FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Register Register  Login Login

New to gaming PCs, unsure about cooling.

Post Date: 2014-06-13
 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
amccour View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 13 Jun 2014
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2 		  Quote amccour Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Topic: New to gaming PCs, unsure about cooling.
    Posted: 13 Jun 2014 at 10:12pm
Budget: I'd like to keep it under 2500, but I'm flexible.

Expectations: I'd like to be able to run anything current on highish settings, targeting 1080p on a single monitor. I'm not really sure what I'd need for this, though.

I'm more interested in performance and maintaining a stable, high framerate than I am having the best visuals possible -- I'm perfectly content leaving anti-aliasing completely off for the sake of performance, and I doubt I'd be trying to run anything at true /max/ settings anyway because there are certain high-end effects that I find kind of distracting.

Usage: Primarily gaming.

Special Needs: None.

I'm interested in getting a gaming PC, but I've never had one before, and I'm out of the loop on what's even considered good for them. So apologies in advance if I've selected anything really non-viable here:
Specifications: 
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Digital Storm ODE V3
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 4770K 3.50 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS Z97-C (Intel Z97 Chipset)
System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 750W Corsair CX750M 
Expansion Bay: Internal Digital Media Card Reader (Black) <br><strong></strong>
Optical Drive: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Storage Set 1: 1x SSD (120GB Samsung 840 EVO)
Storage Set 2: 1x Storage (1TB Seagate)
Storage Set 3: - No Thanks
RAID Config: - No Thanks
RAID Card: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Graphics Card(s): 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 2GB (Includes PhysX)
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
HPC Processor: - No Thanks
Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 1: High-Performance Copper Heat Pipe Cooler
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Fans: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Airflow Control: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
LaserMark: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Standard Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 Automatic Overclocking
Boost Graphics Card(s): - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows CD)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Game: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
Portable Gaming: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 10-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty (3 Year Labor & 1 Year Part Replacement)
Main Questions:

- Do I need liquid cooling if I'm not planning on overclocking?

- Similarly, I've heard the Intel Core i7 4770K is targeted for overclocking. If I'm not going for overclocking, would I have better options here?

- Should I go with the Stage 2 copper pipe cooler and the case fan upgrade, in that case?

- Is the GTX 780 significantly better enough than the 770 to justify the cost? I'm not targeting really high resolutions, so I have some concerns that it would be overkill for me.

Thanks!


Edited by amccour - 13 Jun 2014 at 10:39pm
Back to Top
bprat22 View Drop Down
DS ELITE
DS ELITE

DigitalStorm East -- (Unofficially!)
Email address used to purchase matched with forums account email.

Joined: 08 Jun 2011
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 20391 		  Quote bprat22 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 14 Jun 2014 at 5:51am
Hi amccour...   If you're not interested in an overclocked processor, then go with a non-k cpu.  The K means unlocked and made for overclocking and no sense paying for a feature you won't use.   The i5-4690 will be fine and save you a bunch of money.

For no overclocking or even moderate oc, the Stage 1 air cooler is perfect.

The gtx 780 is about 20% or so better frames a than the gtx 770.      Here's a comparison...

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/1037?vs=1036

Have you considered the Vanquish level 4?  The same gaming performance for less money.   Your build, the ODE, does have a larger case, mobo and power supply, but if your not one to upgrade and do addons then Vanquish might do it.

Hope this help  and good luck. Big%20Smile


Edited by bprat22 - 14 Jun 2014 at 5:53am
Back to Top
danjw1 View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 07 Jul 2013
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 667 		  Quote danjw1 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 14 Jun 2014 at 6:09am
Yours looks like a solid build. For a purely gaming rig, you might consider dropping down to the i5-4670k or the i5-4690k. The i5-4690k will have the same base clock as the i7-4770k, you only lose hyper-threading that can lead to stuttering in some games. 16GB would be more future proof then the 8GB you have selected.

I do not believe that DS would ship a system that with an unstable overclock. Unless, you have a particularly warm environment (+80F ambient temperature), I don't see a problem with the stage one cooling. If that is not the case then I would advise going with the stage 1 overclock.

As far as graphics cards, this is a good summary of what is out there: http://www.anandtech.com/show/8072/best-video-cards-may-2014

One other note, Windows 8 offers better a bit better frame rates then Windows 7. It also offers newer versions of DirectX. Some people really hate Windows 8, others love it. So it is a matter of taste, but there are free options to bring back the start menu. Classic shell is one of them.
Back to Top
danjw1 View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 07 Jul 2013
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 667 		  Quote danjw1 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 14 Jun 2014 at 6:19am
Originally posted by bprat22


Hi amccour...   If you're not interested in an overclocked processor, then go with a non-k cpu.  The K means unlocked and made for overclocking and no sense paying for a feature you won't use.   The i5-4690 will be fine and save you a bunch of money.


The i5-4690 isn't in the builder, just the k part. So he would have to drop down to the i5-4590 part.
Back to Top
bprat22 View Drop Down
DS ELITE
DS ELITE

DigitalStorm East -- (Unofficially!)
Email address used to purchase matched with forums account email.

Joined: 08 Jun 2011
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 20391 		  Quote bprat22 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 14 Jun 2014 at 6:39am
Typo.    That's what I meant.  Good to point it out. 
Back to Top
Snaike View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group

Just a dude trying to keep the spam away
Email address used to purchase matched with forums account email.

Joined: 23 Jan 2014
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9462 		  Quote Snaike Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 14 Jun 2014 at 8:55am
bprat hit it on the head.. if you're not interested in over-clocking then spending $ for a K chip is unnecessary. If you're not over-clocked, then liquid cooling is unnecessary.

Take a good look at the Vanquish II ultimate build, then take the rest of your budget for some really upscale peripherals..... the Asus 24" monitor they have here comes to mind.

Just food for thought.

Good luck and welcome to the forums.
Back to Top
amccour View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 13 Jun 2014
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2 		  Quote amccour Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 14 Jun 2014 at 10:33am
Thanks for the help. Based on the advice here, this is what I'm looking at now.

- I noticed that the i5-4690k only appears to be available in the Devil's Canyon variant which isn't out yet? Would I benefit on waiting for that instead of getting the 4670K? Also, it looks like the 4690K is listed as only 11 dollars more than the 4670k. Would that change between now and when it got released?

- Virtue case appears to be cheaper and more practical for my purposes.

- I think I I have Windows 7 Professional listed, but I'll probably just go with Home Premium -- it's what I use now and I don't recall running into any issues with not having the professional features.
Specifications: 
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Digital Storm VIRTUE
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i5 4670K 3.40 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core) 
Motherboard:  ASUS Z97M-PLUS (Intel Z97 Chipset) (MATX)
System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested) <br><strong></strong>
Power Supply: 750W Corsair CX750M  <br><strong></strong>
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Optical Drive: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Storage Set 1: 1x SSD (120GB Samsung 840 EVO)
Storage Set 2: 1x Storage (1TB Seagate)
Storage Set 3: - No Thanks
RAID Config: - No Thanks
RAID Card: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Graphics Card(s): 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 2GB (Includes PhysX)
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
HPC Processor: - No Thanks
Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 1: High Performance Cooler with Large Fan and Copper Pipes
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Fans: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Airflow Control: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
LaserMark: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock CPU 4.0GHz to 4.4GHz
Boost Graphics Card(s): - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-Bit Edition) <br><strong></strong>
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows CD)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Game: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
Portable Gaming: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 10-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty (3 Year Labor & 1 Year Part Replacement)
Back to Top
bprat22 View Drop Down
DS ELITE
DS ELITE

DigitalStorm East -- (Unofficially!)
Email address used to purchase matched with forums account email.

Joined: 08 Jun 2011
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 20391 		  Quote bprat22 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 14 Jun 2014 at 10:51am
Looks good to me.    Overclocking is an inexpensive bump in performance and is stable and safe for the vast majority.  Good change. 

I would wait for the 4690k unless time is critical.  It only has a slightly higher base and Turbo clock by 100mhz, which overclocking makes less important, but it does have a better TIM,  thermal interface material, which allows it to run several degrees cooler by earlier estimates. 

You could go for the Coridium case, the Corsair 450D,  for another $30 if budget allows.  A larger, better airflow case.  But the Virtue will work just fine.

Change the Seagate HDD to the Western Digital Caviar Black for another $19.  A better drive with longer warranty.

Looks good and stay in touch.  Big%20Smile
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.046875 seconds.