Upgrade hardware without Windows 10 being required

[Shoza]

Hi

I have an aging system and would like to make some substantial improvements but I am concerned by what I have read that newer hardware requires Windows 10 to run properly.

I am currently running Windows 7 with an i2500k and a GTX 970 and wish to stay on Windows 7 for as long as possible without a forced update to Windows 10.

What hardware could I realistically upgrade too, without having to have Windows 10 installed?

Thank you

 

[Shoza]

So would it not be worth going for a z270 or z370 gaming bundle? I was thinking about one of these with my other existing hardware (have a good SSD. PSU, case, monitor etc) already so I was looking at those overclocked bundles to upgrade the major hardware in one go.

 

[Shoza]

Why are you so bothered about staying on W7? Upgrading to W10 is a great move, I found it much smoother, reliable and easier to use.

Lots of people complain it's laggy, unreliable and harder to use than Win7 and I've had so many gaming mates crash or lag out because of all of the dodgy updates for Win10.