[Kenka]

Guys, I might have a concern. I bought the Asus P8P67 LE one year ago with a i3-2100. Obviously, the motherboard is a bit on the high side for that CPU but I wanted to have the possibility to upgrade to Ivy Bridge sometimes this year.

Can I actually ?

Thanks in advance.

[1-D_FTW]

Guys, I might have a concern. I bought the Asus P8P67 LE one year ago with a i3-2100. Obviously, the motherboard is a bit on the high side for that CPU but I wanted to have the possibility to upgrade to Ivy Bridge sometimes this year. Can I actually ? Thanks in advance.

As long as you flash your bios, shouldn't be an issue.

Would check the website just to verify.

[ParityBit]

So last night I went to bed at 1:30 [slept 4 hours] and came back into work. My new machine is half built [I stopped once I got the radiator for the H100 attached, but not attached to the CPU yet] and I am paranoid about the machine POSTing! I plan on attaching the H100 to the CPU and attaching the PSU temporarily to test the fans in the case and to see if I get any error codes first thing.

I hate stopping in the middle of piecing the hardware. Time to go home yet?!

[TheExodu5]

Next week, when was this announced Exo?

Just rumored, AFAIK.

[shinobi602]

So what kind of games can I run with this kind of setup?

Phenom II X4 965 3.4GHz
GTX 570HD 1280mb
8GB RAM

Witcher 2? BF3 at highest settings?

[ccbfan]

What does Power Phase Design mean.

I read it has something to do with over clocking but I'm not sure how to read the numbers.

The motherboard I got has a 4+2 phase design. (Asrock z77 Pro4) Is this OK for overclocking?

Now I'm not talking about heavy overclocking. But more like getting a i5-3570K to 4.0-4.3 Ghz.

[Takuan]

You should be able to sneak in 4.5 or 4.4 at 1.30V load You are currently on auto and offset mode. Change offset mode to -0.035V and see if you are stable.

Got BSODs on Win7 startup anywhere from -0.035 to -0.025. I currently have it at -0.020 and booted into Windows successfully. Prime95 tests to follow. Is it pointless for me to run out and grab some MX-4? I'll do it if it means temperatures 5 degrees cooler. Then I'll do some more research on application methods - I'm fairly certain that my temps are as high as they are due to shitty TIM clean up & re-application.

Thanks for all the time you put into the thread, btw.

It Boggles my mind how motherboards seem to get more and more expensive as more and more features are moved off the motherboard and onto the CPU. I'm more tempted to pick up a SNB part than IVB just for the motherboard pricing. Even the decent ASRock Z77 mobos seem to be pushing near $200. Perhaps I just don't look at motherboards often enough and don't remember how much I usually spend on one.

I'm sure there will be quality mobos in the $120 range once IVB replaces the SNB market.

[Shambles]

It Boggles my mind how motherboards seem to get more and more expensive as more and more features are moved off the motherboard and onto the CPU. I'm more tempted to pick up a SNB part than IVB just for the motherboard pricing. Even the decent ASRock Z77 mobos seem to be pushing near $200. Perhaps I just don't look at motherboards often enough and don't remember how much I usually spend on one.

[FuttBuck]

So what kind of games can I run with this kind of setup? Phenom II X4 965 3.4GHz GTX 570HD 1280mb 8GB RAM Witcher 2? BF3 at highest settings?

Mi amigo, I will tell you from personal experience (since I had the phenom 955), go with an i5 2500k....trust me it will save you in the long run.

Witcher 2 you should be able to max out or nearly max out, but you might have FPS dips if I remember right. BF3 on Ultra I don't think will happen with 60 fps. Your CPU will bottleneck you REALLY bad and really soon with upcoming games and that's one of the reasons I just built my new machine.

[TheExodu5]

So what kind of games can I run with this kind of setup? Phenom II X4 965 3.4GHz GTX 570HD 1280mb 8GB RAM Witcher 2? BF3 at highest settings?

You'll run Witcher 2 at probably ~35-40 at max settings (minus Ubersampling). BF3 should yield similar results. The Phenom will be holding you back the most in Witcher 2 and BF3, but it's still a good pair to a GTX 570.

The Phenom is still enough for most games though. Witcher 2 and BF3 just happen to be two examples of CPU hungry games.

[shinobi602]

Cool thanks guys.

The thing is I built my PC a few months ago and had bought an AM3+ mobo in preparation for Bulldozer.

Though I heard they're not that good :(

[mikespit1200]

I just looked up CPU benchmarks on Witcher 2 and it does indeed look like CPU scales with FPS. Does anyone know exactly why this is? The witcher 1 wasn't especially open-world and AI heavy. I was surprised considering most PC games are console ports that barely take advantage of 4 cores.

[pax217]

Though I heard they're not that good :(

I thought from what I had heard was that there's a leak of some sort within the architecture?

[1-D_FTW]

It Boggles my mind how motherboards seem to get more and more expensive as more and more features are moved off the motherboard and onto the CPU. I'm more tempted to pick up a SNB part than IVB just for the motherboard pricing. Even the decent ASRock Z77 mobos seem to be pushing near $200. Perhaps I just don't look at motherboards often enough and don't remember how much I usually spend on one.

Went through the same sticker shock recently. The Asrock z68 Extreme 3 Gen 3 is a very nice board for the money. But like most (all?) z68 boards, it needs to be flashed before it can run an Ivy chip. So if you're not buying from a local shop that can do it, or have an Sandy Bridge you can pop in, you kind of run the risk of getting old stock and no CPU to be able to flash it. I'm sure they've begun shipping with the latest BIOS, but it's always a gamble to order online without knowing exactly what you're getting.

[Sethos]

Another day, another delivery.

The Phanteks + An extra fan for it, the 200mm for the case and the 3930k.




All I'm missing is the case, the SSD, a storage HDD and a headamp then my build is a-go.

[mkenyon]

It Boggles my mind how motherboards seem to get more and more expensive as more and more features are moved off the motherboard and onto the CPU. I'm more tempted to pick up a SNB part than IVB just for the motherboard pricing. Even the decent ASRock Z77 mobos seem to be pushing near $200. Perhaps I just don't look at motherboards often enough and don't remember how much I usually spend on one.

You mean northbridge? There's the overclocking arms race as well as an increased focus on aesthetics. There's also a growing number of features on boards that you wouldn't have seen a few years ago. The debug LED on the Asus boards is a prime example, or the shielded onboard sound on the G1 and RoG series.

Ultimately though, they know that just about anyone with SB, SB-E, and Ivy are looking to overclock with how insanely simple it is. The capacitors, VRM, and phase management all need to be decent quality to handle that.

If you want a motherboard that isn't designed for any of that, there is always stuff like cheap H67s to get the job done. It's silly to look at high end stuff and say "why are high end boards expensive when there isn't a northbridge anymore?". Northbridge is only a small portion of what a motherboard does.

[Hawk269]

Yes. The 4th pin is only for PWM (RPM management according to temps), so other than the fan running at full tilt constantly, it'll be fine.

It will run at full tilt as Hoos mentioned unless you are connecting it to a Fan Controller in which case you can control the RPM's. My Noiseblocker fans are 4 pin, but they are connected to 3 pin header on the fan controller and they work great.

[Hawk269]

Another day, another delivery. The Phanteks + An extra fan for it, the 200mm for the case and the 3930k. All I'm missing is the case, the SSD, a storage HDD and a headamp then my build is a-go.

Oh nice. I have the same processor and the same 200mm fan..actually 2 of them. They are really nice and push alot of air which is really nice. What else does your build consist of Sethos?

I also have Noiseblockers for my remaining case fans with Scythe Gentle Typhoon's for the fans on the H100. Main reason for going Scythe on the H100 was that the Noiseblockers top out at 2000 RPM and if I wanted to go even higher OC on the CPU I would want to go above 2000 to ensure things stay cool. I am running the Scythe's at 2300 default and it works great with little noise.

[Sethos]

Oh nice. I have the same processor and the same 200mm fan..actually 2 of them. They are really nice and push alot of air which is really nice. What else does your build consist of Sethos?

Currently it looks like this

CM Cosmos II
Intel i7 3930k
Phanteks PH-TC14PE + Extra Fan - Red
Asus Rampage IV Extreme
16GB G.Skill Ripjaws 2133MHz ( MIGHT get another pair, just for show but just feels like a big waste - Also had to make sure they fit under the Phanteks )
2 x Palit GTX 680 4GB Jetstream
512GB Samsung 830 + 2 x 1TB Samsung Spinpoint F3
Seasonic SS-1000XP
Audiotrak Prodigy Cube ( Might get an XTZ A-800 instead )

Then I have two 750GBs with a ton of my stuff on from my old build. Reason for the fans is the Cosmos II has tons of fan slots but it has a few missing as standard. So on top there's room for a 200mm, then I have a spare 120mm that ships with the case from up there I can use somewhere else.

[Shambles]

You mean northbridge? There's the overclocking arms race as well as an increased focus on aesthetics. There's also a growing number of features on boards that you wouldn't have seen a few years ago. The debug LED on the Asus boards is a prime example, or the shielded onboard sound on the G1 and RoG series. Ultimately though, they know that just about anyone with SB, SB-E, and Ivy are looking to overclock with how insanely simple it is. The capacitors, VRM, and phase management all need to be decent quality to handle that. If you want a motherboard that isn't designed for any of that, there is always stuff like cheap H67s to get the job done. It's silly to look at high end stuff and say "why are high end boards expensive when there isn't a northbridge anymore?". Northbridge is only a small portion of what a motherboard does.

The problem is that these aren't the high end boards in this price range. You're looking at 350-400$ for a high end board now. Debug displays are about as new as the combustion engine. Motherboards from the 80's had them. And having onboard sound that doesn't sound like it's running through a shitty FM transmitter is hardly an advanced feature. H77 doesn't support overclocking, and Z75 boards basically do not exist. Z77 is really the only choice for people who are not looking for a 'mom and pop' machine. My 775 motherboard was in the <$100 range. Similar spec'd boards now seem nearly double in price. Hopefully we just need some time to get some reasonable Z75 boards out.

[Hawk269]

Currently it looks like this CM Cosmos II Intel i7 3930k Phanteks PH-TC14PE + Extra Fan - Red Asus Rampage IV Extreme 16GB G.Skill Ripjaws 2133MHz ( MIGHT get another pair, just for show but just feels like a big waste - Also had to make sure they fit under the Phanteks ) 2 x Palit GTX 680 4GB Jetstream 512GB Samsung 830 + 2 x 1TB Samsung Spinpoint F3 Seasonic SS-1000XP Audiotrak Prodigy Cube ( Might get an XTZ A-800 instead ) Then I have two 750GBs with a ton of my stuff on from my old build. Reason for the fans is the Cosmos II has tons of fan slots but it has a few missing as standard. So on top there's room for a 200mm, then I have a spare 120mm that ships with the case from up there I can use somewhere else.

Damn...very similar to my build. Same processor, same mobo, same memory and same amount as well, same SSD set up with the same 2x1tb Samsung HDD's...lol. My SSD Samsung is the 256gb version (runs great).

The mobo is really f'n impressive. It is so easy to OC the CPU with that board and there are so many options for the more skilled OC'rs amongst us. I've been at a solid 4.6 for a bit and can easily go to 4.7 which I have not done yet since putting in the Scythe's...actually awaiting 2 more of them to do a push/pull configuration with the H100 and see what the temps are like.

What is the memory speed rated on your GPU's? I have yet to see a review of any 4gb GTX 680's and just wondering what the speed the memory runs at on those cards.

[Hazaro]

New Builds

http://bit.ly/Q2_2012_Haz

What does Power Phase Design mean. I read it has something to do with over clocking but I'm not sure how to read the numbers. The motherboard I got has a 4+2 phase design. (Asrock z77 Pro4) Is this OK for overclocking? Now I'm not talking about heavy overclocking. But more like getting a i5-3570K to 4.0-4.3 Ghz.

Just what regulates power to the board/CPU. Basically the more you have the better 'cleaner' power you will have. More balances that load and helps it last longer. I don't have numbers, but with boards ranging from 4-20 solid PWMs now it's kind of crazy. 6 seems to do just fine for light overclocks. I wouldn't worry about a 4.3Ghz OC at all.

It Boggles my mind how motherboards seem to get more and more expensive as more and more features are moved off the motherboard and onto the CPU. I'm more tempted to pick up a SNB part than IVB just for the motherboard pricing. Even the decent ASRock Z77 mobos seem to be pushing near $200. Perhaps I just don't look at motherboards often enough and don't remember how much I usually spend on one.

True. I wanted to bring up three deals I found while browsing new parts selection. If you want value... there's really no competition that I can see.


CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 - $70AR
BIOSTAR TZ77B - $80 AR
BIOSTAR TZ77XE3 - $110 AR

The BIOSTAR TZ77XE3 really grabbed my attention, you get:
CFX/SLI, Virtu MVP,13 Phase PWM, proper 8x/8x PCI-E 3.0.
Sure you only get 2x SATA 6gbps and 2x USB3.0 on the back, but... that's pretty solid.

[Hawk269]

Great job Haz...looks really well done. You should do a Uber build as well. You know 2x690's, 3960x, Asus IV Extreme Mobo etc.

[ParityBit]

Awesome Haz! Thanks for the postings!

[Sethos]

Nice Hazaro, little detail under Extravagant - It says S.Skill.

Damn...very similar to my build. Same processor, same mobo, same memory and same amount as well, same SSD set up with the same 2x1tb Samsung HDD's...lol. My SSD Samsung is the 256gb version (runs great). The mobo is really f'n impressive. It is so easy to OC the CPU with that board and there are so many options for the more skilled OC'rs amongst us. I've been at a solid 4.6 for a bit and can easily go to 4.7 which I have not done yet since putting in the Scythe's...actually awaiting 2 more of them to do a push/pull configuration with the H100 and see what the temps are like. What is the memory speed rated on your GPU's? I have yet to see a review of any 4gb GTX 680's and just wondering what the speed the memory runs at on those cards.

What is it they say, great minds think alike 'eh :P ?

But yeah, I've heard great things about the motherboard. However, the primary reason why I picked it was due to its slot spacing. The Palits are both 3 slots which takes up a ton of room, so needed something from Asus with 7 slots ( For the space between them ) and it kinda narrowed down my choice big-time.

And the memory clock of the Palits are 6300 Mhz

[Hazaro]

I should probably mention H61/P67 out of box compatibility somewhere... Something to make a note of.

Great job Haz...looks really well done. You should do a Uber build as well. You know 2x690's, 3960x, Asus IV Extreme Mobo etc.

Not worth the time for me. It's more a throw away section where you can sub one of two things in there.

Nice Hazaro, little detail under Extravagant - It says S.Skill.

Fixed

[ZetaEpyon]

Nice, when my 3770K arrives tomorrow, I'll pretty much have exactly the new Enthusiast build. :)

Intel i7-3770K
ASUS Maximus V Gene
16GB Corsair Vengeance LP
ASUS GTX 680
Seasonic X750
Fractal Define R3
128GB Crucial M4


Also, noticed this in that build:

Any 1.5V 4x4GB (8GB)

Given the price, assuming this is meant to read 16GB.

[Weenerz]

My GTX 570 died on me so I went ahead and started the upgrade process for a few pieces. Picked up;

XFX 7970 Black Edition
Intel 520 180gb SSD
Corsair AX750 PSU

So excited but poor.

[HitCtrlAltDel]

I'm currently looking into a new build since the 680's and Ivy Bridge is out. This is going to be a small ITX build so there are a few compromises, but not many. Here are the parts I have in mind so far:

CPU: i7 3770k
GPU: eVGA Geforce GTX 680
MB: Asus P8Z77-I Deluxe
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB
Case: Lian-Li PC-Q08
PSU: Corsair HX650 (still have to determine if I'm confident it will fit ok)
HDD: undecided, just looking for a good 1TB drive, SSD too expensive
BD-ROM: undecided, just looking for a BluRay reader

Any recommendations? I won't be ordering for another week or two.

[LordAlu]

Nice work on the build list. There's a little error on the Enthusiast build - RAM section shows 4x4GB (8GB) when it should be 4x4GB (16GB).
Edit: Beaten by Zeta.

Also, I literally can't find the Asus P8Z77-V LK anywhere in the UK, what's the advantage of it over the LX?

[Shambles]

Nice work on the build list. There's a little error on the Enthusiast build - RAM section shows 4x4GB (8GB) when it should be 4x4GB (16GB). Edit: Beaten by Zeta. Also, I literally can't find the Asus P8Z77-V LK anywhere in the UK, what's the advantage of it over the LX?

ASUS is working on two new value P8Z77-V series socket LGA1155 motherboards based on the Intel Z77 Express chipset. These are the P8Z77-V LK and P8Z77-V LX. The two are designed to occupy price-points well under US $150. The P8Z77-V LK is the costlier of the two, featuring three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x16/NC/NC or x8/x8/NC or x8/x4/x4), 6-phase CPU VRM, six USB 3.0 ports, two SATA 6 Gb/s and four SATA 3 Gb/s internal ports; and display outputs that include DVI, D-Sub, HDMI, and DisplayPort. The P8Z77-V LX is probably ASUS' cheapest Z77 motherboard, with the same 6-phase CPU VRM, but a single PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot wired to the CPU, a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x4) wired to the Z77 PCH, three PCI, two PCI-Express 2.0 x1, all internal ports wired to the PCH (2x SATA 6 Gb/s, 4x SATA 3 Gb/s), and a slightly slimmer connectivity loadout that includes 6-channel HD audio, four USB 3.0 ports (2x rear, 2x front-panel, all from PCH), and display outputs that include DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI.

From tech powerup

[Karmum]

Edit - Screw it, pretty sure I don't need a sound card for a pair of Sennheiser HD515s.

[ParityBit]

Speaking of sound cards. I have a Xonar DX, but I am wondering if I should just stick with on board sound. My motherboard is a P8Z77-V DELUXE.

[Lkr]

Here is a pretty good looking pre-built rig on Newegg...It has a Ivy 3770k and a 680 so he would be getting cutting edge as it stands today. Be better to build it himself or have you build it, but if he wants a pre-built this one does not look too bad. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16883227417

lol the funny thing is he was talking about $500 computers. I know it isn't possible to do anything prebuilt with a budget like that, but for whatever reason people refuse to listen :(

i'll see if i can talk them into sending the parts to me and having me build it and then ship it to them.

[I H8 Memes]

lol the funny thing is he was talking about $500 computers. I know it isn't possible to do anything prebuilt with a budget like that, but for whatever reason people refuse to listen :( i'll see if i can talk them into sending the parts to me and having me build it and then ship it to them.

I've done this for someone before and the box the case comes in is perfect for shipping the finished PC.

[ZetaEpyon]

I've done this for someone before and the box the case comes in is perfect for shipping the finished PC.

If you do this using anything more than a low-profile stock Intel heatsink, I would recommend shipping without the heatsink attached; or at least strap the heatsink to solid parts of the case. Definitely don't want a heatsink flying around loose inside the PC if the box gets handled roughly.

[Hazaro]

Yeah I edited the image and links again. I finished it at 1 or 2am, thanks for looking it over.

Nice, when my 3770K arrives tomorrow, I'll pretty much have exactly the new Enthusiast build. :) Intel i7-3770K ASUS Maximus V Gene 16GB Corsair Vengeance LP ASUS GTX 680 Seasonic X750 Fractal Define R3 128GB Crucial M4 Also, noticed this in that build: Given the price, assuming this is meant to read 16GB.

Those are some good parts. :)

Nice work on the build list. There's a little error on the Enthusiast build - RAM section shows 4x4GB (8GB) when it should be 4x4GB (16GB). Edit: Beaten by Zeta. Also, I literally can't find the Asus P8Z77-V LK anywhere in the UK, what's the advantage of it over the LX?

From tech powerup

Cheers. Yeah the LK having 8x PCI-E is the big main draw. The other has a gimped PCI-E 2.0 running at 4x or 8x which is just unacceptable.

Speaking of sound cards. I have a Xonar DX, but I am wondering if I should just stick with on board sound. My motherboard is a P8Z77-V DELUXE.

Onboard for my P8P67 PRO is damn good, so you should be ok.
If you have the card you might as well compare.

[Karmum]

Sometimes I wish I could just live in like weather between 30 F - 75 F all year round, never seen my GPU idle in the teens. :o

[Yusaku]

Dunno if it's been posted, but both the i5-2500K ($219.99) and i5-2500 ($209.99) are $15 off from NewEgg with EMCNENJ23 for the 2500K and EMCNFHD32 for the 2500. Almost $200 (before tax and/or shipping) for the 2500K isn't too bad, but still doesn't beat getting it from Microcenter for like $180. That was awesome. :p

Yeah I just got a 2500K from Microcenter for $169.99 yesterday.

[Hazaro]

Also I'm looking for a smaller nice quiet case that will fit a larger GPU. Only needs to hold 3 HDDs and an SSD + 2 DVD drives.

My current case has such poor airflow and blocks my legs under my desk it's about time I got a new chair and new case I think.

Also I bought that 30nm Samsung memory. Here's hoping it doesn't die in a year.

[Karmum]

Yeah I just got a 2500K from Microcenter for $169.99 yesterday.

$10 less now? Lame. :(

The closest Microcenter to me is like over an hour away, living in South Jersey blows. Always. I'd shop there much more often if I lived near one.

Edit - Probably going to buy a new (and quiet) case sometime next week, probably on my birthday actually. Corsair 550D, Antec P280 or Fractal R3? Willing to go as high as $140 for the Corsair if it's that much better than the other two. Pretty sure all three are larger than the Antec Three Hundred and should fit both my GTX 460s easily, along with everything else. Move everything and have some proper cable management, everything is currently a mess right now (and has been since August), it was nearly impossible to install my second 460.

[rhfb]

Nice, when my 3770K arrives tomorrow, I'll pretty much have exactly the new Enthusiast build. :) Intel i7-3770K ASUS Maximus V Gene 16GB Corsair Vengeance LP ASUS GTX 680 Seasonic X750 Fractal Define R3 128GB Crucial M4 Also, noticed this in that build: Given the price, assuming this is meant to read 16GB.

Post some pics when you get it built! I was considering a Define R3 or Arc Midi for my case (and was going to use the same cpu/mobo and probably a 670) so I want to see how it could have turned out!

No idea why Amazon USA doesn't carry Fractal Design cases but Amazon.co.uk does :(

[Caesar III]

I'm tempted to jump the ivy 680 train as well :( :) Any words against the GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD3H ? That's the one I was eyeing for so far.

[Trey]

Alright, got the first build up and running, installed Windows, everything seems to be fine.

Two things though; both with the motherbord. I got the Asus P8Z68-V LX, and it says it has a slot for USB 3.0 inputs, but for the life of me I cannot find it. A motherboard connector came with the case. Also, the SATA 6.0 inputs are right above the system panel connector, so the white cables that came with the HDD won't fit above them. I currently have them in the 3.0 gbps.

All in all it was a fun experience.

[MrBig]

Welp, can't find the 3570k anywhere for less than $240 (after tax/shipping), and no local stores carry them. Finally figured out that NCIX doesn't accept US cards either so that will bring the cost of my build up. Will go with a 2500k if no deals pop up in the next couple weeks.

And to think I had a 3570k for $190, less than what a 2500k can be found for now, in my microcenter cart, along with $50 off a z77-v pro, but had an issue with it not being able to verify my shipping address, back when the deal applied online :(

Amazon (TigerDirect) has it for $229.99 plus $5.02 shipping. Shouldn't be any tax involved.

I am charged $16.50 tax.

[Karmum]

Welp, can't find the 3570k anywhere for less than $240 (after tax/shipping), and no local stores carry them. Finally figured out that NCIX doesn't accept US cards either so that will bring the cost of my build up. Will go with a 2500k if no deals pop up in the next couple weeks.

Amazon (TigerDirect) has it for $229.99 plus $5.02 shipping. Shouldn't be any tax involved.

Edit - Stop. $20 rebate on TigerDirect, $209 AR. Free shipping, too.

I am charged $16.50 tax.

Ah, my bad. Forgot TD doesn't tax in NJ (obviously does where you are). Yeouch.

[TheExodu5]

The newer 2TB Hitachi Deskstars seem like really solid choices for game drives...when I move my Samsung F4s over to my media server, they might be my drives of choice for a 2x 2TB RAID 0 setup.

edit: damn, so many Hitachi models. Can't remember which I saw reviewed, but it compared superbly to WD/Seagate/Samsung. Maybe it was the Ultrastar.

Here it is:
http://www.storagereview.com/hitachi...ds723030ala640

Looking at NewEgg prices...yeah, I'll wait until they're back down where they should be. My main reason for straying from Seagate/WD is that they're cutting warranties from 5 to 1 year, and failure rates across the board are terrible since the floods.

[Yusaku]

This is what I wound up with:

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock H67M-ITX Mini ITX LGA1155 Motherboard ($91.97 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Galaxy GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB Video Card ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
Case: Silverstone SG07-B Mini ITX Desktop Case w/600W Power Supply ($189.00 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Acer S220HQLAbd 21.5" Monitor ($119.00 @ B&H)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard ($82.21 @ eCost)
Total: $970.14

[AwesomeSauce]

My GTX 570 died on me so I went ahead and started the upgrade process for a few pieces. Picked up; XFX 7970 Black Edition Intel 520 180gb SSD Corsair AX750 PSU So excited but poor.

How did your GTX 570 "die"?

Have you RMA'd it?

[Hazaro]

This is what I wound up with: CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.99 @ Microcenter) Motherboard: ASRock H67M-ITX Mini ITX LGA1155 Motherboard ($91.97 @ Newegg) Memory: G.Skill Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($37.99 @ Newegg) Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ Newegg) Video Card: Galaxy GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB Video Card ($189.99 @ Microcenter) Case: Silverstone SG07-B Mini ITX Desktop Case w/600W Power Supply ($189.00 @ Amazon) Monitor: Acer S220HQLAbd 21.5" Monitor ($119.00 @ B&H) Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard ($82.21 @ eCost) Total: $970.14

Can you swap your H61 board for any of Biostar's Z77 boards? Features and price should be similar, but you can overclock which is a huge bonus.