I am looking forward to help with a critical choice. So, I am looking forward to update to any model Core i7 Processor, I know I would have to buy a new motherboard as well. My question is, how does one determine the motherboard to buy for a specific motherboard. Also, are motherboards designed to fit in any Case? This will be my first update as I fried my last processor overclocking . Any help is appreciated.One other thing should I be more worried about Video Card vs. Processor. Thanks guys!

CPU's & mainboards are grouped together by socket number, so that's what you've got to match up. For overclocking, make sure you have an excellent cooler & I'd recommend doing it in small steps, running a program like prime95 (google will give you plenty of links for it) to make sure it's stable & cool before stepping it up another notch.For video card, the common consensus for performance vs. money seems to be the nvidia GTX 470 series.

For video card, the common consensus for performance vs. money seems to be the nvidia GTX 470 series.

470 is an old design at this point - I'd get one of the newer 5 series ones. 560, 570, 580 are all out.

CPU's & mainboards are grouped together by socket number, so that's what you've got to match up.

This is true. If you get an i7 950 for example, it will be socket 1366. You would need to get a socket 1366 motherboard and a 1366 CPU cooler as well. When it comes to choosing motherboards, remember that all boards are not created equal. There are many differences between MOBOs. Make sure you do your research on the different MOBOs that you are considering. Don't always go for the cheapest option, depending on what you want and need, you can get a lot more for not much more $. Also, be sure to buy a quality brand like ASUS or Gigabyte. As far as MOBO sizing goes, not all motherboards will fit into every case. There are several case and mobo sizes. For cases, there are three main sizes. Micro, Mid Tower, and Full Tower. The micros are kind of hard to deal with because there is a lot of stuff crammed into a small space. It requires a special type of MOBO, and carries size restrictions on parts like your graphics card and CPU cooler. The mid towers are the most common, and these are what people generally think of when they think about computer cases. The full towers are big in order accommodate all of your equipment if you are a hard core gamer. The full towers are usually around 22" high. Motherboards come in several sizes. The most common are micro atx, atx, and extended atx. The most common of these is the regular atx. The micro atx MOBOs are designed for micro cases, and because of their small size, many times don't have all of the features of the regular atx. Most full and mid towers fit both the micro and standard atx MOBOs. Certain full tower cases fit the extended atx MOBOs. The extended atx MOBOs are far less common, and are usually special for a specific use, or for a server. If you are upgrading from a socket 775 system, it is probable that you will need to upgrade your ram to triple channel ddr3. (if you are upgrading to a 1366 system) So be sure to keep this in mind. Last, be sure that your old PSU is a good fit for your new system. You dont want to be underpowered or not have the right kind of connections. If you have any further questions, you can pm me or email me by clicking the email link on the left side of my profile. Cheers =)

470 is an old design at this point - I'd get one of the newer 5 series ones. 560, 570, 580 are all out.

Just a small question. I'm quite satisfied with my new system (i7 [email protected], P67 Sabertooth, Mugen 2b, 8Gbram @ 9-9-9-28). I still use my "old" GTX 280. What would be the benefit of upgrading to a 570? Is there a gain of FPS? Would it be worth the investment?Thanks,Christopher Volle

Just a small question. I'm quite satisfied with my new system (i7 [email protected], P67 Sabertooth, Mugen 2b, 8Gbram @ 9-9-9-28). I still use my "old" GTX 280. What would be the benefit of upgrading to a 570? Is there a gain of FPS? Would it be worth the investment?Thanks,Christopher Volle

Can't give you for sure numbers or anything, but I saw a big difference going from the 260 I had before to the 570. If you play any other games besides FS it will be absolutely huge there too. I had my FPS more than triple in several other games. You can take better advantage of *******'s vertex buffer tweaks using a more modern card with more shader cores too.

I had my FPS more than triple in several other games

Then you can imagine the improvemnt I saw recently, when I went from an i7 920 at 4GHz with an old 7900GTX, to an ...I7 920 at 4GHz with an EVGA GTX580.I nearly fell of my chair and wet myself. :( Martin Wilby

For overclocking, make sure you have an excellent cooler & I'd recommend doing it in small steps, running a program like prime95 (google will give you plenty of links for it) to make sure it's stable & cool before stepping it up another notch.

Prime95 is great for thermal testing that's akin to the tempretures we experince in everyday use.However, for stability, stress testing an overlcock, the Intel Burn test is best. OCCT is also good.Martin wilby

Thank you guys so much for this help, I would of taken it to another forum, but I knew I would not find support as kind as you guys. Once again Thanks for the help. I now have a basic outline on what I need to do, and I will try and further my skills! Thanks guys and PMDG Support.

If you really want an i7, definitely get the Intel Core i7 2600K. About a motherboard, take the P67 series. The MSI P67A-GD65 should be a great one.

What was the chip you blew up? That will tell you what type of motherboard you already have. Your simplest (and probably cheapest) option is just to buy the same chip again and be a lot more careful the next time you want to overclock.

If you really want an i7, definitely get the Intel Core i7 2600K. About a motherboard, take the P67 series. The MSI P67A-GD65 should be a great one.

That's another thing, Am I garenteed that the MoBo will fit in the Case?

That's another thing, Am I garenteed that the MoBo will fit in the Case?

See my post above. That is an atx mobo, so if you have a mid or full tower case, you shouldn't have any problems. =)

@Jamalje And ATX board will fit in an ATX case. I was looking into the Sandy Bridge i7s but now am thinking about upgrading to the new LGA1366s instead, as they still use the X58 and triple channel RAM. I am not at all convinced the Sandy Bridges are an actual upgrade from 1366s i7s. I see Intel has a new extreme i7 out, the the 990. While it is more expensive yes, it seems to me to be far superior than the Sandy Bridge, and that is not taking into account the issues with the MoBos for the SBs right now. Am I wrong in this or am I missing something about the Sandy Bridges?

What was the chip you blew up? That will tell you what type of motherboard you already have. Your simplest (and probably cheapest) option is just to buy the same chip again and be a lot more careful the next time you want to overclock.

The Chip was horrible. The ultimate answer is no, I don't want to see it again smell it, or watch it reflect the blue LEDs in my case. I'm actually Embarrassed to type the name and I'm terribly sorry for the double post. I accept the fact that it's old and not capable and your i7s would laugh at it. But it got me through alot. Also, I was just diagnosed with Diabetes, and pancreatic cancer at this rather early stages of life, and I'm now praying to be put to sleep where I can fly my 737 with the angels :(. But lets go PMDG I'm rooting for you lol.But just understand it was horrible :(