Overkill PCs

[Jamdude]

Lots of things are considered overkill, people usually just say it when they are jealous of something and want to pick things out that you don't actually need.

Things usually considered as overkill:

>8GB RAM

>1866MHz RAM

>850W PSU

CPU >3770k

>256GB SSD

>2TB HDD

SLI 680 or above

XFire 7870 or above

These are the things I usually see people saying are overkill or nobody will ever need.

@limetech, Yes I meant for a gaming rig, these are the things I see a lot of people saying are overkill for a computer used for gaming.

@3570tech, More than 8GB of RAM is deemed as overkill by a lot of people for a gaming rig.

[Grenades4Balls]

My friend just built a computer that I think is major over kill for what he needs it for, he watches youtube videos, and plays nothing but empire total war. He bought a 3770k, 16gb 1600MHz memory, 2 670s, 1000w xfx psu, water cooling and 2 samsung ssds with a 1tb wd black for storage. I told him all he really needs is a 3570k, 8gb of ram and a 660ti with a 750w psu but hes one of those people who need the best for bragging rights xD

Im still rocking a gts250 1gb and a amd phenom 965 with 4gb of ram (I just ordered a 8gb kit ) lol and I can play all the games still except for Crysis 3 bc its DX11. I do plan on upgrading but ill probably only get a 7790 or a 650 ti boost :P

[Grenades4Balls]

What I believe is overkill for a PC is anything that a user puts into the PC that will not be used to the full potential.

Specifically in gaming, it depends on the game involved. Some games full spec hardware isn't needed in other PC game full spec. ie; Crysis 3 full spec hardware isn't needed to run solitaire (Mind you, you would be playing solitaire like no other :P ). So it's hard to put a list of hardware together that would be considered overkill.

There are many enthusiasts that build "overkill" PC's for their own satisfaction. Adding the custom loop, the Titan or two is more for the own user's aesthetic goal. Some just do it (like said above) for bragging rights. Either way, I wouldn't consider any PC overkill if it achieves the goal that is intended.

@wahdahale, I built my computer 3 years ago, spent maybe $600 on it and I dont plan on upgrading much anytime soon, maybe a new video card, and even without that i can still play all the latest games at medium settings except Crysis 3.

[acturisme]

If you can afford it. It's not overkill.

[CrazyMike]

When purchases are made but the customer can not explain the reason behind the purchase.

Here: http://linustechtips.com/main/forum/computer-hardware/graphics-cards/151555-2x-gtx-titan-or-3x-gtx680-ftw

Prime example of this. Overkill/trolling.

[Enderman]

Many people think I have an overkill PC for one reason: the only game I play is Minecraft.

What people do not understand however is that Minecraft is very cpu intensive, I run two servers 24/7 on the same computer, I record videos, I edit videos, and I upload videos!

I have 16GB of ram because usually I use over 10GB.

I have a 3770K because it has hyperthreading.

I have a 240GB SSD because the servers need that speed.

I have 2.5TB of storage which is almost full, and need to upgrade to save all my videos. (4TB drives FTW!)

I also need to upgrade my video card, but I will for the 700 series. Probably a 780 would be decent. ( recording REALLY drops your fps)

Many people think spending thousands of $ for a computer to run Minecraft is a waste, but personally I find it has its reasons.

[Zuba Twizta]

You can go a lot more excessive than this but people commonly make the mistake of

3770k over 3570k

more than 8gb ram/higher speed ram

excessive wattage psu

the rest will vary depending on your personal preferences and budget limitations

my new rig that i just built has i7-3770K (OC @ 4.9GHz), 16GB 2400MHz, AX1200I and it's awesome. I'm using most of the power outputs. Your point is invalid.

[iTonyy]

You can go a lot more excessive than this but people commonly make the mistake of

3770k over 3570k

more than 8gb ram/higher speed ram

excessive wattage psu

the rest will vary depending on your personal preferences and budget limitations

Sure thats great but in terms of gaming, all that premium hardware will not significantly improve performance

To get near the same performance as your pc, a rig at at about half the price of yours is more than capable

Also the average gamer who doesn't do video editing and etc will not even use hyperthreading and more than/faster than 8gb 1600mhz ram

As your getting a large wattage psu, if you have enough things that require power than its fine but if not then it would just be wasted money on excessive potential, sure there is future proofing but considering how fast hardware advances, your rig will most likely be obsolete by the time you will need that extra power

[Liam-Wabbit]

You could always buy a $50.000 gold plated computer ;)

Be honest, how many of you gone window shopping and built a list of things you want,

but you know you'll never buy or need them

6 x 512gb SATA 3 SSD's, motherboards with built in SAS (workstation, not really for gaming)

sli titans, 64gb of ram on a ram riser card :p think we've all done it :)

how many people drooled over the EVGA dual xeon board with, I think 7 pcix16 slots, but don't quote me.

Like a friend of mine when he first got 16gb for nothing more than bragging rights,

only for me to ask him, let me know when you use all of that, while playing train simulator lol

[GTX590]

You can go a lot more excessive than this but people commonly make the mistake of

3770k over 3570k

more than 8gb ram/higher speed ram

excessive wattage psu

the rest will vary depending on your personal preferences and budget limitations

You are WAY overkill on your PSU. An I7-3770K @ 4.9GHz has a MAX TDP of 112.5 and here is the calculation

4.9GHz(OC speed)/3.9GHz(Stock turbo)*1.4(Overclock voltage)/1.2(Stock Voltage)*77=112.5

What video cards are you running? 16GB of Ram doesn't really pull much power, with the motherboard @ 100% load, it's usually 25-35 watts for the board+ram. Unless you're running 4xHD 7970's you are WAY overkill. LED Fans don't even pull more than 3-4w each, even pumps don't offload too much either.

[pilotgod]

This is a very subjective question. Maybe an "Overkill" PC is just someone who doesn't want to be forced in changing the setup for 5 or so years. Or it could be somebody with a custom liquid cooled PC sporting a Quad SLI setup and a 3960X just so they can run Solitaire, Minesweeper, and the occasional Angry Birds session.

[Kilmer02]

Dual Xeons

Yeah I can vouch, dual xeons= overkill

[Gigachip]

I never looked at a computer as being overkill as without looking at what its being used for. If its a media computer then having high end gear in it (imo) would be considered overkill. Gaming, not so much.

[Robert.T]

When purchases are made but the customer can not explain the reason behind the purchase.

Brilliant answer and completely agree. If you don't know what you are buying and why, then most likely you don't need it. This comes to mind when I see some Caselabs builds on these forums...(I have only just started reading btw)