Help with new Bolt II configuration

Hey there!

I'm planning to buy a new computer and I want it to replace my old mid-tower next to my 55inch TV. I'll use it for Gaming plus watching movies and tv shows and I want it to be small as the Bolt II is, but also as much as silent as possible.

Below it's the base config on Digital Storm Configuration tool, but I want to change a couple of things they don't have already listed on the tool.

First, I want to replace the 256Gb Samsung 850 Pro SSD by this one: Samsung XP941 256Gb PCIe x4 M.2

And second and most important, I want this GPU: Asus GeForce Strix GTX 970 DirectCU II OC 4GB GDDR5 as the fans don't start working until needed, so it'll have 0db while watching movies.

Any thoughts? Could they change this components or I've to buy it as it is and change them by myself? Will be the Asus Strix fit in the Bolt II? Thanks much!


Digital Storm Bolt II (Config # 1069524) - $2,623.00

Chassis
Chassis Model: Pre-built Digital Storm Bolt II
Exterior Finish: Onyx Black Matte Finish

Core Components
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 2400MHz Corsair Vengeance Pro (High-Performance)

Power Supply: 500W Digital Storm Bolt II Edition (Quiet) (Gold Plus Rated)

Storage / Connectivity
Optical Drive: Blu-Ray Player/DVD Writer (Play Blu-Ray and Burn DVDs) (Slim Slot Loading Edition)

Storage Set 1: 1x SSD (256GB Samsung 850 PRO)

Storage Set 2: 1x Storage (1TB Seagate)
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)

Graphics / Multimedia
Graphics Card(s): 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 1GB (Includes PhysX)

Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio

Digital Storm Engineering
Extreme Cooling: 240mm 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: High Static Pressure - Corsair Air Series SP120 Fans (2x 120mm)
Internal Lighting: Front Panel + Internal Chassis (RGB LED Lighting System)

Airflow Control: Digital Storm Thermal Management Control Board & Software

Digital Storm TwisterBoost Technology
Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock CPU 4.0GHz to 4.4GHz

Software
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 Professional (64-Bit Edition)

Anyone else have tried to put an Asus GTX9xx Strix in the Bolt II? It fits? Thanks much!

The STRIX won't fit because the height of the PCB on the card is much taller than a normal graphics card. The Bolt II is very compact and will not fit such a tall card unfortunately.

The reference based design of the GTX 980 still runs very cool and quiet, you can get a lot of headroom with it, you don't really need a high-end aftermarket cooler on the GPU.

Hope this helps!

I'm doing just about the same with the Bolt II I just ordered. I am getting the EVGA GTX 970 FTW ACX 2.0 to put in the box. Anandtech has tested this card and found that the overclock (one of, if not the highest from the factory out there) EVGA has put on the card is about as high as the card can handle (the cooling solution is overkill, so that is not a limiting factor). Also, the fans on the ACX 2.0 (not the ACX) do go to 0 RPM in low loads (at the time Anandtech was testing it, EVGA sent them a preview of the BIOS, and it did work).

I'm sticking with the ASUS Z97I-Plus so there is the best signal integrity to the graphics card as possible, as there is already a flexible PCI-e extension added. I do like how DS has used a single flexible extension instead of two rigid extenders; there is a lot of signal loss across connectors (so much so, I'm not sure even a single extension will be possible with PCI-e 4.0, as PCI-SIG has to resort to bumping up the PCI-e signalling rate to 16 GHz to double the bandwidth across the interface). I don't quite understand why ASUS only put 2 lanes to the M.2 connector on the Z97I-Plus; it is not like they have many other uses for the PCI-e lanes coming off of the PCH...the WiFi card on the mini-PCI-e connector using at most 2 lanes is all I can see. Oh well, it almost maxes out the XP941's potential, so there won't be that much performance loss.

I'll post first impressions when I receive the machine. I've ordered a couple of fans to replace the Corsair ones that come with the Bolt II...that has been one of the criticisms of the H100i, along with the fan connector coming off of the block/pump. But with reviews of the Bolt II being very quiet until you really load up the processors with a game or something (at which point it becomes a low hum), I have high hopes for this machine to be practically inaudible in low load scenarios...the fan on the PSU is the only unknown at this point.

FedEx is supposed to deliver my Bolt II tomorrow...I hope it will be in the morning. I will get everything up and running and let you know what my impressions are then.

If you order an EVGA 970 card by Nov 9th, they have a free back-plate offer. However, I'm not sure I'm am going to install the back-plate...it may impinge on the airflow, especially right behind the radiator. NVIDIA is also running the Pick-Your-Path promotion now, too. I ordered my computer with the low end AMD card, so I also got a Never Settle bundle code, too (although it is for the lowest tier).

I agree with Meller, on the backplate, it will spread the heat and should improve card temperatures. This is why all 980s ship with backplates.

My 2¢... Install it. There's a reason it's sold as an upgrade.   

So, I would have thought there would be a cut-out behind the radiator to give it breathing room...man, was I wrong. There are some perforations behind where the Hydrolux controller would normally sit, but up where the GPU is, it is basically a solid plate. So, no extra restrictions with a back-plate...but there is another problem. That aforementioned plate in the chassis, it is awfully close to the back of the GPU and I'm not sure a card with a back-plate would fit. Anyways, once I get everything set up and working with it, I'll post my impressions elsewhere on the forum.

@ipla...I've successfully tweaked my machine to have 0 fans operating for standard web browsing and streaming duties. You can only hear the faint noise of the pump and flowing fluid (which is constant speed all of the time). There is enough thermal capacity in the H100i to handle this, which is sweet.