Description
I had always wanted to build a PC from scratch and have something that would play all the games I wanted but also be portable enough to take to lan parties. So I finally got some extra cash and decided to splurge on building my first PC. I use the machine for 1080p extreme graphics gaming and some programing work. Hopefully soon get a 4k monitor and try this machine out on that.
Part Reviews
CPU
Very fast CPU that has handled everything I have thrown at it so far. Picked it because it helped keep my budget at the $1000 mark and I didn't intend to overclock this time around. Handles all gaming perfectly even Tomb Raider and Witcher 3 on ultra settings.
CPU Cooler
A very nice and easy to install liquid cooling system. A good solution until I get enough cash to build my own liquid cooling loop. Keeps my CPU at manageable temperatures even under heavy load. Biggest negative was the fan noise that the included fans had. Not horrible but a very noticeable whirring sound. Going to replace those with quiet edition corsair fans.
Motherboard
A very nice little motherboard with really cool backlighting, plenty of connections, easy to use bios and good performance with my CPU. Only negative is lack of support for DDR4 3000mhz ram.
Memory
Good performing ram plenty fast for my needs and good budget price. 16gb gets the job done for all my gaming and programing needs.
Storage
Very nice and fast 6gb/s drive. My PC boots up and is usable in under 5 seconds, programs load lightning quick and installs are fast. For the price it can't be beat. Going to probably add a second one down the road and forgo ever getting a mechanical drive.
Video Card
Beautiful brand new addition Asus GTX Strix 1070 card. Performance is outstanding at 1080p and every game so far including Starcraft 2, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Witcher 3 all maxed out on my Asus 1ms gaming monitor averaging well over 60 frames per second on all of them. Have not tried 4k yet but will hopefully once I get enough scratch for a monitor. Picked this card to future proof my rig a bit and get it VR ready.
Cons were the availability and the price was pretty steep being almost half my build cost. I got lucky and went on Newegg at 3am and they got some in-stock so I ordered one. They ran out the next morning.
Case
Beautiful case with very nice side panel for observing your build. Very easy to build in with plenty of room, mounting options, and cable management. Only negative is that its a little larger than some other ITX cases.
Power Supply
Nice quiet power supply that was a bit overkill for my system but allows for future upgrades and good cable management.
Case Fan
Very cool near silent fan with cool red glow that matches the rest of my build. Using it as the exhaust for my system.
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