What chipset / motherboard should I use?

Blakers913 · Apr 18, 2017

looking for a cheap upgrade to my Dell optiplex 9020 with a i7 4790. want to start with a motherboard and later a new gpu. been out of the loop for awhile just getting back into pc gaming and grabbed a Dell with a good cpu for cheap on Craigslist. have a 500w psu and a atx case to put it in just kinda confused on which chipset is best for me. I see a lot of options and understand I can't OC that cpu but seems the z97 chipset has a lot more features just unsure if I really need them. only plan on running 1 gpu 2 hdd 3 case fans and 16gb of ram. looking to spend around $100 but can spend more if needed. thanks in advance for any advice

raisonjohn · Apr 18, 2017

The only "upgrade" you can do on your current Z97 motherboard is changing that i7-4790 to an i7-4790K -- but it's a small-step upgrade and not worth it in my personal opinion (unless your only intent is to try out OC'ing). The i7-4790 has 3.6GHz (Base) to 4.0GHz (Boost), while the i7-4790K has 4.0GHz (Base) to 4.4GHz (Boost) in non-OC mode. The only real benefit in that "upgrade" is giving you the opportunity to OC with your current Z97 motherboard.

The reason why I think it is not worth the "CPU upgrade" is because the i7-4790, in itself, is a very powerful CPU -- capable of handling the maximum performance of those powerful GPUs (such as the GTX 1070 and GTX 1080) without bottlenecking. Having said that, I don't see any reason why you need to OC (again, unless you just want to try it out).

I'd keep that i7-4790 of yours on that Z97 mobo and buy the GPU you want.

Blakers913 · Apr 18, 2017

raisonjohn :

The only "upgrade" you can do on your current Z97 motherboard is changing that i7-4790 to an i7-4790K -- but it's a small-step upgrade and not worth it in my personal opinion (unless your only intent is to try out OC'ing). The i7-4790 has 3.6GHz (Base) to 4.0GHz (Boost), while the i7-4790K has 4.0GHz (Base) to 4.4GHz (Boost) in non-OC mode. The only real benefit in that "upgrade" is giving you the opportunity to OC with your current Z97 motherboard.

The reason why I think it is not worth the "CPU upgrade" is because the i7-4790, in itself, is a very powerful CPU -- capable of handling the maximum performance of those powerful GPUs (such as the GTX 1070 and GTX 1080) without bottlenecking. Having said that, I don't see any reason why you need to OC (again, unless you just want to try it out).

I'd keep that i7-4790 of yours on that Z97 mobo and buy the GPU you want.

Blakers913 · Apr 18, 2017

sorry for the confusion but I am running the stock motherboard that comes with the dell 9020 which unfortunately is not capable of supporting a high end gpu which is my ultimate goal. I am wondering if a h97 board or a z97 board would be best for what I am doing. also any suggestions for a good motherboard in my price range would be appreciated.

raisonjohn · Apr 18, 2017

Does your Dell 9020 come with the i7-4790? If yes, then you probably have a Q87 Chipset. I'd keep that CPU as it is (for the reasons stated in my previous post).

The Q87 motherboard does have a PCIe2.0 x16 slot (which can be fitted with newer PCIe3.0 x16 GPUs). The PCIe2.0 and PCIe3.0 are backward-compatible, though, the PCIe3.0 GPU will only run in slightly slower PCIe2.0 speeds, but it is not noticeable.

There are small form powerful current GPUs (GTX 1060, RX 480, GTX 1070) that can probably fit in your small Dell case (assuming you got the MT version).

Blakers913 · Apr 18, 2017

raisonjohn :

nope it's the SFF version and it has a small 220w psu I believe. and I tried to fit it in my atx case but the connectors are not universal. and yes the i7 4790 came in the desktop.

raisonjohn · Apr 18, 2017

Here's my suggested upgrade -- changing Case, GPU, and PSU -- with MB as optional :

I'd start with the Case first at ~$50

Corsair Carbide Series 88R MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Corsair)

Check if your current Q87-chipset MB would fit nicely (I don't own the Dell 9020 SFF, so I can't verify). Being a SFF case, the MB is small, either ITX or mATX (not sure which format). Should fit with an mATX case.

If not, then as an option only, you can get an H97M (mATX) motherboard to pair with your current i7-4790. The ASRock H97M is at ~$63 (optional cost)

ASRock H97M Anniversary Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($62.49 @ SuperBiiz) <-- OPTIONAL after checking if current MB fits in the case.

Next would be the PSU (good quality 520W) at ~$57

SeaSonic 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($56.99 @ SuperBiiz)

This PSU would be enough to power your rig with a subsequent GPU upgrade (depending on your budget for the GPU) up to a GTX 1070.

Lastly, would be the GPU (assuming you're only gaming at 1080p/~60Hz), the RX 480 4GB is at ~$190

Asus Radeon RX 480 4GB Dual Video Card ($188.99 @ SuperBiiz)

All in all, you would spend $50 + $63 (optional) + $57 + $190 (suggested GPU) or around a total of ~$300 to ~$363.

Use your current RAM, HDD, and other components.

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