Gaming pc - possibly watercooled

[Nahbyr]

Hi

 

So I usually build a completely new rig every 2 years, but due to money being spent on other projects and my pc not struggling with anything I threw at it, it has taken me little longer. I used to dabble a bit in overclocking years ago, but I've not bothered since. I might pick that up again though.

Recently I started noticing that my framerate dropped a lot in WildStar (from 30+ fps to 3-10 fps). I had to turn down my settings from max to slightly below medium to make it playable.

 

The purpose of this build is for gaming primarily and possibly some Photoshop and video editing.

I'm playing WildStar (MMO), Elite: Dangerous (Space Sim) and Star Citizen (Space Sim) if that matters.

 

The rig I currently have:

Intel Core i7 2600K

Noctua NH-D14

MSI MS-7672

Corsair Vengeance 4x4Gb 1600 MHz

AMD Radeon HD 6970 - cooled by an Arctic Accelero Extreme IV

Intel SSD 120 Gb (and some other HDDs only used for storage of less important stuff, seeing as I have a 12Tb NAS) (keeping those, so no need to include them in the price)

SilverStone Raven RV01B-W

OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W

2x Samsung SyncMaster S27B350 monitors (I'll keep those)

 

This one is big, loud and starting to get too slow for my taste.

 

I've been looking online to see if there are any decent setups going around, but most of them are a year old or older. The only one that I found that's up-to-date uses watercooled GPU(s) (VisionTek CryoVenom R9 290) and the manufacturer only ships in the US - I live in Belgium, Europe. I also watched LTT's vid of the rigs they did 2 years ago.

 

The rig I'm looking to build will be in the 1500 - 2000 euro range (1600 - 2200 dollars). I want it to be silent without compromising too much on gaming performance. I HATE lights and stuff that has no real purpose. I've read nothing but good things about the Fractal Design Define R4. It doesn't have all the stuff I hate and it's quiet and has a decent temp.

 

If you suggest a watercooled rig, then - if you can - include everything that's needed to complete the build (also within my pricerange). It'll be my first time installing a watercooled system.

 

It doesn't have to cost the max amount I can spend if it's not worth it. 

 

Thx!

Nahbyr

[Lolzious]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/mFCLnQ

 

Left out case and PSU, since you can keep those from your current build, and you can also get some Noctua/BeQuiet! fans for it, as there is room in the budget

[techguru]

you don't really need anything new except the gpu..that cpu and ram is still totally fine

maybe a bigger SSD as well

[Wirbelfeld]

I recommend the 980 or if you can wait, maybe wait for the 300 series AMD GPUs if you want.

[Nahbyr]

Hi

 

Actually, that's pretty much what I had so far as well. Only I had Radeon R9 290's. Was a little bit more expensive.

What's the current performance difference between the Radeon R9 290/280 and the GTX 980?

[Wirbelfeld]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/mFCLnQ

 

Left out case and PSU, since you can keep those from your current build, and you can also get some Noctua/BeQuiet! fans for it, as there is room in the budget

why dual 980 why not a single Titan X

[Wirbelfeld]

Hi

 

Actually, that's pretty much what I had so far as well. Only I had Radeon R9 290's. Was a little bit more expensive.

What's the current performance difference between the Radeon R9 290/280 and the GTX 980?

I would stick with the 980 over the 290x. It uses less power and performs about 30-40 percent faster

Its not a very fair comparison since the 980 is much newer and more expensive than the 290x

its best to compare the 290x with the 970 in which it is much more equal

[Guest]

I would swap that psu for something decent (XFX, Seasonic, EVGA G2 etc) and get a new graphics card then you should be fine. No need for a complete new system.

[Nahbyr]

I would stick with the 980 over the 290x. It uses less power and performs about 10-15 percent faster

 

Ok, I'm glad I found this place. I used to follow the new stuff, but I've been out of it for a couple of years. What's the Titan X's performance vs dual 980?

[Nahbyr]

I would swap that psu for something decent (XFX, Seasonic, EVGA G2 etc) and get a new graphics card then you should be fine. No need for a complete new system.

 

Thing is, I find my current build too loud. Even with a headset on I can still hear it humming (it's on my desk next to me).

[Guest]

Thing is, I find my current build too loud. Even with a headset on I can still hear it humming (it's on my desk next to me).

That is more than likely the gpu or psu. The Noctua D14 should be very quiet. If you get a good quality psu and a GTX 970/980 then you should see some improvement with noise levels.

[Wirbelfeld]

Thing is, I find my current build too loud. Even with a headset on I can still hear it humming (it's on my desk next to me).

A 980 or titan should solve that problem. They are pretty quiet. dual 980 will be a bit faster than Titan X but Titan X will allow for 4k gaming.

Also some games do not support SLI or xFire leaving you with one useless GPU at the time being

[Nahbyr]

I'm sorry to bother you again.

 

This is the build I was looking at.

However, after having looked at the price for components in my country, it's more than my budget.

 

A store clerk at the store I usually buy my stuff told me to use this build instead.

 

Does anyone know if the CPU cooling and Titan X will fit? Is the CPU any good? Is there something that will do the job just fine, but is more cost/performance?

 

Thanks!