Changing the PSU and CPU cooling

myhalfsoul

Commendable
Apr 11, 2016
19
0
1,510
Hi everyone,

I purchased a gaming desktop some time last year from Cyberpowerpc and due to inexperience, left a lot of options default. Here is what I currently have:

i7 - 4790K
MSI GTX970 4G
MSI z97s krait edition motherboard
ATNG ATM 600fb PSU
Asetek 550LC CPU liquid cooling

I think I will need to swap out the PSU. Currently I am leaning towards getting a Corsair ax760 since I want to get the new Pascal card once they come out.
I would also like to swap out the CPU cooling since I've read in some places that the one I have doesn't perform well and I do get 60-70C spikes under load. Most of the time the CPU stays around 55C while gaming but the conditional spikes which last around minutes concerns me. Is there a good option for CPU cooling for i7 - 4790K? I am okay with either liquid or air cooling.

Any feedback on what PSU and/or CPU cooling I should change into is appreciated. I currently have a Cyberpowerpc X-titan case (again, default).

BTW, is i7 - 4790K going to bottleneck the new pascal cards? I know they're not out yet but just wanted to get rough opinions on how it will fit into my current setup.

Thanks!
 
Solution
The cpu will throttle back to protect itself if it's getting too hot so it's unlikely you'd damage it. If you notice this occurring it may be a good idea to consider different cooling but it should be fine with what you have.

The AX760 is made by Seasonic and is great quality. Should have plenty of power for whatever GPU you end up buying.
The cpu will throttle back to protect itself if it's getting too hot so it's unlikely you'd damage it. If you notice this occurring it may be a good idea to consider different cooling but it should be fine with what you have.

The AX760 is made by Seasonic and is great quality. Should have plenty of power for whatever GPU you end up buying.
 
Solution

myhalfsoul

Commendable
Apr 11, 2016
19
0
1,510




tea urchin & Arachaic59, thanks for the reply. Its a relief to know that my CPU is going to be okay :)

As for the PSU, do you have any suggestions on where to get it? The only places I know of are Newegg and Amazon and they seem to be reliable.

 

myhalfsoul

Commendable
Apr 11, 2016
19
0
1,510


Thanks again for the quick response. One last thing, do you think that the i7 4790K will potentially bottleneck the new pascal cards once they come out? I'm debating on whether I should just get the GTX980Ti now if I will have bottlenecking issues.
 

cliffro

Distinguished
Aug 30, 2007
1,282
1
19,660


The 4790K is one of, if not the best, CPU Intel ever made. I don't see it bottlenecking anything in the forseeable future.
 

myhalfsoul

Commendable
Apr 11, 2016
19
0
1,510




Thanks a lot, you guys are amazing! I guess i will stick to my cooling and get the ax860 for the cheaper price.

 
So long as your psu is doing the job, keep using it.
I do not know of the quality though.
One of the plusses for pascal is reduced power demand.
I think it likely that a strong card will not use any more power than your current GTX970 card.
I would wait on the psu upgrade.
Do look for reviews on the psu, and if it does seem to be a cheap unit, then, perhaps plan on changing it out.
Here is one list of psu quality:
https://community.newegg.com/eggxpert/computer_hardware/f/135081/t/45344.aspx?Redirected=true

I find liquid cooling unnecessary for current gen intel processors.
But, since it seems to be doing the job, I see no need to change it out.

For fast action gaming, the 4790K will be as good as it gets with even the strongest of graphics cards.
 

myhalfsoul

Commendable
Apr 11, 2016
19
0
1,510


Thanks for the reply. I was also searching for the review on my PSU and due to it being a Korean brand it didn't show up on these lists. I did see 2 or 3 posts here saying this is not a good PSU and changing is recommended. I might eventually consider SLI in the future so I wanted a good PSU.
 
I do not recommend sli unless a single strong card will not do the job.
Regardless, you will want to see exactly how much power you might need.

I have no problem overprovisioning a PSU a bit. Say 20%.
It will run cooler, quieter, and more efficiently in the middle third of it's range.
A PSU will only use the wattage demanded of it, regardless of it's max capability.

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 GTX750t1 or R7-265 can give you decent performance at 1920 x 1200 in many games.
Yes, you may need to be satisfied with less than high settings.

A single GTX970 or R9-390X will give you excellent performance at 1920 x 1200 in most games.
Even 2560 x 1600 will be OK with lowered detail.
A single GTX980ti is about as good as it gets for a single card.

If you are looking at triple monitor gaming, or a 4k monitor, sli/cf will be needed for excellent frame rates in fast action games.
Not so much in mmo, strategy and sims.
A single GTX980ti or Furyx will give good frame rates in many games.
Next year, it looks like single card performance will go up by 50%

b) The support 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 card as good as a R9-FURY or a GTX980ti will need only a 620w psu.
When you add another card to the mix, plan on adding 200w to your psu requirements.
75w for the slot, 75w for an extra 6 pin connector or possibly more.
Here is a chart:
http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page362.htm

Case cooling becomes more of an issue with dual cards.
That means a larger and possibly 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 or screen tearing. 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.
-------------------------------End of rant-----------------------------------------------------------