Hey,

 

So I'm upgrading from an GeForce GTX 570 to a GeForce GTX 760 (ASUS GTX 760 Direct CU II 2GB) and I'm wondering, how do I know it'll be compatible with my motherboard?

 

My specs:

 

Motherboard - ASUS M5A97

 

CPU - AMD FX-8120

 

MEMORY - 16 GBytes DDR3

 

GPU - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570.

 

I have a custom built PC, yet I wasn't the one to choose the parts nor put them together. What am I looking for in the specs of the GPU and Mobo to know they work together?

 

The other question I have is,

 

If my current CPU is eight-core (AMD FX-8120) am I able to replace it with say the I7 quad-core, or will it have to be another eight-core. If it has to be replaces with another eight-core, does anyone know some powerful processors?   

 

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 28, 201411 yr by Tozza

You'd have to check your motherboard specs: http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/M5A97/HelpDesk_CPU/

 

GTX 760 = 

 

I'd recommend nothing less than a Quad Core i7-4820k to maximise performance.

 

This is a good website to scope out parts: https://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/ It's where I got my current PC from and provides very reliable information.

 

-Disclaimer-

I'm not really a tech pro. So if I got something wrong I do apologise. Make sure to seek professional advice!

Yep, that 760 will work just fine. Your Mobo is a PCIe 2.0 slot and the 760 is a PCIe 3.0 slot but they are still compatible. BUT, you cannot use an Intel processor in an AMD socket board.

Edited May 28, 201411 yr by 1ian20

Yep, that 760 will work just fine. Your Mobo is a PCIe 2.0 slot and the 760 is a PCIe 3.0 slot but they are still compatible. BUT, you cannot use an Intel processor in an AMD socket board.

 

Yeah, I found out that if I were to change to my CPU to Intel I'd have to get different mobo. 

 

I wonder, would my current CPU be able to use the 760 for all it's got, or would you advise an upgrade for that too?

Yeah, I found out that if I were to change to my CPU to Intel I'd have to get different mobo. 

 

I wonder, would my current CPU be able to use the 760 for all it's got, or would you advise an upgrade for that too?

I'm not particularly knowledgeable on AMD hardware, but if it's an octa-core processor running at assumably 3.0GHz or more then it will work pretty damn well with the 760.

 

Be cautious however of your power supply. The graphics card is quite an improvement from your old one and will likely require a higher minimum wattage. Your processor will also require a minimum wattage so if you use a PSU that is the minimum wattage of both you "could" potentially get a bottleneck of power if you put the system under stress which again, "could" result in some odd activity from your PC.

 

As has already been said the PCIe slot is 2.0 on your motherboard and the graphics card is 3.0 although is backwards compatible (my 760 is running in a 2.0 slot as well).

 

Personally, I would go intel CPU's just because I know they are pretty damn good. But that is me being slightly biased as I've never ran AMD hardware at all, ever.

If you did choose to switch, ensure you get a decent motherboard which can support the CPU socket type and your other components, ensure all cables from PSU etc are compatible as well as that will seriously put a wrench in the works if your cables happen to be the wrong connector.

 

Recommendations for intel CPU's if you did choose to switch, a stable 3rd or 4th gen i7 quad core will deliver what you want. But if you've got no limited budget you could toy with an i7 extreme. You're talking stupid money there though.

 

Hope this helps, and obviously I hope someone who uses AMD hardware can assist you as well.

I'm not particularly knowledgeable on AMD hardware, but if it's an octa-core processor running at assumably 3.0GHz or more then it will work pretty damn well with the 760.

 

Be cautious however of your power supply. The graphics card is quite an improvement from your old one and will likely require a higher minimum wattage. Your processor will also require a minimum wattage so if you use a PSU that is the minimum wattage of both you "could" potentially get a bottleneck of power if you put the system under stress which again, "could" result in some odd activity from your PC.

 

As has already been said the PCIe slot is 2.0 on your motherboard and the graphics card is 3.0 although is backwards compatible (my 760 is running in a 2.0 slot as well).

 

Personally, I would go intel CPU's just because I know they are pretty damn good. But that is me being slightly biased as I've never ran AMD hardware at all, ever.

If you did choose to switch, ensure you get a decent motherboard which can support the CPU socket type and your other components, ensure all cables from PSU etc are compatible as well as that will seriously put a wrench in the works if your cables happen to be the wrong connector.

 

Recommendations for intel CPU's if you did choose to switch, a stable 3rd or 4th gen i7 quad core will deliver what you want. But if you've got no limited budget you could toy with an i7 extreme. You're talking stupid money there though.

 

Hope this helps, and obviously I hope someone who uses AMD hardware can assist you as well.

 

Well, I don't even know what my power supply wattage is...

 

Going Intel would mean more money, which wouldn't be a problem, but more so all the installation (considering I've never done a mobo) and the difference between the I5 or an overclocked 8320 wouldn't be that big if any, right? 

 

Either way, thanks for the help. I think I've made up my mind :)

Well, I don't even know what my power supply wattage is...

 

Going Intel would mean more money, which wouldn't be a problem, but more so all the installation (considering I've never done a mobo) and the difference between the I5 or an overclocked 8320 wouldn't be that big if any, right? 

 

Either way, thanks for the help. I think I've made up my mind :)

 

Take the side panel of your PC off and have a look, there should be a detailed sticker on the side of your PSU telling you it's wattage. If it has no sticker or it isn't a branded one then it's probably bare minimum for the PC, but as a custom build rather than a company branded (i.e Dell) it should probably have a sticker.

 

Yes intel does cost more, but then I can't really tell you if it's just cause intel think they're worth more or they perform better than AMD, I can't answer that sadly.

 

Building a PC is really very simple if you take your time. There is no point in rushing it in an attempt to get it working again only to find you did something wrong and now it wont start at all. I would recommend, if you have any old pc parts lying around, trying to put a pc together at least once in your life. It's worth knowing, especially if a component fails for whatever reason and you have to replace it.

 

Glad I could be of some help :)

Oh and 760....good choice ;)