I'm thinking of upgrading my HTPC (E6750, Gigabyte P35C) and im into the i7-3770s chip, can anyone tell me what the 's' stands for because there is also a 'k' which I assume is for OCing. would it be better to go with an intel mobo: Intel® Desktop Board DH77KC or a third party branded mobo and if so can anyone tell me whats the best chipset/board combo, I'm not really into OCing, I just want a quiet PC with low power draw but good performance. this CPU has the same TDP as my E6750 chip but with an extra 2 cores Regards Darren
No point getting the S, its just a power saving, worst performing version of the standard chip. The K version is indeed for overclocking but it also has the best resell value out of all the chips. For the mobo, a 3rd party one will indeed be the best choice, but it depends on your budget.
its actually the power saving im after, my pc is on 24/7 so power saving is crucial. Saying that I agree with your point on the resale value as my E6750 is going for about £30 on ebay but a QXXX is in the hundreds. thing is I wouldnt buy a 2nd hand QXXX as you do not know if the previous owner OC'd it badly. Any recommendations on a mobo for either a 3770s or 3770k then?
Still the S version will hardly make any difference compared to the K version with power saving, and if you really want, you can make a K version into an S version by underclocking it. And again, I would need a budget for the mobo to recommend you one.
my budget is whatever I need to spend, tbh, I've got my eye on the ASRock Fatal1ty from scan for £185, rule of thumb being you should spend the same amount of money on the mobo as the cpu, but i think £230 on a mobo is too much (for me anyway). are there any better mobos due to arrive on the market soon, should I wait? the k version uses 12w extra over the s version which is the same as an electric light bulb.
Personally there are a few points to go for the K over the S: 1) It will OC if you ever need to turn said HTPC into a gaming rig/ever feel the need. 2) It will sell a lot better and hold more value further down the line 3) You could underclock it to the speeds and potentially lower volts than the S version if required. 4) It will be pretty close on power draw either way. Just a few points there.
good point, the k is £28 more than the s and i know i'll get more than that back if i sell it so im gonna get the k, now the motherboard? I bought the ASRock fatal1ty pro. cant foolin wait.
