# Building a Gaming PC **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 28, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-gaming-pc/519245 "2009-11-28T16:51:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/My_Darn_Snake_Legs)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-gaming-pc/519245/21 "2009-11-29T20:01:30Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > That’s a socket 775 cooler, which isn’t what he’s looking for - and you can get great cooling at $50 or less, you don’t have to spend that much. I actually picked up that cooler from a friend who writes hardware reviews, so I didn’t pay anything close to retail for it. All I know is that it cools my processor really well. What’s a “socket 775 cooler” mean? Does that refer to a processor size or something else? I’ve been wanting to upgrade to an i7, but I might think twice if I can’t use the cooler on it. (I haven’t done my research on those yet. :smack:) ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-gaming-pc/519245/22 "2009-11-29T21:38:13Z")
In practical terms, the socket 775 is the screw pattern. If you get a cooler that doesn’t support your socket, the screws won’t line up. Coolers generally come with different plates so you can use them on a bunch of different sockets. In [this picture](http://techgage.com/viewimg/?img=/reviews/ultra/chilltec/ultra_chilltec_05.jpg&desc=Ultra%20ChillTEC%20CPU%20Cooler), you can see that the backplate has different screw patterns for 775, AM2, K8. Oh, and it’ll probably fit an i7. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-gaming-pc/519245.md?page=1)