New build "to X79 or not to X79?"

[ginman522]

MY new build below....

I'm torn between Sandy Bridge_E 3820 and ASRock X79 Extreme4 mobo, and i5-2500k(Ivy upgrade in a few months (3770k) and ASUS P8Z77-VPro.

I love the feature set of the Asus board(has wifi DLNA hot spot w/ tablet controls built-in, saves $$$), and there is nothing like it available on X79. But I prefer the upgradablility of the X79 PCI-E 3.0 slots. I eventually want to have a 3x Dell U2412M's in 5760x1200. Z77 motherboards do not support PCI-E 3.0 x16 in SLI (x8,x8). The X79 will probably get Ivy Bridge-E next year and PCI-E slots will be up to standard for years to come. The Z77 things bother me, even if it doesn't matter now but all z77 mobo mfg's put 2 PCI-E 3.0 slots but can't use them in X16 mode in SLI. This sucks IMHO.

Any advice? any thoughts on my build so far. but I have all the parts in hand except the CPU/Mobo.

Whats the final verdict on my build?

[Adzsask]

For SLI/CF z77, for 3 or 4 cards, X79. The X16/X16,to X8/X8 is about 3-4 FPS, it is really not noticeable.

[ginman522]

Perfect...thanks!! I'm going to get the X79 and 3820 proc...just for its scalability in the future. The ivy 3770 is a faster proc, even the 2600k is faster but the 3820 is no slouch, cheaper and is available now without the thought of an upgrade(except adding GPU's or monitors) for long while anyway. X79 gives me that peace of mind that games in 2 years will run fine with PCI-E 3.0 without the wait of Ivy today. Plus I have a feeling that that the Ivy Bridge-E proc, when released, is going to be special, and if its not who cares.

I do love the idea of a built in DLNA hot spot with tablet controls, kudos to Asus for making the P8Z77-VPro, but I can just run an HDMI cable to my TV for now.

[Dragonstongue]

PCI-E 3.0 in its current form simply is not being tapped into, will it, I have no doubt, but I wouldn`t base it on that side of it, look at what you need/use now, not what you "may" need 2+ years down the road.

i7 2600k build is plenty powerfull, can do dual gpu if not quad(with the right boards) just fine. Sandy-E at best is a slight bump all round. The initial Ivy-B will be on the same baords the 2500/2600 cpu are, Ivy-E will take place of Sandy-E so it will be awhile yet sort of speak.

To each thier own, I would look at the games, programs and such you use currently and decide from there, Sandy-E are pricey beasts if you give them the memory etc(which you should to get the best of it) so unless you have a very specific reason to spend that much extra I would do a double take first :)

[ginman522]

Here is the exact issue I am having. A 2600k on a decent motherboard is going to cost $475-$525, I dont want a core i5 for various reasons. Ivy I have to wait and will be more money than the 2600k build. I can do a 3820 on a Asrock Extreme6/GB board(super board w/ EAX sound card) for $560. This is not that much more money for the full monty,a and will have a 3820, full PCI-E 3.0 support, 8 dimm slots, and a $100 equiv sound card. It hard to spend $560, but $475(best case, low end board) isnt that much relief. I wouldnt have to spend a dime on the build for years, unless i wanted ivy bridge E.

IF the 2600k could be had for like $150 less, then we'd have a deal, no brainer. I'm just not so sure at the prices we are talking.things I like about the 2600k, is its power profile and OCability, but again the 3820 is not that far off. Ivy at 77w and Z77 boards would be a much more compelling solution, but I cant wait the 4 weeks, and I refuse to waste money on a core i3 on Z77 only to upgrade a month later.

[ginman522]

I pulled the trigger on the 3820 and ASRock X79 Extreme6/GB board. For $558 shipped its a steal, the newegg rep hooked me with a discount because I have spent lot of money there in the past 2 weeks. Interesting, I asked and she agreed to apply a $20 refund to my debit card after its shipped without a fight. Very cool of them....its turns out to be $60 off the list price at newegg with the sale, combo discount and rep refund

I think the value of this combo is what put me over the edge. I'm getting a lot of proc and motherboard w/ x1 audio card. worth the $45 above a standard 2600k/Z68 build I would want.