Phantom 410 (first build)

[retrohelix]

Right, so this is my first build. Bear in mind that I only started watching LTT's channel after I'd bought half the stuff so I wasn't particularly well informed to start off with

 

The build so far:

 

Case: NZXT Phantom 410

CPU: i7 4770k (stock clocks for now, does overclock well though)

Mobo: Gigabyte Z87X-D3H

RAM: 16GB / 2x8GB Corsair Vengeance @ 1600mhz

PSU: XFX 850w Pro Black Edition

Monitor: Asus vs239hr 23" LED

Storage:

 - 256GB Plextor PX-256M5P SSD (main/boot drive)

 - 240GB Intel 335 Series SSD (dedicated game drive)

 - 64GB SanDisk SSD (for lulz)

 - 1TB Seagate Barracuda (mass storage)

Keyboard: Ducky Shine 2

Mouse: Cyborg r.a.t 5 and DarkGlider mouse mat

OS: W8. For all its flaws, mostly being my personal lack of desire to co-exist with Metro, it's ffffffast! I'm all booted up and on Firefox at full speed in about 10 seconds.

Optical: LiteOn Blu Ray/DVD reader (cheap as hell, but works a charm)

& finally some generic pci wifi antenna, about 7 years old, from my first PC.

 

I'm posting this here because I have some more stuff arriving over the next few days, namely a h100i and a 770gtx. I'm hoping to do a picture log of my experience installing them (the h100i mainly). Will update this post when they arrive! I will use an actual camera in the future as well... but in the meantime:

 

 

 

I have bought some more zip ties as well, and I'll be rewiring everything. It isn't overly messy but with some new fans coming as well, I'm going to try and get it perfect. I'm getting a Silverstone AP123 for the bottom grille (intake with dust cover), 2x AP121-BL's for the front/HDD bay (intakes), and another one for the top-rear exhaust. As for the h100i stock fans, I'll decide on a replacement later if need be.

 

For the inquisitive amongst you, allow me to explain the reasoning for the 770 (which is a Gainward 2GB Phantom, btw):

It's a perfectly capable card, and a good stop-gap until AMD releases their next line. I had my heart dead-set on the 780 classy since the beginning, but simply couldn't justify the cost:performance ratio with all this talk of AMD's new line around the corner. Moreover, I've seen these Phantoms go for near full retail price (the price I paid, anyway) on eBay, so maybe this will go towards an sli setup in the future, or maybe even a r9 290x? To sum up, I'm dying to get back into PC gaming and this is my "on the fence" yet executive decision I know I'll be able to recoup at least some of the cost at a later date which can go on something a bit more beastly.

 

Cheers!

[Analog]

Your rigs looks pretty nice, however I would recommend spending some time on cable management when the other components arrive. 

[JORDANonPC]

Your case has really nice cable management USE IT!!!

[retrohelix]

Your case has really nice cable management USE IT!!!

 

No argument there, I have an idea of where I'll be routing everything however the XFX cables are SO stiff, they're obviously very high quality but damn near impossible to bend into the position I want it in.

[JORDANonPC]

No argument there, I have an idea of where I'll be routing everything however the XFX cables are SO stiff, they're obviously very high quality but damn near impossible to bend into the position I want it in.

My 6 pins and 8 pins as well as my 24 pin are too I hate it just try and tidy them before your gpu and cooler get there and you'll end up with a really nice build

[Thunderjolt]

Did you have a problem with the rubber grommets just falling out when you threaded a wire through? I did so I just took them out.... Looks nice

[retrohelix]

Yeah, I ended up pushing them back into place after all the cables were in. I toyed with the idea of just taking them off, but ended up deciding the black kinda worked aesthetically. If I'm ever feeling particularly vain one day with 20 something quid to spare, I might look into buying some of those corsair coloured cables

[nightlitezzz]

Pictures don't work for me =(

[retrohelix]

Here she is.

 

 

Added a NZXT Sentry Mesh fan controller, works better than I'd hoped. Full range of speed control from the bottom of the slider to the top.

 

 

Installed the h100i. Something of note: I did my research before buying, and heard some users complaining about high temps - apparently due to the back plate not making full contact with the back of the motherboard. I bought some rubber washers beforehand and managed to eradicate this. Yes, the issue was very obvious without the washers in place.

 

 

Finally, I got an LED strip with brightness and on/off controls . The way I sit at my desk, I don't even see into the PC. It just makes me happy, knowing it's there. Weird?

 

 

"No, the only thing that's [still] weird is your cable management"

 

OK, OK.  That 4th SSD is a pain, but I like the big HDD bay not being there. I'm going to buy some more flexible cables and hide it in the side panel. I'll also find a way to get rid of those visible SATA power cables!

 

Cheers!

 

 

***edit - how could I forget to mention the GPUlessness? Basically, my order got screwed up and I'm glad. I ended up not getting the 770. I'm going to wait for some proper benchmarks and reviews of the new AMD, if it doesn't live up to expectations, I'll get the 780 classy my heart was always set on.

[Jumper118]

looks good so far, but can't you just shove that ssd behind the motherboard tray or in an optical bay. i have my hdd and ssd in an optical bay.