Upgrading PC. help?

Heku

Member
Hello CF, long time no see.
I've lately been thinking of upgrading my PC, and though i'd upgrade RAM and CPU..
For the RAM i was thinking of going with Kingston HyperX Fury 8GB (2x4) 1600 MHz, i'm going to buy a windowed sidepanel for the Prodigy so i want some nice looking RAM.
As for the CPU, I'm thinking of going with an i5 4690K (best i5 my mobo can support..). And because i'll be overclocking i was thinking on getting a Phanteks PH-TC14PE cooler, i've read alot of good stuff about it!

Now my question is.. Will the RAM fit under the cpu cooler without any clearance issues? i know the cooler will fit my case, to that's not the problem. but is the cooler too wide so it will be hanging on the RAM or anything else?

I'm also open for other cooler suggestions.. but don't want to spend a fortune on it :p
 

Shlouski

VIP Member
The dimension of the cooler should be on the manufacturer website, then measure the distance from the cpu to the ram slots, whether or not it will over hang may also depend on the which way the cooler is oriented and fan placement. If the cooler is going to over hang then you will need to see if kingston have the dimensions of the ram you want to buy. If you are worried about large heatsinks getting in the way on the ram you really want, maybe consider buying different ram or buying an AIO water cooler. If you go water cooling you will know for sure there isn't going to be a problem, but cheap AIO water coolers often perform worse than similarly priced air coolers, so its always good to look at comparisons and reviews. What is your budget on the cooler?
 

Heku

Member
Seems like it should fit.. been doing some research and trying to find some good pics:
clip_image007.png

From Phanteks PH-TC14PE FAQ (Phanteks homepage)

R6yihlx.jpg

And from Kingstons homepage..

even if it seems like a tight fit, there is a possibility to put the fan higher up on the heatsink:
Phanteks said:
Due to the size of our cooler, PH-TC14PE with dual fans will cover over the RAM slots. The fan that is on the side of the RAM slots can be removed or move upwards for better RAM compatibility.

i've also been thinking on maybe putting a LED Strip inside the case, or light it up from the inside with LED Fans (when i get the Windowed sidepanel).. I'm just wondering should i try to find some nice Green LED Fans for the cooler, or should i just put the led strip in there and keep the original cpu cooler fans?
 

beers

Moderator
Staff member
Those numbers are super tight, it also doesn't look like it accounts for the DDR slot height which will push up the module a bit.

You could probably either relocate the fan to the other side, or use the farthest two RAM slots while leaving the covered ones unpopulated.
 

Shlouski

VIP Member
Those numbers are super tight, it also doesn't look like it accounts for the DDR slot height which will push up the module a bit.

You could probably either relocate the fan to the other side, or use the farthest two RAM slots while leaving the covered ones unpopulated.

The heatsink will be on the cpu, is an installed cpu higher or lower than the memory slots?
Heku, look on your motherboard and see which is higher, also the memory will sink into the slots a little.
 

Darren

Moderator
Staff member
It'll be tight but you could probably get away with it. If you really had to you could rip the heatspreader off the RAM. It doesn't accomplish much anyway and is more for looks.
 

Heku

Member
RcQNoEl.jpg

I'm guessing the CPU is higher than the RAM, but i'm not sure.. what do you guys think? (sorry for the quality and don't mind the cable management)
 

Shlouski

VIP Member
RcQNoEl.jpg

I'm guessing the CPU is higher than the RAM, but i'm not sure.. what do you guys think? (sorry for the quality and don't mind the cable management)

Based on that picture the ram slots look like they could be taller than the cpu, its really hard to see in a picture. The only way to be sure is to remove the ram and heatsink sink and place a straight edge like a ruler on the ram slots towards the cpu. If the ram slot are taller then you will need to more the fan up or lose it all together.
 

Heku

Member
i'm thinking of going with the Phanteks, just gonna have to place the fans right, or just turn the cooler so the outer fan is facing the back of the case..
 
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Heku

Member
PC parts have arrived today, i will keep you updated if the Phanteks PH-TC14PE can fit into a Prodigy and in my pc (mobo/ram)

E: i have good news and bad news.... Good noews: i do get everything to fit nicely.. cooler, ram and even fits inside the case..
bad news: after installing new parts i tried to fire up the PC.. it did start, but the screen(s) shwoed nothing, and quickly i hear the my pc has a "wavy" sound, like it wouldn't get power correctly or something... then i tried to take everything out and back together... Nothing. I even tried to put the old parts back to see if that would work, but still the same damn sound and nothing on the monitor....
anyone have any idea why this happens? and how it can be fixed?
 
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johnb35

Administrator
Staff member
Build it outside of the case to make sure you aren't grounding out anything. That is what it seems like anyway.
 

Heku

Member
built it outside the case (on a cardboard box) and tried with both the CX600 and Seasonic psu but both still give the same old result..
 

beers

Moderator
Staff member
If you take out the 24 pin connector from the motherboard and jump the green power good wire and a black ground, do you still see the same issue with case fans etc?

If the issue goes away it's likely indicative of a motherboard issue
 

Heku

Member
the case fans run normally (not flashing the leds) when i jump the 24pin connector.. so is it a mobo problem then?
 
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Heku

Member
Is there still something that i could try to find the problem? or should i look for a repair shop / new parts?
 
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