Maximum PC

Hello

After a little trouble shooting, it seems my motherboard has given up the ghost and I need to replace it. I am looking for recommendations for a replacement. Also, if you can think of any other updates that wont cost to much I would be interested in looking at those too.

Here are the components that I currently have


GIGABYTE GA-MA770T-UD3P AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard

AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor HDZ720WFGIBOX

OCZ ModXStream Pro 500W Modular High Performance Power Supply

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL8D-4GBHK

GIGABYTE GV-R467ZL-1GI Radeon HD 4670 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

Thank you for all your help

JC

Well if he only has enough money for a motherboard (<$150), he might be getting a downgrade. Or a board that doesn't leave much room for expansion.

definitely (note that it is spelled correctly) open to all sugestions. Will everything else I have work, or would I be upgrading the whole system?

Thanks again for all the help

JC

not sure where that note it is spelled correctly thing came from by the way, wasnt me

JC

What's your budget?

Honestly, the combo that kleinkinstein suggested is the pretty much the best deal. You might need a new copy of Windows, due to upgrading the CPU and MOBO counting as a new system, and Windows only allows itself to be installed on 1 computer at the same time. A wise investment is a 120gb SSD or bigger, it makes the system load faster, and feel "snappier" overall.

What do you do on your PC?
What games and @ what settings & resolution?
Budget?

I guess the simple, easy way would be to replace the mobo for $100 or so and call it a day. But we never want the easy way, so how about a new build

I would say that your gaming would benefit most from a new rig, but with your existing Radeon 4670 video card, I'm going to guess you don't game much at all. So assuming that much, here is a build that might make for a decent everyman PC to give you an idea of costs and parts:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/gRym

No monitor, keyboard mouse, or software included. This will be a somewhat bare-bones rig with decent parts, but limited upgradeability and mid-range graphics. If gaming is not a concern at all, you could save the cost of the graphics card by removing it altogether and use on-board graphics.

EDIT: Some would argue that this build might not be worth it, since if you add an extra $150-$200, you could build a rig that performs much better and will take longer to become obsolete. This is true. But in the end it's up to the guy or gal spending the $

Thank you for all the help and advice!

I'm going to figure out what and how much I'm going to spend

Thank you again

JC

Usually you can call Microsoft and tell them your MOBO/CPU got fried or w/e and they will help you set up your old copy of windows on your new hardware.

It is the repair install licensing provision in the OEM EULA. If it is XP, it may not be necessary as I have not had problems recently swapping MBs---I'm beginning to think MS no longer cares about XP.

Ok

I think I am going to upgrade the MB and replace the CPU with the 3570K.

Should I stay with the UD5H? or are there better options?

Will the dedicated graphics on the 3570 be better than my old card?

Is there anything else that I will need to change or upgrade?

I did want to keep this as cheap as possible, but the upgrade does make scense.

Thanks again for all the help

JC

the UD5H is a really nice board for the price, I would stick with it

The iHD4k integrated graphics, not so good (even the FM1's igp outperforms it by quite a margin)



probably best sticking with your 4670 until you can save up for at least a 7850 or better.

Cheers to your upgrade and new adventure in DIY

Bad news: I believe it will be worth your $ to replace your RAM to 8 GB x 2 sticks and add an SSD for your boot drive. These two items will allow you to fully reap the benefits of the new CPU and newer technology.

Good news: depending on your gaming habits, you might not need a GPU just yet. Check out these links and decide for yourself...
Intel HD 4000 (on-board graphics on the 3570K CPU)
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670

I know - I linked a laptop graphics card, but if you read the summary, it's slightly slower than the desktop model. Main point is, if I am reading the two links correctly, the HD 4000 graphics on your new CPU will outperform your old card. Perhaps you can use the integrated graphics and see how you feel about it before purchasing a new GPU for now?

But allow me to step back for a minute and ask a few questions again:
- Budget
- Gaming habits
- Complete specs of current build
- What do you want to do

The more information you supply, the better information you will receive. That said, you ask about the Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H motherboard to pair with an Intel Core i5-3570K. Are you able to purchase in-store at Micro Center? If so, that's a good option to go with at about $320 (on a side note, if you are able to purchase parts online without sales tax, total price differences might be slim). But if you are looking to save, the $50 off combo at Micro Center applies to all Z77 mobos in September woohoo. The UD5H is regularly priced at about $180, which is not a budget-oriented mobo.

I will offer this build and you can take it with a grain of salt:

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/hoK1

Micro Center has the ASRock Pro3 mobo I indicated as well, so the combo price with CPU there would be $235. ASRock is arguably lower on the name brand list of mobos compared to Gigabyte, but they are still solid. Micro Center has lots of mobos, so you can always find a different one, too.

The Samsung RAM is fantastic.

The SSD is a value model from Plextor, which is one of the top 3 brands for SSDs right now.

I believe your current PSU will be adequate for your new build, and I guess you have the other parts necessary (kb, mouse, monitor, OS, etc).

Research and ponder and let us know what you decide

Ok I upgraded the cpu, mother board and memory. I am now working on trying to boot up with my old hard drive. Does anyone have any help on how to contact microsoft to re authenticate my windows 7? Or any links for help?

Thanks again for all of the help, the computer fired right up, just wont boot to windows now, almost there!!

Thanks again
JC

Oh and by the way it is a OEM version of Windows 7

JC

Iirc, you have to call Microsoft and tell them you changed your mobo, since that is what MS considers a "new" computer or something like that. I've read that it shouldn't be an issue because they user license will continue to be used on just 1 PC.