Started by wiredmarlin5 · · 👁 8 views · 1.4K replies
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Benjamin King2 said:To liven this thread up a bit beyond just listing builds—if anyone happens to stumble upon a solid component at a sale price, please feel free to drop the link here. I suppose we could make that the first item updated on a daily basis. It probably isn't necessary to constantly churn out new configurations unless there is a significant shift in hardware platforms, such as a new line of motherboards, processors, or graphics cards.
We might categorize the builds into four groups: first, a "home office" setup intended for web surfing, multimedia, and general office work; then three distinct gaming tiers (budget, mid-range, and high-end), though I don't think it's necessary to aim for extreme overkill when discussing high-end builds. The primary focus should be on finding the best value, so components certainly don't need to come from a single retailer; in fact, since the goal is to maximize performance per dollar, mixing and matching is preferred.
I am also including a website that features a vast collection of articles, tests, reviews, and buyer guides for all sorts of hardware, particularly various types of peripherals. It contains quite a bit of useful information: http://www.digitalversus.com/all-products.html
I would ask that no one posts any questions here.
Benjamin King2 said:In a few months?!? Whatever anyone tells you right now will be obsolete by then. Just check back in when you're actually ready to buy the PC.
David Sanders4 said:It seems like a solid deal to me—what do you guys think??
Intel Core i5 4690k and an ASRock Fatal1ty Motherboard
David Sanders4 said:You basically swapped in a weaker CPU that actually runs hotter.
Essentially, it’s nearly identical to its predecessor, the Core i5-4670K, with the clock speed bumped up by a mere 100 MHz. The base clock sits at 3.5 GHz, while the Turbo clock reaches 3.9 GHz for two cores.
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Memory support remains unchanged—dual-channel DDR3 up to 1600 MHz—though the TDP has climbed by 3 W to reach 88 W. The integrated graphics core is also the same, featuring HD 4600 with speeds ranging from a minimum of 350 MHz to a maximum of 1200 MHz.
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Another update specifically for the new K-series models is the introduction of a new generation of Thermal Interface Material (NGPTIM). This aims to improve heat transfer between the processor die and the IHS, which Intel claims was the primary culprit behind higher temperatures in the previous generation. Additionally, updated capacitors on the underside of the package allow for smoother power delivery to the cores. These changes should result in lower operating temperatures and improved overclocking headroom.
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We utilized Gigabyte's motherboard to test overclocking across all our processors. When we tested the i7-4670K last year, we hit a peak overclock of roughly 4.6 GHz, so we were hoping the 4690K might surpass that, thanks to improved thermal management and a more mature manufacturing process. While our specific sample wasn't a top-tier overclocker, it still managed to hit a stable 4.7 GHz.