Looking to upgrade my i7-6700k? Any tips on motherboard, power supply, or cooling?
Looking to upgrade my i7-6700k? Any tips on motherboard, power supply, or cooling?
PCPartPicker part list
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Cost distribution by seller
CPU:
Intel - Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor
($384.99 @ Amazon Canada)
CPU Cooler:
Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
($29.75 @ Vuugo)
Motherboard:
ASRock - H170A-X1/3.1 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
($84.98 @ NCIX)
Memory:
Kingston - FURY 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory
($179.75 @ Vuugo)
Storage:
OCZ - TRION 150 240GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
($59.95 @ Vuugo)
Video Card:
Asus - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB STRIX Video Card
($598.50 @ Vuugo)
Case:
Corsair - SPEC-03 Red ATX Mid Tower Case
($79.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Power Supply:
SeaSonic - 520W 80+ Bronze Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply
($69.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Optical Drive:
Asus - DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer
($19.95 @ shopRBC)
Operating System:
Microsoft - Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit
($111.12 @ DirectCanada)
Monitor:
Asus - VG248QE 24.0" 1920x1080 144Hz Monitor
($354.83 @ DirectCanada)
Keyboard:
Corsair - STRAFE Wired Gaming Keyboard
($109.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Mouse:
Corsair - Sabre RGB Wired Optical Mouse
($54.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Summary:
Total: $2138.78
All prices account for shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-09-03 15:28 EDT-0400
Gamrod asked if the 2133 MHz speed would prevent overclocking of their RAM. The response explains that 2133 MHz is standard for Skylake and higher speeds are considered overclocks. It notes that while manual overclocking is possible on any Z series motherboard, results may be limited. The advice suggests using a kit with higher rated speeds or enabling XMP to achieve faster performance.
Gamrod asked if it would affect his ability to overclock his 2133 RAM. He explained that 2133 MHz is the standard for Skylake and higher speeds are considered overclocks. The other speeds mention "(OC)" because they require manual overclocking on any Z series motherboard, though he notes you could get better performance with a kit and XMP profile. He also mentioned his PSU and cooler are suitable for moderate overclocking, and shared that he can reach 4.5GHz on all cores with a 212 EVO while running the CPU cooler at max fan speed, though he prefers quieter operation.
I also own a 6700K and a hyper 212 evo. I recently adjusted the multiplier to 44 and kept it that way. Right now it gives me better performance than I need, so I don’t think there’s any reason to push it further. I’d rather stay at stock settings since it feels more appropriate.
The PSU is a solid option and should work well, the motherboard also appears suitable. I own an Asus itx Z170 myself, but the newer chipset makes sense. PCs don’t require as much power anymore; if you decide to use SLI later, you’ll need a more powerful PSU, otherwise it shouldn’t be an issue. I wouldn’t recommend SLI unless you really need high framerates—it adds unnecessary complexity and doesn’t always function properly. Selling the 1070 and moving to a 1080Ti or similar next-gen model seems more logical to me.
But I’m completely fine at 60 fps with Vsync on my 3-year-old GTX980.