New Motherboard Choice

[chri]

Ive been gifted an i7-2700 and therefore needs a new motherboard with an 1155 socket, but i have no idea what makes a motherboard better than another. Could you recommend a decent one please?
My build:
CPU - i7-2700
GPU - GTX 1060
RAM - Triple Channel
Thank you in advance! If you need more info i will reply quickly.

 

[chri]

My case is also pretty big as i have an Alienware aurora.

 

[The Paladin]

Well yours is a i7-2700k so it can handle up to DDR3 1066/1333 32GB RAM on LGA 1155 Die. (other specs found at http://ark.intel.com/products/61275/Intel-Core-i7-2700K-Processor-8M-Cache-up-to-3_90-GHz ) intel did not make a i7-2700 (locked cpu)

problem finding performance parts for such an older die cut can be troublesome
something like a ASUS P8Z68-V LGA 1155 Intel Z68 or Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3H would do nicely.
as for triple channel motherboards, even more expensive , I would stick to Dual channel making cost of chips cheaper
unless you already have the memory on hand (your not mentioning this fact.

 

[chri]

Thanks for the reply.
The triple channel for RAM is not a big problem.(yes I have the sticks but I'm happy with dual channel)
For die I'm assuming you mean an LPGA 1155 motherboard, but I don't understand why this is old? I thought this is a relatively new cpu and 1155 motherboards were good.
Thank you again, appreciate it!

 

[dgingeri]

Z77 motherboards should be able to handle that chip as easily as Z68 boards. They have the same socket. http://www.ebay.com/itm/ASUS-P8Z77-V-DELUXE-LGA-1155-Intel-Z77-HDMI-SATA-6Gb-s-USB-3-0-ATX-Motherboard-/322367180867?hash=item4b0e94d043:g:U6MAAOSwux5YW~om

That processor isn't capable of using triple channel memory, though. You can install three sticks on the motherboard, and it will address all three sticks, but it won't operate in triple channel mode. As a matter of fact, it will operate in single channel mode for one third of the memory in that config. I recommend only installing 2 sticks instead of three.

 

[chri]

Thank you, would it be worth buying another stick for 2 dual channel ( does that work? ).
Also for $150 what makes this motherboard a better choice than a cheaper one that has the same socket for the cpu?
Thanks!

 

[dgingeri]

That board is a good board with most of the modern features we enjoy on today's boards. It can handle dual video cards and has 6 USB 3.0 ports.

It also just happened to be the first on on the list when I searched ebay.

Do your own search and look through the ones available for the price range you would prefer with the features you like. Even after having some issues with Asus's support recently, I still prefer Asus boards overall. They have given me the best experiences in reliability and lack of bugs of all the brands I've tried. (I've had the worst experiences with Gigabyte boards, with every one of the 4 boards I've bought from them go bad in under a year.) Experiences vary, and other people have their preferences.

 

[chri]

Thank you, this is what I want.
I just don't know what to search for other than the socket for the cpu, what else do I need to look for ?

 

[dgingeri]

Well, the chipset is a better way to search for the motherboard, either Z77 or Z68, (you could go for P67, H67, or H77 if you want, but those don't do any overclocking and typically don't have as many features) and the form factor you prefer, ATX or mATX, and then look manually for the features you want, which probably includes USB 3.0.

Here's a reference you might want to look through: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Intel_chipsets#LGA_1155

 

[chri]

This motherboard comes up and it's much cheaper - it's 1150 (well 1155 but that's the same?) and has USB 3.0 Would this motherboard be ok?
Thank you again.

 

[chri]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gigabyte-Z97P-D3-LGA1150-Motherboard-USB3-0/dp/B00K9R1OCW/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1482429686&sr=1-1&keywords=1155+motherboard Oops forgot the link!

 

[dgingeri]

Ah, that's a more modern Z97 board. it won't support that processor.

 

[chri]

Why is this and how do you know? Is it because it's 1155?

 

[dgingeri]

It's in the name, and it is new. Besides, you even mention that it is a 1150 board, not a 1155 board, which is for newer processors than yours. Haswell and Broadwell (Core 4000 and 5000 series chips) are socket 1150.

Z68 and Z77 boards are out of production, so you will only ever find one that is used. Any new board is going to be Z97 or Z170, which are the newest chipsets.

 

[chri]

I'm extremely sorry I was wrong, the processor is an i7 - 2600. Therefore the socket is 1155 and therefore the motherboard I linked would be a good choice?
Sorry for the mistake, really appreciate your help.

 

[dgingeri]

The core i7 2600 is still a socket 1155, which would still require a 6 or 7 series chipset. So, all I said before still applies.