Few questions re: 4790k build

[longbowman]

Hi folks,

Posted another thread asking about a potential build I put together. A few more specific questions (answer any you're able to, no obligation to answer them all!):

-Scythe Kotetsu - good enough for HD video editing/rendering with a mild CPU overclock (4790k, possibly 4.4Ghzish)?

-Fractal R5 vs R4 - worth the $25 price difference in CAD?

-XFX XTR - are they relatively quiet? This is intended for a studio PC with mics in the room, hence the Kotetsu. Doesn't need to be dead silent, but can't be loud.
-XTR 550W - Enough wattage for a single GPU, aftermarket cooler and a mild OC on a 4790k?

-Sandisk Ultra II - Good, stable SSD in 256GB for the price? Or should I go with an 850 PRO or EVO?

-Is the memory I have selected decent, and are the heatsinks massively obtrusive or not as bad as the low-end Corsair (i.e. Vengeance)?


This is my current build for reference:

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 PRO4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: Sandisk Ultra II 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Titanium) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: XFX XTR 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit)

 

[Suztera]

4,4 Ghz isn't really an overclock, the i7 4790k already turbos up to 4.4 Ghz.
The Scythe Kotetsu is an ok cpu cooler. It should handle a mild overclock.
The XFX XTR 550W should be fine with overclocking. You could go for a higher capacity psu where at low loads, the fans is off such as EVG G2 750W.

The GTX 960 is fine with the build.
The Asrock Z97 Pro 4 is fine for your needs.

For the case, the R5 is better as they fixed a few issues that the R4 had.

The Sandisk Ultra II is not a bad SSD. An alternative is Crucial MX 100. I would wait a bit for the 850 Pro/EVo prices to drop a bit before getting one.
The Kingston Fury ram are fine.

 

[longbowman]

Thanks for all the concise answers!

I was debating between the R5 and R4 but it seems like the R4 is quite a bit cheaper here. Is the R5 worth an extra $30 or so?

In regards to SSD's, how is the OCZ ARC 100? Anandtech seems to have a good review, and it's faster in some ways even than the 850 series.

 

[Suztera]

Thanks for all the concise answers!

I was debating between the R5 and R4 but it seems like the R4 is quite a bit cheaper here. Is the R5 worth an extra $30 or so?

In regards to SSD's, how is the OCZ ARC 100? Anandtech seems to have a good review, and it's faster in some ways even than the 850 series.

The OCZ ARC 100 looks more of a budget SSD. The speed you get depends on what capacity SSD you getting.
The controller that the OCZ ARC 100 is similar to their OCZ Vector 180 which currently has some issues. Hence why I don't really recommend these drives with these controllers.
http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Storage/OCZ-Vector-180-SATA-SSD-Full-Capacity-Roundup-Barefoot-3-M00-PFM-Plus/SSD-Guru-Concl
If you are recording onto your SSD then you probably don't want the ARC 100.

 

[longbowman]

It'll actually just be for the OS and programs, recordings and backups will be on separate drives.

You'd recommend the Crucial MX100 instead?

 

[Suztera]

It'll actually just be for the OS and programs, recordings and backups will be on separate drives.

You'd recommend the Crucial MX100 instead?

Yes. Right now MX100 unless the Samsung 850 EVO is cheaper.

 

[longbowman]

Thanks. Found an 850 EVO for almost the same price, Amazon.com has them for cheap. I am in Canada but am willing to order from the US.

A few more if you don't mind:

-I've heard it's better for the PSU to have it run efficiently at low wattage, which is why someone recommended the 550w to me. Is this true?
-Is the XFX XTR actually quiet? Reviews seem mixed.
-Are Radeon cards a good bet with an intel chipset for video editing work, etc? I understand GPU acceleration isn't needed with a good CPU, but I want to ensure they're compatible, otherwise I'll stick with Nvidia.

 

[Suztera]

Thanks. Found an 850 EVO for almost the same price, Amazon.com has them for cheap. I am in Canada but am willing to order from the US.

A few more if you don't mind:

-I've heard it's better for the PSU to have it run efficiently at low wattage, which is why someone recommended the 550w to me. Is this true?
-Is the XFX XTR actually quiet? Reviews seem mixed.
-Are Radeon cards a good bet with an intel chipset for video editing work, etc? I understand GPU acceleration isn't needed with a good CPU, but I want to ensure they're compatible, otherwise I'll stick with Nvidia.

The XFX 550W will run your build just fine since it doesn't draw that much. Some people may get the higher captivity which has a silent fan mode so the fans on psu doesn't come on at certain loads.
Noise is subjective, you have to actually test it to see for yourself.

 

[longbowman]

According to their site the 550w does have Hybrid Fan Mode - would this be as effective as the higher wattage models, or is it dependent on percentage of total wattage used? Hard to tell how much a build would use from where I'm at.

http://cdn.agilitycms.com/xfx/Products/FeatureImages/psu_total_thermal.png

 

[Suztera]

According to their site the 550w does have Hybrid Fan Mode - would this be as effective as the higher wattage models, or is it dependent on percentage of total wattage used? Hard to tell how much a build would use from where I'm at.

http://cdn.agilitycms.com/xfx/Products/FeatureImages/psu_total_thermal.png

With the XFX 550W with idle or simple browsing, the PSU fan probably will be off. When you are using the gpu the fan will turn on since for the XFX XTR 550W, the fan only turn off if you using about 100 Watts or if the psu temps is lower than 25C.
With higher wattage models, they can have their fans off at higher wattage. It's not necessary really. example:
EVGA G2 750W, I believe the fans will turn when you reach around 400 watts or when the psu temperature reaches 40C.

 

[longbowman]

With the XFX 550W with idle or simple browsing, the PSU fan probably will be off. When you are using the gpu the fan will turn on since for the XFX XTR 550W, the fan only turn off if you using about 100 Watts or if the psu temps is lower than 25C.
With higher wattage models, they can have their fans off at higher wattage. It's not necessary really. example:
EVGA G2 750W, I believe the fans will turn when you reach around 400 watts or when the psu temperature reaches 40C.

Thanks, good to know.

You don't think it's necessary, as in it'll be quiet enough? I'm only really worried about doing Mic recordings, but it can be only slightly CPU intensive, the GPU likely won't be running at all and the CPU probably not much either.