Would a new CPU give me a good increase?

On a really tight budget I'd get:


YOUR BASKET
1 x MSI H61M-P31-G3 Intel H61 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £35.99
1 x OcUK Value 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-10666C9 1333MHz Low-Voltage Dual Channel Kit £29.99
Total : £76.48 (includes shipping : £8.75).



Which will run the i3 just fine :)

Ideally you'd get a Z68/Z77 motherboard which support overclocking [ you can't overclock the i3 but it would allow for better upgrades], but on a budget you have to make compromises, and apart from upgrade paths it's still a fine motherboard.
 
Thanks mate. Yeah with the i3 I wont be to fussed about overclocking.

I was thinking about just picking up an 8GB kit from the MM though, to save more cash. :)

I will go with that motherboard though! Looking forward to getting it together.
 
Sorry, when I say you can't overclock it I mean no matter which motherboard! The i3 series are locked [only 'K' CPUs overclock such as the i5 2500K] but it's a very good CPU for the price (especially the price you got it! :))

That's a good idea, there's usually a kit about somewhere in there!
 
I just hope it will be a worthy upgrade from an e6750. I have read into some benchmarks and reviews but in all honesty, they don't make much sense to me. :p
 
The i3 is a good CPU for gaming, and should suit you well. It's fast and efficient :)

and getting it for free, surely that makes it a worthy upgrade :p
 
Tom_D said:
I just hope it will be a worthy upgrade from an e6750. I have read into some benchmarks and reviews but in all honesty, they don't make much sense to me. :p
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I've been researching this subject for a while (stick with E6600 or upgrade) and while the common answer is to tell you to upgrade, it doesn't seem you really need to.
2 cores will be fine for a while, most games don't use 4 cores and the ones that do generally don't use them very well. The 3ghz OC on your processor would be fine as long as your graphics card is decent as that's what will do the lions share of the work. I would try gaming with it before splashing out on the gear for the i3.
 
Gti said:
I've been researching this subject for a while (stick with E6600 or upgrade) and while the common answer is to tell you to upgrade, it doesn't seem you really need to.
2 cores will be fine for a while, most games don't use 4 cores and the ones that do generally don't use them very well. The 3ghz OC on your processor would be fine as long as your graphics card is decent as that's what will do the lions share of the work. I would try gaming with it before splashing out on the gear for the i3.
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I know what you mean but it really has been a while since I've upgraded anything in my PC. £50 for a mobo and RAM has got to be a worthy stepup to the i3 I think. :)

The i3 is only 2 cores anyway isn't it?
 
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Tom_D said:
I know what you mean but it really has been a while since I've upgraded anything in my PC. £50 for a mobo and RAM has got to be a worthy stepup to the i3 I think. :)

The i3 is only 2 cores anyway isn't it?
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Yes its a dual-core - it does have hyperthreading though, so it'll appear as four cores!
 
 
If you were spending a bit more, the Gigabyte H61MA-D3V has USB3 and SATA3. However, as jamesfreddie says a cheap Z68 would give you more options in the future if you can push the budget that far.
 
The Z68 is totally out of budget guys although I do appreciate the suggestion.

I will however make the jump to the H61MA-D3V, my brother uses the same board and has never had any issues with it.

Cheers :)
 
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