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   Budget range:  $2 - 2.5k

Expectations:  Replacing a Dell XPS 600 at the end of its wear cycle.  I'd like a quad core, upgraded video card, and a power supply that can handle future upgrades.

Usage:  Mostly a gaming rig, with a little of the usual word processing, video, email stuff.  I play a variety of games, from MMOs (like warcraft and now Diablo 3), to strategy games like Shogun 2.

I could use help with a few questions.  First, the liquid cooling option doesn't seem  much more expensive than the Noctua fans chosen.  Are there any downsides to Vortex Liquid CPU Cooler?  How reliable are they, and do they require any special attention?  Second, having lost more than a few video cards to heating issues and not that familiar with overclocking, is the chassis cooling sufficient for the Nvidia 570 card and the 1kW power supply?  I know the cases are pretty roomy, but I'm still cautious.  Finally, I only slightly modified a DS recommended build which might be slightly dated.  Are there any recent improvements that you might suggest here?

Thanks in advance!

Specifications:

Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Cooler Master HAF 932

Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish

Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish

Processor: Intel Core i7 950 3.06GHz (Quad Core)

Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth X58 (Intel X58 Chipset) (Features USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s)

System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series  (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)

Power Supply: 1000W Digital Storm Certified (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI 
Compatible) (Silent Edition Highly Recommended)  <b></b>

Expansion Bay: - No Thanks

Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (500GB Western Digital/Seagate/Hitachi/Samsung (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: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)

Video Card: 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 1.2GB (Includes PhysX Technology)

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: - No Thanks

Enhancements: - No Thanks

Chassis Mods: - No Thanks

Noise Reduction: - No Thanks

LaserMark: - No Thanks

Boost Processor: FREE: Stage 1: Overclock the processor between 3.3GHz to 3.9GHz (Cooling Upgrade Recommended)

Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)

Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory

Boost OS: - 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)

Virus Protection: - No Thanks

Office: - No Thanks

Game: - No Thanks

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 5-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed

Warranty: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty

Author	Message Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version
zenzic Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 19 May 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2	Quote Reply Topic: Configuration Questions Posted: 19 May 2012 at 12:01pm
	Budget range: $2 - 2.5k Expectations: Replacing a Dell XPS 600 at the end of its wear cycle. I'd like a quad core, upgraded video card, and a power supply that can handle future upgrades. Usage: Mostly a gaming rig, with a little of the usual word processing, video, email stuff. I play a variety of games, from MMOs (like warcraft and now Diablo 3), to strategy games like Shogun 2. I could use help with a few questions. First, the liquid cooling option doesn't seem much more expensive than the Noctua fans chosen. Are there any downsides to Vortex Liquid CPU Cooler? How reliable are they, and do they require any special attention? Second, having lost more than a few video cards to heating issues and not that familiar with overclocking, is the chassis cooling sufficient for the Nvidia 570 card and the 1kW power supply? I know the cases are pretty roomy, but I'm still cautious. Finally, I only slightly modified a DS recommended build which might be slightly dated. Are there any recent improvements that you might suggest here? Thanks in advance! Specifications: Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Cooler Master HAF 932 Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish Processor: Intel Core i7 950 3.06GHz (Quad Core) Motherboard: ASUS Sabertooth X58 (Intel X58 Chipset) (Features USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s) System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested) Power Supply: 1000W Digital Storm Certified (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition Highly Recommended) <b></b> Expansion Bay: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (500GB Western Digital/Seagate/Hitachi/ Samsung (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: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 1.2GB (Includes PhysX Technology) 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: - No Thanks Enhancements: - No Thanks Chassis Mods: - No Thanks Noise Reduction: - No Thanks LaserMark: - No Thanks Boost Processor: FREE: Stage 1: Overclock the processor between 3.3GHz to 3.9GHz (Cooling Upgrade Recommended) Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s) Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory Boost OS: - 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) Virus Protection: - No Thanks Office: - No Thanks Game: - No Thanks 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 5-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed Warranty: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty

bprat22 Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS ELITE DigitalStorm East -- (Unofficially!) Joined: 08 Jun 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 20391	Quote Reply Posted: 19 May 2012 at 12:37pm
	Hi zenzic....Welcome to the forums. I'm guessing that config is 2-3 years old. Some of that DS doesn't carry anymore. You didn't mention the monitor size or resolution. Here a build with the latest parts. Config # 690152 Cost $ 2183 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 3770K 3.50 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core) (Requires Z77 Motherboard) Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V DELUXE (Intel Z77 Chipset) (Higher Overclocks and Unique Wi-Fi Features) System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested) Power Supply: 750W Corsair HX (Dual SLI Compatible) Expansion Bay: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (1TB Western Digital/Seagate/Hitachi/Samsung (7200 RPM) (32MB Cache) 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: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 2GB (Includes PhysX) Add-on Card: - No Thanks Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 Extreme Performance 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: - No Thanks Enhancements: - No Thanks Chassis Mods: - No Thanks Noise Reduction: - No Thanks LaserMark: - No Thanks Boost Processor: Stage 2: Overclock CPU 4.5GHz to 4.8GHz (Requires Pro/Deluxe/Sabertooth Motherboard) Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s) Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory Boost OS: - 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) Virus Protection: - No Thanks Office: - No Thanks Game: - No Thanks Display: - No Thanks Surge Shield: - No Thanks Speakers: - No Thanks Keyboard: - No Thanks Mouse: - No Thanks External Storage: - No Thanks Exclusive T-Shirt: FREE: Digital Storm T-Shirt - Black (Large) Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 10-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed Warranty: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty The Noctua D14 is the best air cooler, much better than the Vortex you mentioned. If you wanted a liquid cooler for the cpu then the H100 would be a better setup. there is no maintenance with the Hydro coolers. The air coolers are more dependable but the H100 is pretty good. The gtx 670 card kicks alot of its heat out the back of the case. The hafX 942 case is tops in cooling and will have no trouble keeping this setup cool and safe. See what you think and good luck. Edited by bprat22 - 19 May 2012 at 12:41pm

zenzic Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 19 May 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2	Quote Reply Posted: 19 May 2012 at 3:19pm
	Shows you how long it's been since I've bought a computer... Thanks for the information and advice - especially updating me to 2012! I'm going to stick with the air cooling, and bump up to a 1 kW power supply just in case video cards get hungrier down the road.

Asangard Members Profile Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List DS Veteran Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2209	Quote Reply Posted: 19 May 2012 at 4:20pm
	Hi zenzic If you are going to go with a more powerful PSU consider the Corsair 1050HX. It is an excellent power supply and comes with a 7yr warranty.
	All evil comes from within, Not from Without, Therefore, the 1st step on the Holy Warrior path, Is to recognize thyself as thy 1st enemy.

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