High-end Gaming build compatibility check

[Guest]

ahhhhhh

the prices i was looking at, the maximus is $70 US more. if they are close to the same and you can better configure the connectivity with the max, then by all means it would be a wiser purchase. the "brand" is was referring to was the maximus name, as like the sabertooth, it is made by asus but some of the "added" features seem to carry a high premium price. but going back to what you said, if the pricing is the same . . go for it.

i have a i5-2400, it does not have an adjustable multiplier such as the "K" versions ( i5-2500K, i5-3570K) the "stock" multi is 31x and goes to 32x for all 4 cores with turbo because my H67 motherboard has no adjustments in the BIOS. also the max RAM speed is DDR3 1333. when i try to raise the Bclk (which a lot of people freak out because going crazy with it can damage components) past 103 from 100 i can't post because of my RAM; the Bclk also runs the PCI express and RAM.

so along with better options to configure the turbo boost, i can get DDR3 1600 RAM and see what further tweaking i can do. i doubt it will end up being more than a 7% boost and won't do much but, hey i like to tweak things out when possible without damaging anything.

but getting back to your build, overall its looking good. the maximus with a i5-3570K. those asus DCIIs are nice and i don't think you will need to replace the coolers on them. that HAF X is a really nice case and will have great air flow that will help with keeping the temps down for a SLI set up.

still getting the seasonic platinum 860W?

 

[Mike341]

860? yeah, i am
i know that 650w is more than enough to feed my sli, but should i go 3way and IPS monitor for gorgeous quality in rts, rpg and that kinda stuff, a 860 might come in handy. i prolly wont go 3way anytime soon though

actually if i OC the monster to 4.5GHz, i´d need 677W with 2 cards, and 796W with 3 cards, and only reach 75% load tops.

i used this to calculate http://www.extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine and didnt include the fans in case, so yeah, 860W is my choice still. also, im gonna go with 8GB instead of 16GB RAM. i´ll order all of this the 6th of march, so im just tweaking and improving the last little things as good as i can.

do you have any idea how hot it will get when overclocking to 4.5? don´t wanna go ahead and fry anything hehe

 

[Guest]

yesterday i saw a forum member, whom i trust, compare that online calculator PSU recommendation what their reading was from a killowatt meter of their rig. the actual load was 60% of the recommendation - it allows plenty of room for breathing.

the largest concern with overclocking an ivy bridge is the temps do gat a bit hot once you need to increase the Vcore (cpu voltage). keeping it below 1.3 volts is important.

here is an article exploring that when ivy was first released and folks got all worried when the temps where higher than the sandys
Undervolting and Overclocking on Ivy Bridge

if you get the Noctua D-14 it will help tremendously. even though i don't have a "K" i found one gently used for hafl price. it lowered my max temps by 20c.

 

[Mike341]

yesterday i saw a forum member, whom i trust, compare that online calculator PSU recommendation what their reading was from a killowatt meter of their rig. the actual load was 60% of the recommendation - it allows plenty of room for breathing.

the largest concern with overclocking an ivy bridge is the temps do gat a bit hot once you need to increase the Vcore (cpu voltage). keeping it below 1.3 volts is important.

here is an article exploring that when ivy was first released and folks got all worried when the temps where higher than the sandys
Undervolting and Overclocking on Ivy Bridge

if you get the Noctua D-14 it will help tremendously. even though i don't have a "K" i found one gently used for hafl price. it lowered my max temps by 20c.

before i overclock, is there a meaning to overclocking the cpu for gaming? i know about the graphic card meaning, but the graphic card is really the bottleneck in todays tech, so whats the cpu OC for?

what does it mean for a graphics card to exhaust the air around it?

is the ASUS GTX670-DC2G-4GD5 4GB a direct ii or a direct ii TOP?


also, i might just buy one gtx 670 now, and save up for the maxwell gen later on. or if its too expensive for the value, might just go with another gtx 670 as they are sure to drop in price around then. for instance it just took off 10$ where im gonna shop 😀 😀

and ive heard that the consoles are holding the gaming industry back....which way? the game requirements? or something else..?

 

[Guest]

overclocking can squeeze out a few more FPS:

but not always:

some games are a bit more cpu dependent than others and multiplayer mode will need more cpu than single player such as battlefield 3.

take a look at a "reference" card and see how the shroud comes down and covers the sides:

then take a look at a non reference cooling design:

and see how the sides are exposed?

the fan in the first card will be forced to blow all the exhaust out the back, outside of the case. whereas the twin frozer with the sides exposed will blow much of the air from the fans inside of the case.

the asus DCII is simular to the TF:

so it is a bit meaningful to have some air flow in the case for exhaust. BUT we are talking about a keplar gpu. they don't give off a lot of heat especially compared to fermi (the 5xx and 4xx series). with an average power draw of ~155 watts the 670 won't get nearly as hot as a 570 that sucks up ~210 watts using the same 2x6 pin power connections. there would be a bit of a concern running SLI in a small micro case with no fans . .but that HAF X will alleviate any excess heat.

i really don't expect prices to fall very much even after the release of the 7xx series in a few months. the prices for the 5xx series have dropped like a rock but i think that has more to do with the new gpu that keplar is (the 7xxs are just a "refresh") and sellers wanting to get rid of old stock.

and sorry, i don't read much about the faults of consoles . i see people get very agitated in the discussion . .

 

[Mike341]

then i might just go with a second 670 when that time comes
depending on the price of the 7xx of course.

cpu oc seems not worth it to me, so im just gonna wait for it to make sense. im not part of the GHz bitchrace at all, so...
also thanks for the great info, and assuring me that my build will work. means a lot to me 😀 if i knew how to pick best answer you´d win.

i think thats it . i´ve learned a lot and will update my rig if necessary since its just 6th march i´m ordering. thats right around the corner!! cant wait since i´ve never made a rig before, let alone had a gaming rig able to pull more than 1200x900ish res 🙁

again, thanks 😀

 

[Mike341]

EDIT: thats not it...i just stumbled apon something called demciflex filters which should be better for preventing dust from entering my system, than the standard HAF X filters. as the lazy person i am, i am willing to spend the extra money for these. i just need to know how to get them when i live in Denmark. only place i´ve found them is frozenpc.com and thats in the US. also, ive been told that the haf x filter set includes all but the back intake filter. which dimensions is this?

also will there be room for 2 of the asus 670 direct ii on my mono?

 

[Guest]

not sure about shopping for the filters, maybe contacting the manufacture would provide some information.

there is enough room for two dual slot cards like the DCII on the maximus, there is two slots between the first and second x16 slots. it will be fine with a slot for space.

edit: btw, the back fan (top?) would be for exhaust and for obvious reasons wouldn't need a dust filter.

 

[Mike341]

not sure about shopping for the filters, maybe contacting the manufacture would provide some information.

there is enough room for two dual slot cards like the DCII on the maximus, there is two slots between the first and second x16 slots. it will be fine with a slot for space.

edit: btw, the back fan (top?) would be for exhaust and for obvious reasons wouldn't need a dust filter.

yeah i realized the back fan thing minutes after post. according to this: http://www.demcifilter.com/filters_performance.php#positive_pressure
i should have intake everywhere but the back, and end up with a intake twice the CFM that the exhaust fan does.
but since the HAF has a lt of holes in the upper front of the case, this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7xcOWgWEzc
tells me to make all fans intake, and have the air mainly exhaust from the front I/O ports. is this possible/safe? you dont have to watch the video, simply read the letter a manufacturer of the demciflex sent the poster.

that leaves me confused...first of all, on the example on demciflex site, what is the rear exhaust fans? there are 3, but only 1 fan on the hafx no? second of all, do i use all fans to intake for minimum dust intake, or use the rear end exclusively for exhaust air?

i want to have this computer last for many years, preferably 5-10, so dust filters is a no-brainer. its just so god-damn confusing

 

[hjones96]

Definitely go for a mechanical keyboard.. One of the best investments in a build you can make IMO.. just look at reviews for some, i use a razer black widow ultimate 2013, its pretty expensive but there is not much choice in mechanicals in New Zealand.. 😀

 

[Mike341]

Definitely go for a mechanical keyboard.. One of the best investments in a build you can make IMO.. just look at reviews for some, i use a razer black widow ultimate 2013, its pretty expensive but there is not much choice in mechanicals in New Zealand.. 😀

yeah, Mechanical ftw. but i´ve heard ill about these "gaming keyboards" that regular keyboards are just as good. since i play fps, some rts and rpg, i dont catch myself using a lot of macros. so that wont be needed. however fast respond time and slick design is priorities for me. any suggestions for a guy living in denmark? (europe)

 

[Guest]

i am looking around for a few articles that give explanations for setting up case fans for best cooling.

general rule of thumb: if its the lower half of the case, intake of cooler air and exhaust for the upper half to exhaust the heat. (heat rises but i think you know that 😉 )

there are two school of thoughts: having a positive air pressure (more intake fans) or having negative air pressure (more exhaust fans) in the case.

positive air pressure helps to keep the dust out that may enter through the cracks but it may cause a pocket of heat in the upper part of the case; air flow and "swirl around" in a corner. negative air pressure immediately removes any heat but can cause dust to get in though any cracks.

personally i prefer getting the heat out - but folks have their preferences . . here is a suggested configuration from CM HAF X RC-942-KKN1 :

if i haven't wandered too far off. .the bottom, front and side would get filters but not the top or back.

 

[Mike341]

you definitely have a good point when it comes to heat staying inside the case. but the point was to have so much air coming in that it is forced to exit through the cracks and openings, meaning no dust incoming. if i do as your drawing say and make the two top fans exhaust, the dust will definitely come in through the cracks, making this whole filtering pointless. so when you say heat, how much is this? (celsius please). since its a HAF i doubt the gear is very hot in the first place, and since im not gonna over clock for years (maybe just a tad) i think it´ll stay below 80C. at least. or am i completely wrong?

new idea struck me actually: so, the cracks are all in the front right? what if i then made the front fan the only exhaust one? that would lead the air inside the case in the direction of the cracks!! are you kidding me, its genius again, am i a complete moron? lol, its all very hard to calculate since i dont own this monster yet, and therefor cant say what the temps/RPM etc. are atm.

its just the way i see it, is that i´d rather have a little more heat always, and a very clean inside, than i´d clean this out every other week with compressed air, putting my components at risk even futher. and if i dont clean it, it´ll wear up much faster. this is just my logic, and i very much respect opposing arguments.

so, to sum things up, is my idea genius?
and is this filtering the last thing i need for my build or are there other usefull stuff to make it better? (excluding water cooling, since im not that hardcore)

thanks

 

[Guest]

:lol:

i wouldn't recommend the front fans to be exhaust; it would end up pulling cooler air out. if you are very concerned about the front crack along the bezel seam; you may find some black PVC tape that doesn't take away from the aesthetics to work just fine. (just a thought).

when it comes down to it, a little bit of dust isn't going to hurt anything. and it's usually a good idea to every so often open up the case and blow it out with a can of compressed air. the biggest offender of debris getting in a case is having a cat; the hair gets everywhere and can clump up.

 

[Mike341]

:lol:

i wouldn't recommend the front fans to be exhaust; it would end up pulling cooler air out. if you are very concerned about the front crack along the bezel seam; you may find some black PVC tape that doesn't take away from the aesthetics to work just fine. (just a thought).

when it comes down to it, a little bit of dust isn't going to hurt anything. and it's usually a good idea to every so often open up the case and blow it out with a can of compressed air. the biggest offender of debris getting in a case is having a cat; the hair gets everywhere and can clump up.

ouch,,,we have a bunch of cats where i live, and they drop hair as often as i blink (pretty often). this is why i need a positive pressure in my case.

so how bout this:

option 1-
intake: Front, Top, Side
Exhaust: Rear, Bottom

option 2-
Intake: Front,Top,Side,Bottom
Exhaust: Rear

option 3-
Intake: Front,Rear,Side,Bottom
Exhaust: Top

option 4-
Intake: Front,Top,Bottom,Rear
Exhaust: Side

option 5-
Intake: Front,Top,Side
Exhaust: Bottom,Rear

option 6- (not a fan of this one)
Intake: Front,Top,Bottom
Exhaust: Rear,Side

these are the solutions i can think of that MIGHT cause a possitive pressure. which one of them is best you think and why? if we keep in mind im using air cooling...

and if none of these are optimal, i prolly will go for the easy option 7-
Intake: Front,Bottom,Side
Exhaust: Top,Rear
and then tape the front...

it´s certainly hard keeping a pc clean considering i dont even own it yet hehe

 

[Mike341]

also, how often would you recommend manually cleaning my pc?
if you keep in mind that i have goddamn cat-hair in the air always, and opening it might just make things worse. as for right now, i live in a very clean home, but will get back to my parents whom own the cats after i´ve built the rig.

 

[Guest]

i'd look at option 7:
Intake: Front,Bottom,Side
Exhaust: Top,Rear
and then tape the front...

though how many fans are you getting? if there is just three; then fans on front, side (or bottom) for intake and one on the back rear. ofcourse non of this needs to be etched in stone; you can always change the configuration based on temps, stuff getting in . . .
how often you clean it would be how much time the cats like to spend hanging out next to the cases . . :lol:

 

[Mike341]

:lol: , i guess
im getting them all=2 on top, 1 front, 1 side, 1 bottom, 1 rear.
how many comes with the box?

also, from which website (non-US) can i get the Demciflex HAF X set? cant figure it out 🙁

i also am happiest with option 7 definitely. would this work?:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Insulation-Tape-Electrical-19mm-Black/dp/B004CSC4W8/ref=sr_1_1?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1360085680&sr=1-1

and will the tape become a problem since option 7 is probably a negative pressure solution?
im thinking about blocked intake/exhaust. i may just be forced to adjust the fan speed a bit and thats it

 

[Mike341]

and in which direction will my zalman cnps12x blow? prefferably exhausting towards rear, or even better intaking from front direction. that would make top fans intakes and then it would be perfect...right?...

 

[Guest]

oooohhhhhhh!

i completely forgot you can adjust the fan speed with ASUS Fan Xpert 2. you'll be able to maintain a positive pressure by increasing the speed of the intake (lower part of case) and lowering the speed of the exhaust (upper part of the case).

yes that tape was exactly what i was thinking about. i am sure demciflex is available somewhere other than the US, did you send them an email asking?
edit: yes, horizontal towards the back with the cpu cooler . .what happen to the d-14?

 

[Mike341]

oooohhhhhhh!

i completely forgot you can adjust the fan speed with ASUS Fan Xpert 2. you'll be able to maintain a positive pressure by increasing the speed of the intake (lower part of case) and lowering the speed of the exhaust (upper part of the case).

yes that tape was exactly what i was thinking about. i am sure demciflex is available somewhere other than the US, did you send them an email asking?
edit: yes, horizontal towards the back with the cpu cooler . .what happen to the d-14?

i dont know man, i just dont like the d-14. its bigger than my head and uglier too.. :lol:
lol, but i think the zalman should be able to do the job aye? asus fan expert? from the motherboard? which is the asus maximus v formula now hehe.
will it be able to control case fans too? that would be awesome. then i wouldnt need the tape, and i would only need to heavyclean out my pc prolly each 4-6 months or so. which especially is a pro in my case since HAF also stands for heavy as ***...

and yes, i sent an email

does the cpu cooler take in air or remove hot air?

 

[Mike341]

http://www.overclock.net/t/1268730/cooler-master-haf-x-demciflex-filter-kit-plus-custom-drive-bay-filter

if you scroll down, you´ll see a guy put a demciflex on his dvd drive etc, making positive pressure unnecessary 😀😀 that means i can have optimal cooling and dust free pc at same time...awesome! and i found some websites selling demciflex, including the one i love the most, amazon.co.uk 😀😀 the only one they dont have though, is the bottom one (kinda zigzaggy, custom made for hafx) which sux. but ive heard they have a european base, ill try finding it hehe

EDIT: i found a set on over clockers.net (the UK site) which i can buy the set from for £71
including shipping and everything- http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CM-028-DF

what is that thin long one for though? the front cracks?

 

[Guest]

if you care to, register on the forum and ask on the thread. if you get no reply in a few days you could PM the starter.

 

[Andq1]

Hey Mike i live in Denmark aswell, why do you order the things through Amazon.co.uk? Go to edbpriser.dk and search for your parts, then it'll find the cheapest retailer. The prices are pretty much the same as Amazon and you wont have to pay and wait for it to be delivered.
Also get a card from the 79xx series, with the new drivers they kick ass against nVidia

 

[Andq1]

And would it be logical if the cpu cooler took in hot air?? Ofcourse not, the cpu "cooler > heatsink" Removes the heat from the CPU out in the case, where your airflow will get the hot air out