in-progress First Build

[MGE Dawn]

Good evening, everyone! Been lurking here for a while, so I figured that now that I've made an account I'll start off with a bang by starting the build log for my first DIY box.

 

The parts list is fairly textbook - Ryzen 5 1600X, GTX 1050 Ti, B350 Tomahawk, I'm sure you can figure out where this is headed. If not, then the full parts list can be found here.

 

I apologize for the image start point being a few steps after I installed the CPU; the idea of publishing a build log was something of an afterthought. I also apologize for any cringe that might be induced by the way I have the AIO supported... I was having a hard time mounting the pump block, and I got a bit desperate. More pics to come!

 

I also appreciate any advice or constructive criticism that y'all might be willing/able to offer; all the better for a first time builder such as myself! Thank you in advance!

 

[ad1das]

I would recommend removing the AIO, installing the motherboard, get all of your power connections plugged in, then re-install the AIO.  It will make things easier for you

[MGE Dawn]

Over the last couple days, a couple more parts have trickled in, which I've gone ahead and integrated into the build progress thus far. The first to arrive was my case: the Cougar MX330. I hadn't originally been considering this case, but the inclusion of removable dust filtration for all my intake fans was definitely a plus at the price point - and one that my original case consideration didn't have, to boot.

 

Installing the I/O shield and then the mobo/CPU/RAM combo, I found the AIO's dangling radiator to be a challenge to work around. Fortunately, propping it up on the side of the case turned out to be a feasible workaround, which allowed me to almost finish securing the motherboard to its standoffs.

 

I only say "almost" because it was at that point I was interrupted by the delivery of my case fans: a set of Cooler Master Sickle Flow 120 LED case fans, in a nice shade of red to match the overall (and, might I add, slightly coincidental) black/red aesthetic of the rest of the build. Once I finished securing my motherboard and mounting the radiator, I proceeded to install the new fans, replacing the pre-installed exhaust fan that had come with my case in the process.

 

In terms of cable management, at this point in time this case looks to be ready to leave me wanting for points to tie cables down to, although we'll see whether this is actually the situation once the PSU arrives and can be installed. In the meantime, though, I can only wait anxiously for the next part to arrive, at which point I'll post the next update.

 

Until then, Dawn out.

[wildgg]

any reason you put the radiator in the bottom?

 

downsides are that the tubes most likely get in the way of the GPU, and you will end up with air bubbles going up in the pump creating more noise.

moving the radiator up with the tubes on the bottom side will make it easier to get the air bubbles going into the radiator instead of going into the pump which creates a ticking noise.

 

things i personally would change:

switch the front fans+radiator around, so radiator on the top with a fan below it.

have the other 3 fans, the 2x top and 1x back as exhaust and put them on the lowest rpm, this way you can create positive air pressure and will result better temps for the GPU and less dust if the front has a dust filter.

[MGE Dawn]

11 minutes ago, wildthing said:

any reason you put the radiator in the bottom?

 

downsides are that the tubes most likely get in the way of the GPU, and you will end up with air bubbles going up in the pump creating more noise.

moving the radiator up with the tubes on the bottom side will make it easier to get the air bubbles going into the radiator instead of going into the pump which creates a ticking noise.

 

things i personally would change:

switch the front fans+radiator around, so radiator on the top with a fan below it.

have the other 3 fans, the 2x top and 1x back as exhaust and put them on the lowest rpm, this way you can create positive air pressure and will result better temps for the GPU and less dust if the front has a dust filter.

I... don't rightly know why I set that up the way I did, and your suggestion makes a lot more sense than the current setup. Thanks for pointing that out, I'll definitely be using your suggestion on this one

[MGE Dawn]

Greetings, all! A new round of parts is trickling in, so it's that time again - time for updates. Today is a relatively small one, thanks to my order somehow managing to get split up into multiple shipments. However, progress is progress, and dear god is this build starting to look like a PC!

 

Today's shipment only contained one part: the PSU. I'm using the EVGA SuperNova 550 G2, an 80+ Gold certified PSU which boasts a fully modular design. This was important for obvious reasons we touched on in the last update: space. The MX330 that I'm building out of is a gorgeous case with plenty of room for the parts of your build that you want to show off, but around back you have so little space that trying to manage cables from a semi-modular or non-modular PSU would be akin to trying to parallel park an SUV in a compact space.

 

That said, I went ahead and slapped that puppy right on into it's rightful place at the base of my system, and then proceeded to run the cables that I'll need. While I'd love to comment on the 24 pin connector on my mobo being nowhere near one of the cable management grommets on my case, the truth is that running the 24-pin was child's play next to routing the 8-pin CPU power cable... which is, predictably, directly impeded by the VRM heatsink. Not to be deterred, though, with a little jimmy and tiny wiggle (not to mention a LOT of patience before finally fetching a flashlight), I managed to make it work.

 

[NOTE: It's at this point that I took @wildthing's advice and swapped the radiator's position with the other front fan. The help is appreciated, fam!]

 

Meanwhile, in the back room, I proceeded to do all the cable management that I could. The SATA data and SATA power connectors are pre-run to the drive cage (where my overdue HDD will be residing), but are not included in the tie downs. Luckily, that can be rectified later when the drive finally decides is a good time to arrive in the mail. Things got a little crowded as is, but at the end of the day the back panel still slotted into place (if barely so), so in my books we're good enough for the moment. The more experienced folks out there will notice I did NOT run a power cable for my incoming graphics card, and this is because the particular card I'll be using draws all its power directly from the mobo. No point running an unnecessary cable when space is at a premium, eh?

 

Anyway, that's all the progress I have to report at this time. When my next shipment arrives, I'll be sure to post another update... but until then, Dawn out!

[MGE Dawn]

What's this? 2 updates in as many days?

 

Yeah, so my GPU and M.2 SSD finally showed up (no thanks to FedEx on that one; they'd been sitting in a dispatch warehouse less than 50 miles from my front door for a good 2 days when I received my PSU, and it took another day and a half just for them to get it BACK on a truck), which I promptly installed. Pics attached, as always.

 

I've installed Win10 Pro on it, although I won't be able to customize anything until my next paycheck when I can pony up the $200 it costs for a legit license. At that point, I'll also be ordering the HDD and running the usual set of benchmarks so we can see what this puppy can do... however, as a teaser, I'll go ahead and include the Cinebench scores for, in the words of a close friend of mine, "shits and giggles."

 

This is it, folks! We be on the home stretch!

*Monitors also on the to-do list. The new setup calls for 2 of 'em, because this desk can't fit 3!

**PC has been moved from the location shown... it was really only there during initial setup, which came in handy for the sheer number of times the CMOS had to be cleared from me screwing something up

***Aaaannnnnd I almost forgot this. Sorry it took me all night to remember!

It's worth noting that it DID have far higher scores at first... until I realized that the 4.0 GHz overclock I had originally managed to dial in wasn't actually stable, thanks to a nice little blue screen about half an hour into the Prime95 torture test. Looks like 3.75 GHz is the highest I'm gonna be able to go, even WITH bumping the voltages accordingly

Edited July 12, 2018 by MGE Dawn
Woops! Forgot the Cinebench screencap LOL