A prerequisite for stable and continuous operation of a personal computer is the need to carefully select all components during assembly. This will not only minimize the number of possible failures, but also protect components from failure. So, any person assembling the system unit should have a clear idea of how to choose a processor for the motherboard.
Installation method
The central processor is a common microcircuit with a high degree of integration of electronic components. To turn it on, many thin legs-contacts are used. Previously, all manufacturers adhered to one standard, according to which the aforementioned legs were part of the chip (soldered at one of the stages of production). This design decision is called PGA. The processor was inserted with legs into a special socket-socket on the motherboard and mechanically fixed there. However, subsequently, Intel began to take a different approach, in which a set of pins was located in the connector, and instead of the legs of the processor, pads were placed at the corresponding points. This made it possible to reduce the cost of production. This solution is called LGA. In both cases, the connectors are designed for a certain number of legs of the chip.
So, in order to choose a processor for the motherboard, you need to determine the existing type of socket. There are three ways: by directly inspecting the board and searching for the name of the socket; using the instructions to the motherboard, where the type is indicated; using the data from the manufacturer’s website. Suppose the board is designed for processors with
an LGA 1156 socket. In this case, Intel Core i3, i5, i7 models are suitable for it.
Load
A microprocessor, being an electronic product, consumes a certain power during operation. Within the same model range, with increasing frequency, energy consumption increases. That is, in order to select a processor for the motherboard, it is necessary, again, to open the instructions for it and find an indication of what the acceptable frequency of the microprocessor can be. Obviously, if support for a solution with 2 GHz is declared, then installing a model of a chip with 3 GHz in the connector is not recommended, since the power system can fail, taking with it other components. This is usually indicated in the "Supported processors" section.
Cooling system
Perhaps the answer to the question of how to choose a processor for the motherboard is best known by specialists from computer companies. Most often, it is they who assemble the block and face all the nuances. So, having decided on the processor and familiarizing yourself with its characteristics, you need to inspect the motherboard.
There have been cases when buyers wanted to install a powerful chip on a frankly budget model. Although the motherboard manufacturer indicated support for the selected processor, an attempt to install an appropriate cooling system (not basic, but effective) on the board did not end in any good. So, a large radiator could block the near PCI-Express slots, subsequent maintenance was much more complicated, etc. Thus, a person studying how to choose a processor for the motherboard can be recommended to compare the dimensions of the desired cooling system with the dimensions of the motherboard.
Memory
All modern microprocessors incorporate a memory controller. This allows you to achieve a significant increase in the speed of data exchange, eliminates the compatibility problem, simplifies the wiring of the board.
However, you can still find solutions of previous generations in which the memory module control chip is a separate chip located on the motherboard. Very often, these boards allow you to install RAM strips of any of two types (for example, DDR2 and DDR3), these are transitional models. Understanding how to choose a processor for the motherboard, and faced with similar solutions, you need to consider that the board can only work with one
type of memory at a time. If the microprocessor is designed to work with DDR3, then they must be installed.
Expediency
Interestingly, choosing a motherboard for a processor is just as important as choosing a central chip for a specific motherboard, which we will show later. When choosing components, it is important to observe the principle of parity, according to which the price categories of the processor and the board must be appropriate.
That is, by installing a powerful microprocessor in a cheap motherboard, the owner will limit the capabilities of the system. For example, a system unit based on a budget board ASRock 960GM-VGS3 FX for 2500 rubles. should not be assembled with
an AMD FX-9370
processor for 15 thousand rubles, since in this case only basic functions will be realized, and bonuses in the form of a mechanism for connecting several video cards, a faster version of SATA, memory size and frequency, etc. will be without support.
As an example, consider how to choose a processor for the Asus CROSSHAIR V FORMULA-Z motherboard . This is a top-end solution, the cost of which is about 14 thousand rubles. Such a motherboard can work with all processors with AM3 + sockets. The specification for it states that it supports DDR3 -2400 MHz memory; SATA 6Gb / s; SLI / CrossFire X mode.
To fully unleash the full potential, you need a processor that can work with 2133 MHz memory and is designed for installation in Socket AM3 +. Since the motherboard is of the highest price category, the microprocessor is recommended with a cache of the third level and a high frequency of operation. In this case, the principle of compatibility from top to bottom is fulfilled, that is, the board will be able to work with the entire line of AMD products with the appropriate socket (even if the controller supports 1333 MHz memory). You can choose a motherboard for a processor with an idea for the future: to get a good motherboard and a budget CPU, which will later be replaced with a better solution.
Video adapter
It is equally important to understand how to choose a processor for the motherboard and video card. Having a discrete video solution on hand, the owner asks about a wise investment in the purchase of a microprocessor. Modern graphics applications, especially “heavy ones” (games), use the power of not only the video chip, but also the central silicon brain. The mismatch of the performance of one component to another will result in one of them being idle, waiting for the completion of data processing by its “colleague”.
The correct solution to this problem comes down to studying the test results of various processors with an existing video card. There is a lot of this data on the network. Studying the graphs, you can see that with each faster processor, the final value for testers increases. At some stage, growth becomes negligible. The processor at which this happened is just optimal for this motherboard and video card.
How to choose a processor for the laptop motherboard
Sometimes owners of laptop computers are asked to improve the performance of their computing systems. This problem is solved by replacing the processor. You need to determine the type of socket that the board supports, and choose a replacement. In addition, the reference frequency of the old and new processors should be the same. It is also desirable that the TDP also match (or be less). That is, instead of the Pentium M 730 (1.6 GHz), you can put the Pentium M 780 (2.26 GHz).