Being a gaming enthusiast for many years, I've done myself a great disservice by forcing myself to deal with low quality settings on a laptop that easily overheats. Well, that time is finally over- And I'm looking to spend approximately $2000 to ensure that it won't again! Well, at least for the next few years.
I've spent time and money upgrading my previous computers in the past, with a limited amount of knowledge on the parts beyond what purpose they serve and how it will affect my gaming experience... Needless to say, building one from the ground up requires a great deal of additional information. So I'll try to keep this as short and to the point as possible, but my research over the past week has left many questions that will otherwise take me weeks longer to resolve (by myself, that is).
Here's the computer I had in mind: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/RhYz
Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
Rosewill RNX-N250PCe 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter
NZXT Phantom (White) ATX Full Tower Case
SeaSonic X Series 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)
Asus VH236H 23.0" Monitor
The CPU:
Where to begin? I guess that over the course of my research, I've determined that the largest (only?) difference between the i5 3570k and the i7 3770k is the hyperthreading and a larger l3 cache. Using this machine primarily to play video games (and more remedial tasks) I feel comfortable in my decision to save $50-100 in lieu of an additional 1-3 FPS. However, I've found very little information regarding the progress of video game development, and how largely hyperthreading will have an impact on games within the next 3-5 years. Is it safe to say that I shouldn't expect to make use of this technology until my next computer replacement?
More importantly, however, is the difference between the LGA 2011 and LGA 1155. I do have intentions of running two 680s in sli once I can afford to spend an additional $500 ($600 with an additional gpu waterblock). I've looked up benchmarks showing a very small margin of increased performance when running two cards on x8 versus the alternative x16. However, once you take each of these individual performance increases into account - larger l3 cache, higher clock speed, better usage of sli - it really begins to add up to a noticeable difference. Can the cost be justified when attempting to build a computer than I plan to use for several more years? Is the extra cost worth trying to "future-proof" my machine?
The Motherboard:
After spending so much money on the video card + cpu combination, will I regret purchasing such a low cost solution? Are the only major differences between this mobo and say, a z77 sabertooth, just the extra ports? Should I be concerned about heat when overclocking on this board? How does the 8/+2 power phases compare to 16/+2(4) when overclocking? Is the extra cost for this improved ability to overclock justified?
The RAM:
Understandably, 8GB of RAM will be more than sufficient for current generation gaming, but with windows taking up 2GB and background applications taking up another 1-2GB, will the remaining 4GB be enough to properly run games in the next few years? How fast does RAM lose effectiveness over years of usage? Should this be taken into account when purchasing ram, or should I expect it to last until I purchase a new computer?
The Cooling System:
I've already decided to go with water cooling, despite the cost and maintenance required. I do intend on overclocking the cpu to 4.3-4.5ghz, but even if I weren't I would still find little else that would give me as much satisfaction for the same price. Building a custom water cooled loop will not only provide me with this experience, but it will also keep my hardware cool and (presumably) increase longevity. My question is this: Much of the information out there comparing cooling systems is outdated by several years, or doesn't include all brands I'm interested in. It seems as though the XSPC parts cost slightly less than other options, but does this reduced price come with reduced effectiveness? How does the cooling efficiency of a single 360mm radiator compare to a 240mm + a 120mm radiator, if/when I decide to expand into SLI territory?
The PSU:
The difference in price between the 750w and 850w is pretty substantial. After using a wattage calculator online, I discovered that I would be running extremely close to the 750w limitation. I realize that as the capacitors age, you lose power efficiency. From the sound of it, I'll be within 10% of 750w within the first couple years. Could I reliably overclock both the gpu(s) and cpu while simultaneously running a liquid cooling system/fan controlled LCD monitor/multiple power-drawing USBs on a 750w psu?
That seems to be about it. Thank you for taking all this time to review, and hopefully answer my questions. The information provided at TH has taught me a great deal about computer performance and functionality, and that alone deserves another expression of appreciation. "Thank You."
I've spent time and money upgrading my previous computers in the past, with a limited amount of knowledge on the parts beyond what purpose they serve and how it will affect my gaming experience... Needless to say, building one from the ground up requires a great deal of additional information. So I'll try to keep this as short and to the point as possible, but my research over the past week has left many questions that will otherwise take me weeks longer to resolve (by myself, that is).
Here's the computer I had in mind: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/RhYz
Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
Rosewill RNX-N250PCe 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter
NZXT Phantom (White) ATX Full Tower Case
SeaSonic X Series 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)
Asus VH236H 23.0" Monitor
The CPU:
Where to begin? I guess that over the course of my research, I've determined that the largest (only?) difference between the i5 3570k and the i7 3770k is the hyperthreading and a larger l3 cache. Using this machine primarily to play video games (and more remedial tasks) I feel comfortable in my decision to save $50-100 in lieu of an additional 1-3 FPS. However, I've found very little information regarding the progress of video game development, and how largely hyperthreading will have an impact on games within the next 3-5 years. Is it safe to say that I shouldn't expect to make use of this technology until my next computer replacement?
More importantly, however, is the difference between the LGA 2011 and LGA 1155. I do have intentions of running two 680s in sli once I can afford to spend an additional $500 ($600 with an additional gpu waterblock). I've looked up benchmarks showing a very small margin of increased performance when running two cards on x8 versus the alternative x16. However, once you take each of these individual performance increases into account - larger l3 cache, higher clock speed, better usage of sli - it really begins to add up to a noticeable difference. Can the cost be justified when attempting to build a computer than I plan to use for several more years? Is the extra cost worth trying to "future-proof" my machine?
The Motherboard:
After spending so much money on the video card + cpu combination, will I regret purchasing such a low cost solution? Are the only major differences between this mobo and say, a z77 sabertooth, just the extra ports? Should I be concerned about heat when overclocking on this board? How does the 8/+2 power phases compare to 16/+2(4) when overclocking? Is the extra cost for this improved ability to overclock justified?
The RAM:
Understandably, 8GB of RAM will be more than sufficient for current generation gaming, but with windows taking up 2GB and background applications taking up another 1-2GB, will the remaining 4GB be enough to properly run games in the next few years? How fast does RAM lose effectiveness over years of usage? Should this be taken into account when purchasing ram, or should I expect it to last until I purchase a new computer?
The Cooling System:
I've already decided to go with water cooling, despite the cost and maintenance required. I do intend on overclocking the cpu to 4.3-4.5ghz, but even if I weren't I would still find little else that would give me as much satisfaction for the same price. Building a custom water cooled loop will not only provide me with this experience, but it will also keep my hardware cool and (presumably) increase longevity. My question is this: Much of the information out there comparing cooling systems is outdated by several years, or doesn't include all brands I'm interested in. It seems as though the XSPC parts cost slightly less than other options, but does this reduced price come with reduced effectiveness? How does the cooling efficiency of a single 360mm radiator compare to a 240mm + a 120mm radiator, if/when I decide to expand into SLI territory?
The PSU:
The difference in price between the 750w and 850w is pretty substantial. After using a wattage calculator online, I discovered that I would be running extremely close to the 750w limitation. I realize that as the capacitors age, you lose power efficiency. From the sound of it, I'll be within 10% of 750w within the first couple years. Could I reliably overclock both the gpu(s) and cpu while simultaneously running a liquid cooling system/fan controlled LCD monitor/multiple power-drawing USBs on a 750w psu?
That seems to be about it. Thank you for taking all this time to review, and hopefully answer my questions. The information provided at TH has taught me a great deal about computer performance and functionality, and that alone deserves another expression of appreciation. "Thank You."