System Builder Marathon, Q3 2013: $1300 Enthusiast PC

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By Don Woligroski
published

Power And Temperature

Our power usage data suggests a relatively small difference between the two systems, although the combination of Core i5-4670K and GeForce GTX 770 appears to use between 40 and 50 W more than the Core i5-3570K and GeForce GTX 680, resulting in a measurable difference in total power usage and GPU stress testing.

Considering the restrictive mini-ITX enclosure, last quarter's build does very well in our thermal measurements, and we have to give Antec's closed-loop H20 Kuhler some of the credit for that. Then again, Gigabyte's GeForce GTX 770 own aftermarket cooling solution does an excellent job of keeping the GK104's temperature low, especially considering its increased power limit compared to the GeForce GTX 680.

Don Woligroski
61 Comments Comment from the forums
  • rolli59
    Keep them coming.
    Reply
  • chaospower
    I think this just shows that you don't really need more than a GTX 760 if you play on the most popular resolution of 1080p. Look how small the benefits of an Haswell are, compared to the 650$ build (HALF THE PRICE!) in games that mainly rely on GPU power.
    Overclocking haswell is a waste of money considering the amount of money you need to invest in a good MB and a good cooling, only to reach a rather tame 4.3ghz OC...
    Just buy the cheapest I5 you can buy and pair it with a GTX 760, if you play on 1080p, I doubt you'll be disappointed.
    Reply
  • DelightfulDucklings
    The more I look at these the sadder I am about the overpriced parts I have to pay for in New Zealand :( Nevertheless, another good article, keep it up
    Reply
  • silverblue
    "64 GB of cache"

    I'd have that hard drive for $70 if it was true. :P
    Reply
  • bemused_fred
    11591176 said:
    "64 GB of cache"

    I'd have that hard drive for $70 if it was true. :P

    I thought it was only....32 on the blue models. :p
    Reply
  • cmartin011
    Can't wait to see a new amd gpu in these builds got me all giddy inside!
    Reply
  • Larry Bob
    This is a complete waste of money. You spend way more on the 4670K than you would on a 3570K, and a really expensive motherboard, then you pair it with a crappy CLC where even a 212 Evo or Respire T40 would do better. You then WAY overpay on the graphics card when a 7970 offers exactly the same performance (according to Tom's research) for $60+ less.
    Reply
  • persuse
    the vengence ram Worst chip in all the model and brands !
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820313399
    Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB)DDR3 2400 best P/p memory with same price better choice.
    and corsair H50 not is better whan aircooler.
    the Phanteks PH-TC12DX or V6GT with same price range the beat performance.

    for ssd i,m recomend Kingston HyperX 3K 120G with same price and beter speed.
    Reply
  • Novuake
    Good choice in PSU. Odd choice in motherboard. Does not provide THAT much for 200$.
    But most importantly, HORRIBLE choice in cooling. But ok...
    Reply
  • MANOFKRYPTONAK
    This is old tech... We nee some new stuff! Can't wait to see amds new cards, and nvidias response. Also Intel supposedly has an eight core haswell-e coming:)
    Reply