[SOLVED] Help Picking a CPU Compatible With My Motherboard

[tinycanoe]

I got a Gigabyte GA-Z270-HD3 motherboard with an Intel i5 7600K @3.8GHz. I've had this CPU for about 5 years now and whenever I play most games my CPU is usually sitting at 100% and I haven't been able to figure out any solution apart from my CPU just being old. I'm thinking of upgrading or just getting another newer i5. Any suggestions? My main question is what CPU's would be compatible with this motherboard? I know it's a little older so I'm not sure if it's even compatible with newer CPU's. Thanks everyone!

-Trevor

 

[Nine Layer Nige]

You could probably go to an i7-7700k which is 4 core/8 thread. Depending on what BIOS version, you MAY need to update the BIOS before the swap if the i7 was previously not compatible with an earlier BIOS or they since improved stability, although it states on the Gigabyte website that the i7 was supported since BIOS version F1 (first release).

To give the community a better understanding of your system, please run UserBenchMark and post a link to the results.

 

[Lafong]

You could upgrade to some extent with that motherboard.....but you'd likely be underwhelmed.

A significant upgrade would require a new motherboard, and if you did that you may as well go to the current "12th generation" stuff....which would require a socket 1700 motherboard.

 

[KyaraM]

Had the same issue with this very same CPU. Got the i7-12700K, an MSI Pro Z690-A, and am very happy ever since. Though this CPU would call for a good GPU as well. Got the 12700K to be more energy efficient than the old one, even... honestly, it feels like the e-cores alone are as powerful as the entire old CPU, and I got a feeling that's not justy imagination...

 

[geofelt]

Here is a list of processors supported by your motherboard:
https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/GA-Z270-HD3-rev-10/support#support-cpu
The only useful one that is stronger would be a I7-7700K
They sell for $200 or so used on ebay.
The main benefit is 4 extra threads, but the single core performance that most games need will not be different.
Not a good value.

For under $300, or so, you could buy a I3-12100 that is about 2x as strong, along with 16gb of ddr4 ram and a lga1700 motherboard.
Here is a review of the 12100:
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-core-i3-12100-12100f-review

 

[tinycanoe]

You could probably go to an i7-7700k which is 4 core/8 thread. Depending on what BIOS version, you MAY need to update the BIOS before the swap if the i7 was previously not compatible with an earlier BIOS or they since improved stability, although it states on the Gigabyte website that the i7 was supported since BIOS version F1 (first release).

To give the community a better understanding of your system, please run UserBenchMark and post a link to the results.

UserBenchmarks: Game 53%, Desk 96%, Work 43%
CPU: Intel Core i5-7600K - 84.6%
GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060-6GB - 54.9%
SSD: Samsung 970 Evo Plus NVMe PCIe M.2 2TB - 339.2%
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 3TB (2017) - 68.8%
RAM: Crucial BLS8G4D240FSB.16FBD 2x8GB - 84.4%
MBD: Gigabyte GA-Z270-HD3-CF

I'm currently thinking of upgrading the gpu to a 3070, I don't think I'd need any stronger as I only play in 2K and don't plan on buying a new 4K monitor anytime soon. I think a 3070 would work fine in my motherboard?

 

[John Chesterfield]

You wouldn't fully get your money's worth out of the 3070 with the i5, it wouldn't push it enough. But it would give you an uplift in performance. Not necessarily a lot more frames if any as the CPU largely determines that number, but you could turn more graphics effects up without losing performance.

 

[KyaraM]

UserBenchmarks: Game 53%, Desk 96%, Work 43%
CPU: Intel Core i5-7600K - 84.6%
GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060-6GB - 54.9%
SSD: Samsung 970 Evo Plus NVMe PCIe M.2 2TB - 339.2%
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 3TB (2017) - 68.8%
RAM: Crucial BLS8G4D240FSB.16FBD 2x8GB - 84.4%
MBD: Gigabyte GA-Z270-HD3-CF

I'm currently thinking of upgrading the gpu to a 3070, I don't think I'd need any stronger as I only play in 2K and don't plan on buying a new 4K monitor anytime soon. I think a 3070 would work fine in my motherboard?

Yes, it would work, BUT the CPU would limit that GPU quite a bit. I mean, you are slreadh in the CPU limit, how would that change with a better GPU?

Really, I would upgrade both... a 12100 or 12400 (if you feel you need the extra cores) and a MSI Pro B660M-A or similar with 16GB 3600 DDR4 RAM would be a good fit for that planned 3070 at 2k.

Really, that's just not that great of an CPU anymore.

 

[geofelt]

Some games are graphics limited like fast action shooters.
Others are cpu core speed limited like strategy, sims, and mmo.
Multiplayer tends to like many threads.

You need to find out which.
------------------------------------------------------------
To help clarify your CPU/GPU options, run this test:
Run YOUR games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
This makes the graphics card loaf a bit.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.
If your FPS stays the same, you are likely more cpu limited.
your 4 processing threads may be a limitation in some games, but it is the single thread performance of the master thread that impacts games most.
Run the CPU-Z bench test and look at the single thread rating.
It should be perhaps 538:
http://valid.x86.fr/bench/5fb4sd
Those tests likely are mostly done with an overclocked 7600K.
7700K will be virtually the same.

Since you are sitting at 100% cpu now, it seems clear that a cpu upgrade is in order before the graphics card update.

I would not chase many threads. Once you get to about 8 you will find that more are not effectively used.
8 thread 12100 single thread scores 657,
12 thread 12400 scores 702