New PC Build

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psypher
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New PC Build

Post by psypher »

I'm looking at replacing my desktop, but it's been a few years and I'm not that current on latest CPUs. So from what I've gathered, the absolute latest CPUs seem to only be supported by Windows 10. I'm hesitant about being locked into a Windows 10 only choice, so I may steer clear of those.

What would be the latest/recommendations for an Intel CPU (i7) under $500 that's supported in Windows 8.1? I am currently looking at the Intel - Core i7-6700K.
I don't overclock, so also having issues picking a CPU fan. I want to stay away from those huge CPU fans if possible.

For MB, I've liked the ASRock that I've been using for past few year so will probably stick with that, but I'm willing to look at other options.


lol, can someone delete my post below this one with the . :)
Last edited by psypher on Tue Nov 07, 2017 1:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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FlyingPenguin
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Re: New PC Build

Post by FlyingPenguin »

When I get home I'll post the specs for the workstation I built in January. It's a Core i7 and it's running Win 8.1. Very happy with it's performance and stability.
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Err
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Re: New PC Build

Post by Err »

Here is a build with a 6700K, MB, Memory, and M.2 SSD (512 GB):

I'm assuming that you'll continue to use your video card and case. The 6700K by all accounts a good all around processor for gaming and productivity. If it were me, I'd opt for the newer 6 core Intel but it requires a different motherboard and is hard to find right now. You could also save slightly by going with a non-"k" processor but your resale value will be lower as well.

I really like the Cooler Master Hyper 212 series of coolers. It's a bit tall but it's cheap and effective. Noctuna make good air coolers but they are pricey. Whatever you decide, make sure it clears your memory.

I've been running an MSI board for 7 years without issue (knocks on wood). They also have a very good support site where you can research RAM compatibility.

For the RAM, I like Corsair. I've heard G-Skill is also good. Avoid high clocked RAM because it's too expensive for no perceivable difference in performance. I didn't check the RAM included in the list below on MSI's website, you'll want to do that before purchasing.

The M.2 is optional and you would be just as happy with a standard SSD for your boot drive. However, FP put one in his build and says it's wicked fast. You could save ~$50 if you opt for a 256 GB or go ahead a spend the $200 on a SATA 1 TB SSD. The only thing I know about the M.2 is to avoid Intel's 600p. They didn't review well and don't have the warranty like Samsung's.

I didn't put in a power supply but you'll want to get something newer. I'm really out of the loop on these and couldn't tell you what to buy. Corsair and SIlverstone used to be good brands. Get a supply with a single 12V rail with at least 60 Amps.

For a video card, I like EVGA's cards and service. The new 1070TI is out if you want to go all out. However a 1060 should suffice for moderate gaming.

One note is that I wouldn't buy from Newegg anymore. Hit up Amazon or your local Microcenter.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/KFhzqk

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psypher
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Re: New PC Build

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I was trying to avoid a tall cooler. I've had simple Intel Low Profile Coolers and have been fine with them for many years.

My current choice has been ASRock, but I may look at MSI as well.

Yea, Corsair, Crucial, G-Skill have all been good for me. I tend to get the non-overclocked memory as well and I go through the MB compatibility list as well.

I run Samsung 840 Pros and 850 Pros. I'd like to confirm if an M.2 would make a noticeable difference from these drives. But yea, if I went with an M.2, it would be a Samsung Pro. I've had Intel SSDs die on me and have yet to have a Samsung die.

Seasonic Platinum is what I've been getting for my past couple PSUs. They've been solid.

I love EVGA cards, my last 3-4 cards have all been EVGA as well. I may get a 1070. I'm currently on a 970.

Yes, I'm buying what I can from my local Microcenter. They have some crazy return/upgrade process. I just won't force myself to only get what I can from them.


I was looking at a 7700K, but seeing reports of Windows blocking updates to it on Windows 7\8, so not sure how current that info is.
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psypher
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Re: New PC Build

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So I found this and compared the 960 Pro M.2 with the 850 Pro.

http://ssd.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Sa ... 2182vs3478

Looks like the M.2 destroys my drives.
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Err
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Re: New PC Build

Post by Err »

For the cooler, maybe this would be what your looking for:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/cgX2FT ... ooler-ar05

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/88DwrH ... er-nt06pro

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/fhqbt6 ... er-nhl9x65

I don't think any of the newer "K" processors come with a cooler. The I7 7700 should. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N0L41N7/re ... B0136JONG8 It runs the same clock as the K but can't be overclocked. It should also work on the board I linked above.

As for windows compatibility, The 170 and 270 chipsets should be fine with WIndows 7, 8.1, or 10. The newer 370 will also work with Windows 7 but some you won't be able to enable some of the chipset features unless the motherboard manufacturer provides a driver. You probably won't be getting a 370 board anyway because the processors are hard to come by. If you're worried, look at the motherboard's support page and see when the drivers were updated and if they have win 7 drivers.
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psypher
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Re: New PC Build

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Err wrote:As for windows compatibility, The 170 and 270 chipsets should be fine with WIndows 7, 8.1, or 10. The newer 370 will also work with Windows 7 but some you won't be able to enable some of the chipset features unless the motherboard manufacturer provides a driver. You probably won't be getting a 370 board anyway because the processors are hard to come by. If you're worried, look at the motherboard's support page and see when the drivers were updated and if they have win 7 drivers.
Well it's not so much about Windows running on it, I know they do. It's more about Microsoft actually not letting Windows Updates through. Which someone wrote something to circumvent it.
https://www.extremetech.com/computing/2 ... lake-ryzen

So I may just stick with the 6700K
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Re: New PC Build

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No tall cooler on mine either. I don't like big fancy coolers. I'm not overclocking but I wanted a slightly better cooler than the stock one (although, honestly, the Intel stock cooler is fine - just use a better paste on it than what comes pre-installed on it). I got the Cryorig C7 which is extremely low profile, but outperforms the stock cooler. No chance of it interfering with anything - it's actually slightly lower profile than the stock cooler.

I actually ordered all the parts for this workstation back in August 2016. The CPU is a Skylake which is officially supported for updates with Win 8.1 and I'm running Win 8.1 on it right now:

- Corsair Carbide Series 100R Silent Edition CC-9011077-WW Black Steel ATX Mid Tower
Computer Case

- Intel Core i7-6700 8M Skylake Quad-Core 3.4 GHz LGA 1151 65W

- CRYORIG C7 - 47mm Tall, SFF Mini ITX CPU Heatsink

- SAMSUNG 850 EVO M.2 500GB SATA III 3-D Vertical Internal SSD Single Unit Version
MZ-N5E500BW

- CORSAIR CX series CX600 600W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC
Power Supply

- ASUS Z170-A LGA 1151 Intel Z170 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

- Crucial 16GB Kit (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 UDIMM part # : CT7976336

There's a 2TB spinning drive for projects but all my apps and personal files fit just fine on the 500GB SSD.

Yeah, get a mobo with an M.2 slot on it - M.2 SSDs are wicked fast.

For video I'm running an EVGA GTX 980 Superclock that I pulled from my gaming rig when I bought a GTX 1080 for it. I don't do a lot of gaming on the workstation - mostly casual stuff. But I have a few apps that use the GPU for number crunching.

This rig has been rock stable. Only issue was a problem with the driver for the one lone Asmedia USB 3.1 port on the mobo. The USB 3.0 ports worked fine, but the early driver for the 3.1 port caused a lot of driver errors in the event log (known issue). It's probably been fixed since then but I just disabled the port to avoid problems.

No fancy RAM. I don't overclock, and performance RAM is a PITA so I don't recommend it unless you're actually overclocking. Performance RAM usually doesn't work right out of the box - you need to tweak the timing for your mobo, and that's a very tedious thing, fraught with aggravation. I prefer to buy stock Crucial RAM - whatever their online database recommends for my mobo. Never had a problem going that route.
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psypher
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Re: New PC Build

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I may have to bite the bullet and go with Windows 10 with EOL coming up. I just hope my scanner/printer still works, not really something I'd like to replace. I could always spin up a VM for Windows 8 if I really need it. Decisions, decisions...
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Err
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Re: New PC Build

Post by Err »

If you are going to go with Windows 10, you may want to look at the I7-8700 or I7-8700K processors. These are 6 core processors with Hyperthreading enabled.

https://www.intel.com/buy/us/en/product ... sor-628108

https://www.intel.com/buy/us/en/product ... sor-625643

If I were building, I'd wait until stocks are replenished on the new I5 processors. These are 6 core without Hyperthreading. I may replace my 2500K setup with this eventually. I'm just too lazy to migrate everything at the moment.

https://www.intel.com/buy/us/en/product ... sor-628186

The only caveat is the you're on a new chipset. Below are a few Z370 Motherboard links. One thing to note on EVGA's boards is that they tell you on the board which SATA ports are disabled when using M.2. While I read the manual before I purchase a board, I think this is a nice feature.

EVGA https://www.evga.com/products/product.a ... KS-E377-KR

MSI https://us.msi.com/Motherboard/Z370-SLI-PLUS

Asrock https://www.asrock.com/mb/Intel/Z370%20 ... dex.us.asp
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FlyingPenguin
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Re: New PC Build

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Win 8.1 EOL is Jan 2023 - still 5 years away. That's why I went with it on my workstation.

What I would recommend is do what I did: install Win 10 first (basic install, no drivers or updates) just to license your mobo for the free Win10 upgrade. That's still available via the disability program, or just using a valid Win7 license number - but that ends Dec 31st:

http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft- ... -upgrades/

Then wipe it and put Win 8.1 on it. That way anytime in the future you can upgrade or do a clean install to Win10 and your mobo will already be licensed for it for life.
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psypher
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Re: New PC Build

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Err wrote:If you are going to go with Windows 10, you may want to look at the I7-8700 or I7-8700K processors.
When looking at the Windows 10 route, the i7-8700 is where I first started out, but it's too new for my liking. Out of stock and the MB options aren't there yet. Most of the testing of the new boards are within a month or so. So I would probably be dealing with some initial bugs/issues. I leaning towards the i7-7700K.
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psypher
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Re: New PC Build

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FlyingPenguin wrote:Win 8.1 EOL is Jan 2023 - still 5 years away. That's why I went with it on my workstation.

What I would recommend is do what I did: install Win 10 first (basic install, no drivers or updates) just to license your mobo for the free Win10 upgrade. That's still available via the disability program, or just using a valid Win7 license number - but that ends Dec 31st:

http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft- ... -upgrades/

Then wipe it and put Win 8.1 on it. That way anytime in the future you can upgrade or do a clean install to Win10 and your mobo will already be licensed for it for life.
Well the big issue is more about the generation of CPU. Microsoft is blocking updates on any CPU after Skylake. So it's either a Skylake or running a hack to get around it. Would I really still be running Windows 8.1 for 5 more years? Unlikely.

Licensing isn't an issue for me, I always have an MSDN subscription.

Pricing out the 6700K and the 7700K they come out the same. Performance difference is minor from everything I read. There's really no worthwhile reason to get a 7700K. It's like an upgraded Skylake, except Microsoft blocks updates if not running Windows 10.

This is the build that is currently my top choice.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($309.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-L9i 33.8 CFM CPU Cooler ($39.15 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock - Z270 Taichi ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($179.89 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws 4 series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($188.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 960 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($289.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Samsung - 960 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($289.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB FTW Gaming ACX 3.0 Video Card ($459.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Gold 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($99.50 @ Amazon)
Total: $1857.26
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-11-08 12:43 EST-0500
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Re: New PC Build

Post by FlyingPenguin »

I wouldn't bother with a K unless you're overclocking. Save a few bucks.
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Re: New PC Build

Post by psypher »

FlyingPenguin wrote:I wouldn't bother with a K unless you're overclocking. Save a few bucks.
I looked at the 6700 and to save $45 and have a lower base clock speed doesn't seem like a huge savings. It's a 2+ year old processor, I might as well get the fastest one.

This comparison shows about a 16% difference.
http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/In ... 3502vs3515
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