Need a new board & cpu. Whats hot and whats not?

MGCJerry

MGCJerry

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 18, 2005
Messages
144
The machine I have now is a bust (about to reach 3 years old). I can't trust it to do anything important without locking up and being stupid. I'm at the end of my rope and this poor case has taken a literal beating. Wasted too many days and swapped most of the hardware (except mobo & cpu) as well as many driver versions troubleshooting it. I'm done troubleshooting it. This aggravation has been months in the making.

I think the board is bad and instead of fighting with ASUS over an RMA I'm just going to replace it and curbstomp this board. I want to go back to an Intel based system. So, I want a new CPU & new board. I've been out of the loop for looooooong time so as far as good chipsets (ICH9 was bad ass), board/cpu combos, etc I'm now lost.

I have a small budget $350USD (strict!) for new components. I'm not a hardcore gamer, and my old H6770 1GB card has been adequate for my needs.

Due to some specific requirements, I'll be dualbooting WinXP & Win 7 (and possibly some linux flavor soon as well). I'm almost afraid of the Asus board I have in mind because the current board I have is an Asus, and it got hosed during a bios update and I had to buy a new bios chip (It was only a day old). #1 reason to buy socketed or redundant bios boards. Anyway, here's what I had in mind.

I would really like to get an i7, but there's no budget for it at this time so I'd like to go with an i5.

Board: ASUS Z87-A ($109.99)
CPU: i5-4590 ($194.99)
Misc: Shipping ($1.99)
Total: $306.97

Thoughts?

I'm going to be re-using all my other components, and the board and cpu will meet my 10lb hammer and my sawzall.



Edited!
Got the parts in today and spent some time rebuilding the system. I have it on air right now, and let it boot into my "old" windows 7 install. Had a few minor hiccups, but its running fine. I will reinstall Win7 at a later point, but I'm surprised how well its running now. Ran performance test and got a little better than what I had with the 8 core. Wow, AMD really is/was that far behind. The graph below is from "Performance Test" using my OC'd FX-8120 (3900MHz) vs stock i5-4470 (same Win7 install). Considering I was hoping to stay close to my current performance level, I think it did very well for $359 for an Intel build.

PerfRes.png


Thanks for the recommendations guys! :)
 
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I got the Gigabyte Z97X-UD3H-BK. It really is a nice board, lots of features and reasonably priced. It is also server tested for 168 hours for durability and reliability. I would get a Z97 chipset over the older Z87.
 
You should go with a Z97 board over a Z87. The MSI Gaming series boards are supposed to offer excellent bang/buck. ASRock is extremely competitive on the value end as well.

Spend the extra $30 or so and get the -K version of that processor. Unless you have some specific need for VT-D or other features.
 
Its funny you guys mention the Z97, I've been looking at that chipset *a lot*, especially the Gigabyte offerings particularly GA-Z97X-SLI ($129.99). I've had good luck with Gigabyte and my last Gigabyte system was a rock solid Q8200 many years ago. I like Gigabyte boards. However I haven't seen much in the "there are XP drivers that can be used" department unlike with the z87 (I've already downloaded them).

I've had plenty experiences back in the day with MSI (and Tyan) boards as they were the "standard" with dual processor boards in the early 2000s. My dvd burner and video card are MSI and they have been great. But the single non-socketed bios chip scares me.

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'll keep them in mind but I'm afraid I have to stick with the z87 chipset and ive seen plenty of boards. The tough part is keeping the combo under 350. :(
 
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I would get the Z97 sabertooth cause I have one the white one is cool looking but isn't really worth the extra price over the regular one.

You can upgrade to Broadwell once it comes out which is suppose to be Z97 compatible.
 
I really like Gigabyte and MSI, however, my MSI has been completely trouble free so far and clocks like a banshee. Gigabyte board however crashes every time I install Intel RST.. no idea why. Asus has been solid as well but for the life of me my benchmarks on highend asus boards have always been a bit under par....
 
Had to buy a new rom chip from asus as well back years ago...they said don't use asus updater in windows! just use the built in easy flash and so that was last time i flashed a bios inside windows;) would it not be less hassle to just use xp in a vm rather than dual boot? Guess it depends on your reason
 
Can you up your budget just a teensy bit...literally only as much as one Lincoln and a couple Washingtons?


i5-4690K ($10 off code EMCAPAP22)
$230

MSI Z97S Krait
$125 ($10 mir)

Shipping: $2

TOTAL: $357
(before $10 mir)



[edit]
*********************************************************************************
If you have an Amazon account, it's $5 cheaper over there:
MoBo - $122
CPU - $230

TOTAL: $352 (Prime Shipping eligible)
 
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Sorry in the delay for replying, it was a hectic day yesterday and I finaly got a little sleep (long sob story, at end of post).

For the guys who have a Z97 board, how well does it run or bench using XP? I haven't found a whole lot on it (some say "sort of", others say "no way").

Comixbooks, unfortunately I'm terrified of going ASUS again, the more I think about ASUS, the more I remove their products from my cart. I spent a premium on my current board (Sabertooth FX990, $198 retail) much like you did on yours and I feel I didn't get nowhere near my money out of it.

Voxata, I like Gigabyte and MSI myself (and supermicro, but that's a different monster). Overall I wasn't happy with this current machine but it definitely was faster than what I was using when I built it. Which as I type, I'm resurrecting and "updating" my work on that machine (HP Proliant DL360G2 w/ ATI 9250 pci video card) to use if/when this one prematurely gets shoved off the cliff (desk).

primetime, this was the first time I ever had to replace a BIOS chip. I always had systems that had dual bios chips. I guess I got too comfortable updating BIOSes within windows seeing as I've frequently used the online firmware/bios updates when using servers and they typically fail a lot safer at reflashes due to redundant chips. Also when I flashed the machine, I didn't have any good USB drives. I at least have some now.

DejaWiz, sadly 350 is my upped limit. I might be able to squeak another 10 spot, but I feel that's pushing it. The limit for a new board & cpu was zero. The budget was meant to go to my weather monitoring station and related projects as well as a new keyboard, and SSD (~500). That would still leave me some cash left over for safety due to current events. But I cant afford new computer, station upgrades and the safety net hence the tight budget because it may let me squeeze in a project or two.


The Z97 though sounds like a resounding "get it" you'll love it.


Sob story... Cancer sucks: http://2thextreme.org
(my old RPG site has been retired and replaced with the "story" of whats happened and what we're dealing with). The page hasnt been updated in several months, so a lot has changed.
 
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If you can squeeze in another 10 spot, then you're golden for either Newegg or Amazon.
 
I have a fresh from RMA mpower z87 I'm trying to re-home. <$100 shipped :)
I bought another waiting for msi to return. I really like the board, it oc's well and is pretty feature rich for the price.

I would say z97 looks to be more future "proof," but who really upgrades CPU's within a year of build?
 
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Hmm... The Mpower. I've looked at that board *a lot* but wasn't sure if my cooler would fit around the heatsinks. Can I get you to measure the space around the CPU socket to see if my cooler would fit? Something keeps drawing me back to this board.

Odds are high that whatever system/cpu combo I get now will be the configuration I will use for as long as possible. Because it seems like they are always coming out with a new socket so by the time there's a significant performance increase, its usually (back then) wise to just replace with the socket type.

schizrade, due to legacy reasons and the need to communicate with some hardware, I need to get XP running natively on the machine. Unless is there some other VM software that allows some type of hardware pass-through where I can work directly with the hardware. Apparently this can possibly be done with a Linux host OS, but I feel this is just another hurdle with even more specific requirements.
 
Via Newegg

Via Amazon

Basically, the price is nominally identical once you factor in the $10 instant rebate (the Newegg bundle will save you ~$3) from the promo code (which expires 03/09/2015). If you also factor in the Newegg MIR, the Newegg bundle is significantly cheaper.
 
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MGCJerry said:
Can I get you to measure the space around the CPU socket to see if my cooler would fit? Something keeps drawing me back to this board..
Click to expand...

between top moffsets and cooler: a little more than 9"
Between left moffsets and ram: a little over 3.5"
and the moffsets are just a smidge taller than the black plastic socket cover.

It's a "refurb "rma return so it has never been powered on and msi warranties refurb boards as well (by serial #, not purchaser). Not trying to "sell you," but msi's rma process made me a fan. Sent in a request, they gave me an address, 2 weeks later a new board. No questions asked, and mine was a used board. I even gave them the wrong serial # info at the start by mistake and they didn't even say anything. Just sent me a new one...good stuff :)
 
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MGCJerry said:
Hmm... The Mpower. I've looked at that board *a lot* but wasn't sure if my cooler would fit around the heatsinks. Can I get you to measure the space around the CPU socket to see if my cooler would fit? Something keeps drawing me back to this board.

Odds are high that whatever system/cpu combo I get now will be the configuration I will use for as long as possible. Because it seems like they are always coming out with a new socket so by the time there's a significant performance increase, its usually (back then) wise to just replace with the socket type.

schizrade, due to legacy reasons and the need to communicate with some hardware, I need to get XP running natively on the machine. Unless is there some other VM software that allows some type of hardware pass-through where I can work directly with the hardware. Apparently this can possibly be done with a Linux host OS, but I feel this is just another hurdle with even more specific requirements.
Click to expand...

As long as the CPU supports VT-d VMware Workstation 10/11 does pass through.
 
Wow... More recommendations. I was going to reply earlier after Chas, but I ended up having to take care of a bunch of stuff. I used to browse and read here (hard forums) ALL the time but I got so busy I couldn't keep up. Now I remember why I miss this place. :)

Based on overwhelming recommendations on a z97 based platform and what I've been reading, I may have to bite the bullet and separate my production machine (xp) and "everything else" machine. Its a shame because I was hoping to have the new extra horsepower for the production machine as well. Based on schizrade's comment that will likely be the route I'll go when I upgrade to an i7 CPU I just don't have VMware in the budget at this time.

I think I will go for a z97 platform but not sure when I'll be able to jump on it. I'm beginning to wonder if my RAM is still ok for the new build. I have Corsair Vengeance CMZ4GX3M1A1600C9. DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800). I'm sure its ok though.

Thanks for those measurements SticKx911! I have always been pleased by MSI's support. Theyre some of the best I've ever dealt with. Unfortunately after measuring my cooler (Apogee Drive II), the block doesn't look like it will fit unless I take a dremel to the heatsink (which is a bad idea to de-rate heatsinks). As a result I think I will have to pass. Definitely appreciate the heads up. :)

Kyle Bennett I'm terrified of going ASUS again especially after after the BIOS flash fiasco I had as well as my latest issues.

Sorry astr627, but the ITX factor is too small for my application. I have 2 video cards (one mainly for BOINC), tuner/capture & FC card. I need an ATX board.

Voxata, that was actually the first combo I added to my cart on newegg. then started browsing, reading, more browsing, posting here, etc. That board does look pretty snazzy, but I'm a Black/Blue or Black/Red kind of guy myself but some lighting would really make it look cool, especially a blacklight. Plus its a great combo! I'm *REALLY* tempted for it.

Before I read the rest of these replies I had kind of come up with a parts list to get me started. I know I'm going to upgrade to an i7 at a later date, and even the cheapest i5 from what I've been reading beats my FX8120 by a fair margin and has better power efficiency. I have decided to go for that cheapest i5 I can find and its i5-4430 (newegg $184.99) to give me as much $$$ to spend on the board. I did find a board I ended up liking is the Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD5H ($174.99) board, but it puts me 10 over my budget. However I have some more recommendations to pour over. But that MSI Mpower combo is looking good, especially the price.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, they're appreciated. When I decide and build the machine I'll be srue to post some benches from passmark to share.
 
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Your Corsair RAM will work great...it's 1.5V, so it will works flawlessly on Z68 and newer chipsets.
 
Update:

I got the Gigabyte z97 board, but because of my schedule, I missed out on the $174 price tag and promo voucher off Newegg, but I got it for $169 anyway. I also got the i5-4460 CPU to go with it, which according to cpuboss gives performance close to what I have now, but better single thread performance. Will test and compare later. ;) I wanted the 6 core i7, but its outside the budget based on current events.

Given if these new parts are well behaved, my current board will meet my saw, axe and sledgehammer in the basement where the chaos can be contained (as much as possible). Not sure how much the CPU is worth if anyone would even be willing to buy it, it may get smashed too.

Thanks for the recommendations. I'll update here when I get the new system built.


Edit
Got the parts in today and spent some time rebuilding the system. I have it on air right now, and let it boot into my "old" windows 7 install. Had a few minor hiccups, but its running fine. I will reinstall Win7 at a later point, but I'm surprised how well its running now. Ran performance test and got a little better than what I had with the 8 core. Wow, AMD really is/was that far behind. The graph below is from "Performance Test" using my OC'd FX-8120 (3900MHz) vs stock i5-4470 (same Win7 install). Considering I was hoping to stay close to my current performance level, I think it did very well for $359 for an Intel build.

PerfRes.png


Thanks for the recommendations guys! :)
 
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