Project Toaster

[A/C]

This is a build I started maybe 2 months ago, give or take. Today came in the last parts so I decided to write a build log and upload some pics 4 reference along the way. Almost everything is new inside except the GPU, and the case. I'll update the post with opinions of the components, and may even do a review of any of the components if asked. Feel free to ask for tips and opinions.

 

Why "toaster"? -My gf once said I'd play games (BF4) even on a toaster if I could, and the HAF X strangely resembles a toaster

 

I: The parts:

 

CPU:       Intel 4770k OC in progress

MOBO:   ASUS ROG Maximus VI Hero

RAM:      Kingston HyperX Beast 2x8GB 2400MHz CL11

System:  Kingston HyperX 3k 2x120GB - RAID0 (2x120Gb)

Storage: WD 1TB 7200rpm, 64mb, 1x1Tb platter inside

Cooling: Corsair H100i

PSU:      Corsair AX860

GPU:      MSI GTX 560 ti HAWK

Case:     CoolerMaster HAF X

Optical:  Generic ASUS

 

Peripherals:

 

Logitech G15 V1

Logitech G400S

Logitech G35

Logitech X530

ASUS VG278H 27" Nvidia 3d emitter and glasses

Steelseries QcK+

 

 

Just to compare my old specs:

 

MB: ASUS P5Q Pro

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 OC'd to 4GHz, stable
Cooler: Thermaltake Contac 39
RAM: 2x2GB Corsair Dominator + 2x2GB Kingston HyperX, all @1080MHz, 2.2V
PSU: Corsair TX650 V1
Case: Antec nine hundred v1

GPU: MSI 560-ti HAWK
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3k 120Gb SSD, wd caviar 250Gb 7200rpm 16mb, wd caviar green 1Tb 5400rpm (all RIP now )

Monitor: Samsung T220 22"

Fan controller: Zalman ZM-MFC1

 

II: Pics with descriptions will be uploaded in the next few days, when I get the time to upload them all.

 

The first components arrived:

 

And this is what I have to deal with first:

 

Still, I came prepared (also check out the antistatic pad )

 

Dat new smell:

 

The MOBO came in very easy, a few screws around the board and there you go:

 

Careful with that CPU, and BAM, everything is installed before you know it (I didn't care much about cable management at this stage as I waited for my new PSU to come):

 

And today it came, together with something special:

 

Here's what's inside the box of the H100i:

 

The AX860 package contains a nice pouch with modular cables, some cabels even came unsleeved in matte black - beautiful:

 

The (almost) finished product:

 

 

III. Small review/opinions:

 

1. Intel 4770K, there's not much to say here, I originally planned to go with a 4670K but decided to switch to i7 - more is better. Currently I've got it on 4.4GHz within an hour or so, not too shabby. Will be aiming for 4.6GHz when I get a new GPU.

 

Pros: powah! Hyperthreading to the rescue. Seems I've got a good overclocker on my hands as well, will test further.

Cons: pricey.

 

2. ASUS Hero is a helluva board for it's price, I bought it because it had everything I needed, and nothing I don't need, like integrated wi-fi, m-sata etc... My original plan was to get an MSI Z87-GD65, but they were out of stock for 2 months before I was back on ASUS, never looked back. ASUS maintains supremacy in my book, I've been using their boards exclusively since my first personal build, and in every build I've done for myself and everyone else. Worth mentioning they never malfunctioned, not once, good job ASUS. As for the software, the AI suite is a gem, I love it and use it extensively, no problems yet. ROG gamefirst i don't use because for some reason it's in Bosnian, and for some reason I can't switch it to english, also I can't seem to get the Sonic Radar to work, not that I need it, but I'd like to see it in action. I love the light effects on the board, and you can turn it off in bios if you don't like that sort of thing. Which brings us nicely to the next feature: BIOS.

The UEFI bios on this board is hands down the best one I've ever used, that said, I haven't used any from gigabyte yet, so bear that in mind. But if I had to nitpick I'd say there are too many submenus, but that' because this bios is absolutely packed with features, and anything basically can be tweaked, it's intuitive, and easy to use. There's an easy mode if you don't know what you're doing, and advanced mode if you do know what you're doing. RAID is handled by the standard intel raid setup utility which works well, there's not much to say about that... Also the BIOS flashback feature is the maybe the beast feature of this board. You don't need anything but power connected to the MOBO to update/flash new bios. You brick your bios? - no problem, stick a usb in the back I/O panel, press the bios flashback button and you're good to go. - Genius.

 

Pros: Price, looks, performance, build quality, ROG FX lights, post LEDs and hardware buttons on-board.

Cons: Only 2 internal USB 2.0 headers.

 

3. Kingston HyperX Beast 2x8 GB, 2400MHz, CL11, Originally I wanted to get Corsair Vengeance Pro 2x8 1600Mhz CL9, but Corsair memory was so expensive that I basically got Kingston 2400MHz for maybe $15 more, good deal in my book. I haven't tested the performance of different ram speeds, but if you're interested in that sort of thing there are a lot of tests already on the internet, especially with battlefield 4, so you can check them out. Basically threw the memory in the board, turned the Intel XMP profile on in BIOS and that's it - pretty much idiot proof.

 

4. Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB, I bought the first one in March if I remember correctly. THIS IS THE BIGGEST PERFORMANCE BOOST YOU CAN GIVE TO YOUR COMPUTER if you dont' have an SSD already get one NOW, like literally, stop reading this, get up and go buy one, any SSD, I'll wait... You back? - Good, carry on reading: I like it so much, I bought a second one and put them both in RAID 0. This was my first RAID setup ever so I had to learn as I went along, and I gotta say it's pretty intuitive and easy. It's a matter of starting t7he intel RAID utility from BIOS and following some simple steps. Linus did a great video on this, which was of great help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYBtmVMtH1g

 

5. WD Caviar Blue 1tb (1x1tb platter): Why Blue and not Black you ask? Because: http://www.overclock.net/t/1297633/wd10ezex-review-wd-blue-1tb-single-platter-drive -less money, same performance. The only trade-off is the Blue comes with 2 years less warranty than the Black, but I gotta say I've never had a WD drive fail on me in my life That is up until last month when the hotswap module in my HAF X short circuited and took out all three of my mechanical drives. OUCH! The only upside is that my archive drive, a WD Green 1tb  isn't mechanically dead like the other 2 drives, but it's electronics module got fried so basically I only need a new board. If anyone has one lying around here's the model nr. WD10EARS, any help is appreciated.

 

UPDATE: The drive is definately audible if you listen for it, it's the only thing audible in the PC when idle currently. (oh how nitpicky we've become)

 

6. Corsair H100i - a no brainer for me really. I wanted the best AIO liquid cooling available to me, so I got this. Bear in mind the Swiftech isn't selling where I'm at so the H100i is the best option. It's VERY easy to install, took me like 30mins on my first try. Currently as I'm typing the AIDA64 applet on my G15 is reading the temps: 34, 33, 33, 34 with 4.4GHz on all cores. Very nice. I did have a problem with the Corsair link not recognizing the H100i but after some research I found the Windows 8.1 to be the problem, and a quick fix in the registry did the job. I already updated the firmware with no problem whatsoever, but I gotta say I find the corsair link software a bit oversold, it not as useful as one would think, and I wish i didn't have to use it to control my pump/fans. The fans aren't loud at all for me, as many people have been complaining on them, I have no problems, mind you they do spin up to a 100% every time you turn on the PC, and that can be loud. All works well now, and I love the LED lighting mods on the pump. Worth mentioning this product comes with 7 YEARS WARRANTY from corsair - that's very nice.

 

UPDATE: I'm running the CPU currently at 4.6GHz with idle temps between 35*C and 40*c, under load the temps are around 63*C - Ir's looking pretty good so far. I'm surprised how fast water cools the cpu down compared to air, it takes seconds for the cpu to cool down from 63*C to 35*C, compared to air which would cool it down much slower and more gradually.

 

Pros: Easy to install, 7 years warranty, does the job excellent.

Cons: A known bug which affects Windows 8.1 but now 8, in which the corsair link software does not recognize the cooler. It can be fixed by changing 6 registry entries. Some people complain about the fan noise, and whilst I can hear them when they spin up over 40% I have no problem with that, as it mostly stays under that. All I can say is this is one hell of a cooler, keeps this 4770k well under 60*C under load with ambient temps over 30*C. Shabang.

 

7. Corsair AX860 - this is my third I've been using Corsair PSUs exclusively for 5+ years now, haven't failed me yet. All are extremely quiet, and this one is no exception, platinum 860w modular baby with hybrid fan control. I changed my TX650 for this because I want to be hardcore SLI/Crossfire ready, but don't feel like I need the beast 1000W+ devices, I could even do with a 760W device, but the price difference was negligible, and the extra 100W gives me more confidence for expansion. Mind you the TX650 is still going strong after 5+ years, a great PSU too. Also the AX860 comes with the 7-year warranty too - just like a KIA

 

Pros: Silent, modular, cheaper than other platinum fully modular 850W+ PSUs

Cons: None I can think of now... P.S. Maybe a bit on the lighter side than I like (the heavier the PSU the better), but that remains to be seen.

 

8. UPDATE: Got an ASUS 280X DCU2 Top, good card, reminded me why I'm not a huge fan of AMD, overheats easily, if I run any game it will easily reach 70* but ramp up the fans over 50% and the temp dropps well under 60* which is nice... The card is very silent, ASUS being ASUS it's well built and I'm happy to report the card isn't sagging at all as some people reported on this cooler before, overall build quality feels really good although I must say the fan finishing could have been better, maybe smooth fans would be less noisy (but the card is reasonably silent)? - These have a rough surface. The 280X is a reasonable card to buy. Roughly 65-80FPS in BF4 maxed out in 1080p which is satisfactory considering the price. All-in-all a good investment and should get me through to GTX880 next year (2015), I'm still a bit of an nvidia fanboy tho' I must say I'm still waiting fo mantle and freesync (yes, that's a thing now) to kick in... 

 

The card before it: MSI GTX 560 ti HAWK - I can say only one thing: This card packs a punch way above its class, it plays anything I've tried bar Crysis 3 on high, BF4 everything in 1080p on ultra except textures high, AA off, postprocess off, and ambient oclusion off. It is the only thing audible in my case when I play. Nvidia drivers and support are sublime as always, except when it comes to 3D Vision, but more on that later. This is my first MSI GPU and I gotta say I'm not dissapointed at all, MSI did a great job on this card, core 950MHz stock on a 560 ti - nice. MSI afterburner is a tool which needs no introduction around there parts, so I'll just leave it out. The card never gave me any problems. Got it second hand, never looked back. The temps worst-case scenario is 70*C under maximum load, with the fans under 60%. All that said it's too old for me to use on these specs so I've picked a few next candidates below. Should change it after new year probbably.

The GPU will be my next upgrade, and I still can't decide wether to go for a 780, 290, or 280x, the 780 and 290 are definately overkill for me, and the 280x would be optimal for the games I play, the way I play them, but the fact that I own a 3D vision kit makes the 780 more appealing, especially with the latest price drops. We don't have any game bundles over here tho'. Any help in deciding here is appreciated. One thing I'm certain: the next card will be an ASUS direct CU2, not because MSI is bad or anything, but because i want it to match my MOBO - that simple.

 

Also I must say I prefer the MSI Afterturner to ASUS GPU tweak, it's more intuitive and just works better overall for me, so that's what I'm still using as my daily driver.

 

9. CM HAF X - Good case, lots of space, great air flow, love the wheels, my favorite feature. I was really surprised how useful these babies are.

 

Pros: Great air flow (it's HighAirFlow-X, duh ), loads of space in the back for cable management. Plastic flexible HDD trays, fan filters, loads of fan mountings. WHEELS GENTLEMEN!

Cons: The fan filters are hard to remove, so not very practical to wash (but a vacuum cleaner does the job nicely for now), no internal USB 3.0, had to ghettomod one myself. A short circuit on the hotswap bay killed 3 of my HDD and wiped all of my data Need a NAS ASAP.

 

10: ASUS optical DVD/RW DL drive - it works, it's cheap, you can flash it to burn X360 backups... There's not much to say here.

 

11: G15 V1, my first ever enthusiast-grade keyboard, I've been using it since it came out a 100 years ago, it's still functioning somehow, after sharing every dinner with me for the last 7-8 years, works like a charm. Over the years I got used to the LCD display so I take it for granted and find it very useful to monitor my internals, or controll some goodies. Also the macros I've binded for some webpages or apps a 100 years ago so I'm used to opening things with those macro buttons on the side, and often find myself reaching for them when I'm using another computer, only tu find myself dissapointed. This is by far my most favorite thing in my computer, and I don't know what I'll do when it dies.

 

12. Logitech G400s: I've accually written a review on this mouse a while ago, here's the link: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/56098-logitech-g400s/

 

13: Logitech G35, pricy, low bass for my taste, and has wierd issues with the latest update. Somehow it thinks it know better than I do how to adjust volume levels dependin on what program I'm using in the foreground - bad. That said, It's great ingame, mic is great and I love the lift-to-mute microphone feature. The G-keys on the left ear are pretty useless to me since I don't use the voice-morphing functionality. All-in-all not worth the premium in my book, too expensive and don't deliver where they should. The sound is good, but not good enough when you pay this kind of money. That's why I got another Speedlink Medusa 5.1 on order - best headphones I've used, and cost only 70$

 

Pros: Best build quality of any headset I've ever seen, classic logitech, the volume scroll wheel on the earpiece is a neat addition.

Cons: Price, sound only "good", should be excellent for this kind of money in my book. The drivers are messed up e.g. it changes the youtube volume when someone speaks in mumble/razer comms, or when ingame. I'll change my own volume thank you very much.

 

14. Logitech X530: Great speakers, have them for 7 years now I believe. Still work like a charm, look great, and sound even better. The sound is chrisp even on max, which is loud, and i mean VERY loud.

 

Pros: Excellent sound, excellent build quality, 10/10

Cons: AFAIK they aren't sold anymore.

 

15. ASUS VG278H - A 3d capable 120Hz monitor with nvidia 3d vison emitter installed, and glasses bundled. The picture quality is "satisfactory", or very good for a TN panel, when properly calibrated it's excellent, expecially in games. Response is great, and the lightboost hack is a helluva trick, literally no blur when you play, no matter what you do - this monitor is faster than your eyes. The only problem is, most of the time you don't see it, and you see the better picture quality of an IPS screen all of the time. The brghtness is excellent, and the resolution of 1920x1080 is "sufficient" for gaming right now. But this is a purpose built gaming monitor and it shows. I got this baby from my retailer in literally half the price (was around 800, got it for 400) so it was a no brainer, as I was ready to pay the full retail price. The stand is great, is tilts, swivels and turns, viewing angles are great compared to other TN panels, above average really. Good sites for this monitor are blurbuster.com and helixmod.blogspot.com.

 

Pros: Great picture quality for a TN panel, lightning fast response, no blur.

Cons: 3D Vision oversold, almost unusable in online shooters, and with poor support form nvidia lately - shame, such great potential...

 

16: Steelseries QcK+ mousepad: a lot of people use it. Best I've owned ,but that's not really something a brag about. It's a mousepad, get over it.

 

This review took me approx. 2.5 hours to come up with and write. I'll try to update it as I think of new things to add.

[miyabwah]

Nice Reviews. Hope to see dem pictures soon.

[A/C]

Nice Reviews. Hope to see dem pictures soon.

 

I've taken some already, and I have some old "before" pics. i need to take some new ones when I make my desk presentable

 

Also, I'm pleased by the way the cable management looks now.

[Emkryan]

But...why 560ti?

[A/C]

But...why 560ti?

 

You didn't read, did you? - Shame, I explained it all up there...

[Excon]

You didn't read, did you? - Shame, I explained it all in the reviews...

Sorry but I definitely TL:DR'ed that but I understood your reasoning. Looks sweet though! 

[A/C]

Sorry but I definitely TL:DR'ed that but I understood your reasoning. Looks sweet though! 

 

Ofc, I expect most ppl to TL:DR, but I still wrote it in hope of helping someone decide wether a specific component is for them or not. This is just a small portion of the things I could accually write ofc.

 

But I also judge anyone who concludes I'm pairing a 560ti with a 4770K without a good reason, and doesn't give me enough credit/benefit of the doubt, like you did

[A/C]

Updated some opinions and pictures. No glory shot yet, sorry as I'm busy for that now...

 

Thinking of reinstalling the manual fan controller as I'm used to controlling my case fans as I see fit...

 

Also, because the top fan is being used as an intake now, the gpu ambient temp seems to be a few degrees higher than before, but that could just be my imagination.

[A/C]

UPDATE: I've just ordered the 280x by ASUS, it should be here tomorrow evening.

[N3RK0]

Još ti samo treba grafička i dobar si

[A/C]

Još ti samo treba grafička i dobar si

 

I bought one last month, ASUS 280X Top edition, overclocks pretty well, but heats up easiliy over 70* when OC'd

[N3RK0]

I bought one last month, ASUS 280X Top edition, overclocks pretty well, but heats up easiliy over 70* when OC'd

 

still better than r9 290 and 290x , the temperatures I mean

[A/C]

still better than r9 290 and 290x , the temperatures I mean

Yeah i guess, the reference ones anyway...

This card hits 72*C max when the fans are below 20% which is dead silent, if you let it cool itself at 50-60% fans it will drop well below 60*C but will be audible with headphones off

All in all loving the asus cooler, looks boss

[N3RK0]

where did you buy it from? PIK, Cyber-Comp (CPU doo) or someone else? and what price?

[A/C]

where did you buy it from? PIK, Cyber-Comp (CPU doo) or someone else? and what price?

 

CyberComp, I buy all my stuff from them, and they give me a discount here and there. Acually I bought my whole rig from them... Last one too. They're great, good prices, I try to buy everything from them, but they can't get MSI stuff which is a letdown, still I feel it's important to buy from our local companies to strenghten our local society... that and I know the guys there

[N00B_person]

CyberComp, I buy all my stuff from them, and they give me a discount here and there. Acually I bought my whole rig from them... Last one too. They're great, good prices, I try to buy everything from them, but they can't get MSI stuff which is a letdown, still I feel it's important to buy from our local companies to strenghten our local society... that and I know the guys there

Please tell me your avatar is from where I think its from...

[A/C]

Maaaaybe...

[N00B_person]

Maaaaybe...

Zero Punctuation?

[A/C]

Well yes ofc, but it's a symbol of pc gamers supermacy over the console-casuals

[N00B_person]

Maaaaybe...

I LOVE YOU

[Horton91]

Man I was expecting a toaster  

[A/C]

Although it would be very cool. it's not feasable