Need Advise for Buying New Hardware!

Hello all :)

As the new Intel 4th Haswell processors (Socket 1150) are now available in the markets to buy it's time for me to grab the components finally in coming few weeks I was on a C2Q LGA775 based PC from last 2 to 3 years untill January 2013 than i sold out my Mobo, CPU, GPU and HDD... Now my budget is very limited for CPU, Motherboard, HDD and RAM's... for now i have about $550 (in my currency of course). You can see the rest of the System Specs below that i still got and yes i still have my 4GB GSkill Ripjaws-X RAM's but lets get to the real point.

Mainly i'll be doing Gaming, Surfing Internet, Downloading, HD Movies, Photoshop and stuff... No 3D or Video Editing or Encoding related things. Now i have my eyes on Intel Haswell 4th Gen processors and Motherboards from ASRock, ASUS and Gigabyte. 2TB HDD from WD and a 8GB Kit from Corsair or GSkill. I'm also not a Overclocker so i'll be doing gaming at Stock mostly

Help Me choose the hardware thanks

Where do you usually buy parts from? [unfamiliar with Pakistan market]

Not sure what $550 in your funds would buy in this case....

I generally shop on pcpartpicker.com now.

Get the best motherboard chipset with all the USB 3.0 ports on board possible + best CPU with the budget, and then PSU, and other things if needed, are not as important, that's what I would go for.

I'm satisfied with my AMD FX-8350 rig, it's so good right now, the games have a ways to go to catch up to ME!

Yes mate as Faladu ays unaware of what you have availble.

but just out of interest you will find stacks of people trying the stuff out over on the OC forum ypu don't have to join but stcks of reading. Overclock.net - An Overclocking Community

My $550 USD budget for those 4 parts, nitpick:

Intel Core i5-3570 - System Build - PCPartPicker

Boogieboy, is there a particular reason you want the 1150 socket? It is not a significant upgrade from the 1155 Ivy Bridge socket. The i5-3570 that Faladu picked is an Ivy Bridge with a locked multiplier and a Z77 board. You may be able to pick up an Ivy Bridge rig a little cheaper and will experience about the same performance. The last review I read said that Haswell was about 3% increase over Ivy Bridge and runs hotter, but the chipset does offer a few advantages. If you are sure you won't be doing any overclocking, you can save a little on the non K series CPU's and the H series motherboards rather than the Z series. Those CPU's and boards are made for overclocking and usually cost a little more. If you would like to keep your options open, then get a K CPU and a Z motherboard. One without the other won't help overclocking.

Yeah if budget gets to $700 the options are a bit wider.

essenbe said:

Boogieboy, is there a particular reason you want the 1150 socket? It is not a significant upgrade from the 1155 Ivy Bridge socket. The i5-3570 that Faladu picked is an Ivy Bridge with a locked multiplier and a Z77 board. You may be able to pick up an Ivy Bridge rig a little cheaper and will experience about the same performance. The last review I read said that Haswell was about 3% increase over Ivy Bridge and runs hotter, but the chipset does offer a few advantages. If you are sure you won't be doing any overclocking, you can save a little on the non K series CPU's and the H series motherboards rather than the Z series. Those CPU's and boards are made for overclocking and usually cost a little more. If you would like to keep your options open, then get a K CPU and a Z motherboard. One without the other won't help overclocking.

:) yes essenbe i decided to go for Haswell coz i never had the chance to buy Sandy, Ivy or even the 1st gen based PC... i was using LGA 775 Core2Quad for many years and before that i was on a Intel Dual core. I'm looking forward to get Haswell because i will have an advantage of using latest product and will have no problem if i will have to claim any warranty for newer tech. Also here the prices in Pakistan for Ivy Bridge are still almost there where it was at the launch price and i will have no advantage of saving money Sandy's are totally out although i know they are still strong and amazing. I want to buy new components now. In my budget i can get a i5 4670k (not above that), 2TB WD Green HDD and a decent mid-range mobo like H87 chipset... of course later after few months i'll be saving money and will buy new GPU as well and increase the size of RAM to 8GB at least :)

ICit2lol said:

Yes mate as Faladu ays unaware of what you have availble.

but just out of interest you will find stacks of people trying the stuff out over on the OC forum ypu don't have to join but stcks of reading. Overclock.net - An Overclocking Community

Icit2lol :) i usually buy from local sites like www.iamextreme.net or www.galaxy.com.pk or go to the market where there's many brands are available. I talked to IAmExtreme.net on call and they are saying the new line of Socket 1150 boards, RAM's and CPU coolers are on their way and will arrive in 2 weeks approx. In pakistan getting stuff from International sites is a big problem or in many cases they simply don't ship them here or even if they do the shipping charges and time is just too much

Faladu said:

Yeah if budget gets to $700 the options are a bit wider.

i wish i could make it $900 but i already put aside $100 aside for the GPU.. now $550 is the max budget for CPU, Mobo and HDD right now

Please also see my specs below right now i have a display of native resolution 1440x900 so that is in where i'll be gaming

If that is the res you are with, then what I suggested would game just fine, that 550Ti is middle of the road, so don't expect to be 60 FPS locked on the latest MMOs or anything.

Just because it's new hardware release, doesn't make it better than the previous, they enjoy playing version # marketing gimmicks like everyone else.

Plus, I'd wait rather, than be buying a better CPU upgrade, in such a short period of time.

Beware those Green HDs may have poorer performance for gaming: Latency.
Look for sub 5ms latency and of course 7200RPMs. [If you struggle to find that stat on a drive, there is likely a good reason, it's too high! ]
Green drives I think are best left for bulk storage, not actual heavy use.
[correct me if I am wrong, np]

boogieboy said:

Please also see my specs below right now i have a display of native resolution 1440x900 so that is in where i'll be gaming

Sorry the situation is a bit like that here much higher prices than the US although in New Zealand it is out of control.

But I was only reffing that site for some of what is going on and if you want one of the best sites for RAM info is Welcome to the G.SKILL TECH FORUM Tradesman there is a real wizard and got mu Ivy sorted for me - running 8GB 2400 @ 1866 cos the board throws the teddy out of the window if I try to go higher LOL!!

By the way my next GPU when I get round to retiring is the GTX 660 OC it is not too bad a price really.