Questions about upgrading my Rig

[Nickfurious]

Hello everyone!

I was thinking of how I can maximize my current rig. I bought it last January and I was already planning on upgrading some stuff. 

Below are the specs:

Processor: Intel Core Haswell i5-4670K 3.40GHz
Motherboard: ASUS Z87-A
RAM: G.Skill Rip Jaws 1600 DDR3
PSU: Cooler Master Silent 720W
GPU: EVGA GTX 650Ti
Case: Cooler Master Scout 2
Fans: (x2)Corsair SP120 Quiet Edition
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB
 

I was planning on adding the following in the near future:

Cooling: Corsair H100i
SSD: Intel 730 240GB
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 3TB
RAM: (x4)Corsair Vengeance 2400 DDR3
GPU: EVGA GTX 650Ti (SLI)

 

and going to buy 2 monitors/TV for dual setup.

Questions:

Should I consider using SLI to maximize my gaming experience? or should I just save and buy a new high end GPU?

Will I be able to obtain 4K gaming with the specs, considering I'm going to OC everything? if not, what should I replace?

What components should I consider replacing to achieve peak efficiency of my system?

What monitor/TV should I buy?



Thanks in advance guys!

[CoolBeans]

Get a Hyper 212 Evo (only if you are running stock cooler)

SP900/840 Evo 256GB

no more RAM if you already have 8GB

GPU get a 280

 

 

What is your budget and location?

[Enderman]

1) Get a samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD

2) Get an H105 or H110 if ou want the best performance and don't care about corsair link

3) Sell your 650ti and buy a single more powerful graphics card such as a 780 or 290

[Coollok100]

I'd recommend going with a more powerful single card solution to SLI - less heat, power usage, noise and more consistent performance. Regarding 4K, it depends on what games you'll want to run and what settings you want to run them at - remeber, 1080p upscales very nicely to 4K if performance does become too much of an issue (I'd recommend a 780/R9 290x minimum if you are going for the full 4K experience - the 4670K should be able to handle those cards without too much effort). The H100i is a great cooler, but might be a little overkill unless you're going to be pushing your CPU to the absolute limit - I'd recommend an H60 or a Noctua U14S (you could get a 212 EVO if you want to save some money and just want a small OC). Don't expect any huge performance increases from moving to more, faster RAM - unless you have a particular need for it there's really no reason to get more than you probably have right now, and the difference in bandwidth is pretty much only noticeable on systems using an integrated GPU.

 

Regarding monitors, it comes down to your budget and preference. I like a lot of BenQ's VA monitor lineup - they're relatively cheap, have good viewing angles, accurate colours and deep blacks. However, there are plenty of other screens out there, so a little more information is needed for me to give you a good recommendation.

[Nickfurious]

Get a Hyper 212 Evo (only if you are running stock cooler)

SP900/840 Evo 256GB

no more RAM if you already have 8GB

GPU get a 280

 

 

What is your budget and location?

Thank you. I'm from the Philippines and about the budget, I would say around $1000-$1500 for the components alone. Not including the monitors/TVs. I'm planning on upgrading my RAM to 32GB because I may do video editing on my current job. What would you suggest?

 

 

1) Get a samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD

2) Get an H105 or H110 if ou want the best performance and don't care about corsair link

3) Sell your 650ti and buy a single more powerful graphics card such as a 780 or 290

 

Thanks! Yeah I think I'm going to sell my 650Ti and purchase a 780. Do you think the H110 would fit in my case? I would consider Linus' method on making it a Hot rod look based on his $1500 better gaming PC guide.

[Enderman]

Thanks! Yeah I think I'm going to sell my 650Ti and purchase a 780. Do you think the H110 would fit in my case? I would consider Linus' method on making it a Hot rod look based on his $1500 better gaming PC guide.

No, I just checked the specifications of your case and it does not support 140mm fans

But you can get the H105 instead which performs almost as well because of the thicker rad and it will fit on the top.

[dizmo]

There's absolutely no way you'll hit 4k with anything playable with those cards.

Even with one single powerful GPU you'll be pushing it.

I'd abandon any 4k dreams for now.

[Nickfurious]

No, I just checked the specifications of your case and it does not support 140mm fans

But you can get the H105 instead which performs almost as well because of the thicker rad and it will fit on the top.

Thank you!

[Nickfurious]

There's absolutely no way you'll hit 4k with anything playable with those cards.

Even with one single powerful GPU you'll be pushing it.

I'd abandon any 4k dreams for now.

Care to explain why?

[Enderman]

Thank you!

Np

[Nickfurious]

I'd recommend going with a more powerful single card solution to SLI - less heat, power usage, noise and more consistent performance. Regarding 4K, it depends on what games you'll want to run and what settings you want to run them at - remeber, 1080p upscales very nicely to 4K if performance does become too much of an issue (I'd recommend a 780/R9 290x minimum if you are going for the full 4K experience - the 4670K should be able to handle those cards without too much effort). The H100i is a great cooler, but might be a little overkill unless you're going to be pushing your CPU to the absolute limit - I'd recommend an H60 or a Noctua U14S (you could get a 212 EVO if you want to save some money and just want a small OC). Don't expect any huge performance increases from moving to more, faster RAM - unless you have a particular need for it there's really no reason to get more than you probably have right now, and the difference in bandwidth is pretty much only noticeable on systems using an integrated GPU.

Regarding monitors, it comes down to your budget and preference. I like a lot of BenQ's VA monitor lineup - they're relatively cheap, have good viewing angles, accurate colours and deep blacks. However, there are plenty of other screens out there, so a little more information is needed for me to give you a good recommendation.

Thank you for your detailed response. My job may require video editing in the future. I want my rig to be able to perform efficiently when that day comes, plus I'm also planning on doing some voice/music recordings.

As for the monitor, I still don't know if I would go for a gaming monitor or a TV. I want one where I can enjoy gaming, my work, and watching movies. Any suggestions?

[Nickfurious]

And should I also upgrade my PSU with all the activities that I've mentioned?

[Hidden Orange]

Care to explain why?

Because the GTX 650 Ti is an outdated, low-mid range card. If you want to go for 1440p, then you'll want to grab a R9 290(X), GTX 780 (Ti), or the R9 280(X) or GTX 770 at the very least.

 

And should I also upgrade my PSU with all the activities that I've mentioned?

With one GPU, no. With 2 low-mid-range GPUs, probably no. With 2 high-end GPUs like 2 GTX 780's, then yes. A 720W PSU is overkill already for one GPU and everything else. If it's getting old, you want a higher efficiency, have an unknown, potentially a ticking bomb sort of PSU, or plan to do insane overclocking, then you should get a new PSU.

[dizmo]

Care to explain why?

 

Because the GTX 650 Ti is an outdated, low-mid range card. If you want to go for 1440p, then you'll want to grab a R9 290(X), GTX 780 (Ti), or the R9 280(X) or GTX 770 at the very least.

 

With one GPU, no. With 2 low-mid-range GPUs, probably no. With 2 high-end GPUs like 2 GTX 780's, then yes. A 720W PSU is overkill already for one GPU and everything else. If it's getting old, you want a higher efficiency, have an unknown, potentially a ticking bomb sort of PSU, or plan to do insane overclocking, then you should get a new PSU.

 

Pretty much nailed it. You can barely run 4k with a 780, let alone a 650Ti. To play it at what I would consider acceptable levels you need at least two cards.

I don't see the point in spending a ton of money on a 4k monitor to get a better quality image...and then play it on the lowest setting because that's all your card can muster.

[Nickfurious]

Pretty much nailed it. You can barely run 4k with a 780, let alone a 650Ti. To play it at what I would consider acceptable levels you need at least two cards.

I don't see the point in spending a ton of money on a 4k monitor to get a better quality image...and then play it on the lowest setting because that's all your card can muster.

Thanks.  :lol:

[Coollok100]

Thank you for your detailed response. My job may require video editing in the future. I want my rig to be able to perform efficiently when that day comes, plus I'm also planning on doing some voice/music recordings.

As for the monitor, I still don't know if I would go for a gaming monitor or a TV. I want one where I can enjoy gaming, my work, and watching movies. Any suggestions?

 

For video editing you'll probably want an i7 of some sort for the hyperthreading, as it does make a considerable difference. That being said, the 4670K is no slouch in this regard when overclocked, and if you're using GPU acceleration it probably wouldn't matter as much anyway. If the software you'll be using supports OpenCL I'd recommend an AMD card, if it only supports CUDA go for Nvidia - that's the best advice I can give you for this.

 

I'd probably push you in the direction of a decent monitor rather than a TV - lower price, more practical for general PC usage etc. (provided you already have a TV you are happy with). Whilst some monitors are built for "gaming", whether or not you want them will be dependant on your personal preferences. They almost always use TN panels, which means high refresh rates, low input lag and very little motion blur. Unfortunately the colours and contrast ratios aren't always brilliant, and there's noticeable colour shift at different angles. So, if you're not a competitive gamer, and prefer image quality over responsiveness, you might want a monitor with an IPS or VA panel. These both have their own benefits and drawbacks, but some common themes are that they are slower (lower refresh rates, more input lag and motion blur) but also have better colours and viewing angles. For watching movies I'd definitely go for a large IPS or VA monitor - you'll notice the difference. And for video editing, I'd recommend a colour calibrated IPS monitor (eg ASUS's PB series). Monitor choice is very subjective, so I'm afraid to say I can't simply send you the best screen in the world, but if you let me know what you'd prefer then I can help out.

[Hidden Orange]

For video editing you'll probably want an i7 of some sort for the hyperthreading, as it does make a considerable difference. That being said, the 4670K is no slouch in this regard when overclocked, and if you're using GPU acceleration it probably wouldn't matter as much anyway. If the software you'll be using supports OpenCL I'd recommend an AMD card, if it only supports CUDA go for Nvidia - that's the best advice I can give you for this.

It's late, but a Xeon could work... Y'know, those workstation CPUs that work on commercial mobos as well and are basically slightly underclocked, more efficient, and locked i7's?

[Coollok100]

It's late, but a Xeon could work... Y'know, those workstation CPUs that work on commercial mobos as well and are basically slightly underclocked, more efficient, and locked i7's?

Something from the Xeon E3 1200 (LG 1150) series might work well - they're cheaper and slightly faster than a stock i7 4770k, minus the integrated graphics. As for the socket 2011 ones, it would really depend on how serious the video editing the OP will be doing - the 4930k is VERY fast, but if ECC memory is required then you'll have to get a Xeon. The problem with most of the 2011 Xeon is the price /performance really isn't there - but these are workstation parts, so you still get what you pay for.