Hi, I was wondering if I could upgrade from an intel i3 to some i7 in the future? I want to wait for the prices to drop a little. If so, which mobo should I get?
That would depend entirely on your needs. Are you interested in overclocking? There are different types of i3, i5, or i7 processor. If you wanted to get the cheaper (but locked) 4770, you could pair it with a fairly cheap motherboard. Either B85 or H87 chipset.
If you wanted to overclock a 4770K (K means it is unlocked), you would need a premium Z87 motherboard.
Depending on the applications you choose to use, you may or may not need an i7. If you're gaming, an i5 would be quite capable.
Which socket type is your i3? I'm not sure if I understand the question. Are you saying pull out the i3 and put in an i7 into current mobo?
I'm not interested in overcloking, I'm asking because I'd like to upgrade the cpu in the long long future
Yes. But we need a lot more information. There are so many things that you can choose. So it is important to have every little consideration, so that you get the answer you are looking for.
What do you plan to do? Applications/ gaming
Do you have a system currently?
What's your budget? (if you intend to purchase anything now)
Im going to have a baked potato....
Do you have a motherboard already with a i3 or are you planning to buy an motherboard with a i3 and get a i7 next year?
No off to my potato!
I'm planning on buying both, the mobo and the cheapest i3 (?) and upgrade later
I understand that. Put simply, you can upgrade an i3 from an i7. I just wanted to be a little more specific. If you are not interested in overclocking, you don't need an expensive Z87 motherboard.
Now, there are various generations of intel core processor. I would advise going for the 4th (and latest) generation, codenamed "Haswell".
So pick up a H87 chipset motherboard. These motherboards happen to be quite feature rich. Pick an i3 of your choosing in the range of 4th generation i3s. They should all start with the number 4 in the product. e.g i3- 4130.
Then pick up a "non-K" i7. Like the 4770, or 4770S.
I'm not interested in overclocking. So can I pick up ANY i3 with that motherborad and buy any i7 later?
Well in that case, im planning to have cheese and beans on my potato......and yes you could buy a motherboard that will take the same socket i3 and i7, if you answer Berserker's question on what you do with your PC and how much you have to spend, someone will recommend a board that will take both in your price range that will be suited to your needs.
As long as it fits the same socket. I made some edits to my answer. 3rd generation Intel processors fit the 1155 socket. 4th generation fit the 1150 socket.
So providing that they are the same generation, you can simply swap out the processors. Easy peasy. Make sure you choose an i3 and i7 from that same generation.
Remember, it is denoted by the first number. So the i3-4130 will share the same socket type as the i7- 4770. But not an i7- 3770.
So be sure to match the socket. If you go with the 4th gen, as I have advised. The best chipset for your needs would be H87. It has everything, with the exception of CPU overclocking.
Does that make sense?
1. Some medium gaming, programming, some multitasking
2.No
3.Around 400$ I can add more if it's necessary
If that is for the motherboard and processor, you could actually afford an i7 and great motherboard.
Here is the link to the parts:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/128Kz
Or is that $400 for a full build?
Sadly, it's not just for the cpu and mobo :(
That's why I'm asking, so I can upgrade later to i7(long term)
Ok. This is a perfectly functioning i3 build:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/21VVa
It is near $400 after mail in rebates and discount codes.
For any demanding games, you will need a GPU like the 7770GHz. It can be found at a reasonable price.
You might also consider upgrading the RAM from 4GB to 8GB.
But the i3s integrated graphics happen to be quite good. You will be able to use it for some light gaming.
All the components use in this configuration are high quality. You could use cheaper parts. But I wanted you to have a nice case and a good power supply.
Thank you, will an i3 3320 also work? and is that the mobo that I should get?
The i3 3320 fits a different socket. The first number after the i3 denotes the generation. So the 3320 is 3rd generation. Which means you would need a H77 motherboard. And then you would need to upgrade to an i7- 3770. Not 4770.
If OP buys a Z77 board, you can still clock the non-k 3770 up to 4.1 just using the multiplier. That is what I am running.
Yeah, you can. It wouldn't be a bad idea on 4th gen. Considering Haswell's poor overclocking ability.
I think he really requires the cheaper route. And if he isn't interested in overclocking then Haswell would be the better choice. Nice power features, and better performance.
4th gen locked this ability out I thought? OP probably could pick up a 3770 for $280 on a newegg sale. I'm using an MSi z77 G43, which I see for $100 on newegg fairly often.