Motherboard recommendation & comments existing selection

Grease Monk

Grease Monk

Intertoob Ninja & Hamster Hunter Extraordinaire
Adept
Q: What is your budget?
Currently around 65K

Q: What is your existing hardware configuration
None, using a laptop
Mouse
Speakers

Q: Which hardware will you be keeping
Mouse (USB) & Speakers

Q: Which hardware component are you looking to buy?
Components Description Price (INR)
Processor Intel I5 2500K 11000
Motherboard ? ?
RAM Gskill Ripjaws 8GB DDR3 1333Mhz 4GB X 2 4650
HDD Seagate 1TB 7200.12 2700
GPU MSI R6950 Twin Frozr II (2GB) 15000
Monitor Dell U2311H 14000
Cabinet NZXT Gamma 2200
PSU/SMPS Corsair VX550 4600
Key Board ? ?
CPU Cooler ? ?
ODD LG 22X SATA DVD 850

Q: Is this going to be your final configuration?
Will add an 80GB SSD once prices are viable (I realize this is vague, but its not priority for me at the moment, just want my existing hardware to be compatible\be able to take advantage of one)
May also add a decent DAC\sound card later (very low priority)

Q: Where will you buy this hardware?
Chennai
Open to online purchase w/ TE dealer

Q: Would you consider buying a second hand hardware from the TE market
Yes

Q: What is your intended use for this PC/hardware
Gaming
Browsing
Photo Editing
Watching HD movies

Q: Do you have any brand preference or dislike?
I do not want any brand with a bad service record in India. I'm not sure which brands these are, hence the request for comments on my existing selection.

Q: If you will be playing games then which type of games will you be playing?
Let's just say I want to be able to play all current games at high\max settings w/ a playable framerate.

Q: What is your preferred monitor resolution for gaming and normal usage
1920x1080 (would prefer a 16:10 monitor, but the U2311H is a very tempting buy.

Q: Are you looking to overclock?
Yes

Q: Which operating system do you intend to use with this configuration?
Windows 7 64 bit

I would like assistance with the following:
  1. Select a motherboard. Should I go for a z68 board or stick with the P range? I'll only be buying this in a few months, so please suggest models that are expected to be available then. I don't want to spend too much on it, but do want good overclockability, USB3 and the new SATA standard.
  2. Selection of CPU cooler. Need something as quiet as possible as the cabinet will be right next to my bed.
  3. Comments on my selection of brands\components: If a specific brand has bad A.S.S. in india, known issues with a specific model, etc.
  4. Is the MSI GPU I selected capable of being unlocked to a 6970? Any alternative recommendations?
  5. Are there supply issues with the VX550? If so, could you suggest any reliable alternatives for a similar price?
 
Grease Monk said:
I would like assistance with the following:

  1. Select a motherboard. Should I go for a z68 board or stick with the P range? I'll only be buying this in a few months, so please suggest models that are expected to be available then. I don't want to spend too much on it, but do want good overclockability, USB3 and the new SATA standard.
  2. Selection of CPU cooler. Need something as quiet as possible as the cabinet will be right next to my bed.
  3. Comments on my selection of brands\components: If a specific brand has bad A.S.S. in india, known issues with a specific model, etc.
  4. Is the MSI GPU I selected capable of being unlocked to a 6970? Any alternative recommendations?
  5. Are there supply issues with the VX550? If so, could you suggest any reliable alternatives for a similar price?
Click to expand...

1. What is your intended use for this PC? It depends on it. If you are planning to use the CPU graphics, quicksync and ofcourse the SSD caching then only I'll recommend you to opt for Z68 chipsets board. Going by your post, it seems like you are more of in gaming so you will need much more powerfull graphic cards, so going with P67 chipset is just fine. Go for Asus P8P67 Pro @ 11.5K. Its is a great board and comes with bluetooth, 8 SATA ports (4 x 3Gbps + 4 x 6Gbps) USB3 and SLI + CFX support.

2. Noctua NH-U12P @ 3.7K.

3. All good.

4. Yes I think. AMD Radeon HD 6950 to HD 6970 Mod | techPowerUp. Keep original vbios backup though. Also MSI R6950 Twin Frozr II is best bet in sub 15K range.

5. If you plan to to XFire/SLI in future then its advisable to go for more powerful PSU. Also this is the component where you should always shell out some extra cash and have a headroom since you don't upgrade this often. SeaSonic S12D 850 @ 7K is what I'll recommend.. Also look at the Xigmatek NRP-PC702 @ 5.2K. Great bang for the buck and superb overloading handle capability.

For keyboard and mouse how about Razer Cyclosa Gaming Bundle @ 2K ?
 
XTechManiac said:
1. What is your intended use for this PC? It depends on it. If you are planning to use the CPU graphics, quicksync and ofcourse the SSD caching then only I'll recommend you to opt for Z68 chipsets board. Going by your post, it seems like you are more of in gaming so you will need much more powerfull graphic cards, so going with P67 chipset is just fine. Go for Asus P8P67 Pro @ 11.5K. Its is a great board and comes with bluetooth, 8 SATA ports (4 x 3Gbps + 4 x 6Gbps) USB3 and SLI + CFX support.
2. Noctua NH-U12P @ 3.7K.
3. All good.
4. Yes I think. AMD Radeon HD 6950 to HD 6970 Mod | techPowerUp. Keep original vbios backup though. Also MSI R6950 Twin Frozr II is best bet in sub 15K range.
5. If you plan to to XFire/SLI in future then its advisable to go for more powerful PSU. Also this is the component where you should always shell out some extra cash and have a headroom since you don't upgrade this often. SeaSonic S12D 850 @ 7K is what I'll recommend.. Also look at the Xigmatek NRP-PC702 @ 5.2K. Great bang for the buck and superb overloading handle capability.

For keyboard and mouse how about Razer Cyclosa Gaming Bundle @ 2K ?
Click to expand...

Thanks for this XTM.
Yes, my main usage will be gaming, and will include a dedicated GPU. My interest in the Z68 chipset is primarily based on the following:
Possible power savings by switching between integrated and dedicated GPU.
SSD caching (not sure how useful this is over having an SSD dedicated to an OS drive).
Finally, the fact that its what the SB chipset should have been to begin with!

The board you recommended does look pretty good for the price. Will look into it. How is Asus' after sales support in India?

Just looking at a basic, rugged keyboard at the moment. Nothing dedicated to gaming and I dont even need dedicated media buttons. I do like the design of the basic Dell keyboard, but Im not sure if it is available to the general public.

@rest, please keep the suggestions rolling in.
 
Grease Monk said:
Thanks for this XTM.

Yes, my main usage will be gaming, and will include a dedicated GPU. My interest in the Z68 chipset is primarily based on the following:

Possible power savings by switching between integrated and dedicated GPU.

SSD caching (not sure how useful this is over having an SSD dedicated to an OS drive).

Finally, the fact that its what the SB chipset should have been to begin with!
Click to expand...

In this case, Z68 chipset is what you should go with. ASUS P8Z68 V PRO @ 14K is one bang for the buck motherboard. It has massive overclockability, ASUS EFI (BIOS rock), 14-phase power, SATA 6Gb/s ports, USB 3.0 and plethora of features..all are top notch! If you want a bit cheaper mobo then P8Z68-V @ 12.6K.. Still PRO variant is what I'll prefer anyday.

For Keyboard and Mouse, opt for Logitech SET – Optical Blk Mouse+ MMKB @ 7K.
 
s12d 850 would be overkill also not available here and its A.S.S is not that great. take corsair 750tx v2 or a 650tx v2 will be enough.
 
Isn't the new TX series crap. In that case, go for CM Silent Pro M. For a single GPU 700 watts and for a dual GPU 850-1000 watts should do.
 
rite said:
Isn't the new TX series crap. In that case, go for CM Silent Pro M. For a single GPU 700 watts and for a dual GPU 850-1000 watts should do.
Click to expand...
erm no.......they are pretty good actually...........

get the tx 650 v2 or 750 v2
 
None at the moment XTech. Will be buying the components in batches. Next month is dedicated to the monitor alone. After that will be a combo of the cabinet, SMPS and RAM. Then after that if my raise and bonus come through as expected, I'll shell out for the CPU and mobo. Finally, will come the GPU the month after. So we're looking at a build that's going to take 6 months to complete :)
 
Actually its good for you. You will have time to look at BD and decide your processor. For GPU the next gen HD7xxx and GTX6xx which will be based on 28nm should launch in time for US Holiday season :)
 
Is the MSI GPU I selected capable of being unlocked to a 6970? Any alternative recommendations?
Click to expand...

No... Its not unlockable... coz it doesn't come with BIOS Switch... MSI HD6950 Twin Frozr III comes with BIOS Switch... If you can find it indian market then do buy it otherwise buy Reference Sapphire/MSI HD6950 2GB Card... And i really dont see any point in going for a Z68 mobo coz todays graphic cards dont consume much power in idle mode so todays GPUs make switching GPU feature irrelevant... And Z68 chipset motherboards also don't perform well in HDD benchmarks... So i would advice you to buy P8P67 Pro over P8Z68-V Pro...

Edit: Even HD6950 Twin Frozr III doesn't come with BIOS Switch : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127575

In this review W1zzard mentioned that MSI HD6950 Twin Frozr III comes with BIOS switch : http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/HD_6950_Twin_Frozr_III/4.html :S
 
Hades. said:
No... Its not unlockable... coz it doesn't come with BIOS Switch... MSI HD6950 Twin Frozr III comes with BIOS Switch... If you can find it indian market then do buy it otherwise buy Reference Sapphire/MSI HD6950 2GB Card... And i really dont see any point in going for a Z68 mobo coz todays graphic cards dont consume much power in idle mode so todays GPUs make switching GPU feature irrelevant... And Z68 chipset motherboards also don't perform well in HDD benchmarks... So i would advice you to buy P8P67 Pro over P8Z68-V Pro...

Edit: Even HD6950 Twin Frozr III doesn't come with BIOS Switch : Newegg.com - MSI R6950 Twin Frozr III PE/OC Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity

In this review W1zzard mentioned that MSI HD6950 Twin Frozr III comes with BIOS switch : MSI HD 6950 Twin Frozr III 2 GB Review - Page 4/27 | techPowerUp :S
Click to expand...
The bios switch is used for going into the backup bios if you get a bad flash.

From what I've seen you need to get the 6970 bios and flash them onto your 6950

AMD Radeon HD 6950 to HD 6970 Mod | techPowerUp

How To: Flash 6950 to 6970 Guide - Overclock.net - Overclocking.net

Have a look at these :)
 
@OP, I suggest,
Mobo : Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 - 11.5K
Cabinet : CM 430 (NZXT Gamma cannot fit more than 26.5" GPU) - 2.6K
CPU cooler : Noctua U12P SE2 - 3.8K
RAM : Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz 2*4GB - 4.9K
HDD : Seagate 1TB 7200.12 look for firmware > 'cc34'
 
@Hades: thanks for the heads up regarding the switch. Will probably save some cash and go for the reference design instead (if the next gen cards aren't out by then).

@Megamind: I didn't think about the GPU size in the case. Since everyone recommends the case I just assumed it fits most cards! Thanks for the info.
 
Yeah go with NXZT Gamma... It can take in huge cards like HD6970, 6950, GTX580 , GTX 570 etc without any problem... Plus the build quality of NZXT gamma is top notch... Have a look at my signature... I have put in so much valuable components in this 2.1k cabby :p... Calling it cheap wouldn't be a right thing coz it may be cheap price wise but really not quality wise... :p
 
Hades. said:
Yeah go with NXZT Gamma... It can take in huge cards like HD6970, 6950, GTX580 , GTX 570 etc without any problem... Plus the build quality of NZXT gamma is top notch... Have a look at my signature... I have put in so much valuable components in this 2.1k cabby :p... Calling it cheap wouldn't be a right thing coz it may be cheap price wise but really not quality wise... :p
Click to expand...
I myself own Gamma too. As for quality, no other cabby is there below 3K... Considering the GPU size, It cant hold more than 27"(max.)... So check the GPU size before u get the cabby..
 
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