[WIP] Branwen: The raven rises

[patrickjp93]

So, the personal build is go, go, go!

This will be my personal rig for the foreseeable future, so I intend to make it as good as I can.

The parts list is as follows at the current moment, with subject to change is:

Intel core i5 4690K

Gigabyte GA-Z97X UD3H

XFX radeon R9 270 DD

16GB corsair Vengeance Pro 2400Mhz Gold

Crucial MX100 128GB

Seagate/WD 1TB drive

Corsair RM 650W

Silverstone Raven 5

This will be an ongoing project for now, as I cannot buy all the parts at once, so expect infrequent and ill timed updates.

To kick things off, the case is the first thing to arrive in all it's winged glory... I give you, the silverstone RV05!

image.jpg

I apologise for the god awful picture, I intend to upload better ones later, but I took this one in a rush on my iPad

That's all for now folks, but don't forget to follow this if you want to be first for updates.

Is that a steel case? I prefer building with aluminum for being lighter weight than steel and having vastly better thermal performance, but God is Lian Li expensive...

[Thorium19]

Is that a steel case? I prefer building with aluminum for being lighter weight than steel and having vastly better thermal performance, but God is Lian Li expensive...

Steel and plastic. If you want an aluminium version of it, just not with the edgy looks, then there's the FT05 that's on it's way out.

[patrickjp93]

Steel and plastic. If you want an aluminium version of it, just not with the edgy looks, then there's the FT05 that's on it's way out.

THANK GOD! For all my love of Lian Li, they have not learned how to design a case for back-panel cable management, the twats.

[Thorium19]

THANK GOD! For all my love of Lian Li, they have not learned how to design a case for back-panel cable management, the twats.

From when I opened it up, silverstone aren't miles further ahead. There's room, and it's decent, but there aren't very many cutouts or cable ties. Better than lian li though.

[patrickjp93]

From when I opened it up, silverstone aren't miles further ahead. There's room, and it's decent, but there aren't very many cutouts or cable ties. Better than lian li though.

If there's a half inch of room I can make it work. Lian Li has nothing, which is why my family bought the 4 cases we have and have not upgraded since. USB 2.0 up front is a tiny price to pay for the lightweight design  and high-performance cooling (we keep the house in the 80* F range in the summer and 65 in the winter (yeah, we're a bit frugal with heating and cooling bills).

[Thorium19]

If there's a half inch of room I can make it work. Lian Li has nothing, which is why my family bought the 4 cases we have and have not upgraded since. USB 2.0 up front is a tiny price to pay for the lightweight design  and high-performance cooling (we keep the house in the 80* F range in the summer and 65 in the winter (yeah, we're a bit frugal with heating and cooling bills).

there's a fair enough bit of room. You can get two 2.5" drives and a slot loading drive in there, and have room to spare, so enough to route cables with.

[Rashy]

And #AsianParents

I know that feel.

Motherboard? why not Fatherboard?

GT? Why not GTX?

[Thorium19]

A Wild update appears!

 

Thorium attacks with build log pictures. It's super effective!

Ensue Zelda chest opening music:

What could this be? an SSD?

What else is hiding in that box? Let's have a look why don't we.

It's a hard drive! and 1tb at that.

Now on to the SSD again. A bit too shiny that bag for the picture.

Out the bag, and by Jove is it nice looking.

 

The wild update has fainted! Thorium gains 100xp. 

 

Check the first post for new glamour shots of the case itself. If they're not there, I'm uploading them.

[Rashy]

A Wild update appears!

 

 

The wild update has fainted! Thorium gains 100xp. 

 

Check the first post for new glamour shots of the case itself. If they're not there, I'm uploading them.

V.O.V or should i say Wow. I paid my ISP today and awaken from my more than a week no internet slumber into this. 

[Thorium19]

V.O.V or should i say Wow. I paid my ISP today and awaken from my more than a week no internet slumber into this. 

It would have been uploaded earlier, but amazon decided not to leave my parcel with the neighbours <_<

I'm probably going to get some better pictures of the case if I can commandeer my uncles camera, as my little point and shoot couldn't focus on the SSD for love nor money.

[Rashy]

It would have been uploaded earlier, but amazon decided not to leave my parcel with the neighbours <_<

I'm probably going to get some better pictures of the case if I can commandeer my uncles camera, as my little point and shoot couldn't focus on the SSD for love nor money.

btw that SSD is pretty thick.

[Thorium19]

btw that SSD is pretty thick.

it's 7mm, with a spacer to make it 9.5mm able to be put on. It looks a lot thinner IRL, the pictures just don't do it justice.

[NeatSquidYT]

I know that feel.

Motherboard? why not Fatherboard?

GT? Why not GTX?

GT are their non gaming cards, although they're not bad for gaming for the price.

[Thorium19]

 

Duck and cover everyone, it's another update!!!

 

And this time, with a header as well    it's getting very classy and professional now isn't it   

 

So before Christmas I took a trip to scan computers up in Bolton. Whilst there, as well as lusting after the Coolermaster cosmos 2 on display, I picked up two new parts for Branwen. These were the power supply, which is now installed, and the motherboard which I had to wait for Christmas to open up.

The general theme for this build is now black with yellow accents, as defined by the gorgeous MSI MPower max AC. The heatsink around the mosfets is bloody huge, and one solid hunk of metal with a heatpipe passing through.

The PSU is also very tasty, with a nice black/grey colour that has the XFX XTR logo stenciled on rather fashionably in my opinion. It is modular, and at 170mm long it barely fits in the damn case, the 24 pin connector is bent at a horrific angle that made me squirm when replacing the HDD cage, but it does fit. So, for those wondering about PSU clearance, my advice is to just get the cheapest silverstone strider gold unit you can, as otherwise you'll be terrified of damaging cables.

 

Next on the list of parts to get is the RAM, which I shall hopefully be getting either the end of this month or next. I'm looking at the Kingston hyperX fury 16gb kit in black, however the crucial ballistix tactical and geIL black dragon looks like they would go well with the motherboard, so I shall see which one to get when the time arrives.

[SeriouslyMikey]

£50 for the lot. 

Best deal NA. 

[Thorium19]

£50 for the lot. 

Best deal NA. 

 

throw in 5 karambits plus a ticket to see top gear and you've a deal   /jk

[SeriouslyMikey]

throw in 5 karambits plus a ticket to see top gear and you've a deal   /jk

 

But I only have four Karambits! 

 

 

[Thorium19]

But I only have four Karambits! 

 

 

 

Deals off then. Unless you have some weed, then I'm willing to talk a deal out over a bag of the good stuff  B)

[SeriouslyMikey]

Deals off then. Unless you have some weed, then I'm willing to talk a deal out over a bag of the good stuff  B)

 

Reminds me of this Spaced episode. 

 

[MblaZe7run]

It's not fair. My parents won't let me build a computer. 

I cheated to get mine. I had a wad of cash, and a paper I had to write for my tech center. I chose the topic of "Buy vs. Build; You Decide" and we were required to have a physical study to base your findings. I said it was required for class, and, with my parents being all about good grades, finally said yes!

[Thorium19]

GOOD NEWS!!! THE NEXT UPDATE IS HERE...

 

...Alright, so not an "official" update with parts to show off, but this is more of a "what's next" update.

 

The next part to be picked up shall be the RAM, of which I have got myself in a slight pickle over choosing what kit to get.

The original intention had been to get 16gb of kingston hyperX fury and be done with it, yet I've found a couple other options that may or may not go better with the overall system look.

The first kit I've come across is the crucial ballistix tactical. Not the tracer stuff with the LEDs in it like in Linus' system, but the plain old yellowy orange stuff using the same style heatsink. I can get the LP version for a decent price, yet I'm apprehensive as the colour is darker than my Mpower board. Check them out here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ballistix-Tactical-BLT2C8G3D1608ET3LX0CEU-PC3-12800-Unbuffered/dp/B00A14ZTRO/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1425746781&sr=8-9&keywords=crucial+ballistix+tactical

The second set I've spotted is the Avexir original blitz gold kit, which has a yellow/gold heatsink with yellow pulsing LEDs in the top of the heatsink. They're about a fiver more, are a heck of a lot taller and so will probably force me to get an AiO, yet they look awesome. You can also see them here (currently unavailable on amazon, but I can get them on overclockers I believe still) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-channel-240-pin-2400MHz-AVD3U24001008G-2BZ1SE/dp/B00P6LQ4WQ/ref=sr_1_87?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1425842810&sr=1-87

 

So the question I pose is: Which RAM should I get? The black kingston fury, the dark yellow low profile crucial ballistix or the bigger, flashier, Avexir blitz.

 

On a side note, I'm really pissed off that the avexir blitz MPower ram is unavialable now, as that was made to go with my motherboard. :angry:  After the RAM issue is resolved, I shall get the CPU, followed by GPU, which shall bring this section nearly to a close. Only a CPU cooler will be needed, and I've my eye on the alphacool eisberg 120 for £55 at the moment from scan.

[SeriouslyMikey]

Wow, took your time.  

[Nup]

Noice! followed  

[Thorium19]

Wow, took your time.

Yeah, I planned on getting the memory in january, but things happened that put it back to now. I'm pissedoff about the avexir ram not being on amazon any more, only OCUK have it now and it's at £140, so I'm having second thoughts on it.

[SeriouslyMikey]

Yeah, I planned on getting the memory in january, but things happened that put it back to now. I'm pissedoff about the avexir ram not being on amazon any more, only OCUK have it now and it's at £140, so I'm having second thoughts on it.

 

Kingston Hyper X?