What CPU, Mobo, and PSU should I use for ASUS STRIX GTX 970 4GB GDDR5?

[riverjones]

Hi Guys,

I decided to build a new gaming rig with these specifications;

INTEL CORE-I7 4790K PROCESSOR
ASUS MAXIMUS VII HERO 1150 MAINBOARD
KINGSTON HYPER X SAVAGE 16GB(8GBX2) KIT DDR3-1600 GAMING RAM
SEASONIC S12II 620W 80PLUS BRONZE POWER SUPPLY

Is there any compatibility issue? Any suggestions on what should I replace/add?
Lastly can I use INTEL CORE-I5 4690 LGA1150 instead of I7 above?

Thanks for helping.

 

[Jomari Gonzales]

if you are gonna be prioritizing gaming, then i5 is more than enough. get the k version for OC capability.

Nothing wrong with the i7 since it can provide minimal increase in Frames per second on certain games the utilizes CPU threads, if you have the budget and are willing to pay that premium, why not?

basing on your build it seems you have the budget anyway, suggestion would be an i5 with a 980 Ti if you will be gaming at resolutions 1440p and up. this will give better performance in gaming.

 

[riverjones]

Hi Jomari,

Thanks for the answer. Out of curiosity, what I5 version would you suggest? Any version with the K? Sorry I'm noob at it. Last but not least, can I use on 8GB RAM instead of 16GB? Would it be enough for prioritizing gaming? Thanks

 

[Jomari Gonzales]

Hi Jomari,

Thanks for the answer. Out of curiosity, what I5 version would you suggest? Any version with the K? Sorry I'm noob at it. Last but not least, can I use on 8GB RAM instead of 16GB? Would it be enough for prioritizing gaming? Thanks

an i5-4690k is top of the line i5 with OC capability and since your mobo is best for OCing then i must insist you get a K proc.

8GB RAM is the baseline sweet spot in today's gaming, if you wish to go with 8GB then i suggest you get a 2x4GB kit, then later add on another 2x4GB kit to make it 16GB if you think you already need the extra RAM.
*plus on a side note, full RAM slots occupied looks damn sexy, just make sure the colors of the heat spreaders match the black/red theme of your mobo

 

[riverjones]

Thanks again Jomari. Really appreciate it! I will take a look over it.

 

[Jomari Gonzales]

glad to help my good friend. kindly select a solution if you are satisfied with the outcome

 

[riverjones]

Hi Jomari,

One more thing, if I use Gigabyte Z97X-Gaming GT mobo is it okay? Which one would you suggest?

 

[Jomari Gonzales]

Hi Jomari,

One more thing, if I use Gigabyte Z97X-Gaming GT mobo is it okay? Which one would you suggest?

here's a link for a direct comparison: http://motherboards.specout.com/compare/1312-3454/ASUS-Maximus-VII-Hero-vs-GIGABYTE-GA-Z97X-Gaming-GT

just disregard some of the misinformation regarding the maximus not having pcie slots or i/o ports, definitely wrong info for a mobo not having those.

but it shows some important factors there such as AUDIO quality, personal opinion would be Asus (probably a little bit biased)
and also the LAN chipset, i prefer the Intel which Asus ROG boards have.

Advantage of Gigabyte would be the sata ports, it has more, plus an eSATA which provides faster data transfer rate, it should be factor if you have storage that takes advantage of this.

You also get more USB 3.0 ports with the Gigabyte board and a Displayport as well but since you won't be using it anyway due to having a discrete GPU.

you clearly wont go wrong with any of those 2 boards, very high quality.

 

[riverjones]

Hi Jomari,

Sorry for being too noob for this. Huhu I noticed that Gigabyte have certain Overclocked RAM frequency and Asus does not. Why is that?

 

[Jomari Gonzales]

Asus supports that too, well actually i believe most if not all Z97 mobos do support RAM Overclocking.

 

[riverjones]

Thanks! I've decided which one I'll bring home.

 

[riverjones]

Hi again Jomari,

How do I know a Mobo has a potential of Overclocking? From its name or specs?

 

[Jomari Gonzales]

if a MOBO is a Z97 (chipset) then it's specifically for Intel 4th and 5th processors, though you can use a non-k processor (which is a non-overclockable proc) of course you'd buy a "k" proc to maximize it.

The difference between choosing Z97 boards would be their how well you can OC your proc on them, that's where certain factors such as VRM phases, BIOS etc.

Also make sure that when you overclock, you have a decent HSF like Noctuas or AIOs

 

[riverjones]

if a MOBO is a Z97 (chipset) then it's specifically for Intel 4th and 5th processors, though you can use a non-k processor (which is a non-overclockable proc) of course you'd buy a "k" proc to maximize it.

The difference between choosing Z97 boards would be their how well you can OC your proc on them, that's where certain factors such as VRM phases, BIOS etc.

Also make sure that when you overclock, you have a decent HSF like Noctuas or AIOs

Thank you so much!