Dark Waters - Logs of My Epic Journey

[Suika]

Finally, I'm posting my project that I've been planning for almost a month. It really isn't that big, but there were so many things I wanted to do, no time to do them, and no room to do them in. I also stripped a screw on the 780 so I got set back by that, lol.

 

If you didn't guess, it's going to be black and blue. I considered a custom watercooling solution, but I wanted to keep the GTX 780 design, and it'd be a waste to put a water block on it.

 

The Build

 

So here's the former build I'm changing up, something I've called the Oni Owner (you'd have to be weird to get it).

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor  ($179.99 @ Amazon) 

CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.98 @ OutletPC) 

Motherboard:  ASRock 970 EXTREME4 ATX AM3+ Motherboard  ($99.49 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($89.36 @ OutletPC) 

Storage:  Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 

Storage:  Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.98 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card:  EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card  ($519.99 @ Newegg) 

Case:  Corsair Vengeance C70 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($117.24 @ Mwave) 

Power Supply:  Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($59.99 @ Newegg) 

Optical Drive:  Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer  ($19.98 @ OutletPC) 

Total: $1305.99

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-01 17:28 EST-0500)

 

And an image for reference.

 

 

I'd post a pic of the inside, but it's almost embarrassing how messy and ugly it is. In this case (pun), the beauty isn't entirely on the inside.

 

The Target

 

That nonsense aside (I really should have gotten a 990FX chipset), here's what I want and will do every effort to obtain.

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU:  Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($324.99 @ NCIX US) 

CPU Cooler:  NZXT Kraken X60 98.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($119.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($144.00 @ Amazon) 

Memory:  G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($89.36 @ OutletPC) 

Storage:  Crucial M500 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($129.99 @ Amazon) 

Storage:  Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.98 @ OutletPC) 

Storage:  Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($59.98 @ OutletPC) 

Video Card:  EVGA GeForce GTX 780 3GB Video Card  ($519.99 @ Newegg) 

Case:  Corsair Vengeance C70 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($119.98 @ Newegg) 

Case Fan:  Corsair Air Series AF140 Quiet Edition 67.8 CFM 140mm  Fan  ($16.80 @ Newegg) 

Case Fan:  Corsair Air Series AF140 Quiet Edition 67.8 CFM 140mm  Fan  ($16.80 @ Newegg) 

Case Fan:  Corsair Air Series AF140 Quiet Edition 67.8 CFM 140mm  Fan  ($16.80 @ Newegg) 

Case Fan:  Corsair CO-9050015-BLED 52.2 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($14.99 @ Newegg) 

Case Fan:  Corsair CO-9050015-BLED 52.2 CFM 120mm  Fan  ($14.99 @ Newegg) 

Power Supply:  Corsair Professional 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($135.98 @ Newegg) 

Optical Drive:  Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer  ($19.98 @ OutletPC) 

Total: $1789.60

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-03-01 18:56 EST-0500)

 

Accordingly, the Kraken is incompatible with the C70. Online posts usually read that you can fit a 280mm RAD in it if you file down the mounts. A tight fit, but a fit at all.

 

I live close (an hour drive) to a Microcenter and am selling the FX-8350, so the i7-4770k isn't a bad idea. Plus, I want something worth overclocking since my GTX 780 is bottlenecked in Team Fortress 2. Team Fortress 2, you know, that really old game people still play. It really only lags in MvM with a crazy ton of bots, but the fact that it does is bothersome. It also sucks in Skyrim. 

 

I really screwed up when I first built the machine almost a year ago, I even bought a no name power supply (that should have died months ago).

 

The Case

 

Ahem, the rig is white. It should be black. As it turns out, the white C70 went on sale awhile ago. Not black or green, but white. I jumped on it, thinking it wouldn't be that bad since I like simple. I honestly think this case doesn't work in white. So, I'm going to go through the effort of sanding and repainting the entire rig. 

 

The window? Ugh, kill me and my previous idiocy. I really don't like it. I don't like the tint, the fan mounts, and the size. What am I going to do? Probably cut the living balls out of it and replace it with a more clear, or dark tinted window. I wish I'd gotten the 600D, but you know, I'm a baka. But I'm probably going to cut it up like I said, which might ultimately look nicer than the 600D since there are still aspects of the case that got me to buy it. The bends in the metal really didn't help what I thought I was going to do, but after a second review, I might have figured out what I would do, and it actually might look nicer than my first intention.

 

 

The poorly filled in area is going to be cut out and replaced with plexiglass. I think it would look nice, I might just need to cover up or remove the hard drive cages if I can. I'll also find some thin rubber hose to run around the inner edges of the side panel and paint blue over them.

 

Yes, I have all the tools for this... or my dad does, haha.

 

Fan placement will be simple. The two blue LEDs will work as intake, the two 140mm as a part of the RAD on top with the rings painted blue, and possibly a 140mm fan as rear exhaust. I may keep two stock fans the case came with as intake as well if I keep the HDD cage in place. Please correct me if I'm doing something wrong with placement or fan choice. 

 

The GPU

 

There's no way that the Nvidia Green is going to fit in, is it? It won't. So I looked it up and figured out that there's a way to change the LED and so on. I'm going to repaint the shroud blue and simply sand down the GeForce GTX logo. From what I saw, the logo actually glows with a blue-ish light, so why bother painting it over? It looks really nice from what I've seen. I think it will end up looking nice.

 

When?

 

I'm going to get as much of this done right now as possible, but it actually won't be a lot. Some of what I want to do needs to be done outside, and it's cold as hell outside (IT'S MARCH?!). What I might get done right now would be replacing the parts, messing with the fans, possibly painting over the 780. I've put this project off for so long because of that. Yea, I'd do it in the garage, but I absolutely zero room to do it in. Like the most I can do in their is paint the GPU and fan rings, there isn't enough room to get the case done yet.

 

Two things I definitely have to wait for are the Kraken and HX750. I have the funds, but I also have a broken car (>.>). Waiting for payday, then.

 

Of course, I'll be keeping pictures of what I do. I'm excited to see the final result :3

[TheSLSAMG]

No, please go for a better motherboard. Micro Center will sell you a Z87 MPOWER for $149 if you buy the i7 at the same time. Do that.

[Suika]

No, please go for a better motherboard. Micro Center will sell you a Z87 MPOWER for $149 if you buy the i7 at the same time. Do that.

Hmm... :[

 

I really would like a proper colored motherboard, and that's probably the highest rated one I could find that fits. I couldn't even find a decent all black one on PCPartPicker. The Gigabyte UD3H is probably the only other one I see fitting the build.

[Izaya Orihara]

Please don't buy a Biostar motherboard. 

[TheSLSAMG]

Hmm... :[

 

I really would like a proper colored motherboard, and that's probably the highest rated one I could find that fits. I couldn't even find a decent all black one on PCPartPicker. The Gigabyte UD3H is probably the only other one I see fitting the build.

I would go for a UD3H then. It's from a high quality major brand, and Biostar aren't exactly good.

[Suika]

I would go for a UD3H then. It's from a high quality major brand, and Biostar aren't exactly good.

I was relying mostly off of reviews, and shockingly the Biostar had a five star rating on Newegg while the Gigabyte only had three. 

 

Honestly, I've never owned an Intel based machine, so I'm not completely familiar with brands.

[TheSLSAMG]

I was relying mostly off of reviews, and shockingly the Biostar had a five star rating on Newegg while the Gigabyte only had three. 

 

Honestly, I've never owned an Intel based machine, so I'm not completely familiar with brands.

Well, welcome

 

To put it basically:

 

Good:

ASUS

AsRock

Gigabyte

MSI

Supermicro (server motherboards)

 

Bad:

Biostar

ECS

Jetway

 

Meh:

Foxconn

 

Overpriced, but fine:

Intel

EVGA

[SAV1OUR]

No, please go for a better motherboard. Micro Center will sell you a Z87 MPOWER for $149 if you buy the i7 at the same time. Do that.

i use the mobo and i have no issues with it its a fine motherboard 

[ohJey]

Biostar is great for budget builds, I don't see the problem there

[TheSLSAMG]

Biostar is great for budget builds, I don't see the problem there

Their boards are hilariously low quality compared to other choices. I do see a problem here.

[DevanArianne]

I have a Biostar h67+. It is terrible. Since day one it's had CMOS issues. I've RMA'd it 3 times and still have the issue. Their tech support is non-existent, they dont help with issue and just immediately throw you into the RMA process.

I will never buy a biostar board again.

[Suika]

I have a Biostar h67+. It is terrible. Since day one it's had CMOS issues. I've RMA'd it 3 times and still have the issue. Their tech support is non-existent, they dont help with issue and just immediately throw you into the RMA process.

I will never buy a biostar board again.

It's turning out fortunate that I decided to wait before buying everything.

 

I might try to buy the MSI Z87-G55 instead, however. It looks nicer than both the Biostar and Gigabyte boards. I still want the 8350 to sell, first.