-Turbo speeds. Some boards even do that by default.

Yup, and this is why overclocking is less important these days- Turbo-boost takes away most of the need.

Yup, I was going to mention this as well, but, um, I didn't But I think you /do/ need a "Z" board to do this - can't do any adjusting at all with an "H" board - correct?