Recommend a Motherboard for i3 Sandy Bridge?

[Smoolean]

Hi all,

I'm looking to build my first computer, so my knowledge is really lacking, and I could use some help choosing a motherboard.

I'm debating between an i3 Sandy Bridge and the i5 2500k. The motherboard I was recommended for the i5 is $135 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...C-C8junctionCA).

I understand the 2500k is a LOT faster than the i3 2100, but if the corresponding mobo's are also $60+ apart, I will consider the i3 for my SC2 rig...

My question is, is that motherboard (ASRock H61M-VS LGA 1155 Intel H61) compatible with the i3 Sandy Bridge? If so, are there any other, cheaper mobo's that are compatible with the 2500k as well (cheaper than $135)?

i3 // http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...-078-_-Product

i5 // http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...-072-_-Product

If I do decide to go the i5 2500k route, will there be a wider selection of mobo's in the near future? Possibly cheaper than $140? Thanks for any and all help!

 

[dma0991]

You can get the Core i3 2100 it performs very well but it is still a 2C/4T processor and for 'future proof' your rig the Core i5 2500K is a lot better option although being a little bit more expensive. As games progress there will be more game titles that demand more processing power from more cores. You get 4 physical cores that are very overclockable and higher performance to boot.

For a good motherboard to go with the Core i5 2500K and under $135 would be a MSI.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...-583-_-Product

H61 and H67 boards are better with the non K processors as they are cheaper and has the IGP enabled. For a K type processor it is better to go with a P67 board as it allows overclocking although the IGP will be disabled with the P67 chipset.

 

[IntelEnthusiast]

The value behind the H61 and H67 boards is that they will support the processors graphics off the board saving you money. The P67 board on the other hand will allow you to overclock the processors core speed but they don’t have any ports for you to run the graphic off from so you will need to add in a video card. So the questions you need to ask yourself are:
What am I going to be doing with this system? For higher end gaming you most likely are going to insure that you have a solid P67 board and a good video card to go with it.
How much space do I have? If you have a small area in which to place this system you may want to focus on a Micro-ATX or even a Mini-ITX board (which may impact processor and other choices).
What is my budget? When you build a new system you need to look at a budget for how much you spend now but also what I may be able to spend in the future? If I know that in 6 months I might be able to spend another $300 then I might plan to add an SSD drive like the Intel® Solid-State Drive 510 SATA 3 (6Gbit) 120GB later. Or if I know I won’t have the money later but I would be able get a little more now I might go with a little better video card.
Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team