[SOLVED] CPU+Mobo upgrade

Apr 13, 2022
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Hi fellow custom-build pc enthusiasts:

I'm looking to upgrade my CPU/Mobo/RAM for now. I am eyeing the Intel i5-12600K chip and looking for a Mobo recommendation! What is there to look out for nowadays and are there anything else I should consider for compatibility?

I am wondering also, for my PSU-- is it possible to buy 3rd party PSU cables? I do not know where my extra/non-used corsair PSU cables are haha and hopefully I will just reuse the cables I already have.

Thank you for the help!

Here are my below current pc specs:
Case: Thermaltake Chaser MK-1 full tower
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H ATX LGA 1155
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4 GHz Quad-core Processor (Ivy Bridge)
GPU: EVGA Geforce GTX 1060 6gb SC
RAM: 16GB RAM Corsair Vengeance DDR3
PSU: Corsair HX750 W (Semi-Modular)
Monitor: Alienware AW3420DW 34" 3440x1440 120Hz Monitor
 
Solution
am eyeing the Intel i5-12600K
very nice option for mid > upper range gaming systems.
performs even better in games than the majority, if not all, of previous Intel Core #700K & #900K series.
looking for a Mobo recommendation
for the last 6 years or so i've exclusively used ASUS motherboards for my personal builds but their support has severely declined over time. hardware quality still seems to be top of the line but software development and customer service have taken a nose dive.
Gigabyte seems to have the highest reports/complaints of compatibility and malfunctioning issues across the majority of their hardware.
i had lots if issues with multiple AsRock boards, but this was many years ago. recently they seem to...
am eyeing the Intel i5-12600K
very nice option for mid > upper range gaming systems.
performs even better in games than the majority, if not all, of previous Intel Core #700K & #900K series.
looking for a Mobo recommendation
for the last 6 years or so i've exclusively used ASUS motherboards for my personal builds but their support has severely declined over time. hardware quality still seems to be top of the line but software development and customer service have taken a nose dive.
Gigabyte seems to have the highest reports/complaints of compatibility and malfunctioning issues across the majority of their hardware.
i had lots if issues with multiple AsRock boards, but this was many years ago. recently they seem to have become one of the more trustworthy options available.
and i had all good experiences with MSI boards.

since you're focusing on a 'K' model processor you should keep in mind the option for overclocking and getting the best available performance out of it.
in this scenario you should be looking at a nicer Z690 chipset board.

the biggest decision for you may really be if you want to use DDR4 memory or move on to the newer DDR5.
DDR4 is quite a bit cheaper and still can offer great performance with any gaming system.
DDR5 is still costly and even with it's higher frequency models doesn't seem to show any vast improvement in gaming benchmarks.
if you have the budget to blow i'd say go for DDR5 but if looking for ways to cut costs some, DDR4.
for my PSU-- is it possible to buy 3rd party PSU cables?
there are 3rd party custom cable manufacturers but i would never trust them over the manufacturer provided sets.
if using 3rd party cables any available warranty for the power supply will not be validated, nor will any connected device coverage.
if you are just looking for replacement parts you should contact Corsair directly for them.

but the HX750w Gold is a lower>mid level power supply.
i wouldn't recommend it for a high performance gaming system.
you'd be better off getting a higher quality replacement and just using the HX to rebuild your previous parts into a system for backup, gift, or sale.

some help determining a new higher tiered PSU:
 
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Solution
very nice option for mid > upper range gaming systems.
performs even better in games than the majority, if not all, of previous Intel Core #700K & #900K series.

for the last 6 years or so i've exclusively used ASUS motherboards for my personal builds but their support has severely declined over time. hardware quality still seems to be top of the line but software development and customer service have taken a nose dive.
Gigabyte seems to have the highest reports/complaints of compatibility and malfunctioning issues across the majority of their hardware.
i had lots if issues with multiple AsRock boards, but this was many years ago. recently they seem to have become one of the more trustworthy options available.
and i had all good experiences with MSI boards.

since you're focusing on a 'K' model processor you should keep in mind the option for overclocking and getting the best available performance out of it.
in this scenario you should be looking at a nicer Z690 chipset board.

the biggest decision for you may really be if you want to use DDR4 memory or move on to the newer DDR5.
DDR4 is quite a bit cheaper and still can offer great performance with any gaming system.
DDR5 is still costly and even with it's higher frequency models doesn't seem to show any vast improvement in gaming benchmarks.
if you have the budget to blow i'd say go for DDR5 but if looking for ways to cut costs some, DDR4.

there are 3rd party custom cable manufacturers but i would never trust them over the manufacturer provided sets.
if using 3rd party cables any available warranty for the power supply will not be validated, nor will any connected device coverage.
if you are just looking for replacement parts you should contact Corsair directly for them.

but the HX750w Gold is a lower>mid level power supply.
i wouldn't recommend it for a high performance gaming system.
you'd be better off getting a higher quality replacement and just using the HX to rebuild your previous parts into a system for backup, gift, or sale.

some help determining a new higher tiered PSU:
Thank you for your elaborate response!! I am following your suggestions and now looking at

MSI z690 MPG Edge DDR4
https://www.microcenter.com/product...edge-wifi-ddr4-intel-lga-1700-atx-motherboard
 
Here's another option to have a look at.

https://www.microcenter.com/product...gaming-wifi-d4-intel-lga-1700-atx-motherboard
ASUS H670-PRO TUF Gaming WiFi D4 $229.99 Save $20 when bundled with a compatible eligible processor

https://www.asus.com/Motherboards-Components/Motherboards/TUF-Gaming/TUF-GAMING-H670-PRO-WIFI-D4/

https://www.microcenter.com/product...0-boxed-processor-intel-stock-cooler-included
Intel Core i7-12700 $319.99

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...12700-processor-25m-cache-up-to-4-90-ghz.html