New SLi gaming rig

[mpv]

Hi all,

I'm looking to buy a new gaming pc, primarily to run SW:TOR and other games at maximum graphics. I have the below spec but have a few questions if you could answer please before I order:

1. Pictures of the case show an additional side panel case fan (blue) but it's not listed in the case spec or as an option. Can this be fitted or is it standard ?

2. I'm a bit concerned about fan noise and heat output as the office (aka gaming room) that I will use the pc in is small and generally has the door and window closed. Can this system run at load on low fan speed without generating massive heat output ?

3. I haven't had an SLi rig before but I assume this is better than a single card ? Will I need just a regular 1.4 HDMI cable that goes from one of the SLi connected cards to the (single) monitor or is a special adapter required ?

4. Are there any changes you would make to this system ?

5. Can one of the front USB ports be used for USB3.0 and will they be connected up as part of the build ?

6. Will all the case fans and their lights be controlled by the case fan control knob or is it just the one at the front ?

7. Should this rig be overclocked ? There wasn't any options for this going through the SLi menu. I don't mind overclocking but I don't want massive heat output or instability. Long gaming sessions with a massive heater under your desk (in a closed corner with no natural ventilation) can get quite uncomfortable.

8. What brand are the graphics cards ?

9. Will the water cooler radiator, pipes and cables fit nicely (without fudging) into this case ?

10. Does the rig come with any temperature management / monitoring software ?

Many thanks for your patience and your responses.


Spec

Case
COOLERMASTER CM STORM SNIPER - NEXT GEN GAMING CASE

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7-2600k Quad Core (3.40GHz, 8MB Cache) + HD Graphics

Motherboard
ASUS® MAXIMUS IV EXTREME-Z: INTEL Z68 ROG MOTHERBOARD

Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (4 x 4GB KIT)

Graphics Card
3GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 580 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready

2nd Graphics Card
3GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 580 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready

Memory - 1st Hard Disk
120GB OCZ VERTEX 3 SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 500MB/sW)

2nd Hard Disk
240GB OCZ VERTEX 3 SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)

1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
10x LG BLU-RAY RE-WRITER DRIVE, 16x DVD ±R/±RW (£69)

Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT

Power Supply
CORSAIR 1050W PRO SERIES™ HX1050-80 PLUS® SILVER MODULAR (£168)

Processor Cooling
COOLIT ECO II C240 A.L.C (ADVANCED LIQUID COOLER) (£99)

Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)

Network Facilities
ONBOARD 10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs

USB Options
6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL (MIN 2 FRONT PORTS) AS STANDARD

Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£109)

Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)

Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE

DVI-D & HDMI Monitor Cables
1 x 2 METRE GOLD PLATED V1.4 HDMI CABLE (£8)

Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)

Delivery
SATURDAY DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (BEFORE 12 NOON) (£19)

Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Quantity 1

 

[Frenchy]

Ok ill try answer your questions as best I can, luckily I have 2 x 3GB GTX 580 and an overclocked i7 2600k.

1. Not sure about the sniper side fan, if it doesnt come with oen you can certainly arrange for one to be fitted though. Im sure someone with a sniper will let you know about this, theres plenty of them around on here.

2. While at idle there isnt much noise to be honest, its not silent but certainly not loud. If you are playing high spec games though the two fans on each GTX580 will kick in, you certainly notice the volume change however its still not really loud. Heat wise, im not sure what the sniper is like for cooling, I have the HAF-X which I think is amazing, especially for cooling.

3. Standard HDMI cable will be fine or you can use DVI, infact it has two DVI ports and a HDMI and a display port on each card, When in SLI you can connect 3 monitors, two into the DVI on first card and one into second card, however you can just use a single monitor and have the second graphics card boost the performance. as for the speed thing, yeah its quite a bit quicker than single card.

4. I would change the motherboard to a p8z68-v pro, id also consider changing the second SSD for a larger HDD, somethign liek a 1TB Cavier Black, youll need the storage for games media etc, and SSDs will drop in price drastically over th next eyar or so, so when they have done then you can buy a second SSD. The p8z68-v pro board has plenty of sata ports so youll be fine for expansion later.

5. Not sure about sniper for USB 3.0 however something liekt he HAF-X has 2 usb 3 ports on the front and can be connected to the motherboard on the standard header, not sure if the maximus has the usb 3 header.

6. If all the fans are not controlled by it I believe you can set it up so that they are.

7. Mines overclocked at about 4.6GHz, very stable. PCS ensure stability in their testing and quality control stages. Is it necessary to overclock, no, I do alot of cpu intense stuff though so was worth ti for me. Bear in mind overclocking will shorten the life span of your CPU.

8. I believe the ones normally used are Palit (same as mine), they are very good. However when you goto order ring pcs and they can tell you exactly what brand they have in stock at the time.

9. Watercooler should fit fine, theres a few peopel around with sniper. If you decide not to overclock though then switch to a different cooler, you dont need watercooling.

10. Most motherboards come with a cd to install software to monitor temps. ASUS provide AI Suite II which allows you to monitor the temps, otherwise you can get programs such as HWMonitor and others which track cpu and gpu temps.

Hope that helped

EDIT I would also reduce RAM to 8GB, no need for 16 with gaming and if your not planning to overclock go for the 1333 MHz over the 1600MHz as you wont notice a difference

 

[MeveM]

The sniper side fan is apparently included, I asked the same question earlier since I'm getting one, and I was told it was infact included due to loads of complaints to Coolermaster.

 

[DeadEyeDuk]

I do indeed have a side blue led fan fitted. I think the only restriction imposed is if you have a huge CPU cooler, the fan won't fit. This is best clarified with PCS with regards to your order specifically though.

 

[tom_gr7]

1. yes you will have a side fan fitted, this is the case you will be getting
http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?product_id=2950

2 .you can control the speed of the case fans using the fitted fan controller, but i'd recommend whilst gaming to have them on max to get as much air as possible on the gpu.

5.If you went with the z68-pro motherboard then you will usb3.0 connections on the rear of case.

9. I'd keep the liquid cooling, because the titan will result in the removal of the side fan. Yes it does fit really well with plenty of space.

I use the asus software that came with the motherboard to monitor the cpu, and i use GPU-Z to monitor the gpu/

The other questions have been answered already.

 

[mpv]

Many thanks for the great replies. My wife just gave birth to our twins so I won't be able to digest fully for a couple of days. Looks like I'll place an order shortly though.

 

[Wozza63]

1. yes you will have a side fan fitted, this is the case you will be getting
http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?product_id=2950

2 .you can control the speed of the case fans using the fitted fan controller, but i'd recommend whilst gaming to have them on max to get as much air as possible on the gpu.

5.If you went with the z68-pro motherboard then you will usb3.0 connections on the rear of case.

9. I'd keep the liquid cooling, because the titan will result in the removal of the side fan. Yes it does fit really well with plenty of space.

I use the asus software that came with the motherboard to monitor the cpu, and i use GPU-Z to monitor the gpu/

The other questions have been answered already.

is this 100% true? because i need that side fan and i still cant connect to the chat thing.. im gonna try email hopefully that works

 

[tom_gr7]

is this 100% true? because i need that side fan and i still cant connect to the chat thing.. im gonna try email hopefully that works

Yeah im pretty sure it is. You could phone up the tech guys at pcs if you wont to double check.

 

[Wozza63]

yeh ill try email first and then phone in a few days if there is no success, i dont have a clue why chat dont work, ive tried firefox, chrome and even Skyfire for iPad, i might as well try my iTouch

 

[Rakk]

My wife just gave birth to our twins

Congrats (or commiserations - pick which is most relevant )

Looks like I'll place an order shortly though.

I have a feeling you might be a bit busy to do that for a while

 

[DeadEyeDuk]

Many thanks for the great replies. My wife just gave birth to our twins so I won't be able to digest fully for a couple of days. Looks like I'll place an order shortly though.

So she gets a new baby...only fair that you do too!

 

[mpv]

mmm ... maybe I should change my mind and stop worrying about noisy fans .. i'll need something to drown out the noise of the twins ! lol !

 

[mpv]

Just placed the order Spec is below. Not sure if the PCS guys read here but if you do please include the side blue fan in the CM Storm Sniper (Black Edition ?) case and use the best thermal paste you have, I don't mind if there is an extra charge for this just let me know. Also please contact me if there is anything else you recommend. Thanks.

Let the impatient waiting begin ...

Case
COOLERMASTER CM STORM SNIPER - NEXT GEN GAMING CASE

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7-2600k Quad Core (3.40GHz, 8MB Cache) + HD Graphics

Motherboard
ASUS® MAXIMUS IV EXTREME-Z: INTEL Z68 ROG MOTHERBOARD

Memory (RAM)
8GB KINGSTON HYPER-X GENESIS DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz, X.M.P (2 x 4GB KIT)

Graphics Card
3GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 580 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready

2nd Graphics Card
3GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 580 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready

Memory - 1st Hard Disk
120GB OCZ VERTEX 3 SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 500MB/sW)

2nd Hard Disk
240GB OCZ VERTEX 3 SSD, SATA 6 Gb/s (upto 550MB/sR | 520MB/sW)

1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
10x LG BLU-RAY RE-WRITER DRIVE, 16x DVD ±R/±RW (£69)

Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (XD, MS, CF, SD, etc) + 1 x USB 2.0 PORT

Power Supply
CORSAIR 1050W PRO SERIES™ HX1050-80 PLUS® SILVER MODULAR (£168)

Processor Cooling
COOLIT ECO II C240 A.L.C (ADVANCED LIQUID COOLER) (£99)

Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£109)

Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)

DVI-D & HDMI Monitor Cables
1 x 2 METRE GOLD PLATED V1.4 HDMI CABLE (£8)

Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour) (£5)

Delivery
DELIVERY BY 10 A.M WITHIN UK MAINLAND (MON - FRI) (£19)

Build Time
FAST TRACK 5 WORKING DAY DISPATCH (£39)
Quantity 1

 

[Frenchy]

Lol nice, I think I now officially have to dislike you because youve just beaten my system lol, although I do have the HAF-X, so my tower block beats your bungalow lol.

 

[Wozza63]

Sniper - 551mm x 254.6mm x 566.6mm (Approx H x W x D)
HAF-X - 550mm x 230mm x 590mm (Approx H x W x D)

Sniper is pretty much bigger in 2/3 directions

what i dont get is how titan+side fan works on haf-x but not on sniper

 

[DeadEyeDuk]

And it has a carry handle...RRROOOOAAAAARRRR

 

[Wozza63]

and it has a carry handle...rrrooooaaaaarrrr :d

jeeesssssssssssssssuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuussssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!

 

[Frenchy]

Lol mine looks better lol

 

[Wozza63]

nah, the sniper looks immense and is cheaper it also has a built in fan controller, does yours?

 

[Frenchy]

nah, the sniper looks immense and is cheaper it also has a built in fan controller, does yours?

I dont need a fan controller beyond ai suite tbh. If I did get one it would be fore the looks more than anythin in which case the snipers one to me doesnt look good lol.

Also the haf-x is much better for air cooling