The i7 Upgrade.

wyattzx · February 2, 2015

Hey guys!

Previously, I discussed the possibility of converting my build from AMD to Intel. I wanted to know how to delete threads, because I don't want to spam this section with similar threads, so I'll try to make this my last. I want to go high-end. Not quite X99 high-end yet, but I don't want bottlenecks in games. I do more editing than gaming though, so that was more of a focus here. You can check my signature for my current hardware, and so these upgrades will keep the other hardware. My goal is a strong editing PC, that's silent, and with a nice black-and-white color scheme.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($316.99 @ SuperBiiz)

CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X61 106.1 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($128.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Motherboard: MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($120.98 @ Newegg)

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX Video Card ($329.00 @ Directron)

Total: $895.96

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-02-02 18:34 EST-0500

I didn't add RAM, because I plan to get 16GB of Kingston HyperX RAM in white to match the build, and I don't think that's something that needs discussed. I plan to do 2x8GB, so I can add another 16GB later.

I chose the NZXT Kraken x61 since I know it works well with my case, and because I need to free up my two RAM slots, which my current Hyper 212 EVO blocks, and looks like it will block on this new board as well, since I do a push-pull configuration as of now. In terms of the build, how does it look?

Additionally, with this chip, and on an AiO (not necessarily this one) what kind of overclocks would I expect out of this chip, where I'm not pushing it to "iffy" territory?

Thanks! All opinions are appreciated!

Badger906 · February 2, 2015

spec is fine, just throw in a decent sized SSD if you don't already have one and you're on to a winner!

Sauron · February 2, 2015

Looks good, personally I'd get an R9 290c instead with the current pricing though. The kraken cooler might be a little overkill unless you're planning to do over the top oc.