AFAIK, the IPC, or instructions per clock that the i5 can actually process is much better on Intel than AMD.
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"I Need a New PC!" 2014 Part 1. 1080p and 60FPS is so last-gen and your 2500K is fine
- Thread starter Hazaro
- Start date
- Status
AFAIK, the IPC, or instructions per clock that the i5 can actually process is much better on Intel than AMD.
Oh, I did. Didn't know about that, was doing some cable management and thought those higher ports would help. Now I learned why they are called Sata3_A1/A2. Won't use them again.
Thank you.
So looking to build my first PC after sitting at this pre-built HP for 7 years and looking for input.
This is what I'm looking at. Budget of $1000. Not looking to overclock. Mainly for gaming. Mainly for gaming.
I'm not sure how much I actually want the SSD. Load times aren't going to kill me, but the benefits of putting the OS on there sound pretty good. So if I could go smaller just for the OS or scrap it entirely and put the money elsewhere, I'm game for that, unless the benefits of the SSD outweigh anything else I could do with the extra cash.
I was told that the power supply might not suffice as the card has a suggestion of at least 750WU. I then got recommended this card and PCU instead.
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-video-card-gtx770dc2oc2gd5
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cx600m
I was also recommended this USED power supply. Was told that since it was sold through EVGA, I would still be able to get warranty on it. Should I be more cautious about use and just go new?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H9LO3NI/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Also, I'm not too crazy about the case. It's not that big of a deal, but if anybody has got any recommendations on that, I'll take them.
This is what I'm looking at. Budget of $1000. Not looking to overclock. Mainly for gaming. Mainly for gaming.
I'm not sure how much I actually want the SSD. Load times aren't going to kill me, but the benefits of putting the OS on there sound pretty good. So if I could go smaller just for the OS or scrap it entirely and put the money elsewhere, I'm game for that, unless the benefits of the SSD outweigh anything else I could do with the extra cash.
I was told that the power supply might not suffice as the card has a suggestion of at least 750WU. I then got recommended this card and PCU instead.
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-video-card-gtx770dc2oc2gd5
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cx600m
I was also recommended this USED power supply. Was told that since it was sold through EVGA, I would still be able to get warranty on it. Should I be more cautious about use and just go new?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H9LO3NI/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Also, I'm not too crazy about the case. It's not that big of a deal, but if anybody has got any recommendations on that, I'll take them.
I really think you should grab another SSD though. Aside from making desktop applications a lot snappier I can imagine it'd help with openworld games that are constantly streaming in new data. If you're on a strict budget adding one later ought to be a simple procedure though, as long as you don't mind reinstalling OS/applications or you have a smaller OS partition on the harddrive you can clone.
Also your motherboard is an mATX one, is that intentional?
A different SSD like others have said and more powerful PSU would be my recommendation. Also, did you conside a GTX 780?
Daffy Duck
Member
Ok, I'm looking to build a new PC.
I don't currently have one and only have a dual core laptop.
Your Current Specs: Amd laptop with 4gb ram, integrated Radeon mobility 4200, 1tb hdd
Budget: £600-650, UK
Main Use: Rate 1-5. 5 being Highest: Light Gaming 4, Gaming 3, Emulation 4, dolphin(possibly)
General usage-photoshop work in creating website visuals.
Monitor Resolution: probably 1080p, maybe even 1980x1200 (res my monitor is at work), will be looking at dual monitor setup.
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Sim city 4. Spelunkers, fez, hotline Miami, left for dead 1/2, minecraft, those types of games, maybe some newer stuff, sorry if it's vague but I mainly use my xb1/ps4 for games.
Looking to reuse any parts?: No
When will you build?: Do you have a deadline? No deadline
Will you be overclocking?: Yes,
I understand there will probably be some compromises here. It's more a machine to work on for building websites but with the benefit of being able to play some games like those interested (more Indy stuff).
Thanks
I don't currently have one and only have a dual core laptop.
Your Current Specs: Amd laptop with 4gb ram, integrated Radeon mobility 4200, 1tb hdd
Budget: £600-650, UK
Main Use: Rate 1-5. 5 being Highest: Light Gaming 4, Gaming 3, Emulation 4, dolphin(possibly)
General usage-photoshop work in creating website visuals.
Monitor Resolution: probably 1080p, maybe even 1980x1200 (res my monitor is at work), will be looking at dual monitor setup.
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Sim city 4. Spelunkers, fez, hotline Miami, left for dead 1/2, minecraft, those types of games, maybe some newer stuff, sorry if it's vague but I mainly use my xb1/ps4 for games.
Looking to reuse any parts?: No
When will you build?: Do you have a deadline? No deadline
Will you be overclocking?: Yes,
I understand there will probably be some compromises here. It's more a machine to work on for building websites but with the benefit of being able to play some games like those interested (more Indy stuff).
Thanks
Will definitely grab a different SSD then.
Not on my part, just another part that was recommended. Should I grab a standard instead?
Video cards go completely over my hard. I know what they do, but I get lost in the branding. Again, most of this stuff has been recommendations. Is a GTX something I should consider?
Not on my part, just another part that was recommended. Should I grab a standard instead?
Video cards go completely over my hard. I know what they do, but I get lost in the branding. Again, most of this stuff has been recommendations. Is a GTX something I should consider?
My two penneth: If you're including the 2 monitors as part of your £650 budget then you're eating in to the money that would be required to buy stuff to drive them...
Nostremitus
Member
You could get a 270x 2GB for around $180USD, but according to GPUboss the 760 will be the better performer. I'm not an expert by any means, though.
As the price similarity betrays, they are so similar that it's not really possible to place one above the other on game performance alone. The ubiquitous anand bench link:
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1038?vs=1043
I would suggest that you consider any games bundles being offered, rebates you can find to help you make the decision.
You should also know that if you are interested in downsampling, it's simpler to achieve with nvidia's control panel. Nvidia's card also gives you Shadowplay (a DVR of sorts for your gameplay that has near zero performance penalty), PhysX features in some games and support for G-Sync displays when they arrive in the summer.
TC McQueen
Member
If you need help, just watch this video about building PCs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_56kyib-Ls
Because I'm pretty sure I'm getting a 4k monitor from work to replace my main Dell 1440p soon, last week I had a moment of weakness and decided to replace my old portrait secondary monitor with a Asus VG248QE. Glory to the 144hz gods, it is truly something to behold.
Apart from plugging it in and setting the monitor on 'Gaming' mode, is there anything else I need to do to get the most out of the VG248QE? Also, is there any harm in getting a longer dual link DVI cable, the one included is tiny and impossible to route.
Now comes the agonising task of deciding which games I assign to which monitor...
Apart from plugging it in and setting the monitor on 'Gaming' mode, is there anything else I need to do to get the most out of the VG248QE? Also, is there any harm in getting a longer dual link DVI cable, the one included is tiny and impossible to route.
Now comes the agonising task of deciding which games I assign to which monitor...
I used a huge Dual-Link DVI cable to drive a 120Hz display. It was 5 metres I think and worked perfectly.
Gumbie
Member
Welp after dicking with it for a couple of hours last night I've come to the conclusion that the 2b slot has an issue. I put it in another slot using the PLX chip and I lost a whopping 146 points on my graphics score in 3dmark11. Not worth the headache so I'm just going to leave it there.
Looking for a new case. My budget is around 150 max. Mostly looking for solid build quality with ease of use. I've looked into the Corsair 750D, but I find that one to be quite ugly, both the front and the plastic window at the side.
The CM 690 III got my attention. Anyone experience with it? Other suggestions are always welcome.
The CM 690 III got my attention. Anyone experience with it? Other suggestions are always welcome.
Why?
Why not? ;-)
I'm expecting 8 cores to become the standard for a fair few games due to the latest generations of consoles, titles like Watch Dogs seem to indicate this. My 2500k is at 4.5ghz, will a replacement theoretically OC to the same ballpark?
Had a look at the Fractal R4?
Two monitors alone you're talking say £220 for a pair of these 1080p IPS ones http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/109-98-acer-monitor-ips-23-8-amazon-1866096
You could look along the lines of this
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks
CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor (£77.99 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£56.22 @ Scan.co.uk)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£42.99 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R7 265 2GB Video Card (£119.53 @ Dabs)
Case: Cooler Master N300 ATX Mid Tower Case (£32.00 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 450W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£34.14 @ Scan.co.uk)
Other: Acer IPS 2x (£220.00)
Other: HyperX 8 GB 1600 MHz CL9 DDR3 HyperX Beast Desktop Memory Kit (2 x 4GB) - Intel XMP (£53.98)
Total: £636.85
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-05 17:35 BST+0100)
No overclocking with that set up though. To get a build that could do that you'd be talking around the £780 mark.
They won't always overclock to the same level. And there is no point on upgrading when speculating. You'll always get a better return if you wait until your computer feels slow. You'll likely see zero difference in games between a 2500k and a 2600k. The chips themselves will be completely irrelevant by the time hyper threading will be needed.
Remember those specs that are posted are assuming the lowest common denominator - NON overclocked chips. An overclocked 2500K will be faster than a stock 3770 in most applications.
I've done that to test and there's really no point now, even with streaming and encoding for the amount that I do.
Check OP? Anything else? I helped a friend put a CM690 III together, still a good case.
Budget: $900 give or take a bit.
Needs: PC Gaming, something that can run just about any current game at decent settings.
Here is the current build I put together for him any suggestions that could make it better without hiking up the price? Sorry if this isn't the place for this just let me know and I will delete the post.
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3knBx
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3knBx/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3knBx/benchmarks/
CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($94.22 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($235.66 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer S220HQLAbd 21.5" Monitor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $879.77
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-05 12:55 EDT-0400)
Needs: PC Gaming, something that can run just about any current game at decent settings.
Here is the current build I put together for him any suggestions that could make it better without hiking up the price? Sorry if this isn't the place for this just let me know and I will delete the post.
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3knBx
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3knBx/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3knBx/benchmarks/
CPU: AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($94.22 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($235.66 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Monitor: Acer S220HQLAbd 21.5" Monitor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $879.77
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-05 12:55 EDT-0400)
RumblingRosco
Member
Grab W8.1 from Reddit's software-swap for $20 and you'll have an extra $70 to spend elsewhere... which should be enough to get a Crucial M500 120 GB SSD from Amazon to go along with the HDD you already picked out. Install the OS and any commonly used programs onto the SSD and use the HDD for media storage.
You'd be better off waiting until next year to see if Broadwell arrive with 6+ cores, or, if you have lots of money to spend, the Haswell-E this fall.
Chance away from the FX 6300. Drop the DVD drive too.
Why get away from the FX 6300? I have it in my build and it's been great so far. Also when I decided against a DVD drive I ended up having to go through hell to get Windows installed. What is the best way to get Windows installed without a drive?
This is why
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=105518879&postcount=9470
As for Windows, the USB install method.
How does this look to you?:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks
CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($118.93 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus B85M-G Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($79.24 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($57.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($229.20 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) ($20.00 @ Reddit)
Monitor: Acer S220HQLAbd 21.5" Monitor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $864.29
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-05 13:37 EDT-0400)
You've got an Intel Core i3 which matches, if not beats the FX-6300 when it comes to gaming whilst providing a much better future upgrade path (see here), a 120GB SSD in there (which is the single best thing you will ever have in a computer for the speed it provides), a better quality GTX 760, slightly cheaper but smaller case and a better power supply for less. All made possible with Windows from Reddit
Thanks dude. So difficult to route these dual link cables down monitor arms and cable tidies, they're so damn rigid. The extra length should help things.
Depends on the version of Dolphin you use. Earlier Dolphin builds were completely
compatible with AMD processors, whereas as the latest developments are Intel
focused. I'm currently running version "3.0_71 Xenoblade HLE Hack v3.1 x64"
which runs Xenoblade at full speed, 1080p, 4xSSAA, x16AF WITH the HD
texture pack on my 4.8Ghz FX-8350. 79 hours in and not a single issue with
frame rate or audio.
Seriously, I am super disappointed that the Dolphin development scene have completely
ignored AMD processors, the latest builds can't run Xenoblade on my PC without
massive audio stutter and frame rate issues. Use earlier builds if you're gunna
go AMD.
How does this look to you?:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks
CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($118.93 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus B85M-G Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($79.24 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($57.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($229.20 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) ($20.00 @ Reddit)
Monitor: Acer S220HQLAbd 21.5" Monitor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $864.29
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-05 13:37 EDT-0400)
You've got an Intel Core i3 which matches, if not beats the FX-6300 when it comes to gaming whilst providing a much better future upgrade path (see here), a 120GB SSD in there (which is the single best thing you will ever have in a computer for the speed it provides), a better quality GTX 760, slightly cheaper but smaller case and a better power supply for less. All made possible with Windows from Reddit
Any negatives with getting a dual core CPU in 2014? I really like what you were able to do and it amazes me what people can do when you just take away one thing.
Ethical Hedonism
Banned
Hi guys, I'm looking to upgrade my PC, but I really don't know if I can keep any of the components so far.
My current config is:
Intel Core i7-860 (QC, 2.8GHz, 8MB Cache, HT)
8GB DDR3 1600MHz Kingston HyperX (4x2GB)
AMD Radeon HD 5870 1GB
ASUS P7P55D Pro
1x 120GB Corsair Force 3 SDD
2x 500GB Hitachi 500GB 7.2k
Seventeam 850W (ST850ZAF)
I wonder if I can only get a new GPU and keep everything else. PC parts are really expensive where I live and I don't really want do spend THAT much on processor and mobo also.
Will I be CPU bottlenecked if I get a GTX 770 or a 780 for example?
Thanks in advance.
My current config is:
Intel Core i7-860 (QC, 2.8GHz, 8MB Cache, HT)
8GB DDR3 1600MHz Kingston HyperX (4x2GB)
AMD Radeon HD 5870 1GB
ASUS P7P55D Pro
1x 120GB Corsair Force 3 SDD
2x 500GB Hitachi 500GB 7.2k
Seventeam 850W (ST850ZAF)
I wonder if I can only get a new GPU and keep everything else. PC parts are really expensive where I live and I don't really want do spend THAT much on processor and mobo also.
Will I be CPU bottlenecked if I get a GTX 770 or a 780 for example?
Thanks in advance.
Finally I get to say I will be building a new computer thanks to a brand new job opportunity I was offered yesterday! It's been since BioShock that I've had a new computer and I'm super excited to build a new.
I'll be coming back pretty soon to see if anybody can recommend me parts, since as you can see, I've been out of the loop for about 5+ years.
I'll be coming back pretty soon to see if anybody can recommend me parts, since as you can see, I've been out of the loop for about 5+ years.
TC McQueen
Member
Just remember that if you're in the US, Microcenter is the place to go for CPU+mobo combos.
Yeah, Microcenter in Cambridge, MA has everything I'd need.
Thanks for the heads up about the combos!
He is wondering if an SSD can be added in later, because we took out the SSD and ended up with this build.
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3mtMb
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3mtMb/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3mtMb/benchmarks/
CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus B85M-G Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($79.24 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($229.20 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) ($20.00)
Monitor: Acer S220HQLAbd 21.5" Monitor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $847.38
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-05 14:49 EDT-0400)
I'm building my first gaming rig as well, I'm just waiting for the cash to buy an i5 + mobo then it is time to build. I've been doing a ton of research on computer parts (my uninformed self would of undoubtedly went with AMD just based on price alone) and I also learned plenty about emulating GameCube and PS2 along the way.
I wanted to know why my current laptop (an A10-4600M which I found out had a really shitty CPU setup) couldn't run the emulated games at full speed. I found out why and thus was prompted to build a proper build over the course of 2014. When I figured out just how huge the gap was between AMD and Intel, I decided that I wouldn't settle for anything less than an i5 4670K.
I prepared to cry cyber-tears of joy knowing that I'm going to get an exponentially massive performance upgrade with my new rig lol.
Good mention, looks like it will be between the 690 III and that one.
Already checked the OP, didn't have a lot for my tastes.
General question: What constitutes a good motherboard, and how much does a given board's VRM matter when figuring this out? Obviously figuring this out from a connectivity/features standpoint is pretty easy, but I'm clueless about the rest of it and just discovered this list dissecting motherboard components and feel like I should be more aware of it. I'm assuming that most boards do voltage regulation okay and it's only worth avoiding the explicitly shitty ones.
Not at all, dual-core CPUs are still more than capable of holding their own - the i3 outperforms the FX-6300 in gaming for example, despite the FX-6300 having more cores.
With the DVD drive gone you could actually sneak an i5 in there and still have a very good quality SSD:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks
CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($180.49 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus B85M-G Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($79.24 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M500 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($73.47 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($57.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($229.20 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit) ($20.00 @ Reddit)
Monitor: Acer S220HQLAbd 21.5" Monitor ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $894.34
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-05 16:22 EDT-0400)
TekGryphon
Banned
Well, obviously the first thing is deciding what processor you want and narrowing it down to the motherboards that work with that processor.
From there you're going to be paying more for the following:
Better audio codecs
More utility connectivity (USB 3.0 slots, etc)
Better overclock capability and support in the BIOS
Better main slots (PCI-E for crossfire/xls, etc)
Physical aesthetics
If you're building a gaming machine and not sure about the motherboard, just go with Asus. They're the big name in both age and market size, and that means reliability and cost efficiency. Depending on your price point you can either get a standard, or go up a notch to their Republic of Gamer tier.
Yeah, I know that stuff. Was specifically curious about VRMs.
TekGryphon
Banned
4 phases if you're leaving it stock, 8+ if overclocking.
At least that's for the Z87 lines.
- Status