G645, i3-3225, or i5-3570k? I know WTF right?

no_control

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jul 6, 2006
Messages
1,429
I've sold off my SB 2500k gaming machne and really want to down size all around. Physical size, power consumption, and overall cost. Currently running an AMD FX-4100 on a 990FX Sabtertooth with a single R6970 Lightning on a PLP 2560x1600 (SIG). Seems to run most games including BF3 at acceptable settings for me. This is actually my test VM server so I would like to get off it and build my new GP/Gaming PC.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming, web browsing, general program use.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Spend as little as possible.$400ish

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
US SoCal have frys & MC near me

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget?
CPU & mITX motherboard & Case

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing?
SSD
H60
R6970 GPU
Seasonic X650
8GB G.Skill 1600 RAM


6) Will you be overclocking?
Meh This is the dilemma but for significant cost savings I'll forego it

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
PLP U3011 & 2x 2007FP Gaming is only @ 2560x1600

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
This weekend

9) What features do you need in a motherboard?
mITX, I don't really care about which chipset as long as its a 7 series (z77,z75, h77, q77, b75 etc)

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Windows 7 ultimate eventually windows 8 pro

Overclocking isn't too big of a deal for me. I really just want something cheap and on level with the performance I'm getting from the FX-4100. IB / SB doesn't really matter. so any dual core CPU would be fine. Hell I'd even consider FM2 if it gets me what i want above.
 
Consider these parts:

$150 - Intel Core i5 3450 from Micro Center
$100 - Asus P8H77-I

(It seems like neither Fry's or Micro Center has a large selection of Intel 7-series-based mITX motherboards.)

Which case do you like? (And check whether or not Fry's or Micro Center has better deals on one of the following....)

$50 - Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced
$70 - Lian Li PC-Q07
$90 - BitFenix Prodigy
$110 - Lian Li PC-Q08B

I limited the case selection a bit to ensure that you don't have to pay extra (for a slim optical drive or a PSU that's already provided with the case) and to keep everything you need under the $400 limit (before taxes).
 
Score a lian-li pc-q08, asrock z77e-itx and 3570k. Call it a day. That's what I am running along with an hd7950. Breezes through any game. Also running tf2 idling and bitcoin mining.
 
Probably would go for the cooler master since its the only one I can find with a reasonable price tag that can fit an 11" GPU.

Why the i5 3450 over the other CPUs? Seems overkill.
 
Why the i5 3450 over the other CPUs? Seems overkill.
Because it's a great deal for a CPU that effectively outperforms most AMD CPUs in when it comes to games. Not to mention that it'll use less power and generate less heat than most AMD desktop CPUs. That's important considering that you're planning on using a mITX case where everything is essentially crammed near each other. Finally, and this is the biggie, there aren't any mITX AM3+ or even AM3 mobos widely available anymore. There's only like two FM1 mITX mobos out now and even then stock of those are low. So in other words, if you want mITX, Intel is your best since there are actual mITX mobos available.
 
See Sale thread:
If an I3 2100 is adequate Tiger Direct code "UNX72958" $79.99 +shipping

I3 3220 is $130, I5 3450 is $190 newegg, 3570 is $215, 3570K is $215 amazon. (3220 might be worth $50 over 2100 performance wise)
 
Last edited:
See Sale thread:
If an I3 2100 is adequate Tiger Direct code "UNX72958" $79.99 +shipping

I3 3220 is $130, I5 3450 is $190 newegg, 3570 is $215, 3570K is $215 amazon. (3220 might be worth $50 over 2100 performance wise)

The NewEgg price of the i3-3220 is too close to the Micro Center price for the i5-3450 for me to recommend the former. And as a reminder, the OP lives near Micro Center, where all of the Intel Sandy/Ivy Bridge processors are sold as "only-one-per-customer" loss leaders.

All of that said, the Tiger Direct promo deal on the i3-2100 is pretty good.
 
All of that said, the Tiger Direct promo deal on the i3-2100 is pretty good.
And he wouldn't have to pay sales tax for that Core i3-2100 like he would with the Core i5-3450. So that's additional savings right there.
 
Microcenter still seems to be running an unadvertised $50-off special on motherboard/CPU combos. I just today bought an i3-3225 ($129) + Asrock H77 miniITX board ($95) for $175 + $11 tax. Paid online and picked up in-store in Cambridge, MA. It's hard to beat that price unless you really, really, can't live with an Asrock board for some reason.
 
Last edited:
^^^ WTH???

If that's the case then I'll just do that.

I still do not see why the 3450 is a better choice than either the G6XX or i3. I realize its a fuckton more powerful but I'm only requiring performance = to the FX-4100. not to mention for $30 more I could go 3570k and get $50 off the mobo too.

Point of this is to be as cheap as I can If the the G6xx will do the job with an H77 board ($130). I would rather do that over spending $180 more for something ridiculous like an i5/z77 ($310).

Feel free to tell me to shut up and spend more if I'm beating a dead horse :)
 
If you want to save the most money possible, then you need to buy the i3-2100, an H61 or H67 board (which are considerably cheaper than the 7-series boards), and the Cooler Master case, and you should buy them all from Tiger Direct:

$80 - Intel Core i3 2100 (if you use the promo code by 10/10)
$80 - Intel DH61DLB3
$53 - Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced

Then again, Tiger Direct doesn't have as many mITX boards available as NewEgg (or even Micro Center -- Fry's is worse than useless in this area). Worse, H61 doesn't have any SATA 6Gb/s ports, so you'll have to rely on H67, which costs a bit more.

Speaking of which, the following board may be worth the sales tax you'll spend at NewEgg:

$65 - Foxconn H67S (plus tax an $5 ground shipping)
 
Sorry I don't really want last gen gear. I know what I said. An hour has passed and I changed my mind. :rolleyes: IB & 7 series chipset please.

Option 1 - Seems most conservative without compromising much in the way of performance.
$103.30 - H77M-ITX
$107.24 - Intel i3-3220
$54.38 - Cooler Master 120
$264.93 - $50 mobo discount = $214.93

Option 2 if MC deal above falls apart
$107.24 - ASUS P8H77-I
$107.24 - Intel i3-3220
$54.38 - Cooler Master 120
$268.86 Or I can swap it out for the i3-2100 deal above and save ~$25

Option 3 - Quit being a bitch and build it like everyone else would...
$144.99 - ASRock Z77E-ITX After the $50 discount its $103.31
$206.62 - i5-3570K
$54.38 - Cooler Master 120
$364.31

$100 savings seems pretty legit and could go towards a GTX670
 
Go with option 3. It's under the $400 limit but it will smoke your FX-4100 setup in gaming.
 
Thanks for helping me hash this out [H] going for option 1 if its a no go on the deal, then I'll just go with option 3
 
Back
Top