Corsair Air 540 or Velox

Hi ArkansasWoman777,

Since you want an air system I think your Velox system is way better than the other system. I think you can get better bang for your buck with a few changes. Here is a suggested system for you to consider. It has a better CPU, a better GPU and is about the same money as your system. I did add in a HDD but you can drop that is you have other plans.

Frank

Configuration Code: 1096213 Price: $2805

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 SABERTOOTH Z97 MARK2 (Intel Z97 Chipset) (Military-Grade TUF Components)
System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 750W Corsair CX750M
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: 1x Storage (1TB Western Digital - Black Edition)
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
Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 Extreme Performance
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
Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock CPU 4.0GHz to 4.4GHz
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
Warranty: Life-time Expert Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty (3 Year Labor & 1 Year Part Replacement)

Hi ArkansasWoman777,

Well dang, I completely missed that big SSD in your system. I was wondering why you didn't have a HDD. My bad. If you go with the Velox case you don't have to worry about the size of the cooler, except for covering memory slots. I now understand that looks are important to you and that may influence your choices.

I don't know if you need an i7 CPU. Do you need multi-tasking? Do you want the fastest CPU speed as possible. The only reason I would get an i5 was to save money.

You seem to have every thing sorted out in your mind as to what you want and I would stick with it. Most of my suggestions are personal preferences. I do think that for an air system the Velox case is a better choice.

Frank

Edited by FrankW - 17 Nov 2014 at 10:18am

Hi Arkansas...  Both cases, the Velox and the Air 540, will give you all the cooling you need.  The Velox definitely has the better airflow, but with the Air 540's dual AF140 fans blowing the air so close to the mobo and gtx 970, I guess it comes down to , how much do you need?  Cool is still cool.          The Air 540 doesn't have the HDD cages between the fans and mobo/gpu, like most others.  My 600T has the front 200mm fan, but the air flow tapers off as it covers the wider gap from fan to mobo, plus a card cage in the way.  .    It does come down to personal preference in this case, imho.

I also would go with a gtx 980 over the Strix 970.   The Asus Strix is a sweet card and the fans turning off under light load is appealing, but the 980 still beats it.  Overclocked 970's are good for about a 2-3 fps boost over stock.   The 980 with its many more shader units will win out.

That Thermaltake cooler is a nice pick.  About the same performance as the Noctua, but this one has the looks and no memory overhand.  

I would go for the i7 over the i5 if you plan on gaming on one monitor while web surfing, etc. on another.  The added threads in the hyperthreading would help.  

Just my take on it. 




Edited by bprat22 - 17 Nov 2014 at 12:01pm

Hi Arkansas,
Not sure if this helps but here's an article on Toms Hardware about the Velox:

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/digital-storm-velox-gaming-pc,27426.html

I kind of like the Corsair Air actually but cases are definitely a personal preference.  Good luck with your choice!! 

There are a few lucky customers out there with them. Let me ping Nav to throw some builds on the featured section or something as well.

Also Alex the two side fans on the right are they intake fans?