CPU, RAM and Motherboard upgrade assistance

Michael Louie · Nov 18, 2014

Hello,
Im looking for some assistance in determining which parts i should choose while upgrading my current build.
Currently i have a Coolermaster Haf X case with an AMD Athlon II x4 620 Processor, 4gb of ram and an AMD Radeon R9 200 series graphics card.

I am ready to purchase the parts at any date after receiving guidance. I have an open budget but obviously the less spent the better.

My computer is mainly used for gaming and downloading/streaming to my media center.

I am not at this moment purchasing a monitor.

I would like to upgrade my RAM, CPU and Motherboard.

I do not need a new OS and i have no preferred website, whichever has the best deal is how i shop.

I currently live in Vancouver, Canada.

I have no part preferences as long as i am getting the best performance for the build i've started.

I will definitely be overclocking and I will crossfire in the future.

My current monitor setup is two monitors at 1920x1080.

I'm upgrading as my CPU is slowly starting to hit the end of its life, visible slowdowns when using CPU intensive programs, unable to play games that i exceed minimum for. I'm looking to have the most bang for my buck while future proofing as much as possible. I want to be able to run every single game i come across on the best available graphical settings without visible slowdown.

markwp · Nov 18, 2014

Budget?

Current psu make/model?

Michael Louie · Nov 19, 2014

My budget is 2000 dollars and im currently using a 1050 watt power supply

markwp · Nov 19, 2014

CPU: Intel I5-4460 or I5-4690k (if you plan to overclock)
M/B: AsRock Z97 Extreme9, ASUS Z-97 PRO; Gigabyte Z97 Gaming
Ram: 16gb (2x8gb) GSkill Trident 1866mhz or 2133mhz
GPU: 2x Radeon R9 290 in Crossfire, 2x Nvidia GTX 970 in SLI

If you are serious about gaming, you will also want an after market cpu cooler. If you are not going to overclock, a simple CoolerMaster 212 EVO is fine. If you plan to o/c to the max you might want to consider an AIO water cooler like the Corsair H100i or a step up air cooler like the Noctua NH-D14.

You didn't list the make and model of your psu, and 1050w of a cheap psu are not the same as 1050w from a quality psu.

Mark

Michael Louie · Nov 19, 2014

Hey Mark,
I appreciate the help, im definitely interested in water cooling or similar alternatives.
I'm currently using the r9 280 gpu, would it be better to get another 280 for crossfire or just upgrade?
I dropped a sizeable amount of money on my power supply so I'm confident that its a higher quality model. I believe it's corsair. Either way if needed I dont mind upgrading, but im confident I can find a good power supply after I've figured out the build.

markwp · Nov 20, 2014

Absolutely nothing wrong with the 280 in xfire. Going that direction will save you +/-$350 and while there will be a performance difference, I doubt that it will be noticeable at 1080p. If you plan to upgrade resolution in the near future to 4k, you might want to make the gpu investment, otherwise I think the second 280 will be sufficient.

As far as water cooling goes, custom loops give you the advantage of designing some "tailor made" for your system, however they can be a pain in a$$ to design and build. The newer all in one stuff works very well, and your haf x offers a great platform for a top mounted radiator. If it were me, I would stick with air cooling unless there is a real temperature issue. The haf x will accommodate large (200mm+) fans in front, on top and on the side, and you can get significant airflow at low rpm (and low noise). The noctua cooler will give you great performance and when coupled with large intake fans resulting in positive case pressure, I believe you will be fine.

Just my 2 cents.

Mark

Michael Louie · Nov 22, 2014

Hello Mark,
I've heard that the GPUs must be the same model to properly xfire, so would i be able to mix a 280 with a 290? Because i absolutely will be going with 4K in the future.

I dont intend to push my overclock to the point of being almost unstable, so if you think that air cooling will be effective enough over a water cooling system im all for it. I should be able to get a low noise low fan pretty easy from NCIX or Newegg.

I think you've answered all my questions, do you have any tips for anything additional i may need to improve my overall experience?

markwp · Nov 22, 2014

Mixing a 280 and a 290 will NOT work.

I would still suggest going with a second 280 at this point. When you decide you want to move up to 4k, sell your current monitors and gpus, and then get whatever strikes your fancy for monitor(s). Gpus change so fast that six months from now, the 290 may be old news and the latest and greatest then may be an nvidia. Bottom line is I would not step up to a pair of 290's unless you are going to get a pair of 4k monitors along with them.

Other than that, I think you are pretty good to go.

Happy gaming!

Mark

Michael Louie · Jan 16, 2015

Hello,
I have more questions!
So i ended up going with your suggestion and so far i am supremely pleased.
Case: Coolermaster Haf X
CPU: Intel I5-4690k
M/B: AsRock Z97 Extreme9
Ram: 16gb (2x8gb) GSkill Trident 2133mhz
GPU: 1x Radeon R9 280

I have not started overclocking yet as i want to ensure that i wont have any temperature problems. As you've suggested the air cooling provided with my case would be sufficient and i do believe it should be unless you can suggest a better alternative.

My next set of hardware that i will be purchasing will be a surround sound system. What i've been looking at are these two combinations.
For the speakers;
http://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-Premium-5-1-Channel-Subwoofer-110565/dp/B00EOZFUYI/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1413109462&sr=1-3&keywords=energy%20take%20classic%205.1&tag=viglink20850-20
For the receiver;
http://www.2001audiovideo.com/en/catalog/product/149852-Denon-AVR-E300

Will i also need to purchase a dedicated sound card to ensure highest audio quality?

I also am looking to increase the aesthetic look of my case by adding in LED's and other simple things, but i'm not sure where the best place to find them would be, any suggestions?

markwp · Jan 17, 2015

Sound systems are a little out of my wheelhouse, but in my experience, the hdmi output from your gpu will be fine unless you are a true "audiophile".

The codecs on modern boards are very good and IMO, the only reason to go with a discrete sound card would be the possibility of some hiss using the gpu. I've tried both ways, and to my ears there has never been a reason to switch to a sound card.

The components you picked look fine to me (Denon is well respected) and the specs on the speakers appear to be good also. As I said, sound is not my bag, but it appears to me that (1) the components you have chosen are solid, and (2) I can see no reason for a separate sound card.

You might want to post your question in the Home Theater or Home Audio forums and get some expert input.

Mark

madmatt30 · Jan 17, 2015

I'd seriously think about the onkyo mate
http://www.2001audiovideo.com/en/catalog/product/149321-Onkyo-HT-S5600

Its a discontinued item but offers incredible value for money for a full 7.1 setup.
You're getting true audiophile quality for under $500 there.

You won't need a dedicated sound card - your 280 is capable of 7.1 audio over hdmi mate & I'd assume you'd simply use the pass through connection on the receiver to connect your display directly to the receiver.

Michael Louie · Feb 26, 2015

Hey Mark!
Hoping your still around, i'm trying to utilize the Ultra Fast Boot on my Asrock Z97 extreme 9 card, it uses UEFI instead of BIOS, but i think that the reason i cant use it is my AMD card isnt compatible. Do you know?

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