Custom build for Win 7 Home Premium 64-bit

[i8DRM]

I mean, the i7 4790k (it could be the 4770?) is the most common cpu, period and should run win 7 like a boss (my 4th gen i5 runs win 7) so you sould be able to find that one pretty easy. (i found a few on ebay for around $150)

I like what I'm seeing in reviews:

https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/intel-core-i7-4790k

It looks superior in comparisons to all the other 3rd to 5th gen i7 CPUs I was considering. Looks readily available, so no need for a massive safari through all my legacy parts suppliers. Under my $300 per component limit. Unless someone can come up with a better recommendation (and I much doubt anyone can) I think we got a winner. I'll give it a day or two to see if anyone can prove me wrong, then put the i7-4790k on my procurement list, and start looking for an equally impressive motherboard. Your recommendation looks spot-on, and is much appreciated.

 

[i8DRM]

Basilisk actually runs better in XP from the Integral version than native browsers in Vista. Windows 7 will soon run into the same native experience as XP and Vista since it's EOL. Trying to piece together a 7 system is just moving that wall a little further out. If your plan is to never use 10 for whatever reason and just move to Linux then might as well do that now instead of wasting time and money.

Not a bad idea, but integrating drivers to work isn't really a big deal either. I will have to say I've had better luck with backported drivers for XP than I have with 7 though.

See the posts from Joe and Chicken.

Rocket Lake (11th gen) will technically be the first Intel mainstream desktop chip not utilizing Skylake architecture. So I wouldn't say your system is ancient at all. My kid still plays all the newest stuff on SB-E.

i7 4770k, as the 4790k Devil's Canyon was an overclocked enthusiast 4770k. And yea, sooo many people used Haswell. In fact my NAS is still using Haswell-E.

On that note, my 11 year old is playing all the latest and greatest games on Sandy Bridge-E (3960x) and performance parity isn't too far from a 7800x outside of AVX2 performance so a 4770k would rock anything still really.

Thank for the tip...the posts of Joe and Chicken were trees lost in the forest! I have been using MX Linux in LiveCD mode regularly now for over a year, but there is only so much one can do without actual install. I'm expecting it will take at least a couple years after install for me to be anywhere near comfortable enough with Linux to make the transition, and in the interim, I need an OS I can actually use. I was hoping XP Pro would do it, but the remaining crappy browsers proved otherwise. Despite the hysterical cries of M$, and their legion of parrots, XP Pro lasted six years beyond EOS/EOL. If Win 7 can do the same, six years of usage is worth the price of a custom build to me, and will give me quite enough breathing space to deal with Linux.

 

[TechnoChicken]

Yea, they've always been cheap. My deal is, look at that VRM circuitry and then Google the Asus P67 Deluxe and tell me why it can't maintain the same clock speeds under a beefier water setup lol. I got that chip, board, and RAM for 150 bucks when they were practically just released because the guy moved to Mac. It was perfect until it was replaced. I have no beef with the Biostar, I mean it wasn't even ugly for being such a cheap board. In fact I wish I had it instead of the Asus considering it's looking like I'll need to move to the 2500k full time until I figure something out with my main PC.

You are getting real desperate if you are resorting to 2nd gen junk...

 

[PP Mguire]

I like what I'm seeing in reviews:

https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/intel-core-i7-4790k

It looks superior in comparisons to all the other 3rd to 5th gen i7 CPUs I was considering. Looks readily available, so no need for a massive safari through all my legacy parts suppliers. Under my $300 per component limit. Unless someone can come up with a better recommendation (and I much doubt anyone can) I think we got a winner. I'll give it a day or two to see if anyone can prove me wrong, then put the i7-4790k on my procurement list, and start looking for an equally impressive motherboard. Your recommendation looks spot-on, and is much appreciated.

The 4790k and 4770k are identical minus a clock bin. If you can find a 4770k cheaper get it instead. If you don't want to integrate drivers to W7 for install you need to find a board with USB2 ports and only use SATA drives.

Thank for the tip...the posts of Joe and Chicken were trees lost in the forest! I have been using MX Linux in LiveCD mode regularly now for over a year, but there is only so much one can do without actual install. I'm expecting it will take at least a couple years after install for me to be anywhere near comfortable enough with Linux to make the transition, and in the interim, I need an OS I can actually use. I was hoping XP Pro would do it, but the remaining crappy browsers proved otherwise. Despite the hysterical cries of M$, and their legion of parrots, XP Pro lasted six years beyond EOS/EOL. If Win 7 can do the same, six years of usage is worth the price of a custom build to me, and will give me quite enough breathing space to deal with Linux.

Like I've said, Basalisk in XP works great, you just have to use Integral Edition.

You are getting real desperate if you are resorting to 2nd gen junk...

It's what I have left over. X299 setup the missus has, X99 setup is in my NAS, X79 setup my boy has, and the H270m and Pentium G4560 are in a rig for my daughter for her birthday in two weeks. Considering I only play Valheim, edit video, edit audio, and browse the net on my rig these days it'll be fine. If my laptop had a slightly better GPU I'd use it instead but Valheim is choppy with the Quadro P2000. All other gaming is now done on my Xbox Series X.

 

[Joe C]

My grandkids pc I have here for them to game that originally had Windows 7 on it. It has an i7 920 Bloomfield in a X58 Pro mobo, using the 1366 chipset. They only do Mine Craft and some other game, but I can't recall what it is off the top of my head. I think I upgraded it to Windows 10 just last year

 

[Joe C]

Good luck and let us know how it works out for you

 

[PP Mguire]

My grandkids pc I have here for them to game that originally had Windows 7 on it. It has an i7 920 Bloomfield in a X58 Pro mobo, using the 1366 chipset. They only do Mine Craft and some other game, but I can't recall what it is off the top of my head. I think I upgraded it to Windows 10 just last year

Probably Roblox. The funny thing here is Minecraft is heavy on CPU.

 

[Joe C]

Probably Roblox. The funny thing here is Minecraft is heavy on CPU.

No doubt about the cpu on Minecraft. I it was always on a much higher fan speed when they were running Minecraft so I put a Cooler Master Hyper 212 in there, not as noisy as it was. They tend to leave the game running and walk away from the pc to do something else, and forget it is running. I have considered putting a 970 or a 960 cpu in it too, because they are cheap on Ebay.

 

[PP Mguire]

A 970 maybe, simply because it's a 6 core but not really necessary for Minecraft. It's more ST.

 

[i8DRM]

So as to the OP, I have decided to go with the i7-4790k. If anyone wants to comment on motherboards, I am looking at these options:

MSI Z97 Gaming 5

MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming

MSI Z97-GD65 Gaming

MSI Z97 GuardPro

MSI Z87-G55

MSI Z97A Gaming 6

Asus Maximus VII Hero

Asus Z97-Pro

If you have a 'pick of the litter', or think I should look at another model, do tell.