Upgrade build

[Stern]

Hi all,

I have at this rate an ancient PC (Core2 + HD5x series) which cannot run games at max settings anymore, looking to upgrade.

Following points to consider:
I'm not too interested in overclocking, I would like the build to do what I want to do pretty much out of the box with minor BIOS tweaks.
I would like to make as cool and quiet a setup as I can (ideally water) but have never done this before (ie: are there any easy water cooling setups available?)

I live in Ireland so my buying choices are somewhat limited, however:
Motherboard: ASUS X99-DELUXE or MSI X99S SLI PLUS
CPU: i7 5930K
Memory: Here I have no clue at all, from what I've seen 16GB is enough to last me a long time
Graphics: ASUS GeForce GTX780TI-DC2OC-3GD5
Case: I have an existing Antec 900, hoping to keep that
PSU: Will have to calculate what I need once my core components are finalised
Cooling: Again here I need advice as to what sort of things are the best for an i7 that isn't too loud.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Ken g6]

Single threaded performance is important for gaming. I suggest a 4790k. Air cooling' s probably better for you than water.

This thread also probably belongs in General Hardware.

 

[Cerb]

I would like to make as cool and quiet a setup as I can (ideally water) but have never done this before (ie: are there any easy water cooling setups available?)

No. You should probably go ask on OCN, for parts to get (I'm sticking with air, TYMV). Quiet water pumps are not cheap, but do exist. A custom loop is the way to go. It's the only way you're going to keep a 780 quiet under load, as well. Cooling the i7 quietly can be done on air without much trouble. The GPU is where it will be hard, even with good stock coolers like MSI's.

Memory: Here I have no clue at all, from what I've seen 16GB is enough to last me a long time

1600MHz, 1.5V, CAS 9, or better. 1866MHz or 2133MHz, so long as they don't need high voltages, are also fine (and OK with higher timings), but the returns are small.

Case: I have an existing Antec 900, hoping to keep that

If going for quiet and water, you should probably decide what case to use as part of setting up the water cooling. Several cases out there have either direct provisions for, or room to work in, radiators, where case fans would go.

PSU: Will have to calculate what I need once my core components are finalised

If not OCing, <400W. But you'll be spending enough on the rest that you may as well get a good ~700W, to have overhead in case you OC some.

 

[Stern]

Single threaded performance is important for gaming. I suggest a 4790k. Air cooling' s probably better for you than water.

I see your point, on CPU benchmarks that one does perform best for single thread.

However, wouldn't buying a 2011-3 CPU/mobo + DDR4 be better for future-proofing? Better upgrade possibilities?

The last time I upgraded my PC was to a Core2, just a little before i7 came out. So no upgrade paths beyond a whole new PC.

 

[Ken g6]

Future-proofing. D: That almost never works.

I'm guessing you haven't been following Intel's Core series, because there have been three different incompatible mobo standards (LGA-1156, 1155, and 1150) in that time (not counting the high-end/server series). Generally, for Intel, a mobo standard only serves two generations of CPUs.

On the other hand, CPUs aren't advancing as fast as they used to. So a 4790k may be more "future-proof" than you think. DDR4 might be an exception, but I don't expect mainstream systems to support DDR4 until 2016. And you can still get DDR2 now - it's just expensive.

For the GPU I suggest waiting a month to see what Nvidia's 800 900-series has to offer.

 

[Techhog]

Future-proofing. D: That almost never works.

I'm guessing you haven't been following Intel's Core series, because there have been three different incompatible mobo standards (LGA-1156, 1155, and 1150) in that time (not counting the high-end/server series). Generally, for Intel, a mobo standard only serves two generations of CPUs.

On the other hand, CPUs aren't advancing as fast as they used to. So a 4790k may be more "future-proof" than you think. DDR4 might be an exception, but I don't expect mainstream systems to support DDR4 until 2016. And you can still get DDR2 now - it's just expensive.

For the GPU I suggest waiting a month to see what Nvidia's 800 900-series has to offer.

Slight correction: Skylake will support DDR4 next year. I agree with everything else you said, though.

 

[Ken g6]

I thought Skylake wasn't coming until 2016, at least for desktop.

 

[Stern]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far! So now my list is down to:

CPU : i7-4790K
Mobo : Asus Maximus VII
Ram : CORSAIR Dominator Platinum 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800
Video : Asus GTX 780Ti 3GB
SSD : Samsung Evo 1TB

How does that look?

 

[Dave3000]

I recommend buying a GTX 980 instead of a GTX 780 Ti. The 980's just came out. You will get more VRAM, it's a little faster, and cheaper.

 

[Techhog]

I recommend buying a GTX 980 instead of a GTX 780 Ti. The 980's just came out. You will get more VRAM, it's a little faster, and cheaper.

This. It'll also overclock like a bat out of hell. Also consider getting 2 GTX 970s.

 

[frozentundra123456]

I agree with most of the other posters. Especially if you do not overclock, the 4790k is a much better gaming processor than the 5820. The 5820 is a fantastic chip for the price, but you really have to be willing to overclock to the 4ghz range or above to get the most from it. I am not sure what the all core turbo is, but probably 3.5 ghz or less, while the 4790k does 4.2ghz on all cores at max turbo. A very few games now utilize more that 4 cores, but even then you have hyperthreading on the 4790k, plus 700mhz or so extra clockspeed.