New Old CustomerPost Date: 2019-07-23 |
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Dynamus
Groupie Joined: 03 Aug 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 177 |
Quote Reply
Topic: New Old Customer Posted: 23 Jul 2019 at 9:40am |
Greetings fellow DS buyers and fans. I purchased my first DS custom build back in 2011 and, just like myself, it is starting to show its age.
I have been out of the high-end computer community for a bit now and man are things looking good these days. One of the new platforms offered is appealing but seems like something that won't last quite as long as my full tower build of old. So what say you on the Aura? The appeal of being that portable is hard to beat but I have also never heard of anyone being wowed by an all in one setup either. If you do not think this is the way to go do you suggest sending in my old rig for a complete overhaul, or starting fresh? Budget is $3500ish give or take. Gaming/general use. Want highest settings and maybe VR one day if I like how it turns out. Currently looking at this build: code 2487569 Chassis Chassis Model: Digital Storm Aura (Model: DSLP3200) Core Components Processor: Intel Core i7-9700K (4.9 GHz Turbo) (8-Core) 3.6 GHz Motherboard: ASRock Z390M Pro4 (Intel Z390 Chipset) (Up to 1x PCI-E Device) System Memory: 32GB DDR4 3000MHz Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro (RGB Light Bar) Power Supply: 450W (80 Plus Gold Rated) (Supports up to GTX 1080) Storage / Connectivity Storage Set 1: 1x SSD (2TB Samsung 860 EVO) Storage Set 2: 1x SSD M.2 (1TB Samsung 970 PRO) (NVM Express) (Extreme Performance) Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Graphics / Multimedia Graphics Card(s): 1x GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8GB (VR Ready) Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio |
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HockeyBuck
DS Veteran Joined: 27 Jul 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1608 |
Quote Reply Posted: 23 Jul 2019 at 12:20pm |
Welcome back Dynamus.
I’ll go on the anti-Aura record here for you...lol. Your old 2011 tower likely offers rebuild options galore and without many limitations....but building a pc into the back of a display limits absolutely everything for the sake of compactness. You basically get a limited laptop motherboard crammed into a monitor back panel. Small PSU, small cooler, heat...all avoidable. Just say no...lol. Rebuild in your old case, or choose one of the other ATX sized DS builds and you’ll get something stronger and without limitations for the next 8 + years again...infinitely more upgradeable to stay on top. I prepared a stronger gaming Config for you in the Lumos build around your budget...based on a better RTX 2080 Super. No limits to upgrade potential here...and cooler.... I replaced a 2011 DS ODE build with a similar Lumos this year and my son loves it about 12 hrs a day....solid stuff. Lumos build1.....($3,536)...Config # 2487814 Corsair Crystal Series 570X mid tower ATX case Intel i7-9700K 8 core CPU with free Stage 1 Overclock Corsair H115i Pro 280mm AIO no maintenance cooler with long warranty ASUS ROG Strix Z390 -H motherboard 32 GB Corsair RGB RAM 1 TB Samsung Evo 970 M.2 NVME Drive1 2 TB Samsung Evo 960 SATA III SSD Drive2 NVidia RTX 2080 Super GPU Corsair RM850x all modular Gold efficiency PSU Corsair LL Series RGB Case fans Edited by HockeyBuck - 23 Jul 2019 at 12:48pm |
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hoserator
DS Veteran We don't need no stinking "Avatars" ! Joined: 08 Oct 2014 Online Status: Offline Posts: 7942 |
Quote Reply Posted: 23 Jul 2019 at 2:23pm |
Welcome back. I agree with Cretae. Don't get an AIO if you enjoyed your tower. Do you need portability? IIRC you could ship that tower of yours back to DS and they will build you a new one using your case and the parts you want. Maybe worth to check. Good luck.
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Dynamus
Groupie Joined: 03 Aug 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 177 |
Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jul 2019 at 5:16am |
Ha! Well this is kind of what I figured everyone would say. It is a really cool idea in theory but I agree the limits are definitely there. I am going to try and find my old build specs and post them here. See what everyone thinks would be best and contact DS about doing a little updating on my old trusty powerhouse. |
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Dynamus
Groupie Joined: 03 Aug 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 177 |
Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jul 2019 at 5:18am |
Sounding like this is the best option. Thank you for taking the time to let me know your thoughts on this! |
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Cretae
DS Veteran Joined: 22 Mar 2010 Online Status: Offline Posts: 7328 |
Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jul 2019 at 5:20am |
Actually, hoserator agrees with HockeyBuck...lol. I agree with both that the Aura is far too limiting to give you the longevity we all seem to relish with a strong DS build.
The best part of HB's suggestion for you is that it currently comes with a $300 discount putting you well under budget with a very powerful rig. I also believe shipping is free. Unless you are trying to grind out gaming on a 4K monitor, the GPU will give you plenty of headroom for max settings at 1440p. If you're on a 1080p monitor, and intend to stay there, the 2070 SUPER is your card of choice. Once again, exceeds the need well under budget for that resolution. All the other parts recommended will give you very high-end performance everywhere for many years. You've done this before, so feel free to experiment with the configurator. We recommend the name brand parts as they all carry manufacturer warranties that well exceed the DS parts warranty. You probably know 16 GB of RAM is all you need for gaming, but 32 GB is very cheap right now. Be sure to get an NVMe M.2 SSD for your primary drive. About 5x faster than a SATA drive. NOTE that if you decide the 1TB is larger than you want for Drive C, the NVMe 512GB 970 PRO is actually cheaper than the 500GB 970 EVO right now! |
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hoserator
DS Veteran We don't need no stinking "Avatars" ! Joined: 08 Oct 2014 Online Status: Offline Posts: 7942 |
Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jul 2019 at 5:36am |
Oh boy, Sorry for the senile moment. |
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Cretae
DS Veteran Joined: 22 Mar 2010 Online Status: Offline Posts: 7328 |
Quote Reply Posted: 24 Jul 2019 at 6:38am |
@hoserator:
I was actually flattered. I'm thinking of having it framed, and posted on FB |
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Dynamus
Groupie Joined: 03 Aug 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 177 |
Quote Reply Posted: 06 Aug 2019 at 4:03pm |
Alright folks, looks like I am not that happy in my budget so I expanded a bit. Take a look at this bad boy and let me know what you think:
Item 1 --- Digital Storm Velox (Config # 2514400) 1 $5,764.00 $5,764.00 Chassis Chassis Model: Digital Storm Velox Core Components Processor: Intel Core i7-9800X (8-Core) 3.80GHz Motherboard: ASUS ROG STRIX X299-E GAMING (Wi-Fi) (Intel X299 Chipset) (Up to 3x PCI-E Devices) System Memory: 32GB DDR4 3000MHz Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro (RGB Light Bar) Power Supply: 1200W SilverStone Strider (Fully Modular) Storage / Connectivity Storage Set 1: 1x SSD M.2 (1TB Samsung 970 PRO) (NVM Express) (Extreme Performance) Storage Set 2: 1x SSD (1TB Samsung 860 PRO) Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Graphics / Multimedia Graphics Card(s): 2x SLI NVLink Dual (GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8GB (VR Ready) Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio Digital Storm Engineering Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Corsair H115i PRO - 280mm Liquid CPU Cooler (Fully Sealed + No Maintenance) Cable Management: Exotic Cable Management - Blue - (Cable Combs with Custom Color Sleeved Extension Cables) Chassis Fans: Corsair LL Series (RGB Fans) (Software Controlled Effects) Internal Lighting: Remote Controlled Advanced LED Lighting System (Multiple RGB Color Modes) Digital Storm TwisterBoost Technology Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock CPU - Up to 4.5GHz via Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 Boost Graphics Card(s): Yes, Overclock the video card(s) as much as possible with complete stability Boost OS: Yes, Disable and tweak all of the non-crucial services on the operating system Software Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-Bit Edition) Recovery Tools: USB Drive - Windows 10 Installation (Format and Clean Install) Virus Protection: Windows Defender Antivirus (Built-in to Windows 10) Office: Microsoft Office 2019 Home & Student (PC Attach Key PKC Only, No Pre-install) |
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HockeyBuck
DS Veteran Joined: 27 Jul 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1608 |
Quote Reply Posted: 06 Aug 2019 at 5:17pm |
Much better sir! Now you have a strong gaming system that should last a very long time and be easily upgradeable when it’s time. BTW Velox is available in custom paint color options....easily missed. We don’t usually recommend the Overclocking on the GPU’s when they are just air cooled...adds more stress and heat than it does performance. Remember that this total will qualify for $500 off!
I would recommend the Corsair AX1200i Platinum Efficiency Modular PSU (+$77) over the SilverStone model... Huge 10 yr Corsair warranty is the best. I have this 1200w PSU and it’s been outstanding. Has Digital control that would work with Corsair Link software to show some performance info, or you could add the Corsair Commander control module and see all of that info on all of your connected Corsair components. Strong dual RTX 2080 Super NVLink GPU’s. That will slay all opponents in just about all games, and handle fast refresh rate 4K and VR very well My thoughts here are that this is one thing that has definitely changed on us a bit over the last 8 years. NVidia is making their single cards much stronger then they did before, and there is a bit less support out there now for dual cards in games as a result. If it were me, I would go with one RTX 2080 Ti (-$507) instead and you can always add a 2nd matching RTX 2080 Ti card later if you find you want or need a bit more performance with what you are doing. The benefit is that a single card is a more simple deal to upgrade later on, generates less heat inside your case and that means the single cards intake air will also be a little cooler to help performance, and that excellent NVidia RTX 2080 Ti GPU remains at the very top of the gaming performance food chain ! Stay with the 1200w PSU to preserve your upgrade path for NVLink or more powerful GPU’s down the line. Lastly...don’t forget the DS Parts warranty covers everything for just one year...but the warranty can be upgraded for two year Parts or three year Parts. Let us know what you finally order, and keep us posted on how it all goes for you... We do like new system pictures here on the forum! Edited by HockeyBuck - 06 Aug 2019 at 5:18pm |
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Dynamus
Groupie Joined: 03 Aug 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 177 |
Quote Reply Posted: 06 Aug 2019 at 5:32pm |
Hummm very interesting on the SLI topic. Never thought I'd ever hear the words go single to get more but I will def look into it. Do you suggest the 2080 Ti for price because if I am going single I may step it up to the next level. I was kind of guessing on the power supply honestly so thanks for that info. Let me fiddle a bit more and I'll post a new build with the suggestions and see how much I can make myself feel bad for buying a computer that is more than my first car |
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Dynamus
Groupie Joined: 03 Aug 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 177 |
Quote Reply Posted: 06 Aug 2019 at 5:58pm |
Alright: Not going past the 2080 Ti...good lord.
The last thing I am wavering on is the CPU. Should I throw a couple hundred more towards that or is what I am choosing good enough? Item 1 --- Digital Storm Velox (Config # 2514641) 1 $5,458.00 $5,458.00 Chassis Chassis Model: Digital Storm Velox Core Components Processor: Intel Core i7-9800X (8-Core) 3.80GHz Motherboard: ASUS ROG STRIX X299-E GAMING (Wi-Fi) (Intel X299 Chipset) (Up to 3x PCI-E Devices) System Memory: 32GB DDR4 3000MHz Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro (RGB Light Bar) Power Supply: 1200W Corsair AX1200i (Digitally Controlled Power) Storage / Connectivity Storage Set 1: 1x SSD M.2 (1TB Samsung 970 PRO) (NVM Express) (Extreme Performance) Storage Set 2: 1x SSD (1TB Samsung 860 PRO) Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Graphics / Multimedia Graphics Card(s): 1x GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11GB (VR Ready) Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio Digital Storm Engineering Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Corsair H115i PRO - 280mm Liquid CPU Cooler (Fully Sealed + No Maintenance) Cable Management: Exotic Cable Management - Blue - (Cable Combs with Custom Color Sleeved Extension Cables) Chassis Fans: Corsair LL Series (RGB Fans) (Software Controlled Effects) Internal Lighting: Remote Controlled Advanced LED Lighting System (Multiple RGB Color Modes) Airflow Control: Corsair Commander PRO Management Control Board & Software (1x Board) Digital Storm TwisterBoost Technology Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock CPU - Up to 4.5GHz via Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 Boost OS: Yes, Disable and tweak all of the non-crucial services on the operating system |
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HockeyBuck
DS Veteran Joined: 27 Jul 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1608 |
Quote Reply Posted: 06 Aug 2019 at 8:59pm |
That should do you very nicely!
OK your question about CPU...Just go with a better Stage 2 Overclock (+$99) to get all the performance Intel designed it to give. Spending +$493 more for the pricey I9-9900X version offered in this X299 mobo build has a whopping 10 cores 20 virtual threads...but will not equate to noticeably better gaming over the 8 core 8 thread I7-9800X you selected . If you do content production, rendering, programming, photo editing or scientific calculation work... then those extra cores and logic threads would be useful...but not so with gaming. GPU...Yeah one RTX 2080 Ti is pricy enough, but that price has stayed high because it’s the very best gaming GPU. NVidia has said it will continue on as this years top consumer gaming GPU. If you want more out of one, then you would need to water cool it ( HydroLux Pro CPU + 1X GPU...+$971) Otherwise you would have to go with two of them NVLink (+$1150). I figure you will be over the moon happy when you see what just one RTX 2080 Ti can do! Edited by HockeyBuck - 06 Aug 2019 at 10:12pm |
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Cretae
DS Veteran Joined: 22 Mar 2010 Online Status: Offline Posts: 7328 |
Quote Reply Posted: 07 Aug 2019 at 5:14am |
Can't say I'm a big fan of your choice of i7-9800X over the i9-9900K for your CPU. The 9900K (note: K) is better at gaming. Higher turbo speed by a large margin, higher potential overclock, large power savings (-70W), less money. The only thing the 9800x brings to the table is PCIE lanes you're not going to use.
Also. I should point out that the PRO versions of your storage devices will not add performance anywhere near their additional cost. Just check the specs. If you got the EVO versions, you'd save $hundreds and never tell the difference. They are both warranted the same. |
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Dynamus
Groupie Joined: 03 Aug 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 177 |
Quote Reply Posted: 07 Aug 2019 at 5:37am |
Ohhh! Thanks for the tip on the Samsung storage. I think I'm going to flip those savings into the CPU and just get the i9-9900x. The reason being is that I know a few months down the road I will want to add another GPU. Plus it's the i9 vs i7 which might not make that big of a difference but a year from now I'll still be happy with that choice and not wishing I had just spent the extra couple of hundred.
We have whittled this thing down to almost completion and I am ready to pull the trigger. Just one last bit: I have the ROG Strix motherboard selected, is there any real benefit of stepping up to the Asus Prime? It's a marginal cost and if there is a benefit, why not? I mean I kept my last rig for over 8 years. But I also just don't want to throw money into the shredder. |
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Cretae
DS Veteran Joined: 22 Mar 2010 Online Status: Offline Posts: 7328 |
Quote Reply Posted: 08 Aug 2019 at 6:03am |
Look here (COPY; PASTE AND GO). You can compare the two boards feature by feature. (Don't mind that the Deluxe is not currently available at that site.) IMHO, I don't see a compelling reason to spend the extra. The differences seem negligible. I see 2 extra USB type A, 1 extra gigabit port, 1 extra PCIe slot, one LESS SATA port, and that's it.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/compare/ASUS_ROG_Strix_X299-E_Gaming_LGA_2066_ATX_Motherboard_vs_ASUS_Prime_X299-A_LGA_2066_ATX_Motherboard_vs_ASUS_Prime_X299-Deluxe_LGA_2066_ATX_Motherboard/BHitems/1344747-REG_1344750-REG_1344749-REG |
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Dynamus
Groupie Joined: 03 Aug 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 177 |
Quote Reply Posted: 08 Aug 2019 at 7:28am |
Fair enough! I had done a comparison on Tom's Hardware just like this. It seems DS is not offering the updated boards at this time, if they did I would definitely upgrade to the new ROG Strix as I really like the look of it better.
I wonder if I can buy it and ship it to them? I have change my RAM to the Corsair Dominator only because I don't like the look of the pastel colors on the RGB Pro but it's like a $40 difference so who cares. Looks like I have my final build. I'll contact and see if they allow me to ship some parts to them and go from there. |
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HockeyBuck
DS Veteran Joined: 27 Jul 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1608 |
Quote Reply Posted: 08 Aug 2019 at 11:01am |
If there is a board you want, and you are willing to pay the price and wait for it, DS can get anything you wish...just request it.
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Dynamus
Groupie Joined: 03 Aug 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 177 |
Quote Reply Posted: 08 Aug 2019 at 11:18am |
so many things that maybe it's best if I don't venture down that rabbit hole.
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hoserator
DS Veteran We don't need no stinking "Avatars" ! Joined: 08 Oct 2014 Online Status: Offline Posts: 7942 |
Quote Reply Posted: 08 Aug 2019 at 11:43am |
While in the rabbit hole check this one out. https://www.evga.com/products/product.aspx?pn=151-SX-E299-KR
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HockeyBuck
DS Veteran Joined: 27 Jul 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1608 |
Quote Reply Posted: 08 Aug 2019 at 1:54pm |
Forgive our guru pal Hose as he drives a huge Aventum...lol...
The mobo he passed along is way cool, but it’s an EATX size and Velox doesn’t fit EATX sized jumbo boards.... Find him another drool-worthy candidate in ATX size Hose...lol. Edited by HockeyBuck - 08 Aug 2019 at 2:04pm |
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Dynamus
Groupie Joined: 03 Aug 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 177 |
Quote Reply Posted: 08 Aug 2019 at 2:12pm |
Ha! Yeah I looked at it and my eyes got big until I saw the EATX.
Weird enough all of my research has shown a problem the ASUS openly acknowledged on the ROG STRIX x299-e that there is a heatsink issue that can cause total board failure and potential heat damage to supported devices. It is unlike DS to offer a product with a known issue. However ASUS released the new version: ROG STRIX x299-xe that fixes the heatsink issue and updates the board a little. This is honestly the board I want on my build. Also since Hose put me on the EVGA website I started looking around and really want the EVGA 2080Ti FTW3 Gaming GPU instead of a random pull from the parts box at DS headquarters. Gonna have to talk to the guys and see what the best approach to do this is |
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hoserator
DS Veteran We don't need no stinking "Avatars" ! Joined: 08 Oct 2014 Online Status: Offline Posts: 7942 |
Quote Reply Posted: 08 Aug 2019 at 5:32pm |
The Velox might be a mid tower but it will acommodate EATX mobos. Check out what size the MSI X-299 Creation or the Asus Rampage VI Extreme Omega are. Edited by hoserator - 08 Aug 2019 at 5:41pm |
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HockeyBuck
DS Veteran Joined: 27 Jul 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1608 |
Quote Reply Posted: 08 Aug 2019 at 5:55pm |
If it's available to consumers, DS can get it for you!
I can definitely recommend the EVGA RTX 2080 Ti FTW3 Ultra... I have the RTX 2080 FTW3 Ultra, and the massive heatsink and 3 fan cooler are the same as on the Ti version... For a single GPU solution on air EVGA's FTW3 line is the best. It is quite a heavy card, so you might ask DS to install a bracket to prevent card sag. I added a simple one to level mine. |
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HockeyBuck
DS Veteran Joined: 27 Jul 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1608 |
Quote Reply Posted: 09 Aug 2019 at 1:13pm |
I looked further at the (ATX) Asus ROG Strix X299-XE motherboard you wanted...and that new Strix board actually includes a GPU support bracket! It also includes a 40mm VRM fan and mount bracket...and the bigger addition is a Q-Code LCD. You usually have to move further up in the Asus ROG board food chain to get Q-Codes....so that is a biggee. Nice new mobo.
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Dynamus
Groupie Joined: 03 Aug 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 177 |
Quote Reply Posted: 09 Aug 2019 at 1:16pm |
I know right? I really like the look and specs but I have not found a really good benchmark on it yet to make sure it's as good as it sounds. But I have also been pretty busy and not out a lot of effort into it. I'll post one if I can find it tonight.
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HockeyBuck
DS Veteran Joined: 27 Jul 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1608 |
Quote Reply Posted: 10 Aug 2019 at 5:45pm |
from Anandtech...
https://www.anandtech.com/show/12069/the-asus-rog-strix-x299xe-gaming-motherboard-review |
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