Post Computer Building

[AznChris]

So you know how when you build a brand new computer it's all fun and games? So excited to boot it up and get started setting up Windows and all. But months later or so, you have a glorious computer sitting next to you doing nothing, but being a computer. So one day you're bored, what is there to do with it? Anything to buy to add, mod, reposition, change, or anything hardware wise? Unfortunately, a custom loop is way out of my price range. I have 2 GPUs and of course a CPU and I don't want to spend hundreds for a custom loop.

 

*This is my situation right now. Just looking for things to do.

 

Edit:
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i
Motherboard: MSI Z97 Gaming 7

Memory: 16GB Kingston Savage DDR-1866

Storage: Seagate 7200RPM 1TB HDD, 480GB Crucial M500 SSD

Video Card: 2-Way SLI MSI GTX 970

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000G2

Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS
Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate

Monitor: Samsung SyncMaster S24B150, HP 2311x, random Dell monitor

 

Budget: about $300-400 (Amazon) max. The lower the better. I have Amazon gift cards so that would be great if it were from Amazon.

 

Edit 2:

 

Already have:

- Custom sleeved cables

- Paint job (side panel, PCI brackets, storage bays, H100i tubing)

- LED fans

- LED strips, inside and out

* Not sure what else

 

Things community suggested to me that I would be able and probably willing to do:

- Paint the H100i radiator

Edited April 21, 2015 by AznChris

[REX.exe]

I know how you feel. What about a simple AIO cooler? What's your budget and in what currency?

[AznChris]

My bad maybe I should post what I have already.

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K

CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i
Motherboard: MSI Z97 Gaming 7

Memory: 16GB Kingston Savage DDR-1866

Storage: Seagate 7200RPM 1TB HDD, 480GB Crucial M500 SSD

Video Card: 2-Way SLI MSI GTX 970

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe

Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 1000G2

Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS
Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate

Monitor: Samsung SyncMaster S24B150, HP 2311x, random Dell monitor

 

Budget: about $300-400 (Amazon) max. The lower the better. I have Amazon gift cards so that would be great if it were from Amazon.

[Tim Drake]

You could invest in maybe water cooling your GPUs through AIOs?

[AznChris]

You could invest in maybe water cooling your GPUs through AIOs?

I was thinking that at one point, but I feel the Corsair HG10 A1 and NZXT G10 don't look that great. Those tubes all over the place stretching to their vents, don't think it looks great. I love custom loops blocks, but I honestly don't want to drop a lot of money on custom loops and have to maintain them much too, but maintaining them will give me something to do. AHhh. Oh! And I like the MSI GTX 970 design because it matches my computer's theme and motherboard Thanks for your suggestion.

[VolkA]

I was thinking that at one point, but I feel the Corsair HG10 A1 and NZXT G10 don't look that great. Those tubes all over the place stretching to their vents, don't think it looks great. I love custom loops blocks, but I honestly don't want to drop a lot of money on custom loops and have to maintain them much too, but maintaining them will give me something to do. AHhh. Oh! And I like the MSI GTX 970 design because it matches my computer's theme and motherboard Thanks for your suggestion.

Seriously, what you type in your first post and the one above, I TOTALLY agree. My PC is also sitting in the corner being ... just a computer. I also have no idea what I could do to it anymore. I mean I know what I could do, like custom water cool it and stuff but both budgets and knowledge is above what I have now.

 

What I do, basically I try to clean the inside of it like once a month or so plus planning to get the dxracer chair. Because other than those, I got pretty much nothing else to do.

 

#firstworldproblems

[AznChris]

Seriously, what you type in your first post and the one above, I TOTALLY agree. My PC is also sitting in the corner being ... just a computer. I also have no idea what I could do to it anymore. I mean I know what I could do, like custom water cool it and stuff but both budgets and knowledge is above what I have now.

 

What I do, basically I try to clean the inside of it like once a month or so plus planning to get the dxracer chair. Because other than those, I got pretty much nothing else to do.

 

#firstworldproblems

Haha yeah.. I was wanting to get a dxracer too but I already have one of those huge office leather boss chair things and it's not broken to the floor yet so yeah. When I was building the computer I had already painted part of the case: side panel, PCI brackets, storage bays, and h100i tubing.. Dang. I need a job to build computers for people. Although it may be tiring at some points from my experience, it was still fun.

 

But anymore idea or suggestions from anyone are still welcome! I don't have a whole workshop with metal or construction tools or anything lying around so I can't do those hardcore mods ): I have an electric screwdriver though! Lol!

[TurtleOnSteroids]

How about adding some custom LEDs? you could also paint the H100i Rad (Mask the fins and paint the exterior) to add a bit of life to it. Custom cables? Sleeve them yourself or buy a kit online.

Just a few ideas to spice up your pc

[AznChris]

How about adding some custom LEDs? you could also paint the H100i Rad (Mask the fins and paint the exterior) to add a bit of life to it. Custom cables? Sleeve them yourself or buy a kit online.

Just a few ideas to spice up your pc

Already got the Phanteks LED strip in there. Got 2 Antec accent strips under the PC and 1 around the IO shield on the backside. As for painting the H100i radiator... Not a bad idea. I might do that. Sounds like fun! For custom cables, I don't have the patience for that hehe. Plus I already bought some custom black/red cables for everything. They are silverstone sleeved cables.

[TurtleOnSteroids]

Already got the Phanteks LED strip in there. Got 2 Antec accent strips under the PC and 1 around the IO shield on the backside. As for painting the H100i radiator... Not a bad idea. I might do that. Sounds like fun! For custom cables, I don't have the patience for that hehe. Plus I already bought some custom black/red cables for everything. They are silverstone sleeved cables.

Glad to help, Would you be able to post a picture of your pc? I find it easier to find things to improve upon when I can see what I'm working with

I might also just be wanting to geek out over a nice pc

[VolkA]

Haha yeah.. I was wanting to get a dxracer too but I already have one of those huge office leather boss chair things and it's not broken to the floor yet so yeah. When I was building the computer I had already painted part of the case: side panel, PCI brackets, storage bays, and h100i tubing.. Dang. I need a job to build computers for people. Although it may be tiring at some points from my experience, it was still fun.

 

But anymore idea or suggestions from anyone are still welcome! I don't have a whole workshop with metal or construction tools or anything lying around so I can't do those hardcore mods ): I have an electric screwdriver though! Lol!

My chair is also fine for now and is pretty comfy. But, just feel like getting the dxracer chair. Haha. Still thinking on it thou.

I also want a electric screwdriver!!! Haha. Just not sure which model to buy and stuff. I'm a noob.

[AznChris]

Glad to help, Would you be able to post a picture of your pc? I find it easier to find things to improve upon when I can see what I'm working with

I might also just be wanting to geek out over a nice pc

 

The inside color was originally red, but I changed it to purple because red looked too red. Purple because I like purple and it looked nice. In the picture it's white because you cannot see anything clearly with red or purple lol so white is a neutral color I guess for the picture. The picture does not do it justice. IRL, it looks so much better than it looks in the picture. The LEDs are too bright in the pictures.

 

Excuses:

1) Random stacked fans in the middle. 

I felt like my case wasn't getting enough airflow so I added 2 fans. No harm done. Stuck toothpicks in the fans' holes and left the fans there. Works nicely. Very cold.

2) Random wire from fan to H100i.

Haven't had the chance to stick it behind the rubber cable management holes yet... And too lazy at the moment.  Oh! Also because I don't have any splitters for my fan controller in the back at the moment so I just use the splitters that came with the h100i. Reason why I didn't connect the radiator push-pull to the water block is because it makes a whining sound. It bothers me.

3) Side panel lid paint

My friends and I were joking about how you gotta put racing stripes or flames on cars to make it go faster. I gotta put racing stripes on my computer to make it go faster. #Logic

4) Dust

Excuse the dust. Too lazy to hand clean it as I did with my old prebuilt computer. Going to buy a metrovac sometime... soon... one day... this month... maybe..

 

Anything else I should explain? Lol

 

 

 

My chair is also fine for now and is pretty comfy. But, just feel like getting the dxracer chair. Haha. Still thinking on it thou.

I also want a electric screwdriver!!! Haha. Just not sure which model to buy and stuff. I'm a noob.

I have a Black & Decker LI2000. It's nice fast and has forward/reverse. The only downside is that if you screw forward all the way down and don't have a good grip, you could warp the screw head thing. Reason being is that it is kinda fast for the job and is only 1 speed.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-3-Position-Rechargeable-Screwdriver/dp/B005LTNLDS/ref=sr_1_2?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1429606086&sr=1-2&keywords=electric+screwdriver

[VolkA]

I have a Black & Decker LI2000. It's nice fast and has forward/reverse. The only downside is that if you screw forward all the way down and don't have a good grip, you could warp the screw head thing. Reason being is that it is kinda fast for the job and is only 1 speed.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-3-Position-Rechargeable-Screwdriver/dp/B005LTNLDS/ref=sr_1_2?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1429606086&sr=1-2&keywords=electric+screwdriver

Wow. Looks good. So this model, the "power" of it will not be too strong that it somehow damaged the PC while screwing right? Was always worrying on the "power" being too strong and stuff like that. Always wanted to have one around.

[AznChris]

VolkA, you'll be fine with the model that I use. I think in one of the LinusTechTips videos or Paul's hardware or someone's video they used it. What I like to do is screw it automatically about 90% of the way down then manually tighten it. Works great! Battery life is good. If you have those pointy tip screws, you can make some of your own screw holes. I did it with popsicle sticks.

[TurtleOnSteroids]

What about getting  backplates for the graphics cards? Or making up some acrylic ones so you can customise  them, its not particularly difficult

[AznChris]

What about getting  backplates for the graphics cards? Or making up some acrylic ones so you can customise  them, its not particularly difficult

Backplates are sooo expensive. MSI doesn't have any for this particular model either. I'm sad and crying because every other GTX 900 series by MSI has a backplate. I don't know how to work with acrylic nor do I think I have the tools to cut or anything. I only have an electric screwdriver Sounds fun, but sounds expensive to start. (Just guessing at least)

[TurtleOnSteroids]

I suppose it could be, was just a thought though. Hope I gave you some good ideas

[Hero7750]

Mount your PC on the wall.

[AznChris]

Mount your PC on the wall.

I can't imagine that going well. Also I have no wall space kinda. In front of me are 2 windows.