New PC Build - Questions/Advice

[Bardalicious]

So I started building a new desktop PC last week.. this is the first time I've built my own in probably 8 years or so since my last purchase was a gaming laptop for portability.

So far my components are:

CM Storm Stryker - White Full Tower Gaming Computer Case with Handle and External 2.5" Drive Dock (https://m.newegg.com/products/N82E16811119260)

EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 G3, 80+ Gold 1000Watt fully modular PSU (https://m.newegg.com/products/9SIA24G5347265)

MSI Z270 XPOWER GAMING TITANIUM LGA 1151 Intel Z270 MoBo (https://m.newegg.com/products/N82E16813130968)

Intel Core i7-7700K Unlocked Kaby Lake Quad-Core 4.2 GHz CPU (https://m.newegg.com/products/N82E16819117726)

G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) 288-Pin DDR4 SDRAM DDR4 3200MHZ (https://m.newegg.com/products/N82E16820232091)

SAMSUNG 960 EVO M.2 250GB NVMe PCI-Express 3.0 x4 Internal Solid State Drive (https://m.newegg.com/products/N82E16820147593)

I'm using the M.2 NVMe SSD just for windows and important system software like malwarebytes and kaspersky, which leaves me enough room left over for installing any games I need the most performance from. I've got a standard 7200RPM SATA HDD for storage as well from my last desktop but I'll be replacing it with a SATA SSD, or perhaps an M.2 SATA just for tidyness in the case to limit cable usage. And eventually I'll probably add in another set of the same 32gb RAM and look into liquid cooling as well, since the MoBo I bought is very OC-friendly.

Now, I currently have an old graphics card in this tower (gtx 260, yuck), just so that I could get everything set up to ensure that none of my parts came DOA, and to get windows installed, drivers updated etc.

I'm looking for feedback on GPUs now, if anyone has built a new PC recently or upgraded their video card at least. I know I'll be going with NVIDIA for sure. I'm sort of leaning between the GTX 1080ti (https://m.newegg.com/products/N82E16814487338) and of course the good old TITAN X (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00UVN21RQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1497460499&sr=8-11&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=titan%2Bx%2Bpascal&th=1&psc=1).

Then comes the question of using dual GPUs in SLI or sticking with the one. I haven't found a definitive answer on that one. As I understand it, on most motherboards you've got a limited number of PCIe data channels.. 20 total? 16 for the first PCIe slot for the graphics card to use, then 4 more dedicated to the motherboard which my M.2 NVMe SSD is using. Adding a second GPU drops both cards down to 8 a piece, though I don't know if that makes a huge difference with the increased processing power. Then of course not all games even recognize SLI cards so..

Any advice on what card I should go with, whether to use SLI or not, etc or even critiquing my build would be appreciated. Advice on whether i should go with another M.2 NVMe SSD for storage or an M.2 SATA SSD or a standard SATA SSD would be helpful as well, i dont fully grasp the whole PCIe lanes thing yet, so i dont know if adding a SATA SDD instead of another NVMe would have any advantage or not. Note that this is simply a gaming PC, I'm not using it for deep learning, cryptocurrency mining or the like.

(Yes I know this isn't Toms hardware or overclockers forums but I do know there are other PC enthusiasts here!)

[Hitmonkey]

Just built a similar system, i7-7700k, Samsung 960 evo M.2 system, would do a couple switches~

-switch out the MSI for Asus x270 board, when all the boards launched x270 chip sets(just a few months ago) their overclock & BIO's software were complete shit/board line incompetent and shipped with overclock volt option's that really come close to frying your i7. Wont be buying another MSI

-Drop the 1080ti for a 1070 and 32 GB system memoryj for 16GB. Take that cash and upgrade the EVO for the Samsung evo 500GB M.2 The 1080 vs the 1070 FPS no matter what your playing just isnt worth the extra money (same with 32 GB vs 16 GB) and the performance on the M.2 is so great your going to want a few games on it. FPS games on mine is amazing and the flop/rewrite isnt going to kill the drive anytime soon.

[originalman]

im pooped rn boys i just dont got this one in me

[NorseGod]

hitmonkey hit the nail on the head, also i suggest using pcpartpicker for fiddling and just optimizing and checking out pricing etc, their app is great. just made my younger brother his first real brand new gaming pc and used this case, literally best case for 100.
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/F28H99/nzxt-ca-s340w-w2-atx-mid-tower-case-ca-s340w-w2

[Sage Truthbearer]

To pick your GPU it would help to know what games are you looking to play? What resolution do you game at and what FPS do you want to achieve?

[Bardalicious]

Hitmonkey, would it be bad to add a 2nd M.2 NVMe drive? Will the 2nd slow the first?

[Bardalicious]

As for the motherboard, I'm fairly content with the one I got. I don't doubt what you say about when they first came out, but I've seen nothing but pretty positive reviews on the one I have, other than the msi m.2 heat shields having a negative effect rather than helping.

I could probably still send the Samsung 960 evo back, but I'd prefer not to if adding a 2nd is a reasonable option. I'm blown away by the speed on these things. With msi fast boot enabled, from hitting the power button to Windows login screen takes about 2.5-3 seconds.

Sage, I play a large variety of different games. Mostly single player lately, like RE7, Dark Souls 3 and Witcher 3. But I also mix in some Agnarr EQ Live, the occasional fps, and older stuff like fallout 3/nv and skyrim.

I currently play on 1080 reso, but I'd like to be able to make the jump to 4k. I also keep telling myself that I'd like to check out VR, but until the technology starts reaching more mainstream gaming titles I'll probably hold off.

[Hitmonkey]

As for the motherboard, I'm fairly content with the one I got. I don't doubt what you say about when they first came out, but I've seen nothing but pretty positive reviews on the one I have, other than the msi m.2 heat shields having a negative effect rather than helping.

I could probably still send the Samsung 960 evo back, but I'd prefer not to if adding a 2nd is a reasonable option. I'm blown away by the speed on these things. With msi fast boot enabled, from hitting the power button to Windows login screen takes about 2.5-3 seconds.

Sage, I play a large variety of different games. Mostly single player lately, like RE7, Dark Souls 3 and Witcher 3. But I also mix in some Agnarr EQ Live, the occasional fps, and older stuff like fallout 3/nv and skyrim.

I currently play on 1080 reso, but I'd like to be able to make the jump to 4k. I also keep telling myself that I'd like to check out VR, but until the technology starts reaching more mainstream gaming titles I'll probably hold off.

-adding another M.2 wouldn't be a problem since it runs on PCIe 4 (? i forget if it takes 4 or 2 PCIe channels) and unless your running SLI which is completely obsolete with today's hardware you shouldn't have a problem. Just read your MB manual because with a M.2 in its current slot it knocks down one of your PCIe slots to a lesser speed/off

-4k Don't let the latest 4k hype machine (fucking looking at you AMD) blur what you need for 4k gameplay when it comes to your GPU since it depends on both your CPU and GPU, I highly suggest checking out DigitalFoundry on youtube. Great, no words just a split screen showing mulitple video cards playing the same game on different settings so you can see yourself the effect of cards running 4k. You will be surprised at the results.

"important system software like malwarebytes and kaspersky" - lol you just need a fresh install and Sandboxie. Its free, doesnt allow anything to install/infect/fuckup on your system and doesnt take any PC resources. Great for porn and torrents since I can watch anything I download within the sandbox and it cant escape to my system.

[Burk]

Definitely need a bigger ssd if your not gonna have a hdd for random things. It would suck to have an awesome rig and only 250gb of storage.

[Rader]

It's a Hard Job Being a Daddy Dom.

It's a job that it's not cut out for many.

Here are some of the things you will have to learn to do or how to deal with:

Learning to speak in the third person (i.e. Daddy wants you to cum for him)
Glitter is NOT your enemy. No, really it is not, you will see it so much and everywhere you will come to love it yourself....Eventually.
Your legs will fall asleep quite often, from having a "grown up child" on your lap... A lot, but really you'll get used to it.... Eventually.
Enforcing rules requires patience, lots and lots of patience, you will often feel like you are in the military.
Speaking of rules, know that your Little is very skillful and resourceful when it comes to rules negotiations, etc.
Watching cartoons will often be replace by your favorite sport on TV...But you'll get use to it....Eventually.
You must always have some sort of sweets/candy on hand AT ALL TIMES.
You must always have an endless supply of stickers.
You will hear all the excuses on planet Earth about not being able to do chores, in some cases even tasks assigned.
There really is no limit on how many stuffies a Little can have, and when in doubt, buy them another stuffie.
Mood swings are a thing, yes they happen quite often, nope, nothing you can do about them.
Building a blanket forte "perfectly" or to your Little's "instructions" will be more difficult then putting together a baby crib or cabinet, the difference is, one comes with real instructions.
Did I mention glitter will become your best friend yet? Specially when you see it all over the place, yes that means even your toys...But, you will get used to it....Eventually.
Learning how to sleep on your side or on 1/3 of the bed and with stuffies all around and in between you will be difficult and quite challenging.
Learning the names of all your Little's stuffies, and I mean ALL of them. Mixing or forgetting their name is a huge offense and you will have a very pouty Little when this happens. They have too many, you say? I wish you good luck my friend, good luck!
Being a Daddy Dom It's s a hard job but the rewards you get are:

Being someone's entire Universe
Being a Super Hero on someone's eyes
All the cuddles and kisses
Someone who is willing to please and serve you in everyway
Someone who melts with just a pat on their head
You're very own personal fuck toy
Being entrusted with someone else's love and heart

PS: This mostly apply to ME and the kind of Little I am, as all Littles are different.

Please feel free to add your own!

=^.^=

Awesome.

[Uuruk]

1080ti should let you run r99 on max graphics

[sespeedy]

I'm running a 1080ti, replaced 2 980's with it.
I absolutely love the card. No hiccups on anything I can think of.

Went with the founder's edition.

Just wanted to throw in my .2 cents

[Bardalicious]

I'm running a 1080ti, replaced 2 980's with it.
I absolutely love the card. No hiccups on anything I can think of.

Went with the founder's edition.

Just wanted to throw in my .2 cents

That's the model I've been leaning towards. Thanks for the input.

[Loke]

I made this same suggestion in unbrella's PC building thread, but if you can find a decently priced Antec P280 case you should definitely grab one. Far and away the best case I've ever found. Built in dust filters, plenty of room (2 SSD bays + 5 or 6 regular HDD bays), and it doesn't look like something you'd find in a 14 year old gamer's bedroom.

Aside from that, unless you plan to run an SLI set up I doubt you need a 1000w power supply. People tend to overestimate how large a PSU they need. Definitely add up the power draw for the parts you decide on yourself to be sure, but might be able to save a few bucks there. I only have a 700w supply for my OC'd 2500k 970gtx set up, which is obviously less power than your set up at face value, but with the OC and hard drives (2 ssd, 8 mechanical) it probably isnt that far off.

Also, would definitely echo the need for a bigger SSD. I had a 250gb SSD only for my OS and games, but ended up buying a second because games are huge these days. My GTA V folder is 70gb alone. Thats one game taking up over 25% of the SSD. The great thing about hard drives is you can upgrade over time. Get the small NVME drive for your OS and games/programs that you use a lot, then later get a second, maybe cheaper SATA ssd, to store all your other games/programs.

[Nirgon]

It's a Hard Job Being a Daddy Dom.

It's a job that it's not cut out for many.

Here are some of the things you will have to learn to do or how to deal with:

Learning to speak in the third person (i.e. Daddy wants you to cum for him)
Glitter is NOT your enemy. No, really it is not, you will see it so much and everywhere you will come to love it yourself....Eventually.
Your legs will fall asleep quite often, from having a "grown up child" on your lap... A lot, but really you'll get used to it.... Eventually.
Enforcing rules requires patience, lots and lots of patience, you will often feel like you are in the military.
Speaking of rules, know that your Little is very skillful and resourceful when it comes to rules negotiations, etc.
Watching cartoons will often be replace by your favorite sport on TV...But you'll get use to it....Eventually.
You must always have some sort of sweets/candy on hand AT ALL TIMES.
You must always have an endless supply of stickers.
You will hear all the excuses on planet Earth about not being able to do chores, in some cases even tasks assigned.
There really is no limit on how many stuffies a Little can have, and when in doubt, buy them another stuffie.
Mood swings are a thing, yes they happen quite often, nope, nothing you can do about them.
Building a blanket forte "perfectly" or to your Little's "instructions" will be more difficult then putting together a baby crib or cabinet, the difference is, one comes with real instructions.
Did I mention glitter will become your best friend yet? Specially when you see it all over the place, yes that means even your toys...But, you will get used to it....Eventually.
Learning how to sleep on your side or on 1/3 of the bed and with stuffies all around and in between you will be difficult and quite challenging.
Learning the names of all your Little's stuffies, and I mean ALL of them. Mixing or forgetting their name is a huge offense and you will have a very pouty Little when this happens. They have too many, you say? I wish you good luck my friend, good luck!
Being a Daddy Dom It's s a hard job but the rewards you get are:

Being someone's entire Universe
Being a Super Hero on someone's eyes
All the cuddles and kisses
Someone who is willing to please and serve you in everyway
Someone who melts with just a pat on their head
You're very own personal fuck toy
Being entrusted with someone else's love and heart

PS: This mostly apply to ME and the kind of Little I am, as all Littles are different.

Please feel free to add your own!

=^.^=

Are you that mtb tripper guy?

[Uuruk]

Are you that mtb tripper guy?

I think you figured it out nirdog

[Nirgon]

The field mouse is quick but the owl sees at night

DNC killed Seth Rich btw

[Bardalicious]

Are you that mtb tripper guy?

Sounds more like a semi-literate Japan.

[Utmost]

EDIT: Just went back and read that you already have those components. This then can be a guide for other aspiring builders. BTW how are you cooling you CPU?

No talk of RGB. Need to think about that. I'd get that corsair crystal case with the tempered glass.

About GPU, like mentioned earlier it really matters what your monitors resolution and refresh rate are. At your current 1080 / 60hz set up a 1060 will crush. If you step up to 2k then at least 1070 @100+ Hz. Although 1080 are a great deal atm and can really push 2k nicely.


You may not want a 1000w PSU because it is overkill for that system. 750 is plenty.

I'd make sure you set aside at least $500 USD for a monitor. At least 27".

Try to get at least 500gb on your m.2 ssd. The 250 will be filled before you know it.
You prolly don't need 32 gigs of ram. Unless it's RGB of course. I'd look for 16 gig 3000 kit. If you find you need more can always add when prices go down.

Could drop to an i5 if you need the funds to go towards ssd or display.

I'll put some links to components when I get to my battle station.

[Bardalicious]

I'm fairly happy with the components that I purchased. It's a solid PC for what I've paid into it so far. My only real regret is not buying the 500GB M.2 right away (I underestimated just how ridiculously fast these things are), which is why I asked in my OP if adding another M.2 to this setup would limit the speed to either. I'm fairly certain they each use 4x PCI-E lanes so I don't know if they'd have to share when adding extra. The MOBO itself has 3 dedicated M.2 slots and the manual that came with it shows diagrams of various configurations, such as which SATA slots get disabled when adding the first two M.2's, and then the last 4x PCI-E slot gets disabled if you add a 3rd, but it doesn't actually mention anything about how many PCI-E channels each one uses. I have until July 12th to send the 250GB 960 EVO back to upgrade to 500GB instead, which I'm leaning towards.

My CPU heatsink is currently a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO w/ 120MM PWM fan. It was rated highly and cost 29.99 on amazon with Prime membership, came with decent thermal paste etc. It's huge, and it keeps the cpu nice and cool so far, though I'll look into liquid cooling sometime in the future.

I didn't go with any RGB components. The only thing lighted in my build is the MOBO. I'm not taking it anywhere to show off, so I wasn't that interested in lighting. If anything I may buy an RGB strip in the future, which the MOBO has a connection for.

I understand that for what I'm currently running, the 1000W PSU is a bit more than required, but I kept future upgrades in mind when ordering parts. The last PC I built was like 8-10 years ago, it had a 750W PSU and was partially modular. It lasted me through many upgrades until just a year or two ago when it finally died.

I'm going to be getting the 1080ti for GPU, they're around 600 USD right now depending on what model and cooling method you go with. I was originally considering SLI, since I'm interested in upgrading to 4k in the near future, but since I didn't go with an x99 MOBO I don't know that dropping each card to 8x PCI-E is really worth it.

Anyways, there's some solid responses and advice in this thread for anyone considering building a new rig.

[Priceline]

best advice IMHO is get a "basic" case with good airflow (no LED's), unless you plan on attracting other dudes to your bedroom there is no need for some half plastic/glass brighter than the sun swirly LED mess.

[skarlorn]

It's a Hard Job Being a Daddy Dom.

It's a job that it's not cut out for many.

Here are some of the things you will have to learn to do or how to deal with:

Learning to speak in the third person (i.e. Daddy wants you to cum for him)
Glitter is NOT your enemy. No, really it is not, you will see it so much and everywhere you will come to love it yourself....Eventually.
Your legs will fall asleep quite often, from having a "grown up child" on your lap... A lot, but really you'll get used to it.... Eventually.
Enforcing rules requires patience, lots and lots of patience, you will often feel like you are in the military.
Speaking of rules, know that your Little is very skillful and resourceful when it comes to rules negotiations, etc.
Watching cartoons will often be replace by your favorite sport on TV...But you'll get use to it....Eventually.
You must always have some sort of sweets/candy on hand AT ALL TIMES.
You must always have an endless supply of stickers.
You will hear all the excuses on planet Earth about not being able to do chores, in some cases even tasks assigned.
There really is no limit on how many stuffies a Little can have, and when in doubt, buy them another stuffie.
Mood swings are a thing, yes they happen quite often, nope, nothing you can do about them.
Building a blanket forte "perfectly" or to your Little's "instructions" will be more difficult then putting together a baby crib or cabinet, the difference is, one comes with real instructions.
Did I mention glitter will become your best friend yet? Specially when you see it all over the place, yes that means even your toys...But, you will get used to it....Eventually.
Learning how to sleep on your side or on 1/3 of the bed and with stuffies all around and in between you will be difficult and quite challenging.
Learning the names of all your Little's stuffies, and I mean ALL of them. Mixing or forgetting their name is a huge offense and you will have a very pouty Little when this happens. They have too many, you say? I wish you good luck my friend, good luck!
Being a Daddy Dom It's s a hard job but the rewards you get are:

Being someone's entire Universe
Being a Super Hero on someone's eyes
All the cuddles and kisses
Someone who is willing to please and serve you in everyway
Someone who melts with just a pat on their head
You're very own personal fuck toy
Being entrusted with someone else's love and heart

PS: This mostly apply to ME and the kind of Little I am, as all Littles are different.

Please feel free to add your own!

=^.^=


i realy hope you post this filth some more on these filtthy forums

[Bardalicious]

You have a solid Everquest machine right there

I can run everquest AND keep the wiki open in Google Chrome. AT THE SAME TIME.

[Bardalicious]

lol'd

I'll be honest, I never really understood the draw to lit up PC cases and components. Did this trend emerge after the fast and the furious movies started coming out with every pizza delivery driver throwing sweet under glow on their ford focuses? Or did it start sooner than that?

Not trying to make fun of anyone, I just don't get why you'd want lights distracting you from the monitor. Especially if you're playing at night. I mean, even when I was like 17-19 and we had big LAN parties to play CS 1.5, TFC, warcraft 3, quake, diablo 2, etc etc, nobody cared what our PC's looked like.

It just seems like an unnecessary expense. And before LED lighting came out, just another source of unnecessary heat as well.

[Ella`Ella]

Stop leaning towards returning the 250gb M.2 and just do it. You absolutely need the 500gb.

You will only need a 1080ti to push even the most demanding games to their limits. A 1080 ti runs every game I've thrown at it on max settings running an Acer Predator x34 ultra wide (1440 reso at 100mhz).

The 1080 TI FE card gets very hot very quickly - it hits 82-83 degrees Celsius and then throttles performance at that point - considering water cooling it with the EVGA water cooling kit they sell. I did this and now my card has never gone above 55C.

1000 watt PSU is overkill even if your considering SLI (which you won't need to do for a very very long time. 850 is fine, but at least you got a very good PSU as it is.

32gb ram is overkill if you're trying to save money.

Invest in monitors. I went balls to the wall building my PC and at the end of the day, I just had these two piece of shit Acer monitors from 7 years ago. I went out and bought a top end monitor and never realized what a difference it could possibly make. I can sit in EC for hours or stare at a wall in ToV while tracking for hours and still be mesmerized by the pixe density!

My end build stats are -

CPU - Intel i7 7700k (OC'd to 5.0ghz stable)
CPU Cooler - NZXT Kraken X62
Motherboard - MSI Krait Gaming z270
RAM - 32gb Corsair Vengeance 2x16Gb DDR4 3200 (OC'd to 3600mhz stable. Side Note: Recently, I went to buy another 32gb of the same RAM and the price is now $150 MORE than what I paid for it back in January...)
GPU - Nvidia 1080 TI Founders Edition (Water cooled with EVGA Hybrid Water Cooling for 1080TI/Titan)
PSU - EVGA 850+ G3
Sound Card - SoundBlaster Z
Hard Drive 1: Samsung 960 EVO M.2 500Gb (Operating System Only)
Hard Drive 2: Samsung 960 EVO M.2 500Gb (Games)
Hard Drive 3: Seagate Barracuda 2TB
Hard Drive 4: Seagate Barracude 2TB
Hard Drive 5: Some cheapy I've been moving from PC to PC for like 13 years now...
Monitor - Acer Predator x34
Headset - Steel Series Siberias 840
Desktop Speakers - Logitech Z5500
Keyboard - Logitech G710+
Mouse - Logitech G700s
Case - Corsair Obsidian Series 750D Airflow Edition

https://i.imgur.com/5h5TzwDl.jpg

[gildor]

OR, spend 1200-1500 on a laptop with a desktop 1060 card :) and be able to play eq from the shitter

[chadtwoke]

hey guys send me all your old parts i'm still running a 100mhz pentium 1 with a 3dfx voodoo rush 4mb vidya.

[Bardalicious]

Stop leaning towards returning the 250gb M.2 and just do it. You absolutely need the 500gb.

You will only need a 1080ti to push even the most demanding games to their limits. A 1080 ti runs every game I've thrown at it on max settings running an Acer Predator x34 ultra wide (1440 reso at 100mhz).

The 1080 TI FE card gets very hot very quickly - it hits 82-83 degrees Celsius and then throttles performance at that point - considering water cooling it with the EVGA water cooling kit they sell. I did this and now my card has never gone above 55C.

1000 watt PSU is overkill even if your considering SLI (which you won't need to do for a very very long time. 850 is fine, but at least you got a very good PSU as it is.

32gb ram is overkill if you're trying to save money.

Invest in monitors. I went balls to the wall building my PC and at the end of the day, I just had these two piece of shit Acer monitors from 7 years ago. I went out and bought a top end monitor and never realized what a difference it could possibly make. I can sit in EC for hours or stare at a wall in ToV while tracking for hours and still be mesmerized by the pixe density!

My end build stats are -

CPU - Intel i7 7700k (OC'd to 5.0ghz stable)
CPU Cooler - NZXT Kraken X62
Motherboard - MSI Krait Gaming z270
RAM - 32gb Corsair Vengeance 2x16Gb DDR4 3200 (OC'd to 3600mhz stable. Side Note: Recently, I went to buy another 32gb of the same RAM and the price is now $150 MORE than what I paid for it back in January...)
GPU - Nvidia 1080 TI Founders Edition (Water cooled with EVGA Hybrid Water Cooling for 1080TI/Titan)
PSU - EVGA 850+ G3
Sound Card - SoundBlaster Z
Hard Drive 1: Samsung 960 EVO M.2 500Gb (Operating System Only)
Hard Drive 2: Samsung 960 EVO M.2 500Gb (Games)
Hard Drive 3: Seagate Barracuda 2TB
Hard Drive 4: Seagate Barracude 2TB
Hard Drive 5: Some cheapy I've been moving from PC to PC for like 13 years now...
Monitor - Acer Predator x34
Headset - Steel Series Siberias 840
Desktop Speakers - Logitech Z5500
Keyboard - Logitech G710+
Mouse - Logitech G700s
Case - Corsair Obsidian Series 750D Airflow Edition

https://i.imgur.com/5h5TzwDl.jpg

Yea I already sent the 250 back. The question still remains about the PCI-E channels though, because I'd eventually like to add another 1 or 2 to the board.

Good post though, solid advice. I for sure need to look into a nice monitor for this system.

[Ella`Ella]

I have 2/2 M.2 Samsung 960 500gbs going right now and none of my PCI-E slots are disabled, but 4 of my SATAs are because of it.

I wouldn't worry about adding a third M.2 either. If you think about it practically, you just need enough space to dedicate to the highest performance games you have and the OS; everything else gets stored on cheap 7200RPM HDDs (2TB seagates are $70/ea). The only games I have on my M.2 drives are ones where load times are absolutely critical (PvP games and P99 which I haven't played in >2years...

[Metalopolis]

I'm running a 4790k @ 4.7GHz / 1.350vcore, 980ti, 16 GB DDR3, 2 SSDs and 6 140mm case fans on a Silverstone 520w FANLESS power supply. The entire housing of this PSU acts as a heat sink and doesn't even get warm.

And DONT buy a Founders Ed. 1080ti. They run hot (to the point of throttling) and sound like a fucking leafblower while doing it. A nice aftermarket GPU will run ya like $50 more, run @ higher clocks AND lower temps AND remain significantly quieter. I've heard really good things about EVGA hybrid umbrella has.

FE cards are only good for 2 things:

1) Early adopters who can't wait the 6-8 weeks til aftermarket cards hit retail
2) Custom loop water cooling where FE cards are gonna be cheaper both in terms of the card itself and the water block as well. Its much easier to find blocks for FE cards....hell EK has a full cover block that's fits ALL 10xx series FE cards.

[Loke]

Just wanted to add that for monitors there are some cheap Korean brands that use good panels you can get for cheap. Do your own research, but back when I bought monitors last you could get brands like Crossover or Achieva for a fraction of the price you'd pay for the same panel in different casing. I know the Achieva used the same panel as the 27 in. Apple monitor, but does have the downside of only having DVI-D connection (and because its dual link cheap hdmi/dp adapters don't work). If your card has multiple dvi ports that isn't much of an issue though.

I bought a nice 24 in. 120hz / <5ms monitor for normal gaming in 1080p, and then 2 of those big korean 27 inches in 1440 for everything else.

Also, spend the money on a monitor stand if you're going to do multiple monitors. Mine was like $70 on sale from Jet and cleared up so much desk space. It has fully adjustable arms that let me turn the monitors and even switch between portait and landscape. Probably one of the best sub $100 purchases I've ever made.

[Ella`Ella]

I'm running a 4790k @ 4.7GHz / 1.350vcore, 980ti, 16 GB DDR3, 2 SSDs and 6 140mm case fans on a Silverstone 520w FANLESS power supply. The entire housing of this PSU acts as a heat sink and doesn't even get warm.

And DONT buy a Founders Ed. 1080ti. They run hot (to the point of throttling) and sound like a fucking leafblower while doing it. A nice aftermarket GPU will run ya like $50 more, run @ higher clocks AND lower temps AND remain significantly quieter. I've heard really good things about EVGA hybrid umbrella has.

FE cards are only good for 2 things:

1) Early adopters who can't wait the 6-8 weeks til aftermarket cards hit retail
2) Custom loop water cooling where FE cards are gonna be cheaper both in terms of the card itself and the water block as well. Its much easier to find blocks for FE cards....hell EK has a full cover block that's fits ALL 10xx series FE cards.

This post is pretty spot on.

Regarding the FE cards, I pretty much agree. I fully planned on getting an aftermarket watercooled 1080ti but I got impatient, said "fuck it" and pulled the trigger the day the FEs launched. FE cards are also generally better for overclocking.I did get the aftermarket cooler from EVGA and it's great, really the next best thing to a full EK loop, which is expensive as hell. The block alone is like $120, I believe while the EVGA kit is only $150 and that's the entire cooling kit.

With regard to the noise, he's right. The only thing I hate more than LED lighting in my
PC is noise, so I have the fan max out around 70% (which is also why it heats faster, but really the noise vs performance vs the extra 30% of fan power has made zero difference in my opinion). Running at max load with the fan where it is (before watercooling) was relatively quiet but not my setup is absolutely silent and the card never heats over 53C ish.

[Ella`Ella]

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