Can't decide between Bolt, Apollo, and Hailstorm!

Hi TheRealTuna..... Welcome to the forums.   DS does make awesome rigs and will stand behind them... Otherwise a lot of us wouldn't be here.

It can get confusing because of marketing, but the Hydrolux Pro in the Bolt is really the Hydrolux Lite mentioned in the full size cases.   The Hydrolux LITE is an all in one unit much like the sealed units like H100i,, but the cooling loop can be opened to add on other components.   The LITE, or PRO in the Bolt, is a customizable all-in-one cooler, so to speak.

The Hydrolux Pro Exotic in the other builds, non- Bolt, is a fully customized water cooling solution where the pump, tubing, reservoirs, etc, are all seperate.   More money.

The Bolt , IMHO, is for those with space issues or just want something different and love the looks of it.   It is real nice, but if you ever had to do work on it, swap parts, it will be tugher because of the limited space.  Plus not as many options to get rid of the heat if needed.

The hailstorm 2 is a great pick for a full sizw case, especially if you want to go water cooling.

If you only want to water or liquid cool the cpu, the Apollo is a nice way to go.  Roomy, looks great, and reasonably priced. 

Aesthetics plays a big part on the case you pick.  Only you can really decide.

980 Ti Strix vs Poseidon ....  The Poseidon has a built in water block for water cooling the gpu.  If you want to stay on air cooling, pick the Strix.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the response, and for clearing up a few things for me.

I very much wish that there was some kind of online configuration option where you could actually see each part virtually interchanged so you could see what the final product would look like. Would make it much easier to pick based on looks, at least :d

How important is it to include graphics card cooling? Given the price, unless it is crucial, I probably would opt to only include CPU cooling.

Also, any comments on Hard Line tubing / copper wiring vs flexible tubing?

Right now, here are my specs:


Bolt 3 ($3,165):

Processor: i7 6700 4.0 ghz
Mobo: GIGABYTE Z170N-Gaming 5 (Intel Z170 Chipset)
Memory: 16gb 2666 mhz
Power: 600w
Storage 1: 1x SSD M.2 512gb 950 PRO
Storage 2: Standard 1 TB
Graphics Card: GTX 980 TI Poseidon (Strix doesnt fit I think)
Cooling: Hydrolux Pro/Lite CPU Cooling (can include graphics for another $200)


Apollo ($3,135)

Processor: i7 6700 4.0 ghz
Mobo: GIGABYTE Z170N-Gaming 5 (Intel Z170 Chipset)
Memory: 16gb 2666 mhz
Power: 850w EVGA Supernova
Storage 1: 1x SSD M.2 512gb 950 PRO
Storage 2: Standard 1 TB
Graphics Card: GTX 980 TI Strix (+~$800 for 2x SLI)
Cooling: Hydrolux Pro Exotic Cooling for CPU


Hailstorm 2 ($3,200 - $3,600 - slight over budget)

Processor: i7 6700 4.0 ghz
Mobo: GIGABYTE Z170N-Gaming 5 (Intel Z170 Chipset)
Memory: 16gb 2666 mhz
Power: 850w EVGA Supernova
Storage 1: 1x SSD M.2 512gb 950 PRO
Storage 2: Standard 1 TB
Graphics Card: GTX 980 TI Strix
Cooling: Hydrolux Pro Exotic Cooling for CPU



Hailstorm 2 ($4,000 - $4,500 the tempting over-budget pick):

Processor: i7 6700 4.0 ghz
Mobo: GIGABYTE Z170N-Gaming 5 (Intel Z170 Chipset)
Memory: 16gb 2666 mhz
Power: 1000w Corsair HX1000i
Storage 1: 1x SSD M.2 512gb 950 PRO
Storage 2: Standard 1 TB
Graphics Card: 2x SLI GTX 980 TI Strix
Cooling: Hydrolux Pro Exotic Cooling for CPU
Fans: Some LED Variation for bling



So basically, as well, if I change the Hailstorm 2 case for something cheaper I will get $250 off the whole thing, basically making the close-to-budget Hailstorm 2 config in the price of the Bolt 3. Everything else is mostly similar specs, apart from the Strix/Poseidon.

Any comments on the configurations, on where money can be saved, which parts might be better, and so on? And of course on the issue of tubing and graphics cooling :d

Thanks for everything!

Edited by TheRealTuna - 08 Apr 2016 at 8:50am

Whoops, my mistake, it was: ASUS Z170 PRO GAMING (Intel Z170 Chipset) (Up to 5x PCI-E Devices) for the Apollo and Hailstorm builds.

Gotcha, I won't worry about water cooling GPUs then.

I'll have to think iff the hard line tubing look is really worth nearly $200 :d. But good to know that there isn't really any real benefit to it.

According to what you said, SLI wont be necessary, which I knew from the start, I think I'm just getting a little excited looking at all this heavy duty stuff .

I will most likely end up with the Apollo config I listed. Appears to be the most cost efficient intersection between the Bolt and the Hailstorm while still enabling me the option to switch stuff out in the future.

Really, the only thing keeping me from outright picking the Apollo is how sick the reservoir looks here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWpK2afgXU0&nohtml5=False

Edited by TheRealTuna - 08 Apr 2016 at 9:11am

I just recently got the hailstorm with 2x 980ti strix cards all in a liquid cool loop and it is awesome. They didn't offer the Poseidon cards a few months ago when I ordered. The hailstorm case (corsair 900d) is massive. Unless you are going to put everything in a liquid cool loop and if size is an issue I would say go with the velox or appollo. Also realize that the hailstorm and agent in cases have to be shipped frievht die to size and that is an extra $300.

The Velox or Apollo can meet your needs.   If you were doing sli Strix on air then my pick would be the Velox for its better airflow.   Either can fit the Hydrlux Pro.   

One thing that might matter.... The Apollo has a left side facing window and the Velox a right side facing window.    A lot of people are restricted where the rig sits and want the window facing them for obvious reasons.

All right, after much deliberation, I've decided that if I buy, which I probably will, it will be a variation of the Apollo.

I have decided to go with exotic cooling for the CPU only, and will rock the strix.

My last question is about the thermal monitoring system / lighting, which costs an addition $100.

Is this worthwhile? Does it allow for any particular different light controls than the remote control LED lighting option? Does anyone feel like they have actively used this system to monitor their temperatures and such?

Thanks for much!

I see, and does the thermal lighting also enable lighting in the same way the remote control setup does, or does it only enable coloring based on temperature (blue yellow red)?

Would like to have the option of changing lighting at will to go well with my razer chroma stuff :D

Originally posted by TheRealTuna Whoops, my mistake, it was: ASUS Z170 PRO GAMING (Intel Z170 Chipset) (Up to 5x PCI-E Devices) for the Apollo and Hailstorm builds. Gotcha, I won't worry about water cooling GPUs then. you'll get about 30C cooler running cards if you decide to max out their performance/oc on water than on air, fyi.   I'll have to think iff the hard line tubing look is really worth nearly $200 :d. But good to know that there isn't really any real benefit to it. there is one benefit to consider: no plasticizer is used in rigid tubing (either copper or acrylic) because it's RIGID, duh!  when flexible tubing is used (even advertised as "plasticizer-free") it contains plasticizer-that's what gives it flexibility.  what they really mean is that their flexible tubing doesn't contain DEHP plasticizer.  why is plasticizer bad?  because after a while it will break down and "leeching" will occur.  that's the nasty, white film that develops inside the tubing.  not only does it look bad, it also flakes off and clogs up your pump, rads, and blocks.  again, fyi and ymmv.  According to what you said, SLI wont be necessary, which I knew from the start, I think I'm just getting a little excited looking at all this heavy duty stuff . sli is necessary for anything close to satisfactory 4k+ gaming experience.  any lower res can get by with one card (if it's powerful enough).  I will most likely end up with the Apollo config I listed. Appears to be the most cost efficient intersection between the Bolt and the Hailstorm while still enabling me the option to switch stuff out in the future. it's more cost efficient because it's a cheap, plastic Corsair case.  personally, i'd choose an all metal, DS exclusive, custom case with the Velox, Aventum or Bolt cases.   Really, the only thing keeping me from outright picking the Apollo is how sick the reservoir looks here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWpK2afgXU0&nohtml5=False

Hi TheRealTuna,

The Coridium is a great mid-tower case. The body is steel and the front is brushed aluminum. It is smaller than the Apollo and not as much room for custom water cooling loop. Plenty of room for AIO cooling system or the HydroLux LITE. This is my favorite mid-sized case that DS sells.

Frank

Thanks again for the feedback! Think I'm gonna go with the thermal software, if not just for static lighting (the other one required a remote controller I saw, which I'm not down for).

I think I have decided, and will place my order soon.

Final config ($3,600, a little over budget, but if i'my already spending this much, doesn't make sense to skimp):



System Configuration:
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Digital Storm Apollo (Black)
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 6700K 4.0GHz (Codename Skylake) (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS Z170 PRO GAMING (Intel Z170 Chipset) (Up to 5x PCI-E Devices)
System Memory: 16GB DDR4 2666MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series
Power Supply: 850W EVGA SuperNOVA
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Optical Drive: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Storage Set 1: 1x SSD M.2 (512GB Samsung 950 PRO) (NVM Express) (Extreme Performance)
Storage Set 2: 1x Storage (1TB Western Digital - Black Edition)
Storage Set 3: - No Thanks
RAID Config: - No Thanks
RAID Card: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Graphics Card(s): 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB (ASUS Strix Edition) (VR Ready)
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
HPC Processor: - No Thanks
Extreme Cooling: H20: HydroLux PRO: Exotic Custom Cooling System (CPU Only)
HydroLux Tubing Style: Flexible Tubing (Requires HydroLux Liquid Cooling System)
HydroLux Fluid Color: White Fluid (Requires HydroLux Liquid Cooling System)
Cable Management: Premium Cable Management (Strategically Routed & Organized for Airflow)
Chassis Fans: Corsair LED Airflow Performance Edition (White) (Up to 6 Fans)
Internal Lighting: Digital Storm RGB LED Lighting System (Requires Thermal Management Control Board & Software)
Airflow Control: Digital Storm Thermal Management Control Board & Software
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
LaserMark: - No Thanks
CPU Boost: Stage 2: Overclock CPU - Up to 4.8GHz (Depends on Cooling and Motherboard)
Graphics Boost: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
OS Boost: Yes, Disable and tweak all of the non-crucial services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows CD)
Virus Protection: FREE: McAfee AntiVirus Plus (1 Year Service Activation Card) (Not Pre-installed) ($35 Value)
Office: Microsoft Office 2016 Home & Student (PC Attach Key PKC Only, No Pre-install)
Game: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
Branded Gear: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 10-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty (3 Year Labor & 1 Year Part Replacement)

Basically, I don't foresee myself needing crazy graphics just yet, and think a standard TI strix will be good enough. But, I want to leave room just in case later on I want to update the machine.

I definitely want the CPU water cooled.

Any suggestions or changes before I pull the trigger?

Do note that the 3 year warranty only has 1 year part replacement. Some have been surprised at this and a year goes by very fast. 

Congrats . 

congrats.  looking forward to some pics