Slade: Quiet & Fast

My SLADE Upgrade Story – OLD & NEW (A Digital Storm System Review with Pictures)

With a little more a month to go before the big Flight Simulator Round the World Race I experienced a hardware failure on my Digital Storm Hailstorm system.  After almost 4 years of flawless operation the water pump failed leaving me a system that could not start and that would potentially leave me unable to participate in this annual on-line event.

 I needed to move quickly in order to get a system built, tested, and delivered to me in time to prepare the new system for the race.  My DS Hailstorm system had been rock solid and performed very well so I did not hesitate to initiate a replacement system order from Digital Storm.  I already had a good idea of what I wanted because I had been considering an upgrade for a while.   I quickly selected the Slade system, configured it on-line to my specifications, and placed the order.  I selected priority build because I knew I would need it as soon as possible.   I contacted Digital Storm by phone to explain my urgency and they quickly reviewed my configuration and approved it for processing.   My Slade system entered Stage 1 on Jan 17 and completed Stage 7 on Jan 22. 

I also opened a support ticket for my down Hailstorm system and received a prompt follow-up call from Mike who concurred that the problem was likely a failed pump and a replacement was ordered and shipped. On Jan 28 I received and replaced the failed water pump, recharged the cooling system, and the computer started and ran fine at 4.1ghz over clock.  

Although I now had a good system for the race, I was eagerly looking forward to my NEW Slade System.

System Configuration Comparison (OLD Hailstorm -> NEW Slade)

On January 29 my NEW Slade System arrived.  The box was in good condition with a few expected scuffs from shipping and handling.   I unpacked the box and verified the contents against my order sheet.  Everything was in perfect order and condition - just as I have come to expect from Digital Storm.  I only ordered a single system disk for the Slade because I planned to install some disks that I already owned.   Installing my SSD and hard drives and configuring windows was quick and easy.  Flight Simulator X was installed on its own dedicated SSD.  Installing and configuring the many, many scenery and aircraft add-ons took almost three days and in the end used almost 300GB space just for FSX.

My NEW Digital Storm Slade system has surpassed my expectations.  It is much more compact than my Hailstorm and is also very, very quiet.   One thing I really like about Digital Storm is the large variety of system options and the high quality of the components on offer.  The Digital Storm online configuration system enables customers to evaluate and trade off options to obtain the best value and performance for their particular situation.   I really appreciate DS coming through for me and recommend them without reservation.

Thanks again.   Jeff Williams

Photos of the NEW Digital Storm Slade System:

Comparison Photos of OLD Hailstorm – NEW Slade: