New PC Build 2016 Version (Skylake)
Posted: March 29, 2016, 5:59 pm
Even though I passed all of the performance tests for the the soon to be delivered Rift and Vive VR headsets by upgrading to a 980 ti GPU, I really only passed the test due to a brute force high end GPU update.
My i7 920 (2008) build has served me well and was one for the ages in terms of longevity but..7-8 years is a really long time in terms of technology developments.
CPU
I went with the high end i7 6700K Skylake 4 GHz for a few reasons. I'm not really wanting to take the time for intense overclocking. I can afford it. I'll be able to OC it to 4.6 GHz with the push of a button anyway with it being unlocked and the MB I'm getting.
It's a monster performance increase over the i7 920:
Significant increases. Don't forget to buy a HSF. The new boxed CPUs don't come with them anymore.
Lastly, it's a good time to upgrade. Intel has said they don't plan on major performance increases for the next 5 years. They'll be focusing on power efficiency during that time.
STORAGE
This is the big one. My ancient motherboard has PCIe 2 and 3 Gbit/s transfer rate. Besides updating to 6 Gbit/s for my Sata drive, I'm going for ludicrous speeds for my OS drive.
Size comparison to standard SSD.
Compared to any SSD drive out there, the m.2 NVMe Samsung absolutely destroys it in performance. Ludicrous speeds! If you have an old spinning HD it doesn't even make the chart. It runs $328 for the 512GB version which is more than standard SSD but...ludicrous speeds! A TB version will be out in a few months and there's a cheaper 256GB version available. 512GB felt right for my needs. OS+a good amount of primary apps and games. I just cleaned up my 256GB SSD OS and had 130 GB avail with a few games and OS installed so 512 will work for me as I start installing lots of VR games/apps for Rift and Vive.
MOTHERBOARD
I cheaped out on this one and went with the ASUS Z170-A LGA 1151 Intel Z170 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard. It's a mid range $154 board. Primary focus was it having an M.2 slot for my Pro 950. Bonus is it having USB 3.1 both A and C types for future proofing. It's a little short on USB 3.0 but I had already purchased a 5x USB 3.0 card in preparation for my VR headsets so I'll have plenty.
MEMORY
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 DRAM 2666MHz (PC4-21300)
Researched to make sure works well with my chosen MB. Clock speed, etc all good for simple 4.6 GHz OC.
GPU
Already recently upgraded: Nvidia 980 ti
REST OF SYSTEM
Everything else will be crap I already have. My Antec Case is ancient but was a good buy way back when I bought it. Probably need to get new one at some point. Power Supply is quality something or another I bought a few years back. (don't skimp on your PSU..and I mean quality, not Watts)
Will stick with my external 8 bay SATA tower for my hard drives for now. Converting to SSD for those in a year or two.
-------------
Summary
CPU: Intel i7 6700K 4 GHz
HSF: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 DRAM 2666MHz
Motherboard: ASUS Z170-A ATX DDR4
GPU: Nvidia 980 ti
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO -Series 512GB PCIe NVMe - M.2 Internal SSD
About $1,650 for those parts (not complete system)
It was time for an upgrade. MB holding up transfer rates. CPU twice as fast as current one. What finally made me pull the trigger was the insane speed and relatively reasonable price of the NVMe M.2 drive.
There's a chance I'll be able to clone my current Samsung SSD to the 950 Pro. If not, I'll need to install fresh window from USB thumb drive. I really should do a fresh install. Haven't done that since 2008 or maybe even earlier. This core should set me up nicely for 5 years with the given eventual upgrade or two of GPU etc. I anticipate it being a day or two project depending on SSD cloning success. If I do have to fresh install, it will be a monster project with the installs/configurations. (A good password app for your phone is highly recommended to keep track of all sorts of stuff for times like these)
My i7 920 (2008) build has served me well and was one for the ages in terms of longevity but..7-8 years is a really long time in terms of technology developments.
CPU
I went with the high end i7 6700K Skylake 4 GHz for a few reasons. I'm not really wanting to take the time for intense overclocking. I can afford it. I'll be able to OC it to 4.6 GHz with the push of a button anyway with it being unlocked and the MB I'm getting.
It's a monster performance increase over the i7 920:
Significant increases. Don't forget to buy a HSF. The new boxed CPUs don't come with them anymore.
Lastly, it's a good time to upgrade. Intel has said they don't plan on major performance increases for the next 5 years. They'll be focusing on power efficiency during that time.
STORAGE
This is the big one. My ancient motherboard has PCIe 2 and 3 Gbit/s transfer rate. Besides updating to 6 Gbit/s for my Sata drive, I'm going for ludicrous speeds for my OS drive.
Size comparison to standard SSD.
Compared to any SSD drive out there, the m.2 NVMe Samsung absolutely destroys it in performance. Ludicrous speeds! If you have an old spinning HD it doesn't even make the chart. It runs $328 for the 512GB version which is more than standard SSD but...ludicrous speeds! A TB version will be out in a few months and there's a cheaper 256GB version available. 512GB felt right for my needs. OS+a good amount of primary apps and games. I just cleaned up my 256GB SSD OS and had 130 GB avail with a few games and OS installed so 512 will work for me as I start installing lots of VR games/apps for Rift and Vive.
MOTHERBOARD
I cheaped out on this one and went with the ASUS Z170-A LGA 1151 Intel Z170 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard. It's a mid range $154 board. Primary focus was it having an M.2 slot for my Pro 950. Bonus is it having USB 3.1 both A and C types for future proofing. It's a little short on USB 3.0 but I had already purchased a 5x USB 3.0 card in preparation for my VR headsets so I'll have plenty.
MEMORY
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 DRAM 2666MHz (PC4-21300)
Researched to make sure works well with my chosen MB. Clock speed, etc all good for simple 4.6 GHz OC.
GPU
Already recently upgraded: Nvidia 980 ti
REST OF SYSTEM
Everything else will be crap I already have. My Antec Case is ancient but was a good buy way back when I bought it. Probably need to get new one at some point. Power Supply is quality something or another I bought a few years back. (don't skimp on your PSU..and I mean quality, not Watts)
Will stick with my external 8 bay SATA tower for my hard drives for now. Converting to SSD for those in a year or two.
-------------
Summary
CPU: Intel i7 6700K 4 GHz
HSF: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO - CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Fan
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 DRAM 2666MHz
Motherboard: ASUS Z170-A ATX DDR4
GPU: Nvidia 980 ti
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO -Series 512GB PCIe NVMe - M.2 Internal SSD
About $1,650 for those parts (not complete system)
It was time for an upgrade. MB holding up transfer rates. CPU twice as fast as current one. What finally made me pull the trigger was the insane speed and relatively reasonable price of the NVMe M.2 drive.
There's a chance I'll be able to clone my current Samsung SSD to the 950 Pro. If not, I'll need to install fresh window from USB thumb drive. I really should do a fresh install. Haven't done that since 2008 or maybe even earlier. This core should set me up nicely for 5 years with the given eventual upgrade or two of GPU etc. I anticipate it being a day or two project depending on SSD cloning success. If I do have to fresh install, it will be a monster project with the installs/configurations. (A good password app for your phone is highly recommended to keep track of all sorts of stuff for times like these)