shozen13
Description
So this is my second build, that came a bit earlier than expected. I was budgeting out an upgrade for my previous build, The ChristmasBox, which is an AMD FX series build. I was debating on either this an i5 8600k, an i5 8400 and waiting on a budget board to be released, or to see how Ryzen+ CPUs were gonna be with projected release start in April of 2018. The start of this upgrade happened when I purchased the CoolerMaster ML240L RGB to cool my FX 6350 CPU as i still had the stock cooler on there. When i tried to take off the stock cooler, it came off but with my FX still attached tot he heatsink ripping it out of the MSI 970 Gaming Motherboard i had. Not a good thing obviously. CPU pins were fine but wouldn't boot. So troubleshooting to no end ..... time to upgrade completely! The build was pretty simple but the cable management was a pain. The SATA cable were pretty hard to bend into the passthrough with my radiator sitting to the right of it so i may have to push that over slightly. the EZDIY Riser cable though, is perfect! Just the right length enough flex to curve to that vertical position but rigid enough not to get in the way if i need to get to any cables on the MOBO. Cooler is great, keeping CPU at 25~30 C at 4 GHz while running PUBG. Haven't tried any benches yet but will soon.
Few side notes: GTX 970 100ME is from previous build as is the Thermaltake TR2 700W PSU. Bother will be upgraded at some point but is a non issue ATM.
Let me know if you want to know anything else about the build!
Part Reviews
CPU
First Intel chip. Great so far, smooth and has great potential, plus SUPER great price!
CPU Cooler
Love the efficiency of this cooler!!
Thermal Compound
Alright grease, didn't spread perfectly when putting heatsink on, but could have been that I didn't space droplets out well.
Motherboard
Great board, not to much extra I don't need. COULD use more RGB but i guess thats what the STRIX z370 is for lol
Memory
Good RAM, no issues both sticks pass memtest. Hear good things about RMAing with G.Skill.
Storage
Great performance, have in RAID 0 with other 860 Evo.
Video Card
Has been reliable since I purchased in 2015. Will be very sad if I had to replace it. Runs smooth and quiet handles most games still in High to Ultra!
Case
Great looking chassis, got off of Craigslist and didn't get robbed. Best feature besides its amazing open air design that looks baller, its wall mountable.
Power Supply
Gets the job done but aesthetically not pleasing. Will be replacing with a modular as I don't use Molex nor second GPU power cables.
Keyboard
Love this keyboard! Key strokes are soft but still responsive.
Mouse
Pretty good mouse, best with MMOs but i think 9 keys on the side would have been enough as oppose to 12.
Headphones
Great quality, mic is detachable. Minimal ear irritation after 3~5 hours of gaming. Only thing that would have made this better is an in-line amp
Custom
No drop in framerate and perfect length. Very sturdy build and shielded.
Custom
Look great, a little to rigid but also my first cable kit so maybe I'm not doing something to them that I should?
Comments