Suggestions for a Re-build

[grady]

Hey there!

So, I've been experiencing issues with my PC that I believe to be down to the GPU. Alas, when doing some research, it seems that a GTX 1070 will JUST About not fit in my Zalman Z11. Also, since my current GPU (Although very old) seems to be having heat issues, I'm cautious about opting for the mini version with less fans.

Now, If I'm going to get a new case I'm going to have to do almost all the work of a brand new build anyway. Plus, if I'm wrong and my GPU isn't the issue, it will mean that my problems are much more likely to be fixed.

Ergo, assuming I was to replace my Case, motherboard, CPU and GPU all at once - Which of the first three would you recommend? What about pre-built Board+CPU combos, to save me from having to do the finnicky thermal paste, how big is the markup?

I'm looking to spend about... £800 in total? So -£400 for the GPU. I don't do very CPU intensive stuff, so as long as it can handle the 1070 then we're good.

My current build is as follows:

Zalman Z11 Case (I'm a sucker for Aesthetics and I'm not a Fan of Red. My mouse is blue, so that would be easiest, but everything else can change colour.
Samsung Pro Evo SSD 256 GB
WD Caviar black 2TB
Asrock Z77 Exteme4 Motherboard (Side note: I only use the built in sound card, but I very much enjoy my music, could I benefit from getting a dedicated card or is the difference small?)
Nvidia GTX 670
i5 3470
Corsair Vengeance ram (About 32GB)

At current, I have about 5 fans and a coolermaster (I can't remember the name. It's just a metal heat sinks with 2 fans either side). I haven't noticed high CPU temperatures ever, so I don't think I need water cooling atm unless you insist. I'm more concerned with GPU temps.

Thanks in advance!


EDIT: I realise £800 might be a bit difficult. But I think below £900 is definitely achievable, unless I've forgotten what a good motherboard costs.

 

[mwryder55]

Another option would be to get one of the mini video cards if you are concerned about room in your case. I have had a Zotac GTX 1060 6GB mini video card for a year now and never had any problems with heat. The only caveat would be your power supply. If it is as old as the rest of the system it may need to be replaced. My power supply worked fine until I put the video card under load, such as the Heaven benchmark, when the screen would go black and I would have to do a hard reset.

 

[grady]

Funny you mention that, as that is the exact problem I am having... However, the PSU Is the newest part of the PC as I very recently replaced it. I have a Corsair CX 750, about 1-2 years old.

What leads me to believe it might not be the PSU is that sounds etc still work when the screen goes black. I also had an issue where on startup, the GPU would immediately be at 100% load and everything would stutter (this was fixed by reinstalling drivers however).

Finally, I very rarely experience crashes if I manually set the GPU fan to 100% (In fact, in three weeks it has only crashed once with the fan on 100%, whereas it used to happen daily). And the GPU temperatures still reach about 90 degrees at 100% when playing Shadow of War on medium settings, which isn't the most graphically intense game, so I could see those temperatures getting higher.

If you are still convinced it might be the PSU, I might consider it.

Also, I mentioned mini GPUs near the start of my question but: I am cautious about a mini, since my current GPU seems to be running quite hot, I am weary of fan issues.

 

[coozie7]

Current GPUs are a good deal more energy efficient than old/er parts so cooling is less of an issue, the Zotac GTX1070 Mini, for example, is actually a decent card and probably quieter than the current GTX670.

The Corsair 'CX' parts aren't of the highest, most durable quality so it MAY be the root cause of your issues, but those high GPU temperatures need sorting first.

The obvious advice is to strip down the card and give it a thorough clean, replacing the thermal paste while you're in there, even the single fan reference 'blower' type coolers should keep the temperatures below 90C under load.
As a temporary fix, try enabling Vsync, or capping the frame rate in the Nvidia drivers to 60FPS, if, as I suspect the card is regularly exceeding 60 FPS in your games either action will effectively slow it down and reduce the temperatures while maintaining smooth gameplay.

 

[grady]

Thanks for the advice!

Also, I'm not sure if I got mixed up or you have, but doesn't thermal paste apply to CPUs? I never installed (Or re-applied) any thermal paste to my GPU.

That said, the GPU temperature issues aren't a concern. My GPU is 5 years old now, I was in the market for a new one anyway. I would much rather just get a GTX 1070 mini for my birthday (January 3) as I've been collecting the funds to upgrade regardless.

If you're confident that I shouldn't have any heat issues, then I suppose I'll just go with the Zotac 1070 mini and call it a day? (That said, they are all Out of Stock atm so I might have to wait a little while). Then, if I still have issues, I'll suspect the PSU.

 

[grady]

Given the information you guys have provided, I'm going to grant coozie the solution and re-post this thread (as he gave me the most general info).

Reason being that since starting this, I have been convinced to try a mini model. That, and I have also noted that a 1080 mini is only £80 more than a 1070. A small price for the difference between 4K or not.

Ergo, all my requirements/questions have changed. Thanks for both your time!

 

[coozie7]

Both CPU and GPU chips use thermal paste to improve heat transfer.
The stuff can go off over time while dust gets lodged in the heatsink and cooling fans, reducing cooling efficiency, which is almost certainly why the card is running so hot, which may be the cause of your crashes, so cleaning it and replacing the thermal paste would eliminate that as a possible cause for the issues.
Your call on the stripdown.

Just to point it out, but a GTX1080 will run 4K, but at reduced settings in some cases you'll need to drop to the medium preset to keep gameplay smooth.

 

[grady]

Thanks again for the continued info! More than 4K, I just don't see why I wouldn't upgrade when the price difference is pretty small. Just makes my rig a bit more future proof.

 

[coozie7]

You have a point on the extra cost, although I'd hold off and see if anything turns up after Christmas.