Choosing To Crossfire 7870's, 3570-k vs. 3770-k, and Best Closed Loop System.

[untam3d123]

I am looking to upgrade, change my current build as I will be moving and size and sound levels will become more of an issue. I am currently satisfied with my PSU (1000 watt), OCZ SSD (for OS), and 4 TB from 2 other HDD's. Currently, I plan on replacing: NXZT Phantom - Great case, but extremely large and unwieldy for moving. Also, looking to build a small form factor PC and moving provides a great opportunity.

Amd Phenom x4 965: Clearly becoming a bit outdated, even on my OC to 4.0 has begun to bottleneck quite a bit.

Corsair H50: Have had this for 4? years, and is beginning to fray and become noisier. Looking to move to a Dual-Radiator also.

Motherboard: Some adequate motherboard that obviously will be replaced.

Now, I'm looking to upgrade to either a 3570k or the 3770k. Although either is within reach, if it is completely unnecessary to take the further step I am fine with the cheaper option. In addition, I am open to other suggestions. It should be noted that I do plan to overclock.

With that in mind, should I stick to just a single 7870 (Gigarbyte GHZ Edition), or add another for Crossfire. I would also entertain other options, but I am not eager to put my current card to waste.

Next, what would be good motherboard? I am not concerned with a plethora of bells and whistles, as long as it is reliable and is Crossfire capable and allows for 32 gb's of ram. I should also add that because of the small form factor, it must be microATX.

What closed loop system would be the best for this setup? I am currently leaning towards a Corsair H100i.

Finally, would a Corsair 350 D be an appropriate case for this small form factor build? It seems perfect for its price point, and its capability for water cooling and multiple graphics cards. In addition, seeing that I am concerned with noise levels, should I entertain the notion of getting aftermarket case fans, like Noctua's?

In total, I do not want these upgrades to exceed about 850, and I think they could easily be less than $600.

 

[realchaos]

What is the make and model of the psu?
Since you already have the 7870, are you happy with it's performance? Or do you feel like you can't play games very well and need a 2nd one for crossfire?

I wouldn't get a closed loop cooler if you care about noise. High end air coolers are cheaper and quieter while cooling just as well.

 

[untam3d123]

What is the make and model of the psu?
Since you already have the 7870, are you happy with it's performance? Or do you feel like you can't play games very well and need a 2nd one for crossfire?

I wouldn't get a closed loop cooler if you care about noise. High end air coolers are cheaper and quieter while cooling just as well.

BFG Tech EX-1000 1000W. And in many games (i.e. Planetside 2) I am not getting the performance I desire, but I am sure that most of the problem is coming from the CPU.

 

[Tradesman1]

Either CPu will be good - would only go the 3770K if you need Hyper Threading, if you don't save the money, on the mobo look at the ASRock Z77 Extreme 4 (about $120 last time I looked), great mobo and is best selling and best rated), if intent on water then the H100 would work, though a $35 Hyper 212 EVO will work about as well (have one on my 3570K and it runs 4.7 24/7 on the mobo I suggested and is running 32GB of GSkill RJ X 2133/9 DRAM and stays nice and cool), on a 7870 might just start w/ one and see what you think, then add another if needed, prices are likely to drop more soon...Will want to check your PSU if you do add a second 7870 to be sure you have sufficient power

 

[realchaos]

What is your RAM? You may be able to re-use the ram as well.
Note that switching motherboards will require you to re-install Windows if you used the OEM version.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BK 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87MX-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.75 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Microcenter)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $816.69
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-05 21:44 EST-0500)

Included OS.
Included RAM. If your ram can be reused, then drop the ram and reuse it.
Extremely quiet.

What version of the 7870 do you have? It looks better through the side panel if you use the same one.

 

[untam3d123]

What is your RAM? You may be able to re-use the ram as well.
Note that switching motherboards will require you to re-install Windows if you used the OEM version.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BK 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($74.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87MX-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($63.75 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB Video Card ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 350D Window MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Microcenter)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $816.69
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-05 21:44 EST-0500)

Included OS.
Included RAM. If your ram can be reused, then drop the ram and reuse it.
Extremely quiet.

What version of the 7870 do you have? It looks better through the side panel if you use the same one.

The RAM is: Patriot G Series ‘Sector 5’ Edition 8GB (2 x 4GB).
And the GPU is a : Gigabyte 7870 GHZ edition. If I get a second card, it would for sure be the exact same for the difference in appearance by itself would surely drive me crazy.

 

[untam3d123]

Either CPu will be good - would only go the 3770K if you need Hyper Threading, if you don't save the money, on the mobo look at the ASRock Z77 Extreme 4 (about $120 last time I looked), great mobo and is best selling and best rated), if intent on water then the H100 would work, though a $35 Hyper 212 EVO will work about as well (have one on my 3570K and it runs 4.7 24/7 on the mobo I suggested and is running 32GB of GSkill RJ X 2133/9 DRAM and stays nice and cool), on a 7870 might just start w/ one and see what you think, then add another if needed, prices are likely to drop more soon...Will want to check your PSU if you do add a second 7870 to be sure you have sufficient power

Is it worth considering using a Noctua D14, or do you think the increase in price is too much for any performance increase?

 

[Tradesman1]

Could go the Noctua, never saw a need, 24/7 at 4.7 with Idle in the low 30's, under load seldom passing 70 or so, I went through a few 3570K before I found this one that OCed well enough to run at this...and my Extreme 4 has run up through a pair of 780's in SLI and as mentioned 32GB of 2400 DRAM....I still use it for work and to test components for new builds, upgrades, etc

 

[realchaos]

I would stick with the Noctua NH-D14 or the Phanteks one I recommended above. They don't cool as well as the Corsair H100i, but only by a little. However, the aircooler is quieter and cheaper. It's a better buy.

 

[Tradesman1]

Think you'll be happier with the EVO, both performance and price wise, long time best selling and best rated at the Egg, have used over a 100 of them