Advice on ConfigsPost Date: 2009-06-26 |
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RisingForce 
Newbie 
Joined: 26 Jun 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5 |
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 Topic: Advice on ConfigsPosted: 26 Jun 2009 at 5:13pm |
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I'm looking for some constructive advice on buying a new PC. I consider myself a moderate gamer with some high graphic needy games. I am looking for a desktop that will last a fair amount of time, with the exception of upgrading in a few months if i choose that route. Below is an air cooled option vs. a liquid cooled option. Also if possible below are some questions that can help me decide on which choice is best. Also suggested builds are welcome. The price range is between $3900-$4300 w/o the current promotion.Thanks ahead of time.
Air Cooled Ticket Number: 300062 Total Price with Instant Savings: $3,930.00 Specifications: Chassis Model: Digital Storm 950Si Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Interior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish Processor: Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz (Quad Core) Motherboard: EVGA X58 3X SLI (Intel X58 Chipset) (Supports Triple SLI or CrossFire) System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1333MHz Digital Storm Certified by mushkin enhanced (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested) Power Supply: 1200W PC Power & Cooling (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) (Recommended) Card Reader: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA) Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 1x (300GB Western Digital VelociRaptor (10K RPM) (16MB Cache) (Extreme Speed) Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks Optical Drive 1: Blu-Ray Player/DVD Writer (Play Blu-Ray and Burn DVDs) Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: 3x SLI Triple (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 275 896MB (Includes PhysX Technology) Add-on Card: - No Thanks Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Noctua NH-U12P High Performance Cooler (Compatible With ONLY i7 Processors) Liquid Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a H20: Stage 3 Cooling System Selected Chassis Airflow: Upgrade Chassis With LED Performance Fans (Blue) Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Blue) Enhancements: - No Thanks Chassis Mods: 950Si Case Only: Video Card(s) Area: Drill and Mount a Side Window 120mm Fan Blow-Hole Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock the processor between 3.3GHz to 3.9GHz (Requires Air Cooling Upgrade) Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s) Boost Memory: Memory Fan Kit Only (Does not include memory overclocking service) Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-Bit Edition) With Windows 7 Upgrade Coupon Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based) Virus Protection: - No Thanks Office: - No Thanks Benchmarking: - No Thanks Install/Test Game: - No Thanks LCD Display: - No Thanks Surge Shield: - No Thanks Speakers: - No Thanks Keyboard: - No Thanks Mouse: Razer DeathAdder Gaming Mouse (High-Speed Gaming Grade) External Storage: - No Thanks Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-10 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty Liquid Cooled Ticket Number: 300059 Total Price with Instant Savings: $4,279.00 Specifications: Chassis Model: Digital Storm 950Si Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Interior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Trim Accents: Paint Screws and Hose Clamps (Blue) Processor: Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz (Quad Core) Motherboard: EVGA X58 3X SLI (Intel X58 Chipset) (Supports Triple SLI or CrossFire) System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1333MHz Digital Storm Certified by mushkin enhanced (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested) Power Supply: 1200W PC Power & Cooling (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) (Recommended) Card Reader: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA) Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 1x (300GB Western Digital VelociRaptor (10K RPM) (16MB Cache) (Extreme Speed) Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks Optical Drive 1: Blu-Ray Player/DVD Writer (Play Blu-Ray and Burn DVDs) Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: 3x SLI Triple (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 275 896MB (Includes PhysX Technology) Add-on Card: - No Thanks Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 3: High-Performance Liquid Chilled FrostBite System For CPU Liquid Color:UV Blue: Medium Glowing Non-conductive Fluid (Requires H20: Stage 3 & UV Lighting) Chassis Airflow: Upgrade Chassis With LED Performance Fans (Blue) Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (UV) (Creates Glowing Effect For H20: Stage 3 UV Fluid) Enhancements: - No Thanks Chassis Mods: 950Si Case Only: Video Card(s) Area: Drill and Mount a Side Window 120mm Fan Blow-Hole Boost Processor: Stage 2: Overclock the processor between 4.0GHz to 4.2GHz (Requires H20 Cooling Upgrade) Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s) Boost Memory: Memory Fan Kit Only (Does not include memory overclocking service) Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-Bit Edition) With Windows 7 Upgrade Coupon Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based) Virus Protection: - No Thanks Office: - No Thanks Benchmarking: - No Thanks Install/Test Game: - No Thanks LCD Display: - No Thanks Surge Shield: - No Thanks Speakers: - No Thanks Keyboard: - No Thanks Mouse: Razer DeathAdder Gaming Mouse (High-Speed Gaming Grade) External Storage: - No Thanks Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-10 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty Questions: 1. i7 920 or wait for i7 960 (since rumors show 920+ may be dropped)? 2. 6GB or 12 GB at 1333 for gaming (maybe work related ie. Word ect.) 3. With builds 1000W or 1200W? 4. 3-Way SLI GTX 275 or a better option? 5. LC or Air Cool for better temps and speed? 6. How difficult is LC refill and how long does the bottle last given? 7. LC GPU? Oh the monitor I'm running is 1900x1200. I was thinking of running 3 monitors. Anyone use TripleHead2Go or SoftTH? Anyone use 3+ monitors? With many forums and news describing 6 cores and GT 300 series cards I'm having a hard time deciding if I should wait for these to come out. Rumors say Q4 earliest and latest Q2. However, a computer now would be a great upgrade. I don't want to have to really upgrade if it is a few months, but the time estimated for them to come out is not really known. Would it be beneficial for me to wait till Q4 or just go ahead with buying? Thank you for your help and input. |
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DST4ME
DS ELITE 
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758 |
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Posted: 26 Jun 2009 at 5:31pm |
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you got somethings wrong, for example the faster drive should be for HDD1, you don't' need Tri sli for 1900 x 1200 resolution.
Liquid cooled: Here you go Ticket# 300074 --- Price: $3806 (To see this build click here) Price after current promotion $3456 Copy of Specifications: Chassis Model: Cooler Master HAF 932 Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Interior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish Processor: Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz (Quad Core) Motherboard: EVGA X58 Classified 3X SLI (Intel X58 Chipset) (Supports Triple SLI or CrossFire) System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1333MHz Digital Storm Certified by mushkin enhanced (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested) Power Supply: 1000W Corsair HX (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition) Card Reader: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (120GB Solid State (By: OCZ) Solid Series (Model: OCZSSD2-1SLD120G) Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 1x (500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA) Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks Optical Drive 1: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x) Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 275 896MB (Includes PhysX Technology) Add-on Card: - No Thanks Sound Card: Creative Labs X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion (Includes Front I/O) (PCI-Express Slot Based) Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 3: High-Performance Liquid Chilled FrostBite System For CPU Liquid Color:UV Redish Pink: Medium Glowing Non-conductive Fluid (Requires H20: Stage 3 & UV Lighting) Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (UV) (Creates Glowing Effect For H20: Stage 3 UV Fluid) Enhancements: - No Thanks Chassis Mods: - No Thanks Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock the processor between 3.3GHz to 3.9GHz (Requires Air Cooling Upgrade) Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s) Boost Memory: Memory Fan Kit Only (Does not include memory overclocking service) Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-Bit Edition) Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based) Virus Protection: - No Thanks Office: - No Thanks Benchmarking: - No Thanks Install/Test Game: - No Thanks LCD Display: - No Thanks Surge Shield: - No Thanks Speakers: - No Thanks Keyboard: - No Thanks Mouse: - No Thanks External Storage: - No Thanks Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-10 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed Warranty: 5 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty (Highly Recommended) --------------------------------------------------------- Air cooled: Here you go Ticket# 300076 --- Price: $3640 (To see this build click here) Price after current promotion $3290 Copy of Specifications: Chassis Model: Cooler Master HAF 932 Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Interior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish Processor: Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz (Quad Core) Motherboard: EVGA X58 Classified 3X SLI (Intel X58 Chipset) (Supports Triple SLI or CrossFire) System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1333MHz Digital Storm Certified by mushkin enhanced (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested) Power Supply: 1000W Corsair HX (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition) Card Reader: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (120GB Solid State (By: OCZ) Solid Series (Model: OCZSSD2-1SLD120G) Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 1x (500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA) Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks Optical Drive 1: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x) Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 275 896MB (Includes PhysX Technology) Add-on Card: - No Thanks Sound Card: Creative Labs X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion (Includes Front I/O) (PCI-Express Slot Based) Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Noctua NH-U12P High Performance Cooler (Compatible With ONLY i7 Processors) Liquid Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a H20: Stage 3 Cooling System Selected Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Red) Enhancements: - No Thanks Chassis Mods: - No Thanks Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock the processor between 3.3GHz to 3.9GHz (Requires Air Cooling Upgrade) Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s) Boost Memory: Memory Fan Kit Only (Does not include memory overclocking service) Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-Bit Edition) Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based) Virus Protection: - No Thanks Office: - No Thanks Benchmarking: - No Thanks Install/Test Game: - No Thanks LCD Display: - No Thanks Surge Shield: - No Thanks Speakers: - No Thanks Keyboard: - No Thanks Mouse: - No Thanks External Storage: - No Thanks Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-10 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed Warranty: 5 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty (Highly Recommended) --------------------------------------------------------- if you wait till Q4 then you will have to wait till H1 of 2010 for the 6 core cpu. the best 300gt gpus should be out H1 of 2010 buy what you want now, upgrade next year this time or H1 of 2011, if you want/need to upgrade that is. |
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Bill the Cat
DS Veteran 
Forum Bitch!
Joined: 27 Aug 2007 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1150 |
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Posted: 26 Jun 2009 at 6:14pm |
What if he's really planning on 3 monitors? How do "TripleHead2Go" or "SoftTH" even work?
Edited by Bill the Cat - 26 Jun 2009 at 6:15pm |
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3.6 GHz E6850, 4 GB RAM, GTS 250, TJ9, Win 7 64-bit
4.4 GHz i7 3930K, 16 GB RAM, GTX 670, 550D, Win 7 64-bit |
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DST4ME
DS ELITE
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 26 Jun 2009 at 6:25pm |
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I believe the max res they support is 3 x 1680 x 1050, you know what his ticket numbers leas to a different system then listed.
TripleHead2Go needs only one GPU to run it, I'm not familiar about how it does in games tho. Edited by DST4ME - 26 Jun 2009 at 6:25pm |
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B@d//j0ke
Senior Member 
Joined: 29 Apr 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 161 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 26 Jun 2009 at 8:24pm |
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1. I'd go with the i7 920 It is a GREAT CPU and when overclocked can give you the same performance as the 965 stock, or higher.
2.6GBs of 1333 is MORE then enough for gaming, you would never need 12gbs, unless running some real heavy video editing programs.
3.There isn't really a better option then the GTX275, its "big brother" the 285 is about $100 bucks more and gives you around 4 FPS higher, it REALLY is not worth it, also x2SLI should be all you need.
4.LCing will almost always give you better temps then air, HOWEVER that is only when talking about the frostbite LC system, any others offered here are really a big waist. I would say for the BEST cooling go with the frostbite LC.
41/2 LC is really very easy to maintain, there are MANY posts on these forums explaining the topic.
5. Hard drive set one is for Operating system/games/apps. It should always be the fastest of the drives.
any other hard drive sets are for media storage, music/movies/what have you, and thus should always be the bigger of the options, however they can also be the slowest, as media playing won't be affected by a faster drive.
All that having been said the builds DST put together are great! I would recommend the LCed rig, you could also change up the case to the 950SI from the HAF932 if you wanted to, however the HAF932 is the cheaper case, and the best bang for your buck. That having been said the 950si is also a great case.
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inferno23
Senior Member
Joined: 09 May 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 519 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 27 Jun 2009 at 11:10am |
1) if u want get the clerance 965 for $550 , the 920 is the better deal but the extreme systems do do better in some areas
2) 6 gb of 1333, 6 gb of 1600 would be much better than 12 gb of 1333
3) 1000 watt is the way to go 1200 is hotter and louder
4) 3 way sli is pointless at your resolution. so go with 2 unless u plan on getting a bigger monitor, also if u go 3 sli take note u cant add any other cards unless u go with the classified board
5) LC is the way 2 go for better temps + u can get the cool UV look if u choose
6) LC gpu is not necessary, but some ppl like myself choose 2, if u do go dual loop with the optional 360 + 120 rad. LCing the gpu will keep you computer super cool and will elimnate the loud noises of the GPU fans, but its an extremeist thing its definately not worth it 2 the avg person.
7) the haf 932 is the better case its 100$ less and provides better temps
8) the velociraptor IMO isnt worth it u can get a SSD next year cheaper.
9) the LED fans are a prefrence thing if u LC the cards u wont need them
10) the blue ray player/writer is extreme Overkill and IMO are u gonna watch a blue ray on a big screen LCD or a tiny cpu monitor thats most likely not HD not to mention a blue ray disk is 12$ a pop.
11) since you gonna have lots of high performance part that could wear and tear id go with the 5 year warranty and ull have piece of mind.
12) if u wanna see how LC looks let me know and ill send u an email with 100's of diffrent LC builds, colors, tubing, etc,
id have my ticket more like this 4,270
Copy of Specifications:
Chassis Model: Cooler Master HAF 932 Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Interior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish Processor: Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz (Quad Core) Motherboard: EVGA X58 3X SLI (Intel X58 Chipset) (Supports Triple SLI or CrossFire) System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1333MHz Digital Storm Certified by mushkin enhanced (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested) Power Supply: 1000W Corsair HX (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition) Card Reader: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA) Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks Optical Drive 1: Blu-Ray Writer/Reader (Burn Blu-Ray discs and play them) Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: 2x SLI Dual (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 275 896MB (Includes PhysX Technology) Add-on Card: - No Thanks Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 3: Specialized FrostBite Separate Dual Loop System for CPU & Two Video Cards Liquid Color:UV Blue: Medium Glowing Non-conductive Fluid (Requires H20: Stage 3 & UV Lighting) Chassis Airflow: Upgrade Chassis With LED Performance Fans (Blue) Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (UV) (Creates Glowing Effect For H20: Stage 3 UV Fluid) Enhancements: - No Thanks Chassis Mods: - No Thanks Boost Processor: Stage 2: Overclock the processor between 4.0GHz to 4.2GHz (Requires H20 Cooling Upgrade) Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s) Boost Memory: Memory Fan Kit Only (Does not include memory overclocking service) Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-Bit Edition) With Windows 7 Upgrade Coupon Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based) Virus Protection: - No Thanks Office: - No Thanks Benchmarking: - No Thanks Install/Test Game: - No Thanks LCD Display: - No Thanks Surge Shield: - No Thanks Speakers: - No Thanks Keyboard: - No Thanks Mouse: - No Thanks External Storage: - No Thanks Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-10 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed Warranty: 5 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty (Highly Recommended) also if ure going to use an stage 2 OC im not 100% positive but i think u need 1600 mhz memory Edited by inferno23 - 27 Jun 2009 at 11:14am |
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RisingForce
Newbie
Joined: 26 Jun 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 Jul 2009 at 2:42pm |
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I have a few more questions.
1) I was looking at the liquid cooling for the cpu and there is only one radiator. If I want to move to a 240 or 360 does DS offer this and how much? Also if I got the 240 or 360 radiator would that be better for the cpu although there won't be fans to exhaust the heat out of the case? 2) I searched for how many fans the upgrade covers. So far some say up to 6 fans and others it says/shows more than 6. If I got the upgrade I would want 2 on the top, the 1 back fan, 4 for the side panel, one for the front (replace the 230mm) and one next to the PS that some pictures show. Is this possible? Can I ask DS to send me the 230mm along with the case (I want to keep them in case I want to switch them back or alternate the fans)? 3) Looking at reviews there is only one cathode in the case. I talked with DS and they said 2 are placed in the case. So does DS offer one or two? Can they add more if I asked? 4) also stage 2 overclock of the cpu needs LC to get 4.0-4.2. However, I don't really want or need an overclock that high, can I choose the option of overclock 1 with 3.0-3.9? |
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DST4ME
DS ELITE
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 02 Jul 2009 at 5:33pm |
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1. if you are not going to push it yourself then 1 rad is all you need, but if you want get a bigger rad DS will do that for you, for prices call Sarah at 1-866-817-8676 Extension: 115 and she will set you up
 
Keep in mind the rads have fans on them, otherwise they wouldn't be able to cool the liquid down. 2. your rad goes on top, so the top fan won't be there, the front fan you have to pay extra and special request to change, I advise against it. the rear fan is an exust fan but I think that is one of the six that gets changed. I think they will charge you extra for the 230mm fan if you want it sent to you. 3. the light is consistent of 2 lights they come together but you can split them. 4. yes you can if you just choose my LC config, it will cover all you need. Edited by DST4ME - 02 Jul 2009 at 5:33pm |
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