Mobo/CPU/RAM upgrade opinions

[m3dicat3d]

First time poster here, I've posted this question on other boards, just trying to get as much useful input as possible. Hopefully this in the right place on the forums. If it's not, please tell me and I'll take care of it.

Let me give you my currents specs first.

i5 3570k @ 3.4GHz OC'd to 4.2 GHz
MSI Z77 MPower Mobo
EVGA GTX 1080 SC
16 Gb (2x8) Gskill Trident X 2400MHz (doesn't play nice with MSI Mobo, limits to 2100 on the OC, XMP is enabled)
ThermalTake 750W Bronze PSU
A BUNCH of Samsung Evo SSD drives
Win 7 Premium (would like Win 10 only for DX12, I understand the 4Gb GPU (IIRC) memory limitations are still in place though, might be wrong about that)

This is a gaming rig only. I play games like heavily modded Skyrim/Fallout, Divinty Original Sin series, shooters, Total War: Warhammer, etc. I will be going for the new Ghost Recon and Mass Effect, so hopefully that provides a glimpse into the kind of games I like to played, maxed to the hilt.

I have considered the following to bring the Mobo, CPU, and Memory up to speed. I've got about 700 I can spend on these.

i7 7700k or i5 7600k (iunderstand the i5 is great for gaming, but the base 3.8 to 4.2 is tempting me on the i7)
MSI Z270 M7 Mobo
Memory DDR4 3k or more (not sure of brand atm, if I get the MSI board, not sure if certain brands will have limits on OC like my current Gskill set does)

Again, this is a preliminary scan of upgrade parts, but I'd like to hear thoughts on this from those much more versed than I. Things like (which I *think* should be ok) will the PSU be able to handle the card and the new CPU (not sure if once I upgrade to M2 if that would tax it too), if I take the i7 to OC to 4.5 to 4.8, would that be practical with air cooling, if the upgrade is even worth it, or basically anything else I might not be considering right now.

Thanks in advance.

 

[MadOver]

Apparently Intel is still the way to go, if you game... Ryzen more productivity stuff.

This combo is pretty good if you want to adventure on overclock:

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/P3N9BP
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/P3N9BP/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K 4.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($338.77 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG R1 Ultimate 76.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.88 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z170 Professional Gaming i7 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($172.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $721.62
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-04 12:31 EST-0500

 

[UsandThem]

If you are a heavy gamer, and it appears that you are, my suggestion is to go with the 7700k. Your PSU is plenty big enough to handle your new system, as you could probably get by with a quality 550w unit.

As far as RAM goes, pick RAM that is either on MSI's QVL (quality vendor list) or is certified to work by the RAM manufacturer by using their "memory finder" tools on their individual websites. For example:

https://www.gskill.com/en/configurator

As long as you get a good air cooler like a Noctua, you should be able to overclock just fine.

 

[m3dicat3d]

Thanks a bunch, I appreciate the advice and will look into your suggestions.

 

[Valantar]

Upgrading to an i5 for a high-end gaming system (i.e. one with a GTX 1080) in 2017 is beyond unwise. Games are increasingly multi-threaded, and while i5s generally give more bang for your buck than i7s, it'll be a short-term investment at best. The differences (at the same clock speed) might be small today, but in a year or two they will be very noticeable.


What resolution and refresh rate are you gaming at? Do you actually see frame rate dips below this? If so, by how much?

 

[lukart]

The rig i7 posted is pretty solid, future proof.
But if you dont want to spend so much you will be fine with i5.

 

[m3dicat3d]

@Valantar - I actually game with an ultra wide 2560x1080. So definitely no 4K, but still chews up a bit more processing power than a 1920x1080. The refresh is a standard 60, and I do see frames dip below this on games like TW: Warhammer (that is with mods though) and heavily modded games like Skyrim and Fallout (the worst dip to around 30, but tends to be a more normalized dip averaging about 45). I know those aren't unplayable frames by any stretch, but the stutter effect kills me and I limit my frames to 30 typically to avoid those drops. That said, I still love a good smooth 60+ frames, who wouldn't.

Base games tend to run fine, though I'm not entirely convinced I could run ultra settings on newer games like BF1, ME: Andromeda, Rise of the TR, etc with my current layout. It is also my guess that CPU heavy titles could benefit from an upgrade to an i7 7700k compared to my current CPU, even though I have heard in the past it is still a respectable over-clocker today.

I should mention that I started a new thread too, as I came up with a bit more funds for the upgrade, and made some changes to the upgrades I listed here, but I will still check this thread as I appreciate your replies a great deal.

@lukart - Thanks, I appreciate the input, and I have heard the same, though since I can afford to go the route of an i7, it looks as though that is what I am going to do. Appreciate your input as well

 

[lehtv]

(question from this thread)

Man I hate to ask this as if feels like a dumb question. I checked on Cryorig's site for the R1 Ultimate compatibility with an MSI Z270 M7 Mobo running an i7 7700k and for whatever reason, could not find an LGA 1151 board listed, which I found to be a bit strange. Yet reviews I have read, as well as PCPartPicker, seem to show that this is a compatible trio.

Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

All LGA115x sockets use the same mounting brackets, so it will fit the socket.

The compatibility list is concerned with whether the cooler interferes with heatsinks or other tall components around the socket. LGA1151 boards are not listed presumably because Cryorig just hasn't used the time and money to test those boards - I'm guessing all the boards on the compatibility list were tested before LGA1151 was released. Instead, Cryorig makes it possible for the user himself to determine compatibility by printing out a tester page and folding it into an origami that represents the cooler's shape, see the product page. I'm almost certain it will not interfere with heatsinks on the Z270 M7. The heatsinks take up quite a bit of area, but are not particularly tall, so there's little point in printing out and folding the tester... just go with it.

 

[m3dicat3d]

Thanks for taking the time to read the other thread and respond here, I really do appreciate that.

 

[Valantar]

Thanks for taking the time to read the other thread and respond here, I really do appreciate that.

Just as a tip for future reference: if you've already started one thread, don't make more in the same subforum about the same topic. Your "
Revised Mobo/CPU/RAM/Cooler questions" could just as well have fit into a follow-up post in this thread. Makes it easier for everyone involved to keep track of the discussion.

 

[UsandThem]

Just as a tip for future reference: if you've already started one thread, don't make more in the same subforum about the same topic. Your "
Revised Mobo/CPU/RAM/Cooler questions" could just as well have fit into a follow-up post in this thread. Makes it easier for everyone involved to keep track of the discussion.

It looks like he is done here, and won't be back:

https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/thanks-for-being-so-nice.2501198/

I didn't think it was anywhere near as bad as he took it, but I guess we all different levels of sensitivity.