Is my PSU overkill and what CPU for 4k 60hz gaming- i7 7700, 8700 or R7 1700?

[Keystone Nyan Cat]

Title sums it up- I'm building a mini-ITX gaming system to play on 4K @ 60Hz, but am confused on which would be the best. I've seen the benchmarks, thermals, and power draws- and neither one CPU outperforms the other while gaming at the great equalizer of a resolution, despite being within $50 of eachother.

 

At the $300ish mark- I don't mind paying $20-$50 for something like a 8700 over a 1700, so don't let that me a factor when answering- but if you are building a gaming PC; have already built one and were on a similar boat- what would you chose and WHY? Keep in mind that this is an ITX build, so talking about thermals would also be appreciated. 

 

Linking benchmarks, reviews, etc. would be really helpful.

 

Also, I'm looking for feedback on these parts- if possible focusing on whether I will really need a SF 600 vs. the SF 450. I will NOT be overclocking- and based on PCPartPicker, the system will draw around 356 watts- so am concerned the 600 variant is a bit overkill/ wasteful.

Noctua - NH-L9i 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler
Samsung - 960 EVO 250GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive
Fractal Design - Node 202 HTPC Case
Corsair - SF 600W
MSI - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Founders Editio

Edit- which PSU to pick has been answered- just need to figure out the CPU now.

[FloRolf]

The 600 is just a couple $ more so I'd get that and be set. 

[Keystone Nyan Cat]

4 minutes ago, FloRolf said:

The 600 is just a couple $ more so I'd get that and be set. 

Do I need the extra 150W though for my use case and the parts I've linked out? To put it in other words- will I see any negative outcome from choosing a 450 over the 600 for the parts I've listed out and given I won't be overclocking? While bigger is mostly better- I don't want to waste money if possible- and am concerned with the extra 100W of headroom on the 450 variant already.

[ARikozuM]

8700, get fast RAM, and the Z370 board allows you to get a nicer 8700K or 9700K (should be an octa-core) later on. Yes, you can overclock ITX systems if you want to, I have, and you're only limited by thermals. 

 

Great choice on the GPU as the blower will keep things cooler in the case and the GPU for overclocking if you ever go for it. 

[Damascus]

Well I wouldn’t use the 7700 because it has awful temps despite the lower frequency.

 

For best temps I would get the 1700 and an x370i as it will perform well, stay cool and quiet while still performing even oc’d.

 

If you are willing to delid I would seriously consider the 8700 though

 

 

[ARikozuM]

1 minute ago, Damascus said:

If you are willing to delid I would seriously consider the 8700 though

???

 

The Coffee Lake chips are some of the coolest chips Intel has produced in a while.

 

Also, delidding a locked CPU? No sense delidding it for what little it would gain. 

[Keystone Nyan Cat]

6 minutes ago, Damascus said:

-snip-

 

3 minutes ago, ARikozuM said:

-snip- 

Given delidding will void my warranty- I won't be doing so, but thanks for your answers! Although- are there any videos you recommend for delidding for reducing temperatures; because I've heard the 8700 runs really hot, and would like to use it as a point of reference should I decide to get the 8700 and not be able to control its temps.

[wONKEyeYEs]

Think of your PSU as a car.

Would you rather drive a car on the highway for a long trip that had to run almost full out to keep up?

Or would you rather drive a car that could go much faster than needed and is thus just coasting at 50% exertion?

Also the efficiency of a PSU is generally greatest at around 50% output.

And if a PSU is going to fail it will fail quicker if run closer to it's max.

MORE POWER!

[Keystone Nyan Cat]

Just now, wONKEyeYEs said:

Think of your PSU as a car.

Would you rather drive a car on the highway for a long trip that had to run almost full out to keep up?

Or would you rather drive a car that could go much faster than needed and is thus just coasting at 50% exertion?

Also the efficiency of a PSU is generally greatest at around 50% output.

And if a PSU is going to fail it will fail quicker if run closer to it's max.

MORE POWER!

That answers on why I should chose the 600 watt- thanks! Longevity of components is something that's definitely a factor I'm taking into concern, and based on your comment, I've now got the PSU figured out! Just need to do the same for the CPU now...

[Valkyrie Lenneth]

11 minutes ago, Keystone Nyan Cat said:

 

Given delidding will void my warranty- I won't be doing so, but thanks for your answers! Although- are there any videos you recommend for delidding for reducing temperatures; because I've heard the 8700 runs really hot, and would like to use it as a point of reference should I decide to get the 8700 and not be able to control its temps.

for itx build i would go with a 8600k or ryzen instead

 

4k just needs a good gpu, the higher the resolution the more its based on the gpu rather then cpu

 

720p would be way more cpu based than 4k for example

 

just get a 8600k / ryzen and then get a beefy gpu ( itx pcb ofc )

[Keystone Nyan Cat]

Just now, Valkyrie Lenneth said:

for itx build i would go with a 8600k or ryzen instead

Why would you chose the 8600k over the 8600 given I won't be overclocking or the 8700 which is an i7? As for Ryzen- are you recommending I go with the 1700- and if so, if you were building a 4k gaming setup- would you chose the Intel or AMD?

[Valkyrie Lenneth]

2 minutes ago, Keystone Nyan Cat said:

Why would you chose the 8600k over the 8600 given I won't be overclocking or the 8700 which is an i7? As for Ryzen- are you recommending I go with the 1700- and if so, if you were building a 4k gaming setup- would you chose the Intel or AMD?

for future overclocking and if u want to sell it in the future... a 8600/700k will sell much easier than a 8600 / 8700

 

for 4k i would go 50/50 because its less cpu intensive u could go either way , however do not get less than 6 cores these days and get a BEEFY GPU if u want 4k... u need a high end one prefer 1080ti or smt ( 1070 minimum :v ), dont think u can go 4k on a 1060gtx for example

 

[seon123]

600W for a 1080 and a mainstream CPU is overkill. 450W is plenty, even overclocked. Decent PSUs are able to run their full power without issue. The difference in efficiency between 50% and 100% is 3%. That's not worth paying for.

[Keystone Nyan Cat]

47 minutes ago, Valkyrie Lenneth said:

-snip-

Please take a moment to read my original post.

 

33 minutes ago, seon123 said:

600W for a 1080 and a mainstream CPU is overkill. 450W is plenty, even overclocked. Decent PSUs are able to run their full power without issue. The difference in efficiency between 50% and 100% is 3%. That's not worth paying for.

To lay it out- I don't mind paying the extra $30 for the peace of mind of part longevity, but part longevity by getting an overkill PSU is pixie dust and and false, I don't want to waste that money.

 

I acknowledge the 450W has over 25% of it's capacity as headroom with my current setup. While I'm not concerned about efficiency, @wONKEyeYEs raised a good point about longevity when used near it's max capacity- and given I will be playing games at 4k, I'd say the GPU, which draws the most power off all the components- will be pushed to its limits and draw a lot of power.

 

Based off that, I've decided to go ahead with the 600W variant; however- you've mentioned that PSUs are able to run to their full power without issue, which contradicts the reason behind which I'm going with the higher capacity, which is making me reconsider my choice, so I will ask- Are you sure about part longevity with a higher headroom? I will be ordering my parts tonight, and once again- I don't mind paying a little extra if it means my parts last longer.

 

 

[ARikozuM]

5 minutes ago, Keystone Nyan Cat said:

Based off that, I've decided to go ahead with the 600W variant; however- you've mentioned that PSUs are able to run to their full power without issue, which contradicts the reason behind which I'm going with the higher capacity, which is making me reconsider my choice, so I will ask- Are you sure about that? I will be ordering my parts tonight, and once again- I don't mind paying a little extra if it means my parts last longer.

You want more wattage than what your system is capable of pulling or asking for. Otherwise, you're going to hit issues with OCP and thermals from the PSU (it's why they have fans on nearly all models). I would feel safer with a system that pulls 300W from a 550 over a 350 even though both will work out. This also leaves room for overclocking and more peripherals attached to the board. 

 

@STRMfrmXMN

[seon123]

14 minutes ago, Keystone Nyan Cat said:

To lay it out- I don't mind paying the extra $30 for the peace of mind of part longevity, but part longevity by getting an overkill PSU is pixie dust and and false, I don't want to waste that money.

 

I acknowledge the 450W has over 25% of it's capacity as headroom with my current setup. While I'm not concerned about efficiency, @wONKEyeYEs raised a good point about longevity when used near it's max capacity- and given I will be playing games at 4k, I'd say the GPU, which draws the most power off all the components- will be pushed to its limits and draw a lot of power.

 

Based off that, I've decided to go ahead with the 600W variant; however- you've mentioned that PSUs are able to run to their full power without issue, which contradicts the reason behind which I'm going with the higher capacity, which is making me reconsider my choice, so I will ask- Are you sure about part longevity with a higher headroom? I will be ordering my parts tonight, and once again- I don't mind paying a little extra if it means my parts last longer.

 

 

During a typical gaming load, the entire system will draw under 350W. 

Spoiler

As to how much it will affect the longevity, we can ask @jonnyGURU, though I'm not sure he'll answer in time. The SF series does have a 7 year warranty, so I don't think it'll make that big a difference. 

[Guest]

5 hours ago, seon123 said:

During a typical gaming load, the entire system will draw under 350W. 

  Hide contents

As to how much it will affect the longevity, we can ask @jonnyGURU, though I'm not sure he'll answer in time. The SF series does have a 7 year warranty, so I don't think it'll make that big a difference. 

The 450W is made to run at full load, at 40°C, 24/7 for the duration of the warranty (7 years). 

 

The 600W is made to run at full load, at 40°C, 24/7 for the duration of the warranty (7 years). 

[festivepopcorn]

22 hours ago, Keystone Nyan Cat said:

Why would you chose the 8600k over the 8600 given I won't be overclocking or the 8700 which is an i7? As for Ryzen- are you recommending I go with the 1700- and if so, if you were building a 4k gaming setup- would you chose the Intel or AMD?

The 8600 doesn't exist... The 8600k and 8400 do.

[Keystone Nyan Cat]

20 hours ago, jonnyGURU said:

The 450W is made to run at full load, at 40°C, 24/7 for the duration of the warranty (7 years). 

 

The 600W is made to run at full load, at 40°C, 24/7 for the duration of the warranty (7 years). 

Thanks! That makes me feel really confident with going forward with a SF450!

 

By the way- to anyone still here- I'm still confused on what CPU should I get; any ideas?

[seon123]

12 minutes ago, Keystone Nyan Cat said:

By the way- to anyone still here- I'm still confused on what CPU should I get; any ideas?

For 60 FPS, even the 1600 or 8400 should be fine. The GPU is way more important at 4K

[Jrasero]

On 11/18/2017 at 3:45 PM, Keystone Nyan Cat said:

Do I need the extra 150W though for my use case and the parts I've linked out? To put it in other words- will I see any negative outcome from choosing a 450 over the 600 for the parts I've listed out and given I won't be overclocking? While bigger is mostly better- I don't want to waste money if possible- and am concerned with the extra 100W of headroom on the 450 variant already.

Not for a 1080, but if you wanted a 1080 Ti or above or if the next gen required higher wattage the 600 is worth it