Autobots roll out

[Cadwah]

So Bumblebee is currently being constructed by those kind humans of PC Specialist, I really can't wait until this arrives!



Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4790k (4.0GHz) 8MB Cache
Case
CORSAIR GRAPHITE SERIES™ 380T YELLOW GAMING CASE
Motherboard
ASUS® H81I-PLUS: Mini-ITX, LG1150, USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X FURY DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (1 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 970 - 1 DVI, 1 mHDMI, 3 mDP - 3D Vision Ready
1st Hard Disk
120GB KINGSTON HYPERX 3K SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 555MB/sR | 510MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
2TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD2003FZEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
3rd Hard Disk
2TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 64MB CACHE
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W CS SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Processor Cooling
Corsair H55 Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre European Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Windows 10 Upgrade
FREE Upgrade to Windows 10 with all Windows 7 & Windows 8.1 Purchases*
DVD Recovery Media
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) DVD with paper sleeve
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
Browser
Google Chrome™
Monitor
AOC I2369VM 23" Widescreen IPS Monitor - 1920 x 1080, DP, HDMI
Keyboard & Mouse
CM Storm Octane LED Gaming Keyboard and Mouse
Warranty
3 Year Standard Warranty (1 Month Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery
3 - 4 DAY DELIVERY TO SPAIN (41 €)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 6 to 8 working days
Promotional Item
FREE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT Game with Select GTX 9 Series GPUs!


Once Bumblebee has settled into life in Spain I'll write a review

 

[Cadwah]

OK, so I've had the pleasure of playing around with this for a week or so, here's a review and some pictures...

First off, I'd like to congratulate PCS on their first class service. I made a few alterations to my original spec and each time I contacted them by phone or by Online support I was greeted by friendly, knowledgeable people who, if they couldn't answer my queries immediately, got me an answer within defined timeframes.

So some background before we get down to the nitty gritty, I live in Spain, it gets warm here. I totally ignored my own advice to numerous folks on these forums and decided upon an ITX case, the portability of the machine is important to me and the Corsair 380t looks amazing and from all the reviews I read the cooling options that it gives should mean no problems for the summer 30-40C heat.

After some research I saw that many builds were fitting the H100i water cooling system into the case but this wasn't an option in the system configurations on the site... was this a problem? Hell no! I spoke with Mustafa and he liaised with one of the system builders to find out if it could be done with the config I chose (The reason it is not available in the configurator is that it doesn't fit in the case with the ASUS Maximus Impact). The H100i is probably overkill, especially seeing as I don't intend to overclock but a small case and 30C heat are sufficient grounds for doubt.

I had a few queries, one of which was centered around my dread regarding the delivery of the system to Spain. I contacted PCS again and requested that extra care was taken when packing the machine and well... I was pleasantly suprised when I received this...

No sign of external damage and a box so huge I could probably fit in it.

Next came the unpacking:
At the top of the box was a small box containing the PCS welcome package and the Mouse/Keyboard combo I ordered.

The PCS welcome pack contained all the user manuals, warranties, spare cables and installation discs for the entire system.

Next out of the box was my monitor, I went for the AOC 23" IPS panel, itself polystyrene packed and perfectly safe.

Only 5 pix per post so cont'd in next post.

 

[Cadwah]

Finally we get a glimpse of the PC... Nestled in it's own box, surrounded by foam packaging.


Like some sort of Xzibit gag we get a box within a box because we like boxes while we box.

More foam packing, the PC is snug and sound.

Freedom at last, I get my first unobstructed view of my cuddly new PC.

Cont'd

 

[Cadwah]

The beauty of this case is that the side panels easily unclip and reattach just as easily, some views of the PC including a look at the Zotac 970 and H100i in place.



Next I did a quick check for loose connections and that everything was stable, seated right and ready for action...it was.

I connected all the peripherals, took a deep breath and pressed that Start/Stop button like I was firing up my brand new Ferrarri...

Success!

So I loaded up the necessary programs and got started downloading games, luckily I have fibre optic so I was able to play GTA V the very next day... It looks awesome, a noticeable step up from the Vortex in every way.

Some initial benchmarking with 3DMark Firestrike gave me a score of 9816, better than 90% of other results... I'll take that!

Overall I love the machine, it is currently set up in my bedroom until I move to my new apartment and get my streaming set up sorted but at least I found a use for some of that cardboard
The H100i is loud though, even though the CPU is idling around 30C the pump/fans are loud enough that you can't leave the PC on if you're trying to sleep. Not going to be a major issue once I move it to the living room and when I start streaming the better cooling will be needed. I will need to try and figure out the Corsair link software to see if I can't quieten the cooling down when I'm not gaming+streaming.

Let me know if you have any specific questions and I will try and answer them for you.

 

[moosEh]

Sweet post man, good to see if arrived all well and good without issue. + Rep

 

[Spuff]

Yes, nice posts.