Advice request for a Second Gaming MachinePost Date: 2015-02-10 |
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Gnicky
Newbie Joined: 05 May 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 74 |
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Topic: Advice request for a Second Gaming Machine Posted: 10 Feb 2015 at 10:34am |
Hello DS Friends. I am planning to gift my current DS Rig to my son after my next DS purchase and although I was thinking end-of-year, I am considering buying something like the config below now instead, swapping out the graphics card with my 780ti Classified and using my 512 SSD. I would then plan to upgrade the 780 at some point. I am currently gaming at 3440x1440 with good results and expect my current card is almost as good as any single GPU card right now.
So here are my questions: 1 - overall impressions or any suggestions for tweaks? 2 - will I be able to adjust my individual fan speeds with the included software, say to ensure positive pressure? 3 - are there any upgrades, including soon-to-be-released hardware that would give me better longevity or reliability? 4 - for DS, when is the next planned sale for price/warranty extension? (black Friday is a long way off Budget: <$3K, but really just looking for good value. Expectations: Gaming at 3440x1440 Usage: FPS and Open World Gaming, FC4, Metro Last Light, Dying Light, COD... Special Needs: Reliability & Longevity - Able to use as multimedia PC - Ready for 4K Gaming with Vid Card Upgrade Saved Ticket #: [Please Type Here] Specifications: Configuration Code: 1146599 Total Price with Instant Savings: $2,489.00 Direct Load URL: https://www.digitalstormonline.com/configurator.asp?id=1146599 Specifications: Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Corsair Carbide Series Air 540 Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish Processor: Intel Core i7 4790K 4.0 GHz (Codename Devils Canyon) (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core) Motherboard: ASUS SABERTOOTH Z97 MARK2 (Intel Z97 Chipset) (Military-Grade TUF Components) System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1866MHz Corsair Dominator Platinum DHX (Extreme-Performance) Power Supply: 750W EVGA SuperNOVA Expansion Bay: - No Thanks Optical Drive: ASUS Blu-Ray Player/DVD Writer (Play Blu-Ray and Burn DVDs) (Model: BC-12B1ST) Storage Set 1: 1x SSD (256GB Samsung 850 PRO) Storage Set 2: - No Thanks Storage Set 3: - No Thanks RAID Config: - No Thanks RAID Card: - No Thanks Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Graphics Card(s): 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB (EVGA ACX Cooler Edition) Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio HPC Processor: - No Thanks Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Corsair H110 280mm Radiator Liquid CPU Cooler (Extreme-Performance Edition) H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected Chassis Fans: Standard Factory Chassis Fans Internal Lighting: Digital Storm RGB LED Lighting System (Requires Thermal Management Control Board & Software) Airflow Control: Digital Storm Thermal Management Control Board & Software Chassis Mods: - No Thanks Noise Reduction: - No Thanks LaserMark: - No Thanks Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock CPU 4.0GHz to 4.4GHz Boost Graphics Card(s): - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s) Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory Boost OS: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (64-Bit Edition) Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows CD) Virus Protection: FREE: McAfee AntiVirus Plus (1 Year Service Activation Card) (Not Pre-installed) ($35 Value) Office: - No Thanks Game: - No Thanks Display: - No Thanks Surge Shield: - No Thanks Speakers: - No Thanks Keyboard: - No Thanks Mouse: - No Thanks Portable Gaming: - No Thanks Branded Gear: - No Thanks Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 10-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed Warranty: Life-time Expert Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty (3 Year Labor & 1 Year Part Replacement) Edited by Gnicky - 11 Feb 2015 at 6:01pm |
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Pacesetter
Groupie Joined: 19 Jan 2015 Online Status: Offline Posts: 379 |
Quote Reply Posted: 11 Feb 2015 at 8:10pm |
MAXIMUS VII FORMULA/WATCH DOGS motherboard is one to check out.
http://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/MAXIMUS_VII_FORMULAWATCH_DOGS/ Not sure if DS has it but they may be able to get it for you if they don't. I saw they had the maximus VII hero listed. Since you are planning on using your video card and SSD, this is the only thing I'd look at. Good build. : ) |
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Vanquish II Ultimate.
I was laying in bed looking up at the stars and wondered "where is my ceiling?" |
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michaeljhuman
Groupie Joined: 09 Jan 2015 Online Status: Offline Posts: 297 |
Quote Reply Posted: 11 Feb 2015 at 8:58pm |
My ASUS mobo, has something called Fan Expert, that can control fans to some extent. |
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"The other day, I shot an elephant in my pajamas. What an elephant was doing in my pajamas, I will never know"
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Gnicky
Newbie Joined: 05 May 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 74 |
Quote Reply Posted: 13 Feb 2015 at 9:25am |
Thank you for your feedback. I was hoping to hear back on the operations of the Thermal Management control in this application, but I do not see many people ordering it. I'll plan to contact DS directly to follow up on the fan control options.
I am also strongly considering bumping up my build for an X99 platform. Looks to be about 25% more, likely getting more benefits a couple of years out. The X99 build would look something like this (possibly saving a few more bucks going down to a 780 for my son... System Configuration: Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Corsair Carbide Series Air 540 Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish Processor: Intel Core i7 5820K 3.3GHz (Six-Core) (Unlocked CPU) Motherboard: ASUS X99-E WS (Intel X99 Chipset) (Workstation Class) System Memory: 16GB DDR4 2666MHz Corsair Dominator Platinum DHX (Extreme-Performance) Power Supply: 750W EVGA SuperNOVA Expansion Bay: - No Thanks Optical Drive: ASUS Blu-Ray Player/DVD Writer (Play Blu-Ray and Burn DVDs) (Model: BC-12B1ST) Storage Set 1: 1x SSD (256GB Samsung 850 PRO) Storage Set 2: - No Thanks Storage Set 3: - No Thanks RAID Config: - No Thanks RAID Card: - No Thanks Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Graphics Card(s): 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB (EVGA ACX Cooler Edition) Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio HPC Processor: - No Thanks Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Corsair H110 280mm Radiator Liquid CPU Cooler (Extreme-Performance Edition) H20 Tube Color: - Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected Chassis Fans: Standard Factory Chassis Fans Internal Lighting: Digital Storm RGB LED Lighting System (Requires Thermal Management Control Board & Software) Airflow Control: Digital Storm Thermal Management Control Board & Software Chassis Mods: - No Thanks Noise Reduction: - No Thanks LaserMark: - No Thanks CPU Boost: Stage 1: Overclock CPU 4.0GHz to 4.4GHz Graphics Boost: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s) Memory Boost: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory OS Boost: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (64-Bit Edition) Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows CD) Virus Protection: FREE: McAfee AntiVirus Plus (1 Year Service Activation Card) (Not Pre-installed) ($35 Value) Edited by Gnicky - 13 Feb 2015 at 9:27am |
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michaeljhuman
Groupie Joined: 09 Jan 2015 Online Status: Offline Posts: 297 |
Quote Reply Posted: 13 Feb 2015 at 8:43pm |
Only one drive, and a 256 only?
Are you adding your own drive(s)? |
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"The other day, I shot an elephant in my pajamas. What an elephant was doing in my pajamas, I will never know"
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Pacesetter
Groupie Joined: 19 Jan 2015 Online Status: Offline Posts: 379 |
Quote Reply Posted: 13 Feb 2015 at 10:28pm |
For me, I'd add a 1TB HDD but that is preference. I assume you are still planning on using your SDD.
The motherboard offers plenty of expandability and the CPU even though a workstation class has been rated high for overclocking and gaming. I like the dual chamber design of the case for positive air flow and it keeps the P/S away from the SDD cages. Plenty of room for expansion here, also. The case also gets high reviews. 3 fans included and the liquid cooling should be quite adequate. Looks like a solid build to me, expandable for future needs. |
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Vanquish II Ultimate.
I was laying in bed looking up at the stars and wondered "where is my ceiling?" |
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