Which motherboard chipset should I go for with a Core i5 2500K?

[Elliot B.]

The 2500K uses the LGA 1155 socket, but there are the following chipsets:

• Intel B75 Express
  
• Intel H61 Express
  
• Intel H67 Express
  
• Intel H77 Express
  
• Intel P67 Express
  
• Intel Z68 Express
  
• Intel Z75 Express
  
• Intel Z77 Express
  

Which should I go with?

I won't be overclocking, I will be using a dedicated video card (a Radeon 7870) and I won't pay more than ?50.

[Andre S. Veteran]

If you're not overclocking, it doesn't matter. Actually if you're not overclocking, you don't need a K-series CPU either, just go with the regular 2500 and save some more money.

[Ambroos]

You won't get a very recent or decent mainboard for ?50. Pay a tiny bit more and go for one with the 7-series chipset. It'll support future CPU's longer (probably), has USB3 and a few other nice things. They're also more likely to support proper UEFI booting and all that stuff which really, really makes a big difference in boot speed. Should you ever start using RAID you'll benefit from it too.

This one for example is an excellent choice: http://www.ebuyer.com/407082-gigabyte-b75m-d3h-motherboard-rev-1-0-core-i3-i5-i7-pentium-celeron-socket-lga1155-intel-b75-express-ga-b75m-d3p

As an added bonus, it's one of the most compatible boards for OSX, so should you ever want to try Hackintoshing without issues this really is the way to go.

[Noir Angel]

My advice would be to look at this one:

http://www.ebuyer.co...board-b75ma-p45

99p over your budget, but 6 SATA ports and 4 RAM slots makes it worth it IMO. Also has a SATA III port which is advantageous if you decide to add an SSD at some point. However the board Ambroos has picked out is also pretty nice.

[Elliot B.]

My advice would be to look at this one:

http://www.ebuyer.co...board-b75ma-p45

99p over your budget, but 6 SATA ports and 4 RAM slots makes it worth it IMO. Also has a SATA III port which is advantageous if you decide to add an SSD at some point. However the board Ambroos has picked out is also pretty nice.

Good point, I have 5 internal hard drive and one optical drive.

[Andre S. Veteran]

Out of curiosity how much are you paying for that i5 2500k? It's still already a generation behind and at least on that ebuyer.com site you linked to, the i5 3570 (current-gen, quite a bit faster) is barely ?3 more expensive. With Haswell due out in June, at least you'll be one generation behind instead of two. I'd personally wait for Haswell, but that's your call.

[Luc2k]

Out of curiosity how much are you paying for that i5 2500k? It's still already a generation behind and at least on that ebuyer.com site you linked to, the i5 3570 (current-gen, quite a bit faster) is barely ?3 more expensive. With Haswell due out in June, at least you'll be one generation behind instead of two. I'd personally wait for Haswell, but that's your call.

3570 is not that fast, it's around 5% tops. Intel also cheapened on the thermal compound so Ivy Bridge runs hotter than Sandy. Actual amount varies by review, but it goes around 10-20 degrees on stock. This might not be an important factor for OP since he doesn't intend to overclock.

Waiting for Haswell is a good idea, but there are a few factors to consider if you want to jump on release. While the 4570 will debut at around 200$, the motherboards will be more expensive than a similar featured mobo from the previous generation. This is just personal observation from my country, but they're usually at least 1/3 more expensive in the first 3 months.

TL;DR i5 3570 is the best solution in this case as long as the i5 2500 is not more than 5% cheaper.

[threetonesun]

3570 is not that fast, it's around 5% tops. Intel also cheapened on the thermal compound so Ivy Bridge runs hotter than Sandy. Actual amount varies by review, but it goes around 10-20 degrees on stock. This might not be an important factor for OP since he doesn't intend to overclock.

Hotter... yes. Because of the thermal compound? No. :laugh:

[Luc2k]

Hotter... yes. Because of the thermal compound? No. :laugh:

Maybe I didn't express myself properly. This is what I was referring to. You're right that that isn't the only reason for the increases. The other big one being the die shrink. The upper part of the increase being because of overclocking apparently, guess memory ain't what it used to be.

According to The Inquirer, Intel has no problem admitting that the Ivy Bridge platform runs hotter than its predecessor, stating that the extra heat is due the 22 nm die shrink, causing increased thermal density. The company noted that it is also using ?a different package thermal technology?, that ?thermal technology? is known as thermal paste, which replaced a soldered heat spreader used on Sandy Bridge processors. Intel further added that ?users may observe higher operating temperatures when overclocking,? but reassured customers that ?this is as designed and meets quality and reliability expectations for parts operating under specified conditions.?

[JJ_]

<snip> Waiting for Haswell is a good idea </snip>

First generation Haswell CPU's will not offer much of a performance boost compared with what's available now so unless you want to wait until June for a minor upgrade, I would rather get a current gen i5/i7 and overclock to 4.5-5GHz with a decent cooling.

[Luc2k]

First generation Haswell CPU's will not offer much of a performance boost compared with what's available now so unless you want to wait until June for a minor upgrade, I would rather get a current gen i5/i7 and overclock to 4.5-5GHz with a decent cooling.

The value that goes around is 10%. But the reason to wait for it is not the performance boost, it's the new socket, which, if Intel doesn't flip flop, will support Broadwell.

[Andre S. Veteran]

3570 is not that fast, it's around 5% tops. Intel also cheapened on the thermal compound so Ivy Bridge runs hotter than Sandy. Actual amount varies by review, but it goes around 10-20 degrees on stock. This might not be an important factor for OP since he doesn't intend to overclock.

The 3570K completed Tom's Hardware complete suite of time-based tests in 89.5% of the time of the 2500K. This is consistent with the usual reports of 5-15% performance improvements over the previous generation. In some games the 3570k has proven massively superior to the 2500K, for instance bit-tech has shown the 3570K to be 55% faster in Shogun 2 http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2012/05/01/intel-core-i5-3570k-cpu-review/6 . Given their current price difference I don't see why anyone would go for the older generation.

[Luc2k]

The 3570K completed Tom's Hardware complete suite of time-based tests in 89.5% of the time of the 2500K. This is consistent with the usual reports of 5-15% performance improvements over the previous generation. In some games the 3570k has proven massively superior to the 2500K, for instance bit-tech has shown the 3570K to be 55% faster in Shogun 2 http://www.bit-tech....0k-cpu-review/6 . Given their current price difference I don't see why anyone would go for the older generation.

The 5% overall value is what I saw as an improvement in games only from reviews at the time (since that is why the OP went for the upgrade). The Shogun 2 difference might be a game issue that was fixed (if there's anyone that plays it or likes to read changelogs have a look). I wasn't the one that recommended the 2500K. The 3570 non-K seems to be what the OP needs.

Now, if I were to buy right now, I would go for the 2500K since it has a soldered heat spreader that keeps the CPU cooler. Basically, this allows the 2500K to reach a higher clock and match the performance boost Ivy brought. This way you can use a cheaper CPU cooler too. This scenario involves two CPUs with the same overclock potential of course. I would only do this for me, it's not something that I recommend to others.

[neoadorable]

H77 is your best bet, that's what i have for an i5-3470. Avoid the B75!

[Elliot B.]

My advice would be to look at this one:

http://www.ebuyer.co...board-b75ma-p45

99p over your budget, but 6 SATA ports and 4 RAM slots makes it worth it IMO. Also has a SATA III port which is advantageous if you decide to add an SSD at some point. However the board Ambroos has picked out is also pretty nice.

H77 is your best bet, that's what i have for an i5-3470. Avoid the B75!

Javik suggested a B75 motherboard, but neoadorable said to avoid them. Confused :/

[Fiftyfifth]

I may be able to help you, are you still shopping for a mobo??

[YounGMessiah]

its april....