Slade: All that, and room to spare!

[Since I can't post a new Topic in the "Customer Review" forum, this is as close as I can get.]

So, I've been building (and re-building) computers since 1988. I know what to do, but no longer want to spend the time and effort doing it all myself. I spent six months researching, building fantasy configs on various sites, and generally over-thinking what I was going to do. The important characteristics for me, in (approximate) order of importance, were:

o Longevity (foundation for future upgrades)
o Performance
o Quality of components
o Quality of assembly
o Quality of company
o QUIET
o Price

In the end what I realized was that six months from now I didn't want to be saying, "I really wish I had chosen Digital Storm!"

THIS IS THE RESULT



System Configuration:
Chassis Model:   Corsair Obsidian 550D
Processor:   Intel Core i7 4770K @ 3.50 GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core)
Motherboard:   ASUS Z97-C (Intel Z97 Chipset)
System RAM:   16GB DDR3 @ 2133MHz (2x8GB) Digital Storm Certified Performance Series
Power Supply:   EVGA 750W SuperNOVA Gold Rated (Dual SLI Compatible)
Optical Drive:   ASUS DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (LG Blu-Ray Writer added)
Storage Set 1:   WD 1TB - Black Edition (2TB Seagate Barracuda SSHD, and 1TB Seagate HDD added)
Internet Access:   Intel 10/100/1GBE Ethernet Network Port
Graphics Card(s): ASUS nVidia GeForce GTX 770 DirectCU II (2GB)
Sound Card:   RealTek Integrated Motherboard 7.1 Audio
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Digital Storm Vortex 120mm Radiator Liquid CPU Cooler
Chassis Fans:   Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Noise Reduction: Noise Suppression Package Stage 1 (Optimized Airflow & Fan Speeds Only)
CPU Boost:   Standard Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 Automatic Overclocking
Windows OS:   Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro (64-Bit Edition)

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Order Submitted: May 23 (Fri, 10:00 pm)
Stage 1 (Payment Processed): May 25 (Sunday)
Stage 2 (Inventory Assignment): May 27 (day after a Holiday)
Stage 3 (Phase 1 Stress Testing): May 27
Stage 4 (Engineering Lab): May 27
Stage 5 (Phase 2 Stress Testing): May 27
Stage 6 (Quality Assurance): May 28
Stage 7 (Released to Shipping): May 29 (FedEx p/u @ 4 pm)
Tracking Number Received: May 30 (Changed to “Hold at Location”)
Delivery: June 5 (p/u @ 5 pm)
First Boot: June 5 (7:15 pm)

Total: 13 days from order including two weekends and a Holiday!

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Everything is performing exactly as hoped and expected, and the ease of making physical upgrades has already proven valuable.

Well done, Digital Storm. Well done.

Edited by Thandal - 13 Jun 2014 at 1:01pm

Awesome review! We'll move this over shortly. Thanks for choosing Digital Storm!

Hi there! Thanks for posting your Slade review. I'm interested in a Slade myself, but I'm concerned about the noise - the fact that Digital Storm doesn't test and confirm a decibel value is odd. Do you have a db meter that you can take a reading from? I'd sure appreciate it if such a thing would be possible. :-)

There are a boat load of reviews of the Corsair 550D case that measures thermals and noise. The 550D case is the one used by DS to build the Slade. The reviews will give you a good idea of what the noise levels are when using the 550D case. The problem with the Slade is not the noise but the thermals. Most combinations of coolers and case insulation either raises the thermals or the noise. You can't trap the noise in a case and not also trap heat. If you remove one of the screens and mount a 220 radiator you are going to increase the noise. So anyone buying a Slade has to decide if they want to optimize the noise or optimize the thermals. Most reductions of the thermals will increase the noise.

Frank

I don't have access to a db meter, so can't provide any measurements.

Can say that my Slade sits under my desk at my knee and I really don't hear a thing.