re: PC Discussion - Gaming, Performance and Enthusiasts

Ha ha blue has no friends as usual

fricking white people problems, breh.

I know, right?

IWHI.



That little frick needs to be locked in a closet.

I read it overheats a lot.

So what exactly am I missing?

Long read, thanks in advance.
Current Build

As I've been waiting for the final component to come in I've started rethinking my build and may want to make a few changes. I have a few questions:

Questions concerning RAM
How big of a difference is there between 1600, 1866, & 2400mHz RAM running at stock, or overclocked, speeds? Isn't the latency more important? What about voltage?

Here's my question: currently I have a 32Gb kit of Corsair 1600 Dominator Platinum with timing of 9-9-9-24 at 1.5V; I've also looked at a 32gb kit of G.Skill Trident X 2400 with 10-12-12-31 timing at 1.65V for about $40 bucks less than the Corsair RAM. The Trident X seems to have gotten good reviews at most places, but only 3 out of 5 stars at Newegg. I've also read something about it being built specifically for the Z77, but it "supposedly" works fine with the Z87. Would it be a good idea to switch to the G.Skill Trident X? Also, I could get a set of 32Gb Dominator Platinum 2133 with 9-11-11-31 timing at 1.5V for only $20 bucks more than the 1600 Dom. Plat. I already have.

Honestly, I do like the aesthetics of the Dominator Platinum vs. the Trident X, but in choosing RAM how important is the mHz, latency, voltage, etc.? Should I stick with what I've got? If not, would you switch to the G.Skill 2400 and save 40 bucks, or spend an extra 20 and get the Corsair 2133 RAM which also has better timing and runs at 1.5V vs. 1.65V. (And I'm sticking with my Maximus VI Formula MOBO, it shouldn't have any problem with either set of RAM, right?)

Does memory need to be cooled at all? Just wondering as I did see a product from Corsair called the Airflow 2 which provides air cooling for your memory.

Also, I was originally going to use an H100i for my CPU cooling, but I recently found that the Swiftech H220 is available for like $126 at NCIX.com Is the H220 that much better of a cooler than the H100i?

GPU: ACX cooling vs Kraken G10 + AIO cooler
Next is using an AIO cooler for GPUs. The 780ti I got comes with EVGA ACX cooling. But I've been looking at the Kraken G10 which allows you to attach an AIO cooler, like the Kraken X60 or Corsair H90 for example, to the GPU to water-cool it. My question is, does it really need it, even if it's slightly overclocked? If it is better than ACX cooling, how much better is it/is it worth it? My guess is that ACX cooling should be fine, even if I eventually add another card in SLI. My case, the 760T, has two 140mm front intake fans and completely removable hard drive cages, which I will be doing because I've decided to pick up another Samsung EVO SSD; it will be a 500gb SSD and I'll use the 1TB EVO I already bought to store the stuff I had on my two older hard drives (which are an old Hitachi Sata 3gb and 2TB Seagate Barracuda Green). I figured transitioning straight to SSDs, which are mounted on the right, front side of the case, will obviously be a hell of an improvement performance-wise, but should also cut down on noise by getting rid of the older hard-drives. But back to the GPUs, the card will have ACX cooling, two front 140mm intake fans, an H100i keeping the CPU cool, and then a 140mm exhaust fan. I can also add another 120mm fan to the bottom of the case if I want. My point is, the GPU(s) should be perfectly fine, even overclocked a little, with ACX cooling and that much airflow into the case, right?

Power Supply
- Corsair AX860i vs. Corsair AX1200i vs. Seasonic 1000w (All 80+ Platinum)
Also, I know we had a brief discussion regarding PSUs. Currently I have the Corsair AX860i. My question is, do you guys think that's enough power if I do add another 780ti down the road (and I'm planning on overclocking the CPU at least, but probably the GPU mildly as well)? Or should I go for the Seasonic 1000w 80+ Platinum, or the Corsair AX1200i? The AX860i was $199, the Seasonic would be $249, and the AX1200i would be $301. So, $50 bucks more for 200w and changing from Corsair to Seasonic, and about $100 bucks more if I stick with Corsair but go up to 1200w. Thoughts? This is a system that will be modestly overclocked, nothing really extreme, and I'll potentially add another 780ti down the road.

General Performance & Noise

I bought a Samsung 1TB EVO SSD and was going to use that as my primary drive, and the old Hitachi 500GB and Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB hard drvies as storage and backup. But I think I'm just going to pick up another 500GB Samsung EVO to use as my primary drive, use the 1TB SSD for storage, and then transfer anything I want to keep from my old hard drives to the 1TB EVO card. Now, this should give me great performance and cut down on any hard drive noise, correct?

That's about it, unless anyone wants to try to talk me out of something like sticking with the Maximus VI Formula.

Thanks for your help, I'd like to make sure I do this build right. I did look up the MSI MOBOs someone mentioned, but I just like the extra features the Formula comes with. The only other thing I'm wondering about is as good as the onboard audio is supposed to be with the Formula, 8.1 channels with a headphone amplifier and other cool stuff, would a dedicated sound card be that much better than that?

Thanks again.