Upgrading Gaming build

harz_marz

harz_marz

harz_marz

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Hi all

I have had lots of help and advice on this forum on my CPU/motherboard upgrade options but before I take the plunge, I have a few final questions. My current build is as follows:

Intel i5-2500 Non K version
Coolermaster HAF 912 PLUS
ASUS P8Z68-V
8GB Samsung DDR3 DUAL-DDR3 1333MHz (2 X 4GB)
MSI GTX 980 TI
CORSAIR 650W ENTHUSIAST SERIES™ TX650 V2 - 80 PLUS BRONZE
SUPER QUIET 22dBA TRIPLE COPPER HEATPIPE CPU COOLER
ACER XB270HU 1440P


It is clear to see that I am being held back by my CPU and motherboard combo and these are my priority in terms of an upgrade. My options are:

i5 6600K and Asus Z170-A
i7 5820K and X99

I know there are clear benefits of the latter but I wanted to keep in the 2 extremes as I only game and do nothing else. I know the extra cores in the i7 will be of benefit later down the line. Money isn't an object but I don't want to spend money for the sake of it, I want the same value my i5 2500 has given me over the years. I am also aware that I will have to change my RAM to DDR4, which I am fine with doing as it can be used long into the future.

With all this in mind, my questions are as follows:

1 - The cost difference between my cpu/mobo options works out approx £120 cheaper going with the 6600K build. For just gaming is this sensible? Or is it worth splashing out a bit extra for the X99 build?

2 - I have never ever overclocked, and ideally have no intentions to. This may change later down the line. In terms of a cooler, is the HAF 212 evo enough for both builds or would I need to spend more? Any recommendations?

3 - What are the best options in terms of RAM, should I go 1x8, 2x4, 2x8 or 4x4? I have read that DDR4 3000 makes a huge difference in the Skylake build is that true or still overkill?

4 - And somewhat critical, my case does not have front usb 3.0 compatibility. Is this an issue? All I use plugged in here is a 360 controller, what else would people use? Upgrading the case may not cost a lot, but I have never built a system from scratch and I would be afraid of messing it up! Or is it so easy that you can't go wrong?


Hope this all makes sense. If anyone has any help or suggestions please let me know! Thanks also to those who have helped so far in the other threads :)
 
harz_marz said:
I only game and do nothing else.
Click to expand...

Honestly due to the fact you only game, spending more money on an X99 build is honestly pointless for gaming.

Stick with an i5. Given a choice between an i7 on the same socket my advice would be the same for purely gaming, let alone given a choice of an i7 on socket 2011.

You'll notice no real world performance gains at all.

I'd also rethink overclocking, it's very simple, the most common reason many don't want to overclock is likely paranoia due to adjusting voltages etc but to be honest most k processors can be overclocked with no voltage adjustment at all. Granted you won't get a big overclock, but you're getting free performance gains.

With regards to ram, I'd go with 2 sticks on a z170 build, there's no reason not to, to be totally honest. I'd go with 2 4gb sticks of ram at the highest speed your budget allows.
 
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1. How long do you want to keep it? Truth is at the moment and for the next year or so extra cores mean little for gaming performance, barely any games see much of an improvement if at all from extra ones, and this is unlikely to radically change any time soon as better core usage involves more software development resources and no one wants to pay extra for a small % of gamers to enjoy a few extra frames.

2. You should overclock, it's dead simple & relatively risk-free. In fact, if you don't plan to OC then the upgrade is largely going to be minor. CM 212 evo is fine for modest overclocks, likewise the Raijintek Themis.

3. You want 2 or 4 ram sticks ideally for dual channel. Speed makes absolutely no difference anymore.

4. Not an issue at all, usb 3.0 is simply faster but it doesn't matter for a 360 controller. Migrating the parts to a new case is very easy though, even if a bit of a bother.


I see you have 1440p 144hz screen. If you want to take full advantage of it you'll need to OC your CPU, as higher fps (>60) will depend quite a bit on your CPU. On the other hand, even with a better CPU & a good OC even a 980ti won't be enough to push >60fps consistently without sacrificing graphical fidelity @ 1440p. Of course, plenty of tweaks can be done in games & you don't really need to reach 144fps anyway as there are diminishing returns after 75-90 hz.

Imo I'd go with the x99 simply because CPUs can last a very long time now while delivering good performance and the $120 isn't significant enough when you think of how many years you're gonna keep the CPU for.
 
Thanks for the advice, though the 2 different replies kinda shows my dilemma! I guess I am doing this upgrade due to issues I am having in games like Crysis 3 and Project Cars at 1440P with dips down to 30/40 even on my 980 ti. Is this normal? I guess my CPU isn't overclocked at all.

I would be happy to OC the 6600K I guess if it made a big difference?
 
To be honest if you had a 2500k that was overclocked you'd not have much reason to upgrade. Infact in that scenario you'd be better off spending the money on a second graphics card.

Going with X99 for someone that purely games offers nothing of value to be honest. The "cheap" motherboards cost a fair bit more than a "cheap" z170 or z97 board.

By the time more cores are really needed in gaming, the appropriate mainstream intel cpus will be out, and X99 won't offer that much for gaming.

The way I look at it is you'd be spending more money for the sake of it. From what you say of your usage etc, going X99 would make as much sense as me recommending you a top end ROG motherboard. It's overkill and you won't make use of the platform and would see ZERO gain.

You could get yourself an equivalent Z170 board to your current board for around 100-120 quid, 2 sticks of ddr4 ram for 60ish quid, and a cpu for 200. Do a slight overclock on it, it's literally just a case of increasing the multiplier in the bios, leaving all voltage stock and seeing how far you can go on stock volts.

The extra you'd spend on X99 could be put away to one side, and used towards a second 980.
 
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Yeah this is what I am thinking about. Then I will try and OC the 6600K.

At stock speeds, would I notice the difference between my 2500 and the 6600K?
 
harz_marz said:
Yeah this is what I am thinking about. Then I will try and OC the 6600K.

At stock speeds, would I notice the difference between my 2500 and the 6600K?
Click to expand...

Yes clock for clock skylake offers performance gains. Whether you'd be comparing a stock 2500k vs a 6600k or both overclocked to 4.5ghz the skylake offers an advantage.

To be honest while each cpu released has been a small baby step, I personally feel that it's a good enough upgrade, ivy bridge was an improvement, haswell then improved, and skylake has gone a little bit further.

Add to that the fact you would potentially overclock it and it makes it worth it.

Sandybridge to skylake is not a crappy upgrade in my opinion.

There are millions of overclocking guides that you can read up on, but as I said an overclock on stock volts is as simple as it gets, with overclocking anyway it begins to become diminishing returns, i.e comparing a cpu at 4.6ghz and one at 4.9ghz for gaming provides minimal real world difference for gaming, and then just becomes e-penis.

On stock volts I'd say 4.2ghz ish for example would be possible, obviously it will depend on your cpu, some are better than others and cooling, although it was possible to overclock on stock volts with the stock coolers (though skylake doesn't include a stock cooler now). And at that sort of frequency it would be more than sufficient.
 
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Yes an Evo 212 would be more than sufficient.

At that sort of price range it's one of the better ones.

An other option if you did decide to overclock a little more would be to go for a corsair liquid cooler.

While they do cost slightly more, they offer better performance, look better. I'm personally not a fan of a big heatsink hiding the motherboard.

But again from what you've said so far something like the Evo 212 is probably the most appropriate at this stage, should you decide to change the cooler in the future you could sell it at not much of a loss (or just keep it at that price) and buy something else should your needs change.
 
Thanks again you've been very helpful! I think I will splash out on 3000 DDR4 as I've heard that with Skylake there are noticeable gains and I am saving money going this route anyways. Plus need to save some money for HTC Vive!
 
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