Intel Build 1 vs Intel Build 2

socialassassin

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Feb 23, 2013
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If it's mainly a gaming machine, save some money and go with the 4670k. With the Asrock MB and an extra $20, you could get a 780Ti. :)

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2KNEO
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2KNEO/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2KNEO/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z87 Killer ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($87.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($121.99 @ B&H)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 Ti 3GB Video Card ($649.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair Air 540 ATX Desktop Case ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 39.9 CFM 120mm Fans ($27.33 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Corsair RM 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1607.25
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-31 11:48 EST-0500)
 

Gam3Pwn3rz

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Nov 5, 2013
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Should I go for a lower wattage of power, or would it still be good to go for sli a while on down the road?
 
I would combine the best parts of each.

1. For gaming, a 4670K will perform the same as a 4770K. Few games can use the extra hyperthreads of the i7.

2. Go with the less expensive motherboard. Any Z87 based motherboard will give you a decent conservative OC.

3. I do not much like all in one liquid coolers when a good air cooler can do the job.
A liquid cooler will be expensive, noisy, less reliable, and will not cool any better
in a well ventilated case.
Liquid cooling is really air cooling, it just puts the heat exchange in a different place.
The orientation of the radiator will cause a problem.
If you orient it to take in cool air from the outside, you will cool the cpu better, but the hot air then circulates inside the case heating up the graphics card and motherboard.
If you orient it to exhaust(which I think is better) , then your cpu cooling will be less effective because it uses pre heated case air.
And... I have read too many tales of woe when a liquid cooler leaks.
google "H100 leak"
I would use a good cooler with quiet 140mm fans like the Noctua or Phanteks.

4. Instead of paying extra planning for sli, go ahead and buy a GTX780ti up front.

Here is my canned rant on planning for dual cards:
-----------------------------Start of rant----------------------------------------------------
Dual graphics cards vs. a good single card.

a) How good do you really need to be?
A single GTX650/ti or 7770 can give you good performance at 1920 x 1200 in most games.

A single GTX660 or 7850 will give you excellent performance at 1920 x 1200 in most games.
Even 2560 x 1600 will be good with lowered detail.
A single gtx690,7990, GTX780ti or R9-290X is about as good as it gets for a single card.

Only if you are looking at triple monitor gaming, or a 4k monitor, might sli/cf will be needed.
Even that is now changing with triple monitor support on top end cards and stronger single card solutions.

b) The costs for a single card are lower.
You require a less expensive motherboard; no need for sli/cf or multiple pci-e slots.
Even a ITX motherboard will do.

Your psu costs are less.
A GTX660 needs a 430w psu, even a GTX780 only needs a 575w psu.
When you add another card to the mix, plan on adding 200w to your psu requirements.

Even the most power hungry GTX690 only needs 620w, or a 7990 needs 700w.

Case cooling becomes more of an issue with dual cards.
That means a more expensive case with more and stronger fans.
You will also look at more noise.

c) Dual gpu's do not always render their half of the display in sync, causing microstuttering. It is an annoying effect.
The benefit of higher benchmark fps can be offset, particularly with lower tier cards.
Read this: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-geforce-stutter-crossfire,2995.html

d) dual gpu support is dependent on the driver. Not all games can benefit from dual cards.

e) dual cards up front reduces your option to get another card for an upgrade. Not that I suggest you plan for that.
It will often be the case that replacing your current card with a newer gen card will offer a better upgrade path.
The Maxwell and amd 8000 or 9000 series are due next year.
-------------------------------End of rant-----------------------------------------------------------

5. Samsung is good, but the value of the PRO is endurance, not performance in a desktop environment.
Performance does improve with size.
You will get more performance out of a larger 240gb EVO.

6. A 650w psu can handle a GTX780ti nicely. Nothing wrong with overprovisioning a bit.
Gold rating and modular do not seem to me like big things.
You will not save the price premium for gold rating.
You will be using most of the power leads anyway.
 

Gam3Pwn3rz

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Nov 5, 2013
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I have heard that air coolers will be better a lot now, but my only concern is how much space it will take up. I like to see the parts inside my case and the air cooler looks pretty ugly especially with the Corsair Air 540. I will put it into consideration though and look back into some air coolers now.
 
I love the case.
It will hold any cooler you want.
Here is a pic with a Prolimatech megahalems cooler.
https://www.google.com/search?q=corsair+a540&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=S9rrUs3sEOiqyAGnj4CwCA&sqi=2&ved=0CC8QsAQ&biw=1259&bih=897&dpr=1.56#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=HNYJ65k0AriPsM%253A%3BJpgapDWhIY0pEM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fi.imgur.com%252FYAoi4Hl.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.overclock.net%252Ft%252F1404897%252Fofficial-corsair-carbide-air-540-owners-club-gallery%252F4260%3B1280%3B960

How good do you NEED your OC to be?
A $30 cm hyper 212 or Xigmatek dark night would be smaller.
You might give up one multiplier from cooling.
Your max oc on haswell is determined by you luck in the bin lottery, and not much else.
 

Gam3Pwn3rz

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Nov 5, 2013
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If I am going to begin learning to program games and things like that, would it be better for me to go for an i7 4770k?