New system build

[Jeeps_Guns_Tanks]

I'm building a new system over the next few months. I've got a new case, PSU, DVR drive, and hard drive

I just ordered the new motherboard, processor and ram.

The next thing to order is the OS, and then I’ll use my current GTX 660 until my birthday on the first of the year when the wife is going to get me GTX 980.

My question is, should I go with Windows 7 or 8. I’ve heard all the horror stories, and never bought into them in the past. Lots of dudes I respect say 8 is fine.

 

The build so far.

NZXT Phantom 410 series in gunmetal

WD 1 TB 7200 64mb HD (I’ll add a SSD at some point.)

EVGA SuperNOVA 750WS PSU

I just ordered these parts. (My wife just let me, best wife evar!!)

I7-4790k 4.0 LGA 1150 CPU

ASUS Maximus VII Hero LGA 1150 Z97 MB

16 GB of G.Skill Trident X Series ddr3 2133 memory

ASUS DVD Rom Drive

It will be running a EVGA GTX 660 until I get the new video card.

I’ll be adding whatever GTX 980 I can get a good deal on in January, and then things like cool neon fans, the SSD and a water cooling system. I plan to overclock it eventually.

So what OS?

[Sturgeon]

I just use Windows 7. But I am not an OS junkie.

[T___A]

I'm using Windows 8.1 with Start is Back and I've been enjoying it a lot. Though you can't go wrong with either one.

[Jeeps_Guns_Tanks]

This is everything I would need right?

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832416804

[T___A]

Yeah, that should do it.

[Xlucine]

Windows 8 with classic shell or similar is nice, as long as you avoid the apps

[Jeeps_Guns_Tanks]

Well, I went with Win7 pro, since I don't want to the hassle of messing around with a new O/S on a system build. It will get here this week.  The ASUS Maximus VII MB, ram, and proc all came today. I'll put together what I have Friday or Saturday if the O/S comes. 

 

There should be no problem getting it up and running on the on board video, then installing my 660 once windows is in? That way I can keep this computer up and running while I install the O/S on the new one.

 

Waiting on the 980 will suck, but I suppose I should be happy with what I have so far. 

 

I'm looking forward to putting it all together, it's been about a decade since I built a PC, but not much has really changed.

 

I’ll post pics of the build.  

[Xlucine]

On-board video is fine, I used it while waiting for a dvi cable to arrive with no issues

[Jeeps_Guns_Tanks]

That's what I figured. 

 

I'll have the O/S tomorrow after work, or so the tracking number says.  It's laundry night though, so, I may put it together Thursday. 

 

I'll be upgrading with water cooling and better fans and stuff once I start to OC.  My wife may draw the line at 30$ case fans though... 

 

Thanks for the help. 

[Jeeps_Guns_Tanks]

So I started putting it together tonight. The wife didn't feel like going out and doing the laundry.  I'm taking my time, enjoying myself, and I even read through all the manuals!

 

I probably won't install the O/S tonight, but maybe, we'll see. I'd post pics, but my phone decided all the ones I took needed to be blurry. I'll post some later, once the phone is charged and not tethered to this computer... 

[Jeeps_Guns_Tanks]

Posting from phone. O/S installing. Everything has gone very smooth.

[Xlucine]

Computers are fairly easy to build, even I managed it

[Jeeps_Guns_Tanks]

Computers are fairly easy to build, even I managed it

 

True, but I'm a tad jaded after building more systems than I can remember after the last two decades. I remember the days when you had to configure your motherboard with jumpers and shit. Or installing Windows from 50 plus, 3 1/2 disks, and almost always getting a read error on one of them.

 

The new puter is all together, now i'm just reinstalling all the games and crap like Steam and Origin.

I do have some things I have to figure out. Like the mobo is detecting the ram as 1333mhz when its 2133mhz, but I think I just need to tell it what speed it is in the bios.

[Xlucine]

The manual for the mobo should tell you how to set the xmp profile (eXtreeeme Memory Profile!), which would sort that. You'd think someone would have figured out how to do that as standard by now

[Jeeps_Guns_Tanks]

The manual for the mobo should tell you how to set the xmp profile (eXtreeeme Memory Profile!), which would sort that. You'd think someone would have figured out how to do that as standard by now

 

Yep, I found the section in the manual just before I read this post. I was reading through it at the laundromat. Halloween is a good night for laundry.

 

I found the section in the bios and fixed it.  Thanks for the help though.

[Jeeps_Guns_Tanks]

So here's the pics, this is part one done. Next, GTX980 of some type, an SSD, watercooling, and way more neon and fans!

You can see some of the cool features, like the start and reset buttons on the motherboard, and the error code LCD. Also note how the motherboard glows red from several places.

 

[Sturgeon]

Jeeps, that is one hot rig!

[Jeeps_Guns_Tanks]

Thanks.

 

Building it was so fun, I really regret buying decent prebuilts and upgrading those for the past three or four PCs.

[Jeeps_Guns_Tanks]

So a little update, I picked up a pair of fans, a Rosewil, red led 120mm fan and a Corsair 140mm red led fan. I added them to the case, and now it glows even more red. 

 

I also stuck some 1/72 tanks on it cause I'm a dork. 

 

[Jeeps_Guns_Tanks]

So, I'm thinking of decorating the case with old school car performance stickers, like, Hooker Headers, Crane Cams, Holley Carbs, etc. My wife thinks it doesn't make any sense, but I think it would make the computer like 10% faster, 15% if I can find some NOS stickers. 

 

What do you guys think?

[xthetenth]

Sounds funny to me though it might clash with the LEDs.

 

I'm gonna have to post my build when I get it going although that's about a year off for some of it. I'm thinking mine's gonna be a white case with orange lights. My graphics card is going to be all contrasty in its black and blue and I think most of the components will be too.

[Jeeps_Guns_Tanks]

Sounds funny to me though it might clash with the LEDs.

 

I'm gonna have to post my build when I get it going although that's about a year off for some of it. I'm thinking mine's gonna be a white case with orange lights. My graphics card is going to be all contrasty in its black and blue and I think most of the components will be too.

 

 

I think the LEDs help make the joke.

 

So far even with the 660 in it, WOT runs 50 to 70 fps with everything on max, windowed at 1920x1058. The I7 3.4 system the video card came out of only got into that FPS range with a bunch of stuff turned down. 

 

The Asus motherboard with its software seems to be running the system slightly overclocked since its showing up as 4.3 when playing games. So far no temps higher than 51C, but I also can't find a good answer on a max temp. I betting 55 to 60 is bad. 

 

It’s fun to have a computer I can tinker around with. So far the only thing that bothers me is the Intel Rapid Share software turns off the non-system SATA drives and the software does not match the DOCs on how to get them back without rebooting. I don’t really have anything important on that drive. It was a desktop USB hard drive but the power connector broke off from its little circuit board. I cracked the case open and hooked up the drive inside just to get the stuff off of it.  

[xthetenth]

Yeah, of late the fact that the motherboards have control over the implementation of turbo is pretty much resulting in boards running the top turbo bin all the time. YMMV. 4.3 might be an overclock function turned on as well.

 

Tmax on cpus is usually in the high 80s to low 90s C range. If you're not actually overclocking the CPU I'd consider keeping it under 60 under load to be fine for most use (although I just got 1.5 kilos of heatsink to hang off my processor so I want it a good bit cooler than that).

 

That's weird about the drive. Not sure what's up there.

[Jeeps_Guns_Tanks]

Yeah, I plan on a water cooler before I do any real overclocking, or had, but it seems fine right now. The wife will probably get me the water cooler for Christmas. I do wonder how well those hoses seal and hold up over time. I'd hate to have it leak. 

 

If I run into heat issues running a real game or when I get the new video card, I could get a better air based cooler, they don't cost that much. I'm sure even the really big ones would fit the case. 

 

If this would be good enough for mild overclocking, I can see going with this instead.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103189

 

The LEDs match the reds I’m using!

[xthetenth]

That's a thing. I've got one of these big bad beauties waiting for me to get a motherboard without the only PCIe x16 being in the first slot and therefore blocked by the cooler, and as far as I can tell that's the gold standard of air cooling. As far as I can tell it's going to cool the hell out of a CPU for overclocking as well as a closed loop water cooler until you get to E series processors (which you don't have one of).  If you're looking for a bit less aggressive option, the phanteks offerings offer pretty good price/performance and come in colors that are a bit more computer chic than 'chai latte'. The PF-TC14PE is most of the performance of the Noctua, and should do a little bit better for raw performance than that Cooler Master.

 

However these options don't look like a totally freaking awesome match for your build, so the choice is definitely yours there.

 

For closed loop, I don't think they'll do what they do as quietly as one of the Noctua or Phanteks (or a thermalright silver arrow), and I wouldn't go with the corsair one because I hear it takes $50 of fans to bring it to even with the noctua for noise (I think the cooler master Seidons are pretty decent kit for the all in one style), but the biggest thing you buy with one is the flexability in your build usually at the cost of noise. It may not be as efficient as pouring all your money into two top end 140mm radiators and fans hanging off your socket, but it lets you get the heat to a different part of the case so it isn't potentially overlapping RAM or the first PCIe slot. The nice thing about the Noctua is it has a nice compatibility list. Phanteks doesn't seem to have socket 1150 listed, pcpartpicker lists it as compatible with your mobo, but I'd do a quick check with a ruler and the dimensions listed http://www.phanteks.com/ph-tc14pe.html.

 

Also nice pick on the PSU, didn't realize how good a job eVGA were doing in that regard.

 

If you really want to go water, I'd recommend the Swiftech H240-X which starts with good fans, and is actually made of good liquid cooling equipment but set up so it's got a three year maintenance free guarantee. If the water cooling bug really bites you you can expand it too because it's actually just good water cooling gear in a compact easy to handle package.