To upgrade or not!

[nkfw]

OK, so the current rig has a

GA-P35DS3L

Q6600 2.4 Stock Cooler (running @ 2.87)

RAM 4Gb DDR2 (1Gbx4) PC2-6400 (2xGSkill & 2xCrucial)

R9-270 (Just upgraded from an GT220)

... other stuff like 4 HDD, 1 Blue-ray. all inside an NSK-4480B. Currently I'm playing COD4, BF4 (because it was free w/ the R9), Should I upgrade? should I water cool the CPU and ramp it up to 3.6? If I upgrade, will it make any difference? I'm playing in a Vizio E370VA (TV) @ 1920x1080 60Hz.

 

I've been thinking about the 4670K, but I'm not too sure if is really gonna make a difference since the change will imply 240-250 (CPU), Mobo (70-200), RAM (50-100), Water Cooling (50-100), So... all that money in american dollars, will give me what in term of performance !

 

Oh BTW the PSU is RaidMax 535W 80bronze (replaced the Case one Antec 380W) 

 

Help!!!??

[CoolBeans]

What is your budget, I am sure a 8320 will be more than enough for your needs though, you shouldn't need watercooling, just a Hyper 212 Evo

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD FX-6300 3.5GHz 6-Core Processor  ($109.99 @ TigerDirect) 

CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ Microcenter) 

Motherboard:  MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  Corsair XMS 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($44.99 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply:  Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($54.99 @ Microcenter) 

Total: $299.95

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-02 01:07 EST-0500)

[cjeffcoatjr]

Your CPU is bottlenecking your GPU. Here is what I would get:

 

8320

CM Hyper 212 EVO

Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3

8GB 2x4GB of whatever has a heat spreader, and is the cheapest

 

Then put the extra money to a better PSU (RaidMax is a terrible brand), and to a SSD.

[cjeffcoatjr]

What is your budget, I am sure a 8320 will be more than enough for your needs though, you shouldn't need watercooling, just a Hyper 212 Evo

I would gather its anywhere from $410-650

[nkfw]

What is your budget, I am sure a 8320 will be more than enough for your needs though, you shouldn't need watercooling, just a Hyper 212 Evo

 

The budget is pretty limited, I mean I can buy it in stages, but the lowest I have to pay the best, I love best bang for the dollar!

[nsyedhasan]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($149.99 @ TigerDirect)
CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard:  Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($74.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory:  Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($69.98 @ OutletPC)
Case:  Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply:  Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply  ($37.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $432.93
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-02 01:10 EST-0500)

[Priller]

I know the 970 boards look good for AMDs but by in large they are mostly junk.

 

Bios, Power Phases, heatsink designs, LLC are all issues amongst different boards.

 

If you are on a budget and need a solid choice for an AMD based build you have basically two choices. Asus M5A99FX Pro R2.0(130-150 US) Currently Or the 990FXA-UD3 Rev 4.0 (135 US)

 

This way you dont kill your budget but they will allow you to OC if you want to, keep temps in check for VRMs and Northbridge, LLC works correctly, proper BIOs', etc.

 

Also, MSI does good video cards and good Intel motherboards. They however are not good with AMD boards for one reason or another. Every board (literally) I've seen that is MSI for AMD has had issues and I believe it's caused by the higher power needs of the FX processors. What I am saying is that it is of my opinion (and others) that you stick with Asus or Gigabyte for an AMD motherboard. 

[TechFan@ic]

I know the 970 boards look good for AMDs but by in large they are mostly junk.

 

Bios, Power Phases, heatsink designs, LLC are all issues amongst different boards.

 

If you are on a budget and need a solid choice for an AMD based build you have basically two choices. Asus M5A99FX Pro R2.0(130-150 US) Currently Or the 990FXA-UD3 Rev 4.0 (135 US)

 

This way you dont kill your budget but they will allow you to OC if you want to, keep temps in check for VRMs and Northbridge, LLC works correctly, proper BIOs', etc.

 

Also, MSI does good video cards and good Intel motherboards. They however are not good with AMD boards for one reason or another. Every board (literally) I've seen that is MSI for AMD has had issues and I believe it's caused by the higher power needs of the FX processors. What I am saying is that it is of my opinion (and others) that you stick with Asus or Gigabyte for an AMD motherboard. 

The Asus M5A97 R2.0 board is fantastically capable and feature-packed.

It's the only 970 boards to support proper LLC and VRM cooling, so it's the only 970 board that I would recommend for 8320 CPUs & up.

[Priller]

The Asus M5A97 R2.0 board is fantastically capable and feature-packed.

It's the only 970 boards to support proper LLC and VRM cooling, so it's the only 970 board that I would recommend for 8320 CPUs & up.

 

They must have changed that and borrowed some parts from the 990 board.

 

Ok so that's 1 970 board. lol

[TechFan@ic]

They must have changed that and borrowed some parts from the 990 board.

 

Ok so that's 1 970 board. lol

They probably did, most if not all other 970 boards have throttling issues with the 8350 and really poor or even absent LLC which makes overclocking these 8 core chips very difficult.

[nkfw]

So 8320, Which MoBo, b/c from what you guys are saying the 970 is not a good thing to do. I would rather then stick to a 990?..

 

I will definitely will be OC'ing

[Priller]

So 8320, Which MoBo, b/c from what you guys are saying the 970 is not a good thing to do. I would rather then stick to a 990?..

 

I will definitely will be OC'ing

 

Budget for the mobo?

[nkfw]

Budget for the mobo?

Bang for the buck, but I don't think the Mobo is a part to cheap out at so I guess 70-100 USD

[Priller]

Bang for the buck, but I don't think the Mobo is a part to cheap out at so I guess 70-100 USD

 

At that price range nothing to be honest.

 

The cheapest bang for buck you have two options.

 

Asus M5A990FX Pro R2.0 That with a rebate is $129 IIRC Or the 990FXA-UD3 Rev 4.0 that is $135 US.

[nkfw]

At that price range nothing to be honest.

 

The cheapest bang for buck you have two options.

 

Asus M5A990FX Pro R2.0 That with a rebate is $129 IIRC Or the 990FXA-UD3 Rev 4.0 that is $135 US.

OK so 129-135 LOL

[nkfw]

At that price range nothing to be honest.

 

The cheapest bang for buck you have two options.

 

Asus M5A990FX Pro R2.0 That with a rebate is $129 IIRC Or the 990FXA-UD3 Rev 4.0 that is $135 US.

OK, so far we have 8320, with a 990FXA-UD3

[Priller]

OK, so far we have 8320, with a 990FXA-UD3

 

Then get some G. Skill Ripjaws X Ram 2x8GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231528

 

I have 2 kits of this ram and its very good. I have pushed it to 2239 stable. It took 2250 mhz before it became unstable.

 

Why 2x8GB? The IMC in AMD CPUs arent as strong as Intels. So running two larger dimms will be easier to run at a higher speed which will come in handy when you do alot of FSB overclocking, compared to trying to run 4 dimms.

 

I do believe they make them in different colors as well but I guest at Red. 

[Priller]

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($149.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($89.99 @ NCIX US) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($134.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($157.40 @ Amazon) 

Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($194.98 @ Amazon) 

Total: $727.35

 

The 860i was cheaper then the 760i oddly enough. You can get the 760i at Newegg for 169 but that is with a rebate.

 

You reusing your case or looking for a new one? What type of HDD requirements do you have?

 

Using the H-100i and 860i will allow you to use Corsair link to monitor the watercooler and the PSU. If that doesnt matter to you and you would rather save money then a comparable PSU can be had a but cheaper.

 

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($149.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($89.99 @ NCIX US) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($134.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($157.40 @ Amazon) 

Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($114.99 @ NCIX US) 

Total: $647.36

[TechFan@ic]

I absolutely agree with Priller, the best bang for buck 990FX boards are the Gigabyte UD3 and the Asus M5A99FX Pro 2.0.
The Asus board has a slightly better UEFI and slightly better chasis fan control, slightly faster USB3 ports, it's generally "slightly" better, but the Gigabyte board I personally believe is more aesthetically pleasing.

[nkfw]

Then get some G. Skill Ripjaws X Ram 2x8GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231528

 

I have 2 kits of this ram and its very good. I have pushed it to 2239 stable. It took 2250 mhz before it became unstable.

 

Why 2x8GB? The IMC in AMD CPUs arent as strong as Intels. So running two larger dimms will be easier to run at a higher speed which will come in handy when you do alot of FSB overclocking, compared to trying to run 4 dimms.

 

I do believe they make them in different colors as well but I guest at Red. 

What about this one? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231560 or this one http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D1IUEHW/?tag=pcpapi-20 ?? I know the speed is slower, but would I actually notice a difference, or hurt my OC'ing capacity that bad? 

[Priller]

What about this one? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231560 or this one http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D1IUEHW/?tag=pcpapi-20 ?? I know the speed is slower, but would I actually notice a difference, or hurt my OC'ing capacity that bad? 

 

I had two kits of the Ares ram and it would have issues going over 1950Mhz. In fact I think I got 1 kit to 190X Mhz before running into issues. 

 

G. Skill allowed me to exchange both of my Ares 2x8GB kits for the Ripjaws X for free, I just paid to ship it to them and they covered the shipping to me.

 

1600 CL9 looks nice but if OCing is what you will be doing then go for the 1866 kit. The few extra dollars you speed now will help you to OC and may save some frustration later. 

[Priller]

I absolutely agree with Priller, the best bang for buck 990FX boards are the Gigabyte UD3 and the Asus M5A99FX Pro 2.0.

The Asus board has a slightly better UEFI and slightly better chasis fan control, slightly faster USB3 ports, it's generally "slightly" better, but the Gigabyte board I personally believe is more aesthetically pleasing.

 

Absolutely, If Asus only made that board in mostly black in would be perfect for back for the buck on AMD rigs.

[nkfw]

 

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($149.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($89.99 @ NCIX US) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($134.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($157.40 @ Amazon) 

Power Supply: Corsair 860W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($194.98 @ Amazon) 

Total: $727.35

 

The 860i was cheaper then the 760i oddly enough. You can get the 760i at Newegg for 169 but that is with a rebate.

 

You reusing your case or looking for a new one? What type of HDD requirements do you have?

 

Using the H-100i and 860i will allow you to use Corsair link to monitor the watercooler and the PSU. If that doesnt matter to you and you would rather save money then a comparable PSU can be had a but cheaper.

 

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor  ($149.99 @ SuperBiiz) 

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($89.99 @ NCIX US) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($134.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($157.40 @ Amazon) 

Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($114.99 @ NCIX US) 

Total: $647.36

 

 

 

I'm going to need a new case, the one I have wouldn't be able to handle the H100, there is just not enough space, I have 4 HDD and 1 BD-RW, so I can survive with 1 Drive bay, but for the HDD I need a lot of spaces, (not interested in an SSD)

[Priller]

I'm going to need a new case, the one I have wouldn't be able to handle the H100, there is just not enough space, I have 4 HDD and 1 BD-RW, so I can survive with 1 Drive bay, but for the HDD I need a lot of spaces, (not interested in an SSD)

 

You have a budget for the case or a specific feel you are looking for? More plain jane or "aggressive"?

[nkfw]

You have a budget for the case or a specific feel you are looking for? More plain jane or "aggressive"?

 It hides away, so looks are not important in the least bit (color black just because the desk is black) and you only see the front plate