Need suggestions please!!

[jchap1590]

I have been working my way up in performance over the past few months, switching out various components, and am ready to finally upgrade my CPU.

My build started out as an HPE h8-1010.. I've since transplanted the guts into a Cooler Master CM 690 II advanced, replaced the original optical drive with a light-scribe DVD-RW and added a BD-RE drive, upgraded the pitiful 350W OEM PSU to a Corsair CX600, replaced the mobo with an ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe, switched the RAM out with a 2x8GB set of Corsair Vengeance, and upgrading the GPU 2 times, as well as clean install of Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit to a HyperX 3K SSD with programs running from a separate SSD and data storage on a 2TB seagate barracuda (backup on a 1TB barracuda).

Basically, the CPU is the main focus currently: a tired 2nd Gen Intel Core i5-2390T

I want to go i7. I have the budget but just want to make sure I get something I can stick with for a while. I'm interested in overclocking and have been doing it for a couple years, but mostly only with GPUs. I have read numerous articles, and gotten several bits of advice from fellow "techys" cautioning against the overclocking abilities of Ivy Bridge.

Am I correct in assuming I would be better off to get a 2700K than a 3770K? Also, what kind of cooling might I need. I intend on gaining a respectable OC, nothing over the top. I've heard promising things about Corsair's H100 liquid CPU coolers.. would that be overkill for a quad core??

Also, I need some advice on graphics card. I believe the original card was a Radeon HD 5450? Not really sure, but it sucked! I upgraded to a Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 and saw GREAT improvement in the quality of my gaming experience. I wanted to get a feel for different brands, maybe a slight increase in performance, so I swapped the 6850 out with an XFX Radeon HD 6870. Little better maybe? Not much of a difference.

I'm ready to take things a little further and use that PCIe 3.0 my new Z77 chipset offers. I'm looking at a $400 budget on the graphics, so I'm considering an HD 7950. I would like to get a 7970, but I just can't afford the jump in price over the 7950.

I have read stiff competition comparisons between the Radeon HD 7950 and nVidia's GTX 670. The way I understand it, the two are difficult to compare, but are a pretty dead heat as far as price and performance. Can you please offer me any insight to sway me one way or another? Also, which might have more OC potential?

Thanks a bunch in advance!

 

[nna2]

I have been working my way up in performance over the past few months, switching out various components, and am ready to finally upgrade my CPU.

My build started out as an HPE h8-1010.. I've since transplanted the guts into a Cooler Master CM 690 II advanced, replaced the original optical drive with a light-scribe DVD-RW and added a BD-RE drive, upgraded the pitiful 350W OEM PSU to a Corsair CX600, replaced the mobo with an ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe, switched the RAM out with a 2x8GB set of Corsair Vengeance, and upgrading the GPU 2 times, as well as clean install of Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit to a HyperX 3K SSD with programs running from a separate SSD and data storage on a 2TB seagate barracuda (backup on a 1TB barracuda).

Basically, the CPU is the main focus currently: a tired 2nd Gen Intel Core i5-2390T

I want to go i7. I have the budget but just want to make sure I get something I can stick with for a while. I'm interested in overclocking and have been doing it for a couple years, but mostly only with GPUs. I have read numerous articles, and gotten several bits of advice from fellow "techys" cautioning against the overclocking abilities of Ivy Bridge.

Am I correct in assuming I would be better off to get a 2700K than a 3770K? Also, what kind of cooling might I need. I intend on gaining a respectable OC, nothing over the top. I've heard promising things about Corsair's H100 liquid CPU coolers.. would that be overkill for a quad core??

Also, I need some advice on graphics card. I believe the original card was a Radeon HD 5450? Not really sure, but it sucked! I upgraded to a Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 and saw GREAT improvement in the quality of my gaming experience. I wanted to get a feel for different brands, maybe a slight increase in performance, so I swapped the 6850 out with an XFX Radeon HD 6870. Little better maybe? Not much of a difference.

I'm ready to take things a little further and use that PCIe 3.0 my new Z77 chipset offers. I'm looking at a $400 budget on the graphics, so I'm considering an HD 7950. I would like to get a 7970, but I just can't afford the jump in price over the 7950.

I have read stiff competition comparisons between the Radeon HD 7950 and nVidia's GTX 670. The way I understand it, the two are difficult to compare, but are a pretty dead heat as far as price and performance. Can you please offer me any insight to sway me one way or another? Also, which might have more OC potential?

Thanks a bunch in advance!

ivy is limited overclock wise compared to SB, but you can remove the heat spreader from ivy bridge and apply higher quality thermal paste (which voids the warranty) which lowers the temp

don't go for prebuilt water coolers like the H100, they are problematic, i would go for the NH-D14 (or other high end air equivalents) or true watercooling (xspc makes some good kits)

 

[jchap1590]

ivy is limited overclock wise compared to SB, but you can remove the heat spreader from ivy bridge and apply higher quality thermal paste (which voids the warranty) which lowers the temp

don't go for prebuilt water coolers like the H100, they are problematic, i would go for the NH-D14 (or other high end air equivalents) or true watercooling (xspc makes some good kits)

That air cooler you mentioned is absolutely massive. I have a mid tower, I doubt it would fit

I looked up XSPC and their cheapest kit is $224 (converted from British Pounds) through their online shop but I can find the most basic kit elsewhere for $160 so I guess that's reasonable.

I guess to rephrase; what kind of cooling will I need with an overclocked 2700K? I believe my case has (1) 140mm front fan, (2) 120mm top fans, (1) 120mm rear fan, and (1) 120mm bottom fan. I assume, even still, an over clocked core i7 will need a bit more than the stock heatsink.

When I re-interfaced my heatsink and CPU, after swapping the motherboard, I used Arctic Silver 5 (ArctiClean to remove the original.old thermal material). do you suggest anything else (better)?

 

[nna2]

what mid tower do you have?

 

[jchap1590]

what mid tower do you have?

a Cooler Master CM 690 II advanced

 

[nna2]

ah sorry didnt see that, you should be able to fit just about any cooler then
since you mentioned the H100 im guessing your looking in that range?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608018
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118097
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835709001

 

[jchap1590]

ah sorry didnt see that, you should be able to fit just about any cooler then
since you mentioned the H100 im guessing your looking in that range?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608018
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118097
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835709001

Really, my questions is "WHAT CPU SHOULD I GO WITH?"

This forum is so frustrating, I've asked numerous questions on several topics and hardly ever get an answer at all. and, even when I do, it doesn't answer the question(s) I'm asking.

p.s. your links are invalid, they just go to newegg's homepage