Paradox: The Continuum

[XANADV]

[BEGIN TRANSMISSION]


Hello once again everybody. It's been a solid two months since my initial post in the rig gallery. Yes, a long time ago. It is time for a much overdue update on my build; several things have been added since then. For those of you that have never seen my build you can see it here.

In my initial post I went over foundation of my rig; the essentials needed for a complete working system short of the things that I have added recently, those being a graphics card, sound card, a [proper] display, and a headset to utilize the full potential of that new sound card. As usual, be prepared for somewhat of a long explanation on what components I chose and the reasons behind why I chose them. Without further ado then...

Graphics card: EVGA GTX 680 Classified
(My my I'll get flamed for this one :mellow Ok firstly, I did have an open dialogue with several of you about what graphics card I should choose for my system and the majority of you recommended the GTX 670 over the 680, your reasons being the minimal performance difference versus the price difference. That being said I took your input into consideration but in the end I chose this because, for one, it meets all of the specifications that I was looking for; those being 1, a larger-than-2GB frame buffer (4GB in this case) , 2, a custom PCB for improved power delivery and thus higher overclocking potential, and 3, watercooling (there will be a Hydro Copper block available for this card), again, for increased overclocking potential. I get the best of all of the those worlds in this card. Secondly I chose this over a GTX 670 because it just aligns better with the other high-end components in my rig. Just think about it. You wouldn't buy a Mercedes Benz with a cheap four-cylinder engine now would you? Oh yeah, a free copy of Borderlands 2 is a nice added bonus to top things off.

Display: ASUS VG278HE
Again I have had an open dialogue with some of you about this subject matter as well. Initially I was going to choose an IPS display, BUT, considering that I primarily use my rig for gaming I had to readjust my priorities somewhat. I will in the near future get an IPS display or three but for now it comes down to having the right tool for the job so I took a step backward in my opinion and opted for this TN panel.

In reality this is not really a step backward. Between this display and its older sibling, the VG278H, this one has two things going for it. For one the VG278HE does not have that crappy 3D emitter built in which many have said comes with defects. For me at least, and I am sure many of you will agree with me, that is a plus. Improves the aesthetics and reduces the price. Secondly this display is NOT 120 Hz, but 144 Hz. One hundred and forty-four hertz! While one will not readily be able to tell the difference between 120 Hz and 144 Hz, it is like night and day better for me coming from a console gaming background or for anybody who games at 60 Hz. This is the closest thing under the sun right now to a CRT to put it simply.

For all that this display can do, at the end of the day it is a 27" TN panel with a resolution of only 1920x1080. And as such I would only ever use it for fast-paced gaming. The color depth and viewing angles are still noticeably inferior to even a garden variety IPS panel (although TN panels have come a long way in those departments) and I can discern individual pixels from a slightly-closer-than-normal seating distance. I am presently looking at 27 in panels with WQHD resolution for use in a surround setup.

Sound card: ASUS Xonar Phoebus
When it comes to audio, I consider it to have an equal impact as the graphics in the overall gaming experience. While the onboard sound hardware on my motherboard of choice (ASUS Maximus V Formula) is almost discreet-class in terms of audio quality, it does not give the user much control of the audio parameters that a dedicated solution does. And so begins my search for a sound card.

In the world of PC sound cards there are only two players in that space that have decent offerings: ASUS and Creative. Looking at Creative's X-Fi Titanium, the hardware is for the most part solid, but the drivers definitely are not in modern times, and thus, have widespread problems. No use in getting the right tool for the job if it doesn't work. Then I look at ASUS Xonar line. The DX, DGX, and DSX get the job done sure, but looking at those cards they're naked and subject to electromagnetic interference from other sources inside of a computer case. Oh and those products have been out for some time as well. The STX has shielding, but is more ideal for audiophiles and music enthusiasts and less so for gamers. Enter the Xonar Phoebus. EMI shielding? Check. 7.1 audio? Check. Drivers and software optimized for gaming and without the issues that Creative has? Check.

Gaming headset: Astro A40 wired headset.
While this is by no means an integral part of the system build, I feel it does deserve mentioning. When it comes to getting good quailty audio there can be no compromises. Every component of the audio, from your source material (LP, CD, DVD, digital or whatnot) to all of the hardware in your system (turntable, CD player, computer, etc, DAC, amplifier, speakers or headphones and even the cabling) has to be up to snuff in order to get the best possible experience.

In order to use my sound card to its fullest potential the headphones have to be just as good or better. When choosing my headset there were some things to consider. First, it had to be wired. The headset that I use with my consoles is Turtle Beach PX5, which is wireless. As you very well know any wireless signal can be subject to interference from a variety of sources; in this case my wireless router since it works on 2.4 GHz band. I get this awful crackling noise that quickly becomes unbearable hence my decision to go wired once again. Secondly it has to be comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Again my reasoning for this is based on my experience with the PX5. I could maybe wear them for an hour before I begin to feel discomfort. Thirdly, the headset can't have any built-in audio processing of its own; it would completely defeat the purpose of getting a sound card in the first place. The Corsair Vengeance series of headsets and any such product that uses a USB connection comes to mind. Last, but not least, it has to have the best sound quality on its own merit while still having a built-in mic. In the end there were only two headsets to choose from: Sennheiser PC360 and Astro A40. The PC360, unfortunately, does not play well with large heads and, thus, would be likely to cause me comfort issues. The decision from there was an easy one.

Fans: 5x Noctua NF-F12 120mm and 1x Noctua NF-P14 140mm fans
Needed to change the stock fans that came with the Cosmos II. Also wanted to lay some groundwork for watercooling when I get around to it as well. So given that information, the fans had to have a high static pressure. The only problem I ran into here was choosing from the many offerings out there, so I made it easy on myself and went with the best fans my money could buy and Noctua is highly regarded as being one the best when it comes to fans. I only wish they came in black, but whatever.

I am presently using them as case fans until I get a watercooling loop installed. The Cosmos II case can fit 600mm of radiator for sure (possibly more), hence my decision to get five of them.


Conclusion
If you have read this far my many thanks for your patience in reading my lengthy update. ^_^ There will be more updates to come still as this is a constantly evolving project (pictures will come shortly as well). There will be an additional graphics card for SLI, watercooling, and the aforementioned IPS displays in surround in the coming months. Speaking of which, I am considering the Dell U2713HM and the ASUS PB278Q at this point in time. If any of you have used them tell me what you think about them.
I haven't been very active on forums lately; my apologies. I'll ramp up my activity again and answer any questions that anybody has about my build or my opinions on things or whatnot.

XANADV signing off






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[Josh Weston]

I admit, I had to skim read this, as there's a lot of text! The one thing that i've picked up on is the headset choice. The A40s are designed for console gaming primarily, and aren't up to the quality to need a dedicated soundcard, let alone a really good one. The reason you buy the A40s is to use the mixamp, which uses clever drivers to fool you into thinking the headset's 5.1/7.1.
There are a lot of better headsets out there, sir.

 

[XANADV]

What is out there now that is better in your opinion?

 

[Josh Weston]

Pexon's our resident audiophile, so you may be better off talking to him I do own the A40s, and they're great for console gaming, it's just you can do better.

 

[XANADV]

A40 is great for PC gaming as well and a big step up from my PX5 for console gaming, that much I agree. But those better options your talking about...sounds like you're talking about true audiophile-grade stuff, which I am not quite ready to invest in as of yet, but I might get into that in the future though.

 

[Josh Weston]

Good sound is good sound, and there are better headsets/headphones out there for the same price of the A40.

 

[jamesriley94]

Agreeing with Josh - get good headphones and a proper audio soundcard...

Not a gaming soundcard and a gaming headset as it just won't be as good.

A £50 set of headphones and a £50 soundcard would be better than the gaming headset all round.

 

[XANADV]

I got the A40 primarily to replace my PX5; needed something that I can use both on consoles and PC. I wasn't too concerned with headphones for uses other than gaming right then. You both say there are better options out there but have not cited any specific examples. Also how exactly would they significantly enhance certain aspects of the gaming experience versus what I have now?

 

[AverageNinja]

People, the a40's are amazing headphones, even for PCs. I believe they also have amazing microphones in them. They might be better for consoles. But it's a solid, and expensive, choice. I think he has already bought the parts, so he might learn for the next time. But he's kind of a new member on the forums, so be nice to him

 

[jamesriley94]

Well for the soundcard, the cheaper Essence STX will give you better quality audio, far better output to headphones and more realistic sounds. Whereas the Phoebus will add artificial bass which you may like for gaming through speakers but it won't sound as realistic as the STX where it will produce better sound quality and more realistic bass which I feel is better for gaming.
The Phoebus also doesn't have a headphone amp which you'd need to drive a higher powered headphones - ie - you can use better headphones on the STX than you can on the Phoebus.

Tbh though, both soundcards will probably max out the capabilities of the A40s, which is why you need proper headphones. I use Beyerdynamic DT770s which I find amazing in overall build quality, and sound quality. Far better than any gaming headset can do. I can't really speak for other sets of headphones, but from Beyerdynamic, the DT770s, DT880s and DT990s are all a decent choice. I'm sure other users can expand more on this range, but these are the only one's I've actually looked at.

Overall, the headphones and STX will produce better quality sounds in gaming and far better quality audio when listening to music and watching films.
The Phoebus and headset will produce unrealistic sounds in gaming, and be terrible in music listening.

To put it into slight perspective - It pains me to listen to my turtle beaches after using the Beyerdynamics - even when both using the STX. I know the A40s will be better than my Turtle beaches, but there will still be a big difference.

 

[Perturabo]

Some examples in that kind of price range are the grado sr60i and shure srh440. The difference is going to be that the astros were designed with gaming in mind so they have a mic and are bass heavy. The others being music headphones are designed to accurately reproduce the sound that is input to them, so they will give you the sounds as intended by the developer. This is just through using lighter and generally better drivers really.

To me in a good game the music really creates an atmosphere (borderlands 2 does a good job here for example) so I want headphones that can reproduce that music as intended.

You by no means have a bad headset, you could just do better for the same money is all. But if you want to use it for Xbox too then it coming with the mix amp is probably a good thing for you. Plus the fact that the sound from the Xbox isnt spectacular in the first place anyway so better headphones may not make too much of a difference there.

So really it depends on where your priorities lie, console or PC. With those headphones you could get away with a lower end Asus sound card but some proper headphones will show you what it is capable of.

 

[XANADV]

One thing to note about audio as it relates to gaming: the most important thing (to me) is not sound accuracy or bass heaviness, but positional accuracy. The reason why I had the PX5 before the A40 was for this reason. I want to be able to know exactly what is going on around me, but more importantly, where it is going on. Knowing EXACTLY where an enemy is shooting from gives me an undeniable tactical advantage. With that said, in order for the PX5 to achieve that effect it uses multiple discreet drivers which does compromise on sound quality a bit. The A40, on the other hand, is good old-fashioned stereo 2.1 and achieves better sound quality, but positional accuracy admittedly takes a small hit. Just a small hit though; that's where a gaming sound card like the Phoebus works its magic. The drivers and software are better at simulating positional accuracy through stereo headphones like the Mixamp that came with the A40.

 

[Josh Weston]

As you say, the astros are just a 2.1 system that uses clever software. If you get a better quality sounding headset, it'll be even better, because the software works just the same with any set of cans.

P.S. the A40s are NOT bass heavy. I wish they were, as I do love my wubwub music. They're actually fairly balanced when it comes to that side of things.

 

[XANADV]

Another update

[BEGIN TRANSMISSION]


Hello again everybody. A new year is upon us (as of this writing) and what better way to kick it off than to treat you all to another lengthy build update. Yes, another lengthy update as usual, but this time with pictures! There has been a lot of changes; a lot of comings and goings. New parts, a few case mods and a drastic change in working conditions mind you. If you have read my recent posts you may be aware of some of them but here is the introduction proper. Drums please...

OK, lets get the easy stuff out of the way. I did do some of the stuff I said I was going to do last time as per my last update.

There is now another EVGA GTX 680 Classified so now I have two of them in SLI for double the fun.

The IPS monitor that I ended up getting is the ASUS PB278Q (which is not IPS but PLS). This baby has 2560x1440 resolution and it is everything I expected it to be; it provides a lot of screen real estate and plays well with games. That said, I have found the responsiveness of it to be a little bit behind the VG278HE but still acceptable for gaming. My setup is nice but we'll get to that later. And now onto all of the new changes and additions in my usual format...

CASE MODS

First lets talk about everything I've done to my COSMOS II.

You may notice this picture from my thread in Rig Gallery. This is what it looked like when I first started out from the very beginning before any graphics cards where added (please forgive the old picture as I didn't take one before I started working). And now...

First, I wanted to remove the top hard drive cage from the case completely to free up airflow coming from the front and make room for watercooling components in the future. It was a friggin lot of trouble. The back part of it (motherboard side) was easy enough to take off as it was held by screws. The front side of the cage (by the fan) was where it got interesting.

This one was riveted in place and I needed to drill to remove that front rail. A poor design choice by Cooler Master IMO.

Next I relocated my 520 series SSDs to sit flush against the far side of the motherboard tray to be seen in all their RAID 0 glory. I am just using simple double-sided tape to hold them in place. That does it for case mods for now.

NEW CPU COOLER: OUT WITH THE 612, IN WITH THE H100i

The third change I didn't mention in the picture above since it does not count as a case mod. To put it simply the Hyper 612 had to go. I did this primarily to improve aesthetics.

It looks a lot less cluttered in the motherboard area and I can finally put that heat spreader fin back on my DIMM. I am not using the SP120s that came with the H100i; just using my NF-F12s in pull configuration for now. This will have to hold me over until I get a proper loop in place.

NEW HARD DRIVE: SEAGATE BARRACUDA 2TB

If there are two things any computer user shouldn't be without those would be antivirus and a system backup. Regrettably I have not been doing the latter but I eventually addressed that with this hard drive. Chose 2TB for the extra storage volume when I need it.

MY GAMING SETUP

Here is a quick glimpse of how my office space has evolved in the last six months. I will also cover some the new peripheral items I've acquired here as well.

First:

Then:

And now:

Total geekdom

The one chair to rule them all.

Razer Mamba 2013 edition and Razer Invicta mouse mat.

Logitech C920 Webcam



And that concludes my last build log update of 2012. It's been such a great year! I learned a great deal about building systems and made a grand return to PC gaming. 2013 looks to be even better. I will finally put the finishing touches on my own build and build my mother a system to replace her aging laptop. I'm also looking forward to Crysis 3 melting down PCs around the world and the resulting apocalypse.

Happy 2013
XANADV the Great






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[PingPangBV]

Awesome build and pics mate!

 

[XANADV]

Bad H100i

It seems that there has been a major problem with my H100i. It actually ended up performing worse than the Cooler Master Hyper 612 it was supposed to replace. If all of the professional reviews out there are any indication the H100i was fully expected to perform better, however that did not happen for me. After much troubleshooting I have no choice but to continue using the 612 going forward until I get a replacement unit. My initial suspicions about closed loop watercoolers have been confirmed. :mellow:

 

[XANADV]

The moment I've been waiting for

We come to it at last. My multi-monitor setup has been realized. It's been a long time comin'. Building my rig thru last summer and getting all the little bits and pieces up until now, I can count myself among the few. Two more VG278HEs have just arrived at my doorstep and I now have a triple-plus-one display arrangement!

The VGs in their colorful boxes. My PB came in a more plain-looking box

My setup until today

I took the opportunity to clean and tidy up cables behind my desk and remove unnecessary stuff.

My PB278Q has to sit it out with my consoles until my monitor stand arrives.

This is what it looks like now. The included DVI cable won't reach my rig from the left monitor so I'll have to get a longer one before I can run surround. :angry: Not a 3+1 setup yet until I get my stand.


My incoming monitor stand will clear up a lot of desk space and allow me to mount my PB above the middle monitor. I decided on VGs over PBs because they are more practical for multi-monitor gaming (and the PB makes a better accessory display anyway). Whew! Now that this is done I can finally concentrate on a watercooling loop next. That 900D is looking mighty tempting for that but a got the Cosmos II for a reason. Any recommendations on watercooling parts are welcome!

 

[dragoonk]

Hey! that's a really nice setup there, I like the looks of it... as for practical.. I dunno, I usually prefer single monitor setups... but looking good none the less.

 

[XANADV]

OK now my monitor stand is finally in.

Here is what it looks like now.

With my rig in full swing...

And the stand. Way better for desk space.


With that said this stage of the build is complete!

 

[dragoonk]

Hey that looks awesome! In the first picture everything looks very simmetric, clean and complete. Thanks for sharing