Help buying new motherboard and cpu

Darren Hooker · 2 Oct 2018 at 19:24

Hi there,

My motherboard has given up the ghost and I need to replace it. I am aware I possibly also need to replace the CPU at the same time given how old my cpu is.

I have a fairly modest budget of about £200. I have set out below my current setup. I don't do any kind of gaming anymore so don't need anything too crazy. I am worried about ensuring everything stays compatible as i really don't know what to look for in a bundle. any help greatly appreciated. Thank you!

HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 32mb cahce
RAM: 2x8GB HyperX Fury 1866 MHz DDR3
CPU: AMD Phenom II x4 quad core 850 3.3GHz
Power: OCZ ZS Series 750W 80 Plus Bronze
Graphics Card: Asus NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 4GB 128bit memory, pci express

Darren Hooker · 2 Oct 2018 at 19:31

Just from looking at other people's responses from other threads, I'm wondering whether the below is the best option, coming in at £215:

RYZEN 5 QUAD CORE 1400 3.40GHZ (SOCKET AM4) PROCESSOR
AB350N-GAMING WIFI AMD B350 (SOCKET AM4) DDR4 MINI ITX MOTHERBOARD

Darren Hooker · 2 Oct 2018 at 19:39

Spankme said:
That board supports DDR4. The OP's ram is DDR3

Ah ok, that's exactly why I am here, because I'll inevitably end up getting something non-compatible! Can you recommend a motherboard and CPU for DDR3?

Darren Hooker · 2 Oct 2018 at 19:57

Spankme said:
you could go ryzen 5, a very very good processor but 8 gig of DDR4 ram alone wil set you back around £80

what size board do you need? ATX or MATX?

Hmm, yeah, I'd probably rather not replace the ram if I can avoid it. I don't have any specific size requirement, as far as I'm aware, my case supports all sizes and I only use 1 pcie slot for the gpu

Darren Hooker · 2 Oct 2018 at 21:08

OK, thanks for your help guys. So you think moving to DDR4 is a better option than trying to find a motherboard and processor to support DDR3? It takes me over budget, but maybe I can sell my DDR3 RAM

Darren Hooker · 2 Oct 2018 at 21:20

Spankme said:
Absolutely, you buget is £200 and to go a whole generation up for an extra £20 is an absolute no brainer

Brill, thank you. Appreciate it

Darren Hooker · 4 Oct 2018 at 23:02

Thanks for the help guys. I've gone with spank's system, ordered it and set it up today. Problem is the red led cpu light is on and it won't post. Reading about the problem seems like it's a bios issue. Appreciate this is not a troubleshooting thread, but any advice anyone can give on how to resolve?

Darren Hooker · 5 Oct 2018 at 07:36

Spankme said:
if its a b350 board and a 1 series ryzen processor (1200, 1300, 1500 and so on) it should post no probs. have u got a gfx card plugged in?

Yes, I am using a gt force 1050ti card, but I've also tried it jist plugged straight into the motherboard.

I've found various threads with people having the same problem, like this: http://forum.gigabyte.us/thread/2398/350-gaming-red-light-post

I'm at a bit of a loss of what to do

Darren Hooker · 5 Oct 2018 at 13:05

Yes, the cpu is def seated correctly, and the fans and leds work when powered on. I called overclockers and they straight away said the issue was probably bios, which corresponds with what I've read on various forums, so I've got to send it back so they can update. thanks for your help