new system build/help/advice

[polonyc2]

1) What will you be doing with this PC?....mostly Gaming
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?....around $1300
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible....New York City
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?...Windows 10 64-bit
-----------------------------------------------------------

I've had my current system now for 8.5 years (other then the video card which I upgrade more frequently)...I'm finally looking into building a new one...but technology and hardware has changed so much that I'm slightly overwhelmed...I've been researching online the past week and think I've gotten a good grasp on things (NVMe, MLC/TLC, M.2, DDR4 etc) but I'm still confused about some things and need advice/help...some of the questions may be very noobish so forgive me ahead of time

here's my current proposed build...I'm mainly using it for gaming...I want my system to last another 6+ years so I'm looking for long term value

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/sQmddX

i7 8700K
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117827

ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E Gaming
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813119033

G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 16GB DDR4 3200
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820232217

Noctua NH-D15S
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608072

Samsung 860 EVO 1TB 2.5 Inch SATA III
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147673

Seasonic FOCUS Plus Series SSR-750FX 750W 80+ Gold
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151187

** I'm going to re-using several parts from my current system such as my GTX 1070, Lian Li PC-A70B case and ViewSonic XG2703-GS 1440p 144hz G-Sync monitor

some questions I have...

1) am I making the right memory choice?...is the Trident line better then Ripjaw?...is DDR 3200 right if I don't plan on overclocking (beyond the normal Intel Turbo range)?...or is DDR 2666 better?...I keep reading about how 3200 is the 'sweet spot' and that games see a performance increase...so all I would need to do is enable the XMP profile in the BIOS?

2) I'm torn between the 750 watt vs 650 watt PSU...I know 750 is overkill but as of yesterday the price was the same for the Seasonic 650 watt and 750 watt (after rebate)

3) is my motherboard choice good for purely gaming with no overclocking?

4) is an i5 8400 or 8700 non-K the better CPU choice?

5) I currently have 7 120mm fans installed (2 intake, 1 outtake, 2 blowhole outtake on top and 2 blowing over the GPU area)...can someone recommend some new case fans?

 

[ReaperX22]

Do you plan to OC? If not, grab the i7 8700 and call it a day. Pair it with the H370 equivalent of your Z board, drop the cooler to maybe a U12S from Noctua, and grab DDR4 2666.

If the PSU is the same price, grab the higher capacity, won't hurt. Otherwise 650 is more than enough.

3200c14 is the sweet spot, note the timings, however if you go for a non-k CPU, you'd then want to opt for a non-Z board which doesn't support that RAM speed.

TBH at your res your CPU is far less the bottleneck than your GPU. The i5 800 will likely perform just as well as the 8700/k, however as you want it to last a while, I'd say grab the i7.

We're at a point IMO where overclocking (apart from the fun of it/being an enthusiast) does not provide substantial performance gains in general use/most games, especially at 1440p or higher resolution. The i7 will set you up for a long while IMO. But you really won't need a D15S if you're not overclocking. XD.

 

[polonyc2]

Do you plan to OC? If not, grab the i7 8700 and call it a day. Pair it with the H370 equivalent of your Z board, drop the cooler to maybe a U12S from Noctua, and grab DDR4 2666...

so other then the 8700K being an unlocked chip the 8700 is exactly the same in terms of specs and performance?...and the Turbo Boost range is also the exact same?

any recommendations on 120mm case fans?

 

[ReaperX22]

The 8700k has a .1ghz higher boost, and a .5ghz higher base. Will it realistically make a difference? Probably not. Entirely up to you what you want to spend, I just think buying Z board and K cpu with no intention of OC'ing to be a bit of a waste that's all.

Is there something wrong with your current case fans? The X58 platform you're coming from has a higher TDP than the platform you're moving to. You could likely either stick with your current setup, or even reduce the amount of fans entirely for a more silent build (especially true if you go for the non-k variant).

 

[polonyc2]

Is there something wrong with your current case fans? The X58 platform you're coming from has a higher TDP than the platform you're moving to. You could likely either stick with your current setup, or even reduce the amount of fans entirely for a more silent build (especially true if you go for the non-k variant).

nothing wrong with my current case fans but they've been running for 8.5 years and it might be worth putting new ones in since I'm going to be changing out all the other main components...I'm thinking of just using 5 fans for this build--- 2 intake, 1 outtake in the back, 2 blowhole

 

[Archaea]

Thought you had convinced yourself to stay out till 9 series Intel based on the fact it won’t affect gaming very much.

Buy a better video card instead.

1080ti for $500 would get you much better FPS than a processor upgrade at anything over 1080p for sure.

1080ti is like 80% faster than 1070.

8700k is negligible difference over hex core 4.0ghz x58 when at 2560x1440 or 3440x1440.

 

[polonyc2]

Thought you had convinced yourself to stay out till 9 series Intel?

I keep changing my mind...plus with the 9700K rumored not to have hyperthreading that sort of swung me around to the 8700 again...that means Intel wants enthusiasts to buy the 9800K which has hyperthreading but will be more expensive

 

[ReaperX22]

nothing wrong with my current case fans but they've been running for 8.5 years and it might be worth putting new ones in since I'm going to be changing out all the other main components...I'm thinking of just using 5 fans for this build--- 2 intake, 1 outtake in the back, 2 blowhole

Corsair Maglev are nice? RGB goodness haha. That config sounds good.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...30&cm_re=corsair_120mm-_-35-181-130-_-Product

Whilst I agree with Archaea, I will say you'll still see more consistent frames and better 1% and 0.1% lows by upgrading your CPU. The 8 series won't be slow for a long time, so waiting out just because won't really matter. That said, you're still on X58 so waiting doesn't seem to be a huge issue either?

I vaguely recall reading that other thread now, and you had your 980x at stock right? OC'ing not an option for your old rig?

 

[polonyc2]

Corsair Maglev are nice? RGB goodness haha. That config sounds good.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...30&cm_re=corsair_120mm-_-35-181-130-_-Product

Whilst I agree with Archaea, I will say you'll still see more consistent frames and better 1% and 0.1% lows by upgrading your CPU. The 8 series won't be slow for a long time, so waiting out just because won't really matter. That said, you're still on X58 so waiting doesn't seem to be a huge issue either?

I vaguely recall reading that other thread now, and you had your 980x at stock right? OC'ing not an option for your old rig?

yes my 980X has always been stock...I've never been into overclocking (other then factory overclocks) as I value 100% stability and don't want to take even a 5% chance that something might go wrong or get damaged...as far as case fans those Corsair have way too much bling lol...I'm into minimalist builds with no fancy lighting or colors...plus at $35 per fan that seems pretty expensive...

 

[ReaperX22]

yes my 980X has always been stock...I've never been into overclocking (other then factory overclocks) as I value 100% stability and don't want to take even a 5% chance that something might go wrong or get damaged...as far as case fans those Corsair have way too much bling lol...I'm into minimalist builds with no fancy lighting or colors...plus at $35 per fan that seems pretty expensive...

Oh I agree. It was more in jest .

In which case, I definitely recommend going for the 8700 non-k, H board as mentioned, and save a few bucks. Same with the cooler.

I'm kind of out of the loop on what's a good fan these days. My NCase M1 build now has a side-panel window, so I really only have 92mm fans in my build..

I'd normally point to Noctua NF-F12s but I think they have a newer revision.. I hear good things about EKs Vardar fans too.

Arguablly your system really only needs 2 intake + 1 exhaust? The U12s (if you change to this) will then otherwise fight with the fans at the top? Same with any tower cooler. 2 in, 1 out seems to be pretty standard and a non-k i7 build with a 1070 should be fine with this IMO.

 

[polonyc2]

I have a newbie question...my case has room for 7 fans (not counting the CPU fan)...my proposed board has 7 fan headers on it:

4-pin CPU_FAN
4-pin CPU_OPT
4-pin AIO_PUMP
4-pin M.2_FAN,
4-pin CHA_FAN1
4-pin CHA_FAN2
5-pin EXT_FAN

I know the CPU cooler goes into the CPU_Fan header but can I place my remaining fans in any of the other headers?...also do all case fans come with Molex plugs, 3 pin and 4 pin plugs?...so every fan (3 pin or 4 pin) I plug directly into the mobo is able to be monitored and controlled through the BIOS?

I also have an NZXT Sentry 2 fan controller...is it better to plug them all into the controller versus the motherboard fan headers?...what is the advantage of one over the other?

 

[ReaperX22]

I have a newbie question...my case has room for 7 fans (not counting the CPU fan)...my proposed board has 7 fan headers on it:

4-pin CPU_FAN
4-pin CPU_OPT
4-pin AIO_PUMP
4-pin M.2_FAN,
4-pin CHA_FAN1
4-pin CHA_FAN2
5-pin EXT_FAN

I know the CPU cooler goes into the CPU_Fan header but can I place my remaining fans in any of the other headers?...also do all case fans come with Molex plugs, 3 pin and 4 pin plugs?...so every fan (3 pin or 4 pin) I plug directly into the mobo is able to be monitored and controlled through the BIOS?

I also have an NZXT Sentry 2 fan controller...is it better to plug them all into the controller versus the motherboard fan headers?...what is the advantage of one over the other?

Almost all modern fans (good ones anyway) come with a 3 or 4 pin fan-header. Molex is near non-existent now (which is a good thing). This way you can plug them into your board and control via its own software/bios. Yes you can put any 3/4 pin into any other fan header. It's labelled that way for ease of us, but you can use a general fan in the AIO Pump header without issues.

I personally don't like fan controllers anymore purely because of the extra wires required. Less wires is the way to go moving forward IMO. It's just easier to manage. It'd be up to you if you use a fan controller. You do typically get slightly more 'control' over your fans, but most of the time it's just easier to set and forget via the motherboard.

 

[polonyc2]

Almost all modern fans (good ones anyway) come with a 3 or 4 pin fan-header. Molex is near non-existent now (which is a good thing). This way you can plug them into your board and control via its own software/bios. Yes you can put any 3/4 pin into any other fan header. It's labelled that way for ease of us, but you can use a general fan in the AIO Pump header without issues.

I personally don't like fan controllers anymore purely because of the extra wires required. Less wires is the way to go moving forward IMO. It's just easier to manage. It'd be up to you if you use a fan controller. You do typically get slightly more 'control' over your fans, but most of the time it's just easier to set and forget via the motherboard.

so what's the difference between the 3 pin and 4 pin?...some case fans are labeled PWM only...so PWM is only 4 pin?...and what exactly does that do compared to 3 pin?...if Molex is gone then how would I connect the fans directly to my PSU if I wanted?...connecting it to my PSU means they run at 100% all the time?...sorry for the newbie questions but it's been so long since I've built a complete system that my brain has forgotten basic things

 

[ReaperX22]

so what's the difference between the 3 pin and 4 pin?...some case fans are labeled PWM only...so PWM is only 4 pin?...and what exactly does that do compared to 3 pin?...if Molex is gone then how would I connect the fans directly to my PSU if I wanted?...connecting it to my PSU means they run at 100% all the time?...sorry for the newbie questions but it's been so long since I've built a complete system that my brain has forgotten basic things

3pin is voltage controlled only. 4pin basically allows you to more accurately dial down the RPM of the fans (PWM, you're probably better off googling a youtube vid on Pulse Width Modulation for a better explanation). Case fans don't really need to be PWM but it won't hurt either, if you want more control consider 4pins PWM fans.

You can use adapters, but I don't see why you'd care to plug them into the PSU (which will run them at 100% unless on a 5/7v molex adapter). If you turn off any bios-level fan control the fans will also run at 100%. Far as I'm concerned, molex is dead to me so I'd rather avoid them entirely/not run the cables, but it's up to you.

 

[primetime]

so what's the difference between the 3 pin and 4 pin?...some case fans are labeled PWM only...so PWM is only 4 pin?...and what exactly does that do compared to 3 pin?...if Molex is gone then how would I connect the fans directly to my PSU if I wanted?...connecting it to my PSU means they run at 100% all the time?...sorry for the newbie questions but it's been so long since I've built a complete system that my brain has forgotten basic things

to easy just to patch them directly to the motherboard fan headers.....most people arnt looking to make things more complicated for no reason

 

[polonyc2]

3pin is voltage controlled only. 4pin basically allows you to more accurately dial down the RPM of the fans (PWM, you're probably better off googling a youtube vid on Pulse Width Modulation for a better explanation). Case fans don't really need to be PWM but it won't hurt either, if you want more control consider 4pins PWM fans.

You can use adapters, but I don't see why you'd care to plug them into the PSU (which will run them at 100% unless on a 5/7v molex adapter). If you turn off any bios-level fan control the fans will also run at 100%. Far as I'm concerned, molex is dead to me so I'd rather avoid them entirely/not run the cables, but it's up to you.

so any fan I plug into the motherboard fan headers, the motherboard controls the speed based on temps which I can control either through voltage or RPM?...I don't like the idea of controlling through voltage so 4 pin sounds like the best way to do this...so I'm guessing I should connect as many fans into the motherboard fan headers first...when that runs out use my fan controller...

 

[polonyc2]

to easy just to patch them directly to the motherboard fan headers.....most people arnt looking to make things more complicated for no reason

yeah I was just worried because older motherboards gave you a lot more headers labeled 'SYS_FAN' or some other specific 'FAN' name...but now I'm seeing mostly M.2 fan, chassis and aio pump labels so I wasn't sure if they would work

 

[ReaperX22]

so any fan I plug into the motherboard fan headers, the motherboard controls the speed based on temps which I can control either through voltage or RPM?...I don't like the idea of controlling through voltage so 4 pin sounds like the best way to do this...so I'm guessing I should connect as many fans into the motherboard fan headers first...when that runs out use my fan controller...

I'd honestly just drop the fan controller personally lol. Clean it up, simplify your build XD.

 

[polonyc2]

just to make things more clear, here's a pic from my proposed motherboard manual showing the fan header layout...

 

[ReaperX22]

Doesn't really change my answer. They can all be used for any fan. 1 for the air cooler, 5 case fans (if you still want 5, I'd say try 3, 2 in 1 out anyway..), 1 spare. Done.

 

[polonyc2]

I think I'm probably making this more complicated then it actually is

but one more thing...based on that pic, if I were to connect a 3-pin fan to any of the headers then I would lose the ability to control the speed because the PWM pin and the Ground pin wouldn't be able to connect with 3-pins...so I would only be able to control it through voltage...but 4-pin connection would give me full control either through the BIOS or ASUS software...the EXT_FAN header is 5-pin so I don't think I can use that

 

[ReaperX22]

I think I'm probably making this more complicated then it actually is

but one more thing...based on that pic, if I were to connect a 3-pin fan to any of the headers then I would lose the ability to control the speed because the PWM pin and the Ground pin wouldn't be able to connect with 3-pins...so I would only be able to control it through voltage...but 4-pin connection would give me full control either through the BIOS or ASUS software...the EXT_FAN header is 5-pin so I don't think I can use that

You probably are .

But yes 4 pin gives you full control. You can often lower RPMs a lot more too with 4pins.

Your case hasn't got a window right? Grab 3 NF-F12s, 2 intake 1 exhaust, and the U12S. I think you'd be sweet. IMO. But I like the whole 'less is more' mentality so I'm not necessarily the best person to check with XD. I only have 2 92mm fans in my case. 1 exhaust 1 CPU. GPU has its own 3 fans and PSU has its own fan drawing in from external. But such is life in a tiny ITX case.

 

[polonyc2]

You probably are .

But yes 4 pin gives you full control. You can often lower RPMs a lot more too with 4pins.

Your case hasn't got a window right? Grab 3 NF-F12s, 2 intake 1 exhaust, and the U12S. I think you'd be sweet. IMO. But I like the whole 'less is more' mentality so I'm not necessarily the best person to check with XD. I only have 2 92mm fans in my case. 1 exhaust 1 CPU. GPU has its own 3 fans and PSU has its own fan drawing in from external. But such is life in a tiny ITX case.

I do hear great things about that Noctua fan but it's a bit expensive at $20 per fan...that means I would be spending $100 on case fans!...any opinions on the 2 case fans I linked below?...the U12S does look nice...Noctua doesn't make bad CPU coolers...but I was leaning towards the behemoth NH D15S...

Arctic F12
https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-F12-P...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00H3T1KBE

Corsair ML120 (although a bit expensive as well)
https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Premium-Magnetic-Levitation-CO-9050040-WW/dp/B01G5I6MRK?th=1

 

[ReaperX22]

Arctic F12's are fine.

You really don't need the D15 unless you plan to OC. It's just big for no reason at that point.

The Ml120 dual pack is cheaper per fan.

 

[polonyc2]

Arctic F12's are fine.

there's like 6 different versions...everything else being equal it would always be best to get the PWM model?

 

[polonyc2]

someone else recommended these...looks good for the price!

Cooler Master SickleFlow 120
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16835103090

 

[ReaperX22]

someone else recommended these...looks good for the price!

Cooler Master SickleFlow 120
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16835103090

Old fan. Loud fan. Had one before. I wouldn't buy it personally. You get what you pay for. It's up to you in the end. I'd probably look up some fan reviews within the last 2-3 years and see what works for you.

You note you're worried about overspending on Fans, but also want to spend more on a D15/originally a 8700k/Z-board based system. So if you drop the d15, K model, and Z board to U12s, H model and non-k you're already saving money there...

 

[polonyc2]

Old fan. Loud fan. Had one before. I wouldn't buy it personally. You get what you pay for. It's up to you in the end. I'd probably look up some fan reviews within the last 2-3 years and see what works for you.

You note you're worried about overspending on Fans, but also want to spend more on a D15/originally a 8700k/Z-board based system. So if you drop the d15, K model, and Z board to U12s, H model and non-k you're already saving money there...

OK thanks...looks like I'll eliminate the Cooler Master fan...it did seem a bit too cheap

certain things I value more...a fan for some reason doesn't hold the same value as spending a bit more on a better CPU or mobo

 

[mda]

I'm voting to keep the old cooling setup... Instead of new fans, how about the 8700 instead?

A single 1070 and an SSD won't need much cooling in any half decent case...

No need for the upgraded heatsink as well. The 8700 won't overheat on the stock fan. I also don't find the Intel stock coolers noisy unless you run them hard and the case is sitting right beside you on the table.

If you don't need the features and since you won't be overclocking, some of the B360 boards will be ok for you as well.

 

[polonyc2]

I'm voting to keep the old cooling setup... Instead of new fans, how about the 8700 instead?

A single 1070 and an SSD won't need much cooling in any half decent case...

No need for the upgraded heatsink as well. The 8700 won't overheat on the stock fan. I also don't find the Intel stock coolers noisy unless you run them hard and the case is sitting right beside you on the table.

If you don't need the features and since you won't be overclocking, some of the B360 boards will be ok for you as well.

but I don't want to limit myself by just building a new system for today or for the next year...outside of the GPU, which I will upgrade more frequently, I want the rest of the components to potentially last another 5+ years...so I want to go a bit over what my needs are today to somewhat futureproof it...what happens if I decide I want to try and overclock in 2 years?...an 8700 non-K would not be able to...plus I would need a better cooler...I'd prefer some flexibility...same way I bought my current i7 980X back in 2010 and everyone said it was not a wise move buying an Extreme Intel chip unless I planned on overclocking...but my rationale was I wanted it mainly for the 6 cores, decent speed and additional headroom it would give me in case games ever took advantage of the additional cores...it lasted me 8.5 years

I spent a ton of time last night researching case fans...I think I've finally narrowed it down to 2 choices...I'm leaning towards the Silent Wings 3

Silent Wings 3 PWM 120mm (High Speed version)
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=9SIAD2T7U41388

Corsair ML120 120mm PWM
https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Premium-Magnetic-Levitation-2-Pack/dp/B01G5I6MRK

 

[polonyc2]

the only real decision left that I'm debating is memory...Corsair Dominator vs G.Skill...both seem excellent but the G.Skill has the better timings with 14 latency compared to Corsair with 16 latency...

CORSAIR Dominator Platinum 16GB DDR4 3200
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233913

G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 16GB DDR4 3200
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820232217

 

[ReaperX22]

but I don't want to limit myself by just building a new system for today or for the next year...outside of the GPU, which I will upgrade more frequently, I want the rest of the components to potentially last another 5+ years...so I want to go a bit over what my needs are today to somewhat futureproof it...what happens if I decide I want to try and overclock in 2 years?...an 8700 non-K would not be able to...plus I would need a better cooler...I'd prefer some flexibility...same way I bought my current i7 980X back in 2010 and everyone said it was not a wise move buying an Extreme Intel chip unless I planned on overclocking...but my rationale was I wanted it mainly for the 6 cores, decent speed and additional headroom it would give me in case games ever took advantage of the additional cores...it lasted me 8.5 years

I spent a ton of time last night researching case fans...I think I've finally narrowed it down to 2 choices...I'm leaning towards the Silent Wings 3

Silent Wings 3 PWM 120mm (High Speed version)
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=9SIAD2T7U41388

Corsair ML120 120mm PWM
https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Premium-Magnetic-Levitation-2-Pack/dp/B01G5I6MRK

But by your own argument, you haven't overclocked on your current system lol. So that point is somewhat moot. Having the option is nice, but spending extra on it to not use it seems counter-productive.

Silent wings are a great choice. .

Grab the G Skill RAM IMO.

 

[polonyc2]

But by your own argument, you haven't overclocked on your current system lol. So that point is somewhat moot. Having the option is nice, but spending extra on it to not use it seems counter-productive.

Silent wings are a great choice. .

Grab the G Skill RAM IMO.

yes but I need to justify my reasoning somehow ...I will say that overclocking now is easier then in 2010...a few BIOS clicks and you can max out your Turbo Boost and stay at those speeds 24/7

so it looks like I have everything now as far as the build...thanks for all the help...I was overcomplicating the fan header thing and realize it's easy...get a 4-pin PWM fan and use the headers on the board to control the speeds through the BIOS or Speedfan...I'm also going to buy a PWM splitter so I can use my current 7 fan setup if I choose...

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...893&cm_re=pwm_splitter-_-12-119-893-_-Product

 

[ReaperX22]

yes but I need to justify my reasoning somehow ...I will say that overclocking now is easier then in 2010...a few BIOS clicks and you can max out your Turbo Boost and stay at those speeds 24/7

so it looks like I have everything now as far as the build...thanks for all the help...I was overcomplicating the fan header thing and realize it's easy...get a 4-pin PWM fan and use the headers on the board to control the speeds through the BIOS or Speedfan...I'm also going to buy a PWM splitter so I can use my current 7 fan setup if I choose...

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...893&cm_re=pwm_splitter-_-12-119-893-_-Product

Ya this is true. X58 required a lot more tuning. I had my i7 930 D0 at a rock solid 4ghz at a good voltage for a long time. If I tried 4.2ghz+ though it got quite a lot hotter, so I stopped trying.

Heck you can set MCE in the bios to on which will basically ensure max turbo all the time anyway on the modern boards...

 

[polonyc2]

so I have everything set to order...the only dilemmas are...

1) should I wait 5 weeks for the 9700K/9900K release

2) is it better to keep my i7 980X for a bit longer (6- 12 months) as I'm able to get 60fps in most of my current games at 1440p...plus most benchmarks show the 2600K (close enough to my 980X) as still being a very viable CPU even today in terms of gaming

3) keep the i7 980X for a bit and upgrade to the GTX 2070 which will be cheaper then building out a new system and more beneficial in terms of noticeable improvements (I have a 1440p 144hz G-Sync monitor)

 

[ReaperX22]

1. Up to you. I think the actual real-world performance gains will be marginal for more cost.
2. You have a 144hz monitor and you're happy with 60fps? Eh? XD. The first gen and second gen i7 had a fairly reasonable IPC gap. An OC'd 2600k (which could easily go 4.5ghz+) was still a reasonable gain over a 4 core bloomfield, so I suspect given you don't have your 980X overclocked you're definitely missing out on performance.(Source: I went from my i7 930 4ghz to a 2500k 4.5ghz and saw an increase all around the board. Even in Cinebench multi-thread!)
3. X58 is getting very long in the tooth. If it works for you and you're happy, go for it, but I'd be upgrading personally. You well got your worth out of that system.