[Build Complete] The Grey Squirrel

Dubesta11 · August 16, 2016

Pictures: http://imgur.com/gallery/0IU9W

Here are the parts:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (Purchased For $310.00)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock 3 67.8 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler (Purchased For $75.00)
Motherboard: Asus Z170-E ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (Purchased For $140.00)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (Purchased For $0.00)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $150.00)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $150.00)
Case: Inwin 303 Black ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $90.00)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $95.00)
Case Fan: be quiet! SilentWings 2 50.5 CFM 120mm Fan (Purchased For $15.00)
Case Fan: be quiet! SilentWings 2 50.5 CFM 120mm Fan (Purchased For $15.00)
Case Fan: be quiet! SilentWings 2 50.5 CFM 120mm Fan (Purchased For $15.00)
Other: ASUS GeForce GTX 1060 DUAL-GTX1060-O6G (Purchased For $300.00)
Other: Corsair Leftover Case Fans (Purchased For $0.00)
Total: $1355.00
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-16 14:27 EDT-0400

This is the first time in a while that I was able to do a major upgrade to my computer. Everything is new except the CPU cooler, SSDs and fans. All the other parts are latest generation components. I wanted to future proof my computer as much as possible to last me the next 3 years. The build went smooth and everything is stable! (so far)

CPU: The i7 is an upgrade from my old 4670k, with the extra 4 threads I can really see a difference in the smoothness of games and overall performance of Windows. I have it overclocked to 4.7GHz with no problem, and 4.8GHz is possible but takes too much voltage. I bought an i7 instead of an i5 because I wanted a little more futureproofing, and the 100 dollars was in my budget.

CPU Cooler: I love this cooler, although it is very large. I got a second fan for it since the 6 poll motors work amazing. It keeps my CPU from overheating and looks great with the all black finish and caps.

Motherboard: I ended up getting this for under 100 dollars with a rebate, and as my first ASUS board I can say that I will definitely stick with them. ASRock suited me very well for budget builds, but ASUS is where the big boys play. I like the mostly black theme with the silver heatsink. It also supports DDR4 RAM, which is new for me.

RAM: I originally bought G.Skill sticks, but I won these on a facebook giveaway. 32GB is WAY more than I will ever use, so I might make a RAMDisk or something with it. They are low-profile and just barely fit with my cooler.

Storage: I love having all SSDs in my system, there is no spooling time and transfers are very fast. These are both fast and have the Samsung software which is a bonus. 1TB of storage is the minimum I can go.

Case: God, this case is beautiful. While it lacks features, it looks very clean. The tempered glass is actually very dark but works very well with LEDs, it lets them shine through but a little muted. Cable management is alright, there are no rubber grommets and minimal punch outs, but it is easy to make it work. The top mounted PSU is interesting and the fans make the airflow unique, but usable. It seems VERY scratchable so I wouldn't touch it much after installation.

PSU: I went for a top tier PSU since I wanted it to last and deliver good power. The modular design is nice and the cables snap in good, much better than my old Corsair PSU.

Fans: I love the look and performance of Be Quiet! fans, they never get loud and they push a lot of air. The blue LED fans were from an old Corsair case that I sold a system in. The overall pressure is negative and dust is starting to come in through cracks in the case.

GPU: Finally, the star of the show. Coming from a GTX 970, I wanted an improvement in performance. This card has 6GB of RAM and has a 500MHz faster speed (2000 vs 1500). I would have gone for a 1070, but I got an i7 instead and saved money. When a few more generations of graphics cards comes out, I will upgrade then. For now, this card is a 1080p beast and maxes out all my games. I can even run some AAA titles in 3 screen surround at over 30FPS on high. My build was supposed to be black and white, but this is my only white component. It DOES have a slightly annoying white LED on the back which shines through the case, which I might sharpie out once I know the card can last.

Overall, this build was very much worth it and the upgrade cost under 1000 dollars (which is almost what I sold my old computer for).

PCPartPicker link: http://pcpartpicker.com/b/FGWXsY#cx1888708