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Nxl8

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May 26, 2014
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Hello,

I am wishing to upgrade my computer to higher spec. I am going to be playing games, doing some photo editing and running some VMs. I also intend to over clock my CPU at some point, not immediately

The components I am going to keep on my current computer are; Zalman Z11 plus case, 500w PSU, EVGA GTX 760 ACX cooling SuperClocked.

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£233.99 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler (£57.89 @ Ebuyer)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-OC ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£141.44 @ Scan.co.uk)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£122.36 @ Dabs)
Total: £555.68

This is a little over my price range but I would like the best I can get.

My questions are: Will it all fit in the Zalman Z11 plus case? Will it be suitable for what I intend to use it for? Will I need a higher watt PSU? Is the CPU cooler good enough to allow for overclocking?

Thank you for reading and I hope you can help me,
Jon
 
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jaraldo

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Mar 22, 2012
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Hey,
Could you post what model your 500w PSU is? It may be ok, 500w-550w for a single GPU, and 750w-800w for 2 gpu is the general rule of thumb. I'm more worried about what brand you have.

You can use this site to check compatibility, it is quite accurate. http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/
It will tell you if everything should fit or not.

I wouldn't get 16gb of ram if this is just for gaming, 8gb will do perfectly fine.
 
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HighTechProphet

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May 23, 2014
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100 quid cheaper up front:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£233.99 @ Aria PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£94.76 @ Scan.co.uk)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£121.39 @ Scan.co.uk)
Total: £450.14
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-27 14:56 BST+0100)


The D14 is superb, and I would definitely recommend that. I would just hold of on buying immediately until you plan to overclock if you want money to save, that is where you can do it :)

That will certainly all fit in that case easily. A 500w power supply is more than plenty for overclocking a 4770k with a GTX 760, but like posted above, quality is more important than quantity when overclocking. What brand/model do you have?
 
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Nxl8

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May 26, 2014
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Thank you both for replying.

My PSU is a Xigmatek NRP-VC503; sorry for not including it in the first place.

I would like to keep the D14 cooler as I hear the stock ones can cause the CPU to reach temps of about 90C when playing games. I also wish to keep the 16GB of RAM as VMs tend to take it out of your computer in terms of memory. I had also not considered a different motherboard as I had read the OC is superb for overclocking when I come to do it and therefore cheaper in the long run.

Again, thank you both for replying,
Jon
 
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HighTechProphet

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May 23, 2014
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Going air cooled, there won't be any difference in overclocking potential between the two, certainly not over 50 quid more. And if you can get the D14 now, definitely get it :) the stock cooler is sufficient for gaming and stuff, 90c sounds like poorly seated or poor airflow lol

If you're planning on overclocking, I would definitely consider an upgrade to your power supply. That may get you buy on a stock-clocked i7 and 760 now, but that PSU definitely isn't equipped to overclock, and a bad power supply could take your whole system with it.

Definitely recommend staying with 16GB of RAM, and make sure you get the Pro version of Windows, as an upgrade to 32 may be necessary depending on what kind of VM work you're doing.
 
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Nxl8

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May 26, 2014
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I have gone for the first EVGA PSU you have suggested, and my total cost has come to about the same as orignally put. I have also chosen the motherboard mentioned by HighTechProphet, the Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard. The Xigmatek PSU has served me for about 2.5 years now and about 6 months with the GTX 760 card.

Thanks,
Jon

EDIT: Maybe I won't pick that PSU then. Any other suggestions?
 
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HighTechProphet

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Nxl8

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Antec Neo Eco 620W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply sounds good, thanks very much!

EDIT: It does not appear to be available in the UK according to PCPartPicker.
 
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HighTechProphet

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May 23, 2014
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Nxl8

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May 26, 2014
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Thank you both for contributing. My final (hopefully) choices for parts are:
CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor (£233.99 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler (£57.89 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£94.76 @ Scan.co.uk)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£122.36 @ Dabs)
Power Supply: XFX TS 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply (£56.99 @ Dabs)
Total: £565.99

Thanks,
Jon
 
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