Build Advice New Mid-range Gaming Rig...PICTURES now available!

+1 for pics. Otherwise it hasn't happened

 

Nice.

 

Thanks for all the nice comments...

Will post pics later once build is up and running, but I have taken some.

I am now off to bed after getting not very far after a 6-7 hour stretch of work on the build...

It seems like it used to be so much easier.... or is it I'm just getting old? lol

Anyway most of the actual building is done, just have the case fans to connect up and fix up the wiring, but I got 7 fans...and lol I cba now at 0400 am or so.

Not fired it up yet so I hope it runs lol!!

(unfortuantely not the sort to do a test run cos....I fear I'd blow it up when its on the mobo box....

 

Good luck dude, I havent bothered posting photos of my rig as I didnt build it, but I do love it xD

7 fans, mine has four case fans and they keep everything nice and cool!!

 

We always welcome pics no matter if you built the system or not as it might give us ideas for our build and we might be able to help and give advice to improve you rig.

Also we just love pics!

 

Ok I wont post a new thread but will add to an old one regarding my build.

I did get it custom built which in the end turned into a system they normally build anyway. Only difference was the screen in the list, and the better psu lol

I will have to tidy up my cables lol seem to be strewen accross my desk. I have the pc up on the next as it's got better air movement then xD

 

Righty-ho

First of all bloody hell....is it me or has the internet just got faster lol....webpages load up SOOOO much more quickly.

In any case, if you didn't realise this is my first post via my new build!! Horray!!

Only thing now is to get all the updates and drivers installed....

And then to grab sopmething online to watch and relax....

I can leave the tudying till some other time

 

Congrats man!

 

Ok time to add a few pictures...there are quite a few in the end...though I did start late into the job...I had a torrid time with the case initially....I was like DAMN this case why won't it work!! But, I realised actually, if I would take a moment and think...hehe...I was doing it all wrong! Then I had a torrid time setting the CPU in place and getting the TIM on properly.....

The instructions also provided a lot of information that I suddenly realised was so simple and so obvious that I couldn't believe I had spent so long fixing up my computer. What bugged me was that this wasn't my first build, nor do I lack experience/knowledge how these things work...I've build nearly a dozen of these at least....it just took sooooo LONG!

In any case the first picture is with me having finally managed to sort out the TIM for the CPU and securing the cooler into place, with the motherboard set inside, and most of the wiring done:

(Please note these pics were with my HTC Desire camera phone...I must say they look pretty great, even if there are some problems here and there, especially with the dark pics)




Here's one of the same with flash:




Some close-ups:








A view of the inside with the top fan:




The MSI Twn Frozr in all its glory:




I was having a lot of problems with getting the hard-drives in place...and couldn't figure out why the case had such design faults.....little did I know was that the case had thought of all the things I was moaning about....thats what the manual...and common sense are for LOL... :embrassed:

The case provided the following brackets:




It has some nifty rubber supports:




What I didn't realise were that the case had provided special screws that would go through the rubber supports and secure the HDD in place....I spent ages trying to secure it to the side panels.... :/ Once I fugured it out though, man was it a nifty feature or what! Secures the drive and also prevents vibration problems.

The 2.5" Crucial SSD unfortuantely doesn't have rubber supports, but to be fair doesn't really need them.


An outside look:




More outside views:




Top down view:




The next step was to get all the wiring sorted....didn't do very well with that....

BEFORE:




AFTER:




I did my best but nothing was happening....at least the inside was looking good...



In any case the final result was good....



Ok time to test the rig...does it even turn on?





YES...we're in business boys!!

(ps sorry about the smudge on the light...damn camera lens wouldn't get any cleaner...)

Next step to set-up the side window fans:




Lining up....




Looking good for launch...




Then I had a technical glitch....




Quickly sorted:



My desk at home: (sorry about the mess....was too tired to clean up)







Pheeew!

Took me a while of two days to set it all up and get everything up and running. Win 7 installed and activated...yaaay!! Swimming in gold since!!

My views on the build:

I love it! Was tough, but fun building it. I have to say I really really like the case. When I got it at first I was a little apprehensive, and some of what folks had said about not buying the case was flooding my mind....but its a beauty...it does a few niggles...like the tooless rear panel fittings are a little stiff and took me ages to secure the MSI card, and that the thumbscrews for the side window panel are a little off-lined so tough to screw on, but it LOOKS awesome! Feels very solid and well built and has a nice front panel.

In addition, especially with the Bitfenix fans...it is ultra-quiet...when I first turned it on I thought damn have I blown something up cos its not working properly....LOL!

The only issue I have is that there isn't a MOBO LED when computer is off but switched on at the PSU, and the front panel audio cable has been buggy with the HD connection. I will have a look at the cable myself, but any thoughts on the MOBO LED...I mean there is one as soon as computer is turned on, but not before...thats also why I thought I'd blown something

I would like to thank everyone who helped me on this build and the various threads I opened asking for help about the build, the case, the SSD, the monitor and Win7. Thanks all, would have been lost without you!!

PS. All Images were uploaded with ImageShack.us

EDIT: Here's a link to my album on imageshack...there are a few extra images there that I haven't included:

http://img62.imageshack.us/slideshow/webplayer.php?id=367f.jpg

 

How about the raven 2 e?

Sent from Bittech Android app

 

For a minute you had me confused....lol...but then I realised you were replying to the first post....my bad...I've added a link there so folks don't get confused! (PS I did consider the Raven but didn't like the looks too much...)

 

More pictures added!

 

how is the noise on that case?

 

What case it that?
Build looks great mate

Only thing I would change is have all the fans red, But that's a personal preference.

Very jealous.

 

When I first turned it on I was damn worried I had blown a circuit or something....it was soo quiet! I can adjust the fan speed myself via the two fan controllers at the front, each have control on x3 fans. At the quiestest settings its barely audible. I have them set at the middle range...and the noise of my typing or the clock across my room is far far louder. The only noise I'll get from the case is when the optical drive fires up with a CD I insert.

Bear in mind though this is with extra fans I brought, and as the stock 23cm fans that come with it are only rated at 49CFM air flow; these bitfenix ones are rated at 115CFM. The side panel fans don't come with the case either which is a shame, but means buying up them yourself means you get to choose them as you like...they are all rated at 20 or less dBA and the 14cm fans have 60CFM air flow rating.

Thanks. I LOVE it! I am very very pleased with it and I am very happy with it. I am so glad I went for this case in the end as it is awesome, even though quite a few folks said to not go for it.

Its an Areocool XPredator Evil Black edition. The link to their website. Some more high def images at queitpc.com I got my case for £105 from Rebel gadgets.

The case colour scheme is black and orange so I went with x2 white x2 orange. The combo makes it look very awesome because the it blends in with the front panel. The Xpredator logo at the front lights up as a white light. The orange lights along the front panel, the bottom half of them flash white whenver the hard-drive is in use. Hence the orange/white fans make it even more awesome!



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

Looking great there dude!! Wish I'd had the dark rock fitted in my build. But alas the company didnt stock them.

Think I'm going to get one fitted once my warranty is up. Or maybe before. lol

 

Do you have the option to close the vents on top or do they just look more open on the website?
The vent make it look so deadly. Love it.

 

You can close or open as you wish....I close mine after I turn off the computer...but I don't have to..

There is a very nifty clip blended into the top of the case that allows me to open or close the vents.

Makes hardly any difference, if at all, to noise levels...have ran the computer the last 5 days with vent closed to see if I overheat it lol....but nope works fine...there is a good exhaust fan in any case. When the vents are closed the air that gets into the top section of the case gets pushed out of the back at the top of the case.