FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Register Register  Login Login

Opinions on new Slade build

Post Date: 2013-01-01
 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
gwaihir View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 01 Jan 2013
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2 		  Quote gwaihir Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Topic: Opinions on new Slade build
    Posted: 01 Jan 2013 at 5:52pm
I'm new to the DS forum and seriously considering purchasing a Slade system, but wanted to pick any willing brains for any suggestions/opinions before pulling the trigger.  Short background - I primarily will be using this machine for digital illustration in Photoshop and 2D animation in TVPaint.  Secondarily, AfterEffects and some gaming.  While not a hardcore gamer, I felt this setup would give some longevity and be more affordable than a comparable workstation.  I don't have the time to build my own, and I wanted to move away from Dell (I'll be retiring a 5+yo XPS720) which doesn't offer the same hardware versatility as DS obviously does.  So ANYWAY ... here's the roughly $3K Slade I'm speccing:

Specifications:
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Corsair Obsidian 550D
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 3930K 3.2GHz (Unlocked CPU for Extreme Overclocking) (Six-Core)
Motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Extreme X79 (Intel X79 Chipset) (Features USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s) <b></b>
System Memory: 32GB 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 (240GB Solid State (By: Intel) (Model: 520 Series)
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 680 2GB (Includes PhysX) (Overclocked EVGA)
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Digital Storm Vortex 120mm Radiator Liquid CPU Cooler (High-Performance Edition)
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: Noise Suppression Package Stage 1 (Optimized Airflow & Fan Speeds Only)
LaserMark: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Standard Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 Automatic Overclocking
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: FREE: Yes, Disable and tweak all of the non-crucial services on the operating system <b></b>
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-Bit Edition)

I'll be adding 2 1TB HDs from my old machine and some other stuff.  I mainly wanted to get some feedback between the GTX680 and the 7970 (which would save me a little cash), but any suggestions are welcome.  Thanks and Happy New Year!
 
Back to Top
DomTheBomb View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie

Email address used to purchase matched with forums account email.

Joined: 19 May 2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 314 		  Quote DomTheBomb Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 01 Jan 2013 at 7:50pm
Welcome to the forums gwaihir!

Your build looks very well suited for your needs. With the cooler you have you could up the overclocking to stage 1. You'll see much increased performance, especially since the CPU is unlocked. Stability won't be an issue, but it may add some increased noise if that was why you didn't add it.

As far as 680 vs 7970, I'm not entirely sure but I believe that the 680's CUDA cores are more suited for the GPU accelerated features of photoshop and aftereffects.

I'm sure that others will have some suggestions on your build as well.

The difference between this system and your 5 year old Dell is going to be huge.
DS x17, 1 Year 5 Months
i7 3720QM (2.6GHz/3.6GHz)
16GB 1600MHz DDR3
Nvidia GTX 680M 4GB
240GB Intel 520 SSD
Windows 8.1 Pro
Back to Top
bprat22 View Drop Down
DS ELITE
DS ELITE

DigitalStorm East -- (Unofficially!)
Email address used to purchase matched with forums account email.

Joined: 08 Jun 2011
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 20391 		  Quote bprat22 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 02 Jan 2013 at 6:23am
That's a real nice config. Big%20Smile
 
I also recommend at least stage 1 overclocking.  It's a cheap performance boost.
 
You could also save a few bucks by going with a gtx 670.  Not much difference, maybe 5-10% in games, between the two.  But, the 680 is tops.
 
You could also save some $$ going with the Sabertooth or Deluxe boards.  The RIVE is a great board, but intended for those wanting tri-sli cards or into overclocking  themselves.  The Sabertooth also has a 5 year warranty as opposed to 3 years for most others.  But, again, the board you picked is one of the best.
 
 
Good luck.


Edited by bprat22 - 02 Jan 2013 at 6:42am
Back to Top
gwaihir View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 01 Jan 2013
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2 		  Quote gwaihir Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 02 Jan 2013 at 8:24am
That is some great info from you both!  Thank you so much.  Getting a few opinions certainly helps a great deal before diving in ... especially when it comes to overclocking.  Never did much of that myself, but if it gives a little extra punch it's good to know that it would be worth it.  Thanks again! 
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.0546875 seconds.