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What should I upgrade?
nammerbom
Leeberator
Hey guys, so Christmas is in about a month and a half, and some of my relatives are starting to ask what I want. I'm thinking about upgrading a few parts for my PC, but I'm not sure what I should upgrade. Looking for suggestions!
Current parts:
CPU - Intel i5 4670 Quad Core Processor
CPU Cooler - Standard Intel cooler.
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-H87M-HD3 Micro ATX LGA1150
Memory - G Skill Ares 8gb DDR3-1600
Storage - Samsung 840 EVO 120 GB SSD
WD Blue 1 TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
GPU - Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX
Case - NZXT H230 Mid Tower
PSU - Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze
My first thoughts are upgrading the CPU Cooler to a water cooling system, preferably an all-in-one cooler because I can't really be bothered to set up my own system. I was looking at the Corsair Hydro series, but I'm not sure if that's the best I can possibly get for my system. I also need to upgrade my hard drive because I'm running low on space there too.
Current parts:
CPU - Intel i5 4670 Quad Core Processor
CPU Cooler - Standard Intel cooler.
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-H87M-HD3 Micro ATX LGA1150
Memory - G Skill Ares 8gb DDR3-1600
Storage - Samsung 840 EVO 120 GB SSD
WD Blue 1 TB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
GPU - Asus GeForce GTX 970 4GB STRIX
Case - NZXT H230 Mid Tower
PSU - Corsair Builder 430W 80+ Bronze
My first thoughts are upgrading the CPU Cooler to a water cooling system, preferably an all-in-one cooler because I can't really be bothered to set up my own system. I was looking at the Corsair Hydro series, but I'm not sure if that's the best I can possibly get for my system. I also need to upgrade my hard drive because I'm running low on space there too.
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nammerbom
Ok, but my computer is in a tight location just because of the way my desk is set up, and so the exhaust fan blows out into a really small area. I purchased a desk fan that can blow that air out of the way so its not lingering around my computer, but my cpu still runs at around 50 degrees celcius idle and around 80 under load because of its location. Do you think liquid cooling would make any difference in that?
That case doesn't have top exhaust, so the only places you'd be able to mount a radiator are at the front or back of the case. Liquid cooling would help if you mounted the radiator in the front, though you would get a similar situation if you just pointed an air cooler towards the front and set the front fans to exhaust.
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CaptainMuricaYou won't need a liquid cooler to get good temps on a locked i5. Something like a Hyper 212 EVO will be good. The highest I've ever seen my Xeon E3-1276v3 get during a burn test was 47°C, and it uses a 212 EVO. Idle temps are around 25°C. I know Xeons are designed to run somewhat cooler than their Core counterparts, but the 1276v3 is both clocked higher and has a higher TDP than your i5-4670.
Ok, but my computer is in a tight location just because of the way my desk is set up, and so the exhaust fan blows out into a really small area. I purchased a desk fan that can blow that air out of the way so its not lingering around my computer, but my cpu still runs at around 50 degrees celcius idle and around 80 under load because of its location. Do you think liquid cooling would make any difference in that?
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You won't need a liquid cooler to get good temps on a locked i5. Something like a Hyper 212 EVO will be good. The highest I've ever seen my Xeon E3-1276v3 get during a burn test was 47°C, and it uses a 212 EVO. Idle temps are around 25°C. I know Xeons are designed to run somewhat cooler than their Core counterparts, but the 1276v3 is both clocked higher and has a higher TDP than your i5-4670.
If you want to go all-out on the hard drive, I suggest getting a 4TB Hitachi NAS drive. They're 7200RPM and are some of the most reliable drives on the market. WD has some nice 6TB Black, Red, and Green drives, but they're like $300.
As Sheezie has said, you should also definitely upgrade the PSU. Since you won't be overclocking with that setup, you could get away with something like an EVGA 500B. However, the EVGA 550 and 650 GS power supplies are some of the best you'll find without paying a ton of money.
If you want to go all-out on the hard drive, I suggest getting a 4TB Hitachi NAS drive. They're 7200RPM and are some of the most reliable drives on the market. WD has some nice 6TB Black, Red, and Green drives, but they're like $300.
As Sheezie has said, you should also definitely upgrade the PSU. Since you won't be overclocking with that setup, you could get away with something like an EVGA 500B. However, the EVGA 550 and 650 GS power supplies are some of the best you'll find without paying a ton of money.
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A bigger psu would be helpful for upgrading, as well as maybe a new processor that's over clockable and a new cooler.
