Review my upcoming upgrade? - Hardware & Software

I built my own pc around 2010, and while (with a GPU upgrade) she's kept up with most games and software for a long time, she IS getting a bit long in the tooth. Can still max-out Crysis 3 with the AA turned-off, but more and more I'm finding she's starting to chug. 8 Gigs of RAM isn't the infinite ridiculousness it once seemed to be, and when a modest title like Metro Last Light or Tomb Raider 2013 are making me budget my settings, I know the end is coming. My old rig hosts an i7 870 on an ASRock P55 with 8gb ddr3 (1333). A Zalman cooler sits atop the i7, and with a GTX 570, a 750w PSU and a terabyte of HD space, it's served me well. The card and the PSU would stay, in the upgrade. Might upgrade the 570 one of these days, but those components are hardly holding the machine back, and if anything it will use less power than the current one has. The HD has also been reliable, and till the day it fails there is no need to be rid of it. However, it will primarily be used for ancillary space with an SSD hosting the Windows OS. The Zalman cooler (I've checked) also works for LGA 1155 sockets, so no point replacing it either. The rest of the upgrade components are as follows: [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116501"]i7 3770K[/URL] [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157304"]ASRock Z75 Pro3[/URL] [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231568"]G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600[/URL] (planning to eventually upgrade to a full 32gb) [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147192"]SAMSUNG 840 Pro Series MZ-7PD128BW 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)[/URL] [HR][/HR] I imagine it's pretty clear that this upgrade will kick the pants off the old machine, and even do well to future-proof for a few good years at least. Of course, it's more than possible that the build can be more economical or that I can get a better bargain. This is just the best I've come up with as to value, performance and critical response. I could be using a less than reliable motherboard, LGA 1155 could be constraining somehow. Maybe my SSD needn't be so big? And this, of course, is why I'm posting here: opinions outside my own, so as to prevent me from wasting time and money on expensive mistakes, or regretting that I took one deal versus a better one.

Do you do any rendering or anything? There's no point have 32GB of RAM. [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117369&cm_re=4790k-_-19-117-369-_-Product"]I7-4790k[/URL] [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130779&cm_re=MSI_z97-_-13-130-779-_-Product"]MSI Z97 motherboard[/URL] Use these instead. Asrock isn't really a good brand. You could even drop from 16GB to 8GB of RAM.

[QUOTE=Original User;45394170]Do you do any rendering or anything? There's no point have 32GB of RAM. [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117369&cm_re=4790k-_-19-117-369-_-Product"]I7-4790k[/URL] [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130779&cm_re=MSI_z97-_-13-130-779-_-Product"]MSI Z97 motherboard[/URL] Use these instead. Asrock isn't really a good brand. You could even drop from 16GB to 8GB of RAM.[/QUOTE] Asrock isn't a good brand? Their VRM's are the best on the market on a lot of their boards. They also come with a solid amount of features, and I'd recommend them just as much as MSI or ASUS. They have come a very long way from just being an OEM offshoot of ASUS

I've heard bad things about them, that's all. However, what is your opinion on the build, Levelog?

Actually, I do plenty of rendering. RAM is especially valuable in fluid dynamic simulations like fumefx. 8 gigs goes fast in a high-res simulation, and once you run out, the simulation crashes instantly. Having a significant buffer to that increases the scope of my projects. My current motherboard is an ASRock, and while it's not the best I've ever seen, it's been far from detrimental. The MSI board looks great, and I love anything to do with MSI, but I don't know how much I trust an item that has two ratings to its name. Doesn't give me much to go by. Likewise, the processor. Sure enough, for ten dollars more, a full 4ghz sounds worth it, but the comparison doesn't yield much for it in terms of information. The 3770K has all kinds of information alluding to power consumption, threading, and this turbo-feature. It also talks about supporting dual channels of DDR3, which sounds good for a general cross-system cohesion in the hardware. Probably the 4790K's page just isn't up-to-date, as it alludes to a max turbo frequency of 4.5ghz (Jesus...) so I won't count it out by any means. I would, however, just like to look into it further before switching my current choices with these. Like mentioned though, an MSI motherboard sounds very appealing... ASRock does the job, and the board I picked has tons of great reviews, but I always felt like the Motherboard was the weakest aspect of my rig. Just for peace of mind, having a board I was confident in would make me feel great about the whole thing. I ONLY buy GPU's from MSI because of their fantastic cooling. Never once had an issue or failure, and their design just feels rock-solid to boot. I just want to make sure I've made the optimal choices before committing. I'll do some more research, but any input from others on the issue would be much appreciated!

If I may chime in, I agree with Original User, ASRock motherboards are not the best, they look good on paper but then components start to fail or are dead on arrival. I got a board for my first build and the sound decided to quit about 6 months after the warranty ran out. They also feel flimsy and cheap next to other manufacturer's products. But that's all anecdotal, I do agree that the 4790k would serve you better than the 3770k even if the performance difference isn't that great.

[QUOTE=J-Dude;45393893] [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116501"]i7 3770K[/URL] [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157304"]ASRock Z75 Pro3[/URL] [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147192"]SAMSUNG 840 Pro Series MZ-7PD128BW 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)[/URL] [/QUOTE] Why go for an out-dated chipset? Go with devil's canyon (i7-4790k). And don't get the Pro SSD, get EVO.

J-Dude, the i7 4790k is actually a refresh of the fourth generation Intel processors like the i7 4770k. They handle heat alot better and are clocked slightly higher. Alot of websites haven't updated their info yet. I would suggest getting the newest item in a product line just because it's a marginal increase on effeciency. Just asking, do you plan on using more than one graphics card in the future?

[QUOTE=Original User;45396524]J-Dude, the i7 4790k is actually a refresh of the fourth generation Intel processors like the i7 4770k. They handle heat alot better and are clocked slightly higher. Alot of websites haven't updated their info yet. I would suggest getting the newest item in a product line just because it's a marginal increase on effeciency. Just asking, do you plan on using more than one graphics card in the future?[/QUOTE] Probably not. While I'd certainly like the option, with two matching PCI-E 3.0 slots on the board, I feel like I'm more likely to grab a newer, better single card than a twin of my current one, adding to the power and temperature stresses inside the machine. I've considered SLI in the past, but it always felt like a temporary, half-assed fix when I could be moving up to a fully up-to-date framework.

Does your other RAM run at 1600 fine? I use a stick of 1333 @ 1600 and a stick of 1600 in my machine so you could probably re-use your old RAM, but keeping around a slightly older computer as something to offload rendering onto or just a home theater PC is nice. [editline]15th July 2014[/editline] Also, the performance level (overclocked) of the newest and a generation older processors by Intel are roughly similar, but the newer ones use a good bit less power so they're decent. About the same amount of performance for your money, really, when you look at things, because the motherboards are a bit more expensive. [editline]15th July 2014[/editline] And ASRock is a fine brand. I would upgrade to a 250GB SSD, myself, though because 128 is a bit limiting. Check slickdeals.net every day for a week to see how much SSDs go on sale, they're pretty good at finding deals on hardware.

I've never pushed my RAM to a higher speed before. In fact, I've never overclocked anything at all before... Always been too afraid that I won't know what I'm doing and make the system unstable, or cause something to short out. I like keeping my system cool, but primarily because the parts will stay in good condition longer if they're not constantly at 90'C while under load. I've had a card choke itself with dust and overheat itself to death, and I've been vigilant ever since. I'm sure I can harmlessly overclock some of my stuff with the temps I tend to get, but it all makes me itch. And don't suggest water-cooling to me... I could never do it. Until a steel plate separates my components from the electronics-killing conductive fluid, I'm not putting that stuff anywhere near my computer. Improper installation or faulty parts or wear and tear, and one day I find the tube has sprung a leak onto my RAM, and meanwhile the CPU is overheating to death because the water isn't doing its job anymore. Elsewise, my sticks are all 2gb on four slots. Any upgrade in RAM amount will necessitate upping the amount per module. This is also why I'm going to Windows 7 Professional this time, since Home Basic caps after 16. I agree about the 250gb. While the HD will be used for most programs, I still want my core applications native on the SSD so it can all load as fast as possible.

Well, the stuff arrived! Got the 4970K and the suggested motherboard, plus RAM and SSD. Gonna start backing up my files tonight on the new external drive. Only a few doubts concern me, now that I'm seeing the components face to face. First to strike me was my cooler, a Zalman cnps9900A. Originally, I was excited to upgrade, because I wouldn't need to replace my cooler. 1155 supposedly worked just fine within its specs. Now, looking at the box and newegg page, with an lga 1150 socket, I see doubts. Research I'm doing suggests that 1156, 1155 and 1150 all might as well be the same where the cooler is concerned. One bit I read suggested there wouldn't quite be proper pressure on the cpu. I'm willing to eat an additional $50 to be certain on upgrade-day that the install will go well, but I don't want to waste money either, though I'm going to craigslist my old parts for efficiency sake anyway. Is it feasible, safe, and effective to use an 1156 cooler for 1150? Secondly, I noticed while checking the motherboard that there didn't appear to be a connector for ribbon cables from my dvd drives. At least, none of them seemed long enough to support a ribbon-cable's size. It makes sense that such a gluttonous, oversized cable would be simplified as the years went by, and admittedly I've had mine disconnected altogether for a while now (my GTX 570 was just too long, and bumped smack into the cable, drawing it taut). Now, I have an external dvd drive, but it plugs-in via USB, and therefore I'm not positive whether or not the BIOS will recognize that drive when it comes time to install Windows for the first time from a disc. It would be plain hilarious to have my blazing-fast machine primed, spinning, and ready for action, only to be stuck on a BIOS command prompt with no operating system. The preparedness of places like Radio Shack suggest to me that ribbon-to-SATA adapters probably exist, but before I go spending MORE money, I'd like to hear it from someone else.

If you have no ide connectors on your board. I'm pretty sure you can get a ide to Sara adaptor. However, I don't know how stable they are. Edit. Just checked. You can, but they look very ghetto. [url]http://m.ebuyer.com/189377[/url] This one says BI directional. Buy looking at it I don't see how it can do ide to sata. The ide connection is male.

ide to sata converters are often about as expensive as just buying a sata device itself also coolers are cross compatible don't worry about it

So the USB DVD drive wouldn't work? Is that what I'm getting here? Ugh... Well, should've expected this. I HAVE brought those drives down through two generations of PC's without replacing them... Though I'd like a second opinion confirming the cooler compatibility between 1156, 56 and 50. I don't want to be stuck with the computer's guts open on build day only to realize the cooler won't seat. Admittedly, I could just use the stock cooler till I got a replacement if that happened, but dealing with heatsinks is about my most despised aspect of a build.

A USB drive would work fine

just make sure a usb dvd drive is plugged into usb 2.0 instead of 3.0 to avoid fucky installation issues

[QUOTE=fishyfish777;45490397]just make sure a usb dvd drive is plugged into usb 2.0 instead of 3.0 to avoid fucky installation issues[/QUOTE] Once had to reinstall on a ultrabook with only USB3.0. Was a bitch.

Well, build day has come and gone. It was touch and go, but I pulled through. With previous experience as my guide, putting the old pc down and resurrecting her with all new parts went smoother (in the building) than it ever did before. Admittedly, the SSD is wedged between my old dead DVD drives with barely room to swing a kilobyte, as it didn't come with a proper drive mount compatible with my case. Things ground to a halt though, when it came time to remove and reinstall the Zalman cooler. As it turned out, the cooler was good with 1156, but ONLY 1156, as its bracket required two sets of four holes in the motherboard, and I was forced to go on a meandering trip to Fry's Electronics to grab a proper one (because I'll be fucked if I'm going to use the stock Intel cooler). Namely, a Cooler Master Hyper 2121 EVO, recommended to me by one of the clerks. It idles at 43C for now, and I've yet to really stress test it, but it was by far the easiest aftermarket cooler installation I've yet done. I might look for a better one in Newegg one of these days, but for now it works. From there it was board mounting and cable connecting, which couldn't have gone smoother. Seeing her blink to life again, with a BIOS like a starship, gave me no small amount of joy. The USB drive worked, thankfully, and after some fiddling I was able to wipe the old drive, format both and put Windows Professional on the SSD. There was a hiccup or two in driver installation, as MSI's motherboard disc couldn't be read by the DVD drive for some reason, and without ethernet I had to bring over the drivers via flash drive. Then a system reboot left my monitor blank, and I had to do some stuff in safe mode to ensure the graphics drivers were all working, but as of this posting it's been sheer bliss. I might actually start shutting my computer off when I leave somewhere, or sleep, because the boot and shutdown process on the SSD is perhaps even FASTER than what some people have claimed. In some cases I might even hazard at less than five seconds. Freaky-fast. I've yet to do any strenuous testing, but thus far it handles like a dream! It's going to be hard prioritizing what installs to put on the SSD and what not, because missing out on these speeds by running off the hard disc almost feels like a shame. Against my better judgement, I've already loaded Steam onto it, though on the self-made promise of only keeping a few games on at any given time. Thanks to all that have helped, even on the iffy heatsink deal, because I honestly think the one I got was itself an anomaly.

Wait, your idling at 43C with a 212? I think it should be alot more cooler. Did you get that temp from the Bios?

[QUOTE=Original User;45495436]Wait, your idling at 43C with a 212? I think it should be alot more cooler. Did you get that temp from the Bios?[/QUOTE] Whoops, sorry, actually MSI Afterburner is reporting about 37C. Speedfan doesn't seem to be working properly, and I don't seem to have a way of setting the fan speed, unless the fans are all absurdly quiet. EDIT: And the BIOS is telling me 45C, so hell if I know what's going on. Tweaked the fan settings to be a bit more liberal with the speeds, and ramp up higher at lower temperatures. Well, good thing about this cooler is there's the option of strapping a second 120mm fan to it, so, push comes to shove...