Konovalov

Six months ago I was considering an i5-7600k and nice Z270 m/b and overclock the CPU to 4.6 Ghz. Now it is difficult if impossible to justify this with the emergence of the Ryzen 5 series. Here in Australia I can grab a Ryzen 5 1600 and a top line m/b like the Asus VI Crosshair for AUD $668. While an Intel i5 7600k and Asus Maximus IX Hero would set me back AUD $734. That's an additional AUD $66 for a lesser 4 core/4 thread system vs AMD's 6 core/12 thread alternative. If I coughed up the extra $66 for the 4 core/4 thread Intel rig, I can see myself in a year or two winging about not having enough cores and threads and how new games run like crap on my rig compared to others with more cores/threads on their CPU. The only justification I can find for the i5-7600k is if you only play old single threaded games and nothing else along with using little to no productivity software. So yeah, right now it's AMD for me unless Eagle Dynamics take another 6 months to release finally a merged and improved DCS platform by which time Intel should have a response with mainstream Coffee Lake i5's and i7's.

Kaby Lake X seems a waste. Even for enthusiasts cheaper R7 8core platform is far more appealing. Coffe lake may be a more appealing mainstream alternative however who knows if this will come out in the next few months or at end of 2017. More and more I am leaning towards an R5 6 core/12 thread based rig. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link: 7700k vs. 1700x ( AMD wins almost any gametest now, WOW ) It's all good news for pc users. Intel is rumoured to be "rushing" out the door coffee lake with a i5 using 6 real cores and guessing i7 version with 6 real and 12 threads. It used to be so easy the last 6-7 years regarding CPU decisions but now not so. Guessing these coffee lake will come with another 5-10% IPC gain. Looks like Intel chose not to cut prices but rather get Coffee Lake out at least 6 months earlier than originally planned. I guess cutting prices for them kind of cheapens their premium branding. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Nick, Your system is similar to mine. However there are 4 significant differences. First I run my i7-950 overclocked from stock 3.06Ghz up to 4.26Ghz. This yielded me decent gains in DCS. Secondly I run my OS and also DCS on an SSD. This also helps in DCS and general system responsiveness. Third I have 12gb of system memory. Finally I have the latest GPO architecture in a GTX1070. Considering you really want to save the dollars I would strongly suggest having a go at overclocking your CPU from stock to near 4Ghz. This will yield free performance for you. Also I would look at doubling your system memory as 6GB just doesn't cut it anymore. Finally I have a spare tri-channel kit of Corsair XMS3 6GB (3 x 2GB) 1600Mhz 8-8-8-24 1.65v ver7.1A RAM (product code TR3X6G1600C8). I'm also in Australia so let me know/PM me if you are interested.

Stock fan, Liquid Cooling or Air Heatsink? And I agree with you Bit that water cooling a GPU is just if not more important than cooling the CPU. The amount of heat put out into your case from the GPU well exceeds that put out by the CPU. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am considering going down the AIO route. Not traditional AIO though. The EKWB Predator had been the only one I was considering. It is the closest thing to a custom loop without any of the hassle. Effective water cooling without the noisy pissy little pumps and overworked fans of traditional AIO units. Hopefully EKWB release the replacement to the Predator series soon. I bought my Corsair Air 540 case with a view to possibly getting into water cooling down the track. Plenty of room and options for 360, 280, or 240 rads.

Or if not cancel they drop the prices significantly on the i5-7600K and others within the i5 range. The 4 core 4 thread i5 CPU is seriously looking dated when you can have a 6 core 12 thread CPU for around the same price or less and which isn't exactly miles off the i5 in gaming.

Yep which is why I have HT off in BIOS when playing my games, none of which benefit from HT. General pc usage and my photo editing software I turn it on.

Hi Pilotasso, I hope you will be posting pics of your build once complete. Sounds really exciting. I'm in a similar position in terms of holding onto my current Bloomfield i7-950 X58 chipset for as long as I have and with a plus 1.2Ghz overclock. 6 1/2 years is a long time in computing and I feel now is the time to make the jump to a new and modern ecosystem. Still not sure which way to go yet, blue or red but given my limited gaming uses probably leaning towards pure IPC clock advantage of Intel. But I have to say the new R5 in particular the 1600 looks very appealing as far as 6 core s and 12 threads. Anyway looking forward to your completed build and how you feel it has changed your experience from the old trusty Sandy that you have got so many great years out of. :)

What is your ambient room temperature? A CPU never getting over 35C sounds ridiculously low. That sounds more like what an idle temp should be.

Same. Noctau customer service is super too. My 140mm fan started to fail near the 6 year warranty and within a couple weeks I had a new fan replacement. Mounting is a breeze despite its size. Keeps even the toastiest of CPU's cool. Compared to all in one water coolers even if a fan dies it still keeps cooling. You can even use this as a passive air cooler with good case cooling. While al ion one water units when they die( i.e. pump failure) then the cooling stops and so does your computing experience. Only downsides are of course the size with the potential RAM clearance issues that come with it, the colour of the Noctua fans, and the fact the size can obscure the aesthetics of nice looking components and all that RGB bling. Personally for my next rig I would like to go down the water cooling route as I would like to show off the new components and have a cleaner cooling area around the socket. Had been considering an EKWB Predator AIO however the series has been discontinued as it is being replaced by a new series to be released in the coming months hopefully. I'm not sure that I have the patience to build a custom loop although I am sure doing such would be immensely satisfying once complete.

100%. Leave the old clouds and bring the well overdue far more realistic looking clouds to the 2.5 merge along with new explosions effects.

Flying the Su25T clean is perfectly fine and you can perform some decent turns and aerobatics. There are dozens of videos illustrating it's performance. Even when moderately loaded it handles ok.

I am surprised that you haven't gone down the delid route. The 7700k's run a fair bit hotter than the 7600k's and when targeting 5Ghz plus for long term use I would definitely be inclined to take the risk to increase CPU longevity. These delid tools make it a very simple process.

Agree 100%. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That is the feeling I have got. I switched off DCS end of last year because I was becoming tired with the constant changes on multiple installs and at time the negative effects that some changes had to certain modules or on that particular DCS install. I am happy to wait until the DCS 2.5 merge occurs before I commit to purchase any new modules. I would be very surprised, albeit pleasantly, if the merge arrives before June this year. For me the most important and pressing thing I am after from DCS is the merge. Then from there I hope to see a stable base from which current modules are finalized and running as advertised along with promising new modules not to mention also new campaign content. But that's just my opinion. I believe the future is bright for DCS, just need to hang in there I guess.

This and the Hornet [emoji219] are the only two things perhaps along with the Strait of Hormuz map that keep me going with DCS. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not the only module that has suffered such affliction. VEAO put a statement on Facebook recently that it had experienced issues with it's HAWK flight model after 1.56 release. I am just waiting for the 2.5 merge and shall we say a more settled platform with a single unified install for all products. For any F14 fans this Leatherneck announcement is not good news and hopefully not a sign of things to come with other developers. I have been a long term advocate for DCS and have been flying since Lockon and the Flaming Cliffs days. I have pretty much every modern cold war module (except for the Viggen) but now I am in a holding pattern. I hope this is just a minor setback for the wider DCS 3rd party developer community in what has been a great product. Yes it's not perfect but whatever is.

Absolutely. I have a Dell 27" 2560x1440 resolution. IMO this resolution paired with a 27" monitor is the perfect fit. I could never tolerate 1080p res with a 27" or bigger monitor. My next monitor will be no less than 34" in size with resolution 3440x1440. Target refresh rate also will be 100hz to 120hz and of course with GSync. My old 60hz Dell I just don't feel the love in gaming anymore and I have personally witnessed a friend with a high refresh GSync monitor and there is simply no comparison.

I haven't seen a thing mentioned on SLI support regarding the 2.5 merge. Perhaps some VR users can provide input regarding Nevada 2.0 regarding SLI. The whole 2.5 merge has been pretty quiet of late with I think most focus on the Normandy map release. Hopefully once Normandy is done we will get some more info on how 2.5 is progressing. I originally was expecting that the merge would occur around the start of this year. Can't wait for a unified DCS install. Having multiple installs is not an ideal situation.

I think that the 1700 is the most compelling buy of the three 7 series CPU's. Let's wait and see how close it becomes in gaming once game optimisations have been implemented. Was it any surprise that at 1080p game benchs the AMD fell behind having game developers basing their work around the Intel dominant landscape. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Those were the people who fell victim to the frenzied hype train. :smilewink: I'm just grateful that we now have competition which hopefully drives product innovation and more competitive prices.

I am hoping and expecting that the Back Sea map refresh and the 2.5 merge of 1.5 and 2.0 Nevada is an absolute priority as soon as Normandy map is done. And I admit that I haven't touched DCS since late last year having decided to wait for the merge with a simple single install of DCS where I can access all maps and everything with easy and without the bloated footprint of multiple version installs. And then fingers crossed after the merge we have later this year the Hornet and the Strait of Hormuz for carrier ops. Exciting times ahead.

Well the benefit of RGB is of course that you can change the colours to whatever you want. You yeah I would also target RGB to give that flexibility that you would otherwise not have going with a peripheral that was only green.

Ok thanks SkateZilla. Interesting that with this board they did away with any display ports and instead it has another 4 USB3 ports. In total it has 14 USB ports on the rear I/O panel! It only has a single M.2 slot on the bottom of the board however. Before reviews come out this one is currently top of my list from a feature and aesthetics viewpoint. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk