Hardware & Technical i5 or i7 for future proofing the rig

[popuptoaster]

LOL ... funny and the bottlenecks pile up as GPU throughput with the Memory & CPU are 'strangers' while the 12 volt rail, explodes with the load of as everything been powered by a cheap PSU... lol



If you want to build a GAMING RIG, that's going to last, and not spit the dummy when your pilling on the load, then this is how you go about it...

PC Build Hints, a basic guide depending how much money you want to spend.

1st Memory > 2nd Motherboard > 3rd CPU> 4th GPU > 5th PSU > 6th Case

The Case which is all about last 5 choices and if you going to Overclock the PC for gaming, or run the PC for Office so Water cooled or Air cooled.

So it's best memory, best MB for that memory, Best CPU for that Memory and MB, Best GPU that works with the Memory, MB & CPU etc etc etc

I started building PCs back in '98 and have been knocking out gaming rigs for the last 20 years that have all worked perfectly fine.

As obviously wont believe me have a couple of videos about RAM.

[video=youtube;D_Yt4vSZKVk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_Yt4vSZKVk[/video]

[video=youtube;rwuE8IWQAu8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwuE8IWQAu8[/video]

Can't be bothered to carry on arguing with you about the rest, should be obvious to anyone with any sense where to put your money, a good quality budget MB will work just fine for gaming, go Google it if you don't believe me.

 

[GuruNot]

I started building PCs back in '98 and have been knocking out gaming rigs for the last 20 years that have all worked perfectly fine.

As obviously wont believe me have a couple of videos about RAM.

[snip]

Can't be bothered to carry on arguing with you about the rest, should be obvious to anyone with any sense where to put your money, a good quality budget MB will work just fine for gaming, go Google it if you don't believe me.

Another article here: https://techbuyersguru.com/gaming-ddr4-memory-2133-vs-26663200mhz-8gb-vs-16gb?page=0

 

[popuptoaster]

Oh, and look, I'm not ignoring my own advice either, in my own personal rig I have 16g of cheap Corsair Vengeance @ 2400mhz and it suffers no "bottlenecking" from the RAM despite the rest of it being fairly high end.

 

[dape]

[video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4RMbYe4X2LI[/video]

 

[Asp Explorer]

One thing about RAM speeds - as mentioned, for gaming, it really doesn't make any difference.

However, if you are going to be doing anything with virtual machines (for retro gaming or singlemultiboxing etc) then get the fastest RAM certified for your board - as there it will make a ton of difference, 5-10% or so.

 

[V3teran]

As long as your CPU does not bottleneck your GPU then your future proof.
100% cpu use in a few games means your cpu is maxxed out and your gpu speed is not as quick as it should be.
Only then you should change your cpu because if its not broke then why fix it.

 

[sutex]

I started building PCs back in '98 and have been knocking out gaming rigs for the last 20 years that have all worked perfectly fine.

As obviously wont believe me have a couple of videos about RAM.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_Yt4vSZKVk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwuE8IWQAu8

Can't be bothered to carry on arguing with you about the rest, should be obvious to anyone with any sense where to put your money, a good quality budget MB will work just fine for gaming, go Google it if you don't believe me.

WOW, the I'm so right, and you have no idea what you're taking about Crowd with Videos ! [big grin]

OK .. Start at the beginning go though to the End then Stop

The Start been the Memory, which needs the motherboard to have the right slots AND the right amount of slots
which translates into, do you want a 64 32 16 8, sticks of memory and what type DDR DDR2 DDR3 DDR? , people may say that RAM doesn't matter nearly as much as how much of it you've got, expect using plain old SDRAM memory will slow you down.

One thing about RAM speeds - as mentioned, for gaming, it really doesn't make any difference.
However, if you are going to be doing anything with virtual machines (for retro gaming or singlemultiboxing etc) then get the fastest RAM certified for your board - as there it will make a ton of difference, 5-10% or so.

SO !

"If you want to build a 'GAMING RIG' or THAT ^^ above, that's going to last, and not spit the dummy when your pilling on the load, then this is how you go about it...

Start a the beginning go thought to the End then Stop

1st Memory > 2nd Motherboard > 3rd CPU> 4th GPU > 5th PSU > 6th Case

The Case which is all about last 5 choices and if you going to Overclock the PC for gaming, or run the PC for Office so Water cooled or Air cooled.

So it's best memory, best MB for that memory, Best CPU for that Memory and MB, Best GPU that works with the Memory, MB & CPU etc etc etc "

I rest my "CASE" [up]

 

[SpacialKatana]

If you're serious about gaming and want to at least play current gen games at high detail you really do need the best i7 you can afford, followed by a mid to high end board and fast DDR4 ram (16 gigs should be ok here for gaming) And I hate to say it but a GTX960 is garbage fit for a door wedge, I have a 4 year old NVidia card that still puts all other cards to shame except latest 10xx series. Don't mean to be nasty, but it be the truth.

It's all about what you can afford now tbo, the more coinage you throw at it now, the longer it'll stand up to the test of time.

Also, we all know the case is the FIRST thing to even consider for a rig, with as many flashy lights 'n' shiz you can cram into the basket.

Been buildin' rigs since '92. Cheers.

Edit: Some sarcasm not meant as offence

Good site for comparing parts that you can afford to what you actually want :-
https://www.cpubenchmark.net/

 

[Necronaught]

Finally it is not all about INTEL anymore. Those Ryzen chips are killing INTEL in non gaming applications. In fact it's a bloodbath. Also despite being less powerful in gaming the Ryzen chip holds the frame rates at a more stable level thus eliminating huge drops. So for VR you are getting a more comfortable experience. Yes the maximum frames are less than what INTEL would provide, but when you are getting triple digit frames it doesn't matter, it's stability that counts.

 

[FoxTwo]

Sorry Sutex, I've been reading the little spat between you and the rest about "the way to build a gaming rig".

First, your presented order doesn't look right. Second, when questioned, you provided no justifications nor evidence for why it is so. All you keep saying, for 3 posts, is the same exact thing - you list your "correct order" 3 times, with no further evidence to prove your point or disprove "popular misconception".

So this just leads me to believe you learnt this "correct order" from someone or something you read a few years ago and have stuck to it, with no real clue WHY. All the components you list are indeed important factors to take into consideration, but your insisted order makes no sense and you never explained why. Why must it in this SPECIFIC sequence? Why not PSU->Motherboard->GPU->CPU->RAM (just a random order I picked out of the air) for example? Why is Motherboard 2nd in your list and not 3rd? Why is GPU so far down in your list and not among the first few? What is/are the problem(s) we will run into if we don't use your sequence?

 

[sutex]

Sorry Sutex, I've been reading the little spat between you and the rest about "the way to build a gaming rig".

First, your presented order doesn't look right. Second, when questioned, you provided no justifications nor evidence for why it is so. All you keep saying, for 3 posts, is the same exact thing - you list your "correct order" 3 times, with no further evidence to prove your point or disprove "popular misconception".

So this just leads me to believe you learnt this "correct order" from someone or something you read a few years ago and have stuck to it, with no real clue WHY.

Qualified Vendor List . . Every Motherboard manufacturer has one AND first on the list is Memory ..oh dear [up]

Maybe I should make a video, apparently it all becomes real then lol ..

Start a the beginning go thought to the End then Stop

1st Memory > 2nd Motherboard > 3rd CPU> 4th GPU > 5th PSU > 6th Case

And the reason Memory is first is because of the bold

" The start been the Memory, which needs the motherboard to have the right slots AND the right amount of slots
which translates into, do you want a 64 32 16 8, sticks of memory and what type DDR DDR2 DDR3 DDR? , people may say that RAM doesn't matter nearly as much as how much of it you've got, expect using plain old SDRAM memory will slow you down."

Please get over it, when your wrong and been out thought it's, you must have read / learnt this off someone else , No I just know how to think !! logically lol


My other advice is don't buy Cars based on colour, Red cars don't go faster [big grin][big grin][big grin]

 

[FoxTwo]

Qualified Vendor List . . Every Motherboard manufacturer has one AND first on the list is Memory ..oh dear [up]

Maybe I should make a video, apparently it all becomes real then lol ..

Start a the beginning go thought to the End then Stop

1st Memory > 2nd Motherboard > 3rd CPU> 4th GPU > 5th PSU > 6th Case

Please get over it, when your wrong and been out thought it's, you must have read / learnt this off someone else , No I just know how to think !! logically lol


My other advice is don't buy a Cars based on colour, Red cars don't go faster [big grin][big grin][big grin]

You list your order again for the 4th time with no explanation why.

I think we all get it now. Thank you. No further questions.

 

[sutex]

You list your order again for the 4th time with no explanation why.

I think we all get it now. Thank you. No further questions.

Qualified Vendor List . . Every Motherboard manufacturer has one AND first on the list is Memory ..oh dear [up]

Maybe I should make a video, apparently it all becomes real then lol ..

Start a the beginning go thought to the End then Stop

1st Memory > 2nd Motherboard > 3rd CPU> 4th GPU > 5th PSU > 6th Case

And the reason Memory is first is because of the bold

" The start been the Memory, which needs the motherboard to have the right slots AND the right amount of slots
which translates into, do you want a 64 32 16 8, sticks of memory and what type DDR DDR2 DDR3 DDR? , people may say that RAM doesn't matter nearly as much as how much of it you've got, expect using plain old SDRAM memory will slow you down."

Please get over it, when your wrong and been out thought it's, you must have read / learnt this off someone else , No I just know how to think !! logically lol


My other advice is don't buy Cars based on colour, Red cars don't go faster [big grin][big grin][big grin]

I'm taller too, as you cant read plain English, [where is it] Ive explained the reasoning clearly , on deaf ears a few times now

 

[FoxTwo]

I'm taller too, as you cant read plain English, Ive explained the reasoning clearly , on deaf ears a few times now

Thank you. I repeat, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS (especially not about the "I'm taller" part).

 

[hems303]

I am a PS3 fugitive and despite being in PC gaming since 2 years, I didn't really got into terms with technical stuff - please be gentle.

So here is the situation:
About 2 years ago I went for a budget gaming rig that has i3-3220 and 8mb of memory, my monitor is a simple HD one. It had an oldish used GPU that I upgraded to MSI GTX960 4gb early last year (just about when DWE arrived to Beagle Point ).
I guess you'll agree that right now it appears that the CPU is the bottleneck.

What I'm aiming for:
I guess there is no point to upgrade the CPU to level of the GTX960, as I don't want to be in a situation in a year or two that I need to uograde the whole rig at once. So I thought perhaps it is time to think about a mid/high setup that will be good enough to handle a 'tasty' GPU of a next generation (let's say, something good around end of next year or so). Obvisouly I'd buy new motherboard and RAM too.

So the question as in the title: is it worth to go for something like an i7-6850 that may serve better a next-gen GPU, or a high-spec i5 will be still good enough for years to come? I'm definitely not in a hurry, I may even wait for Black Friday or something to have a good deal. Also, I'm not into overclocking and stuff, so off-the-shelf performance is preferred.

Thanks in advance!

Hi Optimal_909

Moving back to your original query, getting past all the squabbling above: I can only offer my rig as example ....which is NOT leading edge and plays ED with everything set to "High" and mostly beyond: Rig specs as my sig below, but is basically an i5-3570K clocked at 3.40 GHz but actually running from factory at 3.80 GHz. It has 32.0 GB of good quality DRR3 Ram memory. Like others have said...I spent a little more on a graphics card Gigabyte GTX 970 (the "10" series is now even better) importantly this GPU has 4096 MB GDDR5 memory on-board...this is quite significant I believe. When using my Asus 3d monitor, I achieve 100-144 FPS with my current 4K monitor only a fixed but acceptable FPS. Having the game installed and run from a SSD rather than a standard HD really makes a difference IMHO. Hope this helps as it is an actual real-world example.

Fly safe commander o7

 

[[VR] optimal_909]

Thanks for all the answers, now my understanding has improved significantly.

My current rig runs ED okay, but a bit of performance improvement wouldn't hurt. Back then I went for the GTX960 4gb because I was told anything better would have diminishing returns due to the i3 CPU I have.

Someone said that jumping 2 generations is better and that's what I'm planning to do as well, so perhaps GTX 11 series.

So my takeout: I'll go for much more RAM, a mid-high motherboard and good price/value i5. I will seek expert advice on the details, of course.

 

[sutex]

Thanks for all the answers, now my understanding has improved significantly.

My current rig runs ED okay, but a bit of performance improvement wouldn't hurt. Back then I went for the GTX960 4gb because I was told anything better would have diminishing returns due to the i3 CPU I have.

Someone said that jumping 2 generations is better and that's what I'm planning to do as well, so perhaps GTX 11 series.

So my takeout: I'll go for much more RAM, a mid-high motherboard and good price/value i5. I will seek expert advice on the details, of course.

No worries and remember mate Bright Red PC Cases are much faster .. sure I saw someone load that video up some where

 

[racer1]

I've been gaming for years on PC.

I just tend to buy middle of the road stuff, based on price.

Typically that has been i5 CPU, i7 didn't really seem to improve things for gaming with the spec I was aiming for.

Following that strategy I tend to find I upgrade CPU, Mobo, RAM and GPU together every 3-4 years and can play any game on high graphics settings on a 1080 monitor, but not ultra as it approaches upgrade time.

With the 3-4 year upgrade cycle, I find I need to upgrade everything as stuff has moved on so far that new stuff would not be compatible with any of the old stuff.

I will soon be upgrading, as my R9 270 can struggle a bit in ED with closely orbiting planets. Other spec FYI i5 4670K, 8GB RAM.

This time around I may go for a slightly higher end GPU as I'm considering trying out a VR headset.

 

[dape]

Thanks for all the answers, now my understanding has improved significantly.

My current rig runs ED okay, but a bit of performance improvement wouldn't hurt. Back then I went for the GTX960 4gb because I was told anything better would have diminishing returns due to the i3 CPU I have.

Someone said that jumping 2 generations is better and that's what I'm planning to do as well, so perhaps GTX 11 series.

So my takeout: I'll go for much more RAM, a mid-high motherboard and good price/value i5. I will seek expert advice on the details, of course.

16GB (2x8 dual channel) is all you need (for gaming). Motherboard in the 150€ range. i5 if you are not streaming or creating other content. And definately not a cheap PSU.

Let us know what you end up with

 

[lysan]

One thing about RAM speeds - as mentioned, for gaming, it really doesn't make any difference.

However, if you are going to be doing anything with virtual machines (for retro gaming or singlemultiboxing etc) then get the fastest RAM certified for your board - as there it will make a ton of difference, 5-10% or so.

My RAM is about 1866MHz, CPU is a i7 4960X and a GTX1080EXOC I can produce somewhat 30-60FPS in 4K in ED
In Arma3 I barely hit 60FPS mostly it's around 40FPS

My Next rig would be purely a gaming rig, but I still don't know what to do regarding CPU and RAM/MoBo because different games require different hardware to run perfect.