Apollo build help (my first quality rig!)

Thanks in advance for any feedback you can offer!  I'm considering making a purchase in the next day or so, but I need some expert guidance before I pull the trigger.  Although I'm a lifelong gamer, for the first time I have the resources to invest in a quality build, and I want to make sure I'm not making any mistakes, or scrimping where I shouldn't, or investing where I needn't.  I want this to be special, and I don't want to regret any part of it.  This is the rare chance for me to indulge myself.  So I'd rather not spend serious money only to feel like I compromised - I'd rather spend a bit more and get it right.  That said, I confess I'm out of my league when it comes to a lot of these components, and I don't really know what I'm doing.

I suspect my needs aren't great when compared to others.  For example, this is a gaming-only rig, and even then I'm a Dragon Age / Mass Effect / Skyrim / BioShock kind of guy.  I finally want to play on the highest settings, and to have a wonderful visual experience without any stuttering or slowdowns.  It would be nice to set myself up for an SLI upgrade in the future, especially if longevity requires it, but I hope to buy something that will satisfy for years without further investment.

My budget is around $3k all-in, or a tad over (which I'm basically at with the build below).  I picked the level 3 Apollo as a start.  I have particular questions about the motherboard (where my lack-of-understanding is greatest) and the display (where I'd happily sink some money - I'm a little underwhelmed by the size of the 24", but it seems to get great reviews).  But any other feedback would be incredibly welcome, especially if I can save money on something in order to pick up something else that matters more.  Like I said, I've spent most of my life tolerating play on systems so poor that I just don't know what matters with builds at this level.

Configuration Code: 1102018

Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Digital Storm Apollo
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 Z97-PRO (Intel Z97 Chipset) (Features 802.11ac Wi-Fi Connectivity) <br><strong></strong>
System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 850W EVGA SuperNOVA <br><strong></strong>
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Optical Drive: Blu-Ray & DVD Writer/Reader (Burn + Play Blu-Ray & DVDs) (12x BD-R) <br><strong></strong>
Storage Set 1: 1x SSD (120GB Samsung 840 EVO)
Storage Set 2: 1x Storage (1TB Western Digital - Black Edition) <br><strong></strong>
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 780 Ti 3GB (Includes PhysX) <br><strong></strong>
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
HPC Processor: - No Thanks
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Digital Storm Vortex 120mm Radiator Liquid CPU Cooler (High-Performance Edition)
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Fans: Upgrade All Fans to Corsair Airflow Performance Edition (Up to 6 Fans) <br><strong></strong>
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Airflow Control: - No Thanks
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): Yes, Overclock the video card(s) as much as possible with complete stability <br><strong></strong>
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: Yes, Disable and tweak all of the non-crucial services on the operating system <br><strong></strong>
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: Asus 24 inch VG248QE Series (144Hz Refresh Rate) (Black) (1ms Response Time) (LED Backlight) <br><strong></strong>
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: CM Storm Devastator Bundle (Gaming Keyboard & Gaming Mouse) <br><strong></strong>
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 Agroof - 26 Nov 2014 at 1:00pm

Thanks so much for taking the time to help!  A lot of these suggestions are really nice, and I could see myself following most of them.  I'm still tempted to only go with a 128 SSD (but to upgrade to the 850 PRO), as my understanding is that most games go on the 1TB hard drive anyway, and the SSD is just for the OS and your most intensive games (am I right about that?).  And maybe use that money for an 850W power source, just to make sure I'm covered on the upgrade front.  So, maybe something like this:

Configuration Code: 1102475
Direct Load URL: https://www.digitalstormonline.com/configurator.asp?id=1102475

Would anyone else be willing to weigh in?  I'd really appreciate it, because the more opinions I have, the more comfortable I'll be making a purchase.  I'm tempted to do so today!


Edited by Agroof - 27 Nov 2014 at 4:42am

That is really helpful information - thank you!  Color me convinced about the GPU and the cooling solutions, among other changes.  :)

Out of curiosity, if one gets the internal lighting, is there a way to toggle it on and off?  With some games, I'd prefer the immersion of a dark room.

Any thoughts on the display I've chosen?  Ideally I'd prefer something bigger, but the reviews on this monitor are very convincing, and size isn't the only factor in visual experience.  Still, is it worth expanding the budget for something different?  Or is this already about all that my system can make proper use of?

Hi Agroof,

Personally, I'd recommend X99. Z97 will suit your needs well today, but with 4k gaming becoming more mainstream and your desire to avoid upgrades, X99 will likely scale better since it's a newer architecture. I just want to be clear that with the usage you described, you won't notice much of a difference between the two with your monitor selection and the current titles you're playing. This is purely for future proofing. If the below makes you uncomfortable from a pricing perspective, I'd run with the Z97. If you have any additional room to move at all, you might want to consider a larger HDD as well, but I left that out of the build to mirror the original configuration.

I built the below Slade configuration for you to review, and made some adjustments. With the free shipping promo and the $100 discount you're looking at $3356, according to the online configuration tool.

https://www.digitalstormonline.com/configurator.asp?id=1102572

Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Corsair Obsidian 550D
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 5820K 3.3GHz (Six-Core) (Unlocked CPU)
Motherboard: ASUS X99-DELUXE (Intel X99 Chipset)
System Memory: 16GB DDR4 2666MHz Corsair Vengeance LPX (High-Performance)
Power Supply: 750W Corsair CX750M
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 (120GB Samsung 840 EVO)
Storage Set 2: 1x Storage (1TB Western Digital - Black Edition)
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 980 4GB (Includes PhysX)
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
HPC Processor: - No Thanks
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Digital Storm Vortex 120mm Radiator Liquid CPU Cooler (High-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: - No Thanks
Airflow Control: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: Noise Suppression Package Stage 1 (Optimized Airflow & Fan Speeds Only)
LaserMark: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Stage 2: Overclock CPU 4.5GHz to 4.8GHz (Requires High-End Motherboard Selection)
Boost Graphics Card(s): Yes, Overclock the video card(s) as much as possible with complete stability
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: Yes, Disable and tweak all of the non-crucial 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: Asus 24 inch VG248QE Series (144Hz Refresh Rate) (Black) (1ms Response Time) (LED Backlight)
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: CM Storm Devastator Bundle (Gaming Keyboard & Gaming Mouse)
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)

Let me know what you think.


Edited by Krudd - 29 Nov 2014 at 7:04am

Hmmm, doing some research on 27-inchers is getting me sucked into the "high refresh" vs. "high resolution" debate.  I don't do a lot of twitch gaming, and looking pretty matters a great deal to me, so I think the latter is the right pick for me.  But after reading all the reviews of 120 or 144 refresh and 1 or 2 millisecond, I'm hesitant.  Can anyone weigh in on, say, the difference between ASUS PB278Q (which would give me 1440p) and the ASUS VG278HE (which would give me the faster refresh)?

http://www.amazon.com/PB278Q-27-Inch-LED-lit-Professional-Graphics/dp/B009C3M7H0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417141804&sr=8-1&keywords=Asus+PB278Q

http://www.amazon.com/VG278HE-27-Inch-Screen-LED-lit-Monitor/dp/B00906HM6K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417142494&sr=8-1&keywords=Asus+vg278he

I'm psyching myself out on this decision a little, honestly.  So much comes down to the monitor, and while I've got the system build just about where I want it, this is a bottleneck.  I'm tempted to decouple monitor choice from my DS order, so that I have more time to consider.

Nailed it.

Looks good to me and keep us updated. 

Oops... One change...drop the H2O tube color.  That's for Hydrolux water cooled systems. The sealed H100i  won't utilize it as the tubes are opaque.  DS would catch it anyways and make the change. 


Edited by bprat22 - 28 Nov 2014 at 6:15am

I've never played on a 120Hz monitor, but those that have swear by them.  If you can do both and get the fps to use it, then get both.  Otherwise, I agree with you...get the visual treat over the fps.   I always thought 60fps was excellent gaming, motion wise, but have never tried anything else.

My order is already at Stage 5!   This is going much quicker than I expected!

Make sure you post a nice long review with pics once it arrives!