http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3897#ov

above is the link to my mb, i have no clue where to even start when looking for an upgrade for my cpu. not really sure what the budget will be so i think it would be better to look at a variety of options. anyway any help greatly appreciated.

8 years ago*

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You can run up to the newest i7's on that board. anything with the lga1155 format
Are you looking for a cpu you can overclock? or just plug it in and go?

8 years ago
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thanks for the reply.

just plug in and go, my current cpu (i7 2600k @ 3.4ghz) seems to be lacking a little when it comes to newer games.

8 years ago*
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Actually, that mainboard only supports 2nd Gen CPU's. That's about as good as you'll get unless you want a small step to the 2700K.

Mind you, if you drop $700+ to get the latest i7 6700K (with a new mainboard and ram) you're only going to see a 30% gain. http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Core-i7-6700K-vs-Intel-Core-i7-2600K/3502vs621

What GPU do you have? That's where I would upgrade.

8 years ago*
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What's your graphic card ?

8 years ago
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How much RAM do you have on your system ?

8 years ago*
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16gb ddr3 dual channel.

8 years ago
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I didn't check that mobo for overclocking possibilities, but that's your cheapest option if possible. The 2600K is one of the best overclocking cpus ever made and will OC to 4.3-4.5GHz easily with only a minor VCORE bump. I've had a 2500K as high as 5.4GHz stable and a 2600K as high as 5.2GHz stable, for example. 4.5GHz is easy on an air cooler.

I'd recommend that until you can get a new mobo/cpu combo.

8 years ago
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i know nothing about overclocking, i suppose i could download the gigabyte oc apps and give it a look.

8 years ago
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Sandy Bridge is easy to overclock. It's basically bump up the VCORE, the multiplier (2 settings in BIOS) and profit. If you're not aiming too high, you should be able to get 4.0G-4.3GHz on stock voltages.

Guide to OC'ing the 2600K

EDIT: Be aware your mobo might not support changing the multiplier. I haven't checked.

8 years ago
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Running the newest LGA-1151 i7-6700K CPU on an LGA-1155 socket with a Z68 chipset would be an interesting feat. I'm pretty sure the engineers at Intel would marvel at it too. :)

8 years ago*
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The best CPU that mobo could handle is the i7-3770K. For an incredible SIX PERCENT boost in performance and for the low-low price bump of costing almost 25% more. (That's Intel i7 pricing for ya…)
Either get a good cooler and overclock, or save money to buy a new mobo+CPU+memory combo.

8 years ago
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i7-2600k is already a beast,just try to overclock it with some powerful coolers like CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO.

8 years ago
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It is outdated. Even its replacement, the Raijintek Themis (smaller, cheaper, better temperatures) was overtaken by something, but I cannot recall what was the name.

Edit: Oh, yes, the Cryorig H7. Rare as fuck though, at least in my country it is next to impossible to find one.

8 years ago*
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Closed 7 years ago by mikbhoy.