Replacement Budget Mobo/ CPU Suggestions Needed

C

ckelly

n00b
Joined
Jan 3, 2012
Messages
20
Hey All,

I'm currently running a core i7-920 @ 3.33GHz system (see sig). Recently, the motherboard has started failing at POST, requiring a hard power-off/ power-on several times before it will eventually boot (and more or less work fine until I need to reset or turn on again). I've since reset all the OC, etc to stock, and I am still seeing the issue.

I'm thinking I've got an issue with either the CPU or motherboard (motherboard, most likely), and I am considering options to replace them should I get to the point where they don't boot anymore (or I get tired of resetting 5-10 times before it boots).

The only downside is I don't have anything in the budget for a "proper" upgrade right now, so I'm constrained to something in the $150-$200 range (cheaper the better) for a mobo & cpu combo (eyeing the local microcenter for one of their bundles). Form factor is flexible, as I'm pretty much only running the 7970 in the system.

I'd like to reuse all other components (especially RAM), and am open to Intel or AMD - my only requirement/ hope is to try and get my current 920-like performance for BF3/4 and Diablo 3 (my primary games for the forseeable future) @1440.

Recommendations are welcome! Thanks in advance.
 
Official guideline Q&A

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming only, BF4, Diablo 3
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$200 tops, pref ~$150 before tax. Got Prime for Amazon purchases.
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.

US, Cambridge/ Boston area
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
Just CPU and Motherboard
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
See Sig for all other parts, especially RAM
6) Will you be overclocking?
Probably not/ unless it's super easy
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
1440p
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Already Built, just need to replace parts
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
Audio
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Win7/8/8.1 64-bit
 
You're not going to obtain performance similar to your i7-920 for $200 using new parts. Here are your options at Micro Center:

Intel
$130 - Intel Core i3-3245
$45 - Gigabyte GA-B75M-HD3 (includes instant $20 discount)
=====
$175 - Subtotal (not including shipping or rebates)

AMD
$150 - AMD FX 8320 Black Edition
$40 - MSI 970A-G46 (includes instant $40 discount)
=====
$190 - Subtotal (not including shipping or rebates)

(OK, there's multiple options for AMD... I just chose one of better ones.)

Both Diablo III and the Battlefield series (namely BF3) benefit from multiple CPU cores. Assuming that you aren't looking for used parts, the AMD setup would be the better option for your needs.

(If you do go used, however, look for a used i5-2500K or an i5-3570K along with a cheap Z77 motherboard. Intel's Ivy Bridge and Sandy Bridge quad-cores generally perform better in gaming than most of AMD's Bulldozer and Piledriver lineup.)
 
Thanks, yeah, knew I wasn't going to quite get on par with what I had now in terms of CPU performance, but was hoping I could achieve similar-ish fps numbers (hoping that most things were still contingent on GPU). Leaning towards the FX-8320 and a second opinion mirrors my own thoughts.
 
You'd be better off focusing on a SSD if you want Diablo 3 to run it better. Less rubber-banding. For BF4 you want the most cpu cores for better performance. Intel quad or the AMD 8 cores. And a very good video card.
 
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