Hardware & Technical New PC

Riverside

Riverside
I'm going to build a new PC & I'm looking for a little feedback.

My current PC is a Dell from 2009, it's been reliable & I've upgraded it over the years so it's maxed out on CPU (i7 870) & RAM (8Gb DDR3), I could use more RAM now (16Gb) and I want to get something that has enough future upgrade potential to last a few years as my current one has.

The Current CPU isn't a bottleneck so I don't mind buying a modern equivalent (eg a socket 1151 i5 or i7) that isn't much faster, the main thing is I need a new motherboard.

My current PC will be repurposed so it needs to stay useable, it has an nVidia 970 GPU & a corsair 750w PSU which I'll transfer to the new build.

What do you think about this?
https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/vnGKGf

Is there a better website for pricing stuff up? Is there a cheaper (good) mobo that will do the job?

I don't need to be able to overclock the CPU, I don't need multiple GPUs, I don't need a full ATX board, but I do want to be able to fit at least 64Gb RAM eventually, and to be able to take a faster processor in the future. Is socket 1151 already maxed out with the i7 7700 or are there likely to be faster CPUs in the socket 1151 lineup?

I have a server & network backup so ~500Gb local storage will be plenty, is an SSD the best option? My budget is a grand.

Any suggestions appreciated, it's been a while since I last built a PC so I'm a little rusty on what's current & what's obsolete ;)
 

Draxxen

Draxxen
Looks nice. you are thinking right.
All I'm asking is that you wait until Nvidia releases its next generation; even if you are not going for it, it will lower the cost of previous generations substantially. It is scheduled for release this spring. Google it; it will be a big step.

I have a 970 in my rig right now, and it is handling very well. But when the spring comes it will be retired!
 

Riverside

Riverside
Draxxen said:
Looks nice. you are thinking right.
All I'm asking is that you wait until Nvidia releases its next generation; even if you are not going for it, it will lower the cost of previous generations substantially. It is scheduled for release this spring. Google it; it will be a big step.

I have a 970 in my rig right now, and it is handling very well. But when the spring comes it will be retired!
Click to expand...

Thanks :) I've had the 970 for a year or so now & yes It'll get replaced eventually but not as part of this upgrade.
 

Riverside

Riverside
Robert Maynard said:
AMD's Ryzen CPU line will launch on 2nd of March - performance looks rather good from a price perspective.
Click to expand...

I'm doing a bit of research on those but I'm a little wary of investing in a mobo that might limit upgrade potential. I'm planning on getting it all in March so I'll keep it in mind. Any suggestions for a comparable motherboard? I wonder if nVidia will stick a compatibility spanner in the works?
 

Riverside

Riverside
Robert Maynard said:
Motherboard details: http://wccftech.com/amd-ryzen-am4-motherboard-details-features/
Click to expand...

That's a good one, it ticks all the boxes thanks. I looked into the AMD option more thoroughly after your suggestion & came to the broad conclusion that a 1400X CPU on a B350 chipset mobo would be a minimum spec to meet my wants & needs, price & availability are of course not fleshed out yet but it seems likely I could go quite a way up the Ryzen ladder either now or later which appeal :D

Thanks again for your suggestion, you've encouraged me to look more thoroughly at a path I'd not given much consideration to.

dape said:
maybe you could save a bit money if you go for a decent aircooler. Unless you want to get an K CPU in the future.
Click to expand...

I think I mostly chose that cooler because I want it to be cool & quiet. I don't know much about cooling choices, my current i7 has a stock intel cooler on it & runs quiet, but pretty hot (touches 90degC on full load). The price on the one I chose seemed not much different from a traditional HSF which would likely be big & heavy. I've never watercooled a PC before but the technology has advanced considerably since I last considered it.

Is there a specific model you could recommend? I guess I'd want to size the cooling for a 95w CPU to give me the most CPU options. TBH I don't even know whether the CPU would have a suitable HSF anyway, I guess it probably would & if so I could save some cash & just buy something better if I find the standard one isn't quiet enough.


Thanks all, you've given me some stuff to consider & helped validate some of my choices :)
 
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dape

dape
There comes a stock cooler with the CPU you chose. It is the non K version, so no overclocking. You can of course use a different than the stock cooler. IMO water cooling and big aircoolers are only needed when you overclock your CPU.
Here is a good video pro/cons of different cooling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j80dQIxkdc

I would try running it with the stock cooler. You can easily upgrade if you do not like the results.

It is also worth thinking about a 980GTX instead of the 970.
http://www.pcgamer.com/why-nvidias-gtx-970-slows-down-using-more-than-35gb-vram/
 

starman

starman
Untill games implement dx12 multithreaded it ont make much difference. Ive upgraded my Dell beyond what they said was possible. They nerf there MB so you have to buy a new pc.

One reason I don't get a mac no upgrade potential. But they look cool on tv.

[video=youtube;nQRunV2pBVU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQRunV2pBVU[/video]
 
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Riverside

Riverside
I already own the 970 & plan to transfer it to the new PC along with the PSU.

I think I'll remove the cooler for now if the CPU comes with one anyway as you suggest dape. The new case should improve airflow over my current somewhat cramped case & as you say, I can always get a better cooler later.
 

GuruNot

GuruNot
Socket 1151 is meant to be for Skylake, Kaby Lake and potentially Coffee Lake CPU's from Intel. So there may be one compatible upgrade after the 7700.

With Socket 1151 boards you are only likely to get 4 DIMM slots, the cheapest I could find 4 x 16GB DIMMS for the GA-Z270M-D3H on crucial was £450 !! Will you really be going up to 64GB ? I have 32GB and to be honest even when running multiple VM's I very rarely make use of it. I am sure prices will come down, but at the mo that would cost approx the same as your MB and CPU.

I personally tend to upgrade CPU every 3 or 4 releases ... This invariably means a new Motherboard in addition to the CPU and potentially new memory anyway. The release of the next CPU doesnt normally provide a massive jump in performance. I upgrade GPU's more often.

I have been an Intel CPU user for years, but I have to say I really want Ryzen to be good. For the Intel CPU price point you are looking at you could (if pricing rumours are correct) go straight in at an R7 1700 .... That would give you 8 Cores / 16 Threads @ 3.7 GHz with a TDP of 65W. Some other posters have said the Floating Point performance of Ryzen may not be as good as Intel CPU's; I cant comment on that as I dont know if that is true, but with only a couple of weeks to the launch I would wait and see what the verdict is. As has already been pointed out, there are a number of AMD Ryzen boards from well known manufacturers which provide pretty much everything you need. If it turns out to be a bit of a flop then go with the Intel Solution.
 

Riverside

Riverside
That socket 1151 info is just what I wanted to know, thanks GuruNot. The Ryzen situation seems promising, I think I'll just have to keep an eye on it & make a decision in March. Intel is a safe choice but the amount of cash I could save on an AMD CPU & board is considerable, as you say it might be viable to go way further up the range than I planned to.

I'm currently maxed out with 8Gb RAM & the main reason for the new PC is more RAM. I only plan to buy 16Gb initially, but want a board that can support as much as possible (target is 64Gb max). Hopefully by the time I actually fill all the slots the price will have come down a bit ;)

Obviously it comes down to budget. If I can cut costs somewhere (like a cheaper CPU) then I can spec a more futureproof motherboard.
 

XrayRomeoAlpha

XrayRomeoAlpha
ABOUT TO PULL THE TRIGGER

I am taking my happy @$$ to microcenter and im going to build a PC.

I read up on the new bits and such.
Give me a recommendation.

i7700k
Asus ROG MB ( not sure which )
16 gigs ddr4 2400 corsair
Asus ROG GTX 1080
850w power
The rest is inconsequential

How am i doing so far?

mind you, im only playing ED at the moment and im doing it on a 1080.
i may play rust at some point.
Im not doing VR
 
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MickyG1982

M
XrayRomeoAlpha said:
ABOUT TO PULL THE TRIGGER

I am taking my happy @$$ to microcenter and im going to build a PC.

I read up on the new bits and such.
Give me a recommendation.

i7700k
Asus ROG MB ( not sure which )
16 gigs ddr4 2400 corsair
Asus ROG GTX 1080
850w power
The rest is inconsequential

How am i doing so far?

mind you, im only playing ED at the moment and im doing it on a 1080.
i may play rust at some point.
Im not doing VR
Click to expand...

Well, even if you don't want to do VR now, that setup will certainly have more than enough power to do it if you change your mind...
 

The Chairmaker

The Chairmaker
XrayRomeoAlpha said:
ABOUT TO PULL THE TRIGGER

I am taking my happy @$$ to microcenter and im going to build a PC.

I read up on the new bits and such.
Give me a recommendation.

i7700k
Asus ROG MB ( not sure which )
16 gigs ddr4 2400 corsair
Asus ROG GTX 1080
850w power
The rest is inconsequential

How am i doing so far?

mind you, im only playing ED at the moment and im doing it on a 1080.
i may play rust at some point.
Im not doing VR
Click to expand...

Wait to the end of this month for when Ryzen comes out, as i predict there will be a big shift in prices, judging by the price and performance leaks ive seen.
Intel will have to respond or face taking a big hit to their market share.

you will kick yourself if not waiting two weeks means you pay a couple of hundred dollars more than you needed to.
 

XrayRomeoAlpha

XrayRomeoAlpha
The Chairmaker said:
Wait to the end of this month for when Ryzen comes out, as i predict there will be a big shift in prices, judging by the price and performance leaks ive seen.
Intel will have to respond or face taking a big hit to their market share.

you will kick yourself if not waiting two weeks means you pay a couple of hundred dollars more than you needed to.
Click to expand...

I will take this under advisement

Thank you
 
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