X99 vs z170

Budget:under 3k

Expectations:
Dirtybomb @ 1080p high detail >45fps
Watch Dogs 2 @ 1080p high detail >45fps
Accessible front ports for peripherals
ULTRA quiet is a MUST hate fan whine
Linux friendly HW and bios for alternate boot when not gaming
No hassle power management (Sleep/Wake)

Usage:
I game, mostly FPS but some others.
When not gaming I boot separate drive into *nix OS
Keep house clean, but have dogs and vape so filtering case important



Special Needs:
Quality fans so they stay quiet over time
Line level out for audio to receiver preferably optical
Partial to Asus MB's

Other:
I am looking for performance more than aesthetics, but let's be honest we are all here for the craft these guys perform or would be buying iBuypower or Cybertron for same specs but no magic or bling. I care more about cable routing beauty than strobe LED's and laser etching.

Hi Roagrage..... I either completely missed this or saw it but got sidetracked.

And, yes, too much turkey.

Here's a rig with the quietest case here and a gtx 1070 for excellent gaming on a 1080p monitor.    All you need.   

X99 has no benefit for a gaming rig, with the Z170 having better single core and gaming performance in general.

The 600q case is a closed case, hence more quiet with still good airflow for this setup.   If you want more eye candy, and I personally do, then just swap to the Apollo 760t case. It will be a little noisier, but not unreasonable for a gaming rig, IMHO.

Configuration Code: 1539963
Total Price with Instant Savings: $2,242.00

Direct Load URL: https://www.digitalstorm.com/configurator.asp?id=1539963

Specifications:
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Corsair Carbide Quiet 600Q
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 Performance Series
Power Supply: 750W EVGA SuperNOVA <br><strong></strong>
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Optical Drive: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x) (Internal)
Storage Set 1: 1x SSD (500GB Samsung 850 EVO) <br><strong></strong>
Storage Set 2: 1x Storage (1TB Western Digital - Black Edition) <br><strong></strong>
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 GeForce GTX 1070 8GB (EVGA ACX 3.0) (VR Ready) <br><strong></strong>
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
HPC Processor: - No Thanks
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Corsair H115i - 280mm Liquid CPU Cooler (Fully Sealed + No Maintenance) <br><strong></strong>
HydroLux Tubing Style: - Not Applicable, I do not have a custom HydroLux liquid cooling system selected
HydroLux Fluid Color: - Not Applicable, I do not have a custom HydroLux liquid cooling system selected
Cable Management: Premium Cable Management (Strategically Routed & Organized for Airflow)
Chassis Fans: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Airflow Control: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
LaserMark: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock CPU - Up to 4.4GHz (Depends on Cooling and Motherboard) <br><strong></strong>
Boost Graphics Card(s): - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost OS: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Factory Reset Feature (Restore Windows + Drivers) (Partition up to 50GB of Storage)
Virus Protection: FREE: McAfee AntiVirus Plus (1 Year Service Activation Card) (Not Pre-installed) ($35 Value)
Office: - No Thanks
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

I swapped from the default 1070 to the EVGA ACX for the companies excellent support and the ACX dual zero rpm fans below about 64c.   

I also changed the Digital Storm branded SSD and CPU cooler to known brand with the manufacturer warranty beyond DS.    It's in your budget, so the way to go.

The motherboard has optical out s/pdif.

Hope this helps steer you in the right direction.


Edited by bprat22 - 01 Dec 2016 at 5:19am