New Velox Advice

All,

I need some reality checking and advice for this Velox rig (config ID: 1511759). I was considering a new Halistorm II to replace my Hailstorm I, but kind of liked the tight and custom vibe of the Velox. I also don't think I need a complicated liquid cool machine. Primary use is gong to be gaming and some basic business apps. In addition to general advice about the build, I have some specific questions for feedback.

1. Any reason to wait for Kaby Lake and z270? I'm not in a hurry and could wait, but the performance gain is not likely to be great given my lack of interest in serious on-the-edge overclocking.

2. Any thoughts on the PSU? I added more PSU than I need at this point, but I like the Corsair and had other PSUs crap out quikly in the past.

3. Do I need a fan controller? I opted for the custom fans, but am wondering what control I gain by adding the DS fan controller vs. plugging them into the MB.

4. Thoughts on the GTX 1080 brand? I opted out of the founder edition and intot he evga version... seems like it will be easaier to pair if I add another GPU for SLI later.

5. Other thoughts?


Thanks,

Doc


Digital Storm Desktop - Config ID 1511759     
1
$3,634.00     $3,634.00
     
System Configuration:
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Digital Storm Velox
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 6700K 4.0GHz (Codename Skylake) (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS MAXIMUS VIII HERO (Intel Z170 Chipset) (Up to 5x PCI-E Devices)
System Memory: 32GB DDR4 2666MHz Digital Storm Performance Series
Power Supply: 1000W Corsair HX1000i (Digitally Controlled Power)
Expansion Bay: Option Not Available
Optical Drive: Blu-Ray Player/DVD Writer (Play Blu-Ray and Burn DVDs) (Internal)
Storage Set 1: 1x SSD M.2 (512GB Samsung 950 PRO) (NVM Express) (Extreme Performance)
Storage Set 2: 1x Storage (4TB Western Digital - Black Edition)
Storage Set 3: - No Thanks
RAID Config: - No Thanks
RAID Card: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Graphics Card(s): 1x GeForce GTX 1080 8GB (EVGA ACX 3.0) (VR Ready)
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
HPC Processor: - No Thanks
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Digital Storm Vortex 240mm Liquid CPU Cooler (Fully Sealed + No Maintenance)
HydroLux Tubing Style: - Not Applicable, I do not have a custom HydroLux liquid cooling system selected
HydroLux Fluid Color: - Not Applicable, I do not have a custom HydroLux liquid cooling system selected
Cable Management: Premium Cable Management (Strategically Routed & Organized for Airflow)
Chassis Fans: Corsair LED Airflow Performance Edition (Blue) Fans
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Airflow Control: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
LaserMark: - No Thanks
CPU Boost: Stage 1: Overclock CPU - Up to 4.4GHz (Depends on Cooling and Motherboard)
Graphics Boost: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
OS Boost: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows CD)
Virus Protection: FREE: McAfee AntiVirus Plus (1 Year Service Activation Card) (Not Pre-installed) ($35 Value)
Office: - No Thanks
Game: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
Branded Gear: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 10-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty (3 Year Labor & 1 Year Part Replacement)

Thanks for the thoughts. On the point about fan noise... I hadn't read anything to suggest that the Velox was particularly loud, given the baseline that it's an aircooled rig. Anyone else having trouble with fan noise on the Velox?

More ideas, folks? All opinions welcome.

One thing to consider with the Velox and an H cooler is that the radiator will be mounted to the inside front.   The air coming in will be warm after passing through the rad. I'm sure DS has tested it but it's still not fresh cool air. If you opt for the LITE cooler they may be able to mount the rad under the top where it belongs. Check with them. My pick is an air cooler like Noctua, but DS has dropped it because of a higher chance of shipping damage.   The Noctua cools great, is quiet and leaves case fans alone. But we have to go with what they have.

Some don't pick up on it, but the Velox has a right facing window, hence the inverted mobo. Most have left facing windows. Your desk setup might make a difference.







Edited by bprat22 - 01 Nov 2016 at 3:06am

Originally posted by db188 it's a perforated chassis, so...the loudest fans are going to be coming from the graphics (under avg. gaming load probably in the 32-41db range), the case fans at 12V are 25-ish db each if memory serves.  not sure what the specs are for your cpu fan(s), but they and the psu are probably the least of your worries.  fan noise is relative and to each his own on what is considered "noisy" or "distracting".

Thanks for that info. I am wondering if the Hailstorm II would be way quieter. My current Hailstorm is pretty quiet, but sometimes doesn't seem to move air all that well.

Originally posted by bprat22 One thing to consider with the Velox and an H cooler is that the radiator will be mounted to the inside front.   The air coming in will be warm after passing through the rad. I'm sure DS has tested it but it's still not fresh cool air. If you opt for the LITE cooler they may be able to mount the rad under the top where it belongs. Check with them. My pick is an air cooler like Noctua, but DS has dropped it because of a higher chance of shipping damage.   The Noctua cools great, is quiet and leaves case fans alone. But we have to go with what they have. Some don't pick up on it, but the Velox has a right facing window, hence the inverted mobo. Most have left facing windows. Your desk setup might make a difference.

Good point about the air cooler. I was trying to avoid the hydroluxe lite setup to save money... and it seemed a little illogical to me to go for a specifically designed aircooled rig and than add sophisticated liquid cooling.

I wasn't even thinking about the case window... nice catch. And now, of course, I'll have to decide if I care that the window will be hidden from view based on my desk setup. Sigh.