also @ TechSpot: Building a Thin Mini-ITX PC: Small and Silent Performance

Computer parts compatibility check

Discussion in 'Other Hardware' started by Antrephel, Jun 29, 2012.

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  1. Antrephel Newcomer, in training

  2. xcylent TechSpot Booster Posts: 261   +16

    that looks like quite a powerful build. although a 1000W power supply is waaaay too overkill unless you intend to SLI.
    apart from that, yes everything looks compatible.
  3. Norbur TechSpot Enthusiast Posts: 157

    Yeah definitely, go for like an 850W or something, maybe be able to squeeze in a 60GB SSD for boot with the money you save, now's the best time to buy them! :)
  4. hood6558 TechSpot Enthusiast Posts: 170   +22

    Yeah, the PSU is overkill, you could save some money there, and I'd buy 8 gigs of faster RAM or 8 gigs of 1600 and use the 50 bucks I saved towards an SSD. You will never use more than 4 or 5 gigs of RAM, and motherboards tend to have fewer issues using only 2 slots, plus it will run a bit cooler. The other picks look real solid, the motherboard is the key, and Asus makes the best. Good luck!
  5. ikesmasher TechSpot Addict Posts: 1,117   +80

    I would downgrade the PSU like the others said and I honestly think 8 GB of ram is enough, except 16 is better for bragging rights :D
  6. hood6558 TechSpot Enthusiast Posts: 170   +22

     
  7. slh28 TechSpot Paladin Posts: 1,669   +97

    No it won't, RAM speed doesn't make any difference in Sandy/Ivy Bridge systems apart from synthetics benchmarks. In fact higher speeds with worse timings are arguably worse.

    If the OP wants 16GB of RAM then get a 2x8GB kit instead of 4x4GB.

    The PSU is absolute overkill as everyone else has said, even a decent 550-600W one will handle an overclocked 3770K and GTX 670. If you want leave room for SLI then get an 750-800W one.

    If you're just gaming then the 3570K will perform the same as the 3770K, but if you're running CPU intensive tasks and need the Hyperthreading then go for the 3770K.

    Given your budget you should really think about getting a 128GB or 256GB SSD, there are good deals on the Crucial m4 and Samsung 830 which are the best drives out there for the price. The WD Black is way overpriced IMO, especially if you're getting an SSD for a boot drive.
  8. hood6558 TechSpot Enthusiast Posts: 170   +22

    If faster RAM speeds with slightly looser timings will make your system run worse, how do they sell all those high-priced sticks? Do you mean that in certain scenarios (like intense gaming), higher memory bandwidth is less important than the number of cycles required for a given instruction set? I'm not too experienced with memory overclocking. I assume that higher MHz modules have some benefit that justifies charging double & triple the price compared to 1600MHz modules. What type of apps benefit from the higher clock?
  9. slh28 TechSpot Paladin Posts: 1,669   +97

  10. LNCPapa TS Special Forces Posts: 3,948   +120

    Excellent article slh - I remember reading that a while back but it's always good to brush up on some of these older reviews. I've been preaching this for a while now and didn't exactly remember where I got the info from (and I've been too lazy to look).
  11. hood6558 TechSpot Enthusiast Posts: 170   +22

    Yes, slh, excellent article, somehow I missed that one. Like I said, I still have a lot to learn, and too little knowledge can be a dangerous thing! Since the article only covered the SB platform I'm wondering if a similar article is available for IB and Bulldozer.
    I didn't really see where higher clock with slower timing was "arguably worse", unless you count buyer's remorse for spending the extra dough. But as you pointed out, there's no benefit either and the money is much better spent on a better video card, an SSD, or even a water cooling setup (to get better/more stable overclocks).