Minor PC Upgrade Recommendation

[swadeep 2]

i7 4790k To be honest if I were building now, I would definatly consider this CPU. Better interface material and turbo up to 4.4 Ghz. You may find you don't need to overclock, just rely on turbo. Not sure how they are overclocking, but even at 4.4 I'd be happy, given that a few hundred megahertz makes very little difference in terms of frame rate.

 

You will have to look at the overclocking results on the net to know how far they are getting in practice.

 

I have no experience of your RAM make, but 2400 is nice and fast. What timings?

 

I always favour Asus motherboards personally, have no experience of ASRock.

 

ASUS MAXIMUS VII GENE is a micro ATX board. I would go for full size ATX to be honest.

 

The Sabertooth is a board that's built for reliability and cooling, so If you don't want the ROG features provided by the hero [you probably don't need them] then it's a great choice. Thermal armour is great, and thermal radar is a great way to monitor your temps. And I recall a seven year warranty.

 

Personally. I would say you would be happy with the ASUS SABERTOOTH Z97 MARK 1 or the ASUS MAXIMUS VII HERO.

 

But you must look at the reviews of these boards and make sure there are no issues like UEFI instabilities or glitches present. If all looks good, pick the board that has the features you need. No point wasting money on features you don't need.

 

I recall there was an issue with some ROG boards regarding the clock resetting itself. Best to check it doesn't affect the model you choose.

 

 

I don't know much about the ASUS MAXIMUS VII RANGER, but it is an entry level ROG board, so won't be as feature rich as the Hero.

 

Thanks so much for quick reply. This is the ram i was telling you about:

 

Module Type 240Pin Unbuffered DIMM Non ECC CL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS 9-11-11-28

10-12-12-31

11-11-11-28 DRAM Density 128x8 / 256x8 / 512x8

 

As for the board, i myself like the asus too. I will read reviews more and if all goes well then might probably go for the sabertooth.

 

for CPU, i will try overclock it definitely: my current 3770K is overclocked to 4.5Ghz so with the new one i am glad to know the turbo boost will get it up to 4.4 but if i can squeezed more out of it i will then.

 

Thanks for your help so much.

 

Cheers

Swadeep

[martin-w 3,252]

Sabertooth would probably be my choice to be honest.


 

Module Type 240Pin Unbuffered DIMM Non ECC CL-tRCD-tRP-tRAS 9-11-11-28
10-12-12-31
11-11-11-28 DRAM Density 128x8 / 256x8 / 512x8

 

 

 

I presume you've shown me all the timings available there?

 

Obviously faster timings are better. But do remember that the CPU has the integrated memory controller on the CPU, so they do vary in regard to their capabilities. You may go for 9-11-11-28 but then find your IMC doesn't like the timing and have to back it off.

 

Happened to ne with my 3770K and Dominator GT. Had to back off the timings to get it stable. That's why, when overclocking, it's a good idea to leave RAM at default first, and then stabilise the overclock, then set the XMP profile. That way you can tell if the IMC is the limitation.

 

Did you find out which cooler you have? You will need good cooling if overclocking, with the ambient temp so high in Bangkok.

[swadeep 2]

Sabertooth would probably be my choice to be honest.

 

 

 

 

 

I presume you've shown me all the timings available there?

 

Obviously faster timings are better. But do remember that the CPU has the integrated memory controller on the CPU, so they do vary in regard to their capabilities. You may go for 9-11-11-28 but then find your IMC doesn't like the timing and have to back it off.

 

Happened to ne with my 3770K and Dominator GT. Had to back off the timings to get it stable. That's why, when overclocking, it's a good idea to leave RAM at default first, and then stabilise the overclock, then set the XMP profile. That way you can tell if the IMC is the limitation.

 

Did you find out which cooler you have? You will need good cooling if overclocking, with the ambient temp so high in Bangkok.

 

I opened the case but sadly couldn't find label! Anyway i went back through my mails from few years back and found it! It was corsair H80 liquid cooling. I might move this one to general pc and get the newer one then unless do you reckon this same one will manager to keep the new 4790K cool too? Then i'll save money here.

 

Thanks

Swadeep

[martin-w 3,252]

H80 certainly isn't the best AIO cooler around.

 

I would recommend the H110, but you will need a case that will fit it.

 

For air: NH-D15 or Thermalright Archon SBE-X2.

[swadeep 2]

H80 certainly isn't the best AIO cooler around.

 

I would recommend the H110, but you will need a case that will fit it.

 

For air: NH-D15 or Thermalright Archon SBE-X2.

 

Thanks so much martin! really appreciate all your help. I'll probably go for H110 then. I'll start tomorrow and get it done. Been a while since flown FS so need to get on it!

 

Thanks again so much :)

 

If i get stuck OC'ing, would you be able to help to? If not i understand.

 

Cheers

Swadeep

[martin-w 3,252]

H110 is an awesome cooler. You will need a case that can house the big radiator though, at the top or front.

 

If i get stuck OC'ing, would you be able to help to? If not i understand.

Given that I don't own your CPU, and thus have had no personal experience of overclocking it, it would be wrong of me to do so.

[swadeep 2]

H110 is an awesome cooler. You will need a case that can house the big radiator though, at the top or front.

 

 

Given that I don't own your CPU, and thus have had no personal experience of overclocking it, it would be wrong of me to do so.

Ok no worries. What if I can't get the H110. What would be the next best alternative based on your opinion?

[wanabflyer 53]

Ok no worries. What if I can't get the H110. What would be the next best alternative based on your opinion?

NZXT Kraken X60 all the way. Then again I'm biased.

 

Regards,

[martin-w 3,252]

The Kraken X60 is a 280 rad though, like the H110. So same case requirement applies.
 
My choice would be the H110. If you were to equip the Kraken and H110 with the same fans, the H110 would win. As it stands, the superior temps of the Kraken are down to the higher RPM and thus nosier fans.
 
You won't notice the noise though Rick, because in normal use the fans won't ramp up that high. But in terms of rad/pump efficiency, with the fan variable the same, the H110 wins, so that would be my choice.
 

What would be the next best alternative based on your opinion?

 

 

 

Depends why you require an alternative. If it's because a 280 rad won't fit in your case, then my choice would be the Corsair H105. Great cooling, in some reviews beats the H110 by a couple of degrees. The fans are noisy at full RPM though, but the good news is that even at 50% RPM, it still cools great, and with acceptable noise levels.

 

However... I'm not an AIO water cooler advocate. Personally, I still worry about possible leaks, so prefer air coolers.

 

So my choice would be the new Noctua NH-D15. But it is BIG, so again the dimensions must be considered in terms of fitting in your enclosure.

 

The Thermalright Archon SB-E X2 is also a fantastic air cooler. No RAM clearance issues, great cooling, and fits in most cases.