Ike Posted April 6, 2015 Posted April 6, 2015 I'm in the process of picking part of my new PC build, however I have no idea what graphics card to go for. I'm basically after mid range card for gaming (particularly if it works well with the Dolphin emulator). Does the motherboard need to support DDR5 to take advantage of those cards, or does the graphics card handle all of that? Price range, I'm looking at maybe £100 - £200. Here are my current components, pretty much all of these have been ordered already (RAM suggestions also welcome): CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VII HERO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard Case: Corsair 500R Black ATX Mid Tower Case Power Supply: Corsair 760W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (32/64-bit)
Emasher Posted April 7, 2015 Posted April 7, 2015 Your motherboard will work with any modern graphics card, don't worry about that. The first question I have to ask is, do you absolutely need the i7? I have a 4790k, and it's an excellent processor, but if this build is for gaming, and you don't have some other need for an i7, you'd be better off going with the best i5 and putting the money you save into the graphics card. You won't see any noticeable performance improvement in games with the i7 over a good i5. Even if you've ordered it already, you can probably return it if you decide to. Also, unless you're planning on overclocking the CPU (and given the sort of questions you're asking, I doubt you will be), there's no reason to user an aftermarket CPU cooler, let alone a liquid one. I'd strongly recommend you return/don't order the cooler, and put the money you save towards a better graphics card. Now, if the CPU and cooler are absolutely set in stone, you should consider the Nvidia GTX 960. Amazon currently has one on sale: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00SKWIISQ If you decide to take my advice regarding the CPU and cooler, and have a little extra cash, the GTX 970 is the best value for your money. The memory issue really isn't a big deal unless you're using a few of them in SLI for 4k resolutions. The only real complaint I've had with mine is that it has coil whine when under a significant load, but this isn't an issue with all 970s. I can't comment on recent AMD cards.
Ike Posted April 8, 2015 Author Posted April 8, 2015 Cheers. Won't the i7 hold up better longer? I think it's better for running Dolphin as well. I bought the cooler because I read that the i7-4790k runs pretty hot even at idle. I think I'll look at getting a Nvidia GTX 960. Is the coil whine bad on yours? Amazon says that particular card came out in January, when I did some Googling it looks like the issue was known since September. I'm not particularly in a rush to get the graphics card so I can hold off for a bit and just use the integrated graphics for now and maybe look into the 970.
Emasher Posted April 8, 2015 Posted April 8, 2015 (edited) I suppose it could make some difference for Dolphin if you're playing more intensive games, but if this is meant to be a gaming machine, I'd definitely recommend going for the best i5 + 970 over i7-4790k + 960. For most games, a better GPU is going to be what makes the difference. Most games don't use multiple cores that well either, so really, the main advantage the i7 has is the higher clock speed, and it doesn't make that much difference for most games. My 4790k idles around 36 degrees Celsius, and I've rarely seen it reach dangerously high temperatures (and only ever when doing non-game stuff), so I'd say don't bother with the cooler for now to save money and only buy one later on if you end up having issues. I've never used a 960, so I have no idea about coil whine on those. Coil whine can happen with any card though, it's just been more common on some of the newer Nvidia cards, particularly the 970. The coil whine I do get on my 970 only seems to occur when the card is under heavy load (eg. playing Cities Skylines with DSR and Ambient Occlusion mods installed--that's when I first noticed it anyway). I normally use headphones when I play games, and I don't even notice it unless I take them off. The coil whine I do get is more of a clicking noise. Coil whine is harmless though, it won't do any damage to your components. It just can be annoying if you can hear it. Edited April 8, 2015 by Emasher
gaggle64 Posted April 20, 2015 Posted April 20, 2015 *burst through the window* Late to the party but just wanted two share my two pennies @Ike, Emasher's totally right that a good i5 is everything you need for gaming (the 4690k is the most widely recommended), i7s aren't worth the money unless you're doing some specific high-powered computing. As for the graphics card a 960 would be great for gaming a 1080p (such as on a typical TV) but you'll want the 970 if you're planning on investing in a 4k resolution screen. Nothing wrong with an aftermarket cooler either but liquid cooling is a luxury, a decent brand heatsink & fan should be more than adequate for half the price. *burst out the other window*
Emasher Posted April 21, 2015 Posted April 21, 2015 If you want 4k resolutions with higher settings, you're going to want more than one 970. My single one can barely play most newer games on full at 1080p.
The Bard Posted May 5, 2015 Posted May 5, 2015 Well if anyone wants my R9 290, I'm unloading it for £180.
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