[Advice Needed] Long Lasting Skylake Build.

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Hello,

Here is my current part list:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (£293.00)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i v2 70.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (£99.98)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming 7 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£174.20)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£88.32)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For £124.99)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£64.99)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card (£599.98)
Case: Fractal Design Define S w/Window ATX Mid Tower Case (£70.00)
Power Supply: Cooler Master 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£0.00)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter (£26.38)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF140 Quiet Edition 67.8 CFM 140mm Fan (£14.57)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF140 Quiet Edition 67.8 CFM 140mm Fan (£14.57)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series SP120 Quiet Edition (2-Pack) 37.9 CFM 120mm Fans (£24.14)
Monitor: Acer XB271HU bmiprz 165Hz 27.0" Monitor (£569.12)
Keyboard: Corsair Raptor K40 Wired Gaming Keyboard (£59.99)
Mouse: Corsair M65 RGB Wired Laser Mouse (£39.98)
Headphones: Kingston HyperX Cloud II 7.1 Channel Headset (£74.05)
Other: Akasa PWM fan splitter (2 fans) (£2.63)
Total: £2340.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-19 16:12 GMT+0000

I was originally planning to get the following parts instead of the ones listed above:

• 6600K but after seeing a video where overclocked 6600K gets up to 100% load while someone was playing GTA V I thought 6700k will be worth a premium.

• GTX 970 but since there are no IPS 1080p panels with GSync on the market I'm leaning towards GTX 980 Ti together with XB271HU monitor.

• Asus Z170-A with RM1000i PSU mainly for the look (black and white) but once I found a Gigabyte Z170X Gaming 7 board that goes with a FREE CM G750M PSU I've changed my mind since the board itself is better with the same colour scheme and a free PSU will pay for the price difference. Sure, not the best PSU but I can't go past this deal to save a few bucks.

So, what do you guys think about my picks for the system? Sure, it's a little too expensive for me but will it pay off in a long run?

Thanks in advance for your advices! 😉
 
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The higher end CPU and GPU you use, the longer the system will be viable and overclocking can extend that. So if maximum longevity is your goal, your parts selection should last as long as anything currently available unless you went with the more expensive Haswell E's.
 
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A very good list.

I would not buy a liquid cooler for skylake; the 14nm runs cool.
Buy a simple tower with a 120 or 140mm fan.

Coolermaster quality is iffy. I would look for Seasonic or XFX. 620w is sufficient, but 750w is ok too.

Only one added front 140mm intake fan is all you need.
 
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Well, you can easily overclock the i5 to nearly the same frequency as the i7. I think that is your best bet. The CM psu is meh. I would get your Asus Z170 A and pair it with an EVGA 750 B2.

Oh, I just now saw your part list. I too would go with air cooling for less maintaince, greater longevity, and less risk. Be quiet and Cryorig make some nice black +/- and white coolers.
 
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Think twice before buying gigabyte mobo. Giabyte dropped support for usb driver and they didn't come up with some software to replace it. To install bloody system on Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H you had to have old keyboard mouse with that 5 pin connector. On my next skylake build i went on MSI Z170A Gaming M5 they come up with built in software supporting windows install in bios. Mobo cost same price and offers more that that giga crap.
 
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@geofelt,

I was planning to get be quite pure rock cooler at first but since my CPU will be running @4.6 Ghz (pre-overclocked prior to shipping) I thought AIO will be a better pick, also cleaner. Am I wrong?

I don't personally like the PSU as well but since it comes free with a motherboard thought it is an opportunity for me to save some bucks. As long as it doesn't burn my hardware I should be happy with it (confused)... :) Are you strongly recommending to change it for something better?

I have some fans on my part list, so, the plan is to install 2 fans that come with the case as well as 1 AF140 at the front, another AF140 at the back, replace AIO fans with SP120 and install GPU rad with original fan at the bottom next to PSU.

@Bearmann,

I know I can OC it, the only reason I changed it to i7 is that seeing 6600k OCd to 4.6ghz running at 100% load while playing GTA V I thought it is not the best deal for the money, isn't it? I might run 2 Android simulators in the background (BlueStacks and MEmu) while playing games or doing something else, they are currently using 40-60% of my current CPU (an old Q6600) so I thought it is worth to pay premium for i7. Any thoughts?

P.S. the size of PSU also matters since I'm planning to install GPU rad next to it. I think in this case PSU can't be longer than 180mm, this is why I had either RM850i or RM1000i up until I found a deal with free PSU.
 
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Is this a pre-built pc?
You overclock in the bios, not the cpu.
Silicon lottery sells pre binned chips.
FWIW
skylake oc statistics.
As of 2/16/16
What percent can get an overclock at a somewhat sane 1.40v
I5-6600K
4.9 3% when delidded
4.8 38%
4.7 70%
4.6 83%

I7-6700K
4.8 18%
4.7 56%
4.6 87%
4.5 100%

My experience says skylake runs cool.
I had a noctua NH-D14, a huge cooler ready for my build.
While testing, I used a simple noctua downdraft cooler which let me overclock as high as I dared.
The limit is not temperature, the limit is the Vcore that you are willing to tolerate.
I ended up with a noctua with a single 120mm fan. No heat issues at all.
The be quiet would be good.
I think the cryorig H7 would be equally good.

On fans, be careful about using too much exhaust fans. Only a single exit fan for directional control is needed.
All the front filtered intake air will exit someplace.
Because all the intake is filtered, your case will stay cooler.
If you have extra exhaust fans, they will draw in unfiltered air from other openings.

I have no problem with a I7 if you will be doing multitasking while gaming.
Best to buy the i7-6700K if you have the budget. If you don't, you will forever wonder if you should have.
GTAV, I think is largely single threaded.
What you see on windows task manager is windows distributing the single task across all available threads.
Whatever you do, you will be amazed at the difference from a Q6600.

FWIW here are two canned rants on liquid coolers and sli:

My canned rant on liquid cooling:
------------------------start of rant-------------------
You buy a liquid cooler to be able to extract an extra multiplier or two out of your OC.
How much do you really need?
I do not much like all in one liquid coolers when a good air cooler like a Noctua or phanteks can do the job just as well.
A liquid cooler will be expensive, noisy, less reliable, and will not cool any better
in a well ventilated case.
Liquid cooling is really air cooling, it just puts the heat exchange in a different place.
The orientation of the radiator will cause a problem.
If you orient it to take in cool air from the outside, you will cool the cpu better, but the hot air then circulates inside the case heating up the graphics card and motherboard.
If you orient it to exhaust(which I think is better) , then your cpu cooling will be less effective because it uses pre heated case air.
And... I have read too many tales of woe when a liquid cooler leaks.
google "H100 leak"
-----------------------end of rant--------------------------

Your pc will be quieter, more reliable, and will be cooled equally well with a decent air cooler.

Here is my canned rant on planning for dual cards:
-----------------------------Start of rant----------------------------------------------------
Dual graphics cards vs. a good single card.

a) How good do you really need to be?
A single GTX750t1 or R7-265 can give you decent performance at 1920 x 1200 in many games.
Yes, you may need to be satisfied with less than high settings.

A single GTX970 or R9-390X will give you excellent performance at 1920 x 1200 in most games.
Even 2560 x 1600 will be OK with lowered detail.
A single GTX980ti is about as good as it gets for a single card.

If you are looking at triple monitor gaming, or a 4k monitor, sli/cf will be needed for excellent frame rates.
A single GTX980ti or Furyx will give good frame rates in many games.
Next year, it looks like single card performance will go up by 50%

b) The support costs for a single card are lower.
You require a less expensive motherboard; no need for sli/cf or multiple pci-e slots.
Even a ITX motherboard will do.

Your psu costs are less.
A card as good as a R9-FURY or a GTX980ti will need only a 620w psu.
When you add another card to the mix, plan on adding 200w to your psu requirements.
75w for the slot, 75w for an extra 6 pin connector or possibly more.
Here is a chart:
http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page362.htm

Case cooling becomes more of an issue with dual cards.
That means a larger and possibly expensive case with more and stronger fans.
You will also look at more noise.

c) Dual gpu's do not always render their half of the display in sync, causing microstuttering or screen tearing. It is an annoying effect.
The benefit of higher benchmark fps can be offset, particularly with lower tier cards.
Read this: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-geforce-stutter-crossfire,2995.html

d) dual gpu support is dependent on the driver. Not all games can benefit from dual cards.

e) dual cards up front reduces your option to get another card for an upgrade. Not that I suggest you plan for that.
It will often be the case that replacing your current card with a newer gen card will offer a better upgrade path.
-------------------------------End of rant-----------------------------------------------------------


 
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It seems you make some effort to help me out and share your opinion on the subject which I really appreciate! 😉

No, PC is not prebuilt but they will OC it for me on motherboard of my choice and then ship it to my door. https://www.scan.co.uk/3xs/configurator/overclocked-custom-gaming-hardware-bundle-z170oc15

If you follow the link you will see that I have a limited choice of CPU coolers if I go this route but the list is decent. (Why I want them to OC my CPU? Is because I should get a guaranteed OC @4.6 on both 6600k or 6700k CPUs whichever I choose while still under their warranty, I believe if the chip doesn't OC to 4.6 they will change it).

Any idea what CPU temps I will be getting at full load with be quiet pure rock cooler @4.6? I couldn't find any info on this subject. If I choose to go with air cooler for the CPU I will have 3 fans at front for intake, 1 exhaust at the back and GPU rad either intake or exhaust at the bottom.

Thanks.
 
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Sounds like a nice service.
From the coolers available, the Noctua NH-U14s would be my pick.
It is as good in cooling as any of the liquid coolers and will be quieter.
The "S" variant is a high compatibility version that does not interfere with the graphics cards or the ram.
Well worth the premium over the stock be quiet option.

On a cpu stress test, I would guess your temps would be in the 70's at 4.6 depending on your chip.

Looking at the gpu, it looks like you picked one with a radiator type cooler.
I am not certain that is the way to go.
I would pick a GTX980ti with the stock titan cooler.
That will get heat directly out the back of your case and keep everything inside cooler.
You give up a minor bit of boost clock, but the GTX980 is so strong, you would not notice.
This one, for instance:
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/6gb-evga-gtx-980-ti-sc-gaming-pcie-30-7010mhz-gddr5-gpu-1102mhz-boost-1190mhz-cores-2816-3x-dp12-hdm
Locating radiators is a catch 22 issue.
If you take in air from the outside, it cools the device better, but it increases the temperature inside the case by exhausting hot air inside.
And, since it is not filtered, your case will get dustier.
OTOH, if you orient to exhaust air, your gpu will not be cooled as well since it is using pre heated air.

I like the simplicity of a blower cooler and direct exhaust. Check my sig, I have no cooling issues at all.
https://www.scan.co.uk/products/6gb-evga-gtx-980-ti-sc-gaming-pcie-30-7010mhz-gddr5-gpu-1102mhz-boost-1190mhz-cores-2816-3x-dp12-hdm



 
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I definitely don't want Noctula cooler, I can't even describe how much I hate their fan colour therefore my pick was AIO over air since I'm not sure how good be quite cooler is on OCd skylake CPU...

In terms of 980 ti rad it shouldn't be an issue to set it as an exhaust since it runs unbelievably cool that a slightly pre-heated air in the case will hardly affect the temps (in my opinion). I might consider any non reference PCB if you have advised, again, it is just my personal preference. I've been deciding between Gigabyte XTREME and XTREME Waterforce and leaning towards waterforce since it's only 19 quid more expensive but will run cooler not affecting temp in the case at all if set to exhaust air (in my opinion again).
 
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My biggest concern atm is PSU... Should I get Gaming 7 mobo with that free PSU and use it or spend another 130 pounds on a RM1000i (RM850i is also a viable option but it's not much cheaper so I think 1000w is a little more future proof, isn't it?)
 
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I have GeForce GTX 980Ti G1 it 3 fan works great no need for aio crap and cost 100 pounds less. That will give you cash for psu. I got this one EVGA SuperNova P2 750W or 850w Platinum cost less and it have 5 star reviews. You don't need 1000w psu it will chew more power. 1000w are usefull for dual gpu. Getting good psu is key to make it future proof. Poor psu will wear down your cpu/gpu faster. For mobo i say go for MSI Z170A Gaming M5 cost less and gives more features. That youtube link is review of that gpu they got before and after oc scores.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MSI-Z170A-Gaming-M5-Motherboards/dp/B012EHP7ZE/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1458416829&sr=1-1&keywords=MSI+Z170A+Gaming+M5+Motherboards

http://www.amazon.co.uk/EVGA-SuperNova-Platinum-Modular-Supply/dp/B011RGWZYE/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1458416886&sr=1-1&keywords=EVGA+SuperNova+P2+750W

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2-gCXscH04
 
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Ok, just found this review for be quiet! Pure Rock (they used 6700K for the test): http://laptopmedia.com/review/pure-rock-review-be-quiets-small-and-quiet-budget-cooler/

During Prime the highest temp they got was mid 80s and an average around 70C but while gaming (GTA V in this case) the highest was just above 70C and an average around 55C. So, do you guys think it is worth getting this CPU cooler over H100i V2 (70 GBP cheaper)?

@Iron,

I know G1 is good and I'm pretty sure you got it before XTREME version was released. As for the price G1 costs 570, XTREME 582 and XTREME waterforce 599 - this is why I'm leaning towards one of the XTREME versions since they are faster with cherry picked chips but the price difference is not 100 GBP as you claimed, in fact 12-29 GBP. I think waterforce would be better if I swap AIO for an air CPU cooler.

What do you think considering the price difference for GPU is not so big as you said?

P.S. I'm thinking of adding a second 980 ti if I will feel a lack of power after a couple of years, this is a reason I had 1000w psu originally on my list. Do you really think this free PSU that I can get as a part of a deal will only harm my system?
 
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I think the be quiet would suffice.

On the graphics cards, first of all, your likely graphics upgrade in the future will be to a stronger pascal card, and not GTX980ti sli.
I do not like sli so long as a single card will do the job.
But, if you do want to plan on gtx980ti sli, then pay some attention to the coolers up front.
I have no idea where you might put a second radiator.

In sli, the top card gets hot because it gets starved for cooling air.
Another reason to prefer a titan blower cooler.

The future pascal cards will be more power efficient. Even the top card will likely not need more power than today's gtx980ti.
750w should be sufficient for sli gtx980ti., but 850w is likely better.
I have no problem overprovisioning a PSU a bit. Say 20%.
It will run cooler, quieter, and more efficiently in the middle third of it's range.
A PSU will only use the wattage demanded of it, regardless of it's max capability.

Is the Coolermaster 750w OK?? I do not know.
See if you can't find out the exact model proposed and find a good review.

If you really hate the noctua fan color, find a fan that suits your taste; they are not expensive.
But, the NH-U14s is a great cooler, regardless of the fan you use.


 
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When psu brakes it takes gpu or cpu with it. Good psu makes your parts last longer save cash on them is bad idea on on high end pc.

This guy explain it better than me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXku-gsdyok

 
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I don't understand why this PSU still costs 75 pounds if it is so bad then, nearly as much as RM850i which is new and of good quality...

@geofelt,

The idea behind getting a second card is that by the time I need more power (if I will) the price of 980 ti should be much lower compared to other more powerful cards that will be available at that time.

Do you think all the parts I chosen for my build are good and worth the money apart of PSU?

Changed CPU cooler and removed 2 SP120 fans:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (£293.00)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! PURE ROCK 51.7 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£26.99)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming 7 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£174.20)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£88.32)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For £124.99)
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£64.99)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card (£599.98)
Case: Fractal Design Define S w/Window ATX Mid Tower Case (£70.00)
Power Supply: Cooler Master 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£0.00)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter (£26.38)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF140 Quiet Edition 67.8 CFM 140mm Fan (£14.57)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF140 Quiet Edition 67.8 CFM 140mm Fan (£14.57)
Monitor: Acer XB271HU bmiprz 165Hz 27.0" Monitor (£569.12)
Keyboard: Corsair Raptor K40 Wired Gaming Keyboard (£59.99)
Mouse: Corsair M65 RGB Wired Laser Mouse (£39.98)
Headphones: Kingston HyperX Cloud II 7.1 Channel Headset (£74.05)
Total: £2241.13
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-19 23:59 GMT+0000
 
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If you are willing to buy used, a second GTX980ti may well have dropped in price to be competitive on a price/performance basis.
But new cards typically do not lower in price. They may even rise due to scarcity. That is because those wanting to implement sli will have nowhere else to go.

Your parts are excellent. No need to change anything.

On the psu, if you really plan on sli, I would go to 850w.

If you plan on changing out a GTX980ti for a stronger pascal card, then 750w is fine.

On the psu, I do not know what to tell you.
I looked for a review from a trusted psu review site, but could not find the exact model.
Here is one thread from jonnyguru.com that looks intimidating.
http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11542

If your objectives is a long lasting skylake build, I think I would buy a top quality Seasonic or xfx(made by Seasonic) psu in the 650-750w range for one graphics card.
Here is a list of psu quality:
https://community.newegg.com/eggxpert/computer_hardware/f/135081/t/45344.aspx?Redirected=true

Perhaps buying the psu and motherboard separately will allow you to use a less expensive Z170 motherboard.
 
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Well, I didn't see the need since I usually agree with 95% of what geofelt says.

Gigabyte makes some of the most reliable MB's. The Gaming 7 is a good choice.

Based on your research, I think the Pure Rock will be fine.

I can't seem to locate the PSU list on your builder's site. The Coolermaster V650 and V750 PSU's are tier 1 rated. Why not get one of those? 650 is plenty of power for a single 980ti with overclocks.

By the way, your builder states:

What if the components I want aren’t listed on your configurator ?

If you can’t see the component you want listed on the configurator then don’t worry – we can easily customise your system the way you’d like. All we need to do is check whether the components that you want are compatible with each other. Please get in touch on 01204 474747 or live chat to find out more.

 
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This is what I came up with

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (£293.00)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! PURE ROCK 51.7 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£26.99)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170X-Gaming 7 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£174.20)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory (£81.98)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For £124.99)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB Video Card (£581.98)
Case: NZXT H440 (Black/Red) ATX Mid Tower Case (£89.33)
Power Supply: Corsair 1000W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£129.98)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro Full (32/64-bit) (£20.01)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter (£26.38)
Case Fan: Corsair Air Series AF140 Quiet Edition 67.8 CFM 140mm Fan (£14.57)
Monitor: Acer XB271HU bmiprz 165Hz 27.0" Monitor (£581.12)
Keyboard: Corsair Raptor K40 Wired Gaming Keyboard (£55.68)
Mouse: Corsair M65 RGB Wired Laser Mouse (£39.98)
Headphones: Kingston HyperX Cloud II 7.1 Channel Headset (£74.05)
Other: Corsair Gaming CGM200 Matt (£20.64)
Total: £2334.88
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-22 02:26 GMT+0000

placing my order tomorrow unless there is something you guys really think I should change...
 
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