Call in the Fleet! (my DS review)

This is my review of my experience with Digital Storm:

I recently moved, and my old self built computer was damaged beyond repair , motherboard cracked and chips damaged. I decided to buy a custom computer rather than build one myself, as I didn't yet have all the tools unpacked (yes, my house is full of boxes). After a couple days of research I narrowed my search down to IBuyPower and Digital Storm. I eventually chose DS for it's better selection of parts and options. I placed my order after a couple more days of tweaking for price and performance.

My order:


System Configuration:

Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Antec DF-85
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 950 3.06GHz (Quad Core)
Motherboard: EVGA X58 SLI 3 Edition (Intel X58 Chipset) (Features USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s) (Model: 131-GT-E767)
System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 750W Digital Storm Certified (Dual SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition Recommended)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM)
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: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: Wireless-PCI N 300Mbps (Supports 802.11n/g/b)
Video Card(s): 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 1.2GB (Includes PhysX Technology)
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Asetek Liquid CPU Cooler (120mm Radiator) (Great Value)
H20 Tube Color: - Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Airflow: Upgrade Chassis With LED Performance Fans (Red) (Up to 6 Fans)
Internal Lighting: Internal Chassis Lighting System (Red)
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
CPU Boost: FREE: Stage 1: Overclock the processor between 3.3GHz to 3.9GHz (Cooling Upgrade Recommended)
Graphics Boost: FREE: Yes, Overclock the video card(s) as much as possible with complete stability
Memory Boost: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
OS Boost: FREE: Yes, Disable and tweak all of the non-crucial 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)


Order placed October 16
Stage 1 complete: October 17
Stage 2 complete: October 18
Stage 3 complete: October 18
Stage 4 complete: October 18
Stage 5 complete: October 18
Stage 6 complete: October 21
Stage 7 complete: October 21
Shipped: October 21

Received: October 27

Total Time: 9 days

Man! That was FAST!


Unpacking


The Box:




This thing is HUGE! and yes, that is my dog.


The Unveil:




Amazing wire control!


I took a step back to admire it before I powered it up...





Power on:





Conclusion:

After popping in my 300gb velociraptor for a gaming drive, this thing is a BEAST! CPU hovers around 60C under load and the system runs like a dream. Even with all 8 fans (yes, 8 ) it is still quieter than my last system!

Nice job DS, this computer is amazing!



If you need me, i'll be playing Starcraft II!



Edited by xeranes - 28 Oct 2010 at 11:40am

nice. i was looking at that case, if you ever take a break from gaming what do you think about it?

Nice setup and loving that case  

Ah yes, I am taking breaks

I love it, the case is REALLY nice, almost no wiring that I can see, and more cooling power and flexibility than the HAF X if you ask me... i mean, 8 fans!!!

When it starts getting cold i'll turn the exhaust fans up and use it as a space heater

When I'm not playing SCII i play X3: Terran Conflict and Borderlands, my two favorite games! My old computer could barely handle the intense AI in X3, but for this beast it's trivial! My FPS never drops below about 59!

Overall, this thing is my new baby! Its amazing!

Edited by xeranes - 29 Oct 2010 at 11:12am

Update:

Well, after logging a good amount of time on my new rig I can say that it definitively KICKS ASS!!! not a single crash, framerate drop, overheat, or error! I think I've forgotten what it's like to play games under 60fps!

However, the massive power and performance has pointed out a weakness in my setup: the monitor cable. I don't have an HDMI cable and I have been using my old VGA cable with adapters to cope. After a while of use I have odd "static" effects where lines of the screen's pixels seem to shift one or two pixels to the side... I also notice ascending horizontal bars of slight discoloration in some games. I think that this is due to my monitor/cable, but i'm not sure. I will be looking into it!

Other than that, I am extremely happy!!!!