We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Finding A Replacement Motherboard Compatible With An i7-2600 CPU?

Options
My PC is a real old piece of junk, and I only use it for work stuff and playing old games on low settings. It's been having a lot of issues and I believe they're mainly focused around the motherboard & power supply. As far as I can tell the CPU (an i7-2600) is still good, and I don't feel the need to upgrade it any time soon, as it should be more than capable of handling my needs. So I want to get a replacement motherboard with a compatible socket (1155). Unfortunately they don't manufacture them anymore.
I'm looking for advice on finding a decent one second hand. Many of those I see on ebay seem to be from old HP pcs with specific form factors, and I worry about compatibility issues in terms of power supply connectors etc. 
Basically, the plan is to put the replacement board together with the old CPU, GPU (GTX 750 ti), 8gb of RAM, an SSD, and a HDD. I'll put it in a new full size case (any recommendations appreciated), with a new power supply (at least 500w.) Any advice greatly appreciated, as I'm learning about all these things as I go.
«1

Comments

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 2 February 2021 at 5:43PM
    Yes, the processor is totally usable compared to modern ones. A Gigabyte GA-H61M motherboard would be a good example which will fit a standard case / power supply:

    http://www.pcupgrade.co.uk/productdetails.asp?productid=9632&categoryid=653
    EDIT: above is a micro ATX board - ie small size, you probably should get a normal ATX size if you have a full size case - ignore the above one, see one below as an example:
    http://www.pcupgrade.co.uk/productdetails.asp?ProductID=11258&categoryid=653

    There is a larger selection of compatible ones and cheaper ones at this link

    http://www.pcupgrade.co.uk/category.asp?categoryid=653

    What sort of budget have you got for the full setup - will recommend all parts if you can give a rough number to work with?


  • interstellaflyer
    interstellaflyer Posts: 2,065 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 2 February 2021 at 6:12PM
    My workshop computer was built mainly from second hand ebay parts has an Intel DQ67SW motherboard and is running an i7-2600, there are plenty of second hand boards out there that will support that processor maybe look at Gigabyte or other brands mainly used by home builders, it shouldn't be that difficult to find compatible boards 
    I hate football and do wish people wouldn't keep talking about it like it's the most important thing in the world
  • verycheap
    verycheap Posts: 6 Forumite
    First Post
    edited 9 May 2024 at 12:42PM
    EDIT: above is a micro ATX board - ie small size, you probably should get a normal ATX size if you have a full size case - ignore the above one, see one below as an example:
    What sort of budget have you got for the full setup - will recommend all parts if you can give a rough number to work with?


    I believe the case I have at the moment is micro ATX. I was planning on replacing with a normal ATX because most of the power supplies I've been looking at are for that size, and my current case doesn't seem that great in terms of ventilation. Figured it might be good to give everything more space to breathe. But if that means paying more for the motherboard maybe it's better to stick with my current case. I'd also prefer 4 DDR3 sockets to 2, as I have currently have 4X2gb RAM, though again it might be cheaper to get new memory? 
    I'd say my max budget for new parts would be £150, but I'm really looking to get it as low as possible.
  • My workshop computer was built mainly from second hand ebay parts has an Intel DQ67SW motherboard and is running an i7-2600, there are plenty of second hand boards out there that will support that processor maybe look at Gigabyte or other brands mainly used by home builders, it shouldn't be that difficult to find compatible boards 
    That looks like a good option. Any advice on things to look out for buying them second hand, or is it just a case of crossing your fingers and hoping you get one in decent condition?
  • verycheap said:
    My workshop computer was built mainly from second hand ebay parts has an Intel DQ67SW motherboard and is running an i7-2600, there are plenty of second hand boards out there that will support that processor maybe look at Gigabyte or other brands mainly used by home builders, it shouldn't be that difficult to find compatible boards 
    That looks like a good option. Any advice on things to look out for buying them second hand, or is it just a case of crossing your fingers and hoping you get one in decent condition?
    The main issue with the Intel motherboard is that Intel no longer support it, but I've had no issues.

    I hate football and do wish people wouldn't keep talking about it like it's the most important thing in the world
  • The main issue with the Intel motherboard is that Intel no longer support it, but I've had no issues.
    I suppose that's likely to be the case with any old board I buy? I don't know whether that would really effect me.
  • When it comes to a case, when I did a similar job last year - moving all the quite decent parts from a massive Antec Fusion Mediacentre case which took up half my desk to a more compact option - I followed a number of potentially suitable case options on eBay, including some complete older PCs.

    I ended up buying a virtually obsolete PC - but which was in a truly fab AeroCool M40 case - for less than £5, cheap simply because of the ancient, pre-SATA, components inside. Not only was the case an absolute beaut to work on with amazing access - it splits in half, with the top hinging up sideways - but I found a steady market for all the old parts inside. I must have made £20-30 on it easily, as well as having a much neater setup.

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 3 February 2021 at 12:51PM
    verycheap said:
    It's been having a lot of issues and I believe they're mainly focused around the motherboard & power supply. 
    Can I go back a step and just find out a bit more about the issues you are having please?

    I'm now reflecting on what has been said and just want to make sure we are going down the right path before throwing £150 at new parts? It is a tight budget for motherboard / case / power supply / SSD / more RAM etc so if we can pin down the problem it might be cheaper to solve.

    It is possible that something quite simple like the thermal paste has decayed on the processor and it is overheating for example - there are software tools you can use to monitor things like this when it is running. With old PC's, simply unplugging everything, cleaning connectors and putting it all back together can solve some intermittent issues.
  • Cisco001
    Cisco001 Posts: 4,133 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 3 February 2021 at 1:40PM
    Size of case and PSU generally do nothing with size of motherboard.
    i.e. you can put m-itx or matx motherboard in mid ATX case. You can put SFX PSU in mid atx case.

    Anyway what is your existing case and PSU?
    Is your existing PSU good quality one?

    Motherboard, what exactly is the currently problem?
    As mentioned by others, have you change thermal paste over the many years you own the machine?

    Case - what is your existing case?
    Did you install case fans for cooling?
  • verycheap
    verycheap Posts: 6 Forumite
    First Post
    edited 9 May 2024 at 12:42PM
    verycheap said:
    It's been having a lot of issues and I believe they're mainly focused around the motherboard & power supply. 
    Can I go back a step and just find out a bit more about the issues you are having please?

    I'm now reflecting on what has been said and just want to make sure we are going down the right path before throwing £150 at new parts? It is a tight budget for motherboard / case / power supply / SSD / more RAM etc so if we can pin down the problem it might be cheaper to solve.

    It is possible that something quite simple like the thermal paste has decayed on the processor and it is overheating for example - there are software tools you can use to monitor things like this when it is running. With old PC's, simply unplugging everything, cleaning connectors and putting it all back together can solve some intermittent issues.
    Sure, thanks for asking! To clarify. the £150 would only be for the replacement motherboard, power supply, and possibly a new case. I already have an 120gb SSD, a 500gb HDD, and 8gb RAM, which as far as I can tell are working fine. 
    I believe I ran a CPU heat test a while back when I was trying to figure it out, and it showed as within normal range, but if you can recommend a reliable tool to test it that would be great. Totally possible thermal paste has decayed - doubt it's been reapplied since original manufacture (I've certainly not done it in the 5 years I've owned it.)
    I have tried unplugging and reconnecting everything inside, dusting with canned air etc. Sometimes it briefly seems to make a difference, but the issues are so random that it could just be coincidence.

    I think regardless I'd probably want to replace the motherboard and power supply. I can only use 2/4 RAM slots on it, as when the others are full windows won't boot. I know it's the slots rather than the RAM itself as I've tried swapping out the RAM and the result is the same. I also get occasional startup issues where you get a beep code, and when I google them the answers usually suggest memory or motherboard issues. Since the RAM itself seems to be fine, the only solution I can think of is to switch the board.
    As for the power supply, it was the part in the worst condition when it came to dusting, and the hardest to clean. I've had issues in the past where a game will hard freeze the PC, and when I've googled it normally suggests a power supply issue. And the power consumption usually reads as 'very high' when I run a game.

Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.9K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.5K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.8K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.7K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.8K Life & Family
  • 257.1K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.