Build of the Week 3/26

Black & White

Hello again readers!  I'm back again with a Build of the Week after a two week hiatus.  This time around I'm going with an AMD gaming system themed around the colors black and white.  I really like this theme and there are a lot of parts that fit the criteria.  However there is only one pure white GPU, the Galaxy Geforce GTX 770 Hall of Fame Edition.  This is easily my favorite version of the 770 and it is wicked fast.  The budget for this one is in the $1200 range making it a very capable 1080p powerhouse gaming rig.  Not only will it rock in games, but it will also look awesome, while maintaining quiet operation and low temperatures. 

CPU:  AMD FX-8320

To start things off I am going with the FX-8320 CPU from AMD.  This is an eight-core chip that has really solid gaming and multitasking performance.  Expect to be able to play your favorite games, while running your voice chat programs like Skype, simultaneously without a hitch.  Clocked in at 3.5 GHz this is an unlocked chip, meaning that it can be easily overclocked with proper cooling.  When it comes to price/performance, this is the forerunner.  For a low price of $140 this is an amazingly good CPU for anything you might need it for.  

Cooler: Silverstone Tundra TD02 w/Bitfenix Spectre Pros

 Since the CPU in this system is an easy overclocker and tends to give off more heat than its' Intel counterparts I have decided to go with an aftermarket cooling system.  This is an AIO, or all-in-one liquid cooling unit from Silverstone called the Tundra TD02.  Coming in at $119, this is the industries only AIO with white tubing and has a really unique look to it.  The radiator is 240mm so it will support up to four 120mm fans; two on top and two on bottom.  I really like to replace the stock fans that come on these cooling systems so I'm going to replace them with a pair of Bitfenix Spectre Pro PWMs.  These are designed for radiators and have higher pressure than your average fan.  They come in black too, but I'm really liking the white variety for this build.  A pair of these will run you about $34.  This combo will help keep your CPU very cool, even when running overclocks in the 4.2-4.6 GHz range, all while keeping the volume low.  Cooling units like this remove the cluttered look that air coolers create a very pleasing look in a windowed case.  For the price, you will be left happy for quite some time.    For a full review from Gamers Nexus, click here!

Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3

I am probably getting hate by now from some ASUS fanboys, but Gigabyte has grown to become my favorite motherboard company.  This board is the Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3.  I have used this board in two previous builds; one was revision 3 and the other revision 4.  This is the 4th revision, which comes with much more robust heatsinks and a large heat pipe coming from the north bridge to the mosfets.  This is the 990FX chipset so you can expect a large feature set included two way SLi and CrossfireX for multi-GPU setups, 7.1 audio, USB 3.0, and excellent overclocking support.  With a true flat black PCB and overall very dark features this board is perfect for our theme's backbone.  For $115, after rebate, this motherboard is too good to pass up.  Expect performance, durability, and elegance with Gigabyte.   Click here for a full featured look at this board!

RAM:  Corsair Vengeance LP 

This kit of memory is a 2x4 GB set of Corsair Vengeance LP.  The LP meaning that it is low profile, making it great for fitting under large air coolers.  Even though this system will have a clean looking liquid cooler this is one of the only white RAM sets.  It is also a extra low voltage set, so they won't use up as much power as a typical kit: 1.35v vs 1.5v.  Vengeance RAM is often regarded as the best, which is always a plus.  Due to the fancy coloring this is going to run you about $87, but when is beauty cheap?  This is a standard 1600/CAS 9 set so you can expect very solid performance overall from them.

Storage:  Western Digital 1TB

Nothing terrifyingly original here, but reliable and cheap none the less.  The storage and main drive in this system is the Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB.  A full terabyte is usually more than enough for most people and will sustain perfectly good speeds for your workhorse drive.  Clocked in at 7200 RPM you can expect very solid load times for a mechanical drive.  This is arguably the most popular drive out there.  Western Digital has earned a great reputation for having reliable, long lasting hard drives.  A Seagate Barracuda would be a worthy exchange for this, but they are both usually around the same price of $60. 

Case:  Silverstone TJ04B-EW

The chassis for the build is the Silverstone TJ04B-EW.  Silverstone has been known for their interesting design decisions and quirky layouts, but this case is a bit of an exemption.  Nothing out of the ordinary in terms of layout: bottom mounted PSU, front drive cage, front to rear airflow etc.  This thing is classy.  Brushed aluminum around the entire case with a large open window for your viewing pleasure.  I'm really impressed with the craftsmanship and design on the one, plus the silver trim on the edge paired with the black aluminum matches the theme nicely.  

Taking a look inside you can see right away that there are a ton of options for cable routing.  A 2 1/2" drive mount is positioned in the bottom for SSDs or smaller HDDs.  The main drive bay is in the front.  Interestingly they have a custom drive bay that comes with built in heatsinks for keeping your drives cool.  I could see this design put into good use as a data server when you have lots of drives running all day long.  Four 5 1/4 bays in the front to accommodate a disc drive or lighting system.  The top panel features an offset spot for a 240mm radiator, the TD02 from earlier, so that the cooling system doesn't come into contact with the motherboard.  Overall it's an excellent case that comes to the market for around $150.  For a full unboxing and in depth look at this case check out this review from Custom PC Review!

PSU:  NZXT HALE82 V2 700w

The power behind this system is coming from the NZXT HALE82 V2 700 watt power supply.  Right away I knew that this was going to be a perfect fit for this build.  The black and white color, fully modular cables, and 80+ Bronze efficiency make this exactly what I would look for.  This system at full load will be pulling right around 470 watts.  Having 700 watts allows a bunch of headroom for overclocking as well as hitting the units peak efficiency levels.  This particular unit comes with a $100 price tag.  For an in depth look and technical specifications here is an overview straight from Newegg.

GPU:  Galaxy Geforce GTX 770 Hall of Fame

Say hello to the highlight of this build: The Galaxy Geforce GTX 770 Hall of Fame Edition.  Right away you will notice that it is almost entirely white including the PCB.  The look isn't the only distinguishing factor for this card though.  Taking a look at other overclocked GTX 770s from Asus, Gigabyte, EVGA, and MSI you might notice that their average stock clock is 1.11 GHz, with the highest coming from EVGA at 1.15 GHz.  This monster of a card has a stock clock of 1.202!  What's even better is it can be overclocked past 1.3 while still maintaining manageable temperatures and low volume.  Galaxy seriously did something right with this cooling system!

Taking a look at the back of the card you will see a single Display port and three HDMI ports for your monitors.  This card will support four monitors right out of the box.  Expect all of the usual high end features included with an Nvidia card as well.  On the side that faces your case window there is an illuminated white line going the length of the card.  I personally think that it is a classy choice of lighting effects from Galaxy, while not becoming too flashy.  Most of the usual sellers are out of stock currently, but you can get this GPU direct from the Galaxy website for $380 and it includes Daylight free of charge.  Check out this review from Awesomesauce News for more details!

Other:  Silverstone Sleeved Cable Extensions

For a final touch I like to add some sleeved cable extensions.  Some power supplies come with brightly colored cables that can really be a sore thumb inside a sweet themed build.  These Silverstone Sleeved Extensions will get rid of those pesky colors.  I would go with a white set, though black could look pretty cool too.  A set of these including: 24-pin, 2x 8-pin PCI-E, and a 8-pin CPU will run for around $20.

Conclusion and Pricing

This is a high performing, great looking build idea.  It isn't exactly the most bang for your buck though.  There are plenty of places to shave off costs while not decreasing performance.  Things like an air cooler, stock fans, and a cheaper case are easy ways to get the price knocked down.  When I do build ideas though, I want something that is going to perform, but is also going to be visually appealing.  I want something that I can put on my desk and have my friends gawk at.  So while this isn't the best price/performance system out there, it is damn classy.  

If you've made it this far thanks for giving my blog a look. Comments, questions, or concerns are more than welcome!

CPU: AMD FX-8320 - ($139.99) 

CPU Cooler: Silverstone Tundra TD02 - ($118.99) 

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 - ($115.00) 

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB - ($86.99) 

Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB - ($59.99)

Case: Silverstone TJ04B-EW -  ($145.98) 

Power Supply: NZXT HALE82 V2 700W - ($99.99) 

Case Fan: BitFenix BFF-SPRO-120mm  Fan -  ($16.99) 
Case Fan: BitFenix BFF-SPRO-120mm  Fan -  ($16.99) 

GPU: Galaxy Geforce GTX 770 Hall of Fame - ($380.00)

Other:  Silverstone Sleeved Extensions - White - ($20)

Total: $1205