Description
First of all i'd like to say this is my first ever custom PC build for myself and i could not be happier! This particular project has been probably 6 months in the making but it was soooo worth it! Anyhow i thought the black and white aesthetic was by far the cleanest and most modern of any other and although the build is most definitely overkill for what i do right now (light gaming and editing) , i figure that could change if i go to school or take on other projects in the future. I'm posting this almost a month after completion and its been an extremely smooth experience thus far which is not at all what i expected but maybe i'm just lucky. Anyhow Thank you all for taking time to check out my build and if you have any questions feel free to ask.
P.S. I would just like to say that i would give all parts in this PC a 5 star rating performance wise however if you take into account the extra price i payed for my color scheme you could do much better for your money. The machine is much quieter than my old store bought computer which is not saying much, and my only gripe is the fact that you're supposed to use corsair link software with the h100i V2 and that there is no integrated wifi in this mobo however that's a very easy and cheap fix. Lastly the s340 elite is a beatiful looking case (photos don't do it justice) and a dream to work in! Thanks again!
... and yes thats me shamelessly showing off the custom wallpaper i made for myself haha.
Desk Edit: I figured i would do a little bit on my desk considering it seems to draw as much attention as my PC. i'll admit i got a lot of my inspiration for my desk from a youtuber by the name of randomfrankp. as soon as he did a room tour featuring this desk I've been obsessing over it. It is a combination of two white Alex drawers ($80 CDN each) and a 72" Karbly counter top ($170 CDN) both from IKEA. I then purchased 8 BQLZR Stainless Steel Kitchen Adjustable Feet Round Furniture Legs from amazon.ca and secured them with some half inch wood screws to the Alex drawers. overall this desk is as sturdy and can be and does not want to budge once put in place, i mean the counter top alone is like 50 + pounds and its not even solid wood! overall i would recommend this custom desk arrangement to anyone looking to add a bit of personality to their setup especially considering the variety of colors and finishes you can get for these products e.g. black Alex drawers with a white counter top etc. For about $350 CDN it's more expensive than most pre-built desks but the end result is also far superior than what you would otherwise pay for. Plus with how convenient it is to install the little cable management rack underneath (signum rack from IKEA $15 CDN) you just can't go wrong. Fianlly i made the decision to drill a hole through the center of the desk using a 3/4" spade bit so that i could cleanly route my mouse and keyboard cables and give off the illusion of wireless peripherals. Although do this at your own risk because it obviously voids the warranty if something goes wrong and you only get one chance so be cautious!
Thank you for reading and i'm loving how well everyone is receiving my first build guide, stay tuned for more edits!
Part Reviews
CPU
extremely fast and overclockable, slightly overpriced but worth it if you need the power!
CPU Cooler
great cooler, quiet if you swap out stock fans and keeps my pc ice cold. Only gripe is needing to use corsair link and that darned usb cable coming out of the pump. i would actually suggest going for nzxt's new x52 instead though!
Motherboard
fantastic motherboard for the price and a nice matte black finish. Has a great layout and all the features you expect. Also has a great and easy to understand bios, i just wish it supported sata m.2 and had built in wifi.
Memory
Best looking ram i have ever seen and solid aluminim construction. These are amazing but expensive!
Storage
One of the most reliable SSD's on the market with great speeds and a clean look all at a reasonable price, but i probably didn't even have to tell you with how popular this thing is.
Storage
it's a hard drive folks not much to it. reliable mass storage for cheap and has a ton of good reviews.
Video Card
This thing is a powerhouse! Capable blowing all AAA titles out of the water at 1080P and 1440P. And although i haven't done anything at 4K believe me when i say it can handle that very well too! Basically Titan performance at half the cost! Bonus is it runs cool and quiet as the fans don't even spin until the temps exceed 60 degrees Celsius.
Case
A gorgeous case at a competitive price considering it has full tempered glass panel and not acrylic or plastic. an absolute dream to work in with ample space for ATX motherboards and the built in cable management bar does a great job at hiding unsightly cables. i personally love the ssd mount on the front and the back has built in cable clips, tie down points and plenty of options cut out wise for cable management. Did i mention it has thumbscrews and pre- installed standoffs!
Power Supply
EVGA makes some really solid power supply's I've never met anyone who's had a problem with them and they have a 7 year warranty so it will probably outlive your PC anyhow. comes with all black cables and Eco mode keeps it silent while saving power. (only spins fan when necessary).
Case Fan
Air flow fans for the rear and top exhaust of my build they look great and its nice that they include red, blue, and white interchangeable rings. they move a good amount of air, are relatively quiet and didn't cost much. i'm sure there's better out there cough cough Noctua but they come at a cost and don't quite look as nice. oh yeah they are not pwm either.
Case Fan
expensive but now i can say my fans are floating on magnets which is cool. they are capable of moving a ton of air and have great static pressure while remaining very quiet during operation. Very good all-rounders. Supposedly have a longer life span then most other fans due to the mag-lev technology as well but i cant prove that.
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