Planning on a new system soon

Customer service is, indeed, a priority here. We Forum types are not reps, we're customers just like you who appreciate what we have from DS, and have been around long enough to see first hand how well they treat us.

I came up with this: Config ID 1958633.

It's got 32 GB of Ram, but I would seriously think of ditching that in exchange for a 1TB SATA SSD in addition to the MVMe SSD. RAM is really pretty pricy right now, and 16 GB is pretty darn good for most uses.

That proc is new, and looks to totally kick a**. Not needed, could go 8700k and save $78.

The all-in one cooler is the larger radiator, which I just assume will cool better.

The 1080 Ti is the boss card these days, but the latest from Nvidia may be out reasonably soon. The latest rumors are centered On the "Hot Chips" conference in August as some kind of announcement/launch. I don't get the sense you're looking to wait any longer for your upgrade, but with future proofing a priority, I have to mention it. If you plan on not going beyond 2k (1440p) gaming at 144 HZ frame rates, the 1080 ti will take everything you throw at it at "ULTRA+++".

The 750W power supply is enough for this build. Nice headroom.

I would hope some of the other more savvy guys would weigh in on this thread, but this is my take to get you started. We could fine tune price/performance a bit if you have firm plans for your monitor/resolution needs going forward.

Hope it helps.

Hi and welcome.  I'm an Aventum 3 owner since the day they launched.  i'm no pc technician or software developer, but i've been tinkering with them since i owned an AMD FX-57 (single core king) based pc over 12 years ago.  i try to stay current on hardware/tech reviews. 

"future proofing" is a bit of marketing pitch and myth.  even with the pace of new hardware release having slowed some, it still far out paces the investment you'll put into a loaded system config/purchase.  for example, a GTX 1080ti or Titan is the single solution vid card recommended to game at 4K resolution, and yet it doesn't quite allow you to max out settings in ALL graphically intense games AND play at high FPS with the smoothest of game play.  yet before you've fully recouped the investment, some day soon there'll be a vid card that comes out that will crush 4K gaming and you'll want to upgrade, but at the same time feel too invested in what you've already shelled out and feel the need to ride that out as long as possible.  at least for the majority of us that don't feel as if money grows on trees. 

on to the help.  it sounds like your usage/needs/wants are split between work and play.  lots of system memory (RAM) is the way to go for work applications.  it doesn't need to be the fastest memory, just lots of it.  16GB is a comfortable/recommended amount for gaming today, but 32GB+ is recommended for doing any kind of pc "work".  if you're really heavy into video editing/content creation a processor like a Threadripper might be a consideration as it can function well in both gaming/work situations.  but there's no reason a 6 or 8 core proc can't handle regular demands. 

since you'll be gaming/working in an environment that routinely sees 90F, your ambient room temps are going to be high.  you just can't cool a pc on air cooling lower than that.  yes, the fans functionally "wick" the heat from the component, but that's 90F air blowing on components that get much hotter than that.  liquid cooling seems to be the better solution for you, both in terms of heat management and noise control.  a custom LC configuration coupled with hardware/software fan control will allow you to more efficiently control both heat and noise.  to cool both the cpu and the gpu (where most of the noise comes from) will require their "Hydrolux Cpu/Gpu Custom LC" ($1,100 minimum).  a level 4 Lumos with 32GB RAM, a 500GB SSD, and a GTX 970, and the Hydrolux LC should be $3,500 on the nose before taxes.

there are some trade offs.  the more complex a thing the more can go wrong with it and the more attention it requires.  you really have to stay on top of cleaning out dust: from the fans, the radiators, etc.  you have to monitor coolant fluid level-a drop could indicate a leak or loss due to evaporation.  discoloration could indicate algae in the loop or some other contaminant buildup.  the pump could die and cause damage prior to the system shutting down.  my Aventum has DS' most elaborate custom LC loop and it's been an adventure at times.  the cooling has been amazing though, and it allows me to over clock my proc and gpu's to the extreme while keeping the noise lower than you'd expect.  i don't need to run the fans on the rads at full speed, and most of the time the fans don't even kick on 2/3 of the rads because of the passive cooling.  i've had leaks though with the PETG tubing and acrylic distribution blocks they've used.  i've got 1 now that needs attention.  DS has been very attentive to my needs though, and that's where a lot of the value going with them comes from.  i could have them send me the parts and do it myself but i live close enough to drive it in and have them do it. 

it seems, with my rig, i've had to bring it in once a year every year i've had it.  but for 364 days out of the year it's marvelous!

let me give you general advice and a kind of priority checklist. 

1) consider your monitor(s) choice (features, size and type, panel type, speed, etc.) well before you decide on your pc components.  your monitor should always be 1 of your biggest investments/considerations.  you will want to almost 1:1 match how much you spend on pc graphics to how much you spend on your monitor.  for example, i have 2x Asus Strix GTX 980ti's liquid cooled in my rig paired with an Acer Predator XB271HU 144Hz 1440p G-Sync IPS monitor (around $800 when i bought it).  each of the vid cards were around $650 when i bought them.  the LC hardware adds to expense, but isn't included in my 1:1 ratio.  and neither is the second card as i could drive this monitor on a single 980ti.  but you get my drift i hope. 

2) think of each component as a harmony.  you can't skimp in 1 area and splurge in another w/o creating bottlenecks.  for example, a weak cpu paired with a strong graphics card will inevitably lead to the cpu bottlenecking (strangling the performance) the gpu.  what is then the logic in spending the money on an expensive powerful gpu only to throttle it with a weak and relatively inexpensive cpu?  each component in a pc along the way is another source of a potential bottleneck in the flow of commands that transfer data.  that being said, certain components have bigger or lesser degree of impact on the chain.  cpu>gpu being the most important considerations. 

motherboard and power supply for power delivery is where people normally try to skimp and it's a big mistake.  when i choose a power supply i make sure i get enough for the system and then add 10% or more to cover wear and add extra head room.  i also go with high quality in build and components.  if you intend to oc you'll need to factor that into the power requirements as it can draw an extra 100 or more watts. 

i make sure my motherboard is built for over clocking as well.  sound quality and internet connectivity are also features important to me, so i make sure i select a mobo with a higher end audio codec and Intel NIC on it. 

3) make sure everything you select to include in your config is compatible.  check the vendor's lists for compatibility of components on everything.  they have these lists on their web sites.  don't just rely on DS to catch it in testing or on a sales person's personal knowledge (their individual knowledge of the industry can vary widely). 

4) don't just submit a config and purchase over the internet with DS.  if you're going to spend up to 3K that deserves a conversation and personal touch with the build with one of their main community or sales managers.  i guy like Alex has been my go to.  i believe he's the community manager, but he has a lot of pull in the company.  we went back and forth on emails for my config prior to purchase as i had a lot of special order items.  that's another point, special order items add extra cost but it's not really something you can just do with their online configurator. 

with this wall of text in mind i can offer a config example you can use as a template if desired.  or you can refine your build requirements a lot more and i can then make more specific suggestions.  



 


Edited by db188 - 16 Jun 2018 at 2:51pm

ur config is set to have a 1070 not a 1070ti u should probably change that before u buy and put gpu overclocking on cz its free

Edited by nubatpc - 25 Jun 2018 at 7:49am

Edited by hoserator - 26 Jun 2018 at 3:48am

Understand. So the Samsung 1TB 960 EVO NVMe on "clearance" at $252 is the bargain pick for best performance if you want NVM express speeds. Only $57 more than the one you picked.