
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K
I rarely get a retail CPU that doesn't overclock well, but that’s exactly what happened last quarter. We have little doubt that Intel sorts its processors to put the best cores within its highest-end SKUs, but somehow I ended up with a dud, even after buying the best LGA 1150-based processor the company sold at the time. I was almost certain to get a better CPU this time.
Read Customer Reviews of Intel's Core i7-4790K CPU
The reason I knew I’d get a better processor is because the factory-set clock rate for this build’s Core i7-4790K is higher than the top overclock I achieved last quarter.
The only reason I can think of that my Core i7-4770K maxed out at 4.2 GHz and 1.28 V is that Intel was already setting aside its best dies for the Core i7-4790K in advance of the new model’s release.
Graphics Card: PowerColor PCS+ AXR9 290X 4GBD5-PPDHE
Some of our readers don’t care for the PowerColor brand, and the company justified their distrust once with a batch of incorrect firmware. That move could have crossed this model off my short list had I not already bought it, and PowerColor might not have received a second chance had I not already had the card in-hand. But I’m now glad this company has a chance to redeem itself.
Read Customer Reviews of PowerColor PCS+ AXR9 290X 4GBD5-PPDHE Graphics Card
Quick to address the firmware issue, PowerColor proved it really would sell the same card that earned our award. That value award was based partly on better-than-reference performance, and partly on an improved temperature-to-noise ratio of its triple-fan cooler. We’re happy that the current run of cards provides the expected performance, and PowerColor even took the time to correspond publicly with those customers who had previously been affected by the bad run of parts.
Memory: 8 GB G.Skill DDR3-1866 CAS 8
Last quarter’s memory worked so well that I couldn’t find a good excuse to change it. This is the same G.Skill memory that I’ve used in most of my recent builds due to a relatively low price and overclocking consistency.
Read Customer Reviews of G.Skill's 8 GB DDR3-1866 CAS 8 RAM
It does look a little different than the memory of some of those builds, but that’s only because G.Skill offers the same ICs and circuit boards at several speeds, under multiple part numbers, and with several different heat spreader styles.
Among the least-expensive of those various iterations, this Ripjaws X F3-14900CL8D-8GBXM dual-channel kit comes with a DDR3-1866 C8 rating that means it’s probably binned a little higher than the similar C9 version.
- Can We Build An Even Higher-End $1600 PC?
- CPU, Graphics And Memory
- Motherboard, Case And Cooling
- Power Supply And Storage
- Hardware Installation
- Overclocking
- How We Tested
- Results: 3DMark And PCMark
- Results: SiSoftware Sandra
- Results: Battlefield 4
- Results: Grid 2
- Results: Arma 3
- Results: Far Cry 3
- Results: Audio And Video Encoding
- Results: Adobe Creative Cloud
- Results: Productivity
- Results: File Compression
- Power, Heat And Efficiency
- Is There Such Thing As A Perfect $1600 PC?



These quarterly builds usually only show miniscule improvements unless something disruptive happens to the market like a tick or tock. These articles could as well be bi-annual. Good though that the price point that you're at shifts from time to time.
290x -> SLI 770 = +$100
Same budget, theoretically a 10-15% performance boost, and new topic of discussion as part of the article.
These SBM builds have taken very few risks in the last few quarters...
290x -> SLI 770 = +$100
Same budget, theoretically a 10-15% performance boost, and new topic of discussion as part of the article.
These SBM builds have taken very few risks in the last few quarters...
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 EXTREME4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($143.79 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($76.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($115.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 3GB DirectCU II Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($329.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 3GB DirectCU II Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($329.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 850W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1461.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-25 18:14 EDT-0400
What about this? Might be cheating, given the price drops from the GTX 900 series release. Also add $10 from a promo on the PSU.
With that said, I do find these SBM articles most interesting of all.
For the record, I'm not building it for myself, but somebody who wants a flashy case. I would pick the muted design of a fractal personally, but potato potah-toe
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 EXTREME4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($143.79 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($76.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($115.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 3GB DirectCU II Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($329.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 780 3GB DirectCU II Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($329.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 850W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1461.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-09-25 18:14 EDT-0400
What about this? Might be cheating, given the price drops from the GTX 900 series release. Also add $10 from a promo on the PSU.
I went with the big cooler this time so I wouldn't have to hear about it if the CPU sucked, like it did last time. I could have met my goals on the cooler you chose, since the CPU I got this time was a great sample.
Hopefully I win this one. I need a new folding machine.
On a personal note :
I wouldn't buy an R9 290x if it was $200 BNIB.
I've seen first hand the problems that are seemingly inherent with that item.
Between the defect ratio and the variable performance , I would rather own a GTX 780, or heck even a pair of R9-280's for the same price than that lemon of a GpU.
Well, logically, those cards weren't available in large enough numbers to use on these machines.