My DS System Review

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I've had my DS computer for about 3 days now and decided to write an early review. I will update my thread with more pictures and bencmark results as I do them, and also any important thoughts I have on the system. I will also do another review of the system after 6 months. 
Computer Specifications

Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Cooler Master 942 HAF X
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 2600K 3.40GHz (Unlocked CPU for Extreme Overclocking) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS P8P67 Deluxe (Intel P67 Chipset) (Features USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s)
System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 1000W Corsair (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) 
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (160GB Solid State (By: Intel) (Model: X25-M MLC Edition) (Extreme Performance) 
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 1x (1TB Western Digital Caviar (7200 RPM) (64MB Cache) (Model: Black Edition WD1002FAEX) 
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card(s): 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 1.5GB (Includes PhysX) (EVGA Black Ops 015-P3-1583-AR) 
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 1: Noctua NH-U12P SE Dual 120mm Fans High Performance Cooler
H20 Tube Color: - Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Red)
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
CPU Boost: Stage 1: Overclock the processor between 4.0GHz to 4.7GHz (Cooling Upgrade Recommended) 
Graphics Boost: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Memory Boost: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
OS Boost: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 7 CD)

Overclocked Processor Settings Processor Speed GHz: 4.6
CPU Multiplier: 46
Voltage CPU VCore: 1.296
VDroop Control: Yes
i7 - BCLK MHz: 100

Monitor: Dell Ultrasharp U2311H

Pictures

First off, this box is huge. I'm a pretty big guy and I had a hard time carrying the box up to my apartment. 

The case on the side with the filling still inside.

Took the fillings out to take a peak inside. As you can see everything was nicely arranged, clean and organized wiring. You can also see the VGA bracket and the air duct (is that what it is?) that the HAF X case comes with. You know that brand new smell of something? Well, it never smelled better!

A closer look at the Noctua U12P fans. 

*UPDATE*

Here is the system from the front turned on. 

Here is the system from the top. Nice lighting as you can see.

Picture of my current setup. I know..it isn't the best setup, but I have too much stuff on my desk. I need to clean up my desk and then I will put the computer in a better spot. 

System Review

The performance of this system has met my expectations. Without a doubt, this is the best computer I have ever owned. The first thing I noticed when I turned on the computer was that the fans were kinda loud. However, I believe DS makes the fans speed at maximum for the maximum air flow, so I guess I was ok with that. Anyways, on to the next thing. Windows 7 booted up in about 10 seconds. I can't tell you how awesome that is since my last PC took 2 mins to boot up. The second I saw my desktop I was able to open Firefox instantly and starting surfing. That's just incredible. SSD all the way guys. Everything just loads instantly. 

The first game I installed was Starcraft II. Of course, it ran perfectly on Ultra settings. Since then I have installed many other games, such as Crysis, Metro 2033, and L4D2. Everything ran smoothly and the computer didn't even seem to finch. Hell I could run Starcraft II and Crysis at the same time. 

As you can see the processor is clocked to 4.6ghz. During the idle time because of intel speed step the computer will clock itself down to 1.6ghz. The second it realizes it needs more speed it will clock up to 4.6ghz. Pretty good feature if you ask me. Another good thing is that the voltage drops when the system is idle, saving power and cpu life. At full load the voltage jumps up to as high as 1.346. Sandy Bridge is definitely a beast of a processor. My last comp had a C2D E8500, so this was a huge step up for me. 

The only thing that I wish was better were my CPU temps. After a few hours of Prime 95 and LinX tests, my max CPU temps ran around 78C. That's pretty high, but I can live with it. Might be because of my high ambient temperatures (my room doesn't have A/C), as I live in Hawaii. I probably would have ordered the Noctua D14 fans instead of the U12P fans if I could go back.

*UPDATE*

3D Mark 11 Performance Run (GTX 580 overclocked to 900/1800/2200)

3D Mark 11 Xtreme Run (GTX 580 overclocked to 900/1800/2200)

3D Mark Vantage Performance Run (GTX 580 overclocked to 900/1800/2200)

 Customer Service

I think this is the area where DS really shines. Their customer service is unmatched. Everytime I called in, I got a real polite representative that cared about my concerns and questions. The technicians actually knew what they were talking about and went out of their way to explain certain things to me. Alex was very helpful and fast. Everytime I emailed him, he would get back to me within 10 hours. Alex kept me updated on my order and never failed to address me on an issue. Finally, I really like their stage process and how up-to-date they keep it. The second my computer reaches a new stage I get an email. The stages are well explained and keeps the customer well informed. Excellent customer support system if you ask me. 

There is one thing that DS did fail to do. I noted in my computer order to add the 200mm fans on top, and even called in to make sure they had that noted. Sarah confirmed they reached the note and will install the extra fan. She also mentioned it will be an extra charge of about $20. I said ok. Well I didn't get the extra fan in the case, but it's no big deal since I wasn't charged for it either. So yah, meh, no biggie. 

Conclusion

I've done a lot of things in my life that I really regret, but I am happy to say that buying a DS computer is not one of them!

Edited by damet - 04 Mar 2011 at 11:09pm

My DS System Review

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