Solved i7 Wanted: New motherboard?

[Chips]

I've got an i3 540 dual core processor. If I want to upgrade to an i7 quad core does this mean having to get a new motherboard too? If so which board do I need to get?

 

[paulpicks21]

What motherboard do you have?


Edit: If you don't know, download this program - http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html download links on the right of the page.

Once downloaded run it and select the "mainboard" tab

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I think the i3 540 requires a socket 1156 motherboard.

Most i7 processors require a socket 1155 motherboard. Some earlier generation i7 processors used socket 1156 and some used socket 1366.

The current generation of i7 does NOT use 1156, so you would need a new motherboard for any of the current generation.

 

[James7679]

What motherboard do you have?


Edit: If you don't know, download this program - CPUID - System & hardware benchmark, monitoring, reporting download links on the right of the page.

Once downloaded run it and select the "mainboard" tab

This is very important to be able to give you an educated answer. Also http://www.sevenforums.com/profile.php?do=extra

If we were to say that you could get away with only the new processor, your choices are going to be limited at this point. Newegg has none in inventory. Tiger Direct only shows one model at limited quantities. Intel CPUs / Processors LGA1156 Processor Interface ,Core i7 Processor Class at TigerDirect.com

 

[Chips]

Yep, it's a 1156. So, it's the socket I should be looking at? Just been looking at an i7 3820 Sandy Bridge and it uses a 2011! They all seem to use different motherboards! Man, this all comes across like a Chinese puzzle!

 

[paulpicks21]

With 1156 socket the only i7 that springs to mind is the 860 but I imagine its pretty hard to find one now. Amazon or ebay maybe?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Yep, it's a 1156. So, it's the socket I should be looking at? Just been looking at an i7 3820 Sandy Bridge and it uses a 2011!

Yes. The socket is critical. There have been several i7 sockets, 2011 being the newest. If you want a 3820, you have to buy a socket 2011 board. You can't put a round peg into a square hole, without a hammer.

 

[James7679]

Chips, please help us help you. If you would like any further advice, please fill in your system specs and give an estimated budget.
Also, what will be the PCs primary use? Gaming? Media? Coding?

 

[Chips]

Chips, please help us help you. If you would like any further advice, please fill in your system specs and give an estimated budget.
Also, what will be the PCs primary use? Gaming? Media? Coding?

CPU: i3 540 dual core
Motherboard: 1156 LGA
4Gb DDR3
GeForce GT320

For Skyrim plus graphic upgrade mods. Heard it needs LOADS of juice, much, much more than my lowly computer has! I know practically everything needs upgrading except maybe my RAM.

Just thought, what about i5s?

 

[DeaconFrost]

Yep, it's a 1156. So, it's the socket I should be looking at? Just been looking at an i7 3820 Sandy Bridge and it uses a 2011! They all seem to use different motherboards! Man, this all comes across like a Chinese puzzle!

It's very easy as long as you treat the motherboard as the primary component, instead of the processor. All other decisions are based off of the motherboard. Sockets change ever couple of years, so it doesn't change as often as it may seem. Socket 1155 has been on the market for a good while now, and has already technically been replaced as the "latest and greatest".

The decision really comes down to cost. Likely, the motherboard would be the only thing needing to be replaced, should you decide on a new processor. So, weight the costs of getting just a new proc, versus a new i7 and maybe a 1155 board to run it on. You might be looking at something like a $75 to $80 difference...where it is worth the motherboard swap. Only you can determine that.

 

[James7679]

Okay, that's a start, do you have budget in mind? Will you be building it yourself?

 

[ignatzatsonic]

i5s are strong. But what is your overall budget and from where do you intend to buy?

Will you need a new case?

You may need a new power supply, depending on what you have now--if you intend to upgrade the graphics card.

 

[Chips]

I'll certainly need a new graphics card. I might need a new case too? If so that'd mean a whole new computer. Budget? No figures in mind. I just don't want to spend more than I really need to. If an i5 with my present motherboard and a mid-range graphics card will do the job with no slowdown then all's the better!

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Is your current PC home-built or store-bought?

If store-bought, a change in the motherboard will probably require a new Windows license.

On the other hand, if you don't change motherboards, you are severely limited on how much you can upgrade the processor.

The current case is probably OK, but may have issues. Is it an ATX case or micro ATX?

 

[Chips]

It was bought from a store, so nope, I don't have a Windows 7 disk.

It's a full size case made by HP if that helps any?

 

[James7679]

Just change your CPU and GPU for now. It will cost you quite a bit more than I think you want to spend to build a new system. Here are some processor choices for you.
Newegg.com - Computer Hardware, CPUs / Processors, Processors - Desktops, LGA 1156
Intel CPUs / Processors LGA1156 Processor Interface at TigerDirect.com

 

[ignatzatsonic]

What exact model HP?

If it is a "micro-ATX" case, you will be restricted to micro ATX motherboards. If it is an ATX case, you can use ATX or micro-ATX motherboards.

Since it is an HP, it came with an OEM version of Windows. If you change motherboards, plan on buying a new copy of Windows.

 

[Chips]

HERE's mine. Same case an' all.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

More details:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...0933/loc:2&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&product=4228021


Here are full details of the motherboard you have:

Motherboard Specifications, MS-7613 (Iona-GL8E) HP Pavilion Elite HPE-340uk Desktop PC - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

It's a micro-ATX case.

The specs say this:

Motherboard supports the following processor upgrades:

Intel Core i7-8xx (Lynnfield core)
Intel Core i5-7xx (Lynnfield core)
Intel Core i5-6xx (Clarkdale core)
Intel Core i3-5xx (Clarkdale core)

Intel H57 Express chipset

Supports up to 16 GB of DDR3 RAM

DIMM types:

PC3-10600 (DDR3-1333)
PC3-8500 (DDR3-1066)


It has a 460 watt PSU, which is good enough for most graphics cards if it is of decent quality.

 

[Chips]

Hmm, it aint lookin' good. If the motherboard will only take up to i7-800's then the best I can find is the 880, which is under the 3Ghz I really need to get the most out of the graphics without slowdown. That really means a new computer if I'm realistic.