Upgrading to Core i7
February 3rd, 2020
I was thinking of upgrading my Core2Duo processor to Core i7, I’m no hardware expert, so I need your guidance. I have a few questions:
1. Which model of the Core i7 should I look for ? (the Extreme Edition series is not an option, their prices are rocketing). I need your recommendations.
2. I asked in the local stores in Cairo (I’m Egyptian) a few months ago and the 2600 and 2600k were available for a moderate price. Is this a good processor ? would it give me a significant performance boost ? (assuming I couldn’t find a better one or the ones you suggest).
3. I know I need a new motherboard (mine is Gigabyte GA-G31M-ES2C v1), which board should I buy for the Core i7 ? (not too expensive if possible)
4. Do I need a new power supply unit ? mine is Cougar CM HEC-700TE (700 Watt).
My average budget is 3000 Egyptian pounds (~ 450 US dollars), I can raise it a little if needed, but not much.
My current PC specifications:
CPU: Core2Duo 2.8 GHz (E7400).
PSU: Cougar CM HEC-700TE (700 Watt). 80 Plus Bronze (I don’t know what this is, it is a little sticker on the side of the unit).
GPU: nVidia GeForece GTX 480
RAM: 4 GB
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-G31M-ES2C v1 :
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=2961
Thanks in advance, and sorry if I made this long
You’d probably be good with the 2600k dependant on price where you are. As for the motherboard, spend roughly �100 on a decent one. Any mobos beyond that price is probably for real hardcore pc enthusiasts/rich folk. Your power supply will be perfectly fine. The new generation iCores are a lot more efficient on power than its older brother.
You might want to consider upping your RAM. DDR3 is quite cheap now and you can pick up 8GBs for less than �50.
Thank you very much, mate
By the way, I found a website for PC components in Egypt. According to it, some 3rd generation i7 processors are available for near prices (such as i7-3770K), would that be better than the 2600 ?
And would I need a modern cooling system for the i7 or a regular CPU fan would be enough ?
I asked in the local stores in Cairo (I'm Egyptian) a few months ago and the 2600 and 2600k were available for a moderate price. Is this a good processor ?
Yep, But a bit outdated! You should get an Ivy Bridge based processor, Which is the current architecture.
Here’s a list of em:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_Bridge_%28microarchitecture%29#Desktop_processors
And for the record, An Intel processor which ends with a K has an unlocked multiplier (good for OC) while a non-K has a locked one (bad for OC).
I know I need a new motherboard (mine is Gigabyte GA-G31M-ES2C v1), which board should I buy for the Core i7 ? (not too expensive if possible)
Generally speaking, You’d wanna get a motherboard based on the Z77 chipset (if your gonna overclock) or H77/B75 if your not. Do note however that your gonna have to get new RAM too!
DDR2 is out of the game and cannot be used with any current motherboards! Get 2 4GB DDR3 1600 sticks (and make sure they’re at least CL 9) Do I need a new power supply unit
No.
would I need a modern cooling system for the i7 or a regular CPU fan would be enough ?
The stock one would do (unless your gonna OC)
Which model of the Core i7 should I look for ? (the Extreme Edition series is not an option, their prices are rocketing). I need your recommendations.
Well, There’s not much of em in the ivybridge range, So it’d be the 3770 or 3770k, But if you ask me, The Core i5 3570/3570k currently provides the best price/performance ratio!
Edit: Also, Keep in mind that IDE has been phased out too, So if you have any IDE drives, Your not gonna be able to connect em!
Thank you, this is very informative.
But regarding RAM, what is the meaning of CL 9 ? and what do you mean with 1600 ?
I won’t overclock, so according to what you said, I should get a motherboard based on H77/B75 chipset, right ? What does this mean and how should I know which motherboard to pick ?
I know I look stupid, but please excuse me.
Thank you, this is very informative.
But regarding RAM, what is the meaning of CL 9 ? and what do you mean with 1600 ?
I won't overclock, so according to what you said, I should get a motherboard based on H77/B75 chipset, right ? What does this mean and how should I know which motherboard to pick ?
I know I look stupid, but please excuse me.
Gigabyte GA-G31M-ES2C we have same mobo anyway back to topic. xD
.. H77/B75 ya you need to get by the way..
B65 H61 Q67 H67 P67 Z68 you can get this mobo based chipset if you will get sandy bridge intel like 2500, 2500K, 2600, 2600K , 2400, and so on.
B75 Q75 Q77 H77 Z75 Z77 and this chipsets are for ivy bridge. like 3550 ,3570K and so on hehehe…
by the way
Z77 if you want 2 or more pcie 2.0 @x16 slots which is use by video cards the x8 slots. i think use in sound cards? since i dont use them ) or x1 slots? i think they difference in their lines ))) … not sure. i dont use them .. And also
i would recommended to go here
www.tomshardware.com
by the way sir. i think your PSU is good enough …
1600 on ram. i think it was the frequency right that it can support.?
– i only knew few computer hardware
Thank you OK, I’m almost done. How do you think about these components:
1. Intel� Core� i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz 8MB Cache
http://www.egprices.com/product.php?id=14359
2. ASRock Z77 Extreme4 motherboard
http://www.egprices.com/product.php?id=14281
3. CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1866 CL9 Dual Channel Memory Kit
http://www.egprices.com/product.php?id=17747
I have one last question: Is it recommended that I get a new case or this doesn’t matter ?
Unless you plan on doing a lot of video editing, don’t get i7. The extra $120 is not worth the extra 10% boost in gaming. I just finish building a PC with i7 and I ended up returning it getting 3570 i5. The performance is the same and you wont notice it. By the end you end up upgrading i5, you probably will do the same for i7. use the extra 120+ to get a better GPU, MOBO..etc. you will get a better performance boost.
Unless you plan on doing a lot of video editing, don't get i7. The extra $120 is not worth the extra 10% boost in gaming. I just finish building a PC with i7 and I ended up returning it getting 3570 i5. The performance is the same and you wont notice it. By the end you end up upgrading i5, you probably will do the same for i7. use the extra 120+ to get a better GPU, MOBO..etc. you will get a better performance boost.
Second this. The i5s are great on price, overclocking potential and not much noticeable difference against the i7 when gaming. Unless you’re rendering masses of video, then you will not see a huge performance increase to justify the price tag.
Fine, what about the motherboard ?
the Asrock z77 ex4 one is good. you may get a b75 mobo as you won’t overblock the i5 3570. But still, z77’s are better mobo.
You may also include an 128gb ssd if your budget allows. It’ll give you a huge performance boost.
I don’t know the temps that you get in Egypt, but that should be on your priority, thermal management. Otherwise the CPU will be throttling like mad, those Ivy’s run fairly hot.
the Asrock z77 ex4 one is good. you may get a b75 mobo as you won't overblock the i5 3570. But still, z77's are better mobo.
You may also include an 128gb ssd if your budget allows. It'll give you a huge performance boost.
I understand, but the solid state drives are too expensive and limited in storage space comparing to hard discs.
I don't know the temps that you get in Egypt, but that should be on your priority, thermal management. Otherwise the CPU will be throttling like mad, those Ivy's run fairly hot.
Temperature in mid-summer can reach 33 c (average is 30 c), in winter it can get down to below 13 c
So, which CPU fan do you recommend ?
How about “Aerocool Shark Fan” or “Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo” ? My budget can’t bear too expensive fans or the liquid cooling systems.
And would I need the external case fan ? It broke down months ago, but I was too lazy to get a new one
the Asrock z77 ex4 one is good. you may get a b75 mobo as you won't overblock the i5 3570. But still, z77's are better mobo.
You may also include an 128gb ssd if your budget allows. It'll give you a huge performance boost.
I understand, but the solid state drives are too expensive and limited in storage space comparing to hard discs.
I don't know the temps that you get in Egypt, but that should be on your priority, thermal management. Otherwise the CPU will be throttling like mad, those Ivy's run fairly hot.
Temperature in mid-summer can reach 33 c (average is 30 c), in winter it can get down to below 13 c
So, which CPU fan do you recommend ?
How about "Aerocool Shark Fan" or "Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo" ? My budget can't bear too expensive fans or the liquid cooling systems.
And would I need the external case fan ? It broke down months ago, but I was too lazy to get a new one
I have a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo and my full load temps never exceed 50’c and idle at about 20’c-25’c dependant on room temp.
This is compared to the stock cooler which idles at 35’c-40’c and tops out at 70’c at full tilt.
There is a significant difference. My only gripe is that the actual heatsink is massive. So be sure you have a big enough case to fit it in.
(and make sure they're at least CL 9)
I take it you meant to say “at most”.
Anyway, I’ve yet to see conclusive evidence that these minor latency differences make real differences except in synthetic benchmarks.
Temperature in mid-summer can reach 33 c (average is 30 c), in winter it can get down to below 13 c
So, which CPU fan do you recommend ?
How about "Aerocool Shark Fan" or "Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo" ? My budget can't bear too expensive fans or the liquid cooling systems.
And would I need the external case fan ? It broke down months ago, but I was too lazy to get a new one
33, hm the rest could be later to the humidity. The 3700k is fine if you don’t overclock on summer. I had a stock fan on my 3550, I instead just got a Corsair H40 with a Corsair SP120 bolted on pull mode (less dust this way). In a way, I recommend if your on a limited budget, don’t buy a 3770k, instead a 3570k. You won’t see much improvements in game play for the extra dosh.
Thanks guys..
I bought the following components:
1. Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz 8MB Cache
2. CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1866 CL9 Dual Channel Memory Kit
3. ASRock Z77 Extreme4 Motherboard
4. Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo (CPU fan)
5. Cooler Master CM Storm Trooper case.
They costed me 5190 LE (~ 772 US Dollars).
I had to buy a computer case because the motherboard wouldn’t fit in my old case. My old case was small, with bad cooling, and I got bored of it anyway.
I had to re-install Windows because I had problems. Fortunately, Most components and drivers were recognized and installed automatically (apart from one driver I needed to install manually).
Now I have one little problem: The computer sometimes displays an error screen saying something as it has problems and needs to restart. This blue screen is displayed for about two seconds then the computer restarts automatically.
This error is random. I don’t get it when I play any game or do anything that needs much of the CPU or GPU power. I even leave the PC overnight downloading a torrent or uploading something (as I usually do), but in the morning I find out that it restarted sometime during the night.
I checked the BIOS for CPU temperature, it was about 30’c (Idle). All fans are working perfectly (4 for the case, 1 for the processor and of course the GPU fan).
Any idea why I get this issue ? and what should I do ?
Can you write down the error message?
Diagnosis from a distance: Run some sort of memcheck thingy to test your RAM.
Can you write down the error message?
Diagnosis from a distance: Run some sort of memcheck thingy to test your RAM.
I know I should write down the message, but I can’t because it is displayed for a very short time (2 seconds or less), it is also random and may pop up when I’m not working on the PC. I can’t expect when it will pop up again.
How do I do a memcheck ?
I will search Google, but please tell me
There is Hiren’s Boot CD.
And it contains MemTest86+
DL here:
http://www.google.com?t=16577595&highlight=
Or check this:
http://www.memtest.org/
Burn or create USB bootable device.
“Boot” – run memtest86+……
And wait.
After 3 hours of waiting, I couldn’t be patient anymore. I stopped the test. It had lots and lots of errors (reached Pass 3 with over 1 million errors).
What should I do next ?
You can change the memory. I didn’t buy the extreme 4 because boards cheaper than that offered more reliability. E4’s badly made, noticible warping and memory incapabilities.
Make sure to upgrade and update all drivers, bios, and whatever else you need to.
Yeah, it takes time.
2 Pass is enough.
Also, maybe One RAM is bad.
If you didn’t tried it yet:
Took one ram out, test another one.
Then remove tested one and test that ram you took it out.
And check if the ram is placed “as it should”, to the end……don’t know how to say this
Looks like the problem is solved. I contacted the seller and told him about the symptoms, he told me it is most likely a RAM issue and it needs to be replaced. I visited him today and he gave me a new kit.
The new pair seems to be working fine so far. I even started the memory test (Memtest86+) a few minutes and no errors were discovered.
If anything happens, I will update the topic.
Thanks guys for your support. I really appreciate it