Planning some upgrades.....thoughts?

[shingletingle]

Thinking of doing some upgrades. This PC is for gaming. I already have 16GB of Crucial 1600 Memory, a 750W Cooler Master PSU, DVD drive, Sound Blaster Z soundcard, Logitech G710+ keyboard, Logitech G400 mouse, 240GB Sandisk Ultra SSD drive and a WD 640GB hard drive for data, and Win 7 Home 64-bit. Also have the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus CPU cooler.

I don't plan to overclock. Never been into that.

EVGA 02G-P4-2678-KR GeForce GTX 670 FTW 2GB for $368 AR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130787

MSI Z77MA-G45 Motherboard for $95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813130647

Intel Core i5-3570K for $210
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116504

I am also considering a new monitor. It is the Dell UltraSharp U2713HM for $585.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824260111

I'm unsure about the monitor. My current one is an AcerS231HL, which is 1920 x1080. It seems fine but the Dell seems to be popular.

As usual, looking for thoughts, etc. I think my CPU, mobo and GPU picks are pretty solid, while the monitor I'm iffy on.

Upgrading from a Radeon 6870, Intel i5 CPU and a Gigabyte GA-P55-USB3 mobo.

Oh, and I prefer the mATX motherboard since I plan to eventually get the Corsair Obsidian 350D when it is available, which does not hold full ATX.

 

[Sleepingforest]

Can you add the rest of the info asked by these questions?

 

[shingletingle]

Can you add the rest of the info asked by these questions?

I think most of those are in my first paragraph. Buying in the USA. Not a fanboy of any particular brand, don't exactly have a budget but want to keep it at a good price/performance. My current res is 1920 x 1080. The Dell is 2560 x 1440. Would be buying very shortly.

 

[Sleepingforest]

And the budget is... Whatever is worthwhile to you?

 

[shingletingle]

And the budget is... Whatever is worthwhile to you?

Just decent price/performance. Let's say as far as upgrades go around $800, but flexible. Consider the monitor a different issue.

 

[Sleepingforest]

Okay, sounds good! Since you don't want to overclock, you might want to look into the Xeon E3 series; they have good multithreaded performance (games are expected to go increasingly multithreaded by many) for the price, but can't overclock. Definitely look for a B75 or H77 motherboard; you don't gain anything by going Z77 or Z75. That's about $350 all together (CPU plus mobo).

If your RAM is DDR3, you're set. Otherwise, you'll need to get a set for $50 or so.

That leaves $400-450 for the GPU. The best option right now at that price is probably a 7970 or 7979 GHz Edition; they offer better performance at high resolutions because of increased memory bandwidth and VRAM.

As for the monitor: I'd recommend the slightly more expensive 2560x1440 HP ZR2740W (possibly V2, since there's been a very minor revision). It has very low input lag and reasonable response time (a rare combination).

 

[shingletingle]

Updated choices (and my ram is DDR3). Thanks for the CPU education as I had not even had the Xeon in my radar.

Intel Xeon E3-1230 V2 Ivy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo) for $235
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819117286

PowerColor AX7970 3GBD5-2DHV3 Radeon HD 7970 3GB for $360 AR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814131468

Stuck between mobo choices:
MSI H77MA-G43 LGA 1155 Intel H77 for $80 AR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813130648
or
ASRock H77 Pro4-M LGA 1155 Intel H77 for $90
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157301
or just stick with my original Z77 choice (MSI Z77MA-G45 for $95)

For the monitor, I'm still leaning towards the Dell based on comments I've seen in various forums. Plus, Newegg has a 10% off code for the Dell. Unless I can be convinced otherwise and the Dell will make games look horrible.

 

[Essence_of_War]

For the monitor, I'm still leaning towards the Dell based on comments I've seen in various forums. Plus, Newegg has a 10% off code for the Dell. Unless I can be convinced otherwise and the Dell will make games look horrible.

That Dell is a fantastic monitor.

Let me offer a small counterpoint from the price/performance perspective. I think that the best monitor price/performance for ips panels right now is probably in the 23-24'' range.

Dell u2412m (1920x1200 IPS) can be had for 270 USD on newegg (including 10% off), is also a gorgeous monitor, and will hit even better FPS with the GPU you've picked out.

That being said, it isn't a huge resolution step-up from your current monitor.

 

[Sleepingforest]

For the monitor, I'm still leaning towards the Dell based on comments I've seen in various forums. Plus, Newegg has a 10% off code for the Dell. Unless I can be convinced otherwise and the Dell will make games look horrible.

It won't look horrible--it may actually look better. The buggest differences between the Dell and the HP is that the Dell typically comes with a better factory calibration, and the HP has lower input lag, which is important for gaming (it measures how long it takes for the monitor to measure your inpuy).

 

[shingletingle]

Here's what I thinik I've finally decided on.

First, I will probably hold on to my current monitor, the Acer S231HL (1920x1080) and toss the idea of getting a new one.

PowerColor AX7970 3GBD5-2DHV3 Radeon HD 7970 3GB for $360 AR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814131468

MSI H77MA-G43 LGA 1155 Intel H77 for $80 AR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813130648

Intel Xeon E3-1230 V2 Ivy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo) for $235
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819117286

Not too sure if that 7970 would be overkill for my monitor. The price after rebate isn't that much more than a 7950. Plus, I do not plan to overclock.

I'll also get the Corsair Obsidian 350D mATX case once that is available.

Any additional thoughts to add?

 

[mfenn]

Looks good to me. The 7950 vs 7970 is up to you, either is a pretty good deal (7970 is a little better AR). You pay more, but you get proportionally more as well.

 

[shingletingle]

Ordered the 3 parts. Thanks everyone!