Motherboard compatibility questions

Probably because that CPU just won't be able to push that card properly.

From what I can tell, you've got the SATA drive and everything else covered, so if you're looking at links, maybe try something like this:
Memory PC-12800, 4 GB, CORSAIR CMX4GX3M1A1600C9, DDR3 1600 MHz
Graphics Card PCI-E XFX AMD RADEON HD 7770, 1GB DDR5, HDMI, DVI, DP, HDTV
Motherboard ASROCK B75M-GL R2.0, iB75, DDR3, audio, S-ATA, G-LAN, VGA, PCI-E 3.0, CrossFire, DVI, D-SUB, USB 3.0, mATX, socket 1155
Processor Intel Core i3 3220 BOX, socket 1155, 3.30GHz, 3MB cache, GPU, DualCore
$899

If you can, maybe grab an 8GB stick of RAM instead.
Honestly, you could probably put together a better build at a different shop.

fadedorca66 said:That’s because that processor isn't going to push that card properly.

From what I can tell, you've got an SSD and everything else required—so when looking at links, aim for something like this:
PC-12800 Memory, 4 GB, CORSAIR CMX4GX3M1A1600C9, DDR3 1600 MHz
XFX AMD RADEON HD 7770 Graphics Card, 1GB DDR5, HDMI, DVI, DP, HDTV
ASROCK B75M-GL R2.0 Motherboard, iB75, DDR3, audio, S-ATA, G-LAN, VGA, PCI-E 3.0, CrossFire, DVI, D-SUB, USB 3.0, mATX, LGA 1155
INTEL Core i3 3220 BOX Processor, LGA 1155, 3.30GHz, 3MB cache, GPU, DualCore
$899

If you can, just grab one 8GB stick of RAM.
Honestly, you could probably put a better build together at a different shop.

Well, if you feel like it, send me a link to a shop with a location in Los Angeles—or one that ships and builds rigs—it doesn't have to be a specific link; if I can find a better deal myself for the same or lower price, just suggest something else.

And if I went with an AMD processor, would it end up being cheaper—assuming a different motherboard and graphics card, obviously?

If an E8400 can handle an HD7970 at stock settings, then it’ll breeze through an HD7850 without breaking a sweat.

David Sanders4 said:If an E8400 at stock speeds can handle an HD7970, then it’ll push an HD7850 without breaking a sweat.

Look, I know I don't fully grasp the technical nuances here—that much is clear—but it seems more logical to just swap everything out for a new motherboard costing maybe a couple hundred bucks. I'd rather not spend my time worrying about whether this setup will hold up for the next few years... so, honestly, I don't mind the extra cost.😁

Look, what you’ve got right now is more than enough... I’ve already posted several benchmarks here to prove it. You can definitely make this work, and honestly, it’ll be much easier on your wallet too.

And I honestly don't know—some people claim that certain folks won't...

David Sanders4 said:If an E8400 can handle an HD7970 at stock speeds, it'll run an HD7850 without breaking a sweat.

An E8400 pushing an HD7970? I mean, sure, it'll work, but you're definitely leaving a ton of performance on the table.

fadedorca66 said:An E8400 pushing an HD7970? I mean, sure, it'll run it, but you're definitely leaving a ton of performance on the table.

True enough... honestly, even at 4 GHz, it probably wouldn't change much.

There's absolutely no way that processor is going to keep up with that graphics card.

If I were in your shoes, I’d take full advantage of that GPU discount at Micro Center, depending on what your budget looks like.
1. ATI 7850
2. Nvidia gtx 650
3. ATI 7770

Then you could just order something like this:
An AMD Athlon x4 740 or 750 k processor (see $200)
A motherboard that's at least an ASRock FM2A75M ($150)
One 8GB stick of RAM (roughly $50)

You can grab those from some budget online retailers that offer cash on delivery (Newegg, Amazon and B&H Photo if I recall correctly) plus $17 shipping. And if you aren't comfortable doing it yourself, just find someone who knows how to build a PC and can drop it off for you...

Also, do you have a decent power supply? If not, you could pick up this or this from Micro Center, or maybe something from one of those shops like a Corsair CX430, a Silverstone Strider 400W, or a Zalman... (something in that $117 ballpark)

Timothy Kim60 said:There's zero chance that processor is going to keep up with that GPU

If I were you—budget permitting—I’d maximize that GPU discount at Best Buy
1. ATI HD7850
2. Nvidia gtx 650You
3. ATI 7770

Then just order something like this
an AMD Athlon x4 740 or 750 k processor (listed below $200)
a motherboard—at least an ASRock FM2A75M ($150)
one 8GB stick of RAM (maybe $50)

Order it from a cheap online retailer that offers COD shipping (Newegg, Amazon or Micro Center if I recall correctly) + $17 shipping. And if you can't do it yourself, just find someone who knows their way around a screwdriver to build it and drop it off...

Do you have a decent power supply? If not, grab this or this from the site, or maybe a Corsair CX430, a SilverStone Strider 400W, or a Zalman unit from one of those shops (something $117 roughly in that ballpark)

Thanks so much—just one more thing: what's the actual difference between those power supplies and these 600W ones that are even cheaper? I don't get why they're priced so low

THIS ONE
THIS ONE
OR THIS ONE

Bottom line—they’re lying. These cheap power supplies are mislabeled; they’re designed for basic office PCs, just like the name implies. Even if the wattage numbers aren't total fabrications, they simply won't hold up under a heavy load. You're basically inviting a hardware failure (or even an explosion) if you push them too hard.
When you're looking at a PSU, the real metrics are the amperage on the 12V rail and the overall build quality—specifically the capacitors and internal components. The two options I suggested for you are at least twice, if not three times, more robust than those budget office units. They offer superior construction, quiet operation, efficient cooling, plenty of cable options, and critical safety protections that cheap units completely lack.

By the way, that "600W" unit isn't a total disaster; it can handle decent loads. However, if you decide to go with a 100W processor like the x4 750 k paired with something like an HD7850, I wouldn't touch it. It might be fine for an AMD Athlon x4 740 (65W) and a lower-end card, but you're much better off investing in quality now so you don't have to worry about it for years. You don't want to be stuck wondering if your power supply is going to buckle when you eventually try to upgrade a component or move it into a new PC later on.

Just a quick heads-up—the power draw for the AMD Athlon x4 740 and the x4 750 k is actually identical. Even though the specs claim the 750k pulls 100W, that's mostly just marketing fluff to justify pairing it with higher-end motherboards that have better voltage regulation. It doesn't actually pull that much more juice.

Look, just buy a high-quality power supply—something that actually delivers a true 400-500W—and call it a day. You seriously shouldn't skimp on this part. If you grab an XFX 450W or a Corsair CX 430W V2.3, it’ll serve you well for a long time.

Look, if an E8400 can handle an HD7970 at stock settings, then there's no way it'll struggle with an HD7850—it'll breeze right through it.

I haven't heard anything this ridiculous in a long time—trying to overclock an E8600 to 4.2 GHz? There's no way that's going to properly keep up with an HD7850 2GB, let alone an HD7970.

graniteharbor85 said:Man, I haven't heard anything that ridiculous in ages—trying to overclock an E8600 to 4.2 GHz? Even if you actually pulled that off, there's no way it would properly keep up with an HD7850 2GB, let alone something like an HD7970.

Exactly! I remember having a Q6600 running at 3.2GHz, and it just couldn't handle a 6870oc during Battlefield 3 multiplayer—it somehow managed okay in single player, though—but then I tried an i5 3570k with the exact same graphics card and identical settings, and it was getting like 20-25 more FPS!

Timothy Kim60 said:In short—they lie. Those cheap power supplies are falsely labeled—perfectly fine for an office PC, just like the name implies. Even if they aren't lying about the specs, they won't last long under a full load—meaning a higher chance of dying (if they don't outright explode).
With a power supply, the most critical factors are the amperage on the 12V rail and the build quality—capacitors and such. The two I suggested are at least twice as strong as those office units—maybe even three times. They feature quality construction, quiet operation, good cooling, plenty of cables, and various protections that cheap units lack.

BTW—that "600w" one isn't actually terrible; it can hold its own. But if you go with a 100w processor (Intel Core i7-750K) and something like a 7850—better not. It’s okay for an Athlon 740 (65w) paired with an AMD Radeon HD 7770, but you're better off getting something high-quality so you have peace of mind for years. You don't want to be wondering—will this thing actually hold up?—when you eventually try to put it in a new PC or upgrade a component.

aha, alright, I was just curious if this one would work here http://www.amazon.com/power-supply...example

Look, if I were in your shoes, I’d just go with the AMD Radeon RX 450. It’s basically the Seasonic of power supplies—top-tier quality—and honestly, it might even end up being cheaper for you...

EDIT
Or, if you’re willing to spend the cash, this is the absolute winner: 560w gp3. That GP3 series is battle-tested and rock solid (though even the 460W GP3 from $127 would be more than enough for your setup)

If you're already picking up those other parts from places like Best Buy, Micro Center, or Newegg, you can definitely snag a premium power supply there for less, like
this one
or this
actually, check out —it’s pretty sweet because you can strip off any cables you don't need, which keeps things much cleaner inside the case.
Otherwise, maybe this option

graniteharbor85 said:Just a quick observation regarding power draw: the Intel Core i7-750K and the quad-core variant pull essentially the same amount of wattage. Even though the specs list the 750K at 100W, that number is really more of a guideline for manufacturers—it’s largely there because those chips tend to end up on higher-end motherboards with more robust power delivery systems.

When it comes to power supplies, my advice is simple: buy something high-quality with a true 400–500W rating and leave it at that. It isn't worth cutting corners here; you shouldn't skimp on the component that feeds your entire rig. If you pick up an AMD Radeon RX 450 or even a Corsair CX 430W V2.3, it’ll serve you reliably for a long time.

I haven't heard such nonsense in quite some time. An Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 overclocked to 4.2 GHz isn't going to cut it when trying to drive an AMD Radeon HD 7850 2GB, let alone an HD 7970.

I find it impossible to stay silent when I come across certain things...
Here’s a link to a benchmark featuring 50 different CPUs running Call of Duty: Battlefield. It focuses on stock processors, but the real story here is the GPU performance. NVIDIA GeForce GTX 590It’s twice as powerful as the Radeon HD 7850, and honestly, it might just be the second most powerful card on the market right now.
I’ll just drop the link here to avoid rambling on. It's probably easier if you all just come up with your own descriptors—words like "nonsense," "pointless," or "utterly ridiculous."
http://en.inpai.com.cn/doc/enshowcon...86&pageid=8147
It’s pretty obvious that most modern CPUs can easily keep up with this beast of a graphics card, though it would just as easily run alongside something significantly less powerful.
P.S. Someone brought up the i7-3770K earlier—which one is actually worth picking up? $500 It’s more expensive than a Core 2 Quad, and just as much of a jump as moving from an AMD Radeon HD 7770 to an AMD Radeon HD 7950. So, if I pair a Core 2 Quad with an AMD Radeon HD 7950, am I actually going to see lower frame rates than someone running an i5-3570K paired with an AMD Radeon HD 7770? It seems like it might... not to mention the cost of a new motherboard and RAM just to jump from the 775 socket to 1155. It's just simple math and common sense.

If you actually had any common sense, you wouldn't claim that a percentage of $133 with such ancient architecture could handle a GPU upgrade of +3K.

I’m being dead serious when I say it's just plain stupid—it's 100% facts here. An Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 at stock settings is a massive bottleneck for an AMD Radeon HD 5850/6850/7770, let alone anything more powerful than that.

Look, maybe try testing it yourself before acting like an expert based on some random link you found on some Eeny, meeny, miny, moe website.

Like I already told you, the bare minimum for an AMD Radeon HD 7850 would be a Q6600 overclocked past 3GHz—and even then, it's still gonna throttle that HD 7850 in certain games. It won't be nearly as bad as the E8400 or that even weaker Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 that the OP is running.

I tested this using a stock Q9550 paired with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580. If anyone wants to argue, feel free, but I'm not the only one seeing this. There are millions of links out there if anyone actually cares to look—though I know how much that matters on this forum. On other sites, when someone runs a test, those are actual facts. Here? It’s mostly just endless chatter and noise.
http://www.techspot.com/review/458-b...nce/page7.html

David Sanders4 said:I tested this myself using a Q9550 (stock) and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580. If you think you know better, then you're the one who's wrong. This isn't just my opinion either; there are millions of links out there, and I can drop them whenever I want... though clearly, they don't mean anything to some people. On this forum, "someone said something" carries weight, but over there, someone actually ran tests—those are facts, unlike the mindless chatter we have going on here.
http://www.techspot.com/review/458-b...nce/page7.html

Take a look at this CPU benchmark review too.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/CPU/129
Then maybe you'll stop acting like an expert on Call of Duty: Battlefield.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/CPU/341
Here is another one.