$600 Upgrade

[Chough]

I am working on upgrading my current OEM computer. It is not stock, I have upgraded to a 500W Thermal Take PSU, 14 GB DDR3 and GTX 750. I do gaming, but the biggest thing I want the i7 for is for video rendering and multitasking. For my needs the GTX 750 is enough for now., It is possibly something I will upgrade in the future.

 

My current CPU is an AMD Athlon II X4 650 3.2 GHz. It has the am3 socket so I really need to upgrade the mobo. 

 

I don't plan on doing SLI or Crossfire. I don't plan to OC right away, but could possibly add water cooling at a later point. I also noticed that the MOBO and Case I have selected go on sale pretty much every month so I plan on taking advantage of that. When they were on sale about a week ago, my build came right at $600. 

 

Given this information, are these upgrades a good choice? I know I can get a cheaper case, but I really like the looks/silent focus on the R5. The biggest thing is the MOBO. Will it meet my needs? Do I need all of the features on it? Is there something in a lower prices range that would meet my needs? Thanks!

 

Here is my build I have picked out: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vbvjt6

[Streetguru]

4 minutes ago, Chough said:

I am working on upgrading my current OEM computer. It is not stock, I have upgraded to a 500W Thermal Take

Xeon 1231v3 + 380 would be a better upgrade as far as gaming goes

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gGHQXL
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gGHQXL/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($244.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M PRO4 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($79.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: XFX Radeon R9 380 4GB Double Dissipation Video Card  ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $514.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-04 01:53 EST-0500

[stconquest]

6 minutes ago, Chough said:

I am working on upgrading my current OEM computer. It is not stock, I have upgraded to a 500W Thermal Take PSU, 14 GB DDR3 and GTX 750. I do gaming, but the biggest thing I want the i7 for is for video rendering and multitasking. For my needs the GTX 750 is enough for now., It is possibly something I will upgrade in the future.

- -

Here is my build I have picked out: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QYwHwP. 

Comparative build.  $14 cheaper than your build:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($329.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3P ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($87.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Panram Value 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory  ($36.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case  ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit)  ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $644.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-04 01:57 EST-0500

[TheTvL]

Why would you use a xeon for gaming?

[stconquest]

3 minutes ago, TheTvL said:

Why would you use a xeon for gaming?

It is just as fast as any other Haswell at the same clock.

[Chough]

Is the 1231v3 comparable with the i7 4790? I'm not as familiar with with the Xeons. Do they have Hyperthreading? Is there a price advantage over the Core i7 Motherboards?

 

Interesting that I could get a Skylake Setup for a comparable cost.

 

I'm thinking(given the history on the Mobo) that I will be able to get that ASRock Fatality Z97 for around $92 and the R5 for $89(Looks like the price drops every month) so I should be able to land right at the $600 mark. 

[RedBlack234]

If you really like the looks of the R5, Why not get a define S (aimed at water cooling) or an R4 (older but cheaper)

All three look very similar

[Chough]

29 minutes ago, RedBlack234 said:

If you really like the looks of the R5, Why not get a define S (aimed at water cooling) or an R4 (older but cheaper)

All three look very similar

Good point. I kinda liked the SSD mount on the back of the R5, but it's not a big deal. Now I am at $599 before the ASRock is on sale. Anything else you would recomend adding in the $30-$50 range like a cooler?   http://pcpartpicker.com/p/GRTkFT 

[stconquest]

1 hour ago, Chough said:

Is the 1231v3 comparable with the i7 4790? I'm not as familiar with with the Xeons. Do they have Hyperthreading? Is there a price advantage over the Core i7 Motherboards?

 

Interesting that I could get a Skylake Setup for a comparable cost.

 

I'm thinking(given the history on the Mobo) that I will be able to get that ASRock Fatality Z97 for around $92 and the R5 for $89(Looks like the price drops every month) so I should be able to land right at the $600 mark. 

The Xeon is closely comparable to an i7 4770.  It is just as fast the the other CPUs (i3/i5/i7) at the same clock speed, but it does not have an iGPU.  Xeons also have support for ECC RAM.

 

The Xeon is a great way to get i7 performance at a reduced price.  Don't expect the massive overclocks though.