How vital is MB and would my current GPU still work?

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Hi people. I want to upgrade my old FX-8350 rig to an i5-4430 3.0GHz. I WAS thinking about getting this MB (MSI Z87-GD65) but suddenly I have 2 questions:

1) Does it really matter which MB I get? I mean, compared to GPU and CPU? And if not, how low can I go price-wise?

2) Does the i5+1150 socket MB work with my current HD7870 GPU?

PS: It's not really important to do any overclocking or anything :)

Thank you so much :)
 
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geofelt
Without overclocking, ANY lga1150 socket motherboard will work and perform as well as possible.
Any motherboard will have at least one pcie X16 graphics slot that will work with your 7870 or any other modern graphics card.

I would not pick the motherboard you listed. 1. it is pricey, and 2. X87 is older tech.

If you are planning on dual gpu cards(which I generally do not recommend) then you must pay a bit more for a motherboard with two x16 slots, each capable of X8 X8.

Today there are single graphics cards available that will run any monitor short of a 4k monitor well.
If you are looking at a 4k monitor or triple monitor gaming, then you need serious graphics muscle and need to prepare for dual cards.

All the brands are good...
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inerax

inerax

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Its all about the quality and features of the MOBO. Things like how many RAM slots and USB 3.0 change the price. I went with a MOBO with 8 RAM slots and USB 3.0. That way I am ready for the future.

I really like MSI stuff and would go with almost any of their products.

Compare features of a cheaper MOBO with the MSI and see what fits your needs. Read reviews and see what people do and dont like about the products you are looking at.

GL!
 
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Intel Celeron

Intel Celeron

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You could go as low as a b85 because you won't overclock but I suggest h81 boards. A GPU will adapt to the new hardware unless they are really incompatible (mb-gpu incompatibility is rare if you use knoen brands like asus, msi, gigabyte, etc.)
 
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blackcat762

blackcat762

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Oct 18, 2012
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The HD7870 utilizes a PCIe slot, these are pretty much the same on all boards, except in that you would rather have PCIe 3 instead of 2.
Your mother board is important in that it contains the working base for all your other hardware, so yes, the choice of a mainboard is important. You need to make sure that the board you choose has a CPU socket compatible with your choice of processor (i.e.- I have an AMD FX8350, it uses an AM3+ socket, so I can only use boards with that socket) I am not familiar with Intel sockets right offhand, but you need to check that the board has the socket your CPU uses.
If you plan on overclocking, or getting into extreme gaming, you probably want to get a board that supports overclocking, these features will be listed on NewEgg or wherever you are buying your board from.
Hope that helped some.
 
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williamcummins

williamcummins

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To answer your questions
1) I does matter since you want to choose a motherboard that fits your needs. Depending on the features you want (inboard audio quality, built-in wi-fi card, ATX/ITX/etc, single/dual/quad channel RAM, chipset quality, etc etc etc.

2) Yes, any i5 paired with any 1150 motherboard will work with your HD7870.
 
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Danimal1q2w3

Danimal1q2w3

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Thanks so much, people. Final important question: When I want to upgrade my GPU - does anything go? Or do I have to consider that aspect already before I buy a MB? :)
 
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geofelt

geofelt

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Oct 9, 2006
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Without overclocking, ANY lga1150 socket motherboard will work and perform as well as possible.
Any motherboard will have at least one pcie X16 graphics slot that will work with your 7870 or any other modern graphics card.

I would not pick the motherboard you listed. 1. it is pricey, and 2. X87 is older tech.

If you are planning on dual gpu cards(which I generally do not recommend) then you must pay a bit more for a motherboard with two x16 slots, each capable of X8 X8.

Today there are single graphics cards available that will run any monitor short of a 4k monitor well.
If you are looking at a 4k monitor or triple monitor gaming, then you need serious graphics muscle and need to prepare for dual cards.

All the brands are good. The high priced motherboards have features for ln2 overclockers or triple graphics cards.
You might want a version with superior integrated sound.

I recommend a Z97 based motherboard. It will run your cpu or a overclockable "K" chip. It will support upcoming 14nm broadwell cpu's also.
This would be a suitable motherboard for a single gpu:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157521
This is an example for sli:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128714



 
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