the 2500k with only mobo and RAM is already over $350
Alright, after making this post ive sortof realized how much cheaper the 3570k ends up being.. but im still really curious about any advantages of the 2500k?
3570k is a superior chip, the heat issue is overplayed. Ivy Bridge has a lower TDP, and it DOES NOT run hotter. The problem Ivy has is HEAT DISSIPATION - which results in the chip being hotter at higher overclocks, not because the architecture is inherently hotter. The biggest problem with Ivy is the shitty thermal paste between IHS and the actual die. You can solve this problem by de-lidding your CPU, but doing so will void the warranty, and if you fuck up, you will kill the CPU.
On the other hand, you may get a decent chip that doesn't get TOO hot. It's a matter of your luck more than anything else.
With a 2500k you should be able to OC it around 4.5ghz, but with Ivy you should also be able to do the same. It will probably run a bit hotter with the same OC but these chips are designed to run quite hot by default, and it shouldn't have any problems regarding longevity or degredation... you will need some serious heat for that to happen, 24/7.
I would recommend getting the H80i instead of the H70, the H70 is an old cooler and not even in stock in a lot of places. The design is a bit outdated and it doesn't cool that well. H80i is a much newer unit and performs quite a bit better than the H70.
Don't listen to people talking about how Sandy overclocks better, it really doesn't, it just uses a fluxless solder instead of cheap TIM which dissipates heat better. Ivy chips that are de-lidded tends to run a bit cooler than Sandy, even.
3570k is better than 2500k in every way, if you can get a better chip for cheaper there is no point in getting the older technology. You also need to take into consider roughly ~7% improvement in Ivy Bridge, a 4.2ghz Ivy is about the same as a 4.4ghz Sandy.
Thank you very much, unfortunately i think im stuck with the h70 for a little while... i bought it becasue i thought it was on sale, and when i got home realized that it wasnt and i decided to keep it cause my Phenom II got up to almost 70* on the stock cooler... so atleast the temps went down by like 30* .... *end rant*
H70 should be OK, I mean it's still way better than the stock cooler. As for the Xigmatek, I have no experience with it and I don't recall any review about it off the top of my head. If you want a high-end air cooler I would still go for the Noctua NH-D14, but I haven't been keeping up with much air cooler information for the past few months. Maybe there is something better out there.
If you don't have access to anything else just use the H70 for now, you can always upgrade it down the road after all.
And a 4.1-4.2ghz overclock is still pretty good after all, you won't miss the power for gaming and normal usage of stuff. Unless you are doing some serious CPU-intensive tasks or have games that basically abuse CPU-computation.
go for the 3570k Op and for cooling go for either a Cooler Master 212 Evo or Xigmatek Dark Knight ii Night Hawk edition which logan just did the review for which I'm planning to get. :)
I don't like getting mid-range air coolers, if I am going for an air cooler. A 3570k is still an enthusiast-grade CPU with a high overclocking overhead. Air doesn't cool as well as water (obviously), therefore if you want to get the most out of your chip it makes sense to get the most monstrous cooler you can get. I would still recommend the Noctua NH-D14, Phanteks PH-TC14PE, Thermalright Silver Arrow, or the Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.B with San Ace (Sanyo Denki) HG1011 fans (they are hard to find sometimes), which will actually probably give you the best air cooler you can possibly get.
And remember, Ivy doesn't dissipate heat very well, which means the trapped heat results in a hotter CPU, unfortunately. If Ivy actually had fucking proper heat dissipation it would be LESS HOT than Sandy Bridge. The technology on Ivy is actually really good... fuck Intel.