Current ODE Level 3 Setup

How does the current ODE Level 3 measure up to other DS custom made setups?

I'm really looking into buying the ODE Level 3 instead of the past setups that had been suggested. I really like the idea and concept of the ODE Level 3, but I also want to make sure I get the biggest "bang for my buck."

So once again I'll make a new topic and hopefully be buying a computer before the end of November.

Budget: No more than 3,000 including system and monitor. Below is the monitor I plan on buying with the possibility of getting a second monitor in the future.

Dell UltraSharp u2312

Expectations: To make the system last for 4 to 5 years with the utmost reliability with the ability to leave on for days at a time without experiencing any overheating problems.

Usage: I plan on watching a lot of movies (using the monitor above as my viewing screen), playing SW:TOR, a good amount of college work, and web surfing of course. I also play other games such as Mass Effect and might try out Skyrim.

Edited by DefineGodLike - 27 Nov 2011 at 8:32am

If for some reason I wanted to upgrade the ODE level 3 to a better GPU, the only thing I'd have to upgrade is the PSU correct? And the SLI 570's should last awhile (a year or two for max settings) right? Also, how is the AIR: Stage 2: Corsair A70 Dual 120mm Fans High Performance Cooler better than the Digital Storm Vortex Liquid CPU Cooler (High-Performance Edition)?

Edited by DefineGodLike - 28 Nov 2011 at 2:20am

So without going to stage 3 or 4 cooling, which extreme cooling is the best and second best and why?

Also, which mobo is the best and second best without choosing the ultimate and what makes it better than the others?

Oh and just an update, I bought the Dell UltraSharp u2312HM. :)

Edited by DefineGodLike - 28 Nov 2011 at 6:24am

I currently don't plan on using SLI, but would like to (if needed) in the future.

How often does a mobo need to be upgraded?

Is it worth to buy a mobo that is SLI ready now and in 1 to 2 years buy another 570 or 2 new GPU in SLI? Or would it be better to buy a mobo not setup for SLI and then in 1 to 2 years upgrade the mobo and GPUs?

Not sure if that made any sense? :-/

Can you please look over the following build and make any suggestions?

I'm trying to stay under $2,700 and that's accounting for the $85.00 in shipping/handling.

624662 - 2,702 (Discount $2,552 + $85 = $2,636 Total Cost)

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 2600K 3.40GHz (Unlocked CPU for Extreme Overclocking) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS P8P67 Deluxe (Intel P67 Chipset) (New & Improved B3 Revision Without SATA 3G Issue)
System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 1050W Corsair Pro Silver 1050HX (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (120GB Solid State (By: Intel) (Model: 320 Series)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 1x (1TB Western Digital Caviar (7200 RPM) (64MB Cache) (Model: Black Edition)
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: Blu-Ray & DVD Writer/Reader (Burn + Play Blu-Ray & DVDs) (12x BD-R) (Lite-On iHBS112)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card(s): 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 1.2GB (Includes PhysX Technology) (EVGA Edition)
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Noctua NH-D14 Extreme Performance (Does NOT fit on the regular EVGA X58 3X SLI)
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
CPU Boost: Stage 2: Overclock CPU 4.5GHz to 4.8GHz (Requires Pro or Deluxe Series Motherboard)
Graphics Boost: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Memory Boost: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
OS Boost: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (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: Logitech 2.1 System (Model LS21) (Includes Subwoofer)
Keyboard: Logitech Media Combo MK200 Keyboard and Mouse
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: FREE: Digital Storm T-Shirt - Black (Medium)
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

Edited by DefineGodLike - 28 Nov 2011 at 7:25am

Bought! :D

Thank you for all your help DST4ME, just so you know I wrote about your awesome help in the survey. :)

Hey DST, this is where my skills end and need a little help at what I'm looking at, lol.. Not sure why some are blank, this is just how DS sent it to me.

Test Results from DS..

Before Stepdown CPU GHz: 4.5
After Stepdown CPU GHz: 4.5
CPU Multiplier: 45
Voltage CPU VCore: 1.35
VDroop Control: Yes
i7 - BCLK MHz: 100
i7 - Voltage QPI\DRAM:
i7 - Voltage QPI\PLL:
i7 - Voltage CPU VTT:
i7 - Voltage IOH Vcore:
i7 - Voltage ICH Vcore:
i7 - Voltage IOH/ICH I/O:
i7 - PWM Frequency:
780i/790i - Memory Clock Mode:
780i/790i - CPU FSB MHz:
780i/790i - Voltage FSB:
780i/790i - Voltage SPP:
780i/790i - Voltage MCP:

Overclocked Memory Settings
Actual Memory Speed MHz:
i7 - Memory Ratio MHz:
Memory Speed MHz:
Voltage Memory (i7 - Dimm Voltage): 1.65
Timings (CAS-tRCD-tRP-tRAS): 9-9-9-24
i7 - Voltage DRAM Bus:
780i/790i - Memory Clock Mode:
780i/790i - CPU FSB MHz:

Overclocked Video Card Settings
Core MHz:
Memory MHz:
Shader MHz:

Motherboard BIOS: 1702
Video Card Driver: 285.62
Chipset Driver: CD
Sound Card Driver: CD

Sound Works In: R/F
Windows Key 1:
Windows Key 2:
Office Key:
Substituted Components: NA
Misc. Software Notes: NA
Misc. Hardware Notes: NA

Originally posted by Alex Nice! 4.5GHz at 1.36v max. Temps look good too.

Thank you Alex!

Thank you DST! :-D

I'm looking forward to meeting this build once it finally arrives.

I will, for sure.

I'm not the most knowledgeable, but I would think that a $400.00 GTX 1070 would boost your gaming very well.
Wait and see what others say though.

Should I be ok with 8GB of ram or should I consider adding more as well?

I'd like to get into VR but ultimately I need this machine to be able to play the next elder scrolls in 2ish years (the reason I orginally bought this PC back in 2011 was for skyrim).

Awesome, thank you guys for the quick feedback!