New Computer - Feedback Appreciated

[PanzersEast]

I'm running an older i5 with two 970's and it's really been a good configuration.  Rather than getting a 980 how much would a second 970 run?

I think almost a 2 for 1.  I have seen the 970 for $190.

That's not in USD. Here I think the 970's run at least in the 350 range.
Also it might be worth waiting a little bit on the vid card as I think the next gen cards are about to be announced/released, should drop prices on the current tech

I think what I saw was refurbished, so that would be about right.

PE

[FarAway Sooner]

I haven't taken the 4K plunge.  The literature I've seen suggests that software isn't really up to the task of taking good advantage of 4K technology yet. 

My sense is that, in addition to more affordable monitors, we need software to take good advantage of the 4K capabilities and we need GPUs that have the horsepower to drive that software.  I haven't seen either of the latter two just yet, although I've not looked that hard.

I have a brand new, very nice 4K TV and I love the upscaling it does to boost 1080p content up to 4K.  But it's a TV that costs more than a whole new computer would, and upscaling video is one of its primary functions (versus one of the 20 things it tries to do well).

The technology is coming, and when it gets mature, I think it'll mark a huge revolution in gaming.  I also suspect it's 2-5 years away.

[Phantom]

I wonder though about the need for so much RAM. 32GB is an awful lot, unless you're doing heavy video editing and such. I have half that and I'm not sure my system has ever pushed anything near the limit of 16GB RAM usage for anything I do. Just a thought.

....I would echo this sentiment - after looking at upgrading my RAM recently the accepted wisdom seemed to be that anything over 8gB was probably a waste if you're just gaming or indeed doing most mid range activity.

Regards
Phantom

[PanzersEast]

Alright guys, I have purchased  :o

Final Tally

CPU
Intel Boxed Core I7-6700K 4.00 GHz 8M Processor Cache 4
(want to OC to 5.00)

M-Board / Memory
ASUS Z170-A ATX DDR4 Motherboard
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 DRAM 3200MHz

PSU
Corsair RM Series, RM850, 850 Watt (850W), Fully Modular Power Supply, 80+ Gold

HDs
Samsung 850 EVO 250GB 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD
(X2) WD Blue 1 TB Desktop Hard Drive: 3.5 Inch, 7200 RPM (Already Owned)

GPU
EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC

MISC
Corsair Air Series SP120 Quiet Edition Twin Pack Fan
Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-02 Mid Tower Gaming Case
Corsair Hydro Series H80i GT Performance Liquid CPU Cooler

Cheers,
PE

[WYBaugh]

 O0

[sandman2575]

Sounds like that should cover your gaming needs and then some for the foreseeable future.  Congrats!

[Greybriar]

Congrats on your new gaming rig, PanzersEast. I am considering taking the plunge myself, but I keep postponing it for just one more year.

[Jarhead0331]

Stupid question....

How do you over clock the process and does doing so really make a noticeable difference? Is there any reason to not over clock?

[sandman2575]

Not a stupid question.  The intel processors with the "K" suffix are 'unlocked' for overclocking, which just means they're (on some level) designed for oc'ing and designed to make it easy. With other intel CPUs, oc'ing is a tad more difficult (but not dramatically so).

I'm of a mixed mind when it comes to oc'ing. I think the cost / benefit of doing it is ultimately pretty mixed. I think if you can get a stable oc that gives you a boost of 1.0 GHz or more, then the performance gain is probably more than negligible. I have a stable 1.1 GHz oc on my i7 3770k (base clock 3.5 oc'd to 4.6 GHz). The trick is finding that 'stable' oc state, which involves trial and error and can be a bit of a headache. It involves pushing the oc up incrementally, often by increments of as little as 0.1 GHz at a time, then running some 'stress tests' to see if your computer BSOD -- which sounds kind of reckless but I think overall pretty harmless to the system.

OC'ing means more heat for your CPU, and that's the danger. Frying your CPU. So that's the cost / benefit. Cost is possibly irreparably damaging your CPU or MOBO, Benefit is a modest improvement in performance -- unless you're a oc'ing pro and have some crazy expensive elaborate cooling system that let's you push oc's past the 2.0 GHz territory or beyond.

Setting the OC also involves some jiggering about in the UEFI/BIOS, which should give one pause if you haven't carefully figured out what you're doing.

In short -- not sure I'd bother to OC my next system. I'm not sure the performance gain is anything more than modest, and the process of getting the stable OC is possibly more trouble than it's worth.... Just my opinion -- great site, btw, not just for OC'ing but for lots of technical PC matters:  overclock.net

[DoctorQuest]

Doesn't overclocking raise the heat output of the rig as well?

[PanzersEast]

Doesn't overclocking raise the heat output of the rig as well?

It effects the CPU and with Water Cooling (or correct air cooling) it is not an issue. 

There are several reasons to OC, however I do it because of the sheer requirement from FSX (CPU hog) to process all of the add-ons and base game.

Another reason to overclock is when your CPU is showing some age and newer games have a higher requirement, you can squeeze some performance out of it.  If you are currently running everything that is comfortable to you, I would not bother.  The trick is getting your machine stable and under a certain optimal temperature.  Once that is achieved I have not had any issues.


PE

[Jarhead0331]

So, I have a PC Intel Core i7 5820K (3.30 GHz). Because there is a 'k' in the designation, my processor is designed to OC?

To OC, or not to OC, that is the question...

[sandman2575]

So, I have a PC Intel Core i7 5820K (3.30 GHz). Because there is a 'k' in the designation, my processor is designed to OC?

To OC, or not to OC, that is the question...

Yup. Pretty sure the "K" also means you will not void the CPU's warranty for OCing, which otherwise you definitely would -- but don't quote me on that.

Remember that intel chips have a built-in 'boost clock' for when it comes under heavy load, meaning that it some sense there's a modest 'overclock' built in to the chip itself.

Honestly, if you're happy with your rig's performance and don't feel like it's bottlenecking your games, I'd probably leave the oc'ing alone.

[Jarhead0331]

Thanks for the advice, Sandman.

Its hard to know whether I would notice any improvement due to overclocking. My rig runs pretty much everything I throw at it on max settings without any real noticeable hit to performance.

[bbmike]

So, I have a PC Intel Core i7 5820K (3.30 GHz). Because there is a 'k' in the designation, my processor is designed to OC?

To OC, or not to OC, that is the question...