LeonHaker

it you had it activated on this system before, you should not have any trouble and should not need a key.
 
it looks like windows 10 somehow "remembers" some of your hardware if it has been activated on it before ... maybe the CPU or the mainboard - not sure - but i built a system out of used parts recently and when i installed windows 10 pro on it, it did not ask for a key and told me it is properly activated first time i logged in. 
 
like windows sent the cpu serial number to the activation server and the server replied like "yep, this cpu has been running an official version of win 10 pro before, you are good to go"

Yeah, it did for me. All I did was use the Windows 10 installer from their tool and then skipped the key (telling you what I did). After the computer got brought up I took a windows 7 pro key from a computer husk I got to recycle and I typed in the activation box. The screen went from the watermarked version of windows 10 to an activated version.

Edited to add: I did this on my work computer too. We bought a windows 7 computer to save some $$$ when the upgrade was free, one of the computers broke and the manuf./supplier sent us computers with win 7 instead of 10. We upgraded them after the free update was canceled using the 7 key. 

You can try to install Windows 10, if the key already exists on the motherboard, then no, you don't need a new key.
I'm more or less sure, that you do not need to buy another key.

But I already had the windows 10 legal version, I don't have the key.

Buckle closure for leather belts.
 

On Thursday I got the motherboard so i'm now very very close to having everything, late last night I started piecing it slowly together, taking lots of photographs of course. I'll be using an X99M-WS, it was a difficult decision between this and the Micro2 but as i've already used that in a project for a friend I felt that it was time to give ASUS' WS board a chance.


 



 
First thing to mount was the HyperX Predator M.2, I could of waited for the faster Polaris drives but at ~£100 less and with a significantly higher TBW rating I thought it was worth sacrificing the speed for what I consider the much prettier Predator. Can't say I find the 480GB version I have running at PCIe2.0 x2 slow!


 



 



 



 
Separated from it's PCI slot adapter the density is astounding, each individual chip is the same capacity as my first 2.5" SSD!


 



 



 



 
The huge socket was readied for a CPU!


 



 



 
After a lot of contemplation I decided to go with a Haswell-E chip for this build as the current mATX WS BIOS seems to have stronger memory support for the earlier generation.


 



 



 



 



 
With 4 dimm's in two banks the memory would be a real center point of this build but nothing was quite right, HyperX Predator too agressive, Klevv i'm just bored of seeing in WS boards already, G.Skill again just too complex to completely harmonize with the theme. So Dominator Platinum was the strongest candidate for it's symmetry and subtlety.


 



 
I'd fallen out of love with them when they changed to a sandblasted finish after the initial DDR3 production run, but, I still had an original quad channel kit! And as this will become my daily system it meant I could mix them up and continue to stare at the ornately machined heatsinks for another few years.


 



 
Very quickly I created a graveyard of Dominator Platinum parts, both old and new. I split the heatsinks off two of the DDR4 modules as well so I could swap the white sticker to the inside.


 



 



 



 
After a considerable amount of time gently prying off thermal pads and fiddling with tiny screws I had a very crisp looking DDR4 kit!


 



 



 



 
To match the Nickel/Plexi GPU blocks I also picked up a Supremacy EVO in the same finish.


 



 



 



 



 



 
Now the board is filling up the hybrid of original DDR3 and DDR4 Dominator Platinum looks just right with it's beautifully polished faces and machined tops.


 



 



 



 



 
Just enough time to try the board in the case for some strategically teasery lit shots.


 



 



 



 
Tomorrow I will be making two fan extensions from the Aquaero through the mid-plate to the rads so I can permanently assemble the pedestal. After that i'll be needing the PSU to gradually add cables and tubing until it's complete.


 
JR

Leather "book" cover:
 

 

 

Hello, My name is Jon. I have been a computer guy for a very long time. I don't find posting about my rigs interesting or fun to craft. I do however think that people will find this process of R&D making these blocks. I am aiming this at the new Samsung 960 Pro 512GB, but I wanna start this before that is available. So I currently have a Intel 540 460GB now, so I am gonna run with what I got. A bit about myself is that I have been a machinist over 5 years now, have a Haas vertical milling machine and a turning center. More about that later, I will be designing this in Mastercam. Now for some pictures for flavour. 
 

Jeez JR! Looking so good as always! 

Thanks guys! Had some astounding post today, a 960GB HyperX Predator M.2, it smells soooo good! Can't do much with yet as I don't have a motherboard, but soon it will be ready.
 

 
JR

It's been a long day on the project today as i'm sure you will see in just a moment!
 

 
Things started off with some second ops on panels which required countersinks from both sides, most importantly the midwall so I could install female threaded standoff's rather than tapping the acrylic as usual. But also the base panels just so there would be no screw heads visible from very very low angles, just because.
 

 
All of my blocks arrived from various corners of Europe!
 

 

 

 

 

 
Certainly as 'full cover' as it gets, glad I opted for plexi.
 

 
Lots and lots of pads and paste later...
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
<3
 

 
280 for a Parvum, how strange this seems.
 

 

 
No doubt a healthy amount of rads to deal with all of the mighty cores.
 

 

 
Not just the case itself but everything i've changed to be 90° countersunk, it's definitely an addiction, such stress concentration reduction.
 

 
Now time to get all of my lovely Noctua's out, they've been waiting on this project for some time.
 

 

 

 
Naturally black Chromax for extra dankness.
 

 
I noticed through the spinning blades just a little of the wire insulation was visible and really detracting from the dankness. So added just a little heatshrink to blend them in. Normally I would of sleeved the whole fan cable but in this instance to keep things clean I will be joining them all together.
 

 
Both fans trimmed to length.
 

 
Stripped and twisted together followed up with a little solder to keep them securely together.
 

 
Then ATX crimps strange I know but hopefully this will make more sense when it comes to the next set of fans.
 

 
Again at this point I realized the lower part of the cable would be visible at an obscure angle through the intake on the PSU side...
 

 
So I sleeved back up past the midplate in Shade 19, I know this way seems complicated and still only half sleeved but they have a really fine gap to squeeze through.
 

 
Onto the next set. this time a pair of PE 360's packaged precisely at the back of the case flanking an extra cube in the centre.
 

 
And the rest of the Noctua's...
 

 
...love the F12 frame.
 

 
So this time I think what I did with the cables makes much more sense with a 6-way split, impossible with normal fan crimps but hopefully very neat with 4-pin EPS connectors, which i've checked should just tuck inbetween the rads.
 

 
Yet another novel idea to incorporate more countersunk screws was to use female standoff's.
 

 
It was an obvious idea which came to me when thinking about how to attach the Aquaero without having the back side of a brass standoff visible in the front of the case, hence I decided to use it for the board too.
 

 

 
The nickel plating looks perfect against the cubes and i'm sure the blocks too when I get to that part!
 

 
So here is the finished front accent panel and radiator assembly.
 

 
Just got to decide on my own pinout convention and add the block.
 

 
Same goes for the floor assembly, the gap at the front is precisely big enough for the 280 + A14's to nest into.
 

 

 
I just so happened to find the exact length of tubing needed to join the rads together, 54mm, in my offcuts.
 

 

 
And for no particular reason, the underside.
 

 
Even I rarely look at the bottom of my system, but still great to know it is perfectly consistent.
 

 
So that's just about everything for now, well except this little piece...
 

 
JR

DRY(Don't repeat yourself)
 
If you are doing same thing at least twice, you are doing it wrong.

DRY(Don't repeat yourself)
 
If you are doing same thing at least twice, you are doing it wrong.

Windows will auto-detect your key stored in the system and activate.
That said, your key is Windows 8.1, not Windows 10. And the free upgrade offer has ended. So you need to buy Windows 10.

DRY(Don't repeat yourself)
 
If you are doing same thing at least twice, you are doing it wrong.

That pc supports up to 24GB 1333MHz ecc and non ecc in 6 memory slots, so you should be fine with that.
 
http://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/4/636274

Deus Ex is very demanding, but that is mostly because of a poorly optimized PC port it seems.

dues ex: mankind divided comes to mind

get some dvd's. They're cheap and you don't have to wait for shipping. Until of course, you bought them online
BUT. Considering you have 60+, and as per the size of each dvd, I think you'll require anywhere from 10-15 of 'em