Upgrade questions for Intel I5 set up.

Nov 28, 2006
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I am planning to upgrading to the new Intel I5 platform and I was just wondering, besides the obvious upgrades of motherboard and processor, what other hardware should I plan on upgrading?

My main concerns are the heat sink and ram. I am currently running DDR2. I have read that I5 will take DDR3 but I am unsure if I should purchase a tri kit or a double kit considering that 1156 uses dual channel. Is it cheaper to purchase a dual kit or should I wait for ram companies to release DDR3 specifically spec'ed for I5 setups?

As far as the heat sing goes I currently have an OCZ vendetta 2 cooler. Will this work with I5 or am I going to have to purchase a new heat sink?

Thanks in advance
 

taltamir

Lifer
Mar 21, 2004
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only dual kits for dual channel chips. for the heatsink you will need new retention brackets, check the manufacturer to see if they plan on offering them.
 
Nov 28, 2006
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Thanks.

I don't know much about DDR3 memory because I never upgraded to it ( I stayed in the realm of DDR2 lol).

One more question.
What would be the best DDR3 ram speed to get for the I5?
I'm not familiar with DDR3 speeds, timings, and etc.
What do you recommend? And what should I shoot for 2gb, 4gb, etc?
 

cusideabelincoln

Diamond Member
Aug 3, 2008
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Go for 4GB (2x2GB). You should get DDR3-1600, although you could get 1333 but they are pretty close in price. Make sure the RAM runs at 1.65V or lower. In the US, right now, expect to pay about $80 for a decent 4GB set.