4 questions about a gaming system

speedyglides · Feb 5, 2015

Hi there,

This is the system I am thinking of...

Case: NZXT H440
Motherboard: ASUS Maximus VII Hero
CPU: i7 4790K
Cooling: NZXT Kraken x61
RAM: Corsair Dominator Platinum 2400 MHz, 16GB (8GB x 2)
Graphic card: ASUS GTX 980
SSD Samsung 840 EVO 500GB
HHD SATA 1 TB
Asus BC-12D2HT Internal Blu-ray Combo

My questions are:

a) How much wattage would I need for this system? I have make a rough calculation using eXtreme Power Supply Calculator and it gives about 550W, even OCing, but it looks a little bit low to me? I have a spare Corsair AX860 PSU which should be enough then?

b) Is Maximus VII Hero supporting 500GB SSD? In the mobo spec sheet I can only see up to 250GB.

c) I have doubts about the cooling system: is Kraken x61 or are there other better similar systems?

d) Are the fans included in the NZXT H440 good enough or should I think in acquiring other fans?

Any other comment on the system will be welcome too

Thanks in advance.

GRUxTSAR · Feb 5, 2015

I'd suggest getting rid of the i7 for an i5. Getting 8gb RAM instead of 16gb, and getting rid of the $120 CPU cooler because you don't need to overclock your CPU that much as it will not bottleneck you. The H440 isn't the best case for airflow but it'll still be ok

tiny voices · Feb 5, 2015

550-650w is plenty here. 860w is very overkill for this system.

The motherboard will support the SSD.

I would get an air cooler personally. Quieter and cheaper but similar performance to AIO coolers.

The case comes with 3 front fans and a rear fan. That is plenty.

ShadowsVoid · Feb 5, 2015

a) 550W might JUST cut it. Your spare PSU is great though, you can even add another card in the future should you desire.

b) Yes it supports all kinds of storage mediums, capacity is irrelevant.

c) People have said that it's a good cooler but when the fans go 70%+ speed, they're noisy. My advice would be to go for something else for the same price. Corsair watercoolers may be an alternative!

d) Default case fans tend to be pretty good as they stand, don't buy any but if you encounter problems in the future (which you shouldn't) then buy some.

Comments:
Do you really need the 2400 MHz RAM? It makes no difference in gaming if that's what you're intending this system to be for. 1600/1866 is fine.
GPU is good, you can look at other manufacturers such as MSI or Gigabyte which will give you similar performance at a cheaper price.
Overall good build, enjoy!

speedyglides · Feb 5, 2015

Thanks you all guys!

GRUxTSAR :

What i5 and what case would you recomend?

ShadowsVoid :

Gigabyte does not seem to be cheaper and it has even greater power comsumption. They are all around the same price point, as far as I have seen.

ShadowsVoid · Feb 5, 2015

GRUxTSAR :

speedyglides :

If you're just gaming, go for the i5. If you're planning on using other consuming programs such as livestreaming, Autodesk or Adobe software, go for the i7. Your case is great, looks nice too, but there may be cheaper alternatives. Look at Corsair cases, they fail to disappoint .

Bossyfins · Feb 5, 2015

The CoolerMaster n400 is also a great option.

GRUxTSAR · Feb 5, 2015

I'd recommend the i5-4690K. You also don't need a $120 cooler. There isn't any point in going for huge i5 overclocks unless you're trying to get huge synthetic benchmark scores, or are running 2-3 GPUs.

OP what you should do is put that $120 towards an XSPC watecooling kit. Then you can have real expandable watercooling which you can throw your GPU into as well

Bossyfins · Feb 5, 2015

Nah, if he gets the glacer 240m, he can later add a GPU block to it since CM added a stronger pump.

tiny voices · Feb 5, 2015

I would honestly skip water cooling here and get a proper air cooler like an NH-D15 or TC14.

Bossyfins · Feb 5, 2015

Yea, that would also be a good option. It out performs some AIO coolers.

speedyglides · Feb 5, 2015

tiny voices :

They are almost as much expensive as water cooling systems and they seem to get more space inside box. Are they really that worth?

Bossyfins · Feb 5, 2015

If you want quiet-ness over space, then get the air coolers

speedyglides · Feb 5, 2015

Bossyfins :

I sleep well anyway. Will study it.

tiny voices · Feb 5, 2015

Yes, air coolers are MUCH quieter than AIO water coolers.

GRUxTSAR · Feb 5, 2015

OP you do not need a $100 CPU cooler for a 4690K and a single GPU. Even at stock the 4690K will not bottleneck. That money should be put elsewhere or towards full loop watercooling

tiny voices · Feb 5, 2015

Disagree completely. OP does not need a custom water loop. An air cooler like I suggested is perfectly fine. HE might not want to spend hundreds of dollars and have to maintain a custom loop.

Bossyfins · Feb 5, 2015

Hyper 212 guys, it all about the hyper 212. lol. But really, its your choice over water cooling and air cooling. I recommend air cooling such as d15 as it outperforms many AIOs.

GRUxTSAR · Feb 5, 2015

I'm gonna recommend not buying a $100 cooler. Either get a Hyper 212 like Bossyfins suggested, or save for CPU + GPU loop. A $100 cooler isn't worth it when the i5 wont bottleneck you at stock clock

tiny voices · Feb 5, 2015

A $69-79 cooler is worth it if he wants to do some serious overclocking as a hobby. Where are you getting $100 from? The air coolers we are recommending are like $70 and beat $100 AIO coolers. I SERIOUSLY doubt OP wants to deal with a custom loop.

GRUxTSAR · Feb 5, 2015

tiny voices :

Just realized that American prices differ from ours (Canada). But unless OP wants to make a hobby of overclocking like you said, I wouldn't recommend spending so much on a cooler for no performance gain. That money is best spent elsewhere

4 questions about a gaming system

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