[SOLVED] Does the series of your CPU determine which motherboard I need to buy?

[Cybershwartz]

Does the series of your CPU matter when it comes to picking a motherboard?

I have a 6th gen Intel Core i7-6700 CPU, a friend told me because it’s 6th gen it’s only compatible with a 100 series chipset. Why does that matter, or does it at all? I thought the only important aspect is if it’s the right socket type.

if it does matter, how can I find an effective motherboard that supports my CPU? Thank you!

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, all the parts need to be compatible.
CPU, RAM, motherboard.

For speccing out a whole new system, here is a good place to start:

*How to Ask for New Build or Upgrade Advice*

How to Ask for New Build or Upgrade Advice First off, respect where respect is due - this is an adaptation of the Animal's *How To Ask For New Build Advice* Sticky. I created this because there's a lot of posts nowadays asking for upgrade advice both on here and on the CPU forums, and I feel...

forums.tomshardware.com

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Socket type is the first thing you look at. If you have the wrong socket the CPU may not physically fit.

However you need to look at chipset as well. The only motherboards that will work with an I7 6700 are 100 and the newer 200 series boards. The new 300 series boards will not work.

You may find some stragglers for sale, but you may want to look used as they arent mass produced anymore.

Oh also, some boards for that generation use DDR3, although most need DDR4, so concider that.

Asrock H110M-HDS R3.0 is the cheapest new board i see coming in at $55. It supports DDR4 2133mhz and no higher.

Or for $70 you can get an ASRock Z170A-X1 which will support DDR4 without any ram speed cap. Heck you could even overclock your CPU if you had bought a -k CPU.

 

[Cybershwartz]

Thank you guys for the advice!