Gaming PC Upgrade

MarkJD

Howdy,

Below is my current system build. I am looking to upgrade this system as best I can without replacing everything. Areas where I think i need new parts would be CPU, GPU, SSD & RAM (Maybe New RAM) but welcome other suggestions.

I have had some cooling issues with the system and not a lot of space to put in extra fans / coolers because of the tower size. Because of this i bought a brand new CoolerMaster HAF X Full Tower (http://www.coolermaster.com/product/Detail/case/full-tower/haf-x.html)

Id like to get proper cooling within the system so welcome suggestions on additional system fans and CPU coolers.

Processor: Intel Core i7 2600k 3.40ghz 8M cache + Stock Cooler
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth p67 Revision
RAM: 16GB Corsair Vengance
Graphics: Radeon HIS HD6950 2GB
OS HD: Intel X-25 80GB SSD
HDD: 2 x Western Digital Caviar 6gb/s 1Tb drives RAID 1
Power supply: Antec 900w High current Gamer PSU
Case: Antec DF-10 (Mid Tower)
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit
Optical: DVD RW / Bluray Player
Monitor: LG 23" W2353V-PF

Below is the answered questions that are normally requested.

1. Budget: €1,000~

2. Purpose: Gaming - Latest FPS, MMOs. Some Photoshop.

3. Windows Required: No

4. Previous Parts: Yes - Please See Above

5. Monitor: Would like a new one. Currently have a LG 23" HD 1920 x 1080 Would like to go to bigger resolutions keep good response rates etc.

5a. Monitor Size: Max 24"

5b. N/A

6. Peripherals: Do not need any have full Logitech gaming range.

7. Overclocking: Yes would like to to do it if easy enough.

8. Payment Method: Credit Card / Bank / Anything really.

9. Purchase Period: Within 60 Days

10. Build Help: Yes I would like to get some build help and willing to pay for someones time if it is built correctly and neatly based in South Dublin but can travel within reason.

Really appreciate the time taken to help here!

Xenoronin

I'd actually hold off on upgrading that CPU and RAM tbh. Simply no performance gain from upgrading those at the moment since it is the GPU that is holding you back.
These seem to be all the rage at the moment:
http://www.hardwareversand.de/2048+MB/82320/Gigabyte+GeForce+GTX+760+WindForce+3X+OC%2C+2GB+GDDR5%2C+2x+DVI%2C+HDMI%2C+DisplayPort.article
Edit: You have money to burn it appears from your budget, so this will work:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-770-gk104-review,3519.html
http://www.hardwareversand.de/2048+MB/80493/Gigabyte+GeForce+GTX+770+Windforce+3X+OC%2C+2GB+DDR5%2C+2x+DVI%2C+HDMI%2C+DisplayPort.article

This is a pretty well known fan
http://www.hardwareversand.de/Intel+AMD/59387/Cooler+Master+Hyper+212+EVO++-+Intel+AMD.article

After that just invest in some case fans if the cooling isn't working to your liking. Just make sure that the airflow is going the right way, but google for ideal setups for your case.

Gumbi

I'd grab a Macho 02, only a few quid more than a Hyper 212 and a better, quieter cooler. It should allow a 4.5 + ghz OC (which will be a nice performance boost.

Also, seeing as the money is there, I'd get a 770? The Windforce one is really good, very good cooling.

MarkJD

Xenoronin wrote: »

I'd actually hold off on upgrading that CPU and RAM tbh. Simply no performance gain from upgrading those at the moment since it is the GPU that is holding you back.
These seem to be all the rage at the moment:
http://www.hardwareversand.de/2048+MB/82320/Gigabyte+GeForce+GTX+760+WindForce+3X+OC%2C+2GB+GDDR5%2C+2x+DVI%2C+HDMI%2C+DisplayPort.article
Edit: You have money to burn it appears from your budget, so this will work:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-770-gk104-review,3519.html
http://www.hardwareversand.de/2048+MB/80493/Gigabyte+GeForce+GTX+770+Windforce+3X+OC%2C+2GB+DDR5%2C+2x+DVI%2C+HDMI%2C+DisplayPort.article

This is a pretty well known fan
http://www.hardwareversand.de/Intel+AMD/59387/Cooler+Master+Hyper+212+EVO++-+Intel+AMD.article

After that just invest in some case fans if the cooling isn't working to your liking. Just make sure that the airflow is going the right way, but google for ideal setups for your case.

Thanks for the links and suggestions.. So i wont really see any performance gains from going with Ivy Bridge instead of that Sandy Bridge CPU? Just O/C it and get the most out of it?

Iv always been an ATI guy not that it makes much difference to me but is Nvidia the leader now? I liked the look of the HD7970. Can possibly pick this up - http://www.dabs.ie/products/sapphire-technology-amd-radeon-7970-hd-1ghz-3gb-pci-express-3-0-hdmi-vapor-x-8DC1.html at a decent price. Any Pros / Cons to call about both cards!

Ill give the case setup a google and see what works best!

Thanks!

Gumbi wrote: »

I'd grab a Macho 02, only a few quid more than a Hyper 212 and a better, quieter cooler. It should allow a 4.5 + ghz OC (which will be a nice performance boost.

Also, seeing as the money is there, I'd get a 770? The Windforce one is really good, very good cooling.

Is this the one you are talking about? http://www.hardwareversand.de/Intel+AMD/67114/Thermalright+HR-02+Macho+Rev.A+%28BW%29.article

Do these Fan CPU coolers perform better than the likes of the Corsair H80 / H100 CPU coolers?

Any SSD & Monitor suggestions?

Gumbi

Yes that's the one. Honestly I'd be getting a Macho over an H80. Quieter fan, similar performance, cheaper. There's plenty of life yet in Sandy Bridge, especially overclocked.

It's so much nVidia is the leader, it's just they are errrr suited towards your price point. They released a few 700 series cards a few months back, so they're fairly new. There's is an upcoming AMD release in October, though, if you're willing to wait for that.

MarkJD

Cool ill put down that CPU cooler then thanks! Does the process for O/C the CPU have much involved these days or is there software to just set the clock speed and once the temperature doesn't get too high it runs ok?

Iv got a feature in the BIOS of the Asus Sabertooth p67 which allows me to run a high performance setting. Is that automatically overclocking certain features / parts in the system you reckon?

October would be too long of a wait but thanks for the heads up. From a side by side i can check out the GTX 770 vs the HD7970 but if i can get them for the same price for example what would you pick and why?

Gumbi

770 is about equal to the 7970, butwhen overclocked the 7970 wins. BUT, the 770 is a tad cheaper, and more efficient (less power draw).

MarkJD

Ok thanks.. All fair points. Ill do some resarch and make my decision. Appreciate you giving out all the info!

I just need to now decide on a Monitor and SSD upgrade. Is The Samsung 840 still considered the better SSD these days?

Anyone suggestions on a 24" monitor? Id like to get resolutions above 1920 x 1080

BloodBath

If you want to make the jump to 1440p then I suggest you go dual gpu. Your board supports SLI right? 2 x 760gtx would be the way to go for 1440p. Something like this would be a good upgrade. Add additional case fans if there are spaces for them.

Item|Price
Thermalright HR-02 Macho PCGH-Edition|€43.73
2 x Gigabyte GeForce GTX 760 WindForce 3X OC, 2GB GDDR5, 2x DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort|€486.60
Samsung SSD 840 250GB SATA 6Gb/s|€148.04
LogiLink SATA Anschlusskabel mit Sicherungslasche, 0.5m|€1.38
Shipping|€18.99
Total|€698.74

27" 1440p monitor. This will have about €50 additional customs charges.

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/QNIX-QX2710-LED-Evolution-ll-Matte-27-2560x1440-SAMSUNG-PLS-27in-PC-Monitor-/121114422949?pt=UK_Computing_ComputerComponents_Monitors&hash=item1c32fb6ea5

MarkJD

Thanks for the info on the monitor. Im a bit tight for space on the monitor as of where it is going so thinking 24" would be the max but I will get measuring. Never heard of that brand is it good quality etc?

If was stuck with 24" would i see much resolution gain? Whats the max on that size monitor?

Also do i have to have 2 GPUs for larger resolutions?

Thanks!

BloodBath

The smallest 1440p monitors you can get are 27" afaik so you would be limited to 1080p at 24".

The Korean monitor is one of the many cheap brands for 1440p. They use the same panels that are in the more expensive brand models. They save costs by getting a slightly lower rated panel and limited connectivity with dvi only + no menu software. There are more expensive korean models that have more connectivity and better stands.

They are barebone monitors but that's reflected in the cheap price. Image quality wise they are top notch. You're looking at €500-700 for a top brand 27" 1440p monitor with the same picture quality. There's a thread on this here with lots of happy customers so far. Check the most recent pages.

There is still the element of risk with the hastle of shipping back to Korea if there is a problem.

You could get a 100hz 24" 1080p monitor if you wanted to stick with the dual cards or a normal 60hz one and stick with a decent single card.

I wouldn't go 1440p for gaming without dual cards no. Unless it was a Titan or something. A single 7950 or 7970 would be ok for a lot of games as well but would struggle badly with others without dropping the settings down a fair bit.

MarkJD

Thanks for the response. Just seeing it now as iv been away the weekend.

Im going to be going for a single Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 3GB Vapor-X GHz Edition. Do you feel I will struggle with this card on its own with one of those 27" monitors if i want to run some games at those higher resolutions. Iv ordered my CPU cooler so thanks for the suggestion. Wasnt sure the upgraded edition was worth the extra but sure may as well. Also will get that Samsung 840 SSD! Other than that I dont see anywhere else i need to upgrade base may some additional case fans!

Ill be looking to get a complete refit and clean out of my old system into my new Case with all the new stuff wired & setup. Anyone based in Dublin who would come recommended and could be trusted etc?

Gumbi

I would highly recommend going SLI for that resolution. If money is an issue, dual 660s are your best bet. About 370 euro delivered through Amazon. They will outperform a single 7950 by quite a bit, and the 2GB VRAM (vs 3 on the 7950) won't be an issue most of the time.

MarkJD

The card im getting is a HD7970 which is the O.C model with 3GB VRAM. I guess i can look to get another one in the future but for now i was getting a good deal on a single one of those cards so i wanted to run with that. Iv not done a Dual GPU setup before and heard AMD is still having some troubles with Crossfire so wanted to go with the one for now.

If those mointors only have the one DVI connection do you use a Dual DVI to Single DVI cable?

Gumbi

MarkJD wrote: »

The card im getting is a HD7970 which is the O.C model with 3GB VRAM. I guess i can look to get another one in the future but for now i was getting a good deal on a single one of those cards so i wanted to run with that. Iv not done a Dual GPU setup before and heard AMD is still having some troubles with Crossfire so wanted to go with the one for now.

If those mointors only have the one DVI connection do you use a Dual DVI to Single DVI cable?

Why not just go SLI then? 2 7970s, assuming CF performs adequately, is way overkill, and one would not be powerful enough. Dual 660s will cos the same and outperform a single 7970 by a lot.

MarkJD

For this CPU cooler - Thermalright HR-02 Macho PCGH-Edition

Would you use the stock CPU paste that is on this cooler or change it to Artic Silver 5. Iv ordered both but didnt want to remove the stuff that is already on it if that contributes towards why it is a good cooler!

Thanks

marco_polo

MarkJD wrote: »

For this CPU cooler - Thermalright HR-02 Macho PCGH-Edition

Would you use the stock CPU paste that is on this cooler or change it to Artic Silver 5. Iv ordered both but didnt want to remove the stuff that is already on it if that contributes towards why it is a good cooler!

Thanks

It comes with tube of paste rather than pre applied, although I can't see any mention in reviews of exactly what brand of paste it comes with.

But whatever they are packaging with it is very unlikely to be better than the Arctic Silver 5, so go right ahead and use that.

MarkJD

Thanks! So iv since decided to add more items to my order like an additional 200mm case fan gonna order the SSD now as well and get them all together so iv since cancelled my current one on Hardwareversande.

I tried looking online to find out the difference between these two fans below but cant really find anything.

Thermalright HR-02 Macho Rev.A (BW)

Thermalright HR-02 Macho PCGH-Edition

The reason i ask is because when i did a side by side with Amazon for all my items and the Hardwareversande website it works out nearly €30 cheaper with Amazon because of the free super saver delivery and the cheaper Samsung 840 250GB.

The only trouble is Amazon only have the Thermalright HR-02 Macho Rev.A (BW) cooler and not the Thermalright HR-02 Macho PCGH-Edition. So what is the main difference in the two? is one so much better to have and worth paying the bit more through Hardwaresevande for it?

Thanks

marco_polo

All the available reviews are for the regular cooler (and are very good), I was never able to find anything for the PCGH one when I was looking some time back.

Just going off the listing on the HWVS the noise ratings are 19 - 21 dBA for the REV.A and 22 dBA for the PCGH so it doesn't appear to be any better. Nothing to suggest it is worth €30 anyway.

MarkJD

Thanks! Ill stick with that so!

MarkJD

Hey Guys,

On the lookout for someone that would be interested in doing this PC Upgrade as service based in Dublin for a few bob. Basically want to get the old MOBO & Parts im keeping out of the old case, given a dust off and put into the new case with the new parts and wired / setup nice and neatly for optimal performance and what.

Im based in South Dublin but do drive and willing to travel. Ideally someone that does it often enough or has a good rep for doing it! Will to pay of couse so if your interested send me a PM thanks!