Gigabyte GTX970/GTX960 G1 GAMING in SLI and required PSU to run it? 5+ years rig planning.

[axelmar1992]

Hello folks since I tried to find in the board an asnwer to my question and didn't find(only similar/vague threads to me), I might as well create my own thread.

I want to build a new rig mainly for gaming in a 1920X1080/1080p/1080i resolutions
I mean it to last about 5 years or more if possible, I got to note I'm not even aiming to run anything on 4K and I do not care whether it will run at 4k or not, I Aim it to run games(even the most taxing ones) at the highest possible settings for 5 years or moar. So I ask please to consider the goal of the computer when answering.

I chose those specs for the computer but not sure about the PSU(will get to that later)

MoBo: Asus Z97-PRO LGA1150
Ram Memory: G.Skill 4x4GB DDR3 1600Mhz Ares Quad
Case: Antec Nineteen Hundred Black/Green
CPU: Intel Core i7 4790K 4.0Ghz
CPU Cooler: Antec Kuhler H2O 650
Hard Disk: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1003FZEX 1TB
Network Card: Edimax EW-7722IN nMax PCI 300Mbps

And most important:

GPU: Gigabyte GTX970 G1 GAMING SOC 4GB GDDR5/Gigabyte GTX960 G1 Gaming 2GB GDDR5 (Planning to buy another of the same to SLI in 1/2 Years from now, which is a big factor for the PSU choice, I don't want to upgrade the PSU then, I want to buy one that will support the whole rig including the SLI from the start)

Now I got 3 questions after all is specified.

1. Will a single GTX960 will be enough to run games at highest resolutions for the next or 2 years
or do I really need to put it in SLI to get enough OOMPH for it pull through and even then, will it be enough for the more taxing games. or do I need to go for the more expensive GTX 970, I don't have budget problems but I don't like to overkill and throw money away.
2. I plan to buy a PSU that will give me headroom even after I bought the 2nd card for the 2-Way SLI, I know that the 900 series are power efficient and require less than normal PSU wattages so the same thing mentioned in the first question, how much wattage do I need, will a 850~ Watt PSU will be enough to support the GPU(I plan to make full use of the factory overclock , but I will not overclock further because I don't want to risk burning the GPUs, It's not worth it since the G1 already boast the highest factory OC in the market btween the best brands, that's why I choose this variation of the cards) or will I need to buy a 1000Watt one for the SLI setup for enough headroom - by enough I mean at least 100~ Watt headroom I think
3. Do I need to buy a 80+ Platinum for such a setup or a 80+ Bronze or 80+ Gold will suffice for five years or beyond?

Those are the PSUs that I'm interested in, I'll buy a Seasonic one because at my place they are cheaper and I know Seasonic make top-notch PSUs:

* SeaSonic 850W 80+ Bronze M12II-850
* SeaSonic 850W 80+ Gold X-850
* SeaSonic 860W Platinum-Series
* SeaSonic 1050W 80+ Platinum SS-1050 (Also X series)
* SeaSonic 1050W 80+ Gold X-1050

Note I take in consideration the possibility to take the PSU into my next rig after the 5 lifespan planned for this one, so I don't mind putting some more bang for it but from what I see lately GPUs power curve seems to go downwards, so buying more than a Kilowwat~ PSU seems absurd at the moment taking that into consideration, the main factor is to be able to run the 900 series G1 variant in 2-Way SLI without issues in the long run.

Please give answers considerating all factors and thanks XD

 

[axelmar1992]

At 1600MHz (up to 1866MHz) you want 1.5V RAM. Up to 1.65V is safe but at 1866MHz and below it indicates poor quality chips in most cases.

Once you hit 2133MHz you will start to see 1.6V - 1.65V more often. At 2133MHz it's no longer an indicator of poor quality chips as you need the extra voltage.

Basicly, the lower the Voltage, the better the Ram chips are in quality(and lifespan?)

 

[ihog]

What's the maximum recommended RAM voltage for Devil's Canyon? I know you'd be fine with 1.5V, but I'm not sure about higher voltages for official support.

 

[axelmar1992]

What's the maximum recommended RAM voltage for Devil's Canyon? I know you'd be fine with 1.5V, but I'm not sure about higher voltages for official support.

Corsair Vengeance Pro 2x8GB DDR3 1600MHz <- I think I'll go with this then, you can't go wrong with Corsair Ram no?

 

[frag06]

Intel certifies up to 1.65V RAM, which is the max "safe for long term" voltage with Haswell. Their engineers have also been quoted saying it's safe.

At 1600MHz (up to 1866MHz) you want 1.5V RAM. Up to 1.65V is safe but at 1866MHz and below it indicates poor quality chips in most cases.

Once you hit 2133MHz you will start to see 1.6V - 1.65V more often. At 2133MHz it's no longer an indicator of poor quality chips as you need the extra voltage.

Basicly, the lower the Voltage, the better the Ram chips are in quality(and lifespan?)

For the quality, yes, but to a point. Lifespan is usually not affected. With RAM, if it works when you get it, it rarely fails down the line.

Once you hit 2400MHz, it's all 1.65V (except one set). At 2133MHz, Cas 11 should be 1.5V with Cas 10 being 1.6V and below that a mix of 1.6V and 1.65V as the Cas lowers.

Below 2133MHz, you only want 1.5V with the exception of low Cas. 1866MHz look for 1.5V - 1.6V; with 1600MHz you want 1.6V - 1.65V for Cas 8 and below (1.6V is the most common here). Anything above should be 1.5V.

--

Corsair is good, but also look at G.Skill. They are the best when it comes to RAM. Great products and support.

 

[axelmar1992]

Intel certifies up to 1.65V RAM, which is the max "safe for long term" voltage with Haswell. Their engineers have also been quoted saying it's safe.

At 1600MHz (up to 1866MHz) you want 1.5V RAM. Up to 1.65V is safe but at 1866MHz and below it indicates poor quality chips in most cases.

Once you hit 2133MHz you will start to see 1.6V - 1.65V more often. At 2133MHz it's no longer an indicator of poor quality chips as you need the extra voltage.

Basicly, the lower the Voltage, the better the Ram chips are in quality(and lifespan?)

For the quality, yes, but to a point. Lifespan is usually not affected. With RAM, if it works when you get it, it rarely fails down the line.

Once you hit 2400MHz, it's all 1.65V (except one set). At 2133MHz, Cas 11 should be 1.5V with Cas 10 being 1.6V and below that a mix of 1.6V and 1.65V as the Cas lowers.

Below 2133MHz, you only want 1.5V with the exception of low Cas. 1866MHz look for 1.5V - 1.6V; with 1600MHz you want 1.6V - 1.65V for Cas 8 and below (1.6V is the most common here). Anything above should be 1.5V.

--

Corsair is good, but also look at G.Skill. They are the best when it comes to RAM. Great products and support.

Well the Corsair one's colour fits more the theme of the rig, which is all black, grey and green, which the g.skill will ruin when you look from the case's window and I think their RAMS looks awful in general, they just look cheap to me dunno why, I know it's childish but I want my pc to look pretty.

 

[Vic 40]

Any of them would be fine. The stock cooler is fine. Are you going to OC the CPU? If not, it essentially doesn't matter what you get, unless you're worried about noise.

Cpu's like these run hot and although the stock cooler should do fine is an aftermarket cooler an imo better choice.A hyper tx3 evo for instance would already do better while being not that expensive.

There's nothing childish about your pc looking good. 😉 There's a whole thread here about guys who make their pc look good.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/310222-31-hardware-member-system-gallery

 

[axelmar1992]

Now about the Hard Disk, I wanted to know if the Caviar Green Series is really that slow that I won't be able to run games at a decent speed and such in comparison to Caviar Black, since I'm pretty interested in the low noise factor it provides or such, will it really affect daily operations on the computer or is it a negligible difference?

 

[axelmar1992]

Any of them would be fine. The stock cooler is fine. Are you going to OC the CPU? If not, it essentially doesn't matter what you get, unless you're worried about noise.

Cpu's like these run hot and although the stock cooler should do fine is an aftermarket cooler an imo better choice.A hyper tx3 evo for instance would already do better while being not that expensive.

There's nothing childish about your pc looking good. 😉 There's a whole thread here about guys who make their pc look good.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/310222-31-hardware-member-system-gallery

Well taking in account the amount I'm spending on this, the difference btween a GOOD air cooler and a Basic LIQUID cooler is negligible, I know from watching videos and reviews that even the most basic liquid cooling systems outperform some if not all the best air-based coolers, since I plan this computer to last me at least 5 years I want to buy parts that promise me the longest lifespan beforehand to avoid spending money on upgrades and such if not necessary, I'd rather put some more money now than starting to upgrade this and that, to safe money on the long run.

 

[Vic 40]

Just wanted to make the point that the stock cooler imo is not always fine.Which cooler you want to put in there is up to you.
The hyper 212 evo is a very good cooler for what you want,since not overclocking,and will be equal or even beat some of the entry aio liquid coolers while being less expensive,but as said is it entirely up to you what you put in there.
I can from a "looks" perspective see why you would want to go for an aio liquid cooler,it will be much cleaner with that window.

 

[axelmar1992]

Okz. but what about the HD, is the performance between the Caviar Black and Green so big or is it negligible?

 

[ihog]

The performance difference is negligible, but the warranty on the Black is 5 years while the Green's warranty is 3 years.

Also, call it an "HDD."

 

[axelmar1992]

The performance difference is negligible, but the warranty on the Black is 5 years while the Green's warranty is 3 years.

Also, call it an "HDD."

Well then I'll take the Black HDD for the warranty , by the way what is this Turbo boost mode for the CPU I see all this buzz about, can the specs I want even run it or should I steer away from that?

 

[ihog]

You should run Turbo Boost.

 

[Vic 40]

Turboboost is an option in the cpu that will work when the necessary power is there and the temps are not too high for instance,you don't have to do anything for that.The better cooler will help with that.The reason why i think that the stock cooler isn't always good enough.I would keep it enabled in the bios.

 

[ihog]

The stock cooler accounts for turbo boost.

 

[axelmar1992]

Okz, only remains to buy everything I guess, thanks for answering all my questions guys XD

Well after all the talk I'll be making the rig of these parts:

MoBo: Asus Z97-PRO LGA1150
Ram Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 2x8GB DDR3 1600MHz CL9 Kit
Case: Antec Nineteen Hundred Black/Green
CPU: Intel Core i7 4790K 4.0Ghz
CPU Cooler: Corsair Hydro H55 Quiet CPU Cooler
Hard Disk: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB
Network Card: Edimax EW-7722IN nMax PCI 300Mbps
GPU: Gigabyte GTX970 G1 GAMING SOC 4GB GDDR5

 

[Vic 40]

The stock cooler accounts for turbo boost.

I just don't count on that,but that's my personal view.

Okz, only remains to buy everything I guess, thanks for answering all my questions guys XD

Well after all the talk I'll be making the rig of these parts:

MoBo: Asus Z97-PRO LGA1150
Ram Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 2x8GB DDR3 1600MHz CL9 Kit
Case: Antec Nineteen Hundred Black/Green
CPU: Intel Core i7 4790K 4.0Ghz
CPU Cooler: Corsair Hydro H55 Quiet CPU Cooler
Hard Disk: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB
Network Card: Edimax EW-7722IN nMax PCI 300Mbps
GPU: Gigabyte GTX970 G1 GAMING SOC 4GB GDDR5

Looks good to me.Maybe look at powerline adapters for internet acces instead of wifi.If the powerlines in the house are good and it's all not too old a better option imo.
Don't want an ssd? Can't remember if it came up

 

[axelmar1992]

The stock cooler accounts for turbo boost.

I just don't count on that,but that's my personal view.

Okz, only remains to buy everything I guess, thanks for answering all my questions guys XD

Well after all the talk I'll be making the rig of these parts:

MoBo: Asus Z97-PRO LGA1150
Ram Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 2x8GB DDR3 1600MHz CL9 Kit
Case: Antec Nineteen Hundred Black/Green
CPU: Intel Core i7 4790K 4.0Ghz
CPU Cooler: Corsair Hydro H55 Quiet CPU Cooler
Hard Disk: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB
Network Card: Edimax EW-7722IN nMax PCI 300Mbps
GPU: Gigabyte GTX970 G1 GAMING SOC 4GB GDDR5

Looks good to me.Maybe look at powerline adapters for internet acces instead of wifi.If the powerlines in the house are good and it's all not too old a better option imo.
Don't want an ssd? Can't remember if it came up

I might buy a SSD later but don't plan on one now it's not that urgent, if I need to buy one it will be used mainly to install windows and drivers on it, a 120GB or 128GB will leave enough headroom for that no?

Beside that I wanted to know if the chosen specs can carry enough oomph for a 3-way SLI with a third G1 should need arrive, the question mainly concerns the PSU I guess.

 

[Vic 40]

For three way sli do you really need socket 2011 imo and i don't see the need for it anyway.Maybe that gaming on 4K can make use of it.Psu would i upgrade too in that case,either of those 1050watt psu's would do fine then.

 

[axelmar1992]

Well the technology for quad and tri way SLI was made before the 5th Gen came so it's really necessary to use the pricier CPUs to run it?
The PSU would really crumble under pressure if it needed to run 3 gtx970 of the G1 offerings?

 

[Vic 40]

The 2011 motherboards and cpu's have more pcie lanes that can be used.A 4790K would run three cards at 8x4x4,might be enough,but the third slot would be rev. 2.0 already. The i7 5930K would have 40 lanes which could make three gpu's run at 16x16x8,all slots pcie rev. 3.0,a i7 5820K could make run things at 8x8x8 depending on which motherboard you use.Choice of motherboard goes for the i7 5930K too.
Some reviews about the 980 in triple sli,
https://www.google.nl/?gws_rd=ssl#q=gtx+970+triple+sli+review
at this moment not really a huge gain with going from two to three cards,well some games more than other.

Might be that the seasonic X-850 can power three of those gpu's without overclocking,it has the cables for it.Strangely enough has the 860watt platinum only 4 pcie cables.

 

[axelmar1992]

So I should buy an X-series if I want 3-way SLI in the future?
And the Cpu I want would run it crappy?
For how much time these cards remain actual?

 

[Vic 40]

So I should buy an X-series if I want 3-way SLI in the future?

If you don't want to spend more on a 1050watt yes,this one has the nesessary cables.

And the Cpu I want would run it crappy?

Not with just two cards.For three would i change to socket 2011-V3.The 5820K isn't that much more expensive most of the times.The right motherboard will be though and the ram too.

For how much time these cards remain actual?

Nobody can tell for sure.

Still don't see why you would want to go triple sli ↴

I want to build a new rig mainly for gaming in a 1920X1080/1080p/1080i resolutions

 

[axelmar1992]

Well guess this is the last question, considering the VRAM defect that was discovered lately should I go with the Gigabyte G1 GTX980 instead of the 970 version, since it seems the GTX970 doesn't seem to run perfect some of the games I want to play like Assasin's Creed Unity and such?

 

[frag06]

ACU doesn't run well on any GPU. Ubicrap titles are just that - crap.

The 970 may have issues after 3.5GB of VRAM is used. Frametimes can spike and cause stuttering. The driver tries it's best to keep VRAM usage to the high priority partition (i.e. the 3.5GB segment), but it isn't foolproof and some games need the extra VRAM (or just want to allocate it).

It not much of an issue (from what we've seen so far) right now, with a single card. Future games may have issues.

SLI is a different story however. Once pushed past 3.5GB, frametimes spike to the point the game is just a stuttering mess. Again, not much of an issue with current games and you're not likely to see issues unless at 4K, but future games may be an issue.

I wouldn't buy the 980. It's really not worth the money. I would either buy a 290(X) now for CF in the future or buy a single 970 as a stop-gap card and sell it off for Fiji XT/Bermuda (380X/390X), GM200 (Titan II) or wait until Pascal (2016).