Looking to upgrade E6400, please help

[skipsneeky2]

No brainer overclock would be a Asus p8p67 pro mobo and a 2500k.

Click of a mouse in the bios and f10 save and your cpu is clocked at 4.3ghzs like mine is.

Highly recommend the two if you want a easy no hassle overclock for me 4.3ghzs is plenty not gonna dick with voltages and risk frying anything for a lousy 400mhzs more lol.

 

[Blastman]

2. Are USB3.0 plugs physically different than USB2.0? Will my front plug ports on my case not work with the USB3.0 motherboard headers?

The USB 3.0 ports (usually x2) are generally on the back of the MB. Their will be MB USB 2.0 headers so you can still hook a USB 2.0 to your case USB 2.0 port.

Ok what about this new power port on the new motherboards? It's an 8-pin CPU power port. I think my current motherboard uses a 4-pin. Does this mean I need a new PSU or do you think the existing one might have an 8-pin cable in there?

As far as PSU, you can plug a 4 pin ATX 12v connector into an 8 pin EPS MB (they're compatable). The 4 pin connector (2x +12v rails) will easily be enough for a i5-2500K.

So you can reuse your case and PSU for now with your 2500K build, and then think about upgrading them down the road.

 

[sygyzy]

OP, what revision is your 965P-DS3? If it's a 1.0 (like mine was), your upgrade options are extremely limited (Q6600 G0 if you can find one cheap).

Yup, Revision 1. I have totally given up on upgrading and keeping the board. I'll get a whole new shebang.

 

[sygyzy]

The USB 3.0 ports (usually x2) are generally on the back of the MB. Their will be MB USB 2.0 headers so you can still hook a USB 2.0 to your case USB 2.0 port.



As far as PSU, you can plug a 4 pin ATX 12v connector into an 8 pin EPS MB (they're compatable). The 4 pin connector (2x +12v rails) will easily be enough for a i5-2500K.

So you can reuse your case and PSU for now with your 2500K build, and then think about upgrading them down the road.

That's great news. I think I'll keep my current PSU like you suggested. I was just worried that the power headers might not work. Wattage wise I think it's a 500W or 600W so I am not worried there. That saves me a case and PSU.

Thanks again!

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I don't know, am I ok with it? I want to OC my 2500K but not by some extreme amount. Just the standard safe amount most review sites are doing. I think 45x multiplier? (Sorry, I have been out of the 'scene' for a while and they keep changing how they overclock). Will 1333 allow me to hit this?

How much do you want to spend on a motherboard? I wrote this little essay about the ASUS P8Z68 model-line on the mobo forum. You might want to look closely at the "V" board. Or watch for a price on the "V-Pro."

The reason I'm saying this -- several days after my last post to this thread -- I just figured out how this thing works. I'm stunned. Flabbergasted.

It almost worries me that this machine could be good for another five years, and if I don't build another one sooner -- I'll be . . . bewildered when I start thinking of it . . .

Only emphasis I'd make here: stick with the "K" processors unless you want to wait until next year, or you want to drop back to X58 and similar chipsets for the older Nehalems.

Point being -- yeah -- you are going to over-clock, even casually. This chipset with the "K's" makes casual about as casual as it can get, with stunning results.

Oh yeah. On the USB3 thing. Don't fret about "new case" and the front-panel headers -- please! Use the USB2 headers to connect to the USB2 ports on the mobo. Buy a $20 drive-bay 4-port USB3 hub from Koutech or whomever. Unscrew the PCI-backplate from the USB3 ports and cable that comes with one of these motherboards. Plug it in to the motherboard, and then plug the Koutech cable into the the motherboard cable -- wrap the metal parts of the connection with some self-adhesive automotive rubber hose bandage, and you don't have to follow that inane practice of running the front-panel USB3 out the back of the case so that it plugs in to an external rear USB3 port.

Picking a case just because it has front-panel USB3 . . . . it seems . . . obsessive . . . . even . . . .unnecessary . . . . .

 

[sygyzy]

How much do you want to spend on a motherboard? I wrote this little essay about the ASUS P8Z68 model-line on the mobo forum. You might want to look closely at the "V" board. Or watch for a price on the "V-Pro."

The reason I'm saying this -- several days after my last post to this thread -- I just figured out how this thing works. I'm stunned. Flabbergasted.

It almost worries me that this machine could be good for another five years, and if I don't build another one sooner -- I'll be . . . bewildered when I start thinking of it . . .

Only emphasis I'd make here: stick with the "K" processors unless you want to wait until next year, or you want to drop back to X58 and similar chipsets for the older Nehalems.

Point being -- yeah -- you are going to over-clock, even casually. This chipset with the "K's" makes casual about as casual as it can get, with stunning results.

Oh yeah. On the USB3 thing. Don't fret about "new case" and the front-panel headers -- please! Use the USB2 headers to connect to the USB2 ports on the mobo. Buy a $20 drive-bay 4-port USB3 hub from Koutech or whomever. Unscrew the PCI-backplate from the USB3 ports and cable that comes with one of these motherboards. Plug it in to the motherboard, and then plug the Koutech cable into the the motherboard cable -- wrap the metal parts of the connection with some self-adhesive automotive rubber hose bandage, and you don't have to follow that inane practice of running the front-panel USB3 out the back of the case so that it plugs in to an external rear USB3 port.

Picking a case just because it has front-panel USB3 . . . . it seems . . . obsessive . . . . even . . . .unnecessary . . . . .

Thanks for your advice. I didn't really know how things work but now that I have an idea, I won't get a new case. As for how much I want to spend on a motherboard, I suppose between $100 and $200. I was looking at the ASRock Z68 Extreme 4. What do you think?

I will definitely stick with the K processors, the i5-2500K in fact. I don't know if I should pay a premium for a Z68 board over a P67 though. I guess I don't understand the differences well enough.

 

[Blastman]

Z68 supports the onboard graphics of the i5-2500K (note -- some Z68 MB's don't have the outputs even though the chipset supports it, so if you want to use the onboard IGP make sure that particular Z68 MB has the back panel outputs).

P67 does not support the onboard i5-200K IGP so you will need a standalone graphics card.

I like the Z68 because it gives you the option of using the IGP graphics while you decide what graphics card to buy, or, if you decide not to game in the future you can pull out the graphics card and run the computer on the IGP which uses less power. Or if your graphic card has problem you can still run the computer. It just gives one more options.

For my current computer i3-530, when I built it last year I didn't get a graphics card -- running on IGP because I wasn't sure if I was going to do any gaming. This fall I might do some gaming so I'm considering adding a HD6850. Or I might even wait to see what new cards AMD comes out with for a refresh.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Z68 supports the onboard graphics of the i5-2500K (note -- some Z68 MB's don't have the outputs even though the chipset supports it, so if you want to use the onboard IGP make sure that particular Z68 MB has the back panel outputs).

P67 does not support the onboard i5-200K IGP so you will need a standalone graphics card.

I like the Z68 because it gives you the option of using the IGP graphics while you decide what graphics card to buy, or, if you decide not to game in the future you can pull out the graphics card and run the computer on the IGP which uses less power. Or if your graphic card has problem you can still run the computer. It just gives one more options.

For my current computer i3-530, when I built it last year I didn't get a graphics card -- running on IGP because I wasn't sure if I was going to do any gaming. This fall I might do some gaming so I'm considering adding a HD6850. Or I might even wait to see what new cards AMD comes out with for a refresh.

I have a funny feeling about the transition from P67 to Z68. I saw a primer on Oc'ing the 2600K with the P67. Essentially, there is the same regime of voltages and computer architecture. the author noted that "automatic VCORE" and the EIST/C1E-etc. features were still "good" on overclocks to a 4.3 Ghz limit.

Keep in mind, I have the ASUS Z68. I've looked at reviews for some of those boards individually, and a comparison review from a lab/testing site we all know and love for their rigor. Some comment on these forums suggests (I say "suggests" . . . ) that the ASUS UEFI-BIOS is a notch above the rest, and then there are the TPU, EPU, Digi+VRM features. I've so far been unable to find anything about these features that falls short of expectations. I DO have a ways to go, but I've seen enough. . . .

So to the point: the author of the on-line guide was using the P67 chipset, and I'm wondering if this assessment of "4.3 Ghz" for keeping those features enabled isn't short of what we'll truly find . . . .

Meanwhile, my "ISRT" is "still learning" and learning fast . . . Stuff I did yesterday on this machine with only slight delays, suddenly seems to have lost the delays. . . . Note that when I say "delays," I mean what you'd find from a decent 6GB/s HDD -- an SATA-III . . .

[DANG! I FREAKIN' CAN'T Be-LEEEEVE THIS THING!! Best thing . . . since garlic-Oregano-Parmesan bread -- made from a real Italian loaf . . . ]

Thanks for your advice. I didn't really know how things work but now that I have an idea, I won't get a new case. As for how much I want to spend on a motherboard, I suppose between $100 and $200. I was looking at the ASRock Z68 Extreme 4. What do you think?

I will definitely stick with the K processors, the i5-2500K in fact. I don't know if I should pay a premium for a Z68 board over a P67 though. I guess I don't understand the differences well enough.

. . . and there's your answer . . . .

EDIT: And another edit: Apparently, all you lose for buying the P8Z68-V instead of the "V-Pro" is the Marvel SATA-III ports, while you already get two SATA-III's with the Intel ICH controller on all those boards.

 

[Fun Guy]

Thanks VirtualLarry. Looks like I may need a new case? WTF, I am going to end up replacing nearly my entire system save for the HD's and GPU. Kind of annoying

Ok what about this new power port on the new motherboards? It's an 8-pin CPU power port. I think my current motherboard uses a 4-pin. Does this mean I need a new PSU or do you think the existing one might have an 8-pin cable in there? I am at work so I can't check. I did buy my PSU at roughly the same time as my E6400 if that helps with dating it.

Dude, I just built a new system for a few hundred. It is dirt cheap to build a sys right now. Quitcherbichen and get 'er done!!

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Dude, I just built a new system for a few hundred. It is dirt cheap to build a sys right now. Quitcherbichen and get 'er done!!

Well -- true. I'd been looking forward to this day since after Nehalem, and putting it off. Which -- would've been the rational thing to do, with the recent/not-so-recent-now . . . downturn . .

Seeing the light at the end of a certain tunnel, I started dreaming up a parts list about six months ago. Maybe -- longer than that, but early on, more casual, thinking "X58, maybe even . . . a $500 Gulftown -- not the top end . . . but . . . some would think me a spendthrift even for the $500 chip." The dollars and cents were nailed down after I saw Salvation in Sandy Bridge and became . . born again . . .

But as Sandy Bridge opened up a Z68 Book of Revelations, I started going over-budget to the contributions-plate. Lucky me, that I kept the credit-card float in check . . .

Had I thought that I'd even bother with an SSD? No. Did I think I wanted to pay for an OS upgrade to Win 7 when I already had a spare license to Vista-64? No. Then I started meditating on the Lucid-Book-of-Virtus, and decided heaven would be better than a purgatory of unassisted dGPU. I bought next year's planned OS upgrade . . . this year. . . .

So . . . . here I am . . . . I HAD -- say HAD -- a little money that grew wings . . .

But . . . go figure . . . budgeting, planning, deferring, saving and waiting . . . . still a good practice, and the overage, for being a big blip, is still just a blip on the screen . . .

Maybe I'm just wading around in the still Egyptian waters . . . You know . . . . Da Nile?

What profiteth a man, if he keepeth all his money . . . . and miss having . . . the Soul of a New machine?