Worth upgrading or Buy new computer?

[FreshHundo]

I want to get the best performance out of what I have. Unless its cheaper to restart.
I built this computer with the mind of overclocking with upgrades first, about 2 years ago.
When I am playing Black Desert Online I get a lot of crashing and textures failing to load.
I understand I should be using software to monitor my hardware but have no idea what to use and how it works.


Setup
CPU: I5 4690k stock cooler
MOBO: Msi Z97 gaming 5
GPU: GTX 970
RAM: EVGA 1600 2x4gb
Power supply: CX600m
HD:Caviar blue 1tb
Case: NZXT 340
Monitor: 19" tv

Upgrades I was thinking
SSD: WB blue 250- for OS and the game i will be playing the most
Ram: Gskill trident or ripgawz of 16gb
Cooling: 240 cpu cooler and some airflow fans like corsair

Im not a pro. I would like any advice and help to get the best performance. Someone point me in the right directions please

[FreshHundo]

OS: windows 7 64

[ZED]

I want to get the best performance out of what I have. Unless its cheaper to restart.
I built this computer with the mind of overclocking with upgrades first, about 2 years ago.
When I am playing Black Desert Online I get a lot of crashing and textures failing to load.
I understand I should be using software to monitor my hardware but have no idea what to use and how it works.


Setup
CPU: I5 4690k stock cooler
MOBO: Msi Z97 gaming 5
GPU: GTX 970
RAM: EVGA 1600 2x4gb
Power supply: CX600m
HD:Caviar blue 1tb
Case: NZXT 340
Monitor: 19" tv

Upgrades I was thinking
SSD: WB blue 250- for OS and the game i will be playing the most
Ram: Gskill trident or ripgawz of 16gb
Cooling: 240 cpu cooler and some airflow fans like corsair

Im not a pro. I would like any advice and help to get the best performance. Someone point me in the right directions please

Yes, you would always want to use some software to monitor your hardware from time to time. You need to always make sure that the temperatures inside your PC are normal because 99% of a time this is a cause for most hardware failures.
A good start to monitor hardware would be to use HWMonitor. It's a free app and you can get it on their website http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html
Then you could use something like MSI Afterburner along with RivaTuner to monitor hardware performance during the gameplay (no need to do it all the time but is healthy to do it once in a while to make sure everything is running alright). Alternative to that I would suggest to use EVGA Precision OCX. I use them both but mostly EVGA Precision OCX that I use to overclock my GPU and change Fan Curve for lower GPU temperature and less noise.

Now to upgrades.
Upgrading to SSD is a must have nowadays, IMHO. SSD will not improve your FPS but it surely will improve smoothness of your gameplay and less loading times. Often stuttering can be caused by slow HDD that is not capable to read data fast enough thus is bottlenecking and slowing down the rest of the hardware.

Now as for upgrading the RAM, it is important to know how much your system is utilizing it while you are playing games or running some heavy applications. With that said, if your RAM is fully utilized during the game then that may be also a cause for game to crash, stutter and malfunction in general. So, I'm not sure how much the system requires of RAM for that specific game but I can tell that a lot of modern games use between 6GB - 11 GB of RAM. With that in mind, you need to consider that Windows is also using roughly 2 GB. So, lets say if the game you are playing needs 6GB of RAM or more then it is time for upgrade. This is why it is important to use hardware monitoring tools to make sure that everything is running alright.

I know many will say that AIO coolers are not worth it and rather get air cooler. I strongly disagree with that. An AIO cooler a lot more efficient than air cooler if you have a hot environment. Also, you will achieve better, more stable and consistent overclocking results with an AIO cooler. Just make sure that the cooler you are getting will fit in your case. NZXT 340 should be able to handle pretty much any 240 radiator.

[AOD_Hainzy58]

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/VvtcsJ
That is what I would recommend don't go with the WD SSD it's terrible I have experience with it and trust me for an extra 20 bucks Samsung makes the best SSDs and if you have the money please invest in a real monitor it will make your gaming experience so much better. Also AIO is way better for OC then air cooling. The one I recommend in the link is very highly reviewed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[A_goat]

To save some cash, you can just buy more of the ram you have now if its available. Another set of same model 2x4GB from EVGA.

Don't limit yourself to just AIO coolers. Air coolers are much quieter and last indefinitely unlike water cooling, no risk to your rig from leaking either.
If you're looking for just a moderate overclocking, there is no need to drop the cash on a water cooler. A $25 hyper 212 from NZXT would be sufficient, but if you're looking to push your system to the absolute limit air cooling is still an option with something like the noctua d14 for $70. The d14 will compete neck and neck with the $150 AIO coolers and will be on average 15db quieter, for less money.

I'm a cheap bastard so I've had experience using the cheapest option stuff :)
I've had good luck with the entry level SSD's from OCZ, PNY, and kingston. Those brands normally offer stuff that's sometimes $40 cheaper than comparable samsung/intel/etc. If you're just looking for quick boot times and quick response time, the cheap stuff works!

[Solidus23]

If you want to overclock. You will definetly want to upgrade the cooling to the CPU. The rest of the system looks pretty good to be honest. You should be able to play most games without issues. SSD is always a nice upgrade from a standard Hard Disk, they make things so much snappier.

[ZED]

To save some cash, you can just buy more of the ram you have now if its available. Another set of same model 2x4GB from EVGA.

Don't limit yourself to just AIO coolers. Air coolers are much quieter and last indefinitely unlike water cooling, no risk to your rig from leaking either.
If you're looking for just a moderate overclocking, there is no need to drop the cash on a water cooler. A $25 hyper 212 from NZXT would be sufficient, but if you're looking to push your system to the absolute limit air cooling is still an option with something like the noctua d14 for $70. The d14 will compete neck and neck with the $150 AIO coolers and will be on average 15db quieter, for less money.

I'm a cheap bastard so I've had experience using the cheapest option stuff :)
I've had good luck with the entry level SSD's from OCZ, PNY, and kingston. Those brands normally offer stuff that's sometimes $40 cheaper than comparable samsung/intel/etc. If you're just looking for quick boot times and quick response time, the cheap stuff works!

The risk of AIO cooler leaking is like 0.00000000001% It will leak only if you damage it while installing it but do damage it you probably need to smash it with a hammer or something.
AIO cooler is a lot more consistent in hot environment and is still more consistent on decent overclocking. Sure, air cooler is fine for mild OC but not for heavy duty OC and especially if you have no AC at home and you have a hot summer. I've had plenty of air coolers in the past and I rather spend extra $20 and get an entry level AIO than get an air cooler.

[AOD_DukeCLR]

The risk of AIO cooler leaking is like 0.00000000001% It will leak only if you damage it while installing it but do damage it you probably need to smash it with a hammer or something.
AIO cooler is a lot more consistent in hot environment and is still more consistent on decent overclocking. Sure, air cooler is fine for mild OC but not for heavy duty OC and especially if you have no AC at home and you have a hot summer. I've had plenty of air coolers in the past and I rather spend extra $20 and get an entry level AIO than get an air cooler.

+1

After using air coolers to cool my overclocked chips for years I used upgraded to an AIO to get a better OC in my latest build and I from now on I will be using them in any rig I plan to Overclock in the future. I will also add to the recommendation of a SSD.

Be sure to post what you decide to do and maybe even post a pic of your build.

[A_goat]

The risk of AIO cooler leaking is like 0.00000000001% It will leak only if you damage it while installing it but do damage it you probably need to smash it with a hammer or something.
AIO cooler is a lot more consistent in hot environment and is still more consistent on decent overclocking. Sure, air cooler is fine for mild OC but not for heavy duty OC and especially if you have no AC at home and you have a hot summer. I've had plenty of air coolers in the past and I rather spend extra $20 and get an entry level AIO than get an air cooler.

No, not sure how long ago you checked the numbers but air coolers can definetly handle a heavy overclock. They handle speeds just like the h100i for reference, for less money, and a whole lot quieter. <5C cooling potential is definitely worth a massive 15db in sound difference, for less money. Watercolors do eventually deteriorate and leak, unlike an air cooler that will actually survive indefinitely, unless you break it.

Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk

[ZED]

No, not sure how long ago you checked the numbers but air coolers can definetly handle a heavy overclock. They handle speeds just like the h100i for reference, for less money, and a whole lot quieter. <5C cooling potential is definitely worth a massive 15db in sound difference, for less money. Watercolors do eventually deteriorate and leak, unlike an air cooler that will actually survive indefinitely, unless you break it.

Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk

I've been building PCs since 1997. I do build PCs for a living on a side from my day job.

So, with that said, I have plenty of hardware to play around and test it. Just recently I replaced air cooler with H110i on my friends PC. His temperatures dropped by 12C in idle and now he can overclock his i7 3770k. Also, noise actually dropped. He is a musician and it is important for him to have a quiet environment.

[FreshHundo]

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/BtPnvV
I feel like this is the way to go. with everyone's help I decided I will only do a slight overclock so I wont need a water cooler. this is my first build so an air cooler would be fine till i can afford a new computer. I might get the g.skill ram later on but I do want to focus on saving for a new computer on black Friday. thanks everyone for the advice.

[A_goat]

I've been building PCs since 1997. I do build PCs for a living on a side from my day job.

So, with that said, I have plenty of hardware to play around and test it. Just recently I replaced air cooler with H110i on my friends PC. His temperatures dropped by 12C in idle and now he can overclock his i7 3770k. Also, noise actually dropped. He is a musician and it is important for him to have a quiet environment.

Well then you should know that dual tower air coolers compete neck and neck with AIO's like the h100i, for less money, and generate less noise.
If you're after a quiet environment, air cooling would definitely be superior if you have the space.

[ZED]

Well then you should know that dual tower air coolers compete neck and neck with AIO's like the h100i, for less money, and generate less noise.
If you're after a quiet environment, air cooling would definitely be superior if you have the space.

As I said in my previous posts, AIO is much more consistent in hot environments and when you push your CPU to the limits. I've done these type of tests myself and there are plenty of articles on the internet that show that AIO is more beneficial when you push your CPU to the limits and on top of that it is a lot more efficient if you have a hot environment. Also, H110i is 6db quieter on max load than any air cooler you can get. You don't even need to do any tests for that, it's all in specs for each cooler. Moreover, to get good results you don't necessarily need to run AIO fans on max capacity. I run mine at roughtly 60% when my CPU is on full load and about 10% when idle.

[ZED]

Well then you should know that dual tower air coolers compete neck and neck with AIO's like the h100i, for less money, and generate less noise.
If you're after a quiet environment, air cooling would definitely be superior if you have the space.

Example:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/z9Z...-d24m-a20pw-r1
NOISE LEVEL
6.0 - 30.0 dbA


https://pcpartpicker.com/product/hmt...r-rr212e20pkr2
NOISE LEVEL
9.0 - 36.0 dbA

With that said, you don't need to run max fan speed on AIO to achieve great results. It's a lot more consistent during OC.

Even a smaller cooler like this: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/GjH...captain-120-ex
can achieve amazing results. I used to have i5 6600k OC to 4.4 Ghz with that small AIO cooler and results were amazing - 23C idle and 62C CPU 100% load. Considering my room temperatures were between 23C and 26C (yeah a pretty hot environment). And the fan speed was not more than 60% when CPU was reaching full load. So, it was pretty damn quiet.

For the same build and same OC I also used Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO and temps were above 74C on full load and the cooler was cranked up to max on full load.

[A_goat]

Example:
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/z9Z...-d24m-a20pw-r1
NOISE LEVEL
6.0 - 30.0 dbA


https://pcpartpicker.com/product/hmt...r-rr212e20pkr2
NOISE LEVEL
9.0 - 36.0 dbA

With that said, you don't need to run max fan speed on AIO to achieve great results. It's a lot more consistent during OC.

Even a smaller cooler like this: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/GjH...captain-120-ex
can achieve amazing results. I used to have i5 6600k OC to 4.4 Ghz with that small AIO cooler and results were amazing - 23C idle and 62C CPU 100% load. Considering my room temperatures were between 23C and 26C (yeah a pretty hot environment). And the fan speed was not more than 60% when CPU was reaching full load. So, it was pretty damn quiet.

For the same build and same OC I also used Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO and temps were above 74C on full load and the cooler was cranked up to max on full load.

An air cooler is no less consistent than an AIO cooler. Just because you said it in a post doesn't make it fact.
You also don't need to run all aircoolers at max fan speed to achieve great results.
Even the entry level $30 air cooler you compared to the 240mm radiator can achieve great results... it's friggen $30. You said it yourself, you achieved a 1+Ghz OC on your i5 with a $30 air cooler. That's "great".
The h110 performs literally within 1 degree and within 1 DB of the noctua DH14.....

And while we're nit picking random components to prove irrelevant points, here's the noctua DH14 air cooler that performs BETTER than the h100i AIO while producing less noise!

Noctua DH14: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-024-_-Product

Silent 40db at load
Cooling OC i7 3770k to 72C

h100i: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-103-_-Product

disgusting 45+ db at load
Cooling OC i7 3770k to 76C


source: http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages...review,13.html

[ZED]

An air cooler is no less consistent than an AIO cooler. Just because you said it in a post doesn't make it fact.
You also don't need to run all aircoolers at max fan speed to achieve great results.
Even the entry level $30 air cooler you compared to the 240mm radiator can achieve great results... it's friggen $30. You said it yourself, you achieved a 1+Ghz OC on your i5 with a $30 air cooler. That's "great".
The h110 performs literally within 1 degree and within 1 DB of the noctua DH14.....

And while we're nit picking random components to prove irrelevant points, here's the noctua DH14 air cooler that performs BETTER than the h100i AIO while producing less noise!

Noctua DH14: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-024-_-Product

Silent 40db at load
Cooling OC i7 3770k to 72C

h100i: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-103-_-Product

disgusting 45+ db at load
Cooling OC i7 3770k to 76C


source: http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages...review,13.html

Yes I achieved those results on air cooler but at costs for higher temperature. Isn't what we are getting a better cooler for, to lower system temperature? Didn't I also mention HOT ENVIRONMENT?

[A_goat]

The $30 air cooler would drastically lower Temps versus the stock cooler he has, and allow a moderate OC. And if he wanted to heavily OC there's still air options. I'm simply saying that you shouldn't limit yourself to only AIO cooler, that's just silly.

Air cooling has benefits over AIO. AIO has benefits over air.
You can disagree all you want but it won't change anything.

Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk

[ZED]

An air cooler is no less consistent than an AIO cooler. Just because you said it in a post doesn't make it fact.

So, what makes it fact? Some random link from google search? Just because someone did a test and made some random chart doesn't mean it is a fact. Some websites are paid by sponsors to promote their products. Also, that website you posted is not really trustworthy.
Here is a more reliable source GamersNexus and his test methodology is a lot more sophisticated.
http://www.gamersnexus.net/hwreviews...se-temp/page-3
You can clearly see AIO dominates air coolers there.

[ZED]

The $30 air cooler would drastically lower Temps versus the stock cooler he has, and allow a moderate OC. And if he wanted to heavily OC there's still air options. I'm simply saying that you shouldn't limit yourself to only AIO cooler, that's just silly.

Air cooling has benefits over AIO. AIO has benefits over air.
You can disagree all you want but it won't change anything.

Sent from my LG-H811 using Tapatalk

I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with anything. I just pointed out that AIO coolers can be a lot more consistent and efficient in Overclocking and especially if you have a hot environment. I simply stated facts that are truly based on my personal 20 year experience in building PCs. And I never said you should be always limited to AIO coolers. Sure you can go with something cheaper if you are on a tight budget. But just know that if you want better results then there are better options out there, of course for more money tho.

Also, AOD_DukeCLR said pretty much the same thing based on his personal experience.

[A_goat]

So, what makes it fact? Some random link from google search? Just because someone did a test and made some random chart doesn't mean it is a fact. Some websites are paid by sponsors to promote their products. Also, that website you posted is not really trustworthy.
Here is a more reliable source GamersNexus and his test methodology is a lot more sophisticated.
http://www.gamersnexus.net/hwreviews...se-temp/page-3
You can clearly see AIO dominates air coolers there.

There is nothing untrustworthy about guru3d, lol. Their testing methodology is clearly explained for every test.
Reputable website testing doesn't make it fact either of course, but it's a whole lot closer than just saying "in my experience".
In my experience I've found it's usually people who have never used high end air coolers who think that water is always the best option.

The link you posted includes one air cooler that performs similar to the $30 hyper evo, as a point of reference. We don't need charts to know that entry level air coolers perform worse than 200mm+ water coolers, zed.