Quiet, Powerful, Future-proof System

Hello everyone. First-time boutique purchaser here, thinking of Digital Storm for my first true gaming rig. I'll likely be buying in the first major sale after Christmas, depending on how finances work out. If you suspect that something is going to shake things up before then, let me know - I suspect that the R9-290X is out of my price range, but I'm curious if it's expected to shake up pricing on (say) the GTX 770.

Thoughts and suggestions appreciated.

Budget:
$2400-$2500 (sans monitor/peripherals)

Expectations:
A quiet system suitable for smooth 1080p@60fps gaming while easily upgradeable in 2-4 years.

Usage:
Mixed Use Gaming (World of Tanks, Starcraft II, Borderlands 2, Civilization 5, Dragon Age: Inquisition)
Movie Watching
General Office tasks

Special Needs:
Quiet. This computer will be no more than 2-3 feet and a thin partition away from a toddler's bed. The toddler is a sound sleeper, but jet engine cooling is out of the question.

Future-proof. I'm comfortable with plug-and-play components, so I intend to swap in more RAM and switch to a dual SLI setup in future. My current thinking is to add a second GTX 770 in 2-4 years; the 4GB VRAM is a hedge against likely expansions in VRAM requirements if I'm still using the card in 5-6 years. Similarly, the i7 is for CPU-bound strategy games and potential future demands, as I don't plan to swap in a new CPU at any stage. I may even throw in a special order Thunderbolt motherboard, just in case that tech takes off.

Saved Ticket #: 875477

Specifications:
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Corsair Obsidian 550D
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 4770K 3.50 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth Z87 (Intel Z87 Chipset) (Features Thermal Armor and Thermal Radar)
System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested) <b></b>
Power Supply: 750W EVGA SuperNOVA Gold Rated (Dual SLI Compatible) <b></b>
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Optical Drive: ASUS Blu-Ray Player/DVD Writer (Play Blu-Ray and Burn DVDs) (Model: BC-12B1ST) <b></b>
Storage Set 1: 1x (256GB Solid State (By: Samsung) (Model: 840 Pro Series) <b></b>
Storage Set 2: 1x (1TB Western Digital Caviar (7200 RPM) (Model: Black Edition) <b></b>
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 770 4GB (Includes PhysX) <b></b>
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 2 (Optimized Airflow & Fan Speeds with Noise Dampening Material) <b></b>
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)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows CD)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Game: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - 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)

Hi Counsel...   The rig you configured is probably about as quiet as you can get. The 550D,  when left with the top and side acoustic panels on, is quiet.   

Edited by bprat22 - 30 Sep 2013 at 7:16am

Thanks for all the feedback! This is the kind of info you can't get just by reading tech specs and reviews of individual components.

A few more questions:
In terms of future-proofing and GPUs, one question I have concerns cost. GPUs in 2-4 year's time will obviously be considerably more powerful than today's cards. But in terms of value for performance, will it really be worth it to upgrade to an entirely new single GPU rather than dropping in a (now cheap) old GPU in SLI configuration?

Along those lines, it sounds like the 550D would have airflow issues in an SLI configuration. (Barring Hydrolux or another sophisticated solution I'm probably not up to installing.) Is this something that could be handled by simply removing the panels, or would it need additional fans? How would this affect the noise levels?

Would the HAF X be a better choice for keeping noise levels down?

Edited by Counsel - 30 Sep 2013 at 6:45pm

This is all great info, thanks. Here's my current thinking as to my options.

One is to go with the 550D for a very quiet system. However, this would only work well with a single reference card; going with multi-fan card or SLI setup would require removing panels / boosting fans, significantly raising noise levels and defeating the purpose of going with the 550D in the first place.

The second is to go with the ODE or HAF-X case, which aren't as naturally quiet as the 550D, but have dramatically superior airflow, so they both handle twin fan cards and SLI setups better, and probably end up handling them quieter than the 550D.

However, it might not make sense to look at an SLI-ready configuration, as by the time I get around to dropping in a second card, it might be hard to find an identical card to drop in, and GPU tech may have advanced so far it makes sense just to upgrade a single card. (I'm not planning 4k or surround displays.)

Weighing the factors, I'm thinking that the 550D does make the most sense, provided it can handle a high-level reference card. It sounds like nobody's too concerned about how the i5 will hold up in the future, so I'm going with the suggestion to drop down to i5 and step up to the GTX 780. I also noticed that Digital Storm has added a Thunderbolt-compatible motherboard, which I think is a valuable future-proofing feature in a household with a lot of Macs. I've dropped the Western Digital drive to snag it while staying within budget - I can drop one in easily enough later, and I have an external HD to tide me over until then.

Here's my new build: http://www.digitalstormonline.com/comploadsaved.asp?id=876586

Specifications:
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Corsair Obsidian 550D
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i5 4670K 3.40 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS Z87-EXPERT (Intel Z87 Chipset) (Features Intel Thunderbolt Technology) <b></b>
System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 750W EVGA SuperNOVA Gold Rated (Dual SLI Compatible)
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 (256GB Solid State (By: Samsung) (Model: 840 Pro Series)
Storage Set 2: - No Thanks <b></b>
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 <b></b>
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Airflow Control: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: Noise Suppression Package Stage 1 (Optimized Airflow & Fan Speeds Only) <b></b>
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)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows CD)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Game: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: FREE: Digital Storm T-Shirt - Black (Large)
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)

Excellent! I'll revisit the build in a few months time when I'm ready to pull the trigger, but I'm pretty happy with how this is looking.

Edited by Counsel - 03 Oct 2013 at 1:33pm

Originally posted by fstcvc I would just get the EVGA SuperClocked version and be done with it. No fuss.

The ACX Twin-Fan version? I'd love to have a Titan-level card in my rig, but wouldn't that dump too much heat in for a closed-up 550D to handle?

Edited by Counsel - 04 Oct 2013 at 12:26pm

EVGA makes a SC version of the 780 with a reference style cooler. It's not as heavily OC'd as the one with the ACX twin fan cooler but will boost the GPU a little (probably a few more fps). If you plan on OC'ing your GPU, just stick with the factory set ones for less worries of damaging the card.

Originally posted by Counsel Questions: 1) Any thoughts on the 850W Corsair RM? The reviews are generally favorable, but the original manufacturer is Chicony Power Technology, so I'm wondering if anyone has any bad impressions. Also, will a gold-rated 850W PSU push two GTX 780s?

Shouldn't be a problem. 2x780 have a maximum power draw of 500W, the CPU is only 84W (a bit more with the overclock). That leaves plenty of overhead.

Originally posted by Counsel 2) Does anyone know how 5-year warranties are handled with the current bonus 4-year warranty? Do you select 4-year and get bumped up? Select 5 year and get a $99 credit for the free 4th year? Or do you just pay full price for 5 years? (This one might be more of a question for Alex, actually. I'll shoot him an email.)

Talking to DS is the best bet here.

Originally posted by Counsel For reference, here's the build I'm currently looking at: Ticket Number: 910081 Total Price with Instant Savings: $2,563.00 Direct Load URL: http://www.digitalstormonline.com/configcheck.asp?id=910081 Specifications: Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Corsair Obsidian 550D Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish Processor: Intel Core i7 4770K 3.50 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core) Motherboard: ASUS Z87-EXPERT (Intel Z87 Chipset) (Features Intel Thunderbolt Technology) <b></b> System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested) <b></b> Power Supply: 850W Corsair RM <b></b> Expansion Bay: - No Thanks Optical Drive: ASUS Blu-Ray Player/DVD Writer (Play Blu-Ray and Burn DVDs) (Model: BC-12B1ST) <b></b> Storage Set 1: 1x (256GB Solid State (By: Samsung) (Model: 840 Pro Series) <b></b> Storage Set 2: - No Thanks <b></b> 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) <b></b> 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 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: - No Thanks 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: FREE: Digital Storm T-Shirt - Black (Large) <b></b> 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) <b></b>

Looks like a very solid build!

Originally posted by Counsel 2) Does anyone know how 5-year warranties are handled with the current bonus 4-year warranty? Do you select 4-year and get bumped up? Select 5 year and get a $99 credit for the free 4th year? Or do you just pay full price for 5 years? (This one might be more of a question for Alex, actually. I'll shoot him an email.)

It is added to your cart when you check out.

You're welcome! Thank you for choosing Digital Storm!

Did you make sure everything was seated because sometimes things can get jolted from shipping. Also try plugging a Dvi or Hdmi cable into the graphics card if you haven't tried it.

Edited by ArkansasWoman777 - 14 Jan 2014 at 8:44pm

Originally posted by ArkansasWoman777 Did you make sure everything was seated because sometimes things can get jolted from shipping. Also try plugging a Dvi or Hdmi cable into the graphics card if you haven't tried it.

I tried reseating the graphics card; no luck there. Reseating the motherboard is probably beyond my capabilities.

Originally posted by Nav Is that the only monitor you have on hand? If you have a TV + HDMI cable, try that instead of the Display Port on the graphics card.

I'm afraid that the U2414H is the only screen in the house that will take an input; the rest are on phones and laptops. I'm going to purchase an HDMI cable on the way home from work to see if I have better luck with that. Should I plug it into the motherboard HDMI port (currently open) or the GPU HDMI port (currently still closed off by a little plastic plug)?

Success! One $15 HDMI cable, and my new rig is up and running. I'm installing various essentials as I type. I've ordered another Displayport cable (this monitor is supposedly 80Hz capable), but the major problem is now resolved. (All that time reading up on Z87-EXPERT error codes will be for naught).

I hope to have time for a full report this weekend.

Originally posted by Counsel Success! One $15 HDMI cable, and my new rig is up and running. I'm installing various essentials as I type. I've ordered another Displayport cable (this monitor is supposedly 80Hz capable), but the major problem is now resolved. (All that time reading up on Z87-EXPERT error codes will be for naught). I hope to have time for a full report this weekend.

You should probably contact DS about replacing the graphics card. Since you know the monitors DisplayPort works with other devices, that is likely the issue you were seeing.