ApatheticRenegade
Description
This is my personal PC. I use it for gaming and streaming. I did run into some problems while building it, but fortunately, knowing some prior troubleshooting learned from the previous build for my friend, see here, I managed to get it to boot up and work perfectly.
The end goal was at least 60 frames in any high or ultra settings on any AAA game. I mentioned on my friend's build that all my school friends are PC gamers. It took me 9-10 months to get all the money for it (most of it was mainly waiting for my birthday, which led to a huge payout due to good grades), but now I finally have a rig to top them all, and I spent less than their pre-built rigs. Muahahaha...
My previous computer was a $200 Dell laptop with an Intel Celeron CPU in it. The more "not-so-demanding" games that could run on my laptop, albeit not well (15 frames at best), ran like an absolute DREAM on this new rig. Fallout 4 gets a steady 60FPS on Ultra settings, though I do have to turn down the AA if I want to maintain it in more complex areas. The next goals are Overwatch and Grand Theft Auto V so I can play alongside my friends.
If it wasn't obvious, red is my favorite color. I wanted to name my PC something with "red" in the title. I got edgy ideas like "bloodshot" or "red mist", eventually I broadened my horizons and named her Scarlet.
The PC took nine hours to build over the course of two days. Originally, I bought an NZXT Sentry Mix 2 fan controller, but unfortunately, it came with faulty molex connectors. Scarlet originally only booted up for 1 second then immediately shut off. It took two hours to find out that the fan controller's faulty connector was the problem. I don't know if I plan on buying another one to put in this build or just get it when I make another rig for myself. (I have a MK2 version planned, but that'll come later. Way later.)
I owned both of the monitors prior to building this.
This build is going to last me until I move out of my parents' house, and I couldn't be more proud of myself dedicating time to plan, money to save, and learning how to build and to overclock. I'm so happy to finally have ascended from console gaming and now until the end of time I'll be playing all my video games on PC. This is going to be the only build for myself for a while, but I do have another rig I need to build for another school friend, so stay tuned for that.
Photos were taken with an iPhone 5S camera.
As of 1/25/2017, the Deepcool CAPTAIN 120 EX has been replaced by a Thermaltake Frio Silent 12 after the 120EX's pump died.
Thanks for reading!
Part Reviews
CPU
It handles 4K video on YouTube with no problems, and multitasks perfectly well. Overclocked it to 4.0 GHz for now. It was given to me for free by my uncle, who didn't need it after upgrading to an i7-4790K.
CPU Cooler
I was only going to get the CAPTAIN 120 until I found out they released the EX version. Managed to snag this baby for $65 rather than its asking price of $80. This cooler is quite beautiful. The "breathing" red LED is a nice touch, and makes it look like Scarlet is actually breathing and alive. However, it's a 4/5 from me because installation was difficult. You need to tighten the standoffs all the way for this to stay in place. I had to use pliers to get this snugly fit. Not the best hour of my life. (The photo shown of the cooler mounted is missing a screw, I know. It's not like that anymore.)
UPDATE 1/19/2017: The pump on this liquid cooler died. I'm looking into getting a replacement, but I'm bumping the rating down to 2/5 because the cooler only lasted four months.
Motherboard
Bought this baby open box at Fry's for $115. USB 3.0 headers, Killer Ethernet, Audio Boost, OC Genie, onboard-CPU temp display, 3 case fan headers, and a beautiful black and red color scheme. It's perfect.
Memory
It works. Had to boot up the PC with only one stick of RAM though. Not sure if that's the RAM's problem or MoBo's problem, but now it works with both sticks. Also, unpopular opinion, but the Vengeance Pro's look is better than the Vengeance LPX's look.
Storage
I use this as a boot drive and installed Fallout 4 on it, GTA V will be installed on it too. Good budget SSD that matched my color scheme.
Storage
Got this for free from my dad. 3TB of storage. Hell yes.
Video Card
The most important piece of Scarlet. I love this card aesthetics-wise and performance-wise. The fans are absolutely silent and only spin near 60° C. Under load with the fans on I haven't seen the temps rise past 64° C. It has the performance of a GTX 980 for half the price. Would highly recommend.
Case
Beautiful case that allows a lot of space for cable management. Build quality is immaculate and it's perfect for black and red builds. Word of advice to anyone who wants this case: there's a chance you can't mount a fan on the bottom of the case if your PSU is too big.
Power Supply
Fully-modular all black cabling with 80+ Gold efficiency. PC looks a lot cleaner than my friend's build because I only have to use the cables that are necessary.
Case Fan
They work and shine red LEDs without being too bright or too dark. Excellent.
Case Fan
They work and shine red LEDs without being too bright or too dark. Excellent.
Keyboard
This bundle matches perfectly with Scarlet and is affordable for any gamer looking to start PC gaming. You can't see the letters unless the backlight is on, however.
Headphones
Again, sticking with the color scheme. This headset's mic is adequate enough for gaming, but I wouldn't recommend doing voiceovers with this. The sound quality of the mic is decent at best. The red cable is also sleeved and is long enough for me to walk to the fridge while still wearing it. (Oh, I should probably mention I'm literally right next to the kitchen, so don't think the cable is 50 ft or anything.) I could do with a stereo to USB adapter, but apparently that only comes with the G430 version. I have to buy the adapter separately.
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