[Arkitket]

Now that the Ivy Bridge i3's have been released I could use some help finalizing my build specs.

For CPU I was thinking of the i3-3225 with HD 4000 iGPU,
or the i3-3220 and a discrete GPU (or even the i3-2120 if the SB performance difference is minimal)

For GPU I was looking at these: (HDMI with Low Profile Ready)

ASUS GT430 1GB 128-bit
GIGABYTE GT520 1GB 64-bit
ASUS GT610 1GB 64-bit.
ASUS GT620 1GB 64-bit
ASUS GT520 2GB 64-bit
ASUS HD6570 1GB 128-bit

I have decided to use our HTPC for a little gaming as well (something like Skyrim possibly) but have no clue which GPU would serve my needs best.

For motherboard I have these 3 choices:

ASRock H77M Pro4-M
GIGABYTE H77M-D3H
ASUS P8H77-M Pro

Any and all help is greatly appreciated

[bluray]

I'll go for "MSI R6570-MD2GD3/LP Radeon HD 6570 2GB" for HTPC with some games......

[Arkitket]

I'll go for "MSI R6570-MD2GD3/LP Radeon HD 6570 2GB" for HTPC with some games......

Thanks, that looks good. Wasn't showing up in my searches for some reason. Is the 2GB useful? Further searching showed a 1GB version of the MSI HD 6570.

[Jetster]

I would be courous to see how the HD 4000 iGPU handles Skyrim.

But for a gaming low profile i would definitely look at the Nvidia GT640

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6814150633

And yes Skyrim would benefit from the 2 Gb

[Arkitket]

A bit out of my price range for a discrete GPU

[assassin]

Why not try the HD4000 first? Add a card later if needed

Some of the early reports I read compared it to the 6570 which is exactly what someone in this thread recommended.

Edit: However, more recent reviews show synthetic benchmarks to be about 20% better with the 6570.

[Arkitket]

Thanks for the input assassin. I did a lot of reading this morning and I think I will go with the i3-3225 and see how it goes, and get a discrete later if need be.

Found this video http://www.eurogamer.net/videos/skyrim-a...4000-video , the iGPU of HD 4000 seems to handle Skyrim nicely (unfortunately other system specs are not given).

Does anyone have any insights into the three motherboards I listed? The ASUS has Lucid Virtu MVP, but I have limited knowledge of that. Would that allow me to in the future utilize both a discrete GPU and the iGPU of the i3?

[bluray]

I'll go for "MSI R6570-MD2GD3/LP Radeon HD 6570 2GB" for HTPC with some games......

Thanks, that looks good. Wasn't showing up in my searches for some reason. Is the 2GB useful? Further searching showed a 1GB version of the MSI HD 6570.

Smaller monitor with less intensive game, 1GB version is more than enough.....for some games, the HD6570 I suggested still better than HD4000. Here are performance comparisons on games between HD6570 vs HD4000- Intel HD Graphics 4000 and Intel HD Graphics 2500 Review, Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge GPU Performance, HD Graphics 4000: Performance In 3DMark 11 And Batman, Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge LGA1155 Processor Review........

[assassin]

I wouldn't consider the 6570 a gaming card personally.

[bluray]

I wouldn't consider the 6570 a gaming card personally.

Ah, you must have missed the magic words, as OP put it- "a little gaming as well (something like Skyrim possibly)"......a discrete HD6570 is better than an iGPU HD4000----here are Skyrim tests on HD6570 vs HD4000- HD Graphics 4000: Performance In Skyrim And WoW......

The higher the resolution, the wider the gap......

[Arkitket]

As far as gaming goes, Skyrim level system requirements is probably the highest I'd go. I have a 360 that I do 95% of my gaming on. I was just planning on putting on a couple of cheap fun games on the HTPC for the occasional time I don't want to play the 360, or when the kids would like to play some games. Most of their games are just the LEGO games (Star Wars, Batman, Indiana Jones). With Assassin's Creed 3 and Halo 4 coming out this fall I probably won't be playing anything on the HTPC until into the new year, at which time I will have a bit more disposable funds to put in a discrete GPU without worry of budget.

For now I think the HD4000 will suit well (if possible I will probably just increase the shared memory alotted to the iGPU). I asked earlier though if the Lucid Virtu technology that comes with the ASUS motherboard will allow me to utilize both a iGPU and a discrete GPU in tandem, I don't know much about the Lucid Virtu stuff. Does it work like Crossfire or SLI?

[assassin]

As far as gaming goes, Skyrim level system requirements is probably the highest I'd go. I have a 360 that I do 95% of my gaming on. I was just planning on putting on a couple of cheap fun games on the HTPC for the occasional time I don't want to play the 360, or when the kids would like to play some games. Most of their games are just the LEGO games (Star Wars, Batman, Indiana Jones). With Assassin's Creed 3 and Halo 4 coming out this fall I probably won't be playing anything on the HTPC until into the new year, at which time I will have a bit more disposable funds to put in a discrete GPU without worry of budget.

For now I think the HD4000 will suit well (if possible I will probably just increase the shared memory alotted to the iGPU). I asked earlier though if the Lucid Virtu technology that comes with the ASUS motherboard will allow me to utilize both a iGPU and a discrete GPU in tandem, I don't know much about the Lucid Virtu stuff. Does it work like Crossfire or SLI?

Lucid Virtu allows you to automatically switch between the discrete card for applications such as gaming and the integrated GPU for desktop and HTPC use. There are a few at AVS that use it and really like it. I haven't tinkered with it much as I don't game.

[Arkitket]

Hmm I see. Sounds like it could be useful. Just need to decide between the Gigabyte, ASRock, and ASUS motherboards. I am kind of leaning to the ASUS though, although it is the most expensive.

[Arkitket]

Does anyone have any experience with the three motherboards I listed in the original post?