need help picking out motherboard and/or processor for my df-85 case

paronomasia

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Member
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so i recently purchased the df-85 case for a reasonable price of $80 brand new condition from craigslist, and i managed to fit all of my parts into it without screwing anything up. as i was putting in the motherboard, i noticed that i could put in a larger one, because there were screws for a larger one outside the motherboard. my motherboard only has one slot, and thats for the graphics card, and a small pcie i believe. im planning on doing either crossfire or sli, depending on my future budget, so id really like a motherboard that has enough slots for that. and i recently purchased a pci slot in case i end up buying a new motherboard, that has 6 usb ports sice i have a ton of usb's. i have a 520 watt psu, but may upgrade to a 1000 watt or something once i get the money for it. i plan on having 2 or 3 3TB hard drives, or some SSD's once they get larger, so i want to be able to install them once i get them. i also want it to look nice in my case with the red LED's that the fans give off. im not too sure about a processor, since i dont know much about them, so if anyone wants to suggest and/or explain them to me that would be a great help. any suggestions? thanks.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 7 and windows 8
    Memory
    2x4,2x2 DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD Radeon 6670 2gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    insignia 24" LCd 60Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    seagate 1TB
    PSU
    520 watt dynex
    Case
    DF-85
    Cooling
    fans
    Internet Speed
    31mp down 11 up 17 ping
It sounds like the mobo that you have is a micro ATX board, so yes you can upgrade to a full ATX mobo and fit it within that case.

Unless you plan to do 3 or more high end video cards, you really won't need a 1000W PSU. Just buy a high quality 750W-850W unit and that will easily handle your 2 cards as well as the hard drives that you mentioned.

As far as CPU's go, Intel is what I recommend to everybody. AMD is simply playing catchup. I'd recommend a core i5 as the sweet spot and has been for some time. The K versions of the chips can be overclocked as they are unlocked. A Core i7 is a stronger CPU than the i5, but could just be considered overkill in most tasks.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
ok, i honestly am having a hard time trying to understand what youre saying, would you recommend a specific board/ cpu combo?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 7 and windows 8
    Memory
    2x4,2x2 DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD Radeon 6670 2gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    insignia 24" LCd 60Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    seagate 1TB
    PSU
    520 watt dynex
    Case
    DF-85
    Cooling
    fans
    Internet Speed
    31mp down 11 up 17 ping
Not necessarily a combo. Mobos can be $80, $180, or $280 depending upon what feature sets you want. We'd really have to have an idea of your budget before we could make any recommendations.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
im hoping around $100, can go up to $150, possibly 200 for the motherboard. personally i think my i5-2300 CPU @ 2.8GHz is ok, but if i can find a better one for the price range of maybe $300-$350 for the motherboard and the CPU, i would have something to save up for. i could probably afford just a new motherboard and keep my CPU for $150 though.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 7 and windows 8
    Memory
    2x4,2x2 DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD Radeon 6670 2gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    insignia 24" LCd 60Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    seagate 1TB
    PSU
    520 watt dynex
    Case
    DF-85
    Cooling
    fans
    Internet Speed
    31mp down 11 up 17 ping
Do you currently have DDR3 ram in your existing box, or will you need to replace that too? Have you considered that in your budget?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
i hqve 12gb of ddr3 memory currently
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 7 and windows 8
    Memory
    2x4,2x2 DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD Radeon 6670 2gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    insignia 24" LCd 60Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    seagate 1TB
    PSU
    520 watt dynex
    Case
    DF-85
    Cooling
    fans
    Internet Speed
    31mp down 11 up 17 ping
pparks1? you kinda left me hanging here...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 7 and windows 8
    Memory
    2x4,2x2 DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD Radeon 6670 2gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    insignia 24" LCd 60Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    seagate 1TB
    PSU
    520 watt dynex
    Case
    DF-85
    Cooling
    fans
    Internet Speed
    31mp down 11 up 17 ping

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
wow nice pick, do you have anything with more ram slots? i saw some with 8, and i know a motherboard that can hold up to 128gb of ram for a server. is the processor better than the one i currently have? if so, how much better?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 7 and windows 8
    Memory
    2x4,2x2 DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD Radeon 6670 2gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    insignia 24" LCd 60Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    seagate 1TB
    PSU
    520 watt dynex
    Case
    DF-85
    Cooling
    fans
    Internet Speed
    31mp down 11 up 17 ping
Sorry, I thought that you were looking at the Core i5, not that you actually already had one. I would not upgrade your CPU if I were you, just get a new mobo if you need one with more slots.

I'm not sure of how many consumer boards have more than 4 RAM slots. I've certainly not had a need for more RAM. 8GB or 16GB of RAM should be absolutely plenty for the next 3-5 years for most applications and tasks. And that is easy to do with 4 slots.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
im putting the mobo and cpu that i have in another computer for my brother, which is why i wanted a combo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 7 and windows 8
    Memory
    2x4,2x2 DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD Radeon 6670 2gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    insignia 24" LCd 60Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    seagate 1TB
    PSU
    520 watt dynex
    Case
    DF-85
    Cooling
    fans
    Internet Speed
    31mp down 11 up 17 ping
also, does the mobo have a built in wifi chip?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 7 and windows 8
    Memory
    2x4,2x2 DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD Radeon 6670 2gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    insignia 24" LCd 60Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    seagate 1TB
    PSU
    520 watt dynex
    Case
    DF-85
    Cooling
    fans
    Internet Speed
    31mp down 11 up 17 ping
^ No, it does not have Wifi built in. That's something that I personally don't even take into account as my house and office are wired for Internet and I plug everything into a physical cable. I've NEVER run wireless on a desktop computer, only laptop.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
well do you think you could find me another combo, and a board with built in wifi?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 7 and windows 8
    Memory
    2x4,2x2 DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD Radeon 6670 2gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    insignia 24" LCd 60Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    seagate 1TB
    PSU
    520 watt dynex
    Case
    DF-85
    Cooling
    fans
    Internet Speed
    31mp down 11 up 17 ping

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
hmmm... im not sure. my case comes with a 3.0 usb connector, id like to connect that to my mobo too. i also need a processor since im giving my current one to my bro.
so basically i NEED
-wifi
-usb 3.0
-enough slots for 3 gfx cards
-enough room for a pci slot or two
- and most importantly, its gotta look real sexy in my case :)

id also like it to come with a better processor than i currently have, because i need around 4 GHz, preferably quad core. the price needs to be under $400. i might consider a bit higher than that, but it would take me a lot more time to make that money.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 7 and windows 8
    Memory
    2x4,2x2 DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD Radeon 6670 2gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    insignia 24" LCd 60Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    seagate 1TB
    PSU
    520 watt dynex
    Case
    DF-85
    Cooling
    fans
    Internet Speed
    31mp down 11 up 17 ping
Well, a quad core Intel Core i7-3770k is going to cost you around $330 all by itself. That's right around the 4Ghz that you seem to want.

You will have to up your budget to get both the CPU and the Mobo and stay under $400 getting 3 way SLI as well as wifi.

I just bought a Core i7-3770 for work, with an Asus P8Z77-V LK mobo and the combo was around $450. It has what you want, minus the wifi built -in.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
so what youre saying is i need to spend 450 on it, without wifi? how much is the wifi?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 7 and windows 8
    Memory
    2x4,2x2 DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    HD Radeon 6670 2gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    insignia 24" LCd 60Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    seagate 1TB
    PSU
    520 watt dynex
    Case
    DF-85
    Cooling
    fans
    Internet Speed
    31mp down 11 up 17 ping
60 more dollars or so to go from the $149 mobo to the $209 mobo I found. If you want to get a USB based or PCI based wifi connector, you can probably get cost down to $20-$30 more.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
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