Upgrade advice - M.2, SSD or something else?

[TFishy]

Hi all,

I have a work and home win10 computer that does some gaming and is constantly running. I appreciate a few seconds less boot up or loading time.

Here are the current specs:
i6700k Skylake
ASUS Z170-AR
4x8GB DD4 GEIL 15-15-15-35-2T @ 3000mhz
Gigabyte GTX780 3GB
Kingston SSD SHFS37A240G
Kingston SSD SVP200S360G
WD20EARX 2TB

The computer runs an ok, large CPU water cooler and 15% asus/bios overclock setting.

I mean it is doing fine and pretty fast but I was going to look into a larger SSD for convenience (and to spend some money) and I could retire either SSD for my Synology DS1815+ as a cache to speed it up.

I saw a special on Intel 540 Series 480GB M.2 drives at my computer store and I started looking into upgrade possibilities.

I have available on my board an M.2/SATA slot, 2x PCIe 16x slots and 1x PCIe 1x with plenty of space around them (P.S. After about 10 years ASUS have finally made it so you can get straight from a product's sales page to support and download!!! Man was that an annoying run!). I also saw the ASUS Hyper Kit which claims 3.5x SSD.

Just hoping for some advice so that I can do my own research into a good buy/value with a speed upgrade I'm likely to notice.

Cheers,
TFishy

 

[TFishy]

Here's what the manual says:
Intel Z170 Express Chipset with RAID 0,1,5,10 and Intel Rapid Storage Technology 14 support
- 1xSATA Express port (compatible with 2xSATA 6.0 Gb/s ports)
- 6xSATA 6.0 Gb/s ports (gray, 2 from SATA Express)
- Supports Intel Smart Response Technology*
- 1xM.2 Socket 3 with M Key**, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (both SATA & PCIE mode)***

* These functions will work depending on the CPU installed.

** Supports PCIE RAID configurations via onboard M.2 and PCIex16_3.

*** M.2 shares SATA mode with SATA Express. Change this item before installing M.2 SATA devices.


It also says:
1 x M.2 Socket 3 (for M Key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices)

One last bit:
2x PCI Express 3.0/2.0 x16 slots (single at x16 or dual at x8/x8 mode)
1x PCI Express 3.0/2.0 x16 slot* (max. at x4 mode, compatible with PCIe x1 and x4 devices)
3x PCI Express 3.0/2.0 x1 slots
1x PCI slot

* The PCIe x16_3 slot shares bandwidth with SATA6G_56. The PCIe x16_3 is default set at x2 mode.

 

[EarthDog]

So... what do you do, generally, with that pc? Like, makes little sense to go m.2 if you game....a video card is needed there.

 

[caddi daddi]

if you go m2 pcie, boot time is all you'll really notice, if you go m2 sata you will notice nothing, if you go from a 780 to say, even a 1060 you'll get better game.

 

[TFishy]

Thanks very much for the replies and information.

My hope was to have a 500gb-1TB ssd to boot from to simplify things but I guess it's not really a big enough problem if it's not going to speed it up too.

Looks like a 6gb gtx1060 is about $400-$500 in my country (Australia). Any point overclocking the Gigabyte Windforce GTX780 (GV-N7800C-3GD Rev 2.0) I have or are the changes to newer graphics cards more structural than clock?

Also I have an Aerocool Strike-X 800w PSU and I noticed that the graphics card has a piggy back from the hdd power cables for the second power connector.

Perhaps I should just get a new case and PSU at this stage...the card, case and psu are all from a second hand computer I bought and then upgraded.

Cheers,
TFishy

 

[trents]

Thanks very much for the replies and information.

My hope was to have a 500gb-1TB ssd to boot from to simplify things but I guess it's not really a big enough problem if it's not going to speed it up too.

Looks like a 6gb gtx1060 is about $400-$500 in my country (Australia). Any point overclocking the Gigabyte Windforce GTX780 (GV-N7800C-3GD Rev 2.0) I have or are the changes to newer graphics cards more structural than clock?

Also I have an Aerocool Strike-X 800w PSU and I noticed that the graphics card has a piggy back from the hdd power cables for the second power connector.

Perhaps I should just get a new case and PSU at this stage...the card, case and psu are all from a second hand computer I bought and then upgraded.

Cheers,
TFishy

The video card requires the direct connection "piggyback" from the PSU. Does your current PSU not have that connector? Are you not using that video card now? I'm confused. Why would you spend money on a new PSU if the current one is working? It's way more wattage than you need so that's not an issue.

 

[TFishy]

The video card requires the direct connection "piggyback" from the PSU. Does your current PSU not have that connector? Are you not using that video card now? I'm confused. Why would you spend money on a new PSU if the current one is working? It's way more wattage than you need so that's not an issue.

Thanks very much for clarifying this.

Yes the PSU only had one cable with it second hand and was piggy backed this way with the card (works for the last 3 years on 2 motherboards). I contacted Aerocool and they didn't reply. I contacted several resellers and they said they couldn't order the second cable. I contacted ebay sellers etc. and they said they couldn't guarantee that the cables would line up properly without taking apart the psu to confirm where the grounds etc where located.

Does that make sense?

Now that I think about it again, I could probably get a duplicate cable made up from the one that was provided.

 

[trents]

The SATA to video card power adapter should work.

Do you need that second one for the GTX 780 or the GTX 1060?

You can try overclocking the GTX 780 and see if it makes enough difference to get you where you need to be. Which model Aerocool 800 watt PSU do you have? Is this it?: https://www.kitguru.net/components/power-supplies/zardon/aerocool-strike-x-800w-psu-review/

What games are you playing? What kind of work do you need to computer to do?

On the other hand, if the PSU is no longer pulling the video card power draw and it used to then I would get a new PSU. That one you have is old anyway.

 

[TFishy]

Thank you very much for all the additional responses and questions.

The computer is used for several work programs at once (simple database but uses VPN x2, then some java programs x6 using up to 8gb ram), outlook, web browsing, chat programs, netflix, a bit of ftp to my ps3, word, excel, and then playing LOTR shadow of war currently. All of these regularly running at the same time often enough.

I read the pretty sh**ty review of my current psu and I'm thinking about getting another one. PSU calcs show between 450 and 600+ depending on overclocking. I've been looking at good ones and only a few ($30) dollars between standards. Should I get myself a gold or platinum as a base and then work out what I want? I'll be looking at 700+w. Corsair, Thermaltake or Aerocool are the options I'm looking at. Corsair have white series, and up too. I'm partial to something like this - https://www.centrecom.com.au/corsair-hx750i-750w-80-platinum-fully-modular-power-supply

Yes for the past couple of years the GPU has been drawing power from a 2x molex to pci-e connector plus standard pci-e connector set up. the GTX 780 requires 2 plugs.

I'll have a look into how graphics cards have changed....

Cheers again,
TFishy

- - - Updated - - -

P.S. Let me know if there's a stand above the rest PSU I should get!

 

[TFishy]

PPS. Running 2x Benq GL2760 monitors - 27", 16:9, 1920x1080, 300nits, 1000:1, TN, 2ms, 16.7 millions

 

[trents]

Of those three options for PSU manufacturers I would choose Corsair. But our go to brand here no the forum is the EVGA Super Nova series. With only one video card a 600-650 watt PSU will be more than enough as long as you get a quality unit whose watt rating is not exaggerated. Don't obsess over whether you get gold or platinum. I wouldn't spend the extra money to get a platinum PSU. It would provide little if any benefit over gold. Watt need tables are often inflated to allow for the fact that many people will get the cheapest PSU out there that doesn't really deliver what it advertises. Cheap PSUs often advertise "peak" power stats but will not be able to offer nearly that much wattage on a sustained basis.

If you check your total system power draw with a watt meter it is usually much less than what people imagine. The system in my Sig will not even draw 300 watts at the wall under full load.

Also, the power consumption of newer graphics cards has dropped dramatically since the days when your GTX 780 was produced. At the same level of computing power they are much more energy efficient.

 

[TFishy]

Of those three options for PSU manufacturers I would choose Corsair. But our go to brand here no the forum is the EVGA Super Nova series. With only one video card a 600-650 watt PSU will be more than enough as long as you get a quality unit whose watt rating is not exaggerated. Don't obsess over whether you get gold or platinum. I wouldn't spend the extra money to get a platinum PSU. It would provide little if any benefit over gold. Watt need tables are often inflated to allow for the fact that many people will get the cheapest PSU out there that doesn't really deliver what it advertises. Cheap PSUs often advertise "peak" power stats but will not be able to offer nearly that much wattage on a sustained basis.

If you check your total system power draw with a watt meter it is usually much less than what people imagine. The system in my Sig will not even draw 300 watts at the wall under full load.

Also, the power consumption of newer graphics cards has dropped dramatically since the days when your GTX 780 was produced. At the same level of computing power they are much more energy efficient.

Awesome! Thank you very much, all understood

 

[TFishy]

Just a quick update. ASUS confirmed (after about 4 days and having to call them because my old account wouldn't work until the support person accessed it) that this board/revision does support M.2 storage through the PCIe x4 bus.