Fine Tuning an Old i7 Build

[badguise]

Hello Experts,

I'm putting together a new build for video editing and 2D animation (Adobe After Effects and Premiere CC 2015 are the programs I use most) and I figured I'd upgrade my current workstation while I'm at it.

The current build is as follows:
- Intel i7 920, 2.67GHz
- ASUS P6T Deluxe V2
- 12GB RAM DDR3
- NVIDIA Quadro FX 580
- Boots from a WD Black, 7200RPM and has three WD drives for media
- Corsair 750W PSU

Need any other info?

The system I'm using now is still quite good. I just think it needs a few tweaks to be up to snuff (I plan to continue using it as a workstation at the office). Lately it hasn't been performing very well, and I've noticed disturbing temperatures with both the CPU and the GPU. CPU cores idle around 64°C and seem to max in the high 80's; GPU is around 95°C. Right now there are just two fans in this crappy old case and the stock Intel CPU cooler.

My initial thoughts:
- New case with a plenty of cooling
- SSD as the boot drive (is this possible with my MOBO?)
- GPU (I don't think I need Quadro; just CUDA cores)
- RAM
- Overclock?

I'd love input on how I should proceed with the upgrade to get the most out of this machine. Since it's a pretty old build I'm concerned about hardware compatibility. Any recommendations on cases, cooling, hard drive configurations and GPUs are very welcome.

Budget is fairly flexible and I'm hoping to make a purchase this week.

Thanks!

 

[nukemaster]

Extra cooling could not hurt. LGA1366 cpus are somewhat more power hungry than newer stuff. Even 1156 stuff was a bit faster under some conditions while using less power.

Intel has a stock cooler that is VERY effected by dust so get an air duster(compressed gas). and blast out all that dust(Power it off first). If the cooler is installed correctly you will see a huge drop in temps.

SSD's work fine on X58. While not SATA III. The access times on SSD's still makes them a great option. SATA III drives work on SATA II boards.

Double check the manual for your software to see what is best for video cards.

If you are getting memory it is best to find the proper triple channel kits for X58. With 12 gigabytes, I do not think you need any more. Also note Windows 7 Home premium can not use more than 16 gigabytes.

Overclocking depends quite a bit on the chip, but I am sure you have some options(I got my old 920 to 3.8 before it needed more voltage than I was willing to feed it). If you overclock you NEED a decent cooler.

You may be able to get use 1366 cpus these days(Not like you will fine any well prices NEW 1366 stuff), but I have no personal experience with this.

 

[badguise]

Thanks for the info.

I took a can of air to the inside and definitely noticed a drop in GPU temperatures. It's now running around 70°C (+/- 5°C). CPU cores now idle in the high 50's to mid 60's; a bit cooler than before. When I render video the cores heat up to 95-100°C, and seem to stay around the mid 80's for a while after the render is finished. Is this normal? Maybe I should reapply some thermal paste or something?

I have a hand-me-down SSD (G-SKILL TITAN 128GB SATA II) that I'll try to install as the boot drive. It doesn't look like I have enough room for it at the moment, so I might need to rearrange the other drives somehow or wait for a new case. I'm going to shop around for a case that allows for better airflow and a few more fans. Any recommendations? This looks like it'll do the job.

I thought 12GB RAM was enough, but I often find myself maxing out when working on large projects in Premiere or After Effects. I'm currently using DDR3 1333 (PC 10666). I don't really know what these numbers mean, but should the new RAM match those specs?

Thanks!

 

[nukemaster]

Faster memory will run at the same speed of the slower memory. Rarely memory will not get along with other stuff, so that is something to keep an eye out for.

Asus has a list of tested memory here. Remember your board is only desinged for upto 24 gigabytes of memory, if you have 3 x 4 gigabyte sticks. Great if you have 6 x 2 gigabyte sticks you will have to swap them out for the newer larger ones.
https://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P6T_Deluxe_V2/HelpDesk_QVL/

If you run a SSD + HDD setup, when installing software, use the advanced option to tell it to install on the hard drive. Keep all the things that NEED speed on the SSD. Most personal files should be fine on a hard drive.

 

[badguise]

I have 6 x 2GB, so I may swap two of the 2GB sticks with two 8GB sticks to max out the memory.

I think I'll start backing up files and switch to the SSD.

I'm still worried that something's going on with the CPU I should be concerned about. Any thoughts on the overheating?

Thanks again!

 

[nukemaster]

I have some concerns about getting 8 gigabyte sticks for 2 reason.

1. The board does not seem to show 8 gigabyte sticks in the QLV(8 gigabyte sticks, may have been very rare when the board was released). Before buying sticks, give me a night or so to drop a 2 x 8 gigabyte stick into a X58 board to see what it does. Please note it is a Gigabyte board, not Asus.

2. The 3 channel memory controller works best with matched sticks. so 3 x 4 and 3 x 8 would be better(if the board could even make use of it) than 4 x 2 and 2 x 8.

The SSD should make things more snappy.

It does seem hot, but I never used the stock cooler to test.

If you have thermal paste you could try to remove the cooler, clean the base and top of the cpu with isopropyl alcohol and Q-tips or coffee filters(you do not want to leave lint or anything behind). Apply the new paste and reinstall the cooler ensuring the 4 pins make it all the way to the other side of the board(this ensures good even pressure.).

Stay tuned. Google seems to indicate some users have installed 8 gigabyte sticks on X58, so you may be in luck(remember your operating system needs to support that much memory as well.).

 

[logainofhades]

For hardware upgrades, GPU wise, I think a Quadro K620 would make a good deal of difference, vs that old FX 580, without breaking the bank. An SSD definitely would make the system more responsive, as things will load much faster. Mushkin reactors are pretty decent for the money. A super expensive/fast drive would be a waste, with that board, due to the SATA port speed. You will definitely need better cooling, if you want to overclock at all. Threw in a case suggestion as well.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BK 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Mushkin Reactor 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: PNY Quadro K620 2GB Video Card ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $424.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-08-04 14:43 EDT-0400

 

[badguise]

Thanks so much for the info, nukemaster. I'll wait on your recommendation.

 

[badguise]

Thanks!

The Quadro K620 looks nice; definitely an improvement. I've been hearing the GTX cards are often just as good as Quadro, and the main thing to look for in a GPU (for Adobe software) is the number of CUDA cores. Do you think something like this would be better? The option for more than 2 monitors is also nice.

Do you think my hand-me-down G-SKILL TITAN 128GB SATA II SSD will be fine?

I'm not set on overclocking, really. I haven't ever tried but of course I hear about it all the time. If I don't overclock, do you still recommend the third party CPU cooler?

 

[logainofhades]

If only Cuda cores matter, for your application, then that card would be better yet. For your CPU, a better cooler would probably be a good idea. The stock cooler is not very good. 128gb isn't much storage. You can try using it. I am sure it would still be faster than an HDD.

 

[nukemaster]

Well, that worked.

And for temps. Idle and Prime95(had a longer test, but my print screen button needs a FNkey to work so i missed it and had to have another go at it.). The cooler is an NH D15("3.5" with as little voltage as i could get). The cooler had a single Coolermaster blade master fan(the other one was off to clean the memory).

I still have some concerns over memory performance when it is all in use because of the stick miss-match.

So at least you know it can be done.

 

[badguise]

Wow - thank you for going through all the trouble to do this. I really appreciate it.

Good to know the 8GB sticks will work. If I can find a good deal on RAM I'll give it a go.

I hope to have my mind made up about the upgrade sometime tomorrow. I'll keep y'all posted!

 

[badguise]

Quick question:

Is this spike something to be concerned about? It happens often and always on the same core. It seems to be completely random. What does it mean?

 

[nukemaster]

Chances are some background process is doing that(could be a scan of files/indexing/system maintenance/ect). If it is a single threaded one the spikes would be on a single core just like that.

If you look on the processes tab, you may be able to catch something using about 12.5%(because of the 4 core 4 thread setup even under full load a single threaded program will show just 12.5%)