Question Motherboard & CPU Upgrade

[Domg13]

Hi all,

Just looking for some advice on getting a new motherboard & cpu. The short version i've had my motherboard, ASRock z77 extreme 4 and my i7 3770k for almost 10 years now and I think my motherboard has finally come to it's last day. My CPU is still kicking, but I think it might just be time to upgrade both! It's been such a long ass time since I've had to research and stay up to date with the latest and greatest. I'm pretty sure I will have to upgrade my ram too, still have some DDR3 corsair vengeance.

If I'm being honest i've always liked Intel Processors, if anyone would like to share their thoughts/opinions to point me in the right direction I was planning on trying to find anything decent at Microcenter for a motherboard/cpu combo. Any advice is appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[Karadjgne]

Exactly. With op's budget, I don't see a 3080 or better or a 40 series at all since they also realistically require a ATX 3.0 standard psu, and closer to 1000w+, so a 3060/ti or maybe a 3070 would be a decent upgrade from the 1070. Monitors don't last forever, and a 1440p/144Hz isn't budget breaking and will give good performance on a 3060-3070, so no real need for uber fps. A 12700 is stronger than the 12600k, and overall cheaper, and has better single/multi-thread performance, so stands a better chance of being relevant for longer. Even on a DDR4 mobo. As evidenced by op's current DDR3 system.

The only problem is the budget. $500 doesn't get much, not when you have to buy cpu, mobo, cooler, and ram. That's a 12100/12400 kinda territory, which is pretty good, for now, but will not be relevant for nearly as long. The 12400 would be better, but not by much. For a pc that'll last the next 5-6yrs+ is looking like closer to $600.

Op is coming from a 3770k, which has been one of intels best ever cpus, after 8 years is only now getting long in the tooth. A $500 'upgrade' will be getting a i3-3220 class cpu instead of the 3770k class, and I'm not a fan of spending so much for so little, when only a little more gets a whole lot more.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-12700 2.1 GHz 12-Core Processor ($342.98 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Fuma 2 Rev.B 39.44 CFM CPU Cooler ($65.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B660 GAMING X AX DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory ($67.99 @ Corsair)
Total: $616.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-09-28 01:19 EDT-0400

 

[Karadjgne]

If you bought a cheap mobo which has only 2 dimm slots and 1 pci-e gpu slot on lga1700. It has been done: 'Garbage board'. It exists they're gonna sell it and someone's gonna buy it and learn, 'what?'.

It's proven multiple times that DDR5 does not exactly like 4 dimms, in fact anything over 2 DIMM slots is a waste of space. There's almost zero point in having more that 1 pcie x16 slot unless you are in fact using it for an add on card like extra m.2 pcie card etc. My board has 2x dimms, 1x pcie and no requirements for more.

If you want ddr 5 on intel lga 1700 then you need the z690 or z790 boards and overclock. Overclocking pushes your hardware - will it last as long as you want? Anyone's guess. Nobody has enough experience with the platform to say definitively.

No, you do not. At all. The Only cpu that gets tangible benefits to OC is the 12600k. Otherwise the higher class cpus don't gain enough for the piwer consumption. It's damn near impossible to get anything more from a 12900KS. Best just to leave it as is, stock. Most ppl have zero use for all the bells and whistles offered by the Z boards nowadays.

With what you'll need to spend extra on oversized cooling for the OC, a 12700/B660 is a far better value and cheaper overall than a 12600k/Z690, and walks all over it unless you get a good OC on the 12600k. There's really not much point to spending out on time and money, just to get the same results.

 

[Lafong]

What is your budget?

What's the primary purpose? Secondary purpose?

You can do a significant upgrade for say 400 to 600 if all you need is CPU, motherboard, and RAM.

What specific parts do you need? Just those 3? Or also power supply, case, cooler, operating system, drives?

New Intel processors rumored within a few weeks....near the top of the line. 13600K, 13700K, 13900K. Mid level stuff maybe not till January.

 

[ohio_buckeye]

My advice is wait. I think amd socket am5 is coming out shortly as in the next couple of days. Look up the ryzen 7000 series. You could also go Intel 12th generation but Intel is about to come out with their 13th generation soon. The issue there is that will probably be the last cpu on that set of motherboards. I think amd is promising am5 support until 2025. Since you are going to be doing a new pc with new ram, board and cpu, I’d give that a look as well as Intel. The Intel you can get into cheaper right now but may not have as much upgrade room. However it should be a more matured platform so maybe less issues? You’ve definitely got options.

Edit: a search says the am5 launch is the 27th. If you need something now you can either go that way or if you go Intel you could even start with the i3 12100 or an i5 12400 for example and a good board, then sell the cpu and upgrade to 13th gen when that arrives.

 

[Domg13]

What is your budget?

What's the primary purpose? Secondary purpose?

You can do a significant upgrade for say 400 to 600 if all you need is CPU, motherboard, and RAM.

What specific parts do you need? Just those 3? Or also power supply, case, cooler, operating system, drives?

New Intel processors rumored within a few weeks....near the top of the line. 13600K, 13700K, 13900K. Mid level stuff maybe not till January.

I'd like to not spend more than 500 on the combo.

Primary purpose definitely gaming and just streaming video.

It would just be the motherboard and cpu, but I'm not sure if my DDR3 will work with newer boards? If It doesn't then yea I'll need some new RAM.

 

[DavidM012]

and don't forget a large 200+w cooler for it like a dark rock pro or noctua nh-d15 or some other large-ish 280mm or 360mm aio liquid cooler (an aio means you'll need to examine your pc case for compatibility).

You will need new mobo, cpu, ram and cooler probably and possibly a new case if you want a liquid cooler over an air cooler.

 

[Domg13]

My advice is wait. I think amd socket am5 is coming out shortly as in the next couple of days. Look up the ryzen 7000 series. You could also go Intel 12th generation but Intel is about to come out with their 13th generation soon. The issue there is that will probably be the last cpu on that set of motherboards. I think amd is promising am5 support until 2025. Since you are going to be doing a new pc with new ram, board and cpu, I’d give that a look as well as Intel. The Intel you can get into cheaper right now but may not have as much upgrade room. However it should be a more matured platform so maybe less issues? You’ve definitely got options.

Edit: a search says the am5 launch is the 27th. If you need something now you can either go that way or if you go Intel you could even start with the i3 12100 or an i5 12400 for example and a good board, then sell the cpu and upgrade to 13th gen when that arrives.

I'll definitely consider that. Was kinda hoping for something soon, with me getting back into World of Warcraft playing Wrath Classic I'd like to have my PC back up and running.

 

[DavidM012]

Also swag the Power supply from Evga. Definitely. Since your PSU is old. Can't be re-used on a new rig. Chuck it for safety reasons.

So basically more less entirely new pc. Only the drives can you re-use and you'll probably want a new n.v.m.e drive too.

 

[DavidM012]

Also be informed that the new n-vidia 4000 series will require a new atx 3.0 power supply. If you don't plan on buying a 4000 series don't worry about it and get the evga.

 

[Domg13]

and don't forget a large 200+w cooler for it like a dark rock pro or noctua nh-d15 or some other large-ish 280mm or 360mm aio liquid cooler (an aio means you'll need to examine your pc case for compatibility).

You will need new mobo, cpu, ram and cooler probably and possibly a new case if you want a liquid cooler over an air cooler.

I have a Thermaltake View 71 TG tower with a Flor Riing RGB 360 Triple Radiator Fan, the 360mm ones I think it is?

 

[Lafong]

I'd like to not spend more than 500 on the combo.

Primary purpose definitely gaming and just streaming video.

It would just be the motherboard and cpu, but I'm not sure if my DDR3 will work with newer boards? If It doesn't then yea I'll need some new RAM.

You'll need new RAM.

DDR 3 is way outdated. DDR 4 common now and DDR 5 coming into vogue.

You may need a new power supply if your current power supply is 10 years old?

Case? Maybe not.

Drives, maybe not.

Cooler? Possibly.

Think about an Intel i5-12400 as a basic starting point. About 190

Maybe a B660M micro ATX motherboard, circa 160 or so.

16 GB of DDR 4 RAM in a 2 piece kit; maybe 50

That's about 400.

Remainder for other parts you may or may not need.

 

[Domg13]

Also swag the Power supply from Evga. Definitely. Since your PSU is old. Can't be re-used on a new rig. Chuck it for safety reasons.

So basically more less entirely new pc. Only the drives can you re-use and you'll probably want a new n.v.m.e drive too.

I have a EVGA 750W that still seems to be doing well, its not as old as the mobo & cpu. I figured i'd be fine still, running a 1070 SC2.

 

[DavidM012]

Good for you! I think you should be able to re-use that with an lga 1700 bracket if it's still in good nick and not too old. What's the exact model? There is one model of evga that is a bit doubtful for being 'less than 850w' on the psu tier list of the power supply section of the forum.

Hey anyway if you grab 2 evga's on sale... you could probably sell one on when it's not... trying not to cause a black friday event tho.

 

[DavidM012]

Also watch the brewing problem with gpu power supply design from gamer's nexus. The RTX 3000 series suffers from transient power spikes under load which could exceed the capacity of the power supply so you need one that will handle 'transients' well. The evga supernova p2 on offer at the moment is unbeatable. If you plan to upgrade your GPU ever.

 

[Domg13]

You'll need new RAM.

DDR 3 is way outdated. DDR 4 common now and DDR 5 coming into vogue.

You may need a new power supply if your current power supply is 10 years old?

Case? Maybe not.

Drives, maybe not.

Cooler? Possibly.

Think about an Intel i5-12400 as a basic starting point. About 190

Maybe a B660M micro ATX motherboard, circa 160 or so.

16 GB of DDR 4 RAM in a 2 piece kit; maybe 50

That's about 400.

Remainder for other parts you may or may not need.

My PSU is a EVGA Supernova Nex750B honestly I'm not sure how old it is, it definitely has some years on it, but not as old as the mobo & cpu.

 

[Domg13]

Good for you! I think you should be able to re-use that with an lga 1700 bracket if it's still in good nick and not too old. What's the exact model? There is one model of evga that is a bit doubtful for being 'less than 850w' on the psu tier list of the power supply section of the forum.

Hey anyway if you grab 2 evga's on sale... you could probably sell one on when it's not... trying not to cause a black friday event tho.

It's a EVGA Supernova Nex 750B

 

[ohio_buckeye]

If you are wanting most performance soonest then I’d probably suggest at least giving am5 a look. But you may spend a bit more. I looked for example at an i7 12700, that with a b660 board was like 476 or something. Plus add ram. I think am5 boards will be 200 or so at launch, and ddr5 is a bit more.

Another option not that I recommend this unless you get a good clearance deal is look at a socket am4 platform. I’ve got an amd 5900x and I’m happy with it. I’ll be upgrading to 32gb of ram and seeing what gets released. But that said if your current system is 10 years old any of these options will probably make you go wow!

Another question is what gpu are you using as the gpu will play a big role as well. You can have the latest amd 7950x but if your gpu is a gtx 1060 for example, you’d have a better experience with a 12th gen i5 and updating to a 3070 for example.

 

[Domg13]

If you are wanting most performance soonest then I’d probably suggest at least giving am5 a look. But you may spend a bit more. I looked for example at an i7 12700, that with a b660 board was like 476 or something. Plus add ram. I think am5 boards will be 200 or so at launch, and ddr5 is a bit more.

Another option not that I recommend this unless you get a good clearance deal is look at a socket am4 platform. I’ve got an amd 5900x and I’m happy with it. I’ll be upgrading to 32gb of ram and seeing what gets released. But that said if your current system is 10 years old any of these options will probably make you go wow!

Another question is what gpu are you using as the gpu will play a big role as well. You can have the latest amd 7950x but if your gpu is a gtx 1060 for example, you’d have a better experience with a 12th gen i5 and updating to a 3070 for example.

I have a EVGA 1070 SC2

 

[ohio_buckeye]

So at least you aren’t on a 1050 or something. I will say though as you start upgrading you may get the itch to upgrade more. For example I think for 250 or so you can get an rx 6600 that’s closer to at least a 1080. But prices have recently come down and so there are some good values out there. It depends what you play and budget of course.

https://www.newegg.com/sapphire-radeon-rx-6600-11310-04-20g/p/N82E16814202415

Not sure what you are comfortable spending but being an amd guy myself, in your shoes I’d probably consider an Intel i5 or i7 with a mid range board, that should get you a good pick me up. Unless like I said they happen to have some fire sale to clear out am4 inventory. But definitely worth talking to the guys at Microcenter. The folks at my local one usually seem pretty knowledgeable.

 

[Karadjgne]

Wow can eat up a gpu, and the cpu. For the @ $800+ price tag for cpu/mobo/ram, the 7600x is lousy value, it'll not be anything close to competitive until the B boards finally drop. For the most part it's barely better than a 12600k, bounces around the 5800x point, so pretty dismal, even if it is somewhat better than the previous 5600x.

At this point, a 5700x on a B550 mobo with 3600 ram is the far better value, especially considering how well WoW runs on AMD.

 

[Karadjgne]

Unless Op plans on overclocking, which is semi useless for 12th gen, a 12700 and B660/H670 is cheaper overall than a 12600k and Z690, yet at stock beats it in every department. Biggest, stronger, faster, higher fps, cooler, cheaper. What's not to like.

 

[DavidM012]

The assortment of boards for it... some lack good m.2 support, meaning fewer or slower drives, some lack usb 3.2, others lack ddr 5 support closing off an upgrade path. Others lack WiFi or bluetooth.

Intel B660 Motherboard VRM, Mid-Range Roundup

In this roundup we have 8 new Intel B660 motherboards that go for from $150 to $250. Spoiler alert: We're looking at a hefty 70% difference between...

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7 Best Motherboards for Intel Core i5-12600K (Updated - 2024)

Here is an ultimate guide on buying the best motherboards for i5-12600K In 2023, backed by complete testing and reviews.

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The BEST Motherboards for i5-12600K In 2024 - Tech4Gamers

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I read all these and thought... is there a board that doesn't have a drawback? Well maybe does not need or want xFire or Sli support...

Also this thread shows some builds for different levels of gaming:

Question - What is a good upgrade from the ROG Strix B350-F and a Ryzen 2600

I have a 2080 Super and the PSU is 750W. Will be used for gaming and casual streaming.

forums.tomshardware.com

4k 120fps ryzen 5800x build with an rtx 3090

Well that just about shoots down the budget in flames anyway.

The question is what's the optimal middle ground for it? Maybe try to keep the pci-e 4.0 support and ddr 5 option open.

Well if overclocking is not wanted that rules out the z690 range. The b660 range is limited in other ways. So the

Best H670 Motherboards In 2024 [Budget & Performance] - Tech4Gamers

We have compiled the Best H670 Motherboards sorted by VRM Designs, Form factors, Memory Support, and Visual Aesthetics

tech4gamers.com

The tomahawk is criticised for lacking a vrm cooler.

Well if you can cross reference the reviews to the features you want, and the features you can do without, to your budget... then you can find the board for you.

The i5-12600k should be pretty swell for apps. other than gaming. If you go with a Ryzen build well you'll lose some of the multithreading superiority of the 12600k. Well more is always nice to have for peripheral tasks like .zip, video editing, and other apps.

There are however no 'free bargain mhz' so you basically pay for every performance feature. The exercise is to squeeze as much as possible into your budget.

A micro atx board with 2 dimm slots and 1 pci-e slot for a gpu would do the job at the budget end but would be otherwise devoid of features.

 

[Why_Me]

I'd like to not spend more than 500 on the combo.

Primary purpose definitely gaming and just streaming video.

It would just be the motherboard and cpu, but I'm not sure if my DDR3 will work with newer boards? If It doesn't then yea I'll need some new RAM.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RW6Z692
Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200MHz 32GB (2x16GB) CL16 $89.99

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813145373
GIGABYTE B660 AORUS MASTER DDR4 $164.99

https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/B660-AORUS-MASTER-DDR4-rev-10

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NPJRDGD
Intel Core i5-12400F $174.99

https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...2400f-processor-18m-cache-up-to-4-40-ghz.html

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PCWK7SP
DeepCool AK400 CPU Cooler $34.99

https://global.deepcool.com/product...AK400-Performance-CPU-Cooler/2021/15222.shtml

or ...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NPJDPVG
Intel Core i7-12700F $312.96

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

https://www.amazon.com/DeepCool-AK620-High-Performance-Dual-Tower-Dissipation/dp/B09CSXS3X4
DeepCool AK620 CPU Cooler $64.99

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/deepcool-ak620-review

i5 12400 / 12400F gaming benchmarks.

i7 12700 / 12700F gaming benchmarks.

 

[DavidM012]

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gigabyte-b660-aorus-master-ddr4

The auros master doesn't have onboard m.2 ports. You don't want to be limited to sata 3 disk speeds in this day and age! You could buy an extra m.2 add on pci-e card to support n.v.m.e drives but other boards have them native.

Well there's advantages and drawbacks to that approach. At least if the m2 goes wrong you can simply switch out the add in card rather than have to replace the entire mobo just for that. Not that I've heard much of m2 drive port malfunctions.

So filter the choice down a bit if you want an onboard m2 nvme drive support

Intel B660 Motherboard VRM, Mid-Range Roundup

In this roundup we have 8 new Intel B660 motherboards that go for from $150 to $250. Spoiler alert: We're looking at a hefty 70% difference between...

www.techspot.com

I usually prefer a full atx board to a micro atx board, but this article helps you choose one with good vrms at the budget end if that's a consideration.