750D Build

[virtualTune]

Time for a new build

This will actually only be my 3rd build for me, which is why i am doing this topic

 

So what bothers me most about my current system is that:

 

1. I have reached the limit in terms of overclocking with my NH-D14. I recently watched some TTL videos, in one of which he compared several CPU AIO coolers to the Noctua and he couldn't get a stable overclock on the Noctua, but with water it was fine. Makes sense

    I have been able to boot and do basic work at 5GHz before, so I want to give that a shot with water (I realize its ambicious).

2. I don't like the case any more. The HAF 932 is quite chunky and also a little on the loud side. The side panel is only semi-seethrough due to the large fan, and the interior isn't painted. The red LED fans also start to bother me. I like the clean, more professional look of the Obsidian cases.

3. The PSU is OP with 1000W and all cables are sleeved rather cheaply.

 

I will keep my Mainboard, CPU, RAM and Storage devices.

 

As the Title suggests I have decided to go for a 750D as it has a similar size and enough room for future investments. For cooling I was originally going to go for a Kraken X60, but then decided to switch to a Corsair H110 as its 30% cheaper and only has marginally less performance.

As far as radiator fans go I am still a little undecided. I would love to use Noctua A-14 PWM. The problem is, that one of the reasons why I want water, is that it looks cleaner. Thus I would like colours to match, and the brown combo we all know, might not work well (more on that later). I realize I could paint them, but I am a bit afraid of DIY stuff like that

So next up I looked at Corsair for SP 140mm fans.... no luck :-(

After some research I came across the Akasa Apache which look like awesome fans on paper. Unfortunately its hard to find any reviews let alone videos. 2.76mm H2O at only 22dB is a bit hard to believe ^^ Rosewill Hyperborea have also been suggested before, but I have yet to find a place where I can buy them.

 

Now on to the confusing part: colors!

As you can see in my sig, I currently have a Sabertooth Mainboard, so a black and brown-ish theme. With the large heatsink, the majority of the board is covered up, so its no big deal that all the LEDs are red at the moment. However in the new case, I would like to get away from red. Now I am a little bit afraid that a black and brown theme might look boring. On the other hand, it would allow me to use Noctua fans, in which case the above paragraph is a waste of pixels.

So, I ask you guys, will it look nice?

 

If I do go with the brown theme, what sort of LEDs would you use? Personally, I was thinking of white, but I am open to suggestions.

 

Since I am still not set on fans/color sheme, I'll move on to fan controller. I never had one, but I think it could add a nice touch to the case, and I also like the idea of being able to control LED intensity. I was going to go for the Lamptron FC5 V2 since it has that same brushed aluminum front as the case.

 

Next up is the GPU. AMD is not an option, simple as that. Now, I am still trying to find the best CUDA-to-price ratio, but right now I am looking at a GTX 780, possibly the 6Gb version if they release it anytime soon. I will likely buy a high-end Maxwell card once they come out, but for now I am a bit bored with my 670. Its also falling a little behind at 1440p on newer games. I also need to find a card that has a good resell value in 6 months ( or whenever Maxwell is coming).

 

Thats all I can think of so far, if I have missed anything please comment.

 

So in conclusion:

1. Should I go with the brownsih Noctua color sheme? If not, what 140mm fans do you suggest for the H110.

2. Is the fan controller a good idea or are there far cheaper, maybe even softwarebased solutions (for LED control)?

3. What GPU?

 

I am sure it will take me at a few months until I am fully finnished with this build, so be sure to check back for updates.

 

Thanks in advance for any helpful comments!

 

-vT

 

 

[spwath]

Go with spectre pro fans. Or noiseblocker eloops if you can afford. Deff get white or rgb leds for case.

Fan controller is useful. I'd recomend the external nzxt one to prevent ruining the looks of case.

GPU I'd go with gtx 780 evga classy or just reg evga acx sc or ftw.

[virtualTune]

While the spectre pro pwm look nice on paper, I have noticed that they all seem too have a bit of a humming noise :-/

NB are simply way too loud to even compare (cheapest out of all of them though).

 

 

Problem solved

I did some more research and decided to go for a H105 instead. That way I can use the SP120s and not worry about looks anymore.

Edited March 31, 2014 by virtualTune