Project Morpheus Build Log

[Taveren]

I always wanted to DIY my own PC, for the past 2 years I was using an Asus K53S laptop and told myself to have patience and slowly save up so that I can buy a Desktop PC which I really like.

My intended use for the rig is mainly for gaming with a bit of Autocad, a bit of Revit and a lot Sketchup thrown in the mix. would probably install Vray as a plugin for Sketchup.

The Games I play are mostly RPG such as Diablo series, Fallout series, Starcraft, Path of Exile, Shadowrun, etc. I also play some FPS like Borderlands 2 and Counter Strike and from time t time play MMO like World of War Craft and Guild Wars 2.

After tons of research and lurking around HWC I decided it was time to stop procrastinating and push through with my first DIY PC rig.

First I would like to thank all the guys in HWC, all of the information I gathered here were an integral part of my parts consideration and where to buy.

I must say that I spent a lot of time watching youtube videos of complete PC assembly from different channels such as Linus Tech Tips, Hardwarecanucks, Newegg, NCIX and many more.

Since it was my first time to DIY a PC I had doubts that I might mess things up and end up wasting my money because I did something stupid. But the more I learned the more confident I became that building your own PC is indeed easy as long as you did your research and thanks to everyone that always recommend to DIY the build. It encouraged me to experience it for myself.

Now on to the build I dubbed: Project Morpheus (because this is my dream rig):

Budget: 2-2.5K excluding the Monitor, mouse and keyboard.



CPU: Intel i5 4690K
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-Z97X Gaming 3
CPU Cooler: Corsair H105
GPU: MSI GTX 970 4GB Gaming Twin Frozr V
RAM: G.Skills Rip Jaws-X 1866Mhz 4GBx2
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro
PSU: Seasonic G-750W 80+ Gold
SSD: Adata SP900 M.2 128GB
HDD: WD Black 1TB
Wifi Adapter: Asus PCE-AC68-AC1900 PCI-E
Optical Drive: Generic Samsung DVD
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit OEM
Additional Fans: Cooler Master Jetflo 120 (red led) x 2

Most of the Parts were bought from PC Themes, The case, optical drive, additional fans and OS were bought from Cybermind.

Special Thanks to my colleague for helping me shop and DIY the build.

More Photos to come

 

[Taveren]

This may sound funny, but the first thing I considered was the Case.... I wanted it to be good looking (as per my tastes) and yet easy to work on.



So for 2014, Phanteks has been rolling out very good PC cases and one such case that meets my requirements and is reasonably priced is the Phanteks Enthoo Pro.



There are a lot of reviews online about this case, and my favorite site for PC case reviews is Hardwarecanucks.



Once I got my Case of choice, that is when I started considering the other parts of the build. taking to consideration that the case can accommodate a wide variety of setups, I had a very wide selection of parts for this build.

 

[Taveren]

I chose to go with Intel instead of AMD since during the time I was researching, most of my own personal conclusions led me to believe that Intel is still king of the hill in terms of overall CPU performance for my own personal needs. Hence I went for the Intel i5 4690K.



Initially, I chose to pair the i5 with a Gigabyte Z97X-UD5H Black but due to budget constraint I settled for the Gigabyte GA-Z97X Gaming 3 motherboard. then the red theme started from there.



I can say that I am not regretting that decision. I went for Gigabyte because I feel I am getting my moneys worth and I have some experience with RMA with their distro which is very positive (my Gigabyte Osmium Aivia was bricked due to FW update and CDL was very helpful).

 

[Taveren]

For the RAM, I was set on getting G.Skills because of the overall value for money and quality. on most of my research and readings G.Skills was highly recommended and praised so this is one easy choice.



Initially I asked for a 2133Mhz Ripjaws-X but I was presented with a blue module....in keeping with my overall color theme I opted to make do with a G.Skills Ripjaws-X 1866Mhz 4GB x 2.



Yes I know my reason is pretty lame and I do know that 1600Mhz is enough but I will be overclocking and wanted the additional overhead for my RAM as well. plus it suites the build nicely

 

[Taveren]

Now the CPU and RAMs are installed on the Mobo and take note that I used the Mobo box as my workbench to minimize the possibility of damaging the rear of the Mobo and at the same time provide an anti-static working platform.

Next is to check that the standoffs on the Case are aligned with the Motherboard's holes. snap on the IO shield at the opening in the rear of the case and then place the mobo and screw it snugly to make sure it is secure. do note to avoid touching the PCBs to minimize the possibility of shorting anything.



Now that the Mobo is installed in the case, we can then proceed with installing the CPU Cooler.

I chose the Corsair H105 primarily because it has a thicker radiator which will give better cooling performance and my Enthoo Pro can easily accommodate its dimensions. another plus is the cool LED from the pump and the ring is interchangeable to either silver, blue or yes red.



From the numerous reviews I have read and watched, the H105 should perform in-between an H100i and H110. without the noise of the H110. installation is a breeze and thanks to the adjustable mounting brackets on top of the case, I had a lot of room to play with.



I chose to do Push setup instead of the Corsair's recommended Pull setup. I personally prefer the fans to act as exhaust instead of intake so that the fans can blow the air from inside the case through the radiators and out the case.

 

[Taveren]

As for the PSU, I went for Seasonic G-series 750W 80+ gold. this is in consideration that I was able to get an MSI GTX 970 gaming 4gb GPU which is power efficient compared to the R9 290 cards. 750W should be more than enough and would allow me enough headroom for future upgrades.



Seasonic is one of the most highly recommended PSU in most of my research so I had no doubts in my mind that it is a good choice for a reliable PSU, going for the G-series is a personal choice since it is a 80+ gold PSU it is more efficient and is reasonably priced. only con is it is only semi-modular but again the Enthoo Pro has a shroud to conceal the PSU so I am not really going to benefit with a fully modular PSU. a couple of bucks saved



I installed the PSU without any problems, the only thing I had second thoughts was either to have the fans facing up or face down.... I went for the fans facing down since the Enthoo pro has vent openings at the bottom with dust filters.



I forgot to mention that before I mounted the Mobo to the case, I already installed the SSD. I went for an M.2 SSD in this build and chose the Adata SP900 128GB. again this is a personal preference wherein I wanted to take advantage of the M.2 slot in the Z97 mobo. the M.2 sot is capable of transfering 10Gbps of data as compared to the 6Gbps of the SATA III port but unfortunately the SSD I chose is not able to use of this transfer speed. the only advantage is I get to free up some cabling

 

[Taveren]

CPU and Mobo - Check
RAM - Check
M.2 SSD - Check
CPU Cooler - Check
PSU - Check

Now for the GPU. The MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4GB Twin Frozr V.



Honestly speaking, I was seriously looking for a Sapphire R9 280X Toxic GPU and my build was based on the gold/yellow color scheme before I got news of the 970 cards were to be released the same day that I planned to go down to SLS. So it was a no brainer, with a bit of luck I was able to secure this amazing GPU.



Installation is pretty straight forward, just unlock the PCIE slot on the Mobo and align the GPU, slot it in and secure the screws at the back then attach the powercables.



And here is another shot of what is installed so far. pardon the noob cable management.



In that photo you can see the Asus AC1900 PCIE wifi card adapter installed, it is also very easy just align and plug it in and secure the screw. no sweat, almost done.



Here is a shot of the wifi adapter. comes with 2 antennas which you connect to a a magnetic base and is connected via cable to the wifi card.

 

[Taveren]

And the Build is almost done, i would like to emphasize that cable management with the Enthoo Pro is really easy. I was really worried I will mess up the cables and end up not able to close the side panel. But fortunately, even with my inexperience, I was able to do acceptable cable management thanks to the pre-cable management done by Phanteks.



In this blurry photo you can see the pre-installed cable management and the numerous velcro tie straps that is also provided. I detached one of the drive bays to allow for better airflow.



The CM Jetflo 120 fans are purely my own personal preference, I swapped the Corsair H105 fans with 2 of these Jetflo 120 with red LEDs. and installed the Corsair fans at the bottom of the case to act as intakes (the bottom has dust filters). I know this is unnecessary but as we anyone who has DIYed his rig will know, sometimes WANT is more powerful than NEED.

Almost finished, now it is time to install the Optical Drive. Now I know some will think it is 2014 and nobody uses CDs anymore since everyone uses USB. well again, for my own personal preference I need an Optical Drive plain and simple. I would have installed a fan controller if my budget allowed but that will have to wait.



I chose the Samsung generic DVD Optical drive instead of the Asus because it is a bit cheaper

In my haste during the Build I was not able to take photos of the HDD so you will just have to take my word that I installed a 3.5" WD Black 1TB along with my old 2.5" Hitachi 180GB HDD from an Acer laptop.

For Backup I have been using a Buffalo 2TB external HDD connected via USB 3.0 I will continue to use it on this build. Maybe I will add another WD Black 1TB and do a RAID 0 with both WD Blacks for added performance. or I will just go for a bigger capacity SSD....we will see if the price continues to drop.

So with the Optical Drive installed, me and my friend proceeded with the daunting task of plugging in all the cables. all the power cables, data cable, etc. we took our time as not to miss out on anything. slowly but surely wins the race.

Do take note to take extra time in figuring out (reading the manual) for the small connectors in on your Mobo. the ones for LED power, reset switch , usb, etc. are a bit tricky so please read up on it to make sure you get it right the first time.

One thing I learned in this build is not to underestimate the fan controller hub. I left the factory supplied front fan and rear fan plugged to the fan control hub and plugged the Hub to the CPU fan header. then I plugged the Corsair pump in the Optional CPU Fan Header. The CM Jetflo 120 x 2 is connected via a splinter and is plugged in one of the 4 pin Fan header (note that the Jetflows are PWM). then I did the same thing to the corsair 120 fans - connected via splinter and plugged in to another 4 pin fan header (also PWM fans).



We did a quick test to see if the system will booth then there was a problem, the fans connected to the fan hub were not spinning.....after a quick check, I found out we forgot to connect the 12v power connector of the fan hub


So with that cleared we proceeded to do some cable management before we closed the side panel. from there it was as simple as install windows, follow the setup instructions and everything else is a breeze.



I hope this thread can be of some use as reference to others having second thoughts to DIY their rig. I wanted to share this awesome experience because HWC forums has helped me a lot and hopefully I can at least inspire others. I do apologize if some of my opinions and methods are complete unprofessional but again these are my opinions and decisions after extensive research and readings.


I will be updating this thread whenever possible so until then hope you enjoy the read and pics. Cheers!

 

[Yureak]

Good self research but imho couldve scrounged much more out of your performance with that budget

 

[Taveren]

Good self research but imho couldve scrounged much more out of your performance with that budget

Thanks for the feedback.

Thinking back the only way I could have saved on the cost is by asking for discounts which I was not able to do because my bartering skills truly suck.... my attempts at PC Themes got me a 5 dollar discount on the wifi adapter only.

At Cybermind I got a few bucks shaved off from the Case but no luck with the rest of the items. when they told me that the price is already discount rate I did not have the nerve to insist. The total for the build was 2,200.

If there are things that you feel I should have gone for, please feel free to comment. it might be a good reference for others.

Cheers!

 

[hengheng220]

hmmm bro i think u missed out the most impt part, the picture of the complete build running!

 

[Taveren]

hmmm bro i think u missed out the most impt part, the picture of the complete build running!

haha you are right . I forgot to take a photo of the rig rig up and running. will post pictures as soon as I can.

 

[Yureak]

Thanks for the feedback.

Thinking back the only way I could have saved on the cost is by asking for discounts which I was not able to do because my bartering skills truly suck.... my attempts at PC Themes got me a 5 dollar discount on the wifi adapter only.

At Cybermind I got a few bucks shaved off from the Case but no luck with the rest of the items. when they told me that the price is already discount rate I did not have the nerve to insist. The total for the build was 2,200.

If there are things that you feel I should have gone for, please feel free to comment. it might be a good reference for others.

Cheers!

Well think you shouldve hooted a cheaper processor and a 980 instead haha. And couldve bought from tradepac. As for Ram 1600 would really be a good choice over 1866

Excellent choice on psu and mobo though

 

[Taveren]

Well think you shouldve hooted a cheaper processor and a 980 instead haha. And couldve bought from tradepac. As for Ram 1600 would really be a good choice over 1866

Excellent choice on psu and mobo though

Good point, I was thinking that I should get the highest i5 for a bit of headroom for softwares that I sometimes use such as CAD, Revit, Sketchup + Vray. As for the GPU, I am only using a single 1080p monitor so when I got the chance to hoot a GTX 970 I immediately went for it .

The RAM yeah but it is nice to know I got some headroom. currently running at 4.5Ghz only. can go up to 4.7Ghz stable but never tried beyond it.

 

[halnala]

Great job with your 1st DIY! Looks good. I pretty much messed up my 1st DIY rig since it was purely trial and error. Haha. I agree with Yureak that should have tried your luck at Tradepac.

 

[Taveren]

Great job with your 1st DIY! Looks good. I pretty much messed up my 1st DIY rig since it was purely trial and error. Haha. I agree with Yureak that should have tried your luck at Tradepac.

Hey thanks for the compliment

My colleague help me a lot in the build (we were both 1st timers ) but we both game so we share a common passion and I was able to share the experience with him.

DIY a PC build is really satisfying, we both felt a very big sense of accomplishment after we saw the monitor boot up

I will definite keep Tradepac in mind for future builds or upgrades specially for my friends.

 

[halnala]

Hey thanks for the compliment

My colleague help me a lot in the build (we were both 1st timers ) but we both game so we share a common passion and I was able to share the experience with him.

DIY a PC build is really satisfying, we both felt a very big sense of accomplishment after we saw the monitor boot up

I will definite keep Tradepac in mind for future builds or upgrades specially for my friends.

You are welcome. Yeah, the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment is priceless. Enjoy your new rig and lurk around more. Heheh.

 

[Taveren]

As promised, here are some photos during the initial boot up and Windows installation:

Here is a shot of the complete build though I am still figuring out the final setup but so far this is what I have.

 

[Taveren]

here are some short stress tests from Intel Extreme Tuning Utility:

CPU Stress test:



Memory Stress Test:



GPU Stress Test:



Benchmarking:



Windows Performance Information and Tools:



Not too shabby