Motherboards compatible with i7 and ddr3 and Geforce graphics cards

[naggano2012]

Ok so this is what i have currently. Motherboard: Asus p5wd2 premium
Graphics card: GeForce GTS 250
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 CPU 3.40 GHz 3.41 GHz
Ram: Corsair XMS2 DDR2 4 slots (cant find how much but enough to run BF bad company 2, NFS hot pursuit and Serious sam 3 (separately).

So i run these games with a bit of lag so i decided to upgrade my CPU to a Intel Core i-7 2600 Quad-Core Socket LGA1155, 3.40Ghz, 8MB L3 Cache, 32nm. and i am pretty sure i need a new mother board and new DDR3 memory...

i want to know which motherboard will be best in this case if i want to keep my current graphics card and i was thinking about this DDR3 memory
http://canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=24_311_312_611&item_id=032949

so if anyone can please help me that would be nice and if you see any problems with what i want it would be grateful if you can point them out

 

[geofelt]

With a i7-2600, you can run any socket 1055 motherboard I know of. H67, P67, Z68 based will do. Perhaps even H61.
The ram you linked to will also be good for any of them. And, yes, DDR3 ram will be necessary.

But, if you have a budget, I would reconsider the cpu selection. For $100 less, you can buy a 4 core 2500K which is an excellent gaming chip. Most games use only two or 3 cores, so the extra hyperthreads of the 2600 will go largely unused. The "K" lets you increase the multiplier from the default to 40 or higher, depending on the efficiency of your cpu cooler. For a "K", you will want a motherboard based on a Z68 or P67 .

If you are not budget constrained, or you will be running heavy multithreaded apps, then the 2600K would be better.

It would not surprise me if the lag in your games were due more to the graphics card than the cpu.

To help clarify your options, run these two tests:

a) Run your games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.

b) Limit your cpu, either by reducing the OC, or, in windows power management, limit the maximum cpu% to something like 70%.
If your FPS drops significantly, it is an indicator that your cpu is the limiting factor, and a cpu upgrade is in order.

It is possible that both tests are positive, indicating that you have a well balanced system, and both cpu and gpu need to be upgraded to get better gaming FPS.

 

[jaquith]

Welcome to Tom's Forum!

IMO don't get/use the XMS3 and IF you haven't purchased an 'i7-2600' then I'd certainly recommend the +$20 for the i7-2600K and a LGA 1155 P67 or Z68 MOBO. Further, it's probably time for a new GPU e.g. GTX 560 or higher.

Example:
$329.99 i7-2600K - http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070
<or>
$229.99 i5-2500K - http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
$199.99 EVGA 01G-P3-1461-KR GTX 560 - http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130661
$49.99 CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600 CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B - http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145345
MOBO's:
P67 (Gaming and general use)
$170 ASUS P8P67 PRO (REV 3.1) - http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131771
Z68 (Adds Quick Sync for MPEG-2/4/H.264 movie production, and Intel RST (SSD Caching - IMO a waste).
$219.99 ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 - http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131790

Both the i5-2500K and i7-2600K are both outstanding Gaming CPU's; the i7-2600K has the edge with a few Games and Apps the support Hyper-threading. Getting an H67, H61 or anything but a P67/Z68 is a step in the wrong direction.

 

[naggano2012]

Just to expand on my computer some more it was built around 6 years ago and at that time it was some high tech computer which ran everything to the extreme the only thing that was changed since then was the graphics card to the one i have currently mentioned... so i was wondering if i also need to change my power supply... i have the
ENERMAX noisetaker model: EG701AX-VE (W) (24P)

 

[geofelt]

Just to expand on my computer some more it was built around 6 years ago and at that time it was some high tech computer which ran everything to the extreme the only thing that was changed since then was the graphics card to the one i have currently mentioned... so i was wondering if i also need to change my power supply... i have the
ENERMAX noisetaker model: EG701AX-VE (W) (24P)

Your psu is a 600w unit which should be sufficient to run any sandy bridge cpu like the 2500K along with a graphics card as good as a GTX570. It is the graphics card that draws the majority of the psu power.

 

[jaquith]

Yep, you'll need a new PSU. So for the Example build I posted above add the following. You 'might' need a new case, so verify that it supports a ATX MOBO.

Note "Combo" deals e.g. PSU + Case + etc...for additional savings.

OC CPU + GPU $129.99 CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750M - http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139030
Minimal OC $86.00 CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W - http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020
$120 Corsair Carbide Series 400R - http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139008

HSF:
$74 Thermaltake Frio - http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106150
$39.99 CoolerMaster 212+ - http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

Note: there are a zillion cases and the one (example) I selected offers front USB 3.0 ports. The PSU all depends upon your OC and IF you want to OC the GPU; I would recommend 700W for a 4.60GHz and IF the plan is to SLI someday the GTX 560's then $138 CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX850 V2 850W - http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139022

 

[naggano2012]

ok i did that FPS check...

I was playing the game L.O.L and when playing on low settings (no shadows, very low details and so on) i got around 22-29 fps but when i put everything to tops (like i usually play) i got around 18-22 fps... so its not i big difference i think but im not sure.. is the CPU the problem?

 

[geofelt]

ok i did that FPS check...

I was playing the game L.O.L and when playing on low settings (no shadows, very low details and so on) i got around 22-29 fps but when i put everything to tops (like i usually play) i got around 18-22 fps... so its not i big difference i think but im not sure.. is the CPU the problem?

Yes, that would indicate to me that you are not restricted so much by the graphics card as the cpu. When you lower the demands on the graphics card, the cpu will be free to push higher FPS. Since the FPS did not increase much, the cpu was doing all it could already.

The GTS 250 is a nice card, but if you are running at 1920 x 1080 or so, it probably needs upgrading also.

Your initial budget included $320 for a cpu, keeping the GTS-520.
I think the upgrade would be better balanced with sonething like a i3-2100 @$125 and a graphics upgrade to a $175 GTX560.
The sandy bridge 2100 is a surprisingly capable gamer. Read this:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gaming-cpu-core-i3-2100-phenom-ii-x6-1075t,2859.html

If you eventually want much more, though, it would be better to upgrade to a 2500K first, and save up for a great graphics card. A 2500K can drive even sli GTX580 very well.

 

[jaquith]

I agree that 'pretty much' any SB will game well and will be night and day improvement of what you have now, BUT if you have a GPU that cannot render fast enough that it will indeed create a bottleneck. **It depends upon the games you play** Both the GTX 560 and i5-2500K are the 'meat & potatoes' of today's games.

Ideally, you want a minimum of 35~45FPS with high details plus 4XAA or higher to avoid 'choppy' gaming. I prefer 60FPS+.

Further, keep in mind that soon, March~April (90-120 days), the even faster but similarly priced Ivy Bridge and new GPUs will be available. The current GTX 5XX have been out for a year... Therefore, you need to factor that all in for your purchasing decisions.