[SOLVED] Suitable Motherboard and Heatsink for an i7 8700?

[LordMikeus]

I currently have a Z270-Gaming K3 Motherboard which seems to be incompatible with an Intel i7 8700 processor. I'd like to get the 8700 sometime soon so that my PC is up to scratch for Ray Tracing requirements. I'd also need a suitable heatsink to fit the 8700 too as I'm unsure if the one on my current processor (Intel Core i5 7500) will be suitable. A good thermal paste recommendation for the heatsink would also do no harm 😉 . Any advice on this would be appreciated as I'm not very knowledgeable on motherboards, processors and heatsinks. I'll also use this opportunity to learn a bit more if you want to add some details to your responses 😀

Thanks for any help!

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Cooler come with good paste , but if you want something different get MX4.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-U9S 46.44 CFM CPU Cooler ($57.19 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI - MAG Z390 TOMAHAWK ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($159.89 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $217.08
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-02-26 08:32 EST-0500

 

[LordMikeus]

Cooler come with good paste , but if you want something different get MX4.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-U9S 46.44 CFM CPU Cooler ($57.19 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI - MAG Z390 TOMAHAWK ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($159.89 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $217.08
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-02-26 08:32 EST-0500

Brilliant, thanks for the advice. I'll look at getting that motherboard and CPU Cooler for when I get the 8700. Thanks for the help!

 

[TJ Hooker]

Just an FYI, you can get a motherboard and cooler that cost half as much as those and still get the same performance.

 

[LordMikeus]

Just an FYI, you can get a motherboard and cooler that cost half as much as those and still get the same performance.

Could you give me some example so I can compare and consider please? Just letting me know doesn't really help me much due to my lack of knowledge on the subject. All I can go off is the visible values etc.

 

[TJ Hooker]

Example:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/vZzkcf/asrock-b360m-pro4-micro-atx-lga1151-motherboard-b360m-pro4

Z series motherboards are for overclocking, which you can't do with an i7 8700. You can basically get the cheapest 300 series motherboard you can find that has all the slots/connectors you want, although I'd personally avoid the very cheapest ones and get one that at least has heatsinks on the VRMs.

The 8700 actually comes with a stock cooler, you could try that out to see how it performs before getting a new one. If it's too hot/noisy, replace it.

 

[LordMikeus]

Example:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/vZzkcf/asrock-b360m-pro4-micro-atx-lga1151-motherboard-b360m-pro4

Z series motherboards are for overclocking, which you can't do with an i7 8700. You can basically get the cheapest 300 series motherboard you can find that has all the slots/connectors you want, although I'd personally avoid the very cheapest ones and get one that at least has heatsinks on the VRMs.

The 8700 actually comes with a stock cooler, you could try that out to see how it performs before getting a new one. If it's too hot/noisy, replace it.

Would you mind recommending one of the ones you mentioned that has said heatsink. Something good that will last is great. Unsure on overclocking personally and haven't done it, happy to use the accompanying cooler though and keep an eye on temps. I'm unsure if mini-ATX matters also. I do need the Motherboard to fit my 2x8GB Ram, the 2080 and obviously the cpu and it's cooler. I'd really like to consider the one you recommend and of course, cheaper is a beneficial thing to me if performance won't take a big hit

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Also with the B360 boards , use a set of 2666 rated memory.

 

[TJ Hooker]

The one I linked has VRM heatsinks.

I saw in your other thread that you already have 3000 MHz RAM. If you want to be able to run it at full speed you will need a Z series motherboard. If not, it will be limited to 2666 MHz. Probably wouldn't see a significant difference in gaming performance, but it's something to be aware of. You may have to manually set the RAM frequency/timings if the kit doesn't have a pre-programmed profile for 2666 Mz.

Any motherboard you find will be able to accomodate 2x8 GB of RAM and an RTX 2080. Full size ATX mobos tend to have more expansion slots and connectors than a micro ATX. But the one I linked should still have plenty of connectivity for most people.

So in my opinion, it comes down to whether you want to be able to run your RAM at the rated speed. If so, you can get a cheap Z390 board for ~$100, e.g.

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/nt...atx-lga1150-motherboard-z390-phantom-gaming-4

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

I mentioned the memory issue above.

 

[LordMikeus]

Thanks for all the help both of you, I just realised I wasn't getting emails for this thread and came back to it. I do think running the RAM at it's best seems good so I'd likely get one of the Z390's you both linked and the 8700. That seems like it should be enough to get my current system up to scratch without seeing issues unless temps start getting high. Thanks again!

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Glad to assist.