UPDATE: Okay, going i7-4790K. Now, which MB???

[Fun Guy]

UPDATE:
Now looking for a motherboard. Here is my list... any ideas, recs, or comments!?!?

GIGABYTE: GA-Z97MX-Gaming
Item #:N82E16813128716
$134.99
-$11.00 Instant
$123.99

GIGABYTE: GA-Z97M-D3H
Item #:N82E16813128717
$113.99
-$5.00 Instant
$108.99

MSI: Z97M Gaming
Item #:N82E16813130773
$159.99

MSI: Z97M-G43
Item #:N82E16813130780
$121.99
-$12.00 Instant
$109.99

ASUS Z97M-PLUS
Item #:N82E16813132130
$134.99
-$9.00 Instant
$125.99

ASRock Z97M OC Formula
Item #:N82E16813157520
$135.99
-$10.00 Instant
$125.99

ASRock Z97M Pro4
Item #:N82E16813157521
$99.99

***************
OLD POST:

So, I am finally getting up to date. My current machine is a 3Ghz E3110 Xeon with 4GB RAM.... at least five years old (maybe more because I tend to buy the #2 system out, to get the most value).

This new system will be my daily workhorse. I will be doing research by reading, editing, and constructing scholarly papers. I will have three monitors set up in this configuration:



In addition to research, I will be performing statistic analyses, editing photos and video, and occasionally gaming.

I don't believe I will find a MB that will supply triple monitors (especially one that is 2560 x 1600), so I will be getting a separate video card. Doing this, I can get the E3 chip (and run cooler than the i5, right?)

Given that I will probably never overclock (I like the idea of overclocking, but haven't done any since maybe 2003), I really don't need the K processor, so that frees up a little cash. I want a uATX form factor, 32GB RAM, and excellent video.

Since I won't be overclocking, and will be using discrete video, why not get the E3? The only reason I can think of is if the video card craps out, then I could use the 4600 video on the i5 processor as a backup. And I kind of like the idea of onboard video if I ever need a 4th output.

Any thoughts or ideas?

 

[eton975]

You could get the E3-1246v3 if you're worried about integrated graphics. It's still $15 cheaper than an i7-4790.

 

[heymrdj]

No reason not to do the E3. ON the point of backup onboard video, I find if anything, the extra drives increases the chance of instability. Instead I keep an old 20$ PCI-E graphics card in the closet as a backup. Also useful for troubleshooting any issues. For what you're doing I'd go E3 no contest.

 

[Fun Guy]

Still firmly on the fence. Will I EVER notice a difference between a 3.4Ghz E3-1231V3, and a 4Ghz i7-4790K? If not, I am seriously considering doing the 3.4Ghz E3-1231V3 on a non-overclockable board.

Speaking of non-overclockable boards (uATX), am I looking for an H97, an X99, or something else?

 

[Joepublic2]

Durrrr misread the post. If you don't need xeon features (design application certified IGP, ECC support) you're better off getting the 4790K just because it is faster (clocked higher than the 4790) if you want to spend the money. If you're looking to save some money and get the best performance I'd just hop onto ark.intel.com and find the cheapest quad core with hyper threading and all the cache enabled. VT-D is also nice if you're going to be doing any virtualization.

statistic analyses, editing photos and video

All that stuff will benefit from from more than 4 cores so if you have some cash I'd get a 2011 board. If you don't want to spend that much you might want to look at a AM3+ board with a 8 core FX processor which can trounce intel stuff in the same price range for highly threaded integer heavy workloads. Look at some benchmarks for the apps you'll be using.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

OP, sounds like you want to pony up (just a little) for a 5820K setup, especially if you've got a Microcenter nearby given your use case(s).

 

[Fun Guy]

OP, sounds like you want to pony up (just a little) for a 5820K setup, especially if you've got a Microcenter nearby given your use case(s).

Wow. Love the performance, hate the heat. It's almost twice as hot as a 4790K.

 

[Cerb]

Wow. Love the performance, hate the heat. It's almost twice as hot as a 4790K.

Then get the 4790K, and a decent cooler. You get fast speeds, 8 threads, 32GB RAM, and if you're fretting over it this much, what's another $60-80? Still cheaper than LGA2011 by a good margin.

Will you ever notice the difference? Hard to say, really. Chances are, you wouldn't initially, but in 3-5 years, it might be enough to give you more time to fret over the next upgrade .

 

[Fun Guy]

Then get the 4790K, and a decent cooler. You get fast speeds, 8 threads, 32GB RAM, and if you're fretting over it this much, what's another $60-80? Still cheaper than LGA2011 by a good margin.

Will you ever notice the difference? Hard to say, really. Chances are, you wouldn't initially, but in 3-5 years, it might be enough to give you more time to fret over the next upgrade .

Okay, so it is. I am getting the 4790K. Thanks!! :biggrin:

One decision down, one to go. Now, which motherboard?

This is what I am looking at (needs to be uATX and Z97):

GIGABYTE: GA-Z97MX-Gaming
Item #:N82E16813128716
$134.99
-$11.00 Instant
$123.99

GIGABYTE: GA-Z97M-D3H
Item #:N82E16813128717
$113.99
-$5.00 Instant
$108.99

MSI: Z97M Gaming
Item #:N82E16813130773
$159.99

MSI: Z97M-G43
Item #:N82E16813130780
$121.99
-$12.00 Instant
$109.99

ASUS Z97M-PLUS
Item #:N82E16813132130
$134.99
-$9.00 Instant
$125.99

ASRock Z97M OC Formula
Item #:N82E16813157520
$135.99
-$10.00 Instant
$125.99

ASRock Z97M Pro4
Item #:N82E16813157521
$99.99

 

[DigDog]

i love the D3H i used to build my hackintosh.

oh and my 4790K loves it too. 4.4ghz @ 1.19v, no OC (yet), just basic boost.

 

[Fun Guy]

i love the D3H i used to build my hackintosh.

oh and my 4790K loves it too. 4.4ghz @ 1.19v, no OC (yet), just basic boost.

Cool! Looking forward to this new machine... a serious upgrade from my current E3110@3Ghz with 4GB RAM....

 

[2is]

No reason not to do the E3. ON the point of backup onboard video, I find if anything, the extra drives increases the chance of instability. Instead I keep an old 20$ PCI-E graphics card in the closet as a backup. Also useful for troubleshooting any issues. For what you're doing I'd go E3 no contest.

I know this is an old post i'm quoting right now, but there are reasons.

1) I have never, not once, in all the years I've been building seen a driver issue with the intel IGP

2) HD 4600 found in a 4790k will destroy any $20 PCI-E card by a large margin

3) You get QuickSync which his huge if you plan on doing any bluray/dvd encoding.

4) If you're running dual monitors, you can run the 2nd one off HD4600 saving a bit of VRAM in the processes. In the case of AMD dGPU's, having dual monitors connected causes their cards to increase the VRAM clock speeds instantly adding about 30 watts of power consumption to an otherwise idle machine. That can be avoided by connecting the 2nd monitor to the Intel iGPU.

 

[DBissett]

Which monitors are those in the pic? I've been looking for that same type of setup and haven't yet id'd monitors the right size to do that.

 

[Fun Guy]

Which monitors are those in the pic? I've been looking for that same type of setup and haven't yet id'd monitors the right size to do that.

The big one is Dell's latest 30" (2056x1600) offering, the side monitors are Dell 2007FP's (1600x1200) that I found slightly used from a liquidator.

You are correct in that no one makes this aspect ratio monitor anymore. If you look you could get lucky. Some can be found on Amazon here.

 

[DBissett]

Thanks. That's exactly the setup I've been eyeing. I've got two of the 2007FP's still going strong after maybe 8 years with a 24"er sitting between them and have long thought the 30" would be a perfect fit. Makes for a great extended desktop.

 

[Fun Guy]

Thanks. That's exactly the setup I've been eyeing. I've got two of the 2007FP's still going strong after maybe 8 years with a 24"er sitting between them and have long thought the 30" would be a perfect fit. Makes for a great extended desktop.

Yes - I will be running analyses, writing papers, retrieving data, etc. and something I can have 4 full application windows open within at the same time is going to be ideal. I can't wait to get it up and running. :biggrin:

 

[Fun Guy]

Anyone have opinions on the motherboards I've listed here?

GIGABYTE: GA-Z97MX-Gaming
Item #:N82E16813128716
$134.99
-$11.00 Instant
$123.99

GIGABYTE: GA-Z97M-D3H
Item #:N82E16813128717
$113.99
-$5.00 Instant
$108.99

MSI: Z97M Gaming
Item #:N82E16813130773
$159.99

MSI: Z97M-G43
Item #:N82E16813130780
$121.99
-$12.00 Instant
$109.99

ASUS Z97M-PLUS
Item #:N82E16813132130
$134.99
-$9.00 Instant
$125.99

ASRock Z97M OC Formula
Item #:N82E16813157520
$135.99
-$10.00 Instant
$125.99

ASRock Z97M Pro4
Item #:N82E16813157521
$99.99

 

[Fun Guy]

Okay, about ready to pull the trigger. Anyone else have input??

 

[Ketchup]

Very happy with my current Asus. Has alot more options and helpful software than my first Asus had (Core 2 era). But the first board is still going strong so I can't complain too much.

 

[Joepublic2]

If you haven't bought something yet I've found that gigabyte boards edge out others in physical build quality and nice touches like individual fuses for USB ports but their firmware team is way behind ASUS', especially when it comes to fan control.

 

[Puffnstuff]

Asus has consistently made the best boards I've ever used and their support is excellent, however gigabyte has also provided me with good boards as well. My current asus board has usb breakers and the ability to increase the amps to the ports to charge portable devices like your phone or ipod. Their AI Suite 3 software is the most comprehensive I've seen from a board manufacturer.

I would recommend that you take a look at the Asus Maximux VII Hero before you commit to a board. The build quality and feature set are well worth the extra cash if you're looking to keep your pc a little while.

 

[eton975]

Asus has consistently made the best boards I've ever used and their support is excellent, however gigabyte has also provided me with good boards as well.

Shoutout to Biostar, one of the most underrated board manufacturers. I'd recommend OP to take a look at the Hi-Fi Z97WE. Shame they're looked at as an off brand.

 

[bonehead123]

UPDATE:
Now looking for a motherboard. Here is my list... any ideas, recs, or comments!?!?

GIGABYTE: GA-Z97MX-Gaming
Item #:N82E16813128716
$134.99
-$11.00 Instant
$123.99

GIGABYTE: GA-Z97M-D3H
Item #:N82E16813128717
$113.99
-$5.00 Instant
$108.99

MSI: Z97M Gaming
Item #:N82E16813130773
$159.99

MSI: Z97M-G43
Item #:N82E16813130780
$121.99
-$12.00 Instant
$109.99

ASUS Z97M-PLUS
Item #:N82E16813132130
$134.99
-$9.00 Instant
$125.99

ASRock Z97M OC Formula
Item #:N82E16813157520
$135.99
-$10.00 Instant
$125.99

ASRock Z97M Pro4
Item #:N82E16813157521
$99.99

***************
OLD POST:

So, I am finally getting up to date. My current machine is a 3Ghz E3110 Xeon with 4GB RAM.... at least five years old (maybe more because I tend to buy the #2 system out, to get the most value).

This new system will be my daily workhorse. I will be doing research by reading, editing, and constructing scholarly papers. I will have three monitors set up in this configuration:



In addition to research, I will be performing statistic analyses, editing photos and video, and occasionally gaming.

I don't believe I will find a MB that will supply triple monitors (especially one that is 2560 x 1600), so I will be getting a separate video card. Doing this, I can get the E3 chip (and run cooler than the i5, right?)

Given that I will probably never overclock (I like the idea of overclocking, but haven't done any since maybe 2003), I really don't need the K processor, so that frees up a little cash. I want a uATX form factor, 32GB RAM, and excellent video.

Since I won't be overclocking, and will be using discrete video, why not get the E3? The only reason I can think of is if the video card craps out, then I could use the 4600 video on the i5 processor as a backup. And I kind of like the idea of onboard video if I ever need a 4th output.

Any thoughts or ideas?

Well FWIW, I have the Z87 Gaming versions of the Asus (w/E3-1240v3) and MSI boards (w/4790K) and love them, absolutely ZERO problems with either one... Both are really fast, reliable and do what I need them to do.

Yes the 4790K is a tad faster overall and for games (o/c to 4.4) but OTOH, the Xeon runs 15-20 degrees cooler and doesn't require as many fans/rpms to cool it.

SO for me it is just about a wash overall. The money I saved on the Xeon rig in terms of a smaller case and fewer fans, I used to get some better parts for the 4790K rig, but of course, YMMV and this is just IMHO

Good luck with whatever you decide to build

 

[funks]

I have a Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H and it's great, was able to get it for 119$ after Rebate.. Not sure which mUTX board is it's clone..

It has an Intel Lan Chip, RealTek ALC1150, and no funky third party SATA controllers. It's been stable - I use it with a 4790K, and 16 Gigs of Patriot 2400 MHZ PV316G240C1K - Viper 3 Series, Black Mamba Dual Channel Kit..

Save the money instead for a really good COOLER as the 4790K gets extremely HOT!

 

[funks]

I have a Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H and it's great..

It has an Intel Lan Chip (no Killer or RealTek stuff), RealTek ALC1150 Audio, and no funky third party SATA controllers. It's been stable - I use it with a 4790K, and 16 Gigs of Patriot 2400 MHZ PV316G240C1K - Viper 3 Series, Black Mamba Dual Channel Kit..

Make sure you get a really good COOLER as the 4790K gets extremely HOT!