Looking to upgrade Motherboard, in need of help!

elliottmarter

elliottmarter

elliottmarter

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21 May 2012
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So I have been threatening my wallet with upgrading my motherboard and processor for a couple of months now and every time I do I get totally put off by all the names and codes of the chipsets, standards, sockets etc etc etc.

Can someone give me a brief ELI5 (explain like I'm 5) of the the CPU socket and chipset nomenclature.

Also a CPU/Mobo combo for mid to high end gaming, if you wouldn't mind terribly :D

- not fussed about on-board graphics or WiFi
- On-board USB 3.0 please
- plently of SATA 3.0's to go around
- ATX size, (would E-ATX be any benefit)

Thanks
 
Best upgrading chips for mid/high-end gaming at the moment are probably the i5-4670K and i7-4770K (Z being overclockable - if you're not interested in OC'ing then you could save a tenner and get a non-K version. The -K version will always have higher re-sell value if that's an issue though.)

Those are both socket 1150 chips, and for overclocking 1150 chips you want a Z87 chipset. The following are all suitable at various price ranges, see what takes your fancy and we can give you more feedback:

YOUR BASKET
1 x Gigabyte Z87X-OC Intel Z87 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £157.99
1 x Asus Z87 MAXIMUS VI HERO Intel Z87 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £157.99
1 x Gigabyte Z87X-UD4H Intel Z87 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard with *FREE COOLERMASTER SEIDON 120V COOLER £143.99
1 x MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming Series Intel Z87 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £139.99
1 x MSI Z87-G43 Gaming Series Intel Z87 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £92.99
1 x MSI Z87-G55 Intel Z87 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £91.99
1 x Asus Z87-K Intel Z87 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £91.99
1 x Gigabyte Z87-HD3 Intel Z87 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £82.99
Total : £969.53 (includes shipping : £8.00).

 
Thanks very much for your reply hawkhench, Strange coincidence, but I actually saw the Gigabyte Z87X-OC thread on the main page just after posting this and ordered it, along with the i7-4770K, So I'm guessing by your reply that I did good right? :D
 
The OC board is more aimed at overclockers and computer enthusiasts more than gaming. It will work but you pay for extra features and lose other features which may have been more useful for you.

eg. when comparing the G1 sniper to the Gigabyte OC

g1 has good onboard audio and lan/gaming based features, the OC board has features suited to overclocking, like customizing the bios, PCIe switches and overclocking buttons.

The gigabyte OC board is still a great board regardless of whether you game or not, but you might prefer a different board for the same price.
 
elliottmarter said:
Thanks very much for your reply hawkhench, Strange coincidence, but I actually saw the Gigabyte Z87X-OC thread on the main page just after posting this and ordered it, along with the i7-4770K, So I'm guessing by your reply that I did good right? :D
Click to expand...

The cpu is also very good and clocks very well too, most get 4.2/4.3 and above with relative ease.


You broke the forum rules, accept it and stop trying to be smart by editing this post.
 
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I have another quick question if anyone is able to answer it, I currently use an Antec Kuhler H2O 920 CPU cooler, the manual doesn't mention 1150 sockets (it says it fits 1155, 1156, 1366 and 2011) however the spec on the website lists 1150 as compatible. Is there some cross compatibility or is this a mistake on the website?
 
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