I7 980 or E5-1660 V3/V4 options available
I7 980 or E5-1660 V3/V4 options available
Hey there! I'm trying to decide what to do for a gaming PC under $300-400. My goal was to upgrade an old LGA 1366 board into a budget rig, but now I'm stuck between options. I still have 32GB DDR3 RAM (though it only supports 24GB), an i7-980 processor, and a GTX 980 graphics card. Recently I've found the LGA 2011 platform, especially the E5-1660 V3/V4, to be really wallet-friendly. My main question is whether I should invest in a better board like the X99 with a 1660 V3 or V4, or if my current setup will work for the GTX 980. TL;DR – should I splurge on the new board or keep what I have? Thanks for any help!
No AVX support on the 1366 model, no garbage collection in SSD RAID, significant power usage, as much as I enjoyed the X58, and for as long as I used it. I wouldn’t consider it a smart choice. Newer models are preferable. My 3770K performed better than my X5690, at least that’s what I noticed.
With updated components, similar parts should cost between 250 and 300 dollars. PCPartPicker provides a list here: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/g42hkJ. The CPU is an AMD Ryzen 5 5500 3.6 GHz 6-core model priced at 99 dollars at Best Buy. The motherboard is the ASRock B450M/ac R2.0 Micro ATX AM4 board for 74.98 dollars on Amazon. Memory includes Silicon Power GAMING 16 GB (two 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 RAM at 30.97 dollars from Amazon. Storage is a Crucial P3 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVMe SSD for 43.99 dollars on Amazon. The case is the Jonsbo C6 MicroATX Mini Tower from Newegg sellers at 50 dollars. The power supply is SeaSonic FOCUS Plus 650 Gold 650W, gold-certified and modular ATX unit for 89.99 dollars on Newegg. Overall cost comes to about 388.93 dollars, covering shipping, taxes, and any available discounts. This information was generated by PCPartPicker on October 8, 2023 at 23:20 EDT.
E5 1660 v3 seems solid, steer clear of v4 since it won’t run well. v3 and lower usually work with throttling, but your X99 is a locked-down workstation. For China models, just need a BIOS tweak to bypass power limits—use AmiBCP and flash if needed. Unless there’s a better path, X58 is mainly for enthusiasts now. At least the IMCs are decent, not the weak links seen with older generations. Spoiler: I only have Nehalems because I haven’t bought a Westmere with a solid IMC (like non-EX or Xeon or i7). I can reach 2800 DDR3 stable with 1:1 uncore memclk on these dual-sided CFRS chips. 3000 is possible but the CFRS are maxed out (needs ~2.1V for this setting; even at 2.5V it won’t lock). The chip won’t run above 1.7V uncore, so stuck around 3100 on GDI. 3200+ PSCs are doable if the board isn’t crippling the uncore (currently needs ~2.1V). My PSCs are bad, but a 980 should handle 3600+ as long as you’re not using a bad ASUS board that forces 1.5:1 uncore memclk. X58A would be perfect for boosting RAM clocks on X58, and I’d love to buy one if I could find it.
The x99 setup brings a lot of excitement. I’m currently using an ASUS x99 Deluxe II board and an Intel Core i7 6850k with six cores and 12 threads. A matching CPU would be ideal. However, if you intend to use Windows 11, opt for a motherboard featuring a TPM 2.0 header and ensure it’s properly configured. I’ve had to install Windows 11 Pro bare metal because of a loophole—though the system now accepts TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot. This works well with an 8th Gen or newer CPU, but running Windows 11 on a 6th Gen HEDT model is acceptable, though performance may be similar to a stock i7 8700k when overclocked. The x99 remains budget-friendly if you enjoy sourcing and selecting components carefully. On the downside, it attracts those looking to profit from outdated hardware. I’m shifting focus to the x299 platform, as prices are dropping in the Used Hardware / New Old Stock market—perfect timing for a value hunt. For instance, I recently bought an ASUS ROG Stix x299-E Gaming II board in Used & Tested condition with BIOS updates for $189.99 USD or $260 CAD. Newegg.ca lists it at $699 CAD. Keep exploring the x99 setup; it still offers great satisfaction while I finalize my build.