Monday Morning QuaterbackPost Date: 2012-01-08 |
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Bandit 
Newbie 
Joined: 08 Jan 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10 |
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 Topic: Monday Morning QuaterbackPosted: 08 Jan 2012 at 12:50pm |
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O.k. I pulled the trigger on my DS system. I was anxious to get a new PC (my Dell is 8 years old) and did not research near as much as I typically do for this large of a purchase. Now I am questioning the choices I made and thinking about what components might end up needing upgraded within a relatively short amount of time.
Here is what I have now: Dell , Pentium 4 3.2 GHz, 2 GB ram, AT Radeon Sapphire HD 4650 DDR2 1 GB, Windows XP.
Budget: I was wanting to stay very close to the $2500 range (including shipping)
Expectations: Nothing really crazy here. I have a dual monitor set up and have a pretty decent set of speakers. The current Dell is dragging on everything from loading internet pages to kids games (monkey quest) and currently locks up for apparently no reason so the expectation is to have a system that cures all that. Also, if I have a question, I want to speak to someone that I can understand and that knows what they are doing (not just reading script from a book). This last expectation is the predominant reason I went with DS along with their online reputation.
Usage: I touched on this in "expectations". Other than a few simple kids games, I do not game. I have a Thrustmaster Top Gun Afterburner joystick that I have had about eight years that has never been used (would that thing even be compatible with today's games?). I would like the option of being able to try a game sometime in the future but I know I would never have the time to be an extreme gamer. My family and I predominantly use the computer for internet browsing and word / excel processing. My wife does do quite a bit of photograph and video editing with Adobe. We use the computer to provide music for the family room.
Special needs: I have a custom desk that my computer sits in. The dimensions inside are 25 1/2 inches tall x 31 inches deep x 32 inches wide. The front is open for air flow. I mention this because I guess it could put some extra load on the cooling rather just sitting in the open.
So here it is:
Order Contents:
- Digital Storm Desktop 336364 Quantity: 1 $2,581.00 - PROMOTION: 10% Discount of $287 Applied to Digital Storm Desktop 336364, Original Price $2,868 Quantity: 1 $0.00 - -- PROMOTIONAL LIMITED TIME BONUS DISCOUNT: $125 Quantity: 1 ($125.00) - -- PROMOTIONAL LIMITED TIME 1 YEAR WARRANTY UPGRADE Quantity: 1 $0.00 System Configuration:
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: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested) Power Supply: 800W Corsair GS (Dual SLI Compatible) Expansion Bay: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (120GB Solid State (By: Intel) (Model: 510 Series) Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 1x (500GB Western Digital Caviar (7200 RPM) (16MB Cache) (Model: Blue Edition) 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(s): 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 1.2GB (Includes PhysX Technology) (EVGA Edition) Add-on Card: - No Thanks Sound Card: Creative Labs X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional <b></b> Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Corsair A70 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 CPU Boost: Standard Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 Automatic Overclocking 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 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 (Extra Large) 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 Sub-Total: $2,456.00
Tax: $0.00 S&H: Grand Total: $2,521.00 My Concerns:
1. I realize after reading the forums that I went crazy on the RAM and probably should have gone with 8 GB instead of 16GB.
2. I should have requested the top fan be put in the case for an extra $30 although with the low desk clearance on top I am not sure how much of an advantage it would have been.
3. I am wondering if, even though I am not a big gamer, I should have went with the Noctua NH-D14?
4. I am also wondering if for expandability, I should have went with the 1050W Corsair Pro Silver?
5. I did have DS do the wiring for a second NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 that I can add later if I need it.
6. Even though the computer sits in a desk, I kind of wish I had spent $10 for the internal lights.
I did get to talk to DS briefly before ordering and made the following choices based on their recommendations:
1. I did not go with the high end chip or mother board. The tech said I didn't need it and it got me in my price range.
2. I went with a sound car rather than using the motherboard due to music being a primary use.
3. No overclocking. Tech said I didn't need it due to not being a gamer. Same goes for cooling fan upgrade and power supply upgrade (probably also went this route to keep me in the price range).
4. They recommended the upgrade to the case (from the Cooler Master Elite 430
that I had selected). 5. I went low end on the second hard drive. I figured I could upgrade or add to later when the price comes down plus I have a couple of large external drives I can use in the mean time if needed.
I think that's it. Thanks in advance for your review.
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FrankW
DS Veteran 
Joined: 22 Feb 2010 Online Status: Offline Posts: 2254 |
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Posted: 08 Jan 2012 at 1:27pm |
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Hi Bandit,
Well you should ask you wife to bitch slap you a few times for not asking before you placed you order. 
You have spent more money than you needed to but it will be a good system. If you just ordered you can still make changes like reducing the memory to 8Gb and getting stage 1 OC. A faster CPU speed will help any user. What you have done is built a gaming machine for a non-gaming user. You are OK with what you have but I do have a problem with putting the computer in an enclosed desk. Having only an open front limits air flow. For good air flow you need unobstructed air coming into the case and exiting the area. You have selected a great case that draws air into the case from the front and left side. Hot/warm air is exhausted out the back and top. What happens with a closed box is the hot/warm air fills the area around the computer and eventually the side fan will be drawing in hot/warm air. This cycle continues and the air available to the side fan becomes hotter and hotter. It is just a poor situation. The best solution is to set the computer on top of the desk or on a stool next to the desk. If you just have to put the computer in that compartment cut out the back panel. If structurally you can't do that they drill a bunch of 1" holes all over the back panel particularly at the top. Frank Edited by FrankW - 08 Jan 2012 at 1:27pm |
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Bandit
Newbie
Joined: 08 Jan 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10 |
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Posted: 08 Jan 2012 at 2:07pm |
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Thanks Frank. I realize I put the cart before the horse on soliciting advice. My wife is aware of my "Tim Allen" sydrome (MORE POWER AARRRRGGGHHH!).
Is stage 1 OC something I (a novice) could take on?
I realize the desk situation is far from ideal but I'm pretty much locked in. It does have a 2 1/2 inch diameter hole in the top of desk for cabling directly above the back of the computer. I could probably even mount a small fan to the back of the desk below the vent hole to assist with pulling air through.
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pos
Groupie 
Joined: 29 Aug 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 188 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 08 Jan 2012 at 3:24pm |
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Bandit, Just adding my 2cent. You are purchasing a custom gaming computer that puts out alot more heat Than a Dell or anyother off the shelf brand. The computer needs plenty of open space to get the heat out of the case. Best of luck and welcome to DS
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the pos Loves His ODE3
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DST4ME
DS ELITE 
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758 |
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Posted: 08 Jan 2012 at 4:17pm |
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Overkill and waste of money for your use.
1. yes 8GB is more then enough. 2. you want the top fan but you need the case have lot of room all the way around for airflow. 3. being a gamer has got nothing to do with your cpu cooler, a70 is a great cooler you are fine. 4. if you are not a heavy gamer or don't need highest settings you don't need sli, if you don't' need sli then you want the 750hx for best performance reliability, if you want sli ability then you want the 1050hx. 6. refer to number 2 as far as case placment. as far as what DS told you: 1. the highend 6 core would help with wife's video editing, but overall you are good with 2600k. 2. you can always add sound card later, unless sound quality is extremely important to you, try the mobo sound first, if its not enough add a sound card which takes 1 minute for somebody who has never done it. 3. completely false, cpu is the brain of your pc, what would happen if I could make you think 10 times faster? would that just help you in gaming? NO, it would help you with everything, same thing with the brain of your cpu, actually for gaming all you need is about a 3.9GHz oc however a higher oc (4.6Ghz) will help with everything else other then gaming, in short get your cpu oced, you have the a70 th at can do stage 2 oc easy, and it the one thing that makes the biggest difference in your system's overall performance. 4. haf x has the best airflow, thats the one you want. 5. drop the hdd and add one in yourself later when hdd prices come down, right now whatever you pay or get, you are overpaying, in 2 or 3 months prices are gonna drop back down to normal. Now as for your config: a. drop ram to 8GB b. You got the wrong ssd, its the 320 you want not the 510, where it counts the 320 has better speeds. c. for psu either go with 750w hx for single gpu or 1050hx for dual gpu. d. drop hdd and add a 1TB black caviar later when prices are normal, right now you are pretty much paying for the 1TB BC but getting a 500GB inferior in speeds. We recommend the 1TB black caviar for its speeds, not all black caviar drives enjoy that speed. e. You most go with stage 1 or 2 oc. f. Ask DS specifically for this fan to be added to the top, so you endup with 4 x 200mm fans: haf 200mm non led fan Ask for vcore lower then 1.4 for your oc. Edited by DST4ME - 08 Jan 2012 at 4:18pm |
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Bandit
Newbie
Joined: 08 Jan 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10 |
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Posted: 08 Jan 2012 at 7:24pm |
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DST4ME
Thanks for your information.
Do you recommend two gpu for my purposes?
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DST4ME
DS ELITE
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 08 Jan 2012 at 8:59pm |
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Dual sli (2 gpus) would be needed to max out games like bf3 at 1900 x 1200/1080 res.
So if that is something you need then go dual sli, if not then you have not need for dual sli. |
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rholson
Newbie
Joined: 01 Jan 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 22 |
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Posted: 08 Jan 2012 at 9:01pm |
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Hey Bandit,
I sympathize with your desk problem, I too have my case under my desk next to my leg (it's supposed to be in a totally enclosed cabinet, duh). I thought about doing liquid cooling so I could use a remote radiator on the back of my desk but the cost and potential problems didn't make me feel warm and fuzzy. Then it occurred to me that if I just use some small fan under the desk to blow enough air out the back my problem is solved (except for my wife using it as a footrest). I hope this helps.
Rholson
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DST4ME
DS ELITE
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758 |
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Posted: 08 Jan 2012 at 9:13pm |
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As long as its not just sucking air out, there has to be flow of fresh air from the other side and then the fan you are talking about sucks it out the other side or something like that, keep in mind this is still not as good as having proper room all the way around the case.
you also want to make sure that the fan you are putting down there to suck air is not interfering with the case's fans that are triing to blow air in the case (side and front). Edited by DST4ME - 08 Jan 2012 at 9:14pm |
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Bandit
Newbie
Joined: 08 Jan 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10 |
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Posted: 08 Jan 2012 at 9:43pm |
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The wife will sh*t if I put that thing on top of her custom made oak desk! If I have to as a last resort, so be it. I will see what kind of temperatures I end up with when I get it. With the front completely open, I think if I mount a fan under the back 2 1/2 inch hole in the top of the desk it should create a natural wind tunnel through the desk to pull the heat up and out. I guess I will see if my theory works or if I cook something.
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DST4ME
DS ELITE
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758 |
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Posted: 08 Jan 2012 at 10:04pm |
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that sounds like a good idea, if the top of the area has a fan sucking air out and front is open that should create a good air flow, however, what size fan are you gonna put there? its gonna need to be a powerful fan.
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Bandit
Newbie
Joined: 08 Jan 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10 |
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Posted: 08 Jan 2012 at 10:37pm |
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I should have plenty of room between the PC and the back of the desk so I am thinking I can probably rig up something like one of those small personal fans that you see people using at their desk in an office.
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DST4ME
DS ELITE
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758 |
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Posted: 08 Jan 2012 at 10:48pm |
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Not sure how powerful those fans are or if they are gonna be able to do what you want, but I guess you know them and you know they can do it.
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Bandit
Newbie
Joined: 08 Jan 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10 |
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Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 5:58am |
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DST4ME
I wasn't able to make changes before my new DS shipped.
I will have to live with the following:
1. More RAM than I need (there could definately be worse things to live with I guess
 )2. 800 power supply (hopefully this makes due)
3. The 510 SSD (not sure how big a difference this will be from 320)
Hopefully I can "fix" the following:
1. Buy an extra fan for the top of the case.
2. Get cpu oc'd
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DST4ME
DS ELITE
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758 |
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Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 5:37pm |
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contact managment and see if they are willing to swap the 510 for a 320, you pay shipping.
the oc you can do with them for whatever they charge over the phone. you can always look at oc guides on the net also, Like this one, but I recommend people get it here so that it has warranty on the system with the oc on. the psu if times comes and you need to you can change, let us walk you thru. ram, oh well, from 0 to 10, 10 being a horrible thing, this is a -1, only bad thing here is the money that went toward it. you can easily buy and add the fan to the top, do that right away and let us walk you thru very easy, screw in 4 screws and plug it in the mobo or molex, and you are done. |
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Bandit
Newbie
Joined: 08 Jan 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10 |
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Posted: 10 Jan 2012 at 11:05pm |
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DST4ME
Thank you for your great advice. Please forgive me if this is a stupid question but...DS shows the 320 series as best and the 510 as ultimate and it cost $86 extra for the 510. It sounds like you are recommending I trade DS even up the 510 for the 320 if they will do it even though they rated the 510 higher and it costs more?? Thanks again for your help. |
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DST4ME
DS ELITE
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758 |
Quote Reply
Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 1:29am |
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DS has their own rating for their own reasons, they have nothing to do with what everybody else things or the numbers they put out, the 510 is suppose to be the higher end drive according to intel, so DS has it as ultimate, however in real life use, the 510 is disappointing, and loses to 320 at 4k level where most of our use is.
when I said trade I meant you swap but you get the difference however its your swap so you pay shipping, thats of course if they will do it to begin with. My pleasure 
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Bandit
Newbie
Joined: 08 Jan 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10 |
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Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 6:11am |
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I will call them and ask if they will swap the 510 for the 320 (I pay shipping both ways) and credit the difference to the purchase of a fan for the top of the case (that they can ship with the 320) and helping me with a stage 2 OC and I will pay any difference above the credit for the stage 2 oc tech support. Does this sound like a reasonable request?
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DST4ME
DS ELITE
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758 |
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Posted: 11 Jan 2012 at 4:39pm |
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yes however the fan you are adding is $15, and since you are doing the installing and etc, it should not cost more then that for the 200mm oem fan.
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Bandit
Newbie
Joined: 08 Jan 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10 |
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Posted: 20 Jan 2012 at 10:39pm |
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DST
Here is what I ended up with:
fan $30
Intel 320 SSD $276
shipping (round trip) $29.76
restocking fee (for intel 510) $27
Stage 2 OC $69.00
= $431.76
- 362.00 credit for Intel 510 SSD
My total for the changes $69.76
I have the fan installed and installed my software on the new SSD. All I have left to do is call in for my tech support to do the stage 2 OC.
As with anything, change orders can get expensive fast. DS gave me a break on the restocking fee, it was initially $54 (ouch). Since I was installing it myself, I probably should have bought the fan from another source. I could have gotten the same size coolermaster LED fan with free shipping for about half the price.
So far so good with the new box. DS has been very nice to work with on the phone.
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DST4ME
DS ELITE
Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 36758 |
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Posted: 21 Jan 2012 at 8:46pm |
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Sounds nice boss
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