What mobo should i get for this CPU?

[topeira]

hi everyone.

i am about to upgrade my CPU to an i7 one. most likely a i7 4770. not 4770k.
i dont think i am going to OC the CPU.

i currently intend on keeping my existing GPU (6870HD 1gb vram), 4gb ram (1333 single stick), PSU of 550W and harddrives.

In case this somehow matters - my main uses for the computer are:
1) gaming
2) photoshop and video editing
3) other light stuff

questions are:
1) what mobo should i get?
i was offered these three. are they good? which one should i get?
INTEL EB LAKE DH77EB DVI HDMI DP (most expensive one)
GIGABYTE INTEL H77M-D3H VGA/DVI/HDMI/USB3 (ever so slightly cheaper)
Gigabyte GA-H81MS2PV (the cheapest)
or are they not right for me and i should look for something else?

2) will my 550W PSU be enough?

3) am i likely to need to replace anything else but the mobo and CPU with this upgrade?

thanks

 

[Ketchup]

The GA-H77M-D3H does not support your CPU. The GA-H81 supports that chip from the initial release, so that would be the one I'd go with.

The power supply, depending on the brand, should be ok. What are you upgrading from?

 

[topeira]

im upgrading from a Q6600. old CPU. 5 years old i think.

so why would you go for the GA-H81 over the DH77EB? is it the cost?
why is the DH77EB more expensive? what's the difference between them?

 

[Ketchup]

I have built several machines around Gigabyte boards and they have done well. I am sure the Intel board is fine, but you are paying extra for the name, as is the case with most Intel boards. I quickly browsed through the features, and they seem pretty comparable.

 

[topeira]

thanks, ketchup.

so the INTEL name costs more than the GIGABYTE name? i figured it will be the other way around. i thought gigabyte are more famous for their mobos than intel...
ok. so u assume i will be better off with the cheaper GA-H81MS2PV.

and i guess that there will be no other component i will need to replace?

also, my PSU is ANTEC 550W.
considering the brand (which, as far as i know, is a good PSU brand) you guess it will be enough?

last question ( i hope) - if i ever upgrade to a beefier GPU (like the ATI 7870 or the 7950) will i need to upgrade my PSU as well?

 

[Ketchup]

According to the manual, 500 watts is the lowest they recommend. You can also use a standard 4-pin connector for the 12v CPU power connection, as long as you use pins 3/4 and 7/8. Your PSU should be OK for now. A higher end video card down the road would probably require something beefier, so it is up to you if you want to do that now or later.

You will also need to upgrade to DDR3 RAM.

 

[topeira]

what is this 4-pin connector u r talking about? and what is the 3/4 and 7/8? what are those things?
i'd like to know even though im not the one connecting all the pieces together but a computer technician.

also, what makes u so sure i have a DDR2 memory? im pretty sure i have a DDR3 stick.
when i looked at the stick, it had its notch pretty much to the side. i think that a DDR2 has a notch much closer to the middle.
also, looking at the mobo it says "DD3 1600+ FSB 1600" next to the memory slots.
doesnt that also mean i have a DD3 memory?

my mobo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28084029@N06/10331195965/

 

[Ketchup]

Cool, when the Q6600 was released, DDR2 was the RAM available. You have a later board/chipset, so that is one less thing to worry about.

Based on your picture, the 4-pin connector is on the other side of the fan (to the left). It provides power dedicated to the CPU only (so it doesn't have to share power with all the other ports/connectors on the board).

Here is the manual.
http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Manual/mb_manual_ga-h81m-s2pv_e.pdf

Page 13 should shed some light on those numbers I was referring to, page 12 will show you where that connector is located.

Sounds like you are just about ready to pull the trigger!

 

[topeira]

thanks for taking the time helping, mate

took a pic of my mobo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28084029@N06/10332343356/

are you saying i should have used the CPU_FAN and SYS_FAN connectors?
are these the unused connectors i point at with my pen in the picture??
(i figure that no, since i see white\red\black wires going to the chasis fan and i assume THESE are the fan-sys connectors, but i couldnt see them in the manual)

what if such connectors do exist in my next mobo but not in use?
is that bad?

 

[Ketchup]

are you saying i should have used the CPU_FAN and SYS_FAN connectors?

is that bad?

I am afraid I am probably making this more complicated than it needs to be. See the black/yellow cable going over the heatsink in your later pic?

That is the 12v cable I was referring to.

I am not referring to the connections you are pointing to.

 

[topeira]

it's all too easy to over complicate things for me. dont feel bad

tell me - does a socket 1155 fit i7 4770? or am i only looking for LGA1150?

how is this mobo in your opinion?
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4567#sp
and in comparison - will this mobo be worth the extra cash?
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4594#ov

also - from looking at the pictures of my mobo, do you recon i will need to change the heatsink? or will the one i have fit with the next mobo?


will my RAM sticks work with the next mobo according to CPU-Z?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28084029@N06/10336193333/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28084029@N06/10336012515/

 

[Ketchup]

1150 only for the chip. Looks like a great board.

I didn't say this before, but you may want to spend a couple bucks extra and get the K chip. It has the integrated graphics, so you will always have a backup, even if your video card goes south.

The board you are looking at supports this, and has the Realtek LAN and Audio, which I prefer over other brands.

Edit: the second board has different audio and LAN chips. Some would say better. I think it is more robust for overclocking as well.

 

[topeira]

if my GPU craps out than i will buy a new GPU and refrain from gaming for a few days. no biggie. it's not like im going to stay with an on-board GPU.

also im not into OCing so i dont think i need a K series nor a OC supporting mobo. currect me if im wrong.

i've been using realtek sound for years with my last two mobos. it's nice to see these here as well.

however i dont understand what is the benefit of a better LAN card. in my house we have two computers and they are connected with a cable. a long one.

and i'd love an answer about the RAM sticks - will my existing DDR3 1066 stick work with these mobos? (see pics in my last post in the bottom)

 

[Ketchup]

The Gigabyte page says 1333 is the lowest it supports, so you may want to plan on getting something listed on their memory support page.

The Realtek lan has been on several boards I have used and works just fine.

 

[topeira]

ah damn.

in the israeli store where i plan to purchase the parts it indicates that the mobo DOES support 1066.
http://www.tms.co.il/product/12629
i know u cant read hebrew but it can be clear from the bottom of the table it tells what memories are supported, and 1066 is in there.... i wonder if that is the store's error or there is a caveate to the limitations of 1333\1666 in the gigabyte page....

 

[Nec_V20]

topeira,

The thing about low end motherboards is that after a few weeks when you decide it isn't really what you wanted then you will find that nobody else wants it either and you will be stuck having spent the money.

In the comparison above you compare a low end Gigabyte mATX board with a high end ATX board. There is some wiggle room in the middle.

I went with the GA Z87X-UD5H board but the GA Z87X-UD4H is cheaper and it is the same quality only with a few things such as a second LAN adapter missing.

The main selling point of the G1.Sniper is the superior on board sound. The thing is that if all you have got is crappy little speakers then you are not going to get much joy out of that for the extra money you would have to pay.

 

[topeira]

what i have is a crappy 5.1 speakers. it's a cheap 80$ system.
would u advise to go with the G1.sniper still?

also, my needs are NOT OCing and my needs for a good LAN card is basic, i guess. i am the computer that is directly connected to the router too.

is it worth it to go with the extra expensive mobo because of the sound card?
is the cheaper mobo a bad one?
i dont plan on second hand selling my mobo anyways. i usually give it to friends in need when i upgrade.

 

[Ketchup]

I would get the lesser-expensive of the two boards, and use the money saved to buy some RAM that you know will be compatible. All the information on the Gigabyte site say that 1333 is as low as you can go.

 

[Nec_V20]

what i have is a crappy 5.1 speakers. it's a cheap 80$ system.
would u advise to go with the G1.sniper still?

also, my needs are NOT OCing and my needs for a good LAN card is basic, i guess. i am the computer that is directly connected to the router too.

is it worth it to go with the extra expensive mobo because of the sound card?
is the cheaper mobo a bad one?
i dont plan on second hand selling my mobo anyways. i usually give it to friends in need when i upgrade.

If you place particular value on the LAN then you might want to consider the GA Z87X-UD5H board, it has dual Intel LAN ports and they can be twinned (combined) to form one port. It also has more SATA ports than the UD4H.

The Gigabyte G1.Sniper M5 board is mATX and does have the better sound subsystem.

 

[topeira]

I would get the lesser-expensive of the two boards, and use the money saved to buy some RAM that you know will be compatible. All the information on the Gigabyte site say that 1333 is as low as you can go.

i think im gonna go with this advise.

thank you, everyone, for giving your 2 cents! all advises are appreciated.

have a great week.