Upgrade advice from i7 6th gen

ATiRubyfan

ATiRubyfan

ATiRubyfan

Associate
Joined
26 Dec 2020
Posts
179
Hello!

My current rig consists of this :
Zalman Z9 case
Seasonic 650W PSU
i7 6700
Xigmatek Thor's hammer Heatsink
14cm Noctua cooling fan
ASUS Z370-A PRIME
16GB G.SKILL TridentZ DDR4
Samsung 980 NVME SSD
Sapphire RX6700XT
DVDRW drive

I have bought a new i7 12700K
I am after an ASUS motherboard as I have always loved the brand and the looks of their motherboards.
Can I kep the same heatsink? It's massive and really keeps the current CPU cool.
I am happy to keep my current RAM, if possible.
My zalman Z9 is quite strong and it has been with me for over 10 years. But, it is quite big and does not have a clear side window.
 
ATiRubyfan said:
Can I kep the same heatsink? It's massive and really keeps the current CPU cool.
Click to expand...
Officially: socket 1700 is not compatible with socket 115x/1200 coolers.

Unofficially: it depends. You can find videos that go into more detail on YouTube, but the mounting mechanism is the key factor. You might be able to modify it (well, you can certainly modify it, but it comes down to your skills and if that is worth bothering).

The good news is that if you do need a new cooler, there are very affordable air coolers that can cool your CPU reasonably well (at least, plenty good enough for gaming), like the freezer 36 and peerless assassin/phantom spirit.

ATiRubyfan said:
I am happy to keep my current RAM, if possible.
Click to expand...
Yep, possible, but personally I wouldn't bother buying a DDR4 board just to keep 16GB of DDR4 memory. 32GB I'd say is worthwhile..., but not less than that.

Do you care about how many M.2 slots the motherboard has?

Anything else is required, like USB ports, sound, wireless?
 
Personal opinion I would be looking to get rid of that zelman z9 is well, there is so many cases on market for little money that would offer lot better airflow, not sure if window is necessary to your needs, only you can decide that, more cases with it now days, case is always personal decision. As for Cooler PA120 for not a lot of money might get you easier life then trying to work out if your fits. I'm sure others will be able to suggest more options.
 
Last edited:
Tetras said:
Officially: socket 1700 is not compatible with socket 115x/1200 coolers.

Unofficially: it depends. You can find videos that go into more detail on YouTube, but the mounting mechanism is the key factor. You might be able to modify it (well, you can certainly modify it, but it comes down to your skills and if that is worth bothering).

The good news is that if you do need a new cooler, there are very affordable air coolers that can cool your CPU reasonably well (at least, plenty good enough for gaming), like the freezer 36 and peerless assassin/phantom spirit.


Yep, possible, but personally I wouldn't bother buying a DDR4 board just to keep 16GB of DDR4 memory. 32GB I'd say is worthwhile..., but not less than that.

Do you care about how many M.2 slots the motherboard has?

Anything else is required, like USB ports, sound, wireless?
Click to expand...
I have had a a look and it seems I really have to let go of my beloved heatsink. Can I take off the fans from the coolers you mentioned? I want to only use the Noctua fan.
Just a single M2 slot is enough for my needs. Don't need wireless and I am not too bothered about other features.


ade555 said:
Personal opinion I would be looking to get rid of that zelman z9 is well, there is so many cases on market for little money that would offer lot better airflow, not sure if window is necessary to your needs, only you can decide that, more cases with it now days, case is always personal decision. As for Cooler PA120 for not a lot of money might get you easier life then trying to work out if your fits. I'm sure others will be able to suggest more options.
Click to expand...
Actually, it's the Zalamn Z9 PLus. Are cases still amde from SECC steel or are they all plastic or cheap tin now?
 
ATiRubyfan said:
I have had a a look and it seems I really have to let go of my beloved heatsink. Can I take off the fans from the coolers you mentioned? I want to only use the Noctua fan.
Click to expand...
I don't know, but honestly I think that would be pointless, because if you add premium Noctua fans to the cost of these coolers you might as well just buy the Noctua equivalent and get the extended support/warranty service.

ATiRubyfan said:
Just a single M2 slot is enough for my needs. Don't need wireless and I am not too bothered about other features.
Click to expand...
Well, pretty much any board would do then, but I wouldn't go too cheap because the 12700K needs an acceptable VRM.

Note that B760 can't overclock and may have limited ability to undervolt/adjust voltages, though you can change the power limits (PL1/PL2).

My basket at OcUK:

Total: £243.98 (includes delivery: £3.99)​
 
I have since bought a MSI Z790 motherboard and 32GB Crucial DDR5 as it was going for cheap.
I am still stuck with the cooler. I just want a big block with no fans!

Xigmatek-Thor-Hammer_11.jpg
 
Tetras said:
Which CPU are you using? A 12700K? I don't think you could passively cool that unless you very heavily power limited the CPU to like... 65 watt.
Click to expand...
Yes, the plan is to use my i7 12700k.

At the moment , on my i7-6700, a 14cm Noctua fan is screwed to the case and sits on top of the giant Xigamtek heatsink.
 
I have just gone for the Phantom spirit. Thanks Tetras.
Now, I need a case made from steel like the Zalman with a windowed side, a fan controller at the front and a space for a DVD drive.
 
ATiRubyfan said:
I have just gone for the Phantom spirit. Thanks Tetras.
Now, I need a case made from steel like the Zalman with a windowed side, a fan controller at the front and a space for a DVD drive.
Click to expand...
Needing a DVD drive would hugely restrict your choice of case because most cases have dumped them.

Fan controllers: most cases have these internal now, or you can just use the motherboard to control them. The days when you required a fan controller are long gone for the average build.

The following cases are steel.

The Enthoo Pro 2 no longer has 5.25" bays and the P600 also does not.

My basket at OcUK:

Total: £621.47 (includes delivery: £23.98)​

Fractal Pop XL and bequiet pure base 600 and Corsair 110R still have the optical bay.
 
Phanteks Eclipse P400S Glass Midi Tower Case - Noise Dampened Gun Metal
CA-06A-PT
£70 (incl. VAT)
£55 (incl. VAT)
Find out more
Phanteks Enthoo Pro Mid Tower Case with Window - Black
CA-002-PT
£115 (incl. VAT)
Find out more
Phanteks Enthoo Pro Glass Midi Tower Case - Black
CA-075-PT
£125 (incl. VAT)
Find out more
Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 Full Tower Case Tempered Glass Window DRGB Satin Black
CA-0A8-PT
£150 (incl. VAT)
Find out more
Phanteks Eclipse P600S Glass Silent Midi Tower Case - Black
CA-08T-PT
£153 (incl. VAT)
Find out more
Last edited:
I decided to keep the Zalman case.
I might order an acryclic side window in the future. Everything's surprisingly quiet with the two fans on the Phantom Spirit, A Noctua fan right above and the Zalman case fan at the front.
 
Update :

I ended up with these :

620W PSU Seasonic M12 II Evo - £55 (Reusing , Bought in 2018 )
MSI PRO Z790P-WIFI - £150
i7 12700k - £183 ( Bought in July this year )
Thermalright Phantom spirit - £31.79
Thermalright pressure plate - £7.19
32GB Crucial DDR5 RAM 5200MHz - £50.48
Sapphire RX6700XT - £250 ( Bought July 2023 )
1TB Samsung 980 - £58 ( Bought in summer this year)

Total spent - £730.46 ( excl old PSU, Noctua fan and case )
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom