AidinLMcLaurin
Description
Traditionally I have used entry level hardware and workstations to meet my gaming needs, but with a desire to play more and more demanding titles, I decided to build something really capable. I use this machine primarily for gaming but also sound creation and 1440p content editing... (and business, as far as the IRS is concerned.)
I bought the 460X early on in the build process, where it influenced the rest of the build heavily, leading me in a direction I would not normally take with premium RGB components. Had I not found the 460X when I did, I probably would have gone with an NZXT H500, X62 Kraken. However, I do not have regrets with any of the components I ended up with.
I did paint the PSU Shroud and 2 of the GPU brackets white, but other than that there is no custom modification.
Although everything that lights up in the case is RGB, I keep it static. It's hard enough to last hit minions without the disco party lights. At first I went with a red & blue police interceptor theme, but eventually settled on what I call Violet. In reality it's more of a Lilac, but Violet sounds way cooler. (R: 128 G: 0 B: 255)
The Peripherals are all wireless because I dislike cables. You will notice I am not using cable extensions in the desktop. That is because I don't want the cables to be pretty, I want them be invisible.
Performance: (Will update with results applying Kryonaut on CPU and GPU)
For now I'm using stock thermal paste, Corsair's "Performance" fan profile for the CPU, and EVGA's "Aggressive" fan profile for the GPU.
i5-8600k @5.00Ghz: 32c Idle 63c Gaming 82c Benchmarking 1070ti @ 1.911Ghz: 34c Idle 53c Gaming 58c Benchmarking
Benchmarks: (I will continue to add and update as I tweak)
Cinebench CPU Score: 1252
Cinebench OpenGL Score: 160.3 fps
Unigine Heaven Benchmark 4.0: 1782 (2560x1440 8xAA Ultra) 70.7avg-128.3max
UserBenchmarks:
Game 115%, Desk 103%, Work 88% CPU: Intel Core i5-8600K - 120.1% GPU: Nvidia GTX 1070-Ti - 123.3% SSD: SanDisk Z400s 256GB - 85.9% HDD: WD Blue 1TB (2012) - 83.3% RAM: Corsair CMR16GX4M2D3000C16 2x8GB - 103.7%
Gameplay:
WarThunder 2560x1440 Max Preset ~170.5 fps
AC Odyssey 2560x1440 Very High Preset ~65 fps
Dishonored 2 2560x1440 Very High Preset ~120 fps
Part Reviews
CPU Cooler
Premium in performance, but more so in price. The tube diameter is very small, I prefer the thickness on the H100i.
Motherboard
This is a really great motherboard, I especially like the CPU temp display and the ease of overclocking in the BIOS.
Memory
At the current price (120$), this is an excellent kit of RGB memory. I wish I had paid that instead of $153.99, but the market didn't allow.
Storage
There are faster, but for the price this is an excellent SSD, and boots to windows 10 in 12-14 seconds.
Storage
This is a hard drive. There are many others like it, but this one is mine.
Video Card
The EVGA FTW series GPU's have been my favorite since the 750TI FTW. Great cooling performance, minimalist aesthetic, and excellent build quality. The 1070Ti is a great GPU to have for 1440p gaming.
Case
Definitely an awesome case, but 120$ is a steep price, even considering the RGB fans. the sticker on one of the fans is slightly off center and creates a wobbling effect when the fan is spinning.
Power Supply
Can't go wrong with a fully modular 80+ gold certified PSU. Especially with EVGA.
Case Fan
These are beautiful RGB fans, and considering that they are RGB, the price is reasonable. However, some colors work better than others.
Comments