Hardware & Technical CPU / MB recommendation please

[Desert63]

Hey all,

I have been running a budget CPU / MB with my 970 and have struggled along in Elite (mostly DK2). Work has taken up my time for the last year and a half and when I started up my PC, a very loud alarm when off. At first I thought thermal alarm, but its when it started.....so not into troubleshooting it as it was always a subpar CPU/MB a friend gave me for free (had to use it to justify VR as I promised my wife I was running on a budget). So time to upgrade from my MSI 890GSM-865 with some super slowmo CPU.

I have always been CPU limited, so need a CPU/MB combo to build around my 970 and a single stick of 8GIG DDR3.

Thoughts please - and of course the usual rules apply as in cheaper is better. I fantasize about a better video card but for now its the 970.

My main use: ED and I will update to CV1.

Thanks

Scott

 

[Necronaught]

970 is ace keep it for a couple of years. Here is a decent priced bundle for under 500 quid that will keep you going for a few years. Overclock it

[video]https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coffee-Motherboard-3000MHz-Corsair-Pre-Built/dp/B07BMCCL83/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1528083665&sr=8-1&keywords=i5+8600k+bundle[/video]

 

[Shadowdancer]

need a CPU/MB combo to build around my 970 and a single stick of 8GIG DDR3.

Do yourself the favour and go to a cheap DDR4 platform instead of sinking money into a dead-end.

Here's a little secret: the mainboard matters far less than manufacturers want you to believe, especially when you're on a budget with single-GPU, no need for multiple NVMe storage sticks, etc. In the AMD world (that's what I'm familiar with, if you're a stickler for intel the same applies but I can't competently talk numbers), that B350 chipset on a cheapie µATX board will probably be just as good as an X470 with all the bells and whistles.

Another little secret: it's similar for the CPU; pretty much any current 4+ core/8+ threads part will be an improvement for you, no matter who made it. In AMD terms, anything from a Ryzen 5-1600 up will make you very happy for quite some time.

(I am skipping over the very low-end A320 chipset and Ryzen 3 CPUs because they are for office workloads, same for intel's i3 and associated parts as well as non-HT i5. Avoid those.)

At this point, I can still recommend what I'm currently running: the ASRock AB350M Pro4 (even though they're taking some time with the current BIOS update), just stick any 4+ core Ryzen 5 or 7 on there you can afford, along with 8GB or better 16GB RAM in two sticks. The board goes for less than 70€, I have two systems running with them, one with a Ryzen 7-1700X and the other with a 5-2400G, they've been zero hassle. The only criticism I can think of is that (1) the board doesn't have DisplayPort which would have been nice for the APU machine, and (2) it only has one speed-controlled fan header that only does PWM, which can be problematic if you are planning a silent build.

 

[TorTorden_VR]

Definitely go DDR4.
I know RAM is crazy pricy still but the ddr3 are done. Especielly for future vr use, and buying a ddr3 board now would only mean wanting to want replace it very soon.

And as mentioned AMD Ryzen 1600/1700 are great value these days.

For Intel it might be a bit pricier but you also get a little better single core performance.
But single core performance is hardly as important as it was.
Games these days easily use more cores.
For instance I upgraded to an i7 8700k and while playing elite or other VR games all 6 cores and 12 threads are loaded equally, with one or two cores slightly higher.

The i5 8600k for instance performs as well, or better even in many situations than the i7 7700k.

But on budget I can't really recommend Intel.
And that's from a guy who has been running Intel exclusively for the last 20 years or so...
That made me feel old..

The bang you get for say a Ryzen 5 1600x, those extra cores come in handy for VR, and the Ryzen platform is probably a little more long lived in terms of socket compatibility.
I wouldn't be surprised if Intel switches sockets again soon :/

Also if you do upgrade to the CV1.
It will put a greater strain in the gpu having both a 90fps target and higher resolution. A 970 will be a little low for elite and other simulation games.


Granted vr has made be a bit gaga crazy but over the last two years I have learned that cpu and RAM does matter for VR and more than many seem to think.
in short everything matters with vr.

My i5 4670k was holding back my 980ti, so I upgraded to an i7 4790k.
Which only led to me buying a 1080ti.
And that was being held back by the CPU again.
Moving from 1600mhz DDR3 to 2400MHZ was actually a bigger boost to performance than I expected.
Now I built a new shiny, based on the i7 8700k, with the 1080ti from before.

And now I'm back to throttling on the gpu...
As for gpu i would advise waiting, chances are the GeForce 1170 will perform somewhere between a 1080 and 1080ti for a lot less money. heck you can almost get two 70's for what a single 1080ti cost.
Although you might be waiting a while could be Christmas before we see the 1170.

Anyhoo.
To sum up, I would recommend ddr4, and go for a Ryzen build preferably 1600x but a 1500x is going to do ok.
You would need a titan Xp or at least a 1080ti to need more than a 1600-1700x CPU.

 

[Pville_Piper]

To sum up, I would recommend ddr4, and go for a Ryzen build preferably 1600x but a 1500x is going to do ok.
You would need a titan Xp or at least a 1080ti to need more than a 1600-1700x CPU.

This... And I run an intel as well. I do run the GTX 970 on a CV1 and it can be a struggle to get a decent look out of Elite in VR. You will likely go from CPU bound to GPU bound with the upgrade.

 

[Desert63]

Great comments all, thank you! Just what I was hoping for.
In summary of all your comments I recognize DDR4 loud and clear, will make that change. I also know I will be going from being CPU limited to GPU limited but ultimately I will be farther ahead, going from a DK2 with a "donation" motherboard and DDR3, to a new mainboard with CPU and CV1. Computer hardware is a never ending upgrade cycle and I have done it for decades now , its always something.

Really I have to go with what I can afford that will move me forward and for me is the 1500x, so looking at something very close to this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZXRG6XD/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

On that I don't really have any questions as I will look further and may still end up with a 1600X, but on RAM a little bit more help please. I remember from long ago that splitting across two is better than one, so there are two options, which would be better?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0157UPYZ8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A26PVB3960EU85&psc=1

OR

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013H7QBTG/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

From years ago I remember both Patriot and Kingston having being budget brands, or having budget options.....too many compromises here?

Thanks

Scott


Thanks!

Scott

 

[MickyG1982]

Great comments all, thank you! Just what I was hoping for.
In summary of all your comments I recognize DDR4 loud and clear, will make that change. I also know I will be going from being CPU limited to GPU limited but ultimately I will be farther ahead, going from a DK2 with a "donation" motherboard and DDR3, to a new mainboard with CPU and CV1. Computer hardware is a never ending upgrade cycle and I have done it for decades now , its always something.

Really I have to go with what I can afford that will move me forward and for me is the 1500x, so looking at something very close to this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZXRG6XD/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

On that I don't really have any questions as I will look further and may still end up with a 1600X, but on RAM a little bit more help please. I remember from long ago that splitting across two is better than one, so there are two options, which would be better?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0157UPYZ8/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=A26PVB3960EU85&psc=1

OR

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013H7QBTG/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

From years ago I remember both Patriot and Kingston having being budget brands, or having budget options.....too many compromises here?

Thanks

Scott


Thanks!

Scott

I'd leave the 1500x well alone and go for the 1600 or 2600 instead, a much more capable chip and only slightly more expensive. Don't bother with the "X" Ryzen chips all they are is slightly overclocked vanilla chips, you can do that yourself.

With RAM, the faster the better, but be aware that early ryzens can be a bit funny with some RAM.

Official compatibility list:
https://www.amd.com/system/files/2017-06/am4-motherboard-memory-support-list-en_0.pdf

If your RAM isn't there it doesn't mean it won't work however and bios updates should cure most instabilities.

 

[TorTorden_VR]

Yeah I just checked myself, and price difference between a 1500 and 1600 is about £30.
I couldn't even get a pizza for that...
Definitely recommended.

Now I want pizza...

 

[Necronaught]

Bear in mind in CPU intensive games an overclocked i5 2500K can keep up with Ryzen due to IPC speeds. My son has a 2700X and a 1070. He gets about 3 FPS more in Arma 3 than my 7 year old i5 2500k coupled with an RX 570. He was super upset about that. This is playing a 70 player coop. He fares better in Far Cry 4 but that's more to do with his 1070 I would guess.

Go Intel.

 

[Desert63]

Thanks for the compatibility list. Is this a new thing? I always just bought RAMM and shoved it in .
Got it, will get a 1600 - great, thanks. (and maybe more). I do not want to overclock and don't want an overclocked card-factory or not. I used to do SO much of that, now I just want stable . With my VERY LIMITED gaming time I don't want to suddenly be pulled out of VR land to the shill of a thermal alarm.
And yes, one area I am quite familiar with is the Intel vs AMD multicore /singlecore discussion (debate). I get what Intel offers over AMD, but I have a personal bias (let alone a limited checkbook).
It might sound weird but for me its simple. Intel is for work - AMD is for play .

Thanks all!

Scott

 

[Morbad]

If you already have a stick of DDR3, it may be prudent to go with a second hand DDR3 platform, especially since you are sticking with the GTX 970 for a while.

 

[Desert63]

Darn, and this thread was going so well, now we are back to where I started . Thank you Morbad for the thoughts - this is where I came in. I could probably find a used MB/CPU and just plug my DDR3 back in, but then when I went with the CV1 I probably would not fair as well as if I had a 1500X. So although I would now by GPU limited, I will probably be better off than just sticking with my current configuration.

 

[Necronaught]

Darn, and this thread was going so well, now we are back to where I started . Thank you Morbad for the thoughts - this is where I came in. I could probably find a used MB/CPU and just plug my DDR3 back in, but then when I went with the CV1 I probably would not fair as well as if I had a 1500X. So although I would now by GPU limited, I will probably be better off than just sticking with my current configuration.

What is your budget?

 

[TorTorden_VR]

I'm personally certain that if you spend £200 upgrading for ddr3.
You are going to want to spend £600 anyways moving up to ddr4 really soon, costing £8-£900
Especially for VR. They definitely tuned vr for more recent hardware and we moved away from ddr3 nearly five years ago.

And you can rather spend those £200 on a new gpu down the line.

 

[MickyG1982]

What is your budget?

That is actually the big question...

 

[Desert63]

My budget is variable right now. Its summer in Seattle and I have a motorcycle in the garage that doesnt run and the sun and road call me . So lots of things are claiming money that would allow me to go hardcore on my PC.

Likely this is where I am going with my money on my PC (same as the links above)
1500X $137 (comes with a reasonably rated fan) (just checked this link and the price jumped to $167, so now the 1600 is within $10, so perhaps the 1600)
Base motherboard, I think I found an ASROCK for $54
And 2X4 DDR4 for around $100.

Then of course CV1, but this will still let me get the bike going to or any number of other home repair projects *joy*. So my VR gets an upgrade, but still not what it could be - such is life .

Always this is the best forum ever, thanks for some great help!

Scott

 

[Shadowdancer]

1500X $137 (comes with a reasonably rated fan

AFAICT the X models do not come with a fan.

 

[Desert63]

Here it says they do
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06XKVNRSM/ref=bdl_pop_ttl_B06XKVNRSM#

 

[Shadowdancer]

Ah OK, it's the older 95W 5-1600X and 7-1000X series CPUs that don't come with a cooler.

 

[MickyG1982]

Ah OK, it's the older 95W 5-1600X and 7-1000X series CPUs that don't come with a cooler.

The 1500x is a bit different, I don't think there is a vanilla version, hence the cooler.

Saying that, I still wouldn't go with it, the 1600 is far better, also comes with the cooler, as powerful as the 1600x (the 1600x basically being a pre overclocked 1600) it's also s much better prospect for VR.