Overclocked 4690k with aftermarket cooler vs stock cooled 4790k or Xeon 1231 v3 for gaming

[Jumbie]

Hello everyone,

in the process of putting together a gaming machine. Been trying to do my research but this keeps on being a sticking point. I have never overclocked before and I am a little hesitant about trying it.

Graphics card will be GTX 970 for reference and I currently plan on gaming at 1080p on my existing monitor or [maybe] plasma TV. I realize I don't need to go too crazy to do that.

I thought I was pretty set on the 4690k but I keep wondering if that makes sense as my plan was to get the 4690k and a good cooler such as the Noctua NH-D15 so I could attempt overclocking. The price for those combined is about on par with the 4790k from Microcenter using stock cooler. The Xeon would be cheaper. I could also go with a cheaper motherboard in that case although I will likely not end up doing that as I like the idea of having something with USB 3.1.

The machine will be strictly for gaming. I use my laptop for all other tasks. I just like the idea of having the option of a faster processor with hyperthreading if I ever needed it for whatever reason. Same idea with my desire to have USB 3.1.

Money is not really an issue. I have a very good job with disposable income to play with. I'm just frugal and love getting good bang for the buck.

Thank you for any advice. I know it's a frequently asked question and I have tried to read many related threads on here but I still find myself questioning which route to go.

 

[synphul]

I would say the 4690k oc'd for gaming. A noctua nh-d14 is a nice cooler but not necessary for overclocking. A lesser expensive h7 for around $35 will allow for decent overclocking as will the phanteks tc12dx for around $50. An igpu isn't all that worthwhile for gaming since most people use a dedicated gpu card but it does make for a nice backup should the gpu go bad or need replaced. It won't leave the system completely dysfunctional in the meantime and the lower cost xeon's don't have the igpu. The 4790k is also a good gaming cpu albeit more expensive. Keep in mind you'll probably want something better than the stock cooler even if you don't oc the 4790k right away. The stock cooler is bare minimum for cooling needs and the 4790k's tend to run just a little warmer than the i5's. Sometimes it's not really enough to cool the cpu under steady heavy loads for hours at a time as is usually the case with gaming. Especially once the gpu is heating up the interior of the case under load as well forcing the stock cooler with it's limited cooling capacity to overcome the higher case temps. Some people don't mind the stock coolers, personally I don't even bother with them anymore and just plan on an aftermarket cooler to begin with. It's a small expenditure for a system that will last several years and avoids the headaches of the pushpin intel retention system, mediocre cooling and potential for noise from the smaller overworked fan.

 

[Jumbie]

Thank you for the detailed reply synphul.

I'm actually leaning towards just getting the 4790k and doing a modest overclock. Crunched some numbers and it will cost me around only $40 more with a cheaper aftermarket cooler than the Noctua such as the Cryorig H7 or Scythe Kotetsu. Main reason for the cooler would actually be in terms of noise rather than cooling although, with overclocking, it would definitely help.

I agree with what you're saying about the igpu being good for a backup.

So far, I have my power supply and SSD bought. Will reuse existing monitor, mouse and keyboard. I have a license for Win 8 that I haven't used as well.

This is what I have so far. Open to tweaking.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($39.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-A/USB 3.1 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($148.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($56.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $149.99)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($319.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($99.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $99.99)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 OEM (64-bit) (Purchased For $0.00)
Monitor: HP ZR24w 24.0" Monitor (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $1195.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-06-06 17:22 EDT-0400

 

[CTurbo]

I would go with the 4790k for $279 and the Cryorig H7. And just for the record, if I couldn't afford the 4790k, I would rather have the 1231v3 than an overclocked 4690k.

 

[synphul]

Looks like a solid setup. It's cheaper to go with a different cooler down the road than it is to replace major components like the cpu. The kotetsu is a decent cooler and for even mild overclocking necessary. The stock cooler isn't up to any overclocking really. The 500gb ssd should be a good start, if you end up needing a place to store additional files 1-2gb hdd's are relatively inexpensive and easy to add later. Especially if your system drive is already in place, no need to reinstall the os and programs.

I'm not as familiar with the ram clearance of the kotetsu cooler and if I'm not mistaken vengeance ram runs a bit on the taller side. It may be worth looking into ripjaws x, sniper or ares ram if you might have ram in the first dimm slot. Similar to the 212 evo, the fan may push slightly against taller ram heatspreaders in the first ram slot and/or make installing larger coolers that overhang the ram difficult if that's a future scenario. If you'd rather stick with the vengeance, the cryorig coolers shouldn't interfere at all. The h5 uses a slim profile fan and the slightly smaller h7 is built with an offset to the heatpipes with a standard profile fan to provide 0 ram clearance issues.

 

[Jumbie]

Thank you both for your replies.

synphul, from my reading, it seems like the Kotetsu doesn't have issues with RAM clearance. Appreciate the advice on the memory though. Will look into it.

Not too concerned about storage. I have a Synology NAS and, as you said, it would be pretty cheap to add an internal drive if I wanted to.