baphomet
Member
I ran a 970 on a 500 or 550 just fine.
"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 1. Read the OP and RISE ABOVE FORGED PRECISION SCIENCE
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I ran a 970 on a 500 or 550 just fine.
Xplatformer
Member
Nvidia specs a 400w power supply with the 960. You should be fine paired with an i5 and 500w.
Even so, why would you need a rig overhaul if all you need to do is upgrade your power supply?
The processor may be somewhat weak even when overclocked, but that you can't really do anything about unless you decide to replace the processor (and the motherboard). Some recent triple-A games have minimum requirements that are set at your processor's stock speed.
What is the computer going to be used for? I can see some ways to save money by going with alternative parts.
You seem to be interested in a white color scheme (motherboard and RAM), would you be open to choosing differently colored parts?
If this PC is mainly about playing games, then I recommend the cheaper i5 4690K instead. Both it and the i7 4790K are quad core processors, the only major differences are the 4790K having a slightly higher default clock speed (overclocking will fix that) and hyperthreading (each core acts like two virtual cores). For most games hyperthreading is unnecessary when the processor is already a quad core, as few games take advantage of more than 4 threads. In multiple tests by different websites, there is only a very slight difference betweent he 4690K and 4790K when it comes to game framerate performance (Anandtech/Techspot/Bit-Tech). Otherwise if you will be doing other things that do make use of hyperthreading up to 8 threads (video editing/encoding, computational tasks, etc) then the 4790K will be put to better use and would be preferable.
Do you prefer a water cooler for the looks and more open space inside the case? If you don't mind going with an air cooler, there are cheaper air coolers that perform similarly to the Corsair H105, such as the Phanteks TC14PE ($75~85 in a variety of colors) or Noctua NH-D14 ($75) and NH-D15 ($90). Otherwise the budget choice would be the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo ($28), it offers good performance for an excellent price and will handle moderate overclocking up to and in the 4.5GHz range.
As for the graphics card, it's just a minor difference but the EVGA GTX 970 SSC ($321 after $15 rebate) is faster than the Asus Strix going by the specs while costing nearly the same after rebate.
Do you really need a DVD drive and sound card? If not you can cut over $40 off the cost of your build. Motherboard sound chipsets are good enough for most people so unless you have a rather nice set of headphones that you know won't work with motherboard sound chipsets, then you can probably skip it. DVD drives have largely been replaced by USB drives and online distribution like Steam. You can even officially install Windows by USB drive (and it loads faster than from a disc).
I dunno, as long as there are people who want to cut and save as much as possible, it'll remain an option.
I try to warn them that it's risky, unofficial, unapproved, and potentially deactivated at the very least.
You should ask him why he thinks it requires more than 500 watts.
I suppose if you had a highly overclocked AMD FX based PC where the processor itself draws around 300 watts then you'd have trouble.. but the Maxwell Nvidia cards are known for being relatively power-efficient.
appaws
Banned
Just opened up my case to add some front fans and re-mount my water pump, and felt like sharing it because I felt especially satisfied after getting all this done today
Now to wait for EVGA to tell my me 980 Tis are ready for me to Step Up.
Looks great! Love EK Blocks!
finalflame
Banned
Thanks! They're the only kind of waterblock I'll buy! They look super clean and classy. Lots of other blocks go for the gaudy/"gamer" look and I like them less.
Planning to watercool the GPUs? Generally, I don't see the point in doing it for just the CPU.
finalflame
Banned
Actually, I already had the block and 240mm rad from my previous mITX build. I also have a 140mm UT60 rad lying around and a 120mm UT30. So I just got the XSPC res+pump combo, and watercooled the CPU, expecting to add my cards later.
I do have 1xEK GTX 980 block and backplate just sitting around. My plan was to get another set and 360mm + 280mm radiators to add the cards to the loop, but unfortunately one or both of my 980s are terrible overclockers. So now I'm just waiting to get the Tis and hopefully those will be better performers.
eBay Huckster
Member
checking back in just to say that after looking at some of my urban planning course syllabi for next semester (namely the CAD and GIS requirements), I'm suddenly really glad I got the 4790K
Or he could just save $90~120 and go with a i7 4970K with a stock cooler on a H97. The 4970K already runs at an absurdly high speed but the best you're going to get out of overclocking it (with a water cooler) is a 9% increase.
I mean, if the money you're spending on a CPU to run as fast as another CPU equals the price gap between the two, why not just go for the better CPU?
Liquid_015
Gold Member
I currently have a "Mod X Stream Pro 500w" installed!
My current setup:
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 BE
MoBo: GA-870A-USB3 AM3+ (Rev 3.1)
RAM: Kingston DDR 1333 2GB x2
HD: WD Caviar Blue 500GB 7200RPM
GPU: Zotac GTX460 1GB SE Destroyer
Heatsink: CoolMaster 212 (similar)
Case: CoolMaster RC-430-KWN1 430
PSU: Mod X Stream Pro 500w
CD Drive:Media Lite On 18X DVD Drive
Oh my friend did some watt calculations based on my setup, and the estimate he calculated was about 440-490w range if I were to use a GTX 970. He was saying that its probably cutting it real close to the 500w PSU, and that generally its good to have at least a 100w overhead. So I asked if using a GTX 960 was a better bet, and he said that the estimated watt usage would be 380/390 to 450w. He recommended that I swap out my power supply to a Corsair CX 600. Let me know what you guys think!
StarlordDial
Member
I haven't started on my build yet but i just have a question regarding which fans to put into the case fan connector and into the sys fan ports:
Since i'm going with a kraken x61, i have bought 4 industrial noctua fans 140 pwm to replace the stocks in the kraken and add the 2 at the top of the case for a push-pull setup(case is 780t)
So my question now is since the case has 3 additional stock fans( 2 in the front and one in the back) which of those should i connect into the mobo as a sys fan ?
I'm planning to do the following:
1.The radiator fans on the kraken's lower part is self explanatory : to the cpu fan connector
2. The upper fans would be connected to the fan controller
3. The stock fans on the case would also be all connected to the fan controller
Is this the best fan management possible ? Is connecting more fanz to the mobo better ? Or ?
Since i'm going with a kraken x61, i have bought 4 industrial noctua fans 140 pwm to replace the stocks in the kraken and add the 2 at the top of the case for a push-pull setup(case is 780t)
So my question now is since the case has 3 additional stock fans( 2 in the front and one in the back) which of those should i connect into the mobo as a sys fan ?
I'm planning to do the following:
1.The radiator fans on the kraken's lower part is self explanatory : to the cpu fan connector
2. The upper fans would be connected to the fan controller
3. The stock fans on the case would also be all connected to the fan controller
Is this the best fan management possible ? Is connecting more fanz to the mobo better ? Or ?
Yeah I figured as much - I've explored every option and every drop down on the Sky Hub and it doesn't have that menu at all.
Just tested it again this morning and lost connection instantly as soon as I joined a game server.
thisisalan
Member
My PC has been in service for a little over four years now, and this thread was inspiring me, so it felt like time for an upgrade. I took the opportunity to move to LGA 2011-v3, switch to liquid cooling, add some more SSDs (now up to 2.25 TB), and clean up a lot of the wiring.
Before:
After:
Before:
After:
lordfuzzybutt
Member
Nice work.
Chinbo37
Member
Star Falcon
Member
Hiya.
Looking to build a mid-range next month - would 650W PSU be enough for an i5 4590 and GTX 960 4GB? Doing it in a mini-ITX, need to downsize from starship size desktops
Looking to build a mid-range next month - would 650W PSU be enough for an i5 4590 and GTX 960 4GB? Doing it in a mini-ITX, need to downsize from starship size desktops
lordfuzzybutt
Member
Yes. Even 550 is enough. 650w is good to have some headroom though.Hiya.
Looking to build a mid-range next month - would 650W PSU be enough for an i5 4590 and GTX 960 4GB? Doing it in a mini-ITX, need to downsize from starship size desktops
Are you sure the 4 ram sticks are suppose to be on the same side? What MB is that?
longdi
Banned
Nice spot, they shouldn't be same side
Checking the specifications for GTX 460, GTX 960, and GTX 970 the listed graphics card power are 160 W, 120 W, and 145 W, respectively. For the 970 a 500 W PSU is recommended. So if your PSU has held up so far, you should be OK.
I did a rough power calculation for your system using http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp and get <400 W even with the 970; I may be missing something though.
People here usually advise against the Corsair CX range. Check some of the builds in the OP for PSUs if you decide to upgrade.
Depends on the pricing and what he'll be using the PC for. Water cooling isn't that great for cost-to-performance, so I'm already trying to recommend air cooling instead.
PCPartPicker part list
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($328.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($69.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $398.88
PCPartPicker part list
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-Gaming 5 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($95.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $352.96
In the case of the i7 4790K with one of the cheapest ATX size H97 motherboards versus an i5 4690K with a cheap cooler and low priced but decent ATX Z97 motherboard, the i5 build would still be cheaper by $40~50. If he were only using the PC for games then the i5 is the better bet and he gets a nicer motherboard and lower CPU noise/temps out of the deal, as well. If he were using the PC more for something like video editing or computation, than the i7 4790K build with a cheap motherboard would be preferable, maybe even a cheap H81/B85 motherboard (~$50?) to lower the costs even more, but it still won't be quite as cheap as the i5.
Besides, overclocking manually gets you higher clock speed (4.5GHz? varies by CPU and heatsink) on all 4 cores as opposed to turbo boost which only gives you the higher clock speed (4.4GHz) for 1 or 2 cores. Yes, overclocking isn't that great a difference in actual measurable performance, but the option is there if desired.
mylasthope
Neo Member
thisisalan
Member
It's an X99-A and you're very right! Looks like they should be split across both sides. Thanks!
According to the manual:
Is there a major difference between the blue and black version of the western digital hdd? I know blue is mainstream and black is performance, but I'm not sure what the actual differences are.
So here is my current PC, I've had it since 2011. It's still a beast, but I'm needing more storage space, and I think a raid is the last upgrade I can really do with this setup before a full new machine is needed. Here is what I have:
Case - Antec 1200
Motherboard - ASROCK p67 Extreme4
Processor - i7 2600k
Storage HDD - 500Gb WD Black
RAM - 8Gb Gskill DDR3 (4x2gb)
PSU - Antec 550w
OS SSD - 120Gb Intel
Video card is a newly purchased EVGA GTX970
I'm thinking about nixing the 500Gb black and getting 2 1TB drives to setup in a Raid 0. Then I would use that for storage/games/etc, and still just use the SSD for the OS and daily programs.
So back to the main question...blue or black from WD? Also, any thoughts on how much longer my build will last? Like I was saying, I really think the raid is the last upgrade I can do.
So here is my current PC, I've had it since 2011. It's still a beast, but I'm needing more storage space, and I think a raid is the last upgrade I can really do with this setup before a full new machine is needed. Here is what I have:
Case - Antec 1200
Motherboard - ASROCK p67 Extreme4
Processor - i7 2600k
Storage HDD - 500Gb WD Black
RAM - 8Gb Gskill DDR3 (4x2gb)
PSU - Antec 550w
OS SSD - 120Gb Intel
Video card is a newly purchased EVGA GTX970
I'm thinking about nixing the 500Gb black and getting 2 1TB drives to setup in a Raid 0. Then I would use that for storage/games/etc, and still just use the SSD for the OS and daily programs.
So back to the main question...blue or black from WD? Also, any thoughts on how much longer my build will last? Like I was saying, I really think the raid is the last upgrade I can do.
The 212 Evo is a good replacement cooler for stock fans, but I really wouldn't recommend it to overclock a 4670K to 4.4 GHZ. And if you can get a 4.4 GHZ OC with a 4670K (which is not guaranteed) I'm really doubtful you're going to have lower temperatures than the 4970K running at stock with the newer thermal technology.
Sorry, what new thermal technology does the 4790k have that the 4690k doesn't?
Only thing I know of is the thermal paste under the heat spreader is better.
I think kennah's point was they both feature the same improvements as they are both Devil's Canyon parts
I think kennah's point was they both feature the same improvements as they are both Devil's Canyon parts
This is what I get for not reading properly. Yes it's a Devil's Canyon change. Duh
Guys, I have a Palit JetStream GTX 970. I'm very pleased with its performance but it runs pretty hot.
While playing Dirt Rally on max settings, gpu temp goes pretty high. 100% fan 2400 rpm at 84C degrees.
I feel that's a bit too hot.
Furmark makes the gpu go north of 80 as well
While playing Dirt Rally on max settings, gpu temp goes pretty high. 100% fan 2400 rpm at 84C degrees.
I feel that's a bit too hot.
Furmark makes the gpu go north of 80 as well
Yeah I misread the original question
The TIM (paste or solder between the core and the heat spreader) was drastically changed with Devil's Canyon. Though it was so bad in the last line that people were delidding their CPU's despite the risks.
I wouldn't say drastically, maybe marginally improved, but it still mostly sucks, and definitely still benefits from being delidded.
I'd say the biggest benefit to Devil's Canyon is the stupidly high stock Turbo frequency on all 4 cores for the 4790Ks. People who just can't be bothered to tinker with an OC get a decent frequency out of the gate.
I'd say the biggest benefit to Devil's Canyon is the stupidly high stock Turbo frequency on all 4 cores for the 4790Ks. People who just can't be bothered to tinker with an OC get a decent frequency out of the gate.
Additionally, Black drives are covered by a 5 year warranty and have some kind of anti-vibration technology in them. Warranty is 2 years for Blue drives.
Yeah, that's the funny thing about the 4790K: It's stock speed is really high, but you can't really overclock it to a point where there's a tangible benefit. But with it's real high stock speed, it brings up the 4690k and 4790k price gap question: If the money your putting down on the i5k to get it to run as fast as the i7k fills up the gap, why not just buy the better cpu and save yourself the OC headache and maybe potentially futureproof yourself? Hey, I've seen Crysis 3 run better on the i7, and modern games DO use Hyperthreading (as you see with the poor Pentium K becoming obsolete so soon) but they just don't use eight threads... Yet. And it looks like Moore's Law might be in effect with Intel, so programmers may need to utilize more CPU efficiency in the future.
Xplatformer
Member
I don't need my 4690k to perform like a 4790k.
I definitely needed that extra $100 i saved though.
It's one of those luxury comforts. If spending $100 on the i7 vs i5 means $100 less on the GPU budget, it's never really worth it.
Xplatformer
Member
Erebus
Member
I'm looking for a new SSD before updating to Windows 10 later next month.
So in terms of longevity and performance, is the Samsung 850 EVO the one to get?
In the OP I see that the Crucial MX100 is still listed even though the newer BX100 and even MX200 are out. Is there any reason for this?
So in terms of longevity and performance, is the Samsung 850 EVO the one to get?
In the OP I see that the Crucial MX100 is still listed even though the newer BX100 and even MX200 are out. Is there any reason for this?
Luxury comfort? You're not being budget conscious if you're putting that "$100 saved" into the cooling and motherboard needed for it to run it at i7's speed, you're being redundant.
If you're just buying the CPU as is and there's a deal for a good Z97 board at H board prices, then sure.
edit: Hell, if you're not planning on OCing the i5 4690K and you're on a tight budget then you could save an extra $100~130 and get a i3 4160. The performance difference isn't that huge.
Looking to get my first desktop PC....
I guess my main use for it will be VR, as it seems laptops won't work with it annoyingly.
Not totally sure of every component I want/need, but for GPU, really looking at GTX 980, 8GB RAM minimum, 240GB SSD + 1TB HDD minimum, and an intel CPU, but undecided between i5/i7, would appreciate advice there for if it's worth the extra money for the i7 or not.
Pretty much undecided/unknown for everything else. Also would appreciate advice regarding SLI, as I remember reading that it could use one GPU per eye for VR, but it seems SLI isn't there yet for VR for what I read. Also wonder if there are times pre-built PCs can be cheaper than building it yourself? I hear building it youself is the cheapest way, but I'm seeing good deals pre-built too.
Budget I'd want it under £1500 really.
I guess my main use for it will be VR, as it seems laptops won't work with it annoyingly.
Not totally sure of every component I want/need, but for GPU, really looking at GTX 980, 8GB RAM minimum, 240GB SSD + 1TB HDD minimum, and an intel CPU, but undecided between i5/i7, would appreciate advice there for if it's worth the extra money for the i7 or not.
Pretty much undecided/unknown for everything else. Also would appreciate advice regarding SLI, as I remember reading that it could use one GPU per eye for VR, but it seems SLI isn't there yet for VR for what I read. Also wonder if there are times pre-built PCs can be cheaper than building it yourself? I hear building it youself is the cheapest way, but I'm seeing good deals pre-built too.
Budget I'd want it under £1500 really.
BX100.
Click the image and you'll see the sheet is being updated. Wanted to finish this weekend, but didn't. Will try to have it done Tuesday.
Fill out the bullet points in the first post.
ArtistDude88
Member
Hey guys! I'd like some opinions on this build I've thrown together for my cousin.
I'm out of the hardware loop so I just mixed and matched some parts from Haz's build sheet.
Wanted to keep it below a grand and get the most bang for the buck. Maybe a trained eye could look it over and find some better options of equal or better value? Thanks!
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=33147427
I'm out of the hardware loop so I just mixed and matched some parts from Haz's build sheet.
Wanted to keep it below a grand and get the most bang for the buck. Maybe a trained eye could look it over and find some better options of equal or better value? Thanks!
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=33147427
Xplatformer
Member
You're correct. But most games medium specs these days call for an i5 though, not an i3.
H87I-Plus .. $91
4690k... $235
MSI 970...$319
It's all about balancing what's important performance wise while staying within one's budget. The 4690k meets my budget/performance criteria.
Running Cryengine decently was a requirement.
Sorry, should have read first.
Your Current Specs: Have a laptop currently, (i7-4700QM, GTX 780M, 8GB), and only desktop I have is literally from the Windows 98 days, so definitely need to start from scratch.
Budget: >£1500 + UK
Main Use: Unsure, but probably mostly VR, gaming, 3D modelling, photoshop and possibly video editing (Though I wouldnt be doing that professionally)
Monitor Resolution: Need to get a monitor also, but 1080p monitor for sure.
List SPECIFIC games or applications that you MUST be able to run well: Most games VR wise is the primary thing for me.
When will you build?: Probably as soon as I'd get it, but not experienced doing it, but I believe it is simply slotting things in and possible thermal paste for CPU?
Will you be overclocking?: Probably not, depends if I hit a wall which would be overcome by OC
Looks pretty good.
Swap the AS5 for Noctua or PK-1, PK-3, MX-2, MX-4, Shin-Etsu (Is this still good?), etc. on newegg. AS5's legacy needs to end.
And swap RAM for regular sized heatspreaders and 1866MHz so they don't block your CPU fan. Or 2133 too.
If you feel like you'll keep the system a while or upgrade to a much higher end GPU then putting in a 600B for $10 more is also fine.
And usually what happens when the game comes out is that everyone laughs at the recommended specs. A dual core intel cpu with four logical processors running at similar speeds to a 4690K is fine enough (for someone who is budget constrained and never wants to overclock, that is.)
edit: Going by this benchmark, even with DirectX 12 the only time the i3 will bottleneck is with a GPU greater or equal to a 980. http://www.anandtech.com/show/8962/the-directx-12-performance-preview-amd-nvidia-star-swarm/5
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