New build, kind of lost with what I need (platform)

K

Kryogen

Gawd
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Feb 3, 2002
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937
Old pc is probably more than 5 years old. I want to build a new intel PC for general office use/gaming if needed.
I don't do any work that requires more than your basic gaming system, but still enjoy a good pc.

I would like to refresh most components (case, PSU, HD, SSD) so I can start with a new system that will be good for a while.

skylake/kaby lake? i7 vs i5?
mobo?
how much ram, what kind?
video card? 1060 or something I guess?

I like to overclock just for the fun of it, was thinking about a corsair h115, but I am seriously wondering if the higher cost of the mobo+cpu + the cost of the water cooler,+ higher end ram+ trouble, is it worth it considering that I will probably just use the computer for basic office use and gaming? (but still like to overclock "just because".... dumb, I know).

Right now, my system is:
asus p8z68 pro gen 3
i7 2600K overclocked
8gb corsair vengeance ram
corsair tx 750w
h80 water cooler
gtx 560ti
auzentech x fi prelude 7.1 that wont work anymore I guess (PCI)
samsung 840 exo 750gb
2x wd black as backup

existing system might give you a hint about budget and what I want.
(budget around 2000$ CAD max I guess). (1500$ US).
 
I have to agree with Kyle.....

"The Bottom Line

If you own a highly clocked 2600K/2500K Sandy Bridge processor and it is still giving you stable performance, it is hard for me to make the argument that it is time for you to upgrade, especially if you are a GPU-limited gamer."

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2017/01/13/kaby_lake_7700k_vs_sandy_bridge_2600k_ipc_review/5

I would just get a nice mid-high end GPU for now.
Maybe another 8GB RAM if you want.

I would also maybe wait for Ryzen to debut if you really want a new rig.

.
 
Seconding Spartacus,

Since you're mostly doing office work, you don't have shit to do really. Get the additional 8 GB of memory, and perhaps a RX 470/480 or GTX 1060 if you want better GPU performance.

Really, if office use is your goal, your best upgrade is probably an awesome chair, desk, and monitor setup. I recommend the door-desk for an inexpensive tabletop surface of a desk that gives a bit of DIY satisfaction, but really it's up to you. A good monitor setup can be an amazing productivity booster though, and I cannot recommend a monitor mounting arm hard enough. http://i.imgur.com/iDn6Sou.png is my door desk (don't mind the poorly routed wiring and slightly potato picture quality)
 
Yeah, it's kind of dumb but my actual system works well and I can't see any reason to upgrade 5 years later, it's just sad... but my 2600k is doing 4ghz, with 8gb ram, an SSD, and a nice monitor, it does everything I need and it's not even slow.
My HDDs and PSU are 8 years old.

Long gone the glorious days of desktop system upgrade.

Would it be worth it to upgrade the PSU to a corsair AX860 or am I just wasting money and I should just let my tx750 run until it dies?
 
You're basically up against one of my golden rules:

If it isn't broke, don't fix it.

Your shit isn't broke. Don't fix it.

If you've got Chriastmas money to burn, go on a nice vacation or something. Buy an experience, not a thing.
 
last time we booked a 5000$ trip to jamaica, my wife figured on departure day that she did not want to go anymore so I lost the trip.
I have an issue with buying vacation now. I should have bought a new comp instead. Oh well.
 
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Hm... alternatives then...

If your desk and chair are already awesome, and your monitors are good... well, if it was me, I would buy a 50-ish inch TV and mount it above my workspace environment and plug it in as an extra monitor. I'd also plug in a Roku or Chromecast or something. That way if I want to watch a real video or movie or something, I've got a nice big display to do it on, and meanwhile I can still use it for work or other use if desired because it's plugged into the PC as well.

Seriously though, I'd probably still get the GPU and memory. Something like a RX470 will absolutely mop the floor compared to the GTX 560 Ti and use less power doing it. If you are careful buying the GPU, a lot of them (not all) will also now completely turn off the fan when the GPU temp is below a certain point, like 60 C or so, so they're completely silent when not loaded. Something like this one.
 
Or get the corsair 750 airflow + AX860i PSU, and wait to upgrade when I need it more?
 
If the current PSU is working fine don't replace it.

Also, the current and especially the suggested replacement are way more than needed. Something gold+ in the 500-600 W range would be more than plenty.
 
You could also buy a new case.

Then you get the fun of rebuilding the machine, you know it will work right, and it looks brand new. :D

.
 
If you have an upgrade itch with the money to spare, it's nice to upgrade the fans to quieter ones. Noiseblockers and Noctuas run 25$ a piece but they're well worth it if you value silence.
 
Ok well I bought the corsair 750D airflow, a noctua nh-d15s, a evga supernova g2 850, and a HGST deskstar 3TB drive to replace my 2 old 650gb WD blacks that are near 9 years old.

At least, this will stabilize things while I decide where I am heading with the rest of the upgrades.

my H80 was due for replacement, my PSU also, my HDDs also. And the new case will just make the install easier.

Thanks all.

Probably going with an asus ROG maximus hero, 7700k, + 16gb of vengeance, and something like a 1060 when I do the rest of the upgrade later this year.

Or just wait because my system is still fine.
 
Ah you know what, I'm doing it all....

Buying the ROG maximus hero, 7700k, + 16gb of vengeance 3200, and a MSI 1060 6gb

Thanks all.
 
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