Bolt II help

Budget:
[4k-4.5k$]

Expectations:
Me and my wife are really worried about spending so much money so here I am reaching out for help. I want this to last for a bit however shes worried about things that her friends tell her about the motherboard not being the best since its small. She is also is afraid of overclocking it and voiding the warranty (although I don't think that's possible nor do I think it would void a Warranty but I am not very fluent with Computers). I am personally afraid of the cooling system being liquid but if its no maintenance then I am for it.

     We are looking to purchase two this month, so um yea what do you guys think? are the specs more then solid to play on ultra? is having a titan to much for such a small motherboard?
Would you change anything?

Usage:
Heavy devotion to gaming


Saved Ticket #: 1111434

Specifications:
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Pre-built Digital Storm Bolt II
Exterior Finish: Exotic Paint Finish - Storm Blue - Gloss Finish
Trim Accents: - No Thanks
Processor: Intel Core i7 4790K 4.0 GHz (Codename Devils Canyon) (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS MAXIMUS VII IMPACT (Intel Z97 Chipset) (Mini-ITX) (SupremeFX Impact, Sonic Radar)
System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 700W Digital Storm Bolt II Edition
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Optical Drive: External USB - Blu-Ray Player (Blu-Ray 6x) & DVD/CD Writer
Storage Set 1: 1x SSD (120GB Samsung 840 EVO)
Storage Set 2: 1x Storage (1TB Seagate)
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 TITAN Z 12GB (Includes PhysX)
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
HPC Processor: - No Thanks
Extreme Cooling: 240mm Radiator Liquid CPU Cooler (Extreme-Performance Edition) <br><strong></strong>
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Fans: High Static Pressure - Corsair Air Series SP120 Fans (2x 120mm)
Internal Lighting: Front Panel + Internal Chassis (RGB LED Lighting System)
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 <br><strong></strong>
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: Asus 24 inch 248 Series (Widescreen) (Black) (2ms Response Time) (LED Backlight) <br><strong></strong>
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: Logitech Media Combo MK200 Keyboard and 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 4 Year Limited Warranty (4 Year Labor & 2 Year Part Replacement) <br><strong></strong>

Originally posted by Kaelara You would do far better with one GTX 980 than the titan ... The Titan is more for Cad and other scientific applications than gaming,   now it will run games , but the money saved on the GPU would allow you to purchase a larger SSD , the 120 gig SSD is going to be used up pretty fast esp if you play games with multi expansions like WoW I would opt for the GTX 980 and a 500gig SSD instead of the Titan. Benchmarks for the GTX 980 nearly equal the titan and for a lot less money.

I can see what you mean now and thank you so much for the input I guess we might not need a titian after all. The reason I opted for a titan is because I am not sure what the requirements might be for future games and didn't want the card to be outdated so quickly but both of out college careers won't need that type of power I sopose.

Hi BlackShadow,

What you do about your GPU has a lot to do with your application. The particular games you play and the resolution of your monitor determines how much GPU power you might need.

I am not sure if you are in college or out of college. If you are in college I can see why you might want a Bolt II if you live in a dorm. The Bolt II is a nice system but is engineered to be as small as possible with good gaming ability. The size of the Bolt II limits its flexibility for future expansion of your system. A double GPU card like the Titan Z in the Bolt II will give you the most GPU power you can achieve. The problem with all double GPU cards is if they fail out of warranty. So if 1/2 of a Titan fails you have to replace the whole card. A computer that can hold two GPU carda like two 980s, you only have to buy the one card that has failed. Which is much cheaper than buying a new Titan Z.

You stated that you want to play on Ultra. That will depend on the games you play, the resolution of your monitor and how many monitors you have. If you stick with one 1080 monitor then one 980 will serve you well.

If you bought the Bolt II specifically because you are limited with space then that is a great choice. If you have the space for larger computers you may be better off with a different case with more room and flexibility.

Frank




Edited by FrankW - 08 Dec 2014 at 5:13am

Excellent choices and a more flexible build. 

For tops in air cooling, and  video cards on air is an air cooled rig, the Velox case is about the best.  Nothing wrong with the Hailstorm, Corsair 900D, so really up to you.  Personal preference does factor in. 

The 1500 watt psu is way more than you'll ever use.   The EVGA 850watt Super Nova will give you what you need and headroom to spare.  If that makes you nervous, the 1050HX is plenty. 

Drop the Red Tubing under H2O tube color.  That's for the Hydrolux waterr cooled setups.  The Vortex 240 wouldn't use it.

Looks great and stay in touch.

Hi BlackShadow,

Your Hallstorm II build looks good. The Hallstorm is a great case but better suited to a full liquid cooling system. It has lots of room for big radiators especially in the bottom of the case. In case you didn't notice the Hallstorm II is big:27"x10"x26".



Since you are using air cooling for the GPUs I have put together a suggested system on the Velox case. I included a better SSD and a bigger liquid cooler for your CPU. You don't really need the 280 size radiator but the case can take it and you never get enough cooling. If you want to save some money you can get the 240 cooler and the EVO SSD.

You will save about $400 per system with the Velox system over the Hailstorm II. If you prefer the looks of the Hailstorm II over the Velox then go for it. The Velox is not as big: 20"x9"x22"



Configuration Code: 1111749 Cost $4012

Specifications:

Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Digital Storm Velox
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-DELUXE (Intel Z97 Chipset) (Features 802.11ac Wi-Fi Connectivity)
System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1866MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 850W EVGA SuperNOVA
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Optical Drive: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Storage Set 1: 1x SSD (256GB Samsung 850 PRO)
Storage Set 2: 1x Storage (1TB Western Digital - Black Edition)
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Graphics Card(s): 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 4GB (Includes PhysX)
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Corsair H110 280mm Radiator Liquid CPU Cooler (Extreme-Performance Edition)
Chassis Fans: Upgrade All Fans to Corsair Airflow Performance Edition (Up to 6 Fans)
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Airflow Control: - 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: Asus 24 inch 248 Series (Widescreen) (Black) (2ms Response Time) (LED Backlight)
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Warranty: Life-time Expert Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty (3 Year Labor & 1 Year Part Replacement)

The limitation with the Z97 mother board and the 4790 CPU is you are limited to two GPUs for best performace. Because of this I put in a 850 Power Supply. There might be a slight delay with the Velox case as it may not be available just yet.

Frank

Edited by FrankW - 09 Dec 2014 at 4:10am

Thank you for all of the support!
we decided to go for the last build I put up for the hailstorm but I was wondering one more thing personally for myself if I might ask one more thing? Can I use duel monitors with the setup I have? I do want to stream games as well and a second screen would help. Again thank you all for everything so far!

Hi BlackShadow,

You can go with two screens with no problem but be careful about resolution. In the future if you want to get a 4K monitor the two 980 GPUs will give you limited 4K service. That is, you will have to turn down some settings on some games. A 4K monitor for ultra play you may need 3 980 GPUs. If you find you need three 980s you can't do it with a Z97 mother board due to the PCIe available lanes.

Good luck with your system. The Hailstorm II is a nice case. When you place your order ask DS if you need a blow hole and fan on the side of the window to aid cooling on the GPUs. With two GPUs you probably don't need it.   

Frank

Edited by FrankW - 10 Dec 2014 at 5:53am