Question 1

Does this come with a fan and would you recommended this for a first time build?

Accepted Answer

There is a standard Intel Style fan with this.   If you are not overclocking this should be fine, but custom sinks perform much better.

This is a good place to start, the new socket design is very easy to install.   If you are going to use the onboard graphics all you will need is memory and a power supply (and a case to put it all in).

Question 2

Does the stock cooler come preapplied with thermal paste? Also, is it recommended to just buy a cpu cooler and not use the stock one?

Accepted Answer

Yes any NON OEM CPU comes with a fan and thermal paste pre-applied. HOWEVER the paste is not that great ( not necessarily a top quality thermal conductor) and the heatsink/fan is what one would call minimal. it will work but if you are going to stress your CPU ( play high end games or the like) Its highly recommended you use an aftermarket heatsink/fan (like a Hyper 212 EVO) or if you have the room and money, a self contained water cooler, and Artic Silver Thermal Paste

Question 3

Does this really have turbo speeds of 4.4 as the description says?

Accepted Answer

The "turbo" or overclocking speeds at which this CPU chip is stable is dependent on the chipset of the motherboard you choose for this CPU as well as the efficiency of the cooling system you install on it.

I would guess that the stock cooling fan/heat sink that comes with this CPU would NOT be sufficient to take the clocking speed of this chip to 4.4 gigahertz.

Personally, I do not like to run a CPU at anything but the rated speed of the CPU/chipset.  I favor stability over speed for a computer!

Question 4

Is thermal paste preapplied to the heat sink?
thanks.

Accepted Answer

Hello,

The thermal paste is not applied; it comes in a small disposable tube that you can apply and discard after one-time use.

Question 5

Preferred fan for this CPU?

Accepted Answer

The fan that comes with the processor is perfectly capable of providing sufficient cooling since this CPU cannot be overclocked. Real Temp 3.7 has my four cores idling around 24 degrees centigrade. Heat is not an issue with this CPU.

Question 6

Iis this compatable with a  MSI Gaming Z97 GAMING 5 LGA 1150?  Thanks in advance.

Accepted Answer

Sorry this unfortunately won't fit that board since the 1151 processor has an additional pin that changes the configuration in the socket. You need to look for an LGA 1150 socket CPU or an LGA 1151 socket motherboard.

Question 7

works with DDR3???

Accepted Answer

Yes it does. Mine is running with 16GB (4x4GB) of Corsair Vengeance.

Question 8

I'm building a gaming computer , I will be running newer AAA games , what would be the best sync to use for this besides the one it comes with? , I have a feeling it will not be enough

Accepted Answer

The box cooler that comes with the CPU is decent enough, many high tier games do not benefit all that much from pushing the CPU to the limit. This CPU is not really "officially" overclockable. If you plan in doing any overclocking you might want to look into Liquid Cooling as an option. There are far too many decent coolers to recommend, I have been building computers for 20 years and I've always been partial to the HyperTX air-type of coolers, there are many look-a-likes most of them are great also, they do vary slightly, and they're nice and cheap. As for liquid cooling, on a non overclock part like this, it is a bit of overkill, but if you want the best and most stable cooling, you would probably only need one with a 120mm fan instead of the dual 120mm (240+mm) (try to go for the thickest radiator you can fit in your case). Again to recommend a specific part would not really help, there are so many great ones out there. I recommend that you check out Tom's Hardware they have a cooling title and have many recommendations and reviews, very trustworthy source.

Question 9

Why is it formerly Skylake? already?

Accepted Answer

During development "Skylake" was the code name for Intel's latest line of processors. That same line of processors is now being marketed as "6th Generation Intel Core Processors." Same chips with a new name.

Question 10

Is this Processor compatible with an ASUS Z170 PRO GAMING LGA 1151 Intel Z170 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard ?

Accepted Answer

Just built a machine using this i5-6400 and ASUS Z170 PRO GAMING LGA 1151 Intel Z170 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard and it is working great.

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