- Joined
- Oct 21, 2011
Hello,
This is my first thread here, so go easy on me.
I'm looking to build a new computer that will last me for 5-6 years. My current build (Intel E8400, nVidia GeForce 9600GT, and a Gigabyte EX38-DS4, with 4GB of DDR2 RAM) isn't lacking in performance or anything, but I'm at a point where I probably won't have the luxury of spending over $1000 on a computer for a long time, so I want to take advantage of the opportunity while it's here. I've built computers with help before, this will be the first time I build a computer entirely on my own, and I would like to OC it as much as possible so that it gives me maximum performance for the longest amount of time without me needing to upgrade my hardware. I use my computer mostly for gaming and programming, with a little virtual machine stuff thrown in there. I don't play all the top-notch games so I don't need cutting edge performance for all those 5-6 years I'm aiming for, just something reliable and able to keep up. I've been doing a lot of research over the past week or so and these are the specs I've ended up with:
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe
PSU: Corsair TX650
CPU: Intel i5-2500K
GPU: ASUS nVidia GeForce GTX-560Ti
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws-X 2133MhHz (2x4GB)
CPU Cooler: CoolerMaster Hyper212+
Case: Corsair Obsidian 650D
I originally wanted to go for the i7-2600K, but after reading that HT can actually slow performance on some games I decided to save myself the extra $100. Similarly, I wanted to go for the GTX-570 but others have told me that the difference in price isn't worth the difference in performance. What do you guys think on both those counts?
That said, I do have a few specific questions pertaining to the build:
Is there much difference in overclocking capacity between the i5 and the i7? What speeds are reachable with the two? (And yes, I'm aware that every chip is different, I'm just looking for rough guidelines.)
Considering both the fact that I want to overclock and that in the future if my graphics card becomes a bottleneck I'll consider buying another and putting it in SLI, is my PSU sufficiently powerful for the timeframe I'm aiming for?
Is the CPU cooler I've chosen sufficient for overclocking? I've read many good things about the Hyper 212+, but just want to be sure.
My case. I've heard that Corsair cases don't have very good airflow. Assuming I want to stay on air, should I switch to another case to get better heat transfer? If so, what's recommended?
Conversely, if I hypothetically wanted to get a water cooling setup somewhere down the line, is the 650D sufficiently roomy considering radiator size and stuff that would be needed to cool both the CPU and the GPU in one loop? It's unlikely I'll go this route (at least not until I save up the money to do so), but if I did I would be unwilling to do any case modding, so I'd rather get a bigger case now than have to mod one later.
Thanks in advance for your help.
This is my first thread here, so go easy on me.
I'm looking to build a new computer that will last me for 5-6 years. My current build (Intel E8400, nVidia GeForce 9600GT, and a Gigabyte EX38-DS4, with 4GB of DDR2 RAM) isn't lacking in performance or anything, but I'm at a point where I probably won't have the luxury of spending over $1000 on a computer for a long time, so I want to take advantage of the opportunity while it's here. I've built computers with help before, this will be the first time I build a computer entirely on my own, and I would like to OC it as much as possible so that it gives me maximum performance for the longest amount of time without me needing to upgrade my hardware. I use my computer mostly for gaming and programming, with a little virtual machine stuff thrown in there. I don't play all the top-notch games so I don't need cutting edge performance for all those 5-6 years I'm aiming for, just something reliable and able to keep up. I've been doing a lot of research over the past week or so and these are the specs I've ended up with:
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe
PSU: Corsair TX650
CPU: Intel i5-2500K
GPU: ASUS nVidia GeForce GTX-560Ti
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws-X 2133MhHz (2x4GB)
CPU Cooler: CoolerMaster Hyper212+
Case: Corsair Obsidian 650D
I originally wanted to go for the i7-2600K, but after reading that HT can actually slow performance on some games I decided to save myself the extra $100. Similarly, I wanted to go for the GTX-570 but others have told me that the difference in price isn't worth the difference in performance. What do you guys think on both those counts?
That said, I do have a few specific questions pertaining to the build:
Is there much difference in overclocking capacity between the i5 and the i7? What speeds are reachable with the two? (And yes, I'm aware that every chip is different, I'm just looking for rough guidelines.)
Considering both the fact that I want to overclock and that in the future if my graphics card becomes a bottleneck I'll consider buying another and putting it in SLI, is my PSU sufficiently powerful for the timeframe I'm aiming for?
Is the CPU cooler I've chosen sufficient for overclocking? I've read many good things about the Hyper 212+, but just want to be sure.
My case. I've heard that Corsair cases don't have very good airflow. Assuming I want to stay on air, should I switch to another case to get better heat transfer? If so, what's recommended?
Conversely, if I hypothetically wanted to get a water cooling setup somewhere down the line, is the 650D sufficiently roomy considering radiator size and stuff that would be needed to cool both the CPU and the GPU in one loop? It's unlikely I'll go this route (at least not until I save up the money to do so), but if I did I would be unwilling to do any case modding, so I'd rather get a bigger case now than have to mod one later.
Thanks in advance for your help.