Gaming upgrade / new build

[Timobkg]

Wanted to take advantage of your expertise and advice. I'm concerned that my current system (see sig) may not be enough anymore.

1) Primarily gaming, followed by web browsing / media server for PS3. I play (or will play) FPS, RPG, and RTS, such as Crysis 2, Borderlands, Mass Effect 3, Skyrim, Witcher 2, Diablo 3, Starcraft 2.
2) $1000 - I want to be economical, but I don't mind spending more on better components that will last longer / provide more stable computing.
3) NJ near Philadelphia - not too far from the Phily MicroCenter. Will have online components shipped to PA (safer, and no sales tax from Newegg).
4) Would Need: CPU, Mobo, RAM, Case, DVD/BluRay Drive
Might Need: PSU - current is Antec True Power Trio TP3-650 650W that I've been using since 01/22/07.
Optional: SSD
5) Would carry over GTX 470, 8800 GTS for 3rd monitor / SoftTH, existing 2 HDDs, new Hyper 212+ heatsink.
Eventual plan would be to upgrade to a new graphics card, such as the GTX 680, and run all 3 monitors off that.
Current PSU is Antec True Power Trio TP3-650 650W (in use since 01/22/07), would re-use it if there's no reason to buy a new one.
I also have an SB X-Fi XtremeGamer PCI sound card. I'm not sure if it makes sense to carry it over.
6) I'd use a 24x7 stable overclock for better performance in games, and being able to play my Wii games on the Dolphin Emulator.
7) My primary monitor is 23" 1920x1080. Second + third monitors are currently 21.5" 1680x1050, with the goal of eventually replacing them with 1920x1080 monitors.
8) Ready to buy this month.
9) I need a motherboard with support for 2 GPUs (but I won't use SLI / Crossfire), stable when overclocked. I would prefer Sata 6, USB 3, etc for future proofing, and I'm partial to Asus as I've had good experiences with their boards in the past.
10) I have Windows 7 Pro 64bit.

For the case, I would like a quiet computer (currently have P180 case with 2 Noctua and 2 Antec fans at 900 / 1000 RPM respectively), so I was looking at something like the Antec P280 case, or possibly the Silverstone Raven 3.
For the processor, I was debating the i5 2500K vs the 3570K. I'm not really seeing an advantage to the 3570K, as the 2500K overclocks better and runs cooler, which should be better for Dolphin. Is there something I'm missing that would make the 3570K a better choice?

My main concern is that my CPU has slipped from "recommended" to just above "minimum" for games such as Crysis 2, Witcher 2, and Max Payne 3. It has served me well for 5+ years, but clearly it's days are numbered. I'm not sure if it's worth slapping the Hyper 212+ on my C2D and trying to OC it further in hopes of lasting till Haswell, or if I should just bite the bullet and get a new system now.

Thanks for any and all help and advice.

 

[Dangman]

Do the upgrade. I had my E6400 to 3.2Ghz and I replaced it last year with an AMD Phenom II X3 720. Big difference in performance. And that was only a mid-range CPU.

8) I'd like to buy between now and a few months from now. Not sure if my current system can hold me out until Haswell.

Can't make specific hardware recommendations as our recommendations tends to change month due to changing hardware availability and pricing. Please come back when you're 2-3 weeks away from buying all the parts in one go for up-to-dated advice and such.

 

[Timobkg]

Ok, I'm honestly ready to buy now, so I just updated my post as such.

Update: I just ordered the P280 case (I couldn't resist at $100 with a chance of $20 rebate) so that's one component out of the way.

 

[Dangman]

CPU wise, the main reason to go with the 3570K is the greater amount of PCI-E lanes available with that CPU. Which means that if you plan on using Crossfire or SLI, the 3570K would be your best bet.

PSU wise, I would replace that PSU as that particular PSU wasn't fully capable of its 650W of power. Also its age concerns me a bit. I recommend this as a replacement:
$90 - Corsair 650TX V2 650W PSU

Motherboard wise, that's a bit tricky as you have two very hot running video cards and that PCI sound card. While there are Z77 mobos with PCI slots, the problem is that the PCI slots are placed in between the two or under one of the main PCI-E x16 slots. Which means a PCI card would obstruct airflow to one of those GPUs. For dual-GPU setups I generally recommend having an expansion slot worth space between the first and second GPU for optimal cooling.

If you want to keep your current PCI card and want to take a chance with the GPU temps, this Asus might do the trick:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131820

RAM wise, I recommend this:
$38 - G.Skill Value Series F3-10600CL9D-8GBNT 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM

 

[Timobkg]

I don't plan to use Crossfire or SLI (driver headaches and micro-stutter kind of kill it for me). I guess that could change 2-3 years down the line (though at that rate, I may be looking at a whole new CPU + Mobo).

Is there any real benefit to keeping the 5+ year old X-Fi sound card? Is there any benefit to replacing it with a new SoundBlaster sound card?

 

[Dangman]

Is there any real benefit to keeping the 5+ year old X-Fi sound card? Is there any benefit to replacing it with a new SoundBlaster sound card?

If you had and were planning on staying with a single GPU system and if that sound card was working fine for you, I would say keep it. However you don't have a single GPU system and those are fairly hot cards.

If you get a PCI-E sound card, that means that you can put the sound card in the first PCI-E x1 slot above the first PCI-E x16 slot, a very common configuration, which lets you have enough space between the two GPUs for better cooling. While I'm not an expert on sound cards, I would think over the past 5 years sound cards have improved in sound quality. But I would recommend checking in the Computer Audio subforum to see if it's time to replace your sound card from a quality/performance standpoint.

 

[Timobkg]

Any recommendation as far as BluRay / DVD combo drives?
I've seen Crucial M4, Intel, and Samsung mentioned for SSD drives. Are they all about the same? Anything I should keep in mind when picking between them?

 

[Dangman]

Any recommendation as far as BluRay / DVD combo drives?

None from me. Just go with the top-sellers on Newegg for those type of drives.

I've seen Crucial M4, Intel, and Samsung mentioned for SSD drives. Are they all about the same? Anything I should keep in mind when picking between them?

They're not the same. The Crucial m4 has best bang for the buck value since you can get the 128GB version for $125:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148442

 

[Timobkg]

They're not the same. The Crucial m4 has best bang for the buck value since you can get the 128GB version for $125:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148442

Sorry, I meant the same performance / reliability wise.
128GB may be too small, and at the same price per GB I'd go with the 256GB version (I'm somehow using 640GB on my current drive that I got less than a year ago, yikes!).

Newegg has 5 Crucial M4 models, all for about the same price: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...48-449^20-148-449-TS,20-148-534^20-148-534-TS
Two are 7mm, three are 9.3mm. I assume I would need the 9.3mm one? What's the 7mm one for? And it seems the three 9.3mm ones are all the same drive, just the BAA model comes with a free 2.5" to 3.5" bracket, while the CCA model includes a data transfer cd and cable (which I wouldn't use here, but wouldn't mind having for $5 if it's a generic cable that would work with regular HDDs too - anyone know?). Is that about right?

Also, I saw the Gigabyte GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H you recommended in another thread. That is a lot of board for the money. I'm sad that MicroCenter doesn't have it, to take advantage of their $50 combo savings.
3570K from MC and the UD5H / 256GB M4 bundle from Newegg = $620 after tax / shipping.
3570K / Asus P8Z77-V bundle from MC + 256GB M4 from Newegg = $590 after tax / shipping.
I know you said that Asus customer service has been slipping lately, but is the Gigabyte worth a $30 price premium over the Asus?

 

[Dangman]

I assume I would need the 9.3mm one?

Yes

What's the 7mm one for?

Not sure to be honest.

And it seems the three 9.3mm ones are all the same drive, just the BAA model comes with a free 2.5" to 3.5" bracket, while the CCA model includes a data transfer cd and cable (which I wouldn't use here, but wouldn't mind having for $5 if it's a generic cable that would work with regular HDDs too - anyone know?). Is that about right?

Basically.

Also, I saw the Gigabyte GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H you recommended in another thread. That is a lot of board for the money. I'm sad that MicroCenter doesn't have it, to take advantage of their $50 combo savings.

MC does have that motherboard. It's the GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H-WB that they don't have. WB = Wireless/Blutooth.

I know you said that Asus customer service has been slipping lately, but is the Gigabyte worth a $30 price premium over the Asus?

IMO, yes.

 

[Timobkg]

The Gigabyte mobo is showing up as in-store only, and out of stock at the PA location.
But in good news, the 256GB M4 just dropped from $250->$200.

Regarding the memory, I read that G Skill doesn't do cross-shipping for RMAs, and you have to pay to ship the memory to them first. Is that correct?

 

[Dangman]

Probably correct. Most RAM manufacturers do that IIRC.

Check to see if the UD3H is available.