Older build

udidwht · Oct 3, 2023

Have some older hardware I'm going to put to use...

Any recommendations as to the best overall motherboard for an i7 3770K?

Beginner Micro Device · Oct 3, 2023

Just pay the most attention to capacitors, their shape and their overall quality. 3770K is quite a mediocre CPU regarding energy comsumption so basically any Z-motherboard will do just fine even if you OC every single piece of crap outta it.

As I have no idea what you want (a compact build or a full-on mega tower? five million SSDs or just a cheeky little one of them? loads of RAM or just a couple sticks? SLI/CF or an iGPU will do?) I just recommend filtering motherboards according to your needs as size and features go and then picking the one with the best capacitors.

Z77 is an obvious chipset, yet Z68 mobos do pack a punch. Make sure they have a proper BIOS installed, not every Z68 BIOS is compatible with 3770K. P67 is... ugh, only for those who COMPLETELY give no crap about iGPUs. B75, and H-chipsets are a no go. 3770K without OC is very sad as of 2023.

joemama · Oct 3, 2023

I don't think you'll have many choices for the motherboard since that CPU is a little old

80-watt Hamster · Oct 3, 2023

One that works and has the features you want. You don't necessarily need a Z board just because you've got a K chip.

faye · Oct 3, 2023

I mean... Whatever you can find at this point still in good working condition, realistically. Doesn't make sense to spend a lot on that chip.

System Name	Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3 rev 1.0 (Award BIOS F10 latest)
Processor	i7 3770K
Motherboard	Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3 (rev 1.0)
Cooling	Stock
Memory	G-Skill Trident X CL 7-8-8-24
Video Card(s)	Asus RTX 2070 OC
Storage	1TB Crucial MX-500 / (x3) 1TB RAW Mushkin / 2TB CS900 PNY
Display(s)	LG 34in LED UW 2560x1080p
Case	Rosewill Mid Tower Challenger
Audio Device(s)	Motherboard sound Realtek ALC 889
Power Supply	Corsair RM 750
Mouse	Thermaltake Keyboard Commander Combo
Keyboard	Thermaltake Ttesports Keyboard/Mouse combo (KB-CMC-PLBL)
VR HMD	Oculus Quest 2
Software	Win 10 Pro 64bit 22H2 Build-19045.3516

System Name	DLSS
Processor	i5-12400F
Motherboard	Gigabyte B760M DS3H
Cooling	Liquid metal under the IHS + Laminar RM1
Memory	2x8 GB
Video Card(s)	RX 6700 XT [main] / RX 480 8 GB Reference [backup]
Storage	More than enough.
Display(s)	Compit HA2704 / Viewsonic VX3276-MHD-2
Case	None.
Audio Device(s)	Want loud, use headphones. Want quiet, use satellites.
Power Supply	Gerrymandering.
Mouse	Don't disturb, cheese eating in progress...
Keyboard	Makes some noise. Probably onto something.
VR HMD	I live in real reality and don't need a virtual one.
Software	Windows 10 and 11

Processor	i5-9600K
Motherboard	Gigabyte Z390 Gaming X
Cooling	Scythe Mugen 5S
Memory	Micron Ballistix Sports LT 3000 8G*4
Video Card(s)	EVGA 3070 XC3 Ultra Gaming
Storage	Adata SX6000 Pro 512G, Kingston A2000 1T
Display(s)	Gigabyte M32Q
Case	Antec DF700 Flux
Audio Device(s)	Edifier C3X
Power Supply	Super Flower Leadex Gold 650W
Mouse	Razer Basilisk V2
Keyboard	Ducky ONE 2 Horizon

System Name	Office
Processor	Ryzen 5600G
Motherboard	ASUS B450M-A II
Cooling	be quiet! Shadow Rock LP
Memory	16GB Patriot Viper Steel DDR4-3200
Video Card(s)	Gigabyte RX 5600 XT
Storage	PNY CS1030 250GB, Crucial MX500 2TB
Display(s)	Dell S2719DGF
Case	Fractal Define 7 Compact
Power Supply	EVGA 550 G3
Mouse	Logitech M705 Marthon
Keyboard	Logitech G410
Software	Windows 10 Pro 22H2

System Name	Desktop/HTPC
Processor	Ryzen 7 5800X3D
Motherboard	Gigabyte X570 I Aorus Pro WiFi ITX
Cooling	ID Cooling DashFlow 240mm AIO
Memory	64GB (2x32) G.Skill Trident Z RGB DDR4-3600 CL18
Video Card(s)	Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24GB
Storage	2TB WD SN850X NVMe, 2TB Intel 670p NVMe
Display(s)	LG OLED65B9PUA 65" 4K OLED TV
Case	Lian Li x Dan A4-H20
Audio Device(s)	USB to MiniDSP DDRC24 DAC, RCA to SUMO Andromeda amp, wired to Wharfedale SP88 speakers
Power Supply	Silverstone SX1000R SFX-L Platinum ATX 3.0
Mouse	Corsair M65 RGB Elite
Keyboard	Corsair K65 RGB Mini
VR HMD	Oculus Rift / PSVR / PSVR2 / Lenovo Explorer
Software	Windows 11 Pro

Older build

udidwht

Beginner Micro Device

joemama

80-watt Hamster

faye