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Apollo build thoughts

Post Date: 2014-08-03
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jengel View Drop Down
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Posts: 5 		  Quote jengel Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Topic: Apollo build thoughts
    Posted: 03 Aug 2014 at 4:14pm
Hey all,

I'm a professional animator looking to upgrade from my MacBookPro. A buddy recommended Digital Storm, and I've been impressed with everything I've read so far, especially the friendly feedback on the forums. I put together a build and am curious if there are any changes you recommend. Are there enough fans? Is the mother board alright? I regularly use Maya (strictly for animation, not rendering or FX), Adobe Creative Suite, and mild gaming. My monitor is 24" 1920x1200, and I'm planning on using storage and peripherals I already have.

Budget:
~2k

Expectations:
Fast box w/ rock solid stability and excellent customer service that wont need to be upgraded for a few years.

Usage:
Animation, Photo Retouching, Gaming, Video Editing

Special Needs:
None

Saved Ticket #: 1022112

Specifications:
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Digital Storm Coridium <br><strong></strong>
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i5 4690K 3.50 GHz (Codename Devils Canyon) (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core) <br><strong></strong>
Motherboard: GIGABYTE G1.Sniper Z97 (Intel Z97 Chipset) (Onboard Creative Sound) <br><strong></strong>
System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 750W Corsair CX750M
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Optical Drive: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Storage Set 1: 1x SSD (120GB Samsung 840 EVO)
Storage Set 2: - No Thanks <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 3GB (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: - 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 7 Home Premium (64-Bit Edition) <br><strong></strong>
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
Exclusive T-Shirt: - 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)


Thanks!

Jeff
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Posts: 1581 		  Quote Nav Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 03 Aug 2014 at 5:46pm
Build looks pretty solid. If you're doing work in 3D programs, I recommend switching to the 4-core 8-thread 4790K for better performance.
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jengel View Drop Down
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Posts: 5 		  Quote jengel Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 03 Aug 2014 at 8:51pm
Thanks for the good suggestion. Is the 750w power supply enough if I wanted to SLI with an additional GTX 780 down the road?
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StealthG6 View Drop Down
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Posts: 77 		  Quote StealthG6 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 03 Aug 2014 at 9:01pm
It should be enough, granted I haven't gotten my computer yet it's in transit but I am running SLI 770 with overclock with a 750 watt PS and from what I hear you wan't a PS on a good load and not a 1000 watt only at a 40% load.
 
That looks like a pretty good build btw.
Apollo
i5 4690K 3.50 GHz (Codename Devils Canyon)
16GB DDR3 1600MHz
2x Asus GTX 770 DirectCU II 4GB
GIGABYTE G1.Sniper Z97
H20: Stage 2: Corsair H110 280mm Radiator
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bprat22 View Drop Down
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Posts: 20391 		  Quote bprat22 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 04 Aug 2014 at 2:57am
Hi jengel.. I agree, that is a solid build.   I would however up your psu to a 850watt if you want to sli the 780.   Nvidia and most reputable test sites recommend the 850 watt as a minimum. The sli 770 is a safer bet with the 750watt because they draw less.

The 750 watt might be ok, and plenty do it, but you try to keep a psu at or below 80% usage of its rated power. More efficient, less heat and more stable voltage.   Better psu can definitely go higher but why run the risk of resets, BSOD, shutoff, etc for another $50.   

Looks great and good luck.

Edited by bprat22 - 04 Aug 2014 at 3:10am
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jengel View Drop Down
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Posts: 5 		  Quote jengel Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 04 Aug 2014 at 3:14pm
Thanks, stealth & bprat!

I asked someone in customer service and they agreed, but recommended going up to a 1000 watt psu to SLI the 780.

I think I am going to run with the Corsair b/c you get a much better warranty for $2 :)

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bprat22 View Drop Down
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Posts: 20391 		  Quote bprat22 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 04 Aug 2014 at 3:44pm
Nice change.      A lot less chance of issues.
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jengel View Drop Down
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Posts: 5 		  Quote jengel Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 10 Aug 2014 at 9:09pm
Thanks for all the help, everyone. One more question... If I opt out of getting an optical drive, how would I reformat/reinstall drivers? Will DS put that stuff on a flash drive?
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bprat22 View Drop Down
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Posts: 20391 		  Quote bprat22 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 11 Aug 2014 at 2:51am
Not sure.   You'd need to ask DS. My guess is that would for a fee.
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danjw1 View Drop Down
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Posts: 667 		  Quote danjw1 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 11 Aug 2014 at 6:58am
You could store an image of the original system as it shipped to you on an external drive. I use Acronis True Image for my backups. There are lots of options out there. I keep a folder on an external drive with all the downloaded software I need to get my system up after I do a reinstall. I also keep my activation keys on a file on the same drive. That key file I also have backed up to the cloud.

Here is an article of how to install Windows from a USB flash drive: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/windows-8/a/install-windows-8-usb.htm. Another option is an external optical drive.
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jengel View Drop Down
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Posts: 5 		  Quote jengel Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 12 Aug 2014 at 1:49pm
Thanks everyone! I ended up going with the optical drive, and placed the order yesterday. Hit Stage 3 this morning!
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bprat22 View Drop Down
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Posts: 20391 		  Quote bprat22 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 12 Aug 2014 at 1:54pm
Congrats.      
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