GT wrote:
> I'm considering a i5-2500k upgrade, but need to consider everything...
>
> Currently running an e6400 on a 775 motherboard. My current 775 is supplied
> with the big white connector (20+4 connector) plus it takes an extra 4-pin
> connector for the CPU.
>
> What power connectors do the modern 1155 motherboard require?
>
> I'm looking at a few. The 'ASRock H61ICAFE' is one example. What are the
> advantages of a premium board over budget boards - overclocking I presume?
>
>
TDP is 95W for the 2500K.
http://ark.intel.com/products/52210/...Cache-3_30-GHz)
The power supply capacity needed, is going to depend to an extent on what
video card you're using. It's quite possible your current power
supply is sufficient.
A motherboard can have a 24 pin main connector, and a 4 or 8 pin ATX12V connector.
You can power that from a 20 or 24 pin ATX supply, using a 4 pin ATX12V and plugging
it into the 8 pin if needed. (There is even tape on the motherboard, covering the
unused pins when you do that.) The main purpose of an 8 pin, is to handle currents
when there is overclocking. The four pin should be able to handle 95W plus the
conversion inefficiency of the VCore circuit (a percentage of those 95W). You might
easily run it off a 350W supply for example. But when a monster video card is
added to that, then the size of the supply would increase.
*******
I recommend you read the contents of page 19, before buying.
ftp://174.142.97.10/manual/H61iCafe.pdf
"This motherboard supports two double sided or four single sided
DIMMs."
I don't understand why that should be, when the memory interface is on the processor.
The processor should have sufficient signals for 8 bank operation as far as
I know. If it didn't such a restriction would exist on all 1155 boards.
The H61 is a Southbridge, and should not be involved in setting memory features.
*******
This is the block diagram for H61, as provided by Intel. It looks like the
H61 has four SATA ports and no RAID (RST) supported, likely determined by
the driver checking the chip SKU. Asrock uses a separate ASM1061 for a pair
of SATA3 ports.
http://ark.intel.com/products/chipse...#blockdiagrams http://ark.intel.com/products/52806/Intel-BD82H61-PCH
The ASM1061 claims to be x1 Rev2 on the PCI Express interface, which
is enough bandwidth to run one of the two SATA ports flat out. Due to
the full duplex nature of PCI Express, it doesn't prevent you from doing
full speed read from one disk and full speed write to the second SATA3
disk. So in that sense, it's a non-issue. Since the chip doesn't support
RAID, you can't do a RAID0 array and attempt to read both disks at the
same time. You may be able to concoct a test case where you manage
async reads from the two disks, using two separate processes, but then
it's pretty hard to arrange a destination for that data if you do so.
http://www.asmedia.com.tw/eng/e_show...cate_index=117
Intel has stopped putting PCI slots on their Southbridge. When you see
PCI slots on the motherboard, they're coming from a bridge chip of some sort.
Here is a closeup view of the motherboard. It could be, that the PCI bridge
is done with another Asmedia chip.
http://www.asrock.com/mb/photo/H61iCafe(l).jpg
This is who Asmedia is:
"ASMedia Technology's stockholders include heavyweight computer companies
such as Asustek Computer Inc. and GIGA-BYTE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., with
more than 80 percent of company staff developers are engineers."
So it amounts to Asus making their own components, to reduce motherboard
cost when Intel snips off stuff. They're likely to be fab-less, which
means a company like TSMC might make the chips for them.
*******
I looked at the UEFI BIOS screens in the back of the manual, and
don't see a VCore adjustment. I presume you can change the multiplier.
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpu...ore-i5-2500k/1
Paul
PSU Requirements for H61 motherboard 
Linear Mode
