Bridge across Sandy
Bridge across Sandy
I just acquired an old PC with an i5 2320. A friend is looking for a simple build for their job, so I thought I could salvage the CPU and parts from a prebuilt unit I inherited from my dad after he upgraded his own. The prebuilt has a non-standard motherboard, but assuming there are no budget limits, can you tell me what chipset a motherboard needs to run a second generation? I think several options fit the 1155 socket, but I’m not sure which one is best and want your advice.
For $100 you can find an i5 3470 with 8GB RAM and an SSD from eBay. Be careful not to overspend, or you might end up with something worse. A few inexpensive, low-quality H61 boards could work too.
It isn't a dedicated Xeon chipset built especially for those processors, so if the CPU is compatible, it should function. Keep in mind that budget constraints are significant here—1155 boards aren't inexpensive because they're nearing the end of their lifecycle, and you might find it more cost-effective to upgrade to a newer CPU and board overall.
No second-gen support exists for most components. For compatibility, check chipsets designed for earlier Intel generations.
Some LGA1155 socket boards are compatible. Keep in mind they can be priced similarly to a full system, even with a comparable CPU.
The models included H61, B65, H67, Z67, B75, H77, and Z77. A handful of listings were labeled "H71," which are simply rebranded versions of H61.
The series went from 50 to 500 in increments of 10, then jumped to 300 and beyond. It looks like they skipped some middle values before settling on higher ranges. The shift from tens to hundreds likely reflects scaling needs or market demands.
They likely maintained their previous XYZ naming convention. For instance, H61 indicates a specific use case, the 6th series chipset generation, and the lowest feature level—just level 1. As they moved to the 100 series, options included H101, B105, H107, Z107, or continuing with the existing format. They opted for the latter, resulting in H110, B150, H170, and Z170 for the next generation, which is the 200 series.