Question New hardware for Windows 11 ?

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mrsmithjr

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Aug 17, 2017
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Hello, so with support for Windows 10 running out very soon I think it is finally time to upgrade to Windows 11. However my i5-6600K CPU is not supported by the new OS.
So I'd like reccomendations for a new CPU please. Would I also need a new motherboard? My current motherboard is Z170A GAMING M5. Would there be any other upgrades needed?

Edit: Specs added

CPU: Intel i5 6600k
CPU cooler: Cryorig H7 Single Tower Heatsink with 120mm Fan
Motherboard: MSI Z170A GAMING M5
Ram: I can't find detailed information on the ram but it's 2 x 8gb sticks, gskill branded.
SSD/HDD: Crucial MX300 CT275MX300SSD1 275GB, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 2TB, Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB SATA 3.5" Internal Hard Disk Drive
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 1060 GAMING X 6G
PSU: EVGA 650 G2 Supernova (I guess it's more than 7 years old since evga website says warranty length was 7 years and that it's out of warranty now)
Chassis: Coolermaster CM 690 III
OS: Windows 10
Monitor: Asus VK278Q

Approximate Purchase Date: Before support for Windows 10 ends.

Budget Range: not sure, depends how many new parts i need.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: surfing the internet, watching movies, using some office programs, some light gaming.

Are you buying a monitor: No

Parts to Upgrade: to be determined

Do you need to buy OS: Yes

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: no preference at the moment

Location: london, england

Parts Preferences: no preference at the moment

Overclocking: No

Multiple GPUs: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 1080p

Additional Comments: I think i'll go for a new case too while i'm at it, current case has seen better days.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Need parts compatible with Windows 11.
 
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Might want to read through this;
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/w...pported/windows-11-supported-intel-processors

I would advise on building a concurrent system from the ground up as this years marks 5 years for Windows 11.

You're advised to stylize your thread with info asked of in this thread;

*How to Ask for New Build or Upgrade Advice*

How to Ask for New Build or Upgrade Advice First off, respect where respect is due - this is an adaptation of the Animal's *How To Ask For New Build Advice* Sticky. I created this because there's a lot of posts nowadays asking for upgrade advice both on here and on the CPU forums, and I feel...
forums.tomshardware.com forums.tomshardware.com
and the community will chime in with worthwhile suggestions.

You might also want to list your current system's specs like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model.

That way we can decipher if any parts are worth recycling.
 
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Lutfij said:
Might want to read through this;
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/w...pported/windows-11-supported-intel-processors

I would advise on building a concurrent system from the ground up as this years marks 5 years for Windows 11.

You're advised to stylize your thread with info asked of in this thread;

*How to Ask for New Build or Upgrade Advice*

How to Ask for New Build or Upgrade Advice First off, respect where respect is due - this is an adaptation of the Animal's *How To Ask For New Build Advice* Sticky. I created this because there's a lot of posts nowadays asking for upgrade advice both on here and on the CPU forums, and I feel...
forums.tomshardware.com forums.tomshardware.com
and the community will chime in with worthwhile suggestions.

You might also want to list your current system's specs like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model.

That way we can decipher if any parts are worth recycling.
Click to expand...
Thanks, i'll look up my current specs now.
 
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mrsmithjr said:
Well i'm hoping i can keep all of my other parts, just a cpu and if necessary a new motherboard, so i'm hoping no more than £200.
Click to expand...
You should be able to get i7-12700k for excellent price.
It's a very good value option currently.

But your budget is very limiting.
If you could stretch it a bit, then i5-12600k perhaps?

Does your cpu cooler have LGA 1700 bracket included?
If no, then you'll either need the bracket or get a new cpu cooler.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-12600K 3.7 GHz 10-Core Processor (£152.99 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: MSI PRO B760-P DDR4 II ATX LGA1700 Motherboard (£104.99 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £257.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-05-01 14:50 BST+0100
 
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I tend to mirror the advised option above. Not sure if you could squeeze it out of a 200# budget, but a 7xxx Ryzen would give you a lot more options for a good update down the road. There is talk that the next generation of Ryzen (after 9xxx) is still going to stay AM5.
The issue I see here is that you would have to try and pull an AM5 CPU, motherboard, AND DDR5 out of that budget. Not going to happen, not new anyway.

IDK what the state is of AM4 where you are, but technically you might be able to pull something like a 5600, inexpensive motherboard, and use the RAM kit you already have even though it is not (likely) ideal in speed. It may well be worth exploring the used market to see if you can find a system at or above 8th gen Intel, or 2xxx desktop CPU for Ryzen.

Check on:
A520 motherboard
Ryzen 5 5600 - comes with a cooler too (could sub in a 3600 here)
G Skill Ripjaws or Silicone Power DDR4 @3200 (or up to 3600 if you can find in budget)
You might wiggle an NVMe drive in if you use the RAM you have.

Do keep in mind that the AMD CPU for AM4 don't have onboard graphics without the G skew.
 
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Thanks for all of the suggestions guys, it looks like amd 5600 with a b450 motherboard is a nice affordable way to go that would allow me to continue using the ram i have. ''MSI B450 GAMING PLUS MAX Motherboard'' has the red colours which would match the red ram sticks, that one should be fine right? From the brief search i've done the 5600 is about £20 cheaper than 5600x so i think i'll go with the cheaper option. Is the included stock cooler good enough to get the job down? @SkyNetRising sadly I don't have any brackets for the cryorig h7 cooler, not sure where i would get one of those.

Could you guys also recommend some decent cheap compatible cases, i'd like to replace the old one i have, obviously that means increasing my budget a bit. Ideally it would have a disc drive slot since my pc still has one.

Edit: Is the Fractal Design Focus G - Mid Tower any good?
 
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I have discovered through task manager that my ram is listed at 2133mhz, according to google: ''While an AMD Ryzen 5 5600 processor can technically function with 2133MHz RAM, it's generally not recommended. The processor is designed for faster RAM speeds, and using slower RAM will result in a performance bottleneck. To get the most out of the Ryzen 5 5600, forums suggest using RAM that runs at 3200MHz or even 3600MHz. '' So I guess I will need new ram afterall.
 
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mrsmithjr said:
''While an AMD Ryzen 5 5600 processor can technically function with 2133MHz RAM, it's generally not recommended.
Click to expand...
2133MT/s is the default (JEDEC) speed at which many DDR4 DIMMs start up, before you start messing with XMP/EXPO/DOCP overclocking. It's iintended to ensure stability in most systems, the first time you boot up after assembling the system.

mrsmithjr said:
To get the most out of the Ryzen 5 5600, forums suggest using RAM that runs at 3200MHz or even 3600MHz.
Click to expand...
The spec for the 5600 on CPU World is DDR4-3200. You'll probably be able to achieve 3600MT/s or faster, but it's not always possible, especially with 4 DIMMs.
https://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Zen/AMD-Ryzen 5 5600.html

Memory controller
Memory channels (total): 2
Supported memory: DDR4-3200
ECC supported: Yes

mrsmithjr said:
So I guess I will need new ram afterall.
Click to expand...
It's up to you. If your main interest is gaming, consider getting new (faster) RAM.

When I built my 7950X system back in 2022, fast DDR5 was too expensive for my wallet, so I installed 2 x 32GB 4800MT/s. Nowadays you'd probably fit at least 6,000MT/s DDR5.

Faster RAM makes very little difference in some programs on AMD CPUs, e.g. DaVinci Resolve video editor does not benefit (see blue lines on chart below).
.
https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/a...-on-content-creation-performance-2023-update/

DDR5_Speed_DR.png


On the subject of cases, I have several Fractal Design R4 and R5 chassis. You need to check carefully for 5.25in front panel bays amongst the numerous options. Some Fractal caaes have removeable cradles for at least 8 hard disks, useful for server builds.
 
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To plan on reusing your DDR4 ram on AMD, I would be very careful about compatibility.
Ram is tightly tied to AMD processors.
Go to the motherboard web site and look at their ram support list. It will vary by processor used.
To be safe, your ram kit should show up on the QVL list. Other ram can work. Your ram vendor will have a support app that you can check.
As an alternative to the i5-12600K and B760 motherboard mentioned above, look into a i3-13100 or i5-12400.
They come with adequate coolers and are considerably stronger than your 6600K
 
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