Windows 7 help choosing a mbo ( upgrade)

[mikezilla2]

well i recently decided its time to get a new case before i cook something

with that said i also decided on a cpu upgrade I7 3770k - current specs ( win 7 64 12 gbs of ram etc )

not noted iv also got a tv card and 2 cap cards sitting in the smaller pci slots ( pci 3 ?)

so with that i need to find a new mbo the old GA-X58A-UD3R just wont cut it im afraid

the case iv chosen is a thermal-take overseer

 

[cliffordcooley]

so with that i need to find a new mbo the old GA-X58A-UD3R just wont cut it im afraid

Not when your CPU architect changes from LGA1366 to LGA1155.

If all your RAM slots are populated, you will not find a LGA1155 motherboard that will use all 6 modules. In fact when changing from LGA1366 to LGA1155, you will be slightly downgrading from Link Removed memory. If you plan on at least running with dual channel, you will need to find another matching stick. Or replace one of the modules for another set of dual-channel memory. With LGA1155 if you populate two slots with dual-channel capable memory and then populate a second channel with only one module, your PC will step down to single channel memory operations.

For clarity, are your PCI cards PCIe x1? This would mean you need at least two PCIe x1 card slots along with the one PCIe x16. For the record your motherboard does not have version PCIe 3.0 slots. PCIe 3.0 is new and have just recently been released with Ivy-Bridge(and a few Sandy Bridge) motherboards.

 

[mikezilla2]

i have 3 4 gb sticks ( ram ) - this was the pack i brought Link Removed due to 404 Error , iv got old DDR2 ram but if theres a way of getting the CPU i want and keeping the ram i have in use well il do that - if not that maybe upgrading isnt worth it at this point , the pci slots well there those slots that are only like 3cm long the tv card i think is more or less one of the pci x 16 slots

 

[cliffordcooley]

i have 3 4 gb sticks ( ram ) - this was the pack i brought Link Removed due to 404 Error , iv got old DDR2 ram but if theres a way of getting the CPU i want and keeping the ram i have in use well il do that - if not that maybe upgrading isnt worth it at this point

The memory modules will work. Two of them can be used in dual-channel mode for 8GB of memory. If you use the third module, the PC will still function but the memory will not be in dual-channel mode. Dual-channel mode must have matching pairs of RAM in both channels. A third stick will place the PC in single-channel mode, which is fully usable but slightly handicapped.

You are describing PCIe x1 card slots. I was making sure you wasn't referring to PCI card slots.
Link RemovedLink Removed

 

[Digerati]

you will be slightly downgrading from tri-channel to dual-channel memory.

The jury is still out on whether triple channel results in superior performance (other than on paper/synthetic testing), or that going from triple to dual channel is a "downgrade". In fact, when considering budgets vs performance, it is typically better to have 8Gb in dual channel vs just 6Gb in triple. The next bump up for triple to 12Gb can be pretty costly for negligible, if any, gains - especially over 8Gb.

If your motherboard supports triple channel, then for sure, it is best to use sticks in trips. But if a motherboard had all the features I wanted, I would not shy away from it just because it supported dual-channel instead of tri.

Is tri channel better than dual channel?

 

[cliffordcooley]

The jury is still out on whether triple channel results in superior performance (other than on paper/synthetic testing), or that going from triple to dual channel is a "downgrade".

There is a reason why Intel bumped it up yet another notch, quad-channel with LGA2011 platform. Don't tell me it wouldn't be a downgrade. It may not be that noticeable to the average user but it's still a downgrade. If there wasn't a performance benefit in multiple channels, we would still be using memory in a single-channel.

 

[Digerati]

Don't tell me it wouldn't be a downgrade. If there wasn't a performance benefit in multiple channels, we would still be using memory in a single-channel.

I didn't! I said the jury is still out, as my link to the simple search with Google easily confirms. Do not assume because dual-channel is so superior over single channel that triple channel must be comparably superior over dual. It is just not true. Note that dual-channel memory architecture has been around for decades! Triple is fairly recent but most importantly, it is NOT taking over as some might have wished. And why? Because it has not proven to be advantageous for most users.

And it needs to be pointed out that memory architectures (single, dual, triple, quad) are MOTHERBOARD features, and NOT CPU features - specifically, the memory sub-system. Whether the CPU can address the channels is another story.

I agree with you Clifford - triple channel does have the greater potential. I am not trying to start another war of words here. I am just saying the advantages seen on paper have NOT been realized in the real-world. As is often the case, "theory" and "real-world" don't often see eye to eye.

I am just saying, with ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL, I will still take 8Gb in dual channel over 6Gb in triple, any day of the week.

 

[mikezilla2]

okey so i might just go with an overclock aussming i can get the cpu to go over 3 giga hertz with out much trouble ? should i be looking at somthing else besides this Link Removed due to 404 Error or a thermaletake overseer ? dont want to cook anything

 

[mikezilla2]

re visiting this , so ended getting the case mentioned above quite some time ago and am wondering what mbo i should get to go with this ?

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i still have the same ram as before and am wondering will all 3 of the ddr 3 modules that i have function and what mobo i should go with ?

 

[Digerati]

Well, obviously, first and foremost you need a board with the 1155 socket and a chipset that supports that i7. You will need to look at the QVL (qualified vendors list) for CPUs for each board you are considering. Virtually all motherboard makers maintain such a list on their board's webpage.

The QVL for CPUs will list all the CPUs the board maker verifies will work with that board.

Most board makers will also provide a QVL for RAM too. However, there are too many RAM makers and models for the board makers to test them all so you don't have to buy from the list, but you do need to buy RAM with the same specs as listed RAM to ensure compatibility.

If you choose a Dual Channel Memory board, your 3 sticks will still work (if compatible), but typically only the first 2 will work in Dual Channel mode and the last will work in single channel. It will be essential to read the motherboard manual to determine which RAM slots to use to give you the best performance with 3 sticks. With 12Gb, I seriously doubt you will see any performance hit with the last 4Gb running in single mode only. The first 8Gb will be running in Dual Channel and it will be a rare day when you need RAM above 8Gb.

Finally, remember that OEM Windows licenses are NOT legally transferable to new motherboards because a new motherboard, as the heart and soul of any computer, is considered a new computer. And an OEM license is inextricably tied to the "Original Equipment" it was purchased for.