What Motherboard to get?

[Darren77]

Hi I'm upgrading my PC from a core 2 to an i7 and need to replace my motherboard to do so.... But I have been out of the game and have no idea what to get??

Can someone please make some suggestions? I'd rather spend more and have something last longer/better but I don't want to go double the price for a 2% increase in performance.... I'm leaning towards ASUS motherboards...

Any suggestions would be great!
thx.

[ur_noobie]

Whats your budget and general use for the pc? (and preference of socket if you have one)

For intel boards, I believe Asus, Gigabyte and EVGA motherboards are good quality

[Darren77]

Mid to high range, Yes I'm looking towards ASUS because they have a good reputation, but I don't understand the different between the 2 socket types for i7.... Does one perform better or support faster CPU's?

[Dinwiddie]

X79 is for the new intel 2011 series

For socket 1155 cpus the P67 is the older chipset. Z68 is the recommended newer version.
Z68 extras -
1. Integrated graphics support
2. Use of Quicksync for video transcoding
3. SSD Caching
Motherboard prices are more about features than quality or longevity. Choose one that has the features you need/want.
ASUS and Gigabyte are popular, but AsRock has some good MB's lately.

If you don't need hyperthreading the i5 2500k is the gamers choice. The 'k' indicates the cpu is unlocked for overclocking.

You'll probably also want an aftermarket cooler even if you don't OC. If only for quieter operation.

Check the 'Uber value computer' thread for more info.

[Darren77]

X79 is for the new intel 2011 series

For socket 1155 cpus the P67 is the older chipset. Z68 is the recommended newer version.
Z68 extras -
1. Integrated graphics support
2. Use of Quicksync for video transcoding
3. SSD Caching
Motherboard prices are more about features than quality or longevity. Choose one that has the features you need/want.
ASUS and Gigabyte are popular, but AsRock has some good MB's lately.

If you don't need hyperthreading the i5 2500k is the gamers choice. The 'k' indicates the cpu is unlocked for overclocking.

You'll probably also want an aftermarket cooler even if you don't OC. If only for quieter operation.

Check the 'Uber value computer' thread for more info.

i5 2500k? are you describing the MB or CPU? Im leaning towards buying a 2011 and yes I have an aftermarket fan.

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?mai ... &vk_sort=4

suggest any of these?

[Dinwiddie]

OK, the new release. i7- 3820 (socket 2011). Yes ?
The X79 chipset motherboard selection options are still basically the same as before. Features you want/need,
and pick a brand from the PCCG page.
They're all good. I'd just pick the features I want at the best price, different strokes and all. Maybe MSI last choice.
(That's bound to be contradicted by an MSI owner. Fair enough). Using Gigabyte now. No issues with mine.
It may be a while yet before a clear winner emerges.

I was talking about both the cpu and MB before. The i5-2500 on a Z68MB is a very good gaming platform.
Fits a lot more budgets,and dollar/fps ratio people than the X79 platform too.

[ReCoN_SIERRA]

Don't walk past Asrock - they have moved ahead a lot of late and have a lot of nice layout features and thoughtful additions. Often included now are USB 3.0 front panels and very well planned fan and other headers around the perimeter of the MB.

I use one for my AMD gaming PC and it is fantastic.

Just compare features, looks and layout of the board connectors and you will see what I mean. Read through the list of specs and included gear of this board and find something else that comes close for under $200.00

[steve_rogers42]

OK,

Key differences between the two 'major' sockets for intel's core i7 products at the moment...

z68 is the chipset that uses 1155 socket.
This is for your i5 2500/k to your 2600/2700k i7's.

Z68 offers a split x16 pci-e bandwidth lane as its native from the processor. This means the Z68 platform is great for 1-2 GPU's and Sata6 of which it generally comes with a native intel controller which is far better than the more available jmicron/marvell controllers used for sata6 on older chipsets.

Socket 1155 cpu's ALL feature on-die GPU which is an intel gpu on the cpu.
ALL OF THEM.

For average use, and some hardcore gaming a slightly overclocked 2500k with a decent gpu like a 580 or a 7950 will net you best bang for buck. 2600k or 2700 for the best will reduce the need to OC the cpu as much and net you a marginal difference in cpu intensive apps. Loading a z68 chipset up with more than 2 graphics cards is overkill for the platform


Thats where 2011 and the x79 steps in. 2011 socket Cpu's do not have an onboard GPU like the 1155 socket cpu's, instead they have an additional 2 cores. x79 is perhaps the direct replacement for 1366/i7's of the first generation as they are designed with the idea to be a mainstation, as the cpu and the gpu are again seperate. x79 also requires quad channel memory, z68 only requires dual channel ddr3.


So when deciding on what you are after have a look at it this way, 2011 is a larger buy-in, but having said that, as a hex-core owner, cpu power is always necessary so its a bit more future proof for the moment, but word is that a decent z68 motherboard is ivy bridge compatible, but you will have to wait for them to drop....

so, what will you use it for and how much are you wanting to spend for what kind of performance?

[PalZer0]

Most Z68 mobos are compatible with Ivy Bridge CPUs via a BIOS update. Having said that, hold off for mobos based on the Z77 chipset (which is the Ivy Bridge equivalent of the Z68 chipset) if you can.

Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk

[Disruptor4]

Just over a month until Z77 and the new ivy bridge i7 series