[SOLVED] Need help getting a suitable new motherboard, cpu and psu?

Firstdenial

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Jul 13, 2019
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Hi guys so I managed to drop my cpu on my mobo and bent the pins so now I can try to fix it and if it doesn't work, then I need to get a new one. So I understand that only my case matters when choosing another new mobo?

My case is a corsair airbide air 240. My previous motherboard is a asrock h170m pro 4 and my cpu is Intel Core i5-6500 3.20GHz . My current gpu is a gigabyte gtx 1660 ti gaming oc 6g so I'm wondering how good my ps needs to be.

Thanks in advance!
 
Solution
Why would you need to get a new CPU if you bent the pins on your motherboard? It shouldn't have any effect on the CPU unless you dropped it from ten feet away and managed to somehow bust the CPU as well. Which would probably mean dropping it on a concrete floor.

Really all you need to do is replace the motherboard if you can't fix it. I'm not sure either how any of this relates to the power supply? Do you NOT already have a power supply? Was this the first time you were putting the system together? It's never been run yet?

As far as the PSU goes, for that graphics card you probably want to go with a good 550w unit. You could likely get away with a 450w unit if it was a very good model, but that doesn't offer much headroom if you plan...
Why would you need to get a new CPU if you bent the pins on your motherboard? It shouldn't have any effect on the CPU unless you dropped it from ten feet away and managed to somehow bust the CPU as well. Which would probably mean dropping it on a concrete floor.

Really all you need to do is replace the motherboard if you can't fix it. I'm not sure either how any of this relates to the power supply? Do you NOT already have a power supply? Was this the first time you were putting the system together? It's never been run yet?

As far as the PSU goes, for that graphics card you probably want to go with a good 550w unit. You could likely get away with a 450w unit if it was a very good model, but that doesn't offer much headroom if you plan to overclock anything or upgrade down the road. Also, there aren't a lot of terrific 450w models out there so options will be somewhat limited compared to 550w or higher units. The spoiler below has my recommendations on models.

Let's start with the biggest misconception out there, which is that if a unit has high watts it will be ok or is good. Well, that couldn't be further from the truth.

There are plenty of 750-1000w units out there that I wouldn't trust to power a light bulb and might in fact be a much worse choice than a unit with a significantly lower listed capacity.

If the platform isn't good to begin with, how many watts or amps it says it can support is irrelevant.

Higher 80plus certification doesn't mean anything, UNLESS it is a PSU platform that we already know is good anyhow. For example, a Seasonic Prime platinum unit is going to be a better product than a Seasonic Prime Gold unit, because we already know the Prime platform is very good, and platinum efficiency along with it shows there are some improvements internally to account for the higher efficiency.

In a case like that, it might be worth it. It's likely the unit will create less heat, it will probably have better performance in regard to ripple, noise and voltage regulation. It might shave a few pennies, or dollars, off the electric bill over the course of a year.

Other than that, it is not going to perform any better than the same platform with Gold efficiency. On the other hand, just because a unit has Titanium 80plus ratings doesn't mean the unit is any good at all. For example, there are Raidmax units with Titanium efficiency and I wouldn't trust one of those to power a light bulb. There are a lot of units like this out there.

If the platform isn't good to begin with, whether or not it has an 80plus certification or not is irrelevant.

Whatever you do, don't EVER buy a power supply based on whether it has RGB or lighting, or looks like it might be a quality unit. Some of the biggest hunks of junk out there look just as good as a Seasonic Prime Ultra Titanium, but I assure you, they are not. So far there are very few very good units out there that have RGB built in. Maybe one or two models, but rest assured you'll be be paying for the lighting, not for the quality of the power supply.

I don't know what country you reside in, and I know that sometimes it's hard to come by good units in some regions, but when possible, when it comes time to get that PSU, I'd stick to the following if you can.

Seasonic. Seasonic isn't just a brand, they are a PSU manufacturer, unlike many of the PSU brands you see they make their own power supply platforms AND a great many of the very good PSU models out there from other brands like Antec, Corsair and older XFX are made by Seasonic.

Just about anything made by Seasonic is good quality for the most part. There are really no bad Seasonic units and only a very few that are even somewhat mediocre. They do make a few less-good quality OEM style units, but mostly those are not going to be units you come across at most vendors, and they are still not bad. Also, the S12II and M12II 520 and 620w units are older, group regulated models. At one time they were among the best units you could buy. Now, they are outdated and not as good as almost any other Seasonic models. They are however still better than a LOT of newer designs by other manufacturers.

The Seasonic 520w and 620w S12II/M12II units CAN be used on newer Intel platforms, if you turn off C6/C7 in the bios, but I'd really recommend a newer platform whenever possible. Prices are usually pretty good on those though, so sometimes it's worth accepting the lack of DC-DC on the internal platform. Higher capacity versions of the High current gamer are not based on that platform, so they are fine. Those being the 750w and higher versions.

Most common currently, in order of preference, would be the Seasonic Focus series, then Focus plus, then Prime, then Prime ultra. It's worth mentioning that there are generally Gold, Platinum and Titanium versions within each, or most, of those series, but that does not necessarily mean that a Focus plus Platinum is necessarily better than a Prime Gold. It only means that it scored better in the 80plus efficiency testing, not that the platform is better.

Again, don't let yourself get tangled up in the idea that a higher 80plus rating specifically means that it is a better unit than another one with a lower rating, unless you know that it is a good platform from the start. All these Focus and Prime units are pretty good so you can somewhat focus on the 80plus rating when deciding which of them to choose.

Super Flower. Super Flower is another PSU manufacturer. They are like Seasonic and they make power supplies for a variety of other companies, like EVGA. Super Flower units are usually pretty good. I'd stick to the Leadex, Leadex II and Golden Green models.They also make most of the good units sold by EVGA like the G2, G3, P2 and T2 models.

Super Flower doesn't have a very broad availability for the units with their own brand name on them, and are not available in a lot of countries but for those where there is availability you want to look at the Leadex and Leadex II models. The Golden green platform is fairly decent too but is getting rather long in the tooth as a platform AND I've seen some reviews indicating a few shortcomings on units based on this platform.

Even so, it's a great deal better than a lot of other platforms out there so you could certainly do worse than a Golden green model. Units based on the Leadex and Leadex II platforms are much better though.

Corsair. The CX and CXm units are ok as a budget option, but I do not recommend pairing them with gaming cards. The newer 2017 models of CX and CXm are better than the older ones, but still not what we'd call terrific, so if it specifically says 2017 model, or it has a capacity other than an even 100, like 550w, 650w, 750w, etc., then it's likely at least better than those older ones. Aside from that, any of the TX, RMx, RMi, HX, HXi, AX or AXi units are good. Those are listed from best to worst, with the best being the AX and AXi units.

Antec. The True power classic units are made by Seasonic, and are very good, but are not modular. The High current gamer 520w and 620w, or any other PSU you see on the market that is 520w or 620w, are also made by Seasonic, based on the S12II and M12II platform for modern versions, and are pretty good units but again they are an older platform that is group regulated so if you go with a Haswell or newer Intel configuration you will want to avoid those because they do not support the C6/C7 Intel low power states.

The Antec High current gamer 750w and 850w units are very good and are not the older design, which came in 520w and 620w capacities and were good for back then but again, are an aging Seasonic platform that is not the best choice most of the time these days. Occasionally, these older units MIGHT be the best unit available and you could do worse than one of them, but a newer DC-DC platform is desirable when possible if it doesn't mean sacrificing quality elsewhere in the platform. There are however older and newer HCG models, so exact model number will likely be a factor if choosing one of these however both the older models and the newer models are good.

Antec Edge units are ok too, but reviews indicate that they have noisy fan profiles. I'd only choose this model if it is on sale or the aesthetics match up with your color scheme or design. Still a good power supply but maybe a little aggressive on the fan profile. This may have been cured on newer Edge models so reading professional tear down reviews is still the best idea.

Antec Earthwatts Gold units are very good also.

BeQuiet. BeQuiet does have a few decent models, BUT, you must be VERY selective about which of their models you put your trust in. From model to model their are huge differences in both quality and performance, even with the same series. If you cannot find a review for a BeQuiet unit on HardOCP, JonnyGuru or Tom's hardware that SPECIFICALLY says it is a very good unit, and does not have any significant issues in the "cons" category, I would avoid it. In fact, I'd probably avoid it anyhow unless there is a very great sale on one that has good reviews, because their units are generally more expensive than MUCH better units from Antec, Seasonic, EVGA and Corsair.

EVGA. They have BOTH good and not very good models.

Not very good are the W1, N1, B1, B3 (Most models failed testing), BQ, BR, BT and G1 NEX models.

Good models are the B2, G2, G2L, G3, GQ, P2 and T2 models.

FSP. They used to be very mediocre, and are a PSU manufacturer like Seasonic and Super Flower, although not as well trusted based on historical performance. Currently the FSP Hydro G and Hydro X units are pretty good.

I would avoid Thermaltake and Cooler Master.

They do have a few good units, but most of the models they sell are either poor or mediocre, and the ones they have that ARE good are usually way overpriced.

This is just ONE example of why I say that. Very new and modern CM unit. One of the worst scores ever seen on JonnyGuru for a well known brand name product. Doesn't look to be much better than a Raidmax unit. Sad.

Cooler Master Masterwatt Lite 600W review

And most of the models I have linked to the reviews of at the following link are at least good, with most of them being fantastic.

Power supply discussion thread

The Powerspec units sold my Microcenter are a mixed bag. Some of them are fairly decent using the same platform as the Sirfa High power astro lite platform, so not total dumpster fire type units, but not particularly good either, and some of their units are simply garbage and should be listed below in the DO NOT USE category, but I'm leaving them out because there are really no reviews of them and since there are a few units from them that are ok-ish, I'm giving them a "use at your own discretion but buy a better model if you can" grade.

A gray label CX or CXm unit would probably be an upgrade from one of those Powerspec models, without any doubt.

Certainly there ARE some good units out there that you won't see above among those I've listed, but they are few and far between, much as a hidden nugget of gold you find in a crevice among otherwise ordinary rocks and don't EVER assume a unit is good just because of the brand.

If you cannot find an IN DEPTH, REPUTABLE review on Tom's hardware, JonnyGuru, HardOCP, Hardware secrets (Old reviews by Gabe Torres), Kitguru (Only Aris reviews), TechPowerUP, SilentPC crew or a similar site that does much more than simply a review of the unboxing and basic tests that don't include reliable results for ripple, noise, voltage regulation and a complete teardown of the unit including identification of the internal platform, then the unit is a big fat question mark.

I recommend not trusting such units as companies generally always send out review samples of any unit they feel is going to get a good review, and don't send them out if they know they are going to get hammered by the reviewer. No review usually equals poor quality. Usually.


Other models that should never be trusted OR USED AT ALL, under any circumstances, include

A-Top, AK Power, Alpine, Apevia, Apex (Supercase/Allied), Artic, Ace, Aerocool (There might be one model worth using, but I'd still avoid them.), Aspire (Turbocase), Atadc, Atrix, Broadway com corp, Chieftech, Circle, CIT, Coolmax, Deer, Diablotek, Dynapower, Dynex, Eagletech, Enlight, Eurotech, Evo labs, EZ cool, Feedtek, Foxconn, G7, HEC/Compucase Orion, HEDY, High power, iBall, iStar computer co., Jeantec, JPac, Just PC, Kolink, LC Power, Linkworld electronics, Logisys, Macron, MSI, NmediaPC, Norwood Micro (CompUSA), Okia, Powercool, Powmax, Pulsepower, Q-tec, Raidmax, Rave, Rocketfish, Segotep, SFC, Sharkoon, Shuttle, Skyhawk, Spire, Startech, Storm, Sumvision, Tesla, Trust, Ultra, Wintech, Winpower, Xilence (Until I see a reputable review of a model showing different), xTreme (Cyberpower), Youngbear and Zebronics.
 
Solution

Firstdenial

Reputable
Jul 13, 2019
11
0
4,510
Why would you need to get a new CPU if you bent the pins on your motherboard? It shouldn't have any effect on the CPU unless you dropped it from ten feet away and managed to somehow bust the CPU as well. Which would probably mean dropping it on a concrete floor.

Really all you need to do is replace the motherboard if you can't fix it. I'm not sure either how any of this relates to the power supply? Do you NOT already have a power supply? Was this the first time you were putting the system together? It's never been run yet?

As far as the PSU goes, for that graphics card you probably want to go with a good 550w unit. You could likely get away with a 450w unit if it was a very good model, but that doesn't offer much headroom if you plan to overclock anything or upgrade down the road. Also, there aren't a lot of terrific 450w models out there so options will be somewhat limited compared to 550w or higher units. The spoiler below has my recommendations on models.

Let's start with the biggest misconception out there, which is that if a unit has high watts it will be ok or is good. Well, that couldn't be further from the truth.

There are plenty of 750-1000w units out there that I wouldn't trust to power a light bulb and might in fact be a much worse choice than a unit with a significantly lower listed capacity.

If the platform isn't good to begin with, how many watts or amps it says it can support is irrelevant.

Higher 80plus certification doesn't mean anything, UNLESS it is a PSU platform that we already know is good anyhow. For example, a Seasonic Prime platinum unit is going to be a better product than a Seasonic Prime Gold unit, because we already know the Prime platform is very good, and platinum efficiency along with it shows there are some improvements internally to account for the higher efficiency.

In a case like that, it might be worth it. It's likely the unit will create less heat, it will probably have better performance in regard to ripple, noise and voltage regulation. It might shave a few pennies, or dollars, off the electric bill over the course of a year.

Other than that, it is not going to perform any better than the same platform with Gold efficiency. On the other hand, just because a unit has Titanium 80plus ratings doesn't mean the unit is any good at all. For example, there are Raidmax units with Titanium efficiency and I wouldn't trust one of those to power a light bulb. There are a lot of units like this out there.

If the platform isn't good to begin with, whether or not it has an 80plus certification or not is irrelevant.

Whatever you do, don't EVER buy a power supply based on whether it has RGB or lighting, or looks like it might be a quality unit. Some of the biggest hunks of junk out there look just as good as a Seasonic Prime Ultra Titanium, but I assure you, they are not. So far there are very few very good units out there that have RGB built in. Maybe one or two models, but rest assured you'll be be paying for the lighting, not for the quality of the power supply.

I don't know what country you reside in, and I know that sometimes it's hard to come by good units in some regions, but when possible, when it comes time to get that PSU, I'd stick to the following if you can.

Seasonic. Seasonic isn't just a brand, they are a PSU manufacturer, unlike many of the PSU brands you see they make their own power supply platforms AND a great many of the very good PSU models out there from other brands like Antec, Corsair and older XFX are made by Seasonic.

Just about anything made by Seasonic is good quality for the most part. There are really no bad Seasonic units and only a very few that are even somewhat mediocre. They do make a few less-good quality OEM style units, but mostly those are not going to be units you come across at most vendors, and they are still not bad. Also, the S12II and M12II 520 and 620w units are older, group regulated models. At one time they were among the best units you could buy. Now, they are outdated and not as good as almost any other Seasonic models. They are however still better than a LOT of newer designs by other manufacturers.

The Seasonic 520w and 620w S12II/M12II units CAN be used on newer Intel platforms, if you turn off C6/C7 in the bios, but I'd really recommend a newer platform whenever possible. Prices are usually pretty good on those though, so sometimes it's worth accepting the lack of DC-DC on the internal platform. Higher capacity versions of the High current gamer are not based on that platform, so they are fine. Those being the 750w and higher versions.

Most common currently, in order of preference, would be the Seasonic Focus series, then Focus plus, then Prime, then Prime ultra. It's worth mentioning that there are generally Gold, Platinum and Titanium versions within each, or most, of those series, but that does not necessarily mean that a Focus plus Platinum is necessarily better than a Prime Gold. It only means that it scored better in the 80plus efficiency testing, not that the platform is better.

Again, don't let yourself get tangled up in the idea that a higher 80plus rating specifically means that it is a better unit than another one with a lower rating, unless you know that it is a good platform from the start. All these Focus and Prime units are pretty good so you can somewhat focus on the 80plus rating when deciding which of them to choose.

Super Flower. Super Flower is another PSU manufacturer. They are like Seasonic and they make power supplies for a variety of other companies, like EVGA. Super Flower units are usually pretty good. I'd stick to the Leadex, Leadex II and Golden Green models.They also make most of the good units sold by EVGA like the G2, G3, P2 and T2 models.

Super Flower doesn't have a very broad availability for the units with their own brand name on them, and are not available in a lot of countries but for those where there is availability you want to look at the Leadex and Leadex II models. The Golden green platform is fairly decent too but is getting rather long in the tooth as a platform AND I've seen some reviews indicating a few shortcomings on units based on this platform.

Even so, it's a great deal better than a lot of other platforms out there so you could certainly do worse than a Golden green model. Units based on the Leadex and Leadex II platforms are much better though.

Corsair. The CX and CXm units are ok as a budget option, but I do not recommend pairing them with gaming cards. The newer 2017 models of CX and CXm are better than the older ones, but still not what we'd call terrific, so if it specifically says 2017 model, or it has a capacity other than an even 100, like 550w, 650w, 750w, etc., then it's likely at least better than those older ones. Aside from that, any of the TX, RMx, RMi, HX, HXi, AX or AXi units are good. Those are listed from best to worst, with the best being the AX and AXi units.

Antec. The True power classic units are made by Seasonic, and are very good, but are not modular. The High current gamer 520w and 620w, or any other PSU you see on the market that is 520w or 620w, are also made by Seasonic, based on the S12II and M12II platform for modern versions, and are pretty good units but again they are an older platform that is group regulated so if you go with a Haswell or newer Intel configuration you will want to avoid those because they do not support the C6/C7 Intel low power states.

The Antec High current gamer 750w and 850w units are very good and are not the older design, which came in 520w and 620w capacities and were good for back then but again, are an aging Seasonic platform that is not the best choice most of the time these days. Occasionally, these older units MIGHT be the best unit available and you could do worse than one of them, but a newer DC-DC platform is desirable when possible if it doesn't mean sacrificing quality elsewhere in the platform. There are however older and newer HCG models, so exact model number will likely be a factor if choosing one of these however both the older models and the newer models are good.

Antec Edge units are ok too, but reviews indicate that they have noisy fan profiles. I'd only choose this model if it is on sale or the aesthetics match up with your color scheme or design. Still a good power supply but maybe a little aggressive on the fan profile. This may have been cured on newer Edge models so reading professional tear down reviews is still the best idea.

Antec Earthwatts Gold units are very good also.

BeQuiet. BeQuiet does have a few decent models, BUT, you must be VERY selective about which of their models you put your trust in. From model to model their are huge differences in both quality and performance, even with the same series. If you cannot find a review for a BeQuiet unit on HardOCP, JonnyGuru or Tom's hardware that SPECIFICALLY says it is a very good unit, and does not have any significant issues in the "cons" category, I would avoid it. In fact, I'd probably avoid it anyhow unless there is a very great sale on one that has good reviews, because their units are generally more expensive than MUCH better units from Antec, Seasonic, EVGA and Corsair.

EVGA. They have BOTH good and not very good models.

Not very good are the W1, N1, B1, B3 (Most models failed testing), BQ, BR, BT and G1 NEX models.

Good models are the B2, G2, G2L, G3, GQ, P2 and T2 models.

FSP. They used to be very mediocre, and are a PSU manufacturer like Seasonic and Super Flower, although not as well trusted based on historical performance. Currently the FSP Hydro G and Hydro X units are pretty good.

I would avoid Thermaltake and Cooler Master.

They do have a few good units, but most of the models they sell are either poor or mediocre, and the ones they have that ARE good are usually way overpriced.

This is just ONE example of why I say that. Very new and modern CM unit. One of the worst scores ever seen on JonnyGuru for a well known brand name product. Doesn't look to be much better than a Raidmax unit. Sad.

Cooler Master Masterwatt Lite 600W review

And most of the models I have linked to the reviews of at the following link are at least good, with most of them being fantastic.

Power supply discussion thread

The Powerspec units sold my Microcenter are a mixed bag. Some of them are fairly decent using the same platform as the Sirfa High power astro lite platform, so not total dumpster fire type units, but not particularly good either, and some of their units are simply garbage and should be listed below in the DO NOT USE category, but I'm leaving them out because there are really no reviews of them and since there are a few units from them that are ok-ish, I'm giving them a "use at your own discretion but buy a better model if you can" grade.

A gray label CX or CXm unit would probably be an upgrade from one of those Powerspec models, without any doubt.

Certainly there ARE some good units out there that you won't see above among those I've listed, but they are few and far between, much as a hidden nugget of gold you find in a crevice among otherwise ordinary rocks and don't EVER assume a unit is good just because of the brand.

If you cannot find an IN DEPTH, REPUTABLE review on Tom's hardware, JonnyGuru, HardOCP, Hardware secrets (Old reviews by Gabe Torres), Kitguru (Only Aris reviews), TechPowerUP, SilentPC crew or a similar site that does much more than simply a review of the unboxing and basic tests that don't include reliable results for ripple, noise, voltage regulation and a complete teardown of the unit including identification of the internal platform, then the unit is a big fat question mark.

I recommend not trusting such units as companies generally always send out review samples of any unit they feel is going to get a good review, and don't send them out if they know they are going to get hammered by the reviewer. No review usually equals poor quality. Usually.


Other models that should never be trusted OR USED AT ALL, under any circumstances, include

A-Top, AK Power, Alpine, Apevia, Apex (Supercase/Allied), Artic, Ace, Aerocool (There might be one model worth using, but I'd still avoid them.), Aspire (Turbocase), Atadc, Atrix, Broadway com corp, Chieftech, Circle, CIT, Coolmax, Deer, Diablotek, Dynapower, Dynex, Eagletech, Enlight, Eurotech, Evo labs, EZ cool, Feedtek, Foxconn, G7, HEC/Compucase Orion, HEDY, High power, iBall, iStar computer co., Jeantec, JPac, Just PC, Kolink, LC Power, Linkworld electronics, Logisys, Macron, MSI, NmediaPC, Norwood Micro (CompUSA), Okia, Powercool, Powmax, Pulsepower, Q-tec, Raidmax, Rave, Rocketfish, Segotep, SFC, Sharkoon, Shuttle, Skyhawk, Spire, Startech, Storm, Sumvision, Tesla, Trust, Ultra, Wintech, Winpower, Xilence (Until I see a reputable review of a model showing different), xTreme (Cyberpower), Youngbear and Zebronics.

Hi um, mainly because the cpu is 4 years old as well and I was thinking if I should just get a new one since I'm changing my mobo. Psu wise. It is because my old gpu was a 960 but now it is a 1660 so I was concerned about overworking it.
 
So, wanting to upgrade the whole platform, CPU and motherboard, that's fine. Totally makes sense. I just wanted to clarify that's what you were actually wanting to do rather than just because you might have thought you needed to or whatever the case might be.

So what is the model, the EXACT model, (Look ON the PSU if you need to in order to identify it. The model number will be listed on the PSU itself as should the capacity (Watts) and series (For example: G2, Masterwatt, S12-II, whatever) of the unit), of your current power supply and how much are you wanting to spend on CPU, motherboard and power supply?

Also, what is the model of your current memory kit, or at least the capacity and speed of the sticks you are running?
 

Firstdenial

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Jul 13, 2019
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So, wanting to upgrade the whole platform, CPU and motherboard, that's fine. Totally makes sense. I just wanted to clarify that's what you were actually wanting to do rather than just because you might have thought you needed to or whatever the case might be.

So what is the model, the EXACT model, (Look ON the PSU if you need to in order to identify it. The model number will be listed on the PSU itself as should the capacity (Watts) and series (For example: G2, Masterwatt, S12-II, whatever) of the unit), of your current power supply and how much are you wanting to spend on CPU, motherboard and power supply?

Also, what is the model of your current memory kit, or at least the capacity and speed of the sticks you are running?

So um my psu is a superflower leadex silver so its 550w so I guess I'm good?

My memory as in my ram? 8gb ddr4 2133mhz.

My budget for a new cpu and mobo is hopefully around 250usd?
 
Yes, that is a pretty good power supply.

This is probably the best bang for the buck based on a 250 dollar budget, and gives you a newer architecture plus two more cores than your current CPU has. For 250 bucks there are really no good options for the Zen2 Ryzen 3000 series platform unless you're willing to take a hit on performance now for the option of upgrading to a higher tiered CPU model later.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel - Core i5-9400F 2.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock - B365M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Newegg Business)
Total: $229.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-07-14 13:51 EDT-0400
 

Firstdenial

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Jul 13, 2019
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Yes, that is a pretty good power supply.

This is probably the best bang for the buck based on a 250 dollar budget, and gives you a newer architecture plus two more cores than your current CPU has. For 250 bucks there are really no good options for the Zen2 Ryzen 3000 series platform unless you're willing to take a hit on performance now for the option of upgrading to a higher tiered CPU model later.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel - Core i5-9400F 2.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock - B365M Pro4 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($79.99 @ Newegg Business)
Total: $229.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-07-14 13:51 EDT-0400
Sorry for all the questions cuz im really fresh about this but is there any real difference between am4 and lga1151 sockets?

Also do you have more recommendations in the same range cuz I don't actually live in the US so I have to head down to the stores to actually see if they have stocks
 
Yes, they are completely different. One of them is the current mainstream consumer AMD socket, while the other is the current mainstream Intel socket. Neither works with either camps higher end CPUs or with each other. Ryzen CPUs use AM4. Intel Skylake, Kaby lake, Coffee lake and Coffee lake refresh all use LGA 1151, however they are not all compatible with each other. Skylake and Kaby lake, which are 6th and 7th gen CPUs, use LGA 1151 on the 6th and 7th gen chipsets, while Coffee lake and CL refresh use the same LGA 1151 socket, but with a different implementation of it and only with the 8th and 9th gen chipsets.

What country are you actually IN, and what is available to you? What I outlined is just one option above. Obviously.
 

Firstdenial

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Jul 13, 2019
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Yes, they are completely different. One of them is the current mainstream consumer AMD socket, while the other is the current mainstream Intel socket. Neither works with either camps higher end CPUs or with each other. Ryzen CPUs use AM4. Intel Skylake, Kaby lake, Coffee lake and Coffee lake refresh all use LGA 1151, however they are not all compatible with each other. Skylake and Kaby lake, which are 6th and 7th gen CPUs, use LGA 1151 on the 6th and 7th gen chipsets, while Coffee lake and CL refresh use the same LGA 1151 socket, but with a different implementation of it and only with the 8th and 9th gen chipsets.

What country are you actually IN, and what is available to you? What I outlined is just one option above. Obviously.
I reside in singapore. I honestly have no idea what is available so I plan to head down to a mall that has a ton of pc parts stores and look for micro atx mobos. Just that it would be great if I had a list to ask of.
 
Since I have no idea what brands or hardware they are likely to carry there, that would probably be a waste of my time and yours.

If you want to go with Intel, I'd look at motherboards with the B365 or Z390 chipsets. Then I'd look at 9th gen Intel processors with six or more cores. If you go with a CPU that has a K on the end of it, you will want to use Z390 chipset boards. Otherwise, the B365 chipsets or B360 IF it shows being compatible with 9th gen processors (Or you can just go with an 8th gen CPU) due to B360 needing new-ish BIOS versions to work with 9th gen CPUs.

If you go with AMD, it's simpler. Any Ryzen 5 or 7 2000 series CPU (2600, 2600x, 2700, 2700x, etc.) or 3000 series with six or more cores is a good choice and an X470 or X570 motherboard. I personally would avoid the B450 motherboards because they are limited to 4 power phases and are not a good choice if you decide to upgrade to a Zen2 Ryzen 3000 series CPU later, or even go with one now, which would be probably the best choice at the lowest price.
 

Firstdenial

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Since I have no idea what brands or hardware they are likely to carry there, that would probably be a waste of my time and yours.

If you want to go with Intel, I'd look at motherboards with the B365 or Z390 chipsets. Then I'd look at 9th gen Intel processors with six or more cores. If you go with a CPU that has a K on the end of it, you will want to use Z390 chipset boards. Otherwise, the B365 chipsets or B360 IF it shows being compatible with 9th gen processors (Or you can just go with an 8th gen CPU) due to B360 needing new-ish BIOS versions to work with 9th gen CPUs.

If you go with AMD, it's simpler. Any Ryzen 5 or 7 2000 series CPU (2600, 2600x, 2700, 2700x, etc.) or 3000 series with six or more cores is a good choice and an X470 or X570 motherboard. I personally would avoid the B450 motherboards because they are limited to 4 power phases and are not a good choice if you decide to upgrade to a Zen2 Ryzen 3000 series CPU later, or even go with one now, which would be probably the best choice at the lowest price.
We have a website that lets us find part prices which is https://www.simlim.sg/
And uh I'm kinda confused about the new bios thing. Like I kinda understand that if I install a new mobo and cpu, it would kinda conflict with my hdd? I found my windowd 10 install disc so I would need to use that as well right? And what can I do about the newish bios thing? Do I need to flash anything?
 
Has nothing to do with your hard drive. If you have, for example, a motherboard that was built at the same time as the 8th gen Intel processors were built, and was designed to be used for that, then even though the 9th gen processors are technically compatible with that board, if you don't upgrade to a BIOS version that has support for 9th gen CPUs included, they won't work in that board. For example. Z370 will work with both 8th and 9th gen processors. But it will ONLY work with 9th gen processors IF you update to a newer BIOS version that supports 9th gen processors. The original BIOS version or any version prior to when they added support for 9th gen processors will not allow them to work in that motherboard.

Z390 motherboards however will ALL have come with support for 9th gen Intel CPUs, since they were released FOR those processors.

For AMD, B350 and X370 will work for Ryzen 1000 series processors, out of the box. They will work for Ryzen 2000 series processors with a BIOS update. They are not recommended for use with Ryzen 3000 series processors.

B450 and X470 motherboards will work with any Ryzen 1000 or 2000 series processor, and will work with Ryzen 3000 series processors with a BIOS update.

X570 motherboards will work with any Ryzen processor.

The problem with GETTING an update done to the BIOS on a motherboard is that UNLESS that motherboard has the BIOS FLASHBACK feature that does not require a compatible CPU to be installed in order to update the BIOS (Which is not that many of them to be honest), then you MUST have a processor that is already compatible with that motherboard in order TO update the BIOS. So if you buy an older AM4 motherboard and try to use a 3000 series CPU in that board, unless it already came with the latest BIOS from the factory, or you have a previous generation Ryzen processor to get the BIOS updated WITH, it is not going to work.
 

Firstdenial

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Has nothing to do with your hard drive. If you have, for example, a motherboard that was built at the same time as the 8th gen Intel processors were built, and was designed to be used for that, then even though the 9th gen processors are technically compatible with that board, if you don't upgrade to a BIOS version that has support for 9th gen CPUs included, they won't work in that board. For example. Z370 will work with both 8th and 9th gen processors. But it will ONLY work with 9th gen processors IF you update to a newer BIOS version that supports 9th gen processors. The original BIOS version or any version prior to when they added support for 9th gen processors will not allow them to work in that motherboard.

Z390 motherboards however will ALL have come with support for 9th gen Intel CPUs, since they were released FOR those processors.

For AMD, B350 and X370 will work for Ryzen 1000 series processors, out of the box. They will work for Ryzen 2000 series processors with a BIOS update. They are not recommended for use with Ryzen 3000 series processors.

B450 and X470 motherboards will work with any Ryzen 1000 or 2000 series processor, and will work with Ryzen 3000 series processors with a BIOS update.

X570 motherboards will work with any Ryzen processor.

The problem with GETTING an update done to the BIOS on a motherboard is that UNLESS that motherboard has the BIOS FLASHBACK feature that does not require a compatible CPU to be installed in order to update the BIOS (Which is not that many of them to be honest), then you MUST have a processor that is already compatible with that motherboard in order TO update the BIOS. So if you buy an older AM4 motherboard and try to use a 3000 series CPU in that board, unless it already came with the latest BIOS from the factory, or you have a previous generation Ryzen processor to get the BIOS updated WITH, it is not going to work.
Ok I get it. So if I get a 9th gen motherboard then I'm already good? The problem only appears if I get a 8th gen motherboard that is good for 9th gen, right?
 
Correct. And even then it CAN be used, so long as you get a motherboard that has BIOS flashback, or you take the board to a shop that can update the BIOS for you OR if the board specifically says on the box that it is already compatible with 9th gen processors which by now many of them should be BUT it is always possible to receive a board that has been sitting on the shelf for a while and was one that left the manufacturer prior to the time when they started including updated BIOS versions on them.

If you get a 9th gen CPU, then going with a B365 or Z390 motherboard eliminates any chance of that happening because would have been compatible from day one.

It is a similar situation if you choose a Ryzen 3000 processor. X570 will be compatible for sure. X470 or B450 MIGHT be, or might need a BIOS update first.
 

Firstdenial

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Correct. And even then it CAN be used, so long as you get a motherboard that has BIOS flashback, or you take the board to a shop that can update the BIOS for you OR if the board specifically says on the box that it is already compatible with 9th gen processors which by now many of them should be BUT it is always possible to receive a board that has been sitting on the shelf for a while and was one that left the manufacturer prior to the time when they started including updated BIOS versions on them.

If you get a 9th gen CPU, then going with a B365 or Z390 motherboard eliminates any chance of that happening because would have been compatible from day one.

It is a similar situation if you choose a Ryzen 3000 processor. X570 will be compatible for sure. X470 or B450 MIGHT be, or might need a BIOS update first.
Thank you so much for all the help, I got myself a B360m bazooka with 9th gen and i5 9400f cpu. I'm gonna try and set it up and if everything works then i will mark it as solved. Thank you once again!
 

Firstdenial

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Thank you so so much, managed to set my PC up and running. Couldn't swap out my case fan tho, might have been super glued down but it is just a minor setback. Thanks for all the help!
 

Firstdenial

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Cool deal man. Glad it worked out. The fan probably has either rubber screws or actual screws holding it in place. Very unlikely it would be glued, but possible I guess. I've never seen a fan glued in place, in more than 30 years of working on systems.
I meant the case top sorry. Didn't make it clear. I unscrewed it but it was so tight that it didn't even budge at all.