Technical > PC Hardware Discussion/Reviews > Desktop build help

Desktop build help

Question: given the "not a gamer" statement, wouldn't any Ivy Bridge setup give one "decent" graphics?

Gaming is not ideal under the iGPU at any meaningful resolution with anything higher than the lowest detail settings, even with the Intel HD 4000.

It also wouldn't make any sense to pair a beefy unlocked quad-core like the 3570K with an anemic GPU like the 7770, which is why I suggest downgrading to an i3-3220 (or even downgrading CPUs while upgrading GPUs).

He most certainly does NOT need the i7-3770K, and could probably get away with the i3-3220 without noticing.
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reply to drslash
The OP didn't specify what he would be using the system for so its a tough call. I could see a Core i7 3770 based system using only the iGPU but it depends on the use case.

I stated that the system would be used for general purposes, some multimedia, and virtually no gaming. My thought about using a Core i7 were only driven by my desire to future proof the computer for as long as possible. I don't know the features of the various Core iX processors so my desire to have the 'best' CPU I can afford is just based on wanting the most processor for longevity. If an i5 or i3 will suffice then I am open to those.
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I'd recommend an i7. With my three year old i7-860, my daughter can play multi-core Minecraft (very CPU intensive) while the PC is streaming HD video to a TV set.

That three year old system also has a Sapphire 5670 with 1 GB of DDR5 memory, which certainly helps.

I recently got a laptop with an i7-3630QM and integrated graphics. Again, I'm happy I got an i7.

reply to drslash
If there's a MicroCenter near you buy the i7 from there as it's (almost) the same price as the i5 from Newegg.

reply to drslash
Future proofing is a myth, and the more you pay, the more you lose in obsolescence as the hardware ages. Better to build a moderate build now, then a moderate rebuild in 3-5 years over a really expensive build now that you will never see the benefit from.

I repeat, all you need is the i3 for what you are doing--you don't get anything better for paying more, except the emotional feeling that the machine you bought MUST be more powerful, because you paid more money for it. You know what they say about a fool and his money and all that.
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Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

In the end you might pay more a little more in the long run, but the idea of replacing your computer with a cheaper one every few years isn't as desirable. It's not a finite slope, it's a curve. I build systems to last their main purpose of gaming usually for five years, or more, which usually I would usually have to replace the video card at least once for performance reasons. The processor is the biggest thing I consider, and then it's upgrade capacity like installed ram limits, etc.. Buy with the estimated curve, and you'll end up ahead a bit of buying to cheaper systems. Replace the video card in a few years as you purposefully didn't buy bleeding edge, and you're still doing good.

When you first build a computer you don't want the processor too stressed on your normal applications, with most of the applications I run on my i5 it rarely kicks in the extra speed unless a program doesn't effectively use more than one core while doing certain tasks.

In comparison the single core desktop my father uses bugs me to this day as when I have to look at it the processor, and the installed ram are both limiting factors to most applications like the browsers we use to this day. When your up to date browser shows the age of a system it's really time to consider upgrading unless it's a specialized production machine.

For the price difference going with the i5 vs the i3 should be one of the first things you upgrade, even before you add an ssd. I still don't have an ssd, and don't think I need one. An ssd is loading speed, not running speed.
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reply to drslash
It sounds like the onboard graphics would suffice then, it'll work fine if you're not gaming. The board linked above supports concurrent HDMI and DVI displays up to 1920x1200, 60 Hz each.
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