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The Bang - An APU based Value PC - Build log [BENCHMARKS ARE HERE! Overclocking advice would be appreciated]

VenkiPhy6

Build's name : The Bang

bang.jpg

(Picture from Google)

For how many bucks? : INR 44000(approx.) which is equivalent to USD 705. But since I am going to sell some parts of my 4 year old Intel core i3 2100 based PC, the cost comes down to INR 32000(approx.) which is equivalent to USD 515  :D  ***

 

Build's Purpose : For general web browsing, 2D vector animations and also occasional gaming(AAA titles like Assassin's creed)  (And maybe even some CFD)

 

Build's aim : VALUE (a.k.a. Getting the Bang for the buck. Hence the name :)  )

 

The Build :  

 

APU : AMD A10 7700k (Received)

Motherboard : AsRock FM2A88X+ BTC (Received)

RAM : G.Skill RipjawsX 8GB(4GB x 2) DDR3 @ 2133MhZ (Received)

PSU : Corsair builder series CX500 (Received)

Graphics card : AMD Radeon R7 250 1GB GDDR5 (Already owned)

Storage : Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB (Already owned)

Heatsink : Cooler Master Hyper 212x (Received)

Case : Deepcool Tesseract SW(with one front intake and one rear exhaust fan included) (Received)

Case Fan : Deepcool Xfan 120mm L/B x 1 (Received)

OS : Windows 8.1 Pro (Student) (Downloaded)

DVD drive : LG GH24NSC0 (Received)

 

SSD : Transcend SSD370 128GB 

Monitor : Dell SS2240L 21.5"

 

The Builder : Me with no experience of actually building before!!  :(  My older build was assembled for me by someone I know, though I chose all the components.

 

RATIONALE :

 

The build's aim and purpose should make it clear why I went for this build. So I will put this in the spoiler. You can read it, if you so desire.

 

 

  • Why I went for an APU and why this APU :

 

I didn't want to put all my money into an expensive GPU since I am going to be gaming only occassionally, but still whenever I played I wanted to do so in decent settings. So I decided to go for an APU which gives a decent performance in-game and good enough performance for other things. Also I already owned a dedicated R7 250 graphics card with which I can exploit dual graphics. Note that I didn't go for the 7850k and instead went for the 7700k since it seemed to me to be of more value for the money since, again, I am not going to be gaming always and so 10 compute cores(4CPU + 6 GPU) would be enough. In addition, this has some overclocking potential. So I figured, the 7700k would be it.

 

  • What the hell was I thinking going for a motherboard meant for bitcoin mining :

 

I didn't want all the exotic goodies, but just what was most needed. A decent number of SATA ports, atleast a couple of DDR3 RAM ports, USB 3.0 compatibility etc.. So I felt at first that the MSI A88XM E35 would do just fine. But then on looking at several articles by Anandtech like this and this (and other articles by them on FM2+ motherboards) I understood that there was some issues regarding the heatsinks. So I wanted a motherboard with a decent VRM heatsink. So I felt the AsRock FM2A88X+ BTC would do just fine with its 4+2 phase and a decent(-ish) VRM heatsink. All thanks to all those who replied to me in this thread for helping me decide upon this (especially user @dragoon20005 ).

 

 

  • Why I went for a faster RAM for a budget build :

 

non-hsa-vs-hsa-chart.png

 

 

 

Since the integrated graphic card(iGPU) makes use of system memory(RAM) along with the CPU as dictated by hUMA(heterogeneous Unified Memory Access), an integral part of HSA(Heterogeneous System Architecture), faster RAM can result in significant graphics performance benefits. Therefore RAM in an APU becomes 'Unified Coherent Memory'(as shown in the picture) and it becomes extremely important to have faster RAM in an APU based build. Hence the fast 2133MhZ Dual channel G.Skill RipjawsX 8GB RAM. See this video by Linus or this video by JayZTwoCents to understand how this is, in fact, also reflected in practice and is not just some theory.

 

  • Why CX500 for the PSU:

The Corsair CX500 comes at a decent price and is also 80 PLUS bronze certified. It has received appreciation from Austin's nipples....uhhh...Austin Evans in may of his build logs. Chere it out here .

 

  • With regards to the R7 250 GPU and Seagate barracuda storage, I already had them in my old build and so will continue using them, not failing to mention the former's ability to work 'in tandem with the integrated GPU'(Linus lingo for Dual graphics). But I believe a replacement for the latter will be in order in the next year or so
  • Why 212x and not 212 EVO for the CPU heatsink:

I know, right? But the 212 EVO is just so good that it has gone out of stock, everywhere here!!! So I had to go for the 212x which is the next best option. I must mention that I almost went for the TX3 EVO but after reminding myself to overclock and also about the 7700k's TDP rating of 95W, I changed my mind, fortunately, and went for the 212x.

  • Why the Deepcool Tesseract SW case :

The Deepcool Tesseract is a pretty good budget case with enough room for CPU heatsinks, fan mounts and even support for future upgrades like longer GPUs. I know the Corsair Elite series is also pretty good but...the Side Window though :rolleyes: . Also Tek Syndicate once referred to the Deepcool Tesseract BF case(which is the same as the SW case but without the Side window) in this video here.

 

  • As for the Case fan, OS and DVD drive....just went for it.
  • I wanted an IPS monitor for good colours. All of 'em were costly. So went for the cheapest one possible which was the Dell SS240L 21.5". of course, I haven't purchased it yet and so if anything new comes out before I buy it and it is in the same price range, I might go for it to. The same applies to the SSD also.

That pretty much wraps up the rationale I suppose. But if you have anymore questions or suggestions, feel free to reply.

 

 

Final words(for now):- Note that I was restricted to the Indian market alone here. My attempts to buy at international sites, failed miserably as I don't have a credit card and using Entropay wouldn't work because of AVS. But atleast, there were sales in offer price here and I was able to save a couple of thousand rupees. Happy for that!

 

Honestly, I am nervous, I haven't built a PC before. Last night I had a dream about applying thermal paste and....it wasn't good! :( So wish me luck on that!

 

I will keep you guys posted. Hope you liked this build. It will be a week(I suppose) before all the parts arrive. I might need some help with cable management, overclocking and cooling. If you have any advice regarding this, please leave it below. It will be a big help for an amateur like me.

 

Finally, I must link to this LTT video - ULTIMATE Kaveri APU PC Computer "How to" Build Guide. This was the video that inspired me to go with this build. So thanks to Linus and co. !

 

 

*** - Conversions are inaccurate. Same products might cost lesser in USD when bought in the US of A itself

My build log(in progress): http://bit.ly/1CMaebR

Cheers & Ciao!

Venki

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when this is done i wanna see benchmarks, im one to <3 the apu builders

4690K // 212 EVO // Z97-PRO // Vengeance 16GB // GTX 770 GTX 970 // MX100 128GB // Toshiba 1TB // Air 540 // HX650

Logitech G502 RGB // Corsair K65 RGB (MX Red)

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The Hyper 212X is better than the 212 EVO isn't it? Or at least newer.

Intel Core i7-5820K (4.4 GHz) | Gigabyte GTX 970 G1 Gaming | Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB  | 2x 360mm Custom Loop (Noctua iPPC) | ASRock X99 Extreme6 | Samsung 840 EVO 250GB | Fractal Design Define S | Corsair HX750 | Windows 10 | Corsair M65 RGB PRO | Corsair K70 RGB LUX (CherryMX Brown) | Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro & Creative Sound Blaster Z | Nexus 6P (32GB Aluminium) | Check out my setup: Project Kalte Here!

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The Hyper 212X is better than the 212 EVO isn't it? Or at least newer.

But the 'VALUE' ........ :mellow:

My build log(in progress): http://bit.ly/1CMaebR

Cheers & Ciao!

Venki

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The Hyper 212X is better than the 212 EVO isn't it? Or at least newer.

I think it's got a slightly bigger heatsink. It's not gonna be a big difference, but more of a refined version of the original EVO, with slightly better looks & maybe ~3c better cooling.

 

Also, it seems the fan is designed to clip around the sides with it's plastic shrouding. 

 

P1200940.JPG

Shot through the heart and you're to blame, 30fps and i'll pirate your game - Bon Jovi

Take me down to the console city where the games are blurry and the frames are thirty - Guns N' Roses

Arguing with religious people is like explaining to your mother that online games can't be paused...

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.................It's not gonna be a big difference, ...................

Exactly. But the cost is a bit too higher in some stores than the EVO, for the little difference in performance both have which is what bothers me...the lesser value........ So unlike me if both are available to a budget builder, it all comes down to the cost.

My build log(in progress): http://bit.ly/1CMaebR

Cheers & Ciao!

Venki

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Exactly. But the cost is a bit too higher in some stores than the EVO, for the little difference in performance both have which is what bothers me...the lesser value........ So unlike me if both are available to a budget builder, it all comes down to the cost.

Tbh, if you choose a case that has a see-through sidepanel, i'd go for the newer model, since it looks better. The original EVO is fucking ugly imo.

Shot through the heart and you're to blame, 30fps and i'll pirate your game - Bon Jovi

Take me down to the console city where the games are blurry and the frames are thirty - Guns N' Roses

Arguing with religious people is like explaining to your mother that online games can't be paused...

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Tbh, if you choose a case that has a see-through sidepanel, i'd go for the newer model, since it looks better. The original EVO is fucking ugly imo.

Hmmm...I didn't know that. Anyways, my build is fine then! :D

My build log(in progress): http://bit.ly/1CMaebR

Cheers & Ciao!

Venki

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Small update:

 

Got the CPU cooler and the DVD drive.

 

 

post-173907-0-95064200-1427112791_thumb.

 

post-173907-0-21705500-1427112923_thumb.

 

 

 

Surprisingly the case also came in an hour and a half later!! :)

 

 

post-173907-0-68335400-1427113076_thumb.

 

My build log(in progress): http://bit.ly/1CMaebR

Cheers & Ciao!

Venki

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UPDATE:

 

So I received the motherboard today, but I am a bit worried because the motherboard box was a bit cracked and worn off. It didn't look like a new product except that the IO shield and SATA cables that came with it were unopened. Maybe the product was returned by someone else and I got that piece from the seller? Does it mean the board isn't in working condition? Or is it all just shipping damage? I dunno and I am concerned. The processor hasn't come in it yet and so I can't even check if the board is working for now. Lets see how this goes. Hope I don't have to return the product and get a new one and have to do all that crap.  :mellow:  :(

 

 

Poor internet here. Images coming soon!! 

 

 

 

 

My build log(in progress): http://bit.ly/1CMaebR

Cheers & Ciao!

Venki

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UPDATE:-

 

Fortunately, there is nothing to fear about the motherboard. It works fine and remains at somewhere around 39-41oC. But what is worrisome is the CPU(APU) temperatures!!  :mellow:

 

My CPU has got some severe fever! Temperatures at ideal is from 55-65oC!  :unsure:

 

But that is not it.....when I ran Bioshock Infinte temps where around upper 70s!!!! :wacko:

 

AND I HAVE NOT EVEN OVERCLOCKED THINGS YET!!

 

I changed the CPU heat sink fan to push air, reapplied thermal paste, changed the fan positions in the chassis, disabled Dual graphics, put the fans in full speed, but all in vain!!! :(

 

So I now really really need your help people, SHOULD I ADD A SECOND FAN TO THE CPU HEAT SINK AND RUN IT IN PUSH-PULL? DOES THAT INCREASE COOLING PERFORMANCE??  OR DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS??

 

PS:-

I am still a bit worried about my thermal paste application. I just realized that in both my heat sink installation attempts I put the thermal paste(applied a line) and without further ado put the heat sink on it and tightened it. Is that wrong? Should I like allow the thermal paste to dry a bit before installation? 

 

Also I used the paste that comes with the cooler master heat sink. Should I buy something else and try?

 

I said I ran Bioshock Infinte....though the temps were bad, the FPS was great. I ran at ULTRA preset in 1366 x 768 and got an average of 65 FPS with Dual graphics enabled and an average of 43 FPS without Dual Graphics. :rolleyes:   [Note that these are not that accurate as I didn't run enough trials. More accurate measures and benchmarks coming soon.]

My build log(in progress): http://bit.ly/1CMaebR

Cheers & Ciao!

Venki

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UPDATE:-

 

Fortunately, there is nothing to fear about the motherboard. It works fine and remains at somewhere around 39-41oC. But what is worrisome is the CPU(APU) temperatures!!  :mellow:

 

My CPU has got some severe fever! Temperatures at ideal is from 55-65oC!  :unsure:

 

But that is not it.....when I ran Bioshock Infinte temps where around upper 70s!!!! :wacko:

 

AND I HAVE NOT EVEN OVERCLOCKED THINGS YET!!

 

I changed the CPU heat sink fan to push air, reapplied thermal paste, changed the fan positions in the chassis, disabled Dual graphics, put the fans in full speed, but all in vain!!! :(

 

So I now really really need your help people, SHOULD I ADD A SECOND FAN TO THE CPU HEAT SINK AND RUN IT IN PUSH-PULL? DOES THAT INCREASE COOLING PERFORMANCE??  OR DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS??

 

PS:-

I am still a bit worried about my thermal paste application. I just realized that in both my heat sink installation attempts I put the thermal paste(applied a line) and without further ado put the heat sink on it and tightened it. Is that wrong? Should I like allow the thermal paste to dry a bit before installation? 

 

Also I used the paste that comes with the cooler master heat sink. Should I buy something else and try?

 

I said I ran Bioshock Infinte....though the temps were bad, the FPS was great. I ran at ULTRA preset in 1366 x 768 and got an average of 65 FPS with Dual graphics enabled and an average of 43 FPS without Dual Graphics. :rolleyes:   [Note that these are not that accurate as I didn't run enough trials. More accurate measures and benchmarks coming soon.]

you could try remount, reapply and get another fan for push pull

 

but given you are using dual graphics

 

both the CPU and iGPU are working hard

 

so temps are normal

Budget? Uses? Currency? Location? Operating System? Peripherals? Monitor? Use PCPartPicker wherever possible. 

Quote whom you're replying to, and set option to follow your topics. Or Else we can't see your reply.

 

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...................

 

 

but given you are using dual graphics

 

both the CPU and iGPU are working hard

 

so temps are normal

 

Interesting point there....HWMonitor doesn't show CPU and iGPU temps separately. Is it possible to find it out separately? Any other better software is available?

My build log(in progress): http://bit.ly/1CMaebR

Cheers & Ciao!

Venki

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Interesting point there....HWMonitor doesn't show CPU and iGPU temps separately. Is it possible to find it out separately? Any other better software is available?

use GPU-Z ID it will read the iGPU and dGPU

Budget? Uses? Currency? Location? Operating System? Peripherals? Monitor? Use PCPartPicker wherever possible. 

Quote whom you're replying to, and set option to follow your topics. Or Else we can't see your reply.

 

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but given you are using dual graphics

 

both the CPU and iGPU are working hard

 

so temps are normal

 

You are right it seems.  :)

 

use GPU-Z ID it will read the iGPU and dGPU

 

I also found out about Speedfan while searching around for GPU-Z. I used both simultaneously and the temps they showed were consistent.

 

Here is a screen shot of the temps in Speedfan(I saw it was consistent with GPU-Z but couldn't screenshot both simultaneously) when Bioshock Infinite was running in windowed mode:

 

 

post-173907-0-42132900-1427444240_thumb.

 

 

Note that the second GPU that is with that burning flame symbol in the picture is iGPU+dGPU(as also seen in GPU-Z). So I suppose YOU ARE RIGHT. But I still don't understand how HW monitor shows it CPU temps! Even if I add up CPU+iGPU temps I don't get a value in the upper 70s as HWMonitor shows! Do you have any idea why HWMonitor is behaving this way? 

 

More importantly, should I still continue worrying about my temps? And can I go for some overclocking fun now?!  :rolleyes:  

My build log(in progress): http://bit.ly/1CMaebR

Cheers & Ciao!

Venki

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You are right it seems.  :)

 

 

I also found out about Speedfan while searching around for GPU-Z. I used both simultaneously and the temps they showed were consistent.

 

Here is a screen shot of the temps in Speedfan(I saw it was consistent with GPU-Z but couldn't screenshot both simultaneously) when Bioshock Infinite was running in windowed mode:

 

 

attachicon.gifTemps in Speedfan.jpg

 

 

Note that the second GPU that is with that burning flame symbol in the picture is iGPU+dGPU(as also seen in GPU-Z). So I suppose YOU ARE RIGHT. But I still don't understand how HW monitor shows it CPU temps! Even if I add up CPU+iGPU temps I don't get a value in the upper 70s as HWMonitor shows! Do you have any idea why HWMonitor is behaving this way? 

 

More importantly, should I still continue worrying about my temps? And can I go for some overclocking fun now?!  :rolleyes:  

 

yea AMD temp sensors may be out whack at times

 

you can get 100 degrees all of a sudden

 

since you are using speedfan and GPU-Z ID and the temps are consistent

 

i will say it good 

 

for OCing try bumping the iGPU speed to 1GHz and compare the before and after fps in Bioshock Infinite

Budget? Uses? Currency? Location? Operating System? Peripherals? Monitor? Use PCPartPicker wherever possible. 

Quote whom you're replying to, and set option to follow your topics. Or Else we can't see your reply.

 

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Finally, sat down to overclock. But felt like doing stress tests and run benchmarks to make sure the temps are fine and also to give you guys a accurate insight. So, I shut down most unnecessary stuff, disconnected the PC from the internet(posting here from my laptop).

 

I am now running a Prime95 Blend (Torture)test. Its been an hour now @ 100% load. So far, GPU temperatures are lurking around 45oC and CPU is at 60oC and no errors have shown up. Will continue to run for at least 5 or 6 hours more.

 

If everything works out fine, I am thinking of also running a Memtest86. Then I will overclock...no, wait.....benchmark with, Novabench and PCMark. I will run Bioshock Infinite and give you accurate benchmarks(instead of the less accurate ones I gave in a reply before. That is to say perform a lot of trials and give you guys the mean result).

 

Then I will overclock(Need a lot of help with this. Now checking out the related sub forum) and when the overclock seems stable, do it all over again and check.

 

So, is my methodology correct here? I have never done this before and would love some advice. 

My build log(in progress): http://bit.ly/1CMaebR

Cheers & Ciao!

Venki

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Finally, sat down to overclock. But felt like doing stress tests and run benchmarks to make sure the temps are fine and also to give you guys a accurate insight. So, I shut down most unnecessary stuff, disconnected the PC from the internet(posting here from my laptop).

 

I am now running a Prime95 Blend (Torture)test. Its been an hour now @ 100% load. So far, GPU temperatures are lurking around 45oC and CPU is at 60oC and no errors have shown up. Will continue to run for at least 5 or 6 hours more.

 

If everything works out fine, I am thinking of also running a Memtest86. Then I will overclock...no, wait.....benchmark with, Novabench and PCMark. I will run Bioshock Infinite and give you accurate benchmarks(instead of the less accurate ones I gave in a reply before. That is to say perform a lot of trials and give you guys the mean result).

 

Then I will overclock(Need a lot of help with this. Now checking out the related sub forum) and when the overclock seems stable, do it all over again and check.

 

So, is my methodology correct here? I have never done this before and would love some advice. 

seems pretty good  :)  be sure to update us  :D

I am a member of the PCMasterRace. I am terribly sad to announce that I own a PeasantStation 3 Super Slim. it's in a drawer away from my glorious PC.
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Nice build,everything seems to be fine.

When everything else Fails,Crowbar IT. - Half-life

 

Being a Linux user is sort of like living in a house inhabited by a large family of carpenters and architects. Every morning when you wake up, the house is a little different. Maybe there is a new turret, or some walls have moved. Or perhaps someone has temporarily removed the floor under your bed." - Unix for Dummies, 2nd Edition (Found in the .sig of Rob Riggs) 

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The benchmarks are coming in a few hours....sorry I am a bit late...

 

 

post-173907-0-62533500-1427721862.png

 

I am aware that I could keep one setting and do all benchmarks and move on. But I had little time yesterday and decided to do novabench alone. 

 

My build log(in progress): http://bit.ly/1CMaebR

Cheers & Ciao!

Venki

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Finally, its here....

 

BENCHMARKS !!!! B)   (without OC) 

 

Now, as far as I could think, there were 2 variables - primary display adapter(discrete GPU vs integrated GPU), Dual graphics mode (Enabled vs Disabled). Therefore all benchmarks were performed in four different configurations:-

  • With dGPU as primary display and Dual Graphics Enabled (represented as dGPU, DG On)
  • With dGPU as primary display and Dual Graphics Disabled (represented as dGPU, DG Off)
  • With iGPU as primary display and Dual Graphics Enabled (represented as iGPU, DG On)
  • With iGPU as primary display and Dual Graphics Disabled (represented as iGPU, DG Off)

The graphic driver info is shown:

 

 

post-173907-0-96161300-1427749037_thumb.

 

 

Note that the latest BIOS version was updated to(though I don't know how that factors in here :P  ). The PC was allowed 2 or 3 days to settle itself down. Also note that as said earlier Prime95 stress testing was done for 6 hours and no errors were found. In addition, Memtest86 was run for 35 minutes approximately and no errors were found in any of the tests.

 

TL;DR:- I did things that are to be done for getting results that are not so inaccurate.  :D

 

Novabench:

 

Internet connections were disconnected. Almost all unnecessary background applications were closed(AFAIK). 

 

Here are the results(HIGHER IS BETTER):

 

post-173907-0-26100600-1427748355.png

 

Note that though only one trial has been shown above, another trial was performed and it was found that the results were repeatable(the scores only differed by 3 or 4 maximum and hence showing that would have been insignificant). 

 

When the reasons behind the differences in the Overall Scores are looked into, it is clear that the RAM, CPU or Hardware scores don't have much of a say here and it is mostly influenced by the Graphics score. It is clear that Dual graphics significantly improves 'Graphics performance' with iGPU as primary device but decreases the performance when the dGPU is primary. Remember that 'Graphics performance' need not necessarily mean gaming performance. It might rather be rendering, image manipulation etc.. 

 

 

PC Mark 7:

 

Again, Internet connections were disconnected. Almost all unnecessary background applications were closed(AFAIK). The results are as shown(HIGHER IS BETTER):

 

post-173907-0-94590300-1427748331.png

 

Only 1 trial was performed here, since this is a time consuming benchmark and also the results were consistent with Novabench scores.

 

The graph shows it all. The scores are consistent with what was seen in Novabench.

 

 

Bioshock Infinte:

 

This one is by far the most interesting benchmark(of the above two, at least). These were the settings:

 

  • Resolution - 1366 x 768
  • Preset - Ultra
  • V-Sync - On

 

post-173907-0-52787400-1427750361_thumb.

 

 

All FPS readings were taken with FRAPS (version 3.5.99 and build 15619). All temperature readings were taken with SpeedFan 4.51 (though it was not allowed to alter any of the fan speeds since 'Automatic Fan speed' option was enabled. Note that, the famous HWMonitor couldn't be used, as the readings it showed seemed..... fishy .....as explained in earlier posts in this thread.) 

 

A level that had some explosions and fire fights was thought to be the best one for benchmarking purposes to get results that gave a deeper insight into the performance(or rather for me to not get bored and have some fun while benchmarking  ;) ). Therefore the level named 'The palace of zeal' was chosen. The same level was played in every trial and FRAPS was allowed to benchmark only for 180 seconds of the gameplay(within which the level always ended. Or rather I was cool enough to shoot all the bad guys before that. B)  It was fun! :D). Only the gameplay was benchmarked. The menu or the loading screen FPS were not taken into account. 

 

 

The palace of zeal

 

post-173907-0-50648900-1427750418_thumb.

 

post-173907-0-86179600-1427750440_thumb.

 

(Yeah, we know. SOMETIMES.......)

 

 

 

3 trials were performed for each of the configurations mentioned earlier. Each reading below is a mean of the readings in the 3 trials.(HIGHER IS BETTER)  

 

post-173907-0-75464600-1427750462.png

 

Since the game in a way is a stress to the PC noting temperature readings also seemed a good idea. But this was not done so elegantly. Speedfan was kept opened in the background and was 'Alt+Tab'ed to when the trial ended and the temperature reading observed was noted down. Each reading below is a maximum of the readings in the 3 trials.(The reason for this is evident. We want to know how high the temperatures can go.)(LOWER IS BETTER)

 

post-173907-0-94849500-1427750813.png

 

 

 

Note the high differences between maximum and minimum FPS when Dual Graphics is enabled. This is reflected in-game as occasional stutters, tears and lags. I THINK THIS IS DUE TO FRAME PACING AND WITH SOFTWARE IMPROVEMENTS FROM AMD, THIS CAN BE RESOLVED. But for now, IMO, this offsets the advantage that the Average FPS improvements of Dual Graphics give, since in addition to the stutters, the temperatures also don't look so good in 'DG On' configurations, comparatively. It is also noteworthy, that Dual Graphics improves Average FPS when the iGPU is primary, much more than if dGPU is primary. But intoto, the PC gamer tradition wins for now(until AMD resolves Frame pacing issue, completely) - CPU + dGPU for best performance.

 

Yet, I would personally go with iGPU as primary and Dual Graphics switched On. Because, while delivering very good performance this also puts the CPU temperatures within my comfort zone(in the lower and mid 50s, rather than the upper 50s). Also I will play mostly in high settings as opposed to Ultra or very high and be satisfied. In addition, I will probably crank up the fan speeds manually too, rather than opting for automatic fan speeds, as I did in this benchmarking test, giving me much better temps.

 

Now, before I end this post, I want to put to your notice[if you are willing to] something weird that I observed in my benchmarking trials. Maybe this is not weird and all of you know the answer to this, but at least I don't know that answer and so it is weird at least to me. Look at it only if you are genuinely interested. There is a reason why it is in a spoiler.

 

 

Here are some readings:-

 

post-173907-0-52688400-1427751901.png

 

Notice how the readings of the 1st & 4th trials alone are high? Actually, I had just started the game and went into the gameplay through the game's actual menu for the 1st and 4th trials (i.e) they were the 1st gameplay after 'Bioshock Infinite.exe' was opened. For the rest of the trials, I went into gameplay from the menu that appears when you press escape mid-gameplay (i.e) they were second or third gameplays after starting 'Bioshock Infinite.exe' .....and in these subsequent gameplays, I got lower FPS readings than the first gameplay!!! This was totally perplexing! :wacko: Interestingly, this was observed only when Dual Graphics was Disabled. When it was enabled, going into the game, for the first time from the menu or for the second time from mid-gameplay-menu didn't make a difference and FPS readings were consistent, whether it was the first or second or nth gameplay for an opening of 'Bioshock Infinite.exe'. No idea why this is so! Maybe this has something to do with how Dual Graphics works? Anyone care to guess or know the answer for this?

 

 

Finally, one funny(actually not-so-funny) experience. Again, only if you are genuinely interested....

 

When I was benchmarking earlier on saturday, (the readings of which I have not taken into account. This was just to check temps so that I can have a good fan configuration.)....... the PC suddenly crashed! I was thrown back, completely frightened that I had broken a brand new PC within a couple of days :o  (though I felt kinda cool about doing that in my guts  B) )! Then I sat down, took the CPU and checked....and found out.... I had not fixed the power cord tightly enough into the PSU !! It was loose and so that led to the PC crash!!!! Thank God! The whole CPU could have burnt down to ashes! But luckily, nothing happened and I literally went LOL.  :D So ALWAYS BE CAREFUL WITH THEM POWER CORDS AND PSUs.

 

That is it for now. I have represented data at a more macro level here. If you want micro level data, go here to my Google sheet: http://bit.ly/1bKRkIa

 

Would love to know your thoughts on the readings. Also I haven't overclocked yet. Will probably do it next Saturday. So advice on overclocking would be great. 

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My build log(in progress): http://bit.ly/1CMaebR

Cheers & Ciao!

Venki

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  • 4 weeks later...

UPDATE(its about time) :- 

 

I have not had time to properly spend time for overclocking. I once just closed my eyes and set the CPU multiplier to 4.2GHz and voltage to 1.375. Seemed pretty stable but the thermal margin(which AMD overdrive shows) seems to be only 15oC at 100% load. But I think I can crank down the voltage a bit and get more thermal margin. Anyways, that is what I have done so far now. Will have to find time to properly overclock by playin' with the BCLK and all. I will probably do that by 10th of May or so(when all the bloody exams will get over). 

 

BTW, I am actually pretty happy I haven't overclocked properly yet, because in the last two days I have been having frequent power cuts here and just realized that my UPS wasn't supplying enough power to the PSU when the power went off !! (Check out my thread here) So if I had overclocked, there would have been some chances for a few fatalities! Anyways, I am getting a new 800VA APC UPS. 

 

Also if you see my OP I have decided not to buy a Monitor and SSD. That was because I couldn't sell my older PC for as much as I thought I could. So I have started saving money now and after a couple of years I will upgrade along with a new graphics card. I believe that before that time, 4K FreeSync monitors would have become practical 'Value' purchases and in addition many more graphics card would get supported by Dual graphics which would have overcome all the frame pacing issues. We will see how that goes.... :)  

 

For now, instead of buying that monitor I have put some money into buying games(Yeah baby!) Check out my thread here . 

 

Also I haven't put pics of the build running since my cable management is pretty much in ruins for now. Will have to figure that out and then post the pics. 

 

So, lot of work and at the same time (with the games)lot of fun to have with my new build!

 

That's it for now.

 

TL;DR:- Will have to find time to properly overclock and do cable management. Also decided not to buy a Monitor and SSD and bought some games instead.

My build log(in progress): http://bit.ly/1CMaebR

Cheers & Ciao!

Venki

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