looking for advice

Budget:
2500

Expectations:
quiet system that ill last several years without needing upgrades

Usage:
mostly gaming

Special Needs:
none

Saved Ticket #: 1328777
Specifications:
Specifications:
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Digital Storm Apollo (Black) <br><strong></strong>
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: DELAY: Intel Core i7 6700K 4.0GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core) (DELAY OF 5-10 ADDITIONAL DAYS) <br><strong></strong>
Motherboard: ASUS Z170 PRO GAMING (Intel Z170 Chipset) (Up to 5x PCI-E Devices)
System Memory: 16GB DDR4 2666MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series
Power Supply: 750W EVGA SuperNOVA (750 B1)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Optical Drive: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Storage Set 1: 1x SSD (250GB Samsung 850 EVO)
Storage Set 2: 1x Storage (1TB Western Digital - Black Edition) <br><strong></strong>
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 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB (Includes PhysX) <br><strong></strong>
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
HPC Processor: - No Thanks
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 2: Digital Storm Vortex 240mm Radiator Liquid CPU Cooler (Extreme-Performance Edition) <br><strong></strong>
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a custom HydroLux liquid cooling system selected
Chassis Fans: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Airflow Control: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
LaserMark: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock CPU - Up to 4.4GHz (Depends on Cooling and Motherboard) <br><strong></strong>
Boost Graphics Card(s): - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: - 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
Portable Gaming: - 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)

will be using a 1920x1080 monitor

few questions i have are:
whats the difference between the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB (Includes PhysX) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6GB (ASUS Strix Edition)? is it just different companies and thats it? is the 40 extra dollars worth getting it?

the default processor for the system i picked was Intel Core i7 6700 3.4GHz (Codename Skylake) (Quad Core) (Not Overclockable) with saying it isnt overclockable but has the skylake tag. the one i picked the Intel Core i7 6700K 4.0GHz (Unlocked CPU) (Quad Core) (DELAY OF 5-10 ADDITIONAL DAYS) doesnt say skylake but it is overclockable. is the "skylake" more important? (sorry im very ignornat on these things).

is my cooling system enough? right now im at 2482, pretty much right on budget so id like to stay around that. im willing to pay a bit more if it is needed and/or will make a big improvement / extend the life of the computer. quality is important to me. thanks

I agree with bprat22's modifications. However, I do have one suggestion regarding the CPU cooler.

I too have the Apollo and one thing I wish I had done differently was swap the 240mm cooler for the 120mm cooler. The reason being that DS mounts the 240mm cooler on the top of the case (due to size), which makes the Apollo louder and more dust-prone. I think that the Digital Storm Vortex 120mm Radiator Liquid CPU Cooler (High-Performance Edition) would do you just fine for cooling, while also keeping the top of the case covered and less dust-prone.

Other than that, your build looks solid. Happy gaming!

The Corsair H100i GTX is a 240mm cooler, so it is the same size as the Digital Storm Vortex 240mm. So either way, they will both end up in the top part of the case.

I wouldn't switch cases because the Apollo has excellent thermal performance and airflow. If overheating is something you'd like to avoid, then this case will work great.

For the cooler, it all depends on how serious you are about overclocking. If you are an enthusiast and will be putting some serious pressure on your CPU (and your system to that extent) then go with the 240mm cooler. If you plan to overclock a little but nothing serious, then I would go with the 120mm cooler. The 240mm cooler is fine if you are very concerned about overheating and want the peace-of-mind that you have the best possible cooling setup, so long as you can put up with the increase in noise and the potential of more dust entering the system. Regular cleaning should make the dust part a non-factor though.

The noise did bother me for a while. At idle, the fans were audible enough to distract me. I did get used to it though. I can't hear the system while I game because I wear a headset. So if you have a headset, no need to worry about the extra noise while playing. But if I leave it on at night to download a game from Steam, the noise is a little annoying.

I have to mention that before buying my Apollo, I was a Mac guy, where my computers made practically no noise. You are correct about "loud" being subjective, so maybe the noise may not be as loud for you as it was for me. I do believe that closing the top of the pc and using 120mm cooler would help a bit with the noise.

In the end, spending more to compensate for the future is something I do too when building, though you have to be very honest with yourself. If you believe there is more than a good chance that you'll be taxing your pc in the future, then going with the 240mm cooler now would be fine. But if you find yourself doubting the upgrade to the 240mm cooler, then I'd go with the 120mm cooler. The Apollo has lots of room, so upgrading the cooler later on to a 240mm wouldn't be very difficult.

Good luck!

The H100i can be easily adjusted for noise.  Corsair Link siftware, Asus Fan Xpert, etc can all be used to adjust the rpm, even have them auto adjust with temp.  The H100i can be noisy on High settings, but for a moderate overclock, you can adjust them down, keeping an eye on temps of course.

Another solution is to just get my favorite, The Noctua D14 or 15.  An air cooler that cools great at those settings, is very quiet and super reliable.  Nothing to adjust, download, tweak, just works for years.  It is huge and some hate the looks, but I like it.   Tops in reliability and quiet. 

i thought DS had an "upgrade service", if it's worth it to you to ship your old system to them and have them build inside the old case you might give them a call about it, or email Alex directly to set it up/go over the cost with you.

Originally posted by db188 i thought DS had an "upgrade service", if it's worth it to you to ship your old system to them and have them build inside the old case you might give them a call about it, or email Alex directly to set it up/go over the cost with you.

Yes, that is possible. We can have the unit come in for service and perform upgrades. Please note, we do not offer credits or buy back old hardware.