Recommendation / check time: motherboard and RAM

Quartz · 22 Mar 2018 at 11:37

This PC is becoming too flakey and it's time for an upgrade anyway.

The main uses are (not in any order) gaming, browsing, and MS Office. I will not be overclocking.

I'm thinking of Z370 / i5-8400. I may indulge in an 8700. As I game at 4K with two Maxwell Titan X cards I need SLI support. I expect to be dropping mGPU with my next GPU upgrade, but for now I need it.

I need recommendation for the RAM. I want 32 GB - and preferably 2x 16 GB sticks - and the RAM has to fit underneath my CR-95C CPU cooler, so none of those fancy ram coolers please. I know RAM is expensive right now and 32 GB is an indulgence.

I'm looking at the Gigabyte Z370 Aorus Ultra Gaming. On my GA-Z77 motherboard there is a gap of 2-3mm between the CPU cooler and the first GPU. So on the Z370 mobo I need the mount points for the CPU cooler and position of the primary x16 slot to be in exactly the same places. Can anyone check this? Paging @GIGA-Man . I'm aware that on the Nofan compatibility page it says that it won't fit, but it says that about my GA-Z77 too and as long as there's no backplate it's fine.

PS The CPU cooler means that Ryzen is not possible.

Quartz · 22 Mar 2018 at 13:32

The RAM needs to be less than 40mm high as measured from the motherboard surface.

GIGA-Man · 22 Mar 2018 at 14:34

The info I have says it wont fit either, I don't want to recommend it if it's not going to fit.. The PCIe slots are in a very similar place to Z77 but still cannot be 100% sure it's going to be okay... sorry I cannot be more help.

orbitalwalsh · 22 Mar 2018 at 14:40

Quartz said:
The RAM needs to be less than 40mm high as measured from the motherboard surface.

yeah, I won't use that with any 6 core coffeelake ! specially if 8700 non K boosts up to 4.3ghz on all core via MCE ...

overclockers doing alphacools slim eisbaer 360 for £90 that can handle the K at 5ghz .

I believe all boards now use roughly the same layout with PCIe x16 being the 2nd slot on the board

Quartz · 22 Mar 2018 at 15:58

orbitalwalsh said:
yeah, I won't use that with any 6 core coffeelake ! specially if 8700 non K boosts up to 4.3ghz on all core via MCE ...

Why not? All that's important is the TDP. The non-K 8700 has a TDP of 65W so I'll be fine.

GIGA-Man said:
The info I have says it wont fit either, I don't want to recommend it if it's not going to fit..

Thanks. Could I impose upon you for the exact distance on the Z370? I can check my Z77 myself. Preferably measured on the back so I don't have to dismantle my PC just yet.

GIGA-Man · 22 Mar 2018 at 16:20

Just to be clear, you want the distance from bottom of the CPU socket to the first PCIe slot?

orbitalwalsh · 22 Mar 2018 at 17:11

Quartz said:
Why not? All that's important is the TDP. The non-K 8700 has a TDP of 65W so I'll be fine.

Thanks. Could I impose upon you for the exact distance on the Z370? I can check my Z77 myself. Preferably measured on the back so I don't have to dismantle my PC just yet.

Ask anyone who's had coffeelake chips like myself . Also there's a little sneak with Intel, they states TDP at optimum work load, AMD stated ryzen TDP at full whack, why people are able to use their stock cooler on their 8 core chips up to 3.7ghz ...

See some reviews, you'll see it actually pulls a lot more, specially when your abkento set all cores to run at full 4.3ghz ! And MCE likes to apply volts .

8700 is a damn good chip now it's cheaper , but don't underestimate the heat coffeelake can put out !

Quartz · 22 Mar 2018 at 17:57

GIGA-Man said:
Just to be clear, you want the distance from bottom of the CPU socket to the first PCIe slot?

From the CPU cooler retention holes to the first PCIe x16 slot, please.

Quartz · 23 Mar 2018 at 00:36

orbitalwalsh said:
See some reviews, you'll see it actually pulls a lot more, specially when your abkento set all cores to run at full 4.3ghz !

I've read a couple and am uncertain of their methodology and measurements. The ones I've found (e.g. this one) don't detail the source of the measurements. Are they measuring power draw at the wall, for instance? Do the measurements include the motherboard power draw?

And then there are articles like this one in which the CPU is shown to limit itself.

orbitalwalsh · 23 Mar 2018 at 09:30

Quartz said:
I've read a couple and am uncertain of their methodology and measurements. The ones I've found (e.g. this one) don't detail the source of the measurements. Are they measuring power draw at the wall, for instance? Do the measurements include the motherboard power draw?

And then there are articles like this one in which the CPU is shown to limit itself.

90% of coffeelake heat is down to their poor TIM and not soldering, what it boils down to .

Quartz · 27 Mar 2018 at 17:40

Bump. The crashing has got really silly and I'm taking a chance on the motherboard. I'm also treating myself to an 8700 (non-k).

orbitalwalsh · 27 Mar 2018 at 20:07

Quartz said:
Bump. The crashing has got really silly and I'm taking a chance on the motherboard. I'm also treating myself to an 8700 (non-k).

Non K is a nice little chip! Seems some Aorus boards selling with farcry 5 codes !
Lots of ram on sale to .. think there's team group 32gb going for £270 and £300 on sale

If it helps, Intel's new boards should be next week

Quartz · 27 Mar 2018 at 21:55

orbitalwalsh said:
Non K is a nice little chip! Seems some Aorus boards selling with farcry 5 codes !
Lots of ram on sale to .. think there's team group 32gb going for £270 and £300 on sale

Unfortunately I require low profile RAM and had to order from the river as OCUK were out of stock.

If it helps, Intel's new boards should be next week

Too late for me. But if they're that much better I'll upgrade.

Quartz · 1 Apr 2018 at 14:49

Well, it was a gamble that hasn't paid off. I needed an extra 2mm to fit both GPUs, but it wasn't there so I'down to just one.

orbitalwalsh · 2 Apr 2018 at 09:29

Quartz said:
Well, it was a gamble that hasn't paid off. I needed an extra 2mm to fit both GPUs, but it wasn't there so I'down to just one.

eisbaer lt 360, £90 for 360 aio that can handle 5ghz overclock on a coffeelake CPU that performs better then 90% of CLCs and aircoolers

if you can fit it

Quartz · 2 Apr 2018 at 13:55

I'll survive with just one GPU. And my CPU doesn't overclock. To use a CLC that large I would need a new case unless the pump was in the radiator as in the FT05 the CPU would be the highest point.