Question 1

Maybe a dumb question so sorry if so. I have a z170 board but haven't bought a processor yet. Aka its just been sitting around unopened for about 6 months. If I get the Kaby Lake it will still boot and what not right? I will just need to update the bios first thing I do basically?

Accepted Answer

No, this is a great question.  If you buy a Kaby Lake, you will need to update the BIOS first.  MAKE SURE YOU CAN DO THIS WITHOUT A CPU INSTALLED.  My motherboard does not support that, so I had to borrow a Skylake CPU to update my BIOS, then it recognized Kaby Lake.

Very few motherboards support updating the BIOS without a CPU (and ASUS pretty much lied about my motherboard being able to do so through poor documentation).  If you have access to a Skylake CPU, this is easy (through a friend, etc.).

Question 2

does this cpu overclock well? im sorry for such a stupid question this will be the first build i will have a intel processor rather than an amd processor.

Accepted Answer

Well in order to overclock an intel unlocked processor you would need a Z170 or Z270 chipset mother board. Now also for overclocking, you need a decent CPU Cooler. With overclocking comes higher temperatures and you don't want your CPU to overheat. Now about how well it overclocks, it depends on the specific chip you get. Some chips overclock better than others. You should be able to get 4.6-4.8 GHz out of it though. Good luck!

Question 3

does it come with thermal paste?

Accepted Answer

No, the processor does not come with Thermal Paste... Fortunately for you though, you can buy it separate for very cheap.

Question 4

Ok guys, I was thinking about getting the I7-7700k,but this may be one of those best bang for the buck buys. WIll be only used for gaming.
I'm running a Z270 MB.
I7-7700k or I5-7600k...Opinions?

Accepted Answer

I upgraded to this plus a z270 from a phenom ii x4. Love it, running a gtx 970, had no problems, over clocked to 4.5 easy.  I couldn't justify spending the extra cash for the i7. Specially for my needs. If you have the extra cash get the i7 but if your kinda cutting it close get the i5 and maybe use the extra towards a better graphics card or  an m.2 or something. Just my 2cents

Question 5

Does it come with a CPU Cooler?

Accepted Answer

Im pretty sure it did not, id get a decent sized air cooler with fan/fans or even aio water cooled system, Specially if overclocking.  I have a nzxt karaken x61 i think.

Question 6

is this compatible with windows 7?

Accepted Answer

Yes and no. It will run Win 7 but MS blocks updates for Win 7 with this cpu.

Question 7

OK, from what I'm reading this cpu does not come with a stock heatsink and fan. What is a good heatsink for this processor? Not looking to spend a fortune and NOT overclocking any.

Accepted Answer

No, it does not come with a stock heatsink. I bought the cooler Master hyper 212x, which is really affordable and works great for someone who is not going to overclock. I highly recommend getting a different fan from the one it comes with though, as it is extremely loud. That might not matter to you though. I believe the hyper 212 Evo from cooler Master would also be a fine choice, if you want something a little cheaper.

Question 8

Is this CPU fast enough for video decode and burn for Blu-ray, I will also use it for gaming at 1080p  ? or do I need core i7 ?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it will fly.  I used it for my wife's computer which I built with a EVGA 1070, and MSI z170A motherboard.  Thing scored over 12,000 on MSI Combustor lakes of titan with everything topped.  I was disgusted given I scored half that on mine. This will do everything you want it to, and save you some money.

Question 9

Does this CPU have 4 physical cores legit? Or is it just 2 cores with hyper-threads?

Accepted Answer

it has 4 cores and no hyper. I play games and movies with mine with No video card just fine.

Question 10

max ram slots?

Accepted Answer

It supports 2 memory slots @ 64gb max memory (2x32gb cards). I also recommend any ddr4 ram at a min of 2133 and a max of 2400 MHz.

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