Planned set-up for new build.

[Macroman595]

Greetings OC3D,

I currently have a computer that is over a year old now but I have had various issues with it and have decided to make a new computer. More, next gen.

It would be cheaper to upgrade certain parts such as mobo and CPU but the case may not support water cooling.

My current build is as follows:

Case: Cooler Master Storm Enforcer (Black)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LX (not overclocked)
CPU: Intel i5-3450 @ 3.10GHz (Ivybridge)
Memory: 8gb 2x4gb Kingston HyperX blue
Graphics: XFX 7870 Tahiti LE
SSD: Samsung 840 pro series (OS, boot drive etc)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1.5TB (Mass storage. Music, games etc)
PSU: Corsair TX650
OS: Windows 7 HP 64 bit

For case cooling I am using 2 Corsair 120 SP fans mounted at the front and the CPU heatsink is a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO.


The build I have planned will consist of:

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard: MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB 2 x 4GB DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case
PSU: Corsair 760W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Some components I can re-use from my older build, e.g. memory, gpu and HDD.

I have heard the WD caviar series and Seagate barracuda's are good.

I look to get another XFX 7870 Tahiti LE for potential Crossfire in the future.

Peripherals such as monitor and input devices I can re-use my razer mouse, keyboard and Samsung monitors.

Overclocking is something I would be considering further down the line so a water cooler would be ideal.

Budget for this build I would like to keep below £1000, going over is not a problem.

I will be using this computer for gaming, general use and internet browsing.

 

[AverageNinja]

Pretty decent choice of components mate!
Only thing I'd add is swap the 4770k for a 4670k. If you're only using your pc for gaming, general stuff and web browsing you're not going to need the hyper threading, which is essentially the only thing the 4770k has over the 4670k
Also, welcome to OC3D, I hope you'll enjoy it here

 

[NeverBackDown]

4670k over a 4770k for your uses.

Money saved with that can allow you to sell your current GPU and take that money and buy a R9 290. Would be a decent upgrade tbh. Better to have a more powerful single GPU over two weaker ones

 

[Macroman595]

I have read on other forums about the Western Digital Caviar Black, Green etc.

How do these perform against the Seagate HDDs?

Keeping in mind these would only be for mass storage.

 

[notcool]

I have read on other forums about the Western Digital Caviar Black, Green etc.

How do these perform against the Seagate HDDs?

Keeping in mind these would only be for mass storage.

Western Digital ftw tbh, wouldn't touch a Seagate drive. I use a 2TB black for storage, a green would be ok too though. You could save some money by keeping your PSU, it's decent, though I can't quite remember if it has the PCI-e cables for crossfire if you were to go that route.

 

[MadShadow]

Yeah, just stick with WD for HDD's. Maybe consider a SSHD, for faster speeds.

 

[TheOuterOne]

I'd go for a WD red disk, 4TB only costs about 150 euro's here now..
Seagate is a no-go for me, I don't trust them.

 

[NeverBackDown]

Yeah, just stick with WD for HDD's. Maybe consider a SSHD, for faster speeds.

Those drives make a difference. My brother has a 1tb SSHD and it is pretty darn fast and very quiet.

 

[Macroman595]

Been awhile since last post on this thread.

I am here to asking for information regarding the GPU.

The 7870 from my first build will possibly be used temporarily while I look for an upgrade.

The AMD Radeon 290/290x is taking my fancy. Is there any difference performance wise between the 290 and the 290x? I have read TTL's review of the 290x but I can't make sense of it.

Nvidia Geforce cards are unfamiliar territories to me. Is there much of a difference between AMD and Nvidia cards?

 

[Mysterae]

The whole 290 vs 780 thing is a can o' worms. Allegiances between one brand or another make little sense except to those who have them. Sift through reviews and see what performs better in the games you play, now and (a lot more difficult) in the future. Are factors such as heat, noise, overclockability and aesthetics issues for you? Want the top tier stuff etc. Make your educated choice with conviction.

One thing I would recommend with your build - get a bigger SSD. One big enough for both your OS and games. You'll fill a 128GB quick enough, and apart from boot up time game loading is where you'll notice and benefit the most from a SSD.

 

[Warchild]

while I use 780s. I still think the price vs performance is dominated by the 290. In my opinion they are both on par with one another in performance, and it does depend on what games you are more swayed towards.

As said above, check reviews and if you see the the FPS is higher in the games your prefer then get that card. Although the difference in FPS is minimal. I would advise against the stock 290 though and aim towards a custom cooler if that card is your choice.

Things to consider though.

AMD - Mantle API (definately something to keep an eye out for),
Nvidia - G Sync. (I have seen this in action and it looks fantastic) Also their new series of cards "May be coming soon" so 780 price will probably drop even more if we ever see Maxwell released.

Cons of both.. well I guess Nvidia cost is overpriced for what it is. There was talk of a black screen with the 290(x) but I don't know enough about it to comment.

Of the two AMD cards I think the consensus will tell you to choose the 290. As it apparently has better overclocking headroom and can almost perform as well as the 290x for a significant cheaper cost.

 

[barnsley]

In terms of 290 vs 780, you also have to take power draw into context. The 290 is more power hungry, especially if you go for the ace Sapphire toxic one... The general rule for the 290 is don't get OEM one unless you're going for a custom loop and don't get a high priced 780.

I like both and have done builds with both in the recent past. I'd have to say it depends on the rest of your system as well.

 

[Macroman595]

Thank you in advance for the information.

Are their any other tips that would help in choosing the GPU or has it all been covered?

In terms of power draw. I did a power calulation and the Corsair AX760 would be able to support AMD R9 290 x 2 in crossfire at 677 Watts.

 

[barnsley]

Thank you in advance for the information.

Are their any other tips that would help in choosing the GPU or has it all been covered?

In terms of power draw. I did a power calulation and the Corsair AX760 would be able to support AMD R9 290 x 2 in crossfire at 677 Watts.

That sounds about right, although some 290s draw more power than others, especially the (fantastic) sapphire toxic cards. Either way that psu should do the trick

 

[NeverBackDown]

the 290 and 780 will both draw around the same amount of power and i would still advise for a Xfire/SLI system to have a minimum of 850watts. Just for sanitys sake

 

[Macroman595]

That sounds about right, although some 290s draw more power than others, especially the (fantastic) sapphire toxic cards. Either way that psu should do the trick

Sweet

the 290 and 780 will both draw around the same amount of power and i would still advise for a Xfire/SLI system to have a minimum of 850watts. Just for sanitys sake

The AX760 is a modular power supply. It should be easy enough to swap the 760 for an 860/1200 without having to change the cable routing.

 

[NeverBackDown]

Sweet



The AX760 is a modular power supply. It should be easy enough to swap the 760 for an 860/1200 without having to change the cable routing.

I know the AX760 is a modular powersupply.. i own one lol

And no you can not swap out the cables from the AX760 to the ax1200.. Only the ax760 can be swapped with the ax860 without issues. Yes it will give issues btw believe it or not.

If you plan on Xfire or SLI anything above a 290/780 an 850watt or above psu is needed when any overclocking or stressful benchmark is run.

 

[Macroman595]

Power supplies will only pump out what is being used/needed won't they? As long as it does not exceed the units total potential output.

My TX650 would not be pumping out ~650 all the while when I need say ~450 watts?

 

[NeverBackDown]

They pull whats needed yes.. even if it means its over the 650watts advertised. So their peak power output they will go up to but if its stays there too long.. pop.

 

[Macroman595]

Another question, about storage mediums again.

I will use an SSD for the OS (win7 HP) and a HDD or two for mass storage e.g. game saves, music etc.

The Hard drives I will use the WD Caviar series. Deciding between Black, Green and Blue.

The SSD I am not certain of. The samsung 840 Pro/Evo series, is there much difference?