Introduction
Hey there! Welcome to 'Chew’s PC build log! 😁
It’ll be a bit of an odd build log, because... eh... the PC’s already built. But! Opportunity! I’m switching cases -- meaning I’m pretty much disassembling and reassembling most of my system -- and I thought I’d take the chance to write up a build log while I’m at it.
I hope you like reading, because I like writing, hehe.
What's Old News
Parts List
Trolley-PC - 'Chew's First Build
ESCHEW-PC - 'Chew's First Case Build
What's New News
Non-Generic Name!
Disassembly and Reassembly!
Non-Photogenic Photos!
Future Updates...?
Name
Names are important. A good name expresses the personality of its bearer well, and likewise, a good title-bearer should live up to its name. The main reason I didn’t "officially" name my build until now was that I couldn’t think of a suitable name for it.
So, what's up with "Hoshī"?
*Deep breath.*
I chose a weeb name because I AM A WEEB AND I'M PROUD TO BE A WEEB.
*Clears throat.*
For real, though, the name crossed my mind as I was listening to 星降る夜のラピス (The Starry Night’s Lapis), a song collab by TUMENECO and GET IN THE RING. It is absolutely one of my favorite songs -- perhaps my favorite, period. I love everything about the song -- from the arrangement, to the vocals, to the lyrics -- as well as other contextual factors -- like it being a collaborative effort between my two favorite Touhou doujin circles, or it having two versions sung by my two favorite Touhou vocalists みぃ (Mie) and yukina.
YouTube Lyric Video (Fan-Made)
At the 2:01 mark, the song goes: "ねえ、星が綺麗。" That particular part of the song struck me vividly.
The lyrics bear an uncanny resemblance to the romantic phrase, "月が綺麗。" Translated literally, it means, "The moon is beautiful." Figuratively, however, 月 (つき, or tsuki) sounds much like 好き (すき, or suki); the former means "Moon," the latter means "Fondness," "Like," or "Love" (in the right context). Hence, "月が綺麗。" could also be interpreted as "好きが綺麗。" or "Love is beautiful." It's a poetic way of confessing attraction to someone.
In the song's case, 星 (ほし, or hoshi) sounds similar to 欲しい (ほしい, or hoshī; extended ī sound); the former means "Star," the latter means "Want," "Wish," or "Desire." Thus, "星が綺麗。" (The stars are beautiful.) could also suggest "欲しいが綺麗。" (Want is beautiful.) It makes a sublime sort of sense in relation to the song. (Hehe, sub-lime, ayyy...)
欲しい, or Hoshī, is very appropriate for my build. The entire purpose of my PC revolves around frivolous, unadulterated want -- as opposed to, say, the need for a server, workstation, or a backup system.
I wanted to own my first desktop PC.
I wanted to experience building my own PC with parts that I picked out.
I wanted to use the PC to play games at graphics settings that my laptop couldn't handle.
I wanted PC building bragging rights.
Also, the name's short and sweet. Purposely understated and unassuming, and a perfect fit for my build. 🥰
Current Parts List
Component
Selection
Price
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 3600X 3.8 GHz 6-Core Processor
$159.99
CPU Cooler
Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black CPU Cooler
$99.95
Motherboard
ASUS PRIME X570-PRO Motherboard
$210.00
Graphics Card
SAPPHIRE NITRO+ Radeon RX 6950 XT PURE Graphics Card
$959.99
Memory
G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 RAM
$139.99
Storage
WD_BLACK SN770 500 GB NVME Solid State Drive
Seagate BarraCuda 1 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Seagate BarraCuda 4 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Inland Professional 240 GB SATA Solid State Drive
$Dennn 😂
$10.82
$Dennn 😂
$0.00
Power Supply
EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 P6 Power Supply
CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS
$224.99
$199.49
Case
Fractal Design Define 7 Compact
$88.99
Case Fans
1 × Noctua NF-F12 chromax.black
4 × Noctua NF-A14 chromax.black
$Dennn 😂
$94.50
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Education 64-bit
$0.00
Monitor
Sceptre C325B-QWD168 32" 2560 x 1440 165 Hz Monitor
Sceptre E255B-1658A 24.5" 1920 x 1080 165 Hz Monitor
$340.97
$163.16
Keyboard
K-4398 - 43Studio 4398 Keyboard
Eighty #391 - Mode Designs First Edition Eighty Keyboard (Dark)
R2-968 - REALFORCE R2 TKL Keyboard
MGK64 - GK64 Keyboard
$Too Much
$Too Much
$260.37
$Dennn 😂
Mouse
Logitech G703 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Mouse
Logitech M510 Wireless Mouse
Kensington Wireless Mouse-for-Life (K72392A/K74532A)
$44.99
$8.00
$17.99
Sound
HIFIMAN ANANDA Planar Magnetic Headphones
Drop + HIFIMAN HE-35X Dynamic Headphones
Antlion ModMic Wireless
Fostex HP-A4BL DAC/AMP
$550.00
$55.00
$90.00
$Dennn 😂
Wireless Adapter
ASUS PCE-AX58BT PCI-E Wireless Adapter
$61.79
Grand Total (Shipping and Taxes Excluded)
$3,823.99
+ $Too Much
+ $Dennn 😂
Parts Update History
Case Comparison
Fractal Design Define 7 Compact and EVGA DG-75. Purely aesthetic and physical size comparison. I'm not GamersNexus, lol. 😆
Switching out cases, from an EVGA DG-75 to a Fractal Design Define 7 Compact, because I wanted the PC to sit up on my desk, instead of lying about on the floor alla time. The DG-75 case is waaay too big, but the Define 7 Compact is a noice fit.
Fractal Design Define 7 Compact - Solid/Mesh Top Panel
Fractal Design Define 7 Compact - Mesh Top Panel/No Panel
I've heard others saying they don't like the disorganized, irregular design of the mesh panel, especially with the unsymmetrical dust filter underneath. I... kinda like the mesh design...? But I have to agree with the latter part, the case definitely looks a little bit odd with the mesh plus filter peeping out from the holes. Good thing it'll be hidden from my view 95% of the time! 😆
Fractal Design Define 7 Compact - Solid Top Panel
It's a simple sheet of metal. I love it. I'm assuming that fabric is noise-dampening material?
Left: Fractal Design Define 7 Compact, Right: EVGA DG-75
Length matters, when the d**k is tiny and the case is too big. (Desk, y'all, DESK.)
Top/Right: EVGA DG-75, Bottom/Left: Fractal Design Define 7 Compact
They're about the same height. Define 7 Compact has slightly more chonk (width), more CPU cooler clearance.
Disassembly and Reassembly
Double the ass...embly.
Disassembly Process
Graphics Card
Hard Drive (No Pictures)
Cable Connections
Motherboard
PSU + PSU Cables
Water Break
EVGA DG-75 System Interior - Hihi
Graphics Card Removal - Unscrewing PCIe Slots
ASRock Radeon RX 5600 XT Challenger D OC Graphics Card
Disconnecting (PITA) Cables
Motherboard 24-pin and CPU 4+4-pin connectors are always a PITA to remove. The ones that came with my PSU, anyway.
Motherboard Standoff Screw Removal
'Chew recommends a magnetic screwdriver. Second pic had around an inch of space to maneuver, my hands are too big to fit in that sorta gap.
GIGABYTE B450 AORUS PRO WIFI ATX Motherboard
Also attached: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X processor, Noctua NH-D15 CPU cooler, TEAMGROUP T-FORCE VULCAN Z 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 RAM, Inland Premium 512 GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD.
Oh. I... seem to have left the wireless mouse dongle in the USB port.
PSU Removal - Sliiide...
EVGA SuperNOVA GA 650 W PSU + PITA Cables
EVGA DG-75 Case - Barebones (Hehe, Nekkiiid)
Didn't pack it up immediately, 'cos some hardware was still attached to EVGA DG-75 case parts/accessories (e.g. HDD mount, PSU mount). Lazy way to keep screws together, lol.
Water Break - Stay hydrated!
Not-LTTStore.com
Reassembly Process
Case
PSU + PSU Cables
(Hard Drive Rack)
Cable Routing
Motherboard
Graphics Card
PC POST + Startup
4-Hour Sleep
'Chew sleep. Not PC sleep.
Desk Rearrangement
Fractal Design Define 7 Compact - On the Surgery Table!
Opening the Case - Smooth Side Panel
Thumbscrews, thumbscrews... Wait. There aren't any screws or handholds.
Opening the Case - From the Top
Straddling the case to get inside it.
Opening the Case - POP!
I popped it's cherry, huehuehue.
Fractal Design Define 7 Compact - First Barebones Look
Why hello there, you pretty lil' thing.
PSU Installation - Prepping
HDD Tray Cover - Thinking About Cable Routes
*Stares at HDD rack and HDD rack covers in confusion.*
*'Chew.exe is loading.*
Oh! I should remove the HDD rack.
HDD Rack Removal - From the Bottom
Ooh, the dust filter slides in and out. HDD rack can also slide along the rails, flexible positioning.
HDD Rack Removal - Nyoop!
HDD rack trays must be removed before nyooping the HDD rack. There's not enough clearance, otherwise.
HDD Rack + Case Accessories
Accessories are packaged like candy. 10/10 would prefer over Halloween candy. Gimme alla screws. Wait, I mean--
HDD Tray/Mount Comparison
'Chew's first time installing into a HDD tray. Odd holes confused me for a bit, 'til I read the manual.
Define 7 Compact also comes with noise-dampening marshmallows. (⊃゜▽゜)⊃━□□□
PSU Installation
Halfway through fiddling with the HDD rack, I forgot why I was playing around with it.
Back on track... PSU. Install. Yes.
Cable Routing - I Feel a Migraine Coming On...
Protip: Install the HDD rack before planning cable routes. 'Chew did not follow the protip. 😫
On the bright side, front panel headers. Nifty lil' thingymajig came with my GIGABYTE motherboard. Plug the itty-bitty parts into their labelled slots in the nifty thingymajig, then plug the thingymajig into the motherboard's front panel header pins.
Cable Routing - MIGRAINE
You... do not want to know how long this took me.
It took me a full two hours. 'Chew was being indecisive, FFS. 😫
Motherboard Standoff Screws Installation
Once again, 'Chew reeeaaally recommends a magnetic screwdriver.
Define 7 Compact Progress - Interior
FINAL STRETCH, LET'S GO LET'S GOOO.
Dooon't worry about the floppy USB-C cable, my motherboard doesn't support that feature ahahahahaha...
POST + Startup
YEEEEEEEEES!
Also, 2:30 AM, when I have to wake at 7 AM! #PoorLifeDecisions!
Sleep Time
Current Desk Setup
Fast-forward past 30 min briefly cleaning up, 20 min shower + hair drying, 4 hour sleep, 20 min morning routine, 1 hour desk arrangement, and TA-DAAAH!
I forgot to peel the thingy off.
Post-Hardware Installation List (Windows OS)
With the hardware part done, it’s software time! Or, er, it would be time for software, if this were a fresh build.
Installation list included anyway, because it’d be handy for Future ‘Chew to have a clear-cut order of things. Based off JayzTwoCents’s Guide (YouTube) and personal preferences. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Windows 10 OS Installation Media (Offline)
Recommended: Enter Product Key (For Correct Windows 10 Install)
Disk Management (For SDDs/HDDs)
Windows Updates (Online)
Preferred Browser (Chrome, Firefox, Etc.)
NVIDIA/AMD Graphics Driver Update
Display Preferences/Monitor Settings
RAM XMP Settings
Motherboard Drivers/Updates (Chipset, Ethernet/Bluetooth, Audio, Sound Card, RGB Software, Etc.)
Essential Software (7Zip, Java, LibreOffice, Malwarebytes, Notepad++, Etc.)
Ninite Customizable Software Package
Codec Pack (K-Lite Codec Pack, Media Player Codec Pack, Shark007's Codec Pack, Etc.)
Additional Software (Discord, GIMP, Skype, Steam, VLC, Etc.)
Ninite Customizable Software Package
HWiNFO, CrystalDiskInfo, MSI Afterburner
Peripherals Software/Firmware (QMK Toolbox, QMK MSYS, VIA, REALFORCE Software, Logitech G HUB, Etc.)
Folding@home Client and BOINC Manager
Closing Comments
Thanks for reading through my sleep-deprived spiel, I hope it was somewhat entertaining? I certainly found it a lot of fun tearing down and putting back my system! Good learning experience, too; thought about things that I could've done to make the process more efficient, and also reminded me that I'm still a novice when it comes to PC building. The largest time investment in my case was cable management -- I could've just jammed all my cables in whatever gap there was, but OCD is terrible curse. 😆 Those long and grueling two hours paid off in the end, though, I think.
Ow, the migraines are coming back, ow ow ow...
I fully realize that my build is far from balanced. For $1,300, I wager others could draw up a significantly more powerful system. But note that I'm no OC'er, and I have very minimal interest in "min-maxing" my build's price-to-performance. It works perfectly well for my current use case, and I've yet to encounter any detrimental hardware issues.
*VERY LOUD KNOCKING ON WOOD.*
Though, I do plan to fit s'more things in my system. If or when I do, I'll post updates in this thread. 👍
Never really done one of these before but here it goes. im not about to start writing a novel so ill try to keep it brief. ive been switching from pc to pc the past few years and finally settled this is probably going to be my main build until the foreseeable future. Great Value brand Den-fi pics ahead. Also had to screen shot and reshape the existing pics to reduce the file size so the forum would accept it lol
Specs
Starting off with the case, the Enthoo Pro Tempered Glass. I chose it because of the 5.25" and 3.5" bays along with support for the 280mm AIO i have wanted a Corsair air 540 for the longest time but ended up settling for this because of price. This behemoth ticked off a lot of my requirements. you thought you came here for a portable build? sike boy this weighs a solid 65 LBS SPINAL
Speaking of Aios
My 980 Ti classified with an evga clc 120mm and a NZXT G12 Bracket
Picked this up on sale for $50
X 9 9
Why I needed 5.25" (both salvaged from a dell optiplex) i refuse dongle life
Micro Center Romp!
Kensington Wireless Mouse for Life ($17.99, Price Matched w/B&H): Needed an excuse to head down to Micro Center. This was literally the only thing on my interest list the Tustin store had that was in-stock.
Interested in a supposedly "quiet" mouse. Admittedly, this was somewhere at the bottom on my interest list. Would've gotten a Logitech G703/G603/G305 if they were in-stock but neeeuuu.
Micro Center 32GB microSDHC Card ($0.01 w/LTT Coupon): What I actually wanted. I have some plans for this smol boi. 👀
Micro Center 32GB Flash Drive ($0.01 w/LTT Coupon): Bonus! More portable storage always comes in handy. 😁
Also wanted a CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS and was planning to price match, but I'm guessing someone sniped it from my reservation list. 😣
FINE MICRO CENTER I'LL TAKE MY MONEY ELSEWHERE UGH.
JK, y'all fine folks, thanks for the purchase. 👍
My first car, a 1988 Jeep Grand Wagoneer. It was unreliable, nearly left me stranded a half dozen times, it got 7 mpg, had a few electrical problems, and ultimately the engine had a valvetrain problem and I got rid of it. But in all that, I learned how to diagnose and fix automobiles, even though I wasn't very good back then, and if I knew then what I know now, it would have a replacement long block in it and it'd be my hunting/fishing/camping vehicle still. I regret it to this day, almost 20 years later. It was the most comfortable vehicle I ever owned, and it would go anywhere. They're now also worth a small fortune in the condition mine was in.
ah yes the AP pistol my go to choice in a car on GTA 5
what makes you miss them? and yea the price will fall on them if 3000 series ever comes in stock lol
you should've sold it to me i would gladly take it off your hands
sorry to hear about this
relatable takes your mind off thing. just took a 30 min dirtbike ride on gta 5 to clear my mind
agreed, at least you realized it, some people never do
both of my strix 1070, breaking my xx70 collection, though i might buy one back when price falls
sold em for $200 each around april, they're prob gonna be like $100 soon
What materialistic possession do you regret getting rid of? for me personally something i needed today I wish I didn't leave behind my Everlast punching bag, was like therapy to me letting out all pent up negative emotion. yes i can still go to the gym but not doing it in the middle of a pandemic...
Honestly, how bad was the maintenance on the BiTurbo? I worked at a Ferrari dealership and heard all the horror stories about the 90’s-early 00’s Maseratis and Ferraris.
Side note, a friend of mine has a 355 With the license plate “NVRFIXD” 😂😂
What materialistic possession do you regret getting rid of? for me personally something i needed today I wish I didn't leave behind my Everlast punching bag, was like therapy to me letting out all pent up negative emotion. yes i can still go to the gym but not doing it in the middle of a pandemic...
Evolution. reacted to Eschew in Build Log - Hoshī.png "Funny")
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Evolution. got a reaction from BiG StroOnZ in Portable and Compact LAN build
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