Poll of the Day > So if my motherboard supports i7 4th generation

(+) Yeah! (+)

That means I can't get an 8th gen right? I'd have to get a 4th gen or lower? Or only 4th gen?

I just want to make sure I get the right one when I'm ever able to get it. I want to know how much I'm limited to. And/or if I should be thinking about starting a new PC instead. Which I don't think would be the best thing for some reason. Besides not being able to have the money anytime soon that is.

My motherboard specs thing says this

Socket Type: LGA 1150
CPU Type: 4th Generation Intel Core i7 / Core i5 / Core i3 / Pentium / Celeron processors for LGA 1150 socket
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I always forget about pcpartpicker. I never learned how to use it. I guess now's as good a time as any.
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Yeah you're gonna want a new motherboard
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So I think this is how to post my current PC. How do I find a compatible CPU?

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/allstarsniper32/saved/#view=XG82RB
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Since you've already picked a motherboard: when you go to pick a CPU the list will only populate with compatible CPUs.
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ohhhh ok. So when I click the edit parts, then click "Choose CPU", the list is only compatible CPUs. Thanks!

I'll admit When I used the site before, the giant lists popped up and it was just overwhelming.
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Another odd question.

Since I have a MicroATX Mini Case, and my motherboard fits that, does that mean I have to get a new motherboard for a bigger case or do smaller motherboards fit in larger cases?
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smaller motherboards fit into larger cases just fine
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Yeah, just removing the case made compatible cases show up in the list and like you said, it'll fit in any of those cases. I'd probably get at least a mid case. That'd be nice since the GPU I have is huge and doesn't fit in this small case very well.

I should also look for a monitor.

edit: but I'll do that tomorrow. My sleeping aid is kicking in so I should lay down I think....
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Best processor your motherboard supports is either the 4790k (Best bet) or the 5775C (Very hard to come by, may not be supported).

We have had this discussion before.

If you do not have a Z87 or Z97 chipset there is basically 0 point in upgrading.

Download CPU-Z and post screenshots of the CPU and Mainboard tabs like so:


CPU-Z can be found here:
https://www.cpuid.com/downloads/cpu-z/cpu-z_1.83-en.zip
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I don't remember talking about z87 or z97 before.
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There's like no point. You could get a 4790k but you cant OC it. You'll get a bit of performance out of that.

But that's like a waste of $300.
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I don't want to Overclock. That's never interested me.
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I just want to upgrade my PC.
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So then what I need to do is get a new motherboard instead? Then get the new CPU? Which also means I should probably get a new case.
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Well that's nice to know that I should be upgrading in that order. I really have no idea which upgrade order is the best.

And ugh, I just bought RAM....
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helIy posted...

Yeah you're gonna want a new motherboard

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I don't read helly's post. :P

Actually, that answer really just didn't click with me. So I kind of glossed over it.

You should have answered something like "you should probably get a new motherboard before getting a new CPU." Then I would have listened.
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What do you even look for in a motherboard?
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AllstarSniper32 posted...

What do you even look for in a motherboard?

what do you want to do?

you want to overclock?

you want decent audio?

slots?

some futureproofing?
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Zangulus posted...

Well, I always start with the processor.

What's a good starting point for a processor? I'm looking to game, and I don't need it to run new games on ultra max 10000 settings. That's what I was wanting with this current PC. I think the GPU I have is fine for my needs since I don't have to have ultra graphics but I do want to be able to turn shadows on.

anti-helly posted...

what do you want to do?

Games

anti-helly posted...

you want to overclock?

Nope

anti-helly posted...

you want decent audio?

Yes, but at the same time onboard audio has been fine for me so far.

anti-helly posted...

slots?

For...what? What do I need slots for besides extra USB slots? Or do you mean things like GPU slots as well? As for that, I have no idea and probably won't mess with them much.

anti-helly posted...

some futureproofing?

I don't even know what that means. Does that mean I'm protecting my PC from aging?
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I think the issue is that people like me helly and Zangulus take PC building as a hobby. The better question is - what's your budget?

(I swear we've had this thread before)
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only thing i can find is him talking about more ram


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www.LogicalIncrements.com

Go here, figure out what you're willing to spend, and buy the parts listed. Be aware that graphics card prices are currently heavily inflated. Now is not a good time to be rebuilding PCs.

anti-helly posted...

only thing i can find is him talking about more ram

You should consider a real Linux distribution like Arch Linux.
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Judgmenl posted...

I think the issue is that people like me helly and Zangulus take PC building as a hobby.

I don't make enough money to do PC building as a hobby. So by the time I'm able to save up some money I forget little details about what I was asking about.

Judgmenl posted...

The better question is - what's your budget?

I don't really have a budget. I'm currently saving money. It's more, "what do I have to save up to to upgrade?" I should have about $200 saved up right now but I'm not wanting to spend only $200 on the entire upgrades. I did figure I'd spend at least $300 on a CPU though.

Judgmenl posted...

(I swear we've had this thread before)

We did. I was going to get an i5 but then I had to spend like $130 on a mattress. Once that happened I no longer had the money for an i5. And I'm still willing to buy an i5 if it'd be better for my PC than an i7. I just figured I could get an i7 and then move it over to a new PC when I buy a new case and motherboard.

And as far as the motherboard goes, what exactly is limiting my current motherboard? Why should I buy a new one of those first?

And like helly posted, I did make a topic about RAM cause I knew I needed more RAM and I could afford to at least upgrade that.
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I would wait. I don't think you're going to see any meaningful gains. What do you have for a graphics card?

> I did figure I'd spend at least $300 on a CPU though.

If you're willing to spend $300 on a CPU, you could grab a Ryzen APU ($99), Motherboard and RAM for under $300. Maybe. If your GPU isn't that good you might see a overall performance increase too.

That math would work well. Looks like you can get an 2x4GB Kit of DDR4 for around $100 and there are several B350 Motherboards for under $99. I have recommended 2 other people build systems like this in the past, and one of them was very happy with the results.
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My GPU is a GTX 960.
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AllstarSniper32 posted...

My GPU is a GTX 960.

You are still probably better off with what I said and using your 960 instead of the APU. A 2200G is a $99 4-core processor and better than anything you could upgrade on Haswell tbh.
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Judgmenl posted...

anti-helly posted...

only thing i can find is him talking about more ram

You should consider a real Linux distribution like Arch Linux.

or I can use what I want to use because they're literally all the same
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So then what do I look for in a motherboard? Since I don't want to dabble in overclocking. And honestly, I don't want to have to spend money on cooling. I'd prefer if just standard case cooling is efficient.
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I was trying to look up computers to buy, yesterday. The last time I bought a new computer, it was 2008.

Well... I was quite lost. All these i3, i7 etc. Intel doesn't make it easy anymore. First it was Mhz and Ghz. Then it was # of cores. Now it's iSomething I don't even know.
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you want an i7 4443 but if you want more for your money you want an i7 4522. But never get the i7 4890 cause that is just a waste of money.

I don't like looking for them XD
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Just buy a pre-built from Microcenter if you can. They're very affordable for the specs that you get, and they're expertly built and under a great warranty. Especially with bitcoin mining tanking the GPU and RAM markets, you're better off buying a pre-built at this point, unless you already have a good core, or you only need to upgrade the Mobo / CPU like TC.

Who...are you talking to? Me? I am TC if that's the case.
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I also want my PC to be able to display 2 monitors. Right now I have two monitors but they are different sizes. Will my PC run better if they were the same size?
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AllstarSniper32 posted...

I also want my PC to be able to display 2 monitors. Right now I have two monitors but they are different sizes. Will my PC run better if they were the same size?

I doubt it matters for performance of the computer itself but It would probably look weird if they're different sizes.
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Revelation34 posted...

I doubt it matters for performance of the computer itself but It would probably look weird if they're different sizes.

I only asked cause I swear I read something that said your PC will run better if you use two monitors that are the same size. It said your PC would run slower if you had different sized monitors. I never knew how true that was though.
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AllstarSniper32 posted...

So then what do I look for in a motherboard? Since I don't want to dabble in overclocking. And honestly, I don't want to have to spend money on cooling. I'd prefer if just standard case cooling is efficient.

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