Windows 7 - New CPU, what would you suggest.

Hi all

I hope that admin will allow this to run for a while. I love Windows 7 and have just sold my motherboard, CPU and RAM last night, so today is upgrade day. The situation is that I would like some advice on what to upgrade to. I currently have an extra Intel D965LT motherboard at home but I am unsure if I should use it and go for a higher end Core 2 Duo CPU or if I should buy an entry level Core 2 Duo, but then buy a motherboard that supports Quad Processors. Also, I am unsure how the Intel board will support Windows 7 as looking at their Bios updates it is not showing anything for Vista or Windows 7.

All suggestions will be noted.

Thanks All

core2 duos work great with windows 7. Seriously fast. I wouldn't go lower end, middle to high would be better - you don't want to go low and regret doing it.
As for bios, I'm sure it wouldn't need an update to support windows 7.

LOL, id say Core i7, but that maybe a bit out of your range, but a Intel 5300 Dual core, isnt to expensive, and can be overclocked up to 3.6Ghz, mines only OC's to 3.0Ghz, but still, can give your comp a kick in the backside and make it run well

I encounter this alot, in my line of work. People far too often make the mistake of spending all their money on a good CPU, and then endup with a [INSERT COLORFUL EXPLETIVE HERE] motherboard. Just like a house with a bad foundation will give you problems, so too will a computer with a bad motherboard.

Contrary to popular belief, the CPU is NOT the heart of the computer, the motherboard is. It determines amoungst other things how stable your machine will be, how well it performs, and most importantly what kind of future upgrade options are open to you such as processor support, memory, storage, graphics expansion, etc.

I would advise you to go for a Quad Core CPU, but if money is tight (as it is for all of us), but you'd be best served by cutting back on your choice of processor and go for a Dual Core, then spend that little bit extra saved on a better motherboard. The thing to remember is it's frightfully easy to change processors further down the road, but not so easy to change motherboards.

Even if you don't fully utilise all your motherboard options from day one, it's good to have them right there when you need them, without having to replace it again for example when you want to expand from 4GB memory to 8GB or more.

You motherboard is key.

Thanks

The motherboard I have available. Intel D965LT, would you rate it as good enough? Cause otherwise 90% of the budget will be on a good motherboard. I should be able to buy a new motherboard in December though.

I would not recommend a Dell board. Go with ASUS. I have used their boards for years, not a single issue. They seem to play well with Seven and all the tinkering I do to it.

Go with a higher end board, in the $100+ range. I would also agree with the quad core route. Though I would advise for a slightly lower quad core than a higher end dual core. A mid range quad is MUCH better than the Core 2 Extreme for like $1000. Also costs less.

Don't forget a decent graphics card and a good HDD. All of those affect speed.

~Lordbob

With sincere respect, I'd like to present an alternative viewpoint:

- It is virtually impossible for a consumer to tell the difference between "good" and "bad" motherboards from a catalog (I speak only for myself.) Assuming one steers clear of no-name brands, price becomes just about the only way to gauge their "goodness" and relative impact on performance and stability. Is a $300 motherboard three times more good and more stable than the $100 jobbie?

- Motherboard-based expansion is a thing of the past. Even the cheapest of motherboards have sufficient DIMM slots for all consumer-level memory needs, enough SATA ports, that lone IDE port you may still use, and all that stuff. Buying the $300 motherboard on the premise that one day you might need that 4th PCI slot (the $100 'board has only 3) is wasteful. Many peripherals which used to reside on "expansion boards" are now connected via USB and 1394.

- While the performance difference between any two motherboards is at best difficult to quantify, having double the number of processor cores is an ENORMOUS advantage. Everything else being equal, a quad-core in a $100 mobo will easily outperform a dual-core plugged into $300-worth of motherboard electronics, in all but the most contrived of benchmarks.

- Sadly, by the time the processor can be meaningfully upgraded, the $300 motherboard is so obsolete that limiting one's self to buying only those (upgrade) processors which still fit that old 'board is a false economy. You'll likely be itching to bin the entire thing and start from scratch with the latest-and-greatest processor, motherboard, RAM type, HDD...

My suggestion is to buy the cheapest motherboard - from a reputable manufacturer - that ticks all of your current boxes with regards to embedded functionality and connectors, and to then spend the cash saved on the beastliest processor you can get your hands on, and/or more RAM.

So should I keep my motherboard and buy the best CPU I can afford (Dual Core)?

Start with a future proof motherboard, and take it from there imo.

Go with quad core and medium price mobo(Asus)