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$687 build; Worth the money to step up to an overclockable build?

S

schott1984

Member
Here is my current plan:

Part list permalink / Part price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-2400 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H61M-DS2 Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper Xtreme Series, Division 2 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($29.99 @ Microcenter)
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($82.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 570 1.25GB Video Card ($297.74 @ Compuvest)
Case: NZXT Gamma Classic (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($33.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Apex 500W ATX12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $687.68
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated 2012-01-30 11:55 EST-0500)

Is it worth spending more/how much more will it be to upgrade to 2500k and overclockable motherboard? My budget was $600 and I've already blown that by $87 without an optical drive. Can I overclock for less than $50 more than this and will it be worth it in anyone's opinion?

Thanks.
 
why DDR3 1600Mhz ram? Its going to run at DDR3 1333Mhz no matter what.

I haven't been looking at the OCing scene for SB For a while, but even if you go i2500K, why DDR3 1600Mhz ram? BLCK overclocking is a risky proposition. The way to overclock is through the multiplier.

The only real argument i found back then to do faster memory was that faster speeds were rated at 1.65V, but if you backed them down to 1333Mhz, you could nail 1.5V.

Then again, I just noticed its 29.99 so i guess its a moot point LOL
 
Ditch the Apex PSU and get (at minimum) the Corsair CX430 V2 at Newegg; it's $17 AR right now, and it will perform much better.

Also ditch the Patriot Viper RAM; Newegg has Patriot 8GB kits for $25 AR.

The minimum for overclocking would be a i5-2500k (+$70), Cooler Master Hyper212+ (+$30), and a P67 motherboard (+$40). Unless you have $140 extra in your budget, skip overclocking.
 
jpeyton said:
Ditch the Apex PSU and get (at minimum) the Corsair CX430 V2 at Newegg; it's $17 AR right now, and it will perform much better.

Also ditch the Patriot Viper RAM; Newegg has Patriot 8GB kits for $25 AR.

The minimum for overclocking would be a i5-2500k (+$70), Cooler Master Hyper212+ (+$30), and a P67 motherboard (+$40). Unless you have $140 extra in your budget, skip overclocking.
Click to expand...


Thanks, just what I needed to know.
 
I just bought that gigabyte mobo. There may be an issue with the location of the sata ports getting blocked by the gpu cooler. The 6850 I ordered is on the way so I can't say for sure. Something to consider before you order.
 
schott1984 said:
Is it worth spending more/how much more will it be to upgrade to 2500k and overclockable motherboard? My budget was $600 and I've already blown that by $87 without an optical drive. Can I overclock for less than $50 more than this and will it be worth it in anyone's opinion?
Click to expand...

Yes. Since you mentioned Micro Center, won't cost you much more.

Core i5-2500K CPU @MC $179.99
P67 or Z68 chipset motherboard @MC -$50 discount when purchased with CPU
Examples:
ASRock Z68 Pro3-M motherboard $54.99 after combo discount
Zap's Mini Review: ASRock Z68 PRO3-M
Gigabyte GA-Z68MA-D2H-B3 $54.99 after combo discount and $10 rebate
Gigabyte GA-Z68MX-UD2H-B3 $74.99 after combo discount and $10 rebate
Zap's Mini Review: Gigabyte GA-Z68MX-UD2H-B3

The cheaper Gigabyte board may overclock a bit better than the ASRock. Not positive since I haven't used it. I've used the higher end Gigabyte board and it had a zillion settings.The ASRock board supports overclocking, but doesn't have too many BIOS settings. Strange thing is that I updated one of these to the latest BIOS version 1.60 and the mouse X-Y was reversed. :\ Basically it uses a UEFI style BIOS that supports mouse, but while it worked fine on initial 1.00 BIOS, 1.60 on the board I updated screwed up the mouse input.

Since cheaper motherboards including your original choice are usually mATX, have you considered a mATX case?

Oh yeah, and ditch that Apex PSU. 😡
 
What the... MC already has the cheapest price for the i5-2500K, but there's also a $50 discount on the mobo? Why are these deals in-store only?! Or why isn't there one closer to my house!? D:
 
jpeyton said:
Yes. Down the line, you will appreciate the fact that it doesn't have annoyingly large heatspreaders like the Patriot Viper kit. Tall heatspreaders can block larger heatsinks, especially on micro-ATX motherboards.
Click to expand...

The Viper is also 1.65V which is too high for long-term operation on Sandy Bridge. OP, stick to 1.5V RAM.
 
fffblackmage said:
What the... MC already has the cheapest price for the i5-2500K, but there's also a $50 discount on the mobo? Why are these deals in-store only?! Or why isn't there one closer to my house!? D:
Click to expand...

Yes, it's an on again off again B&M deal at MC. If you buy a P67 or Z68 chipset motherboard with a 2500K or 2600K, you get an additional $50 off. That's in addition to the cheap CPU pricing, and motherboards priced like Newegg.

Note that the deal changes occasionally, sometimes for 2600K only and sometimes for Z68 chipset only.

Also note that if you buy a Core i3-2100, you get $50 off any socket 1155 motherboard. It's another on/off deal so YMMV.
 
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