Asrock z68 pro 3 gen 3,recommended processor?

[Mixu79]

Hi,Recommended processor, asrock z68 pro 3, gen 3, is it i5 2500k, i5 3570k or i7 3770k or something else?

 

[kanewolf]

Price is probably the discriminator now. Any of those three would be OK.

 

[Mixu79]

I thought i7 3770k did it need to update bios?

 

[kanewolf]

I would update the BIOS before any CPU upgrade.

 

[Mixu79]

Ok, what's the latest bios in that?

 

[kanewolf]

Latest (non BETA) BIOS is 2.30 -- http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z68%20Pro3%20Gen3/index.asp?cat=#BIOS

2.10 is all that is required to support the i7-3750K -- http://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z68%20Pro3%20Gen3/index.asp?cat=#CPU

 

[nikoli707]

do you know the bios isntalled on it will already support ivy bridge? do you even have a sandy bridge processor hand to upgrade the bios?

just get a 2600k and keep it simple. used prices for a 2600k vs 3770k are significantly different. however the performance differences are nowhere near significant, maybe even non existent depending on the overclock.

 

[Mixu79]

Motherboard box reads,to run the PCI express in gen 3 speed,please must install the ivy bridge CPU which supports PCI express gen 3,if you install sandy bridge CPU,the PCI express will run only at PCI express gen 2 speed, whats that mean?

 

[nikoli707]

Motherboard box reads,to run the PCI express in gen 3 speed,please must install the ivy bridge CPU which supports PCI express gen 3,if you install sandy bridge CPU,the PCI express will run only at PCI express gen 2 speed, whats that mean?

pcie 2.0 vs pcie 3.0. you need an ivy bridge or later cpu to run the pcie lane at 3.0 speeds. for graphics cards this means nothing as even a gtx1080ti shows no measurable difference on a pcie lane running at 2.0 speeds vs running at 3.0 speeds. dont worry about it basically.