Which Motherboard?

[Firelance]

Hello. I am planning to upgrade my motherboard. The P5N-T Deluxe I currently have is just outdated. I am looking for one that can support one graphics card, as that is all I need, 8-16 GB of RAM DDR3 or DDR2 (In case I ever plan to max out at 16), and an i5 would probably work out just fine. I was also hoping it would overclock easily. I was looking at Intel, but people have said these cannot overclock? I have never used AMD and just hope to stick with Intel since I was impressed with all of their products so far. My price range would be from $100-200 about. If it goes a little bit over $200 that is fine. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!

Edit: Was looking at the Z68 and it looks nice. Any recommend this?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121533

As soon as I would upgrade to the right mobo, I was planning on getting a graphics card. Would the EVGA GTX 560 Ti be able to fit if I got the Z68 mobo? I have the Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case and didn't know if all of this would fit.

 

[Firelance]

Bump..

 

[nikorr]

Hi there Firelance,

Intel is greatin the CPU sector, but in the mobo world, there are better.

This one will overclock and has more features and is updated to the latest standards.

ASUS P8P67 DELUXE (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
$209.99 + FREE SHIPPING

Adopting new B3 Revision P67 chipset that fixes the SATA issue, the ASUS P8P67 DELUXE (REV 3.0) motherboard offers a great platform to build your power house based on Intel second generation Core CPUs incorporating the industry-leading computing performance and power efficiency. It utilizes the new generation Dual Intelligent Processors 2 - EPU (Energy Processing Unit) and TPU (TurboV Processing Unit), and coupled with DIGI+ VRM, to precisely, dynamically and intelligently adjust power supply to achieve optimized performance, extreme system stability and greater power efficiency.

An array of latest, nice features is included to help you make the most and best out of your system, including EFI BIOS for easy, user-friendly setup, USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gbps for lightning fast data transfer, Dual Gigabit LAN for bottleneck-free communication, Bluetooth technology for enhanced connectivity, and AI Suite II for one-stop access to innovative ASUS features. Best of all, the Quad-GPU SLI and Quad-GPU CrossFireX support multiplies graphics performance to deliver the best possible game experience for hardcore gamers.

 

[nikorr]

What about this case?

COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Black Steel + Plastic and Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
was: $119.99 [strike]$104.99[/strike] $89.99 after mail-in rebateFREE SHIPPING

One of the best cases with lots of space and great design inside.

 

[Firelance]

Hey nikorr thanks so much for the response.

I have seen many argue over the Z86 and P67. In the end, I have just seen more people recommend the Z86 so that is why I posted the one I did in the description. If enough people can agree that the P67 would perform better, I will go with it. As for the part about overclocking, that is a must for me. If the P67 can be overclocked to beat the Z86, I would definitely consider buying it. Looking at the specs for them, there is some difference but not a whole lot. They both cost the same too. So now I guess it just comes down to what you guys would recommend. P67 or Z86?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121533

vs.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131701

Thank you guys for the responses. It is just so stressful trying to figure out the right one! I have been on for 10 hours researching this stuff. I am going to lose it if I don't make up my mind.

 

[nikorr]

I would go with this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131790

I like the Z68, but I run CS5 suite + 3D programs and lots of video editing. No games.

 

[rmiiirusty]

Hi there ,
The p67 and z68 are both good boards. Z68 is the newest version and has integrated the ability to make use of the gpu in your processor. It is a handy feature for giving your discreat gpu a break between gaming. z68 has also introduced intel srt smart response technology which allows you to use a ssd drive for installation of windows and drivers and use the rest of the drive as a system cache. This process does not assign a drive letter to the drive and your accompanying hdd gets the c drive letter. In this way it is easy to control your downloads in making sure they go on your hdd and at the same time you get a performance boost from using the ssd as a system drive.

If you want a really good board that will allow you to make the most of your i5 2500k, then I would suggest this one from Asus. It is a republic of gamers series which Asus calls their best of the best.and it carries a lesser price tag than the ones mentioned earlier.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131806&Tpk=asus%20maximus%20iv%20gene-z%5cgen3

I have the same board without the gen3 and I love it.

 

[Firelance]

Hi there ,
The p67 and z68 are both good boards. Z68 is the newest version and has integrated the ability to make use of the gpu in your processor. It is a handy feature for giving your discreat gpu a break between gaming. z68 has also introduced intel srt smart response technology which allows you to use a ssd drive for installation of windows and drivers and use the rest of the drive as a system cache. This process does not assign a drive letter to the drive and your accompanying hdd gets the c drive letter. In this way it is easy to control your downloads in making sure they go on your hdd and at the same time you get a performance boost from using the ssd as a system drive.

If you want a really good board that will allow you to make the most of your i5 2500k, then I would suggest this one from Asus. It is a republic of gamers series which Asus calls their best of the best.and it carries a lesser price tag than the ones mentioned earlier.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131806&Tpk=asus%20maximus%20iv%20gene-z%5cgen3

I have the same board without the gen3 and I love it.

Wow many thanks for that detailed explanation. I have also been looking at this card before you posted it. I think you posted this in your reply but did you mention this would be easy to overclock? I have always loved Asus (the mobo I have now is even Asus) but I have also had my eye on the Intel BOXDZ68BC LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard. The price range is about $30 difference but now I need to find out which one of these is the best. I just want this mobo to last. I edit with programs like Sony Vegas, but not all the time. Maybe only a couple times a month. My biggest reason is gaming. I like to max out my games at 1920x1080 and am really looking for which one is better than gaming.

Now it comes down to:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121533

vs.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131806

Thank you for those who have helped!

 

[rmiiirusty]

Wow many thanks for that detailed explanation. I have also been looking at this card before you posted it. I think you posted this in your reply but did you mention this would be easy to overclock? I have always loved Asus (the mobo I have now is even Asus) but I have also had my eye on the Intel BOXDZ68BC LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard. The price range is about $30 difference but now I need to find out which one of these is the best. I just want this mobo to last. I edit with programs like Sony Vegas, but not all the time. Maybe only a couple times a month. My biggest reason is gaming. I like to max out my games at 1920x1080 and am really looking for which one is better than gaming.

Now it comes down to:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121533

vs.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131806

Thank you for those who have helped!

They are both good boards and you will be happy with either. I am not the most familiar with intel boards tho so I can't say about ease of oc'ing.
The asus board however is as easy as clicking your mouse. You can choose either advanced or extreme, click and watch while your computer does the rest. It will achieve the next level and a message will pop up saying congratulations you have achieved a 3.5 and then continue to next level and then it will say congrats 3.6 etc. it will continue all the way up to4.3 or so gigs and when trying to go higher will fail and shut down. Then you just restart and when prompted ,start windows normally and it will come back on and try to continue the process, but there is a button you can click to stop there and maintain the last successfull attempt. There are higher levels you can reach but they require manual tinkering with your settings. I really can't see the need to even be at 4.3 gigs where I am, accept to score higher on benchmarks. If with the Asus board you feel you have corrupted the settings during the proceedure you have a button in the rear on your io panel that clears and resets your cmos back to default settings and you can start over.

I also have a computer with a 775 socket and core 2 duo e 5200 @2.5gigs that with the right gpu will play any game you want it to. There is a slight performance boost in some of the newer games from the application of a quad core tho but 3.3 gigs is more than you'll really need. the o.c. is more for enthusiasm.
The board will work for your requirements either one you choose, and what will matter more is your gpu. If you want to max out some of the newer games like skyrim ,bf3 etc. with your res. I would suggest a 570ti or a 580 if you can swing it. for those I suggest evga or asus