r/buildapc•
dpc_pw

Linux coder and gamer - uATX desktop upgrade.

Hi. I'm a Linux user/developer/gamer. 6 years ago I've built the following setup:

  • MBD: Z77 EXTREME4-M
  • CPU: Core i7-3770K, 3.5GHz, 8MB, LGA1155, 22mm, 77W, BOX (BX80637I73770K)
  • GPU:
    • Radeon HD 7750 1GB Low Profile (replaced afterward to:)
    • Zotac NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 1GB GDDR5 VGA/DVI/HDMI Low Profile
  • MEM: 4x8GB 1600MHz DDR3 CL11 Quad kit (AD3U1600W8G11-4)
  • PSU: SeaSonic SS-350TGM
  • STO: 2 x Samsung Evo 250
  • FAN:
    • Scythe Slip Stream Slim (120mm)
    • Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev.b
  • InWin BL 641 300W OB-OBBL641ZA300 IN (In Win BL641 SFF mATX Slim)

It worked for me very well: it's tiny desktop, still has a quite a bit of power, and is silent when not under heavy load.

I'm looking for upgrading this, because... well 6 years, and Rust programming language takes a bit to compile stuff I work on. :D

I think I've settled on:

Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz

as a performance point, as a corresponding successor to my current CPU. So I guess I'll have to take some nice Z170 board (Gigabyte GA-Z170MX-Gaming 5?), and 32GB of DDR4-3200.

I'll keep the storage, and GPU for now, but I might upgrade in the future.

Now I have couple of questions:

  • should I switch to different case + cooling solution? This is the biggest problem, as fitting everything well together in smallish case is much more challenging then just picking compatible CPU+MBU+GPU combo. New CPU has a bit more TDP, and I might want to upgrade to non-low-profile GPU at some point, eg. when upgrading my 1080p to something like 4K... . My current case is also kind of cramped inside.
  • anything mistakes I'm making? I've barely spent couple of hours researching current technology.

I'm keeping the list of parts here: https://pcpartpicker.com/user/dpcpw/saved/rrmP6h

In what country are you purchasing your parts?

USA

Posted Aug 29, 2016, 10:48 PM UTC

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