Question i7 4790k with an old ECS B85H3-M

[heldkaiser26]

Hi everybody.
I recently recieved an RX 6400 as a gift, so I could upgrade my old PC with an i5 4440 and 32 GB RAM (1600 Mhz). It is a big difference and they work great but I noticed the i5 is bottlenecking GPU in some games, so I was thinking to get an 4790k.
Not sure if my mobo (ECS B85H3-M) supports this CPU, i've already checked the support list (https://www.ecs.com.tw/he/Product/Motherboard/B85H3-M/support) and it doesn't appears there even though it has the same LGA 1150 socket.
Can anybody help me out?
Sorry in any case for my writing, i'm not a native english speaker

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

What you'll be doing is alleviating a small percentage of the limit that you're experiencing now. What sort of resolution are you working with at this moment of time for your gaming?

Even though the processor isn't mention in the supported processors list, you should take that information with a grain of salt, since it's essentially an i7-4770K which has been tweaked. Other boards needed a BIOS update in order for the end user to drop in a Haswell refresh processor.

My vote is don't do it.

 

[MrN1ce9uy]

I would also caution against expecting a processor that is not on the list to work. I recently ran into that issue with the absolute cheapest Intel Celeron not working on an LGA 1200 motherboard simply because it was not on the list.

Stick with a CPU that is on the support list! i7-4790 or i7-4770K or similar.

 

[TerryLaze]

Yeah, the main problem with old CPUs is that the single core speed just isn't enough anymore or that the ram is much slower than todays. Getting a CPU with more threads isn't going to fix that problem.

I experienced it first hand, that i5 is slower than a current pentium in games that rely on single core.

Just increase picture quality if you want to make the GPU work harder, or leave it as it is and enjoy lower power and heat.

Save your money and upgrade to a new platform whenever you can.

 

[jnjnilson6]

Hi everybody.
I recently recieved an RX 6400 as a gift, so I could upgrade my old PC with an i5 4440 and 32 GB RAM (1600 Mhz). It is a big difference and they work great but I noticed the i5 is bottlenecking GPU in some games, so I was thinking to get an 4790k.
Not sure if my mobo (ECS B85H3-M) supports this CPU, i've already checked the support list (https://www.ecs.com.tw/he/Product/Motherboard/B85H3-M/support) and it doesn't appears there even though it has the same LGA 1150 socket.
Can anybody help me out?
Sorry in any case for my writing, i'm not a native english speaker

There is some chance the 'K' version may not be supported. Furthermore, there exists a synonymous chance it may be supported, but that cannot be stated with certainty. It would be a roll of the dice whether it would work with the latest BIOS or not. Otherwise, if you can find a 4790 (without the K) for a really low price and update the BIOS to the latest version (updating BIOS does hide risks) it would be a worthwhile update.

This is the difference between your current CPU and the 4790 (non-K).

Now, you may not need to update the BIOS. Click on Start -> System Information -> Check the BIOS version and date. If it is from 05/08/2014 or later, you may not need to update. If you do decide to update, a power shortage or Antivirus software running simultaneously with Windows would be a cause for concern. Updating the BIOS can break your system, so do proceed, if you invariably will, with caution.

 

[heldkaiser26]

What sort of resolution are you working with at this moment of time for your gaming?

Thanks for your advice, currently I have a 1366x178 display so is the maximum resolution I can use by the moment.
Actually I forgot to mention that I sometimes do some freelance tasks as Graphic Designer in Photoshop or Illustrator, so I was wondering if the multi-core performance make a difference between the i5 4440 and i7 4790k.

 

[TerryLaze]

Thanks for your advice, currently I have a 1366x178 display so is the maximum resolution I can use by the moment.
Actually I forgot to mention that I sometimes do some freelance tasks as Graphic Designer in Photoshop or Illustrator, so I was wondering if the multi-core performance make a difference between the i5 4440 and i7 4790k.

If you use filters or whatever that make the i5 go to 100% usage then those would be helped by the i7, anything else not that much just the difference in clocks.

 

[heldkaiser26]

Now, you may not need to update the BIOS. Click on Start -> System Information -> Check the BIOS version and date. If it is from 05/08/2014 or later

I have found that the date of the last BIOS in my system is from 07/16/2013:

but looking on the page for the last version it's the same I have now:

So, if I can't found it on the official page, means that I can't upgrade my CPU, right?

 

[jnjnilson6]

I have found that the date of the last BIOS in my system is from 07/16/2013:

but looking on the page for the last version it's the same I have now:

So, if I can't found it on the official page, means that I can't upgrade my CPU, right?

Yeah. It should be so that any upgrading outside of the options provided on the site would indubitably prove dubious and hazardous, so I think we may not be able to figure out how to get to a later version than the one portrayed above.

 

[heldkaiser26]

Yeah. It should be so that any upgrading outside of the options provided on the site would indubitably prove dubious and hazardous, so I think we may not be able to figure out how to get to a later version than the one portrayed above.

Well, I don't feel confident enough to search a BIOS version in another page and update, it would be an unnecessary risk. Maybe a 4770k should work as I see in this list: https://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-ECS/B85H3-M(V1.0).html, it seems working with the data version I have.

What do you think? Can I trust in this page?

 

[heldkaiser26]

If you use filters or whatever that make the i5 go to 100% usage then those would be helped by the i7, anything else not that much just the difference in clocks.

Yeah, I realize that in simple tasks or just opening Photoshop or Premiere Pro the i5 usage increases until 99% for a few seconds, I don't know how good that is

 

[jnjnilson6]

Well, I don't feel confident enough to search a BIOS version in another page and update, it would be an unnecessary risk. Maybe a 4770k should work as I see in this list: https://www.cpu-upgrade.com/mb-ECS/B85H3-M(V1.0).html, it seems working with the data version I have.

What do you think? Can I trust in this page?

Well, there is a slight slight chance we may not be able to trust that page; but it seems to appear legitimate within the data portrayed and its particulars.

The i7-4770K would be a good upgrade too. A comparison proceeds as follows.