[SOLVED] Future proofing for 1000 CAD

[aLx450]

Hello everyone!

I was here 7.5 years ago for my first complete DIY build. After a RAM refresh last year and BSODs creeping up on me more and more in the last 3 months that are being narrowed down to faulty hardware, here I am for the next chapter!
I am very much aware that GPUs are an absolute pain to get, and my GTX970 still serves me well for the immediate future. I'm lucky enough to have stores that do MSRP controlled drops in my area so when I actually want to spend the money for it, I'll go line up for hours. Not a priority for now though.

Approximate Purchase Date: Within 6 months to a year

Budget Range: 1000-1200 CAD

System Usage from Most to Least Important: 1) Gaming 2) Software development (No intense 3D stuff)

Are you buying a monitor: Yes, but out of budget considerations.

Parts to Upgrade: That is a big part of why I'm here. I'm not sure what to actually upgrade to. My Z-97 chipset is long gone from market, but now that AMD is competitive, I can't figure out the future proofing line. Is B550 the way to go to be good for years to come? Do I wait for the next Zen 3 update with the 6XXX series? Is Intel relevant still?

What I do have an can/will keep:
Define R5 closed panel ATX Case (without USB-C in front I/O)
Crucial 256 Gb SSD as boot drive
Gigabyte Geforce GTX 970
EVGA Supernova 650 Gold PSU (is this enough? Is it a good thing to keep it and invest the money somewhere else or am I risking harm to other parts in the next few years?)
4 NZXT case fans

For the future, I will aim at a 3070 or 3060TI, unless the 4000 series is where it's at when I pull the trigger... should I wait...? I'm out of the loop...

What I need
Motherboard (with WiFi, atleast one USB-C port, USB 3.0 header for case front I/O)
CPU Cooler (I had the Hyper 212 Evo, loved it, apparently it's a pain to convert now, you need a new backplate or something.... would buy new.)
32 Gb RAM
CPU
Not opposed to M.2 storage, still can't figure out if it's worth the extra money tbh

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Canadian retailers. Amazon, Newegg, Canada Computers, etc. If they're listed on PCPartPicker, thats a plus.

Location: Canada, Quebec.

Parts Preferences: I have no sides in the CPU wars. I heard AMD was back for several years now, apparently Intel is supposed to catch in 2022.... do tell me more.

Overclocking: Doubtful, life is too short.

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: Currently on 1080p, have no real interest in 4K. Goal is for a triple monitor setup, 2x24-27, 1x32. Target is that one of the 24s is a 1440p for gaming, rest remains 1080p

Additional Comments: I don't care about RGB, matching color scheme for parts would be great if I ever upgrade the case, but far from necessary... Silence is key.

Hope that's a good starting point. Thanks for any and all help you can provide. Let's do this

 

[Eximo]

Well, a lot of your questions come down to budget.

Neither Intel or AMD are future proof in any sense of the word. Intel LGA1200 is end of life, LGA1700 (LGA1800 socket) is coming out in a few weeks with the Intel 12th generation (DDR5, though also some DDR4 motherboards). Also has two types of CPU cores, the standard ones with hyperthreading, and the latest Atom cores as Efficiency cores. So you will see 16 cores 24 threads and the like.

Early indications is that it will be on par or better than AMD Zen 3.

AMD is planning to launch Zen 3 chips with additional cache, that should be the last chips for AM4. Both look about a 15% improvement over 11th gen and the current 5000 series lineup. AMD's next chip is Zen 4 which will be an LGA1718 socket and support DDR5.

AMD boards are typically cheaper and offer overclocking down to B550/B450. Intel 400 series boards do not support memory overclocking (excepting Z490) B560 and Z590 boards do. Intel CPUs are on an old process node, so they run hot and Intel pushed the stock clocks to the limits. On the locked CPUs you can still disable power limits and get much longer/higher clocks in general. Intel CPUs still have onboard graphics, but the cheapest CPUs from them are the F series with no iGPU. When compared to AMD's 5000 series (which are high priced, and there are no lesser models in each class) there are several mid-range Intel chips that get you about 80-90% the performance of the AMD CPUs for a lot less money.

So i5-10400F on a B560 motherboard is a popular choice, just add GPU, which you have. This is the best budget option at the moment. If you want to spend a little more. Your Evo 212 should still work. LGA115x and LGA1200 are the same physical spec.

AM4 socket is a little different, so if don't have the mount, yes, a new cooler.

Your PSU is fine for the moment.

This motherboard meets your requirements, if you want a little more you can shop around. Also room in the budget for things like an i7 or an i5-11600k, still, you would want much better cooling for those.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-10400F 2.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($222.50 @ shopRBC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (Purchased For $0.00)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B560M AORUS PRO AX Micro ATX LGA1200 Motherboard ($196.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($154.99 @ Canada Computers)
Storage: Samsung 980 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($149.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 970 4 GB WINDFORCE 3X Video Card (Purchased For $0.00)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $0.00)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GA 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $724.47
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2021-10-18 16:13 EDT-0400

 

[aLx450]

Thanks, Eximo!
Am I wrong or am I getting a strong vibe of "wait a little longer"? The chip I bought back then was the i7-4790k which, in retrospect was above what I ended up needing anyway. The 50$ premium between the i7 and the i5 could have been better spent elsewhere and I got the K because I felt like I'd get into overclocking when the time came... I never did. And I have no interest in doing so this time around either.

My fear is jumping in in 6 months and then the next releases around the corner just kick my gear to the curb. I have no idea if a 5+ year lifespan like I got out of my current hardware is realistic in 2021, but I'd like to aim for that... and what you seem to be saying is that it's kind of a free for all at the moment, with an architecture change coming right up.... sounds risky to me, or maybe I'm overthinking it....

 

[Why_Me]

Intel Core i5-10400F Review - Six Cores with HT for Under $200

Intel's new Core i5-10400F offers a large performance jump over the previous generation Core i5-9400F because of its six-core/twelve-thread design. In this Core i5-10400F review we also test the feasibility of overclocking through BCLK, or by relaxing the PL1 and PL2 Turbo Limits.

www.techpowerup.com