Purpose
The goal for this build was simple, it needed to perform effortlessly in SolidWorks, do a little bit of 1080p gaming, and be able to multitask well enough that I could still get things done while something rendered in the background. Oh and I wanted it to look nice sitting on a white desk beside a white monitor.

Processor
The i7 8700k was chosen as it was, at the time, the strongest computer processor for SolidWorks tasks as it likes frequency more than core count. Also since it seems like a waste to get a -k processor and not give it a little boost it was also delidded using the der8auer kit and redone with liquid metal. It sits at a comfortable 5.0Ghz overclock at 1.315V, with peak 100% load temps in the low 80's after 20 or so minutes.

GPU
In order to take advantage of RealView in SolidWorks as well as having a card that has driver support for the program the options were limited to Radeon Pro or Quadro offerings. Being on somewhat of a budget, and this system being used for more than purely CAD work I went with the Radeon Pro WX7100, by far the most affordable workstation graphics card with 8Gb of VRAM. The ability to run the card on the gaming driver when not doing CAD was also attractive and the performance has been everything I need. (For reference, the WX7100 is essentially an RX480/580 with more efficient VRM and workstation driver support.) I did notice early on that the GPU was running consistently in the low 90's under load while either gaming or using Radeon ProRender so cooling was addressed with an NZXT G12 bracket and a simple Corsair H50 AIO. Full load temps now max out at 55C. A downside to the bracket was it needed slight modification to fit the card and the VRM cooling fan is on the wrong side for this card, as it is impossible to overclock this GPU and the VRM has unimpeded fresh airflow from the case fan there have been no issues with VRM overheating (confirmed with infrared thermometer).

Aesthetics
As for the look, white was the general theme with RGB to fit the mood, nothing too crazy as far as light shows are concerned but if it's going to be on my desk I'd like it to look nice. Chose the inWin 101C due to the clean design, sturdy gauge of steel and general layout fitting what I needed. Also at the time was one of the few simple cases with USB-C on the front panel. NZXT Kraken purely for the infinity mirror on the cooler and some white cable extensions to keep things tidy looking.

Audio
Besides CAD and the odd game, I also have a severe addiction to mid-tier audio equipment. So the computer connects via USB to an Audioengine D1 DAC that then feeds a NAD 7100 receiver acting as a preamp for a NAD 2400 power amplifier and a set of Canton Quinto 530 speakers and a Jamo Sub 300 10" subwoofer. Slight overkill for nearfield but it's nice to have.

Next Step
Nothing too major, might modify the NZXT G12 bracket to get rid of the useless bit that would normally cool nvidia VRM's. Besides that, a switch to nvme drives once the pricing gets a little more reasonable. Also, the monitor was purchased for a previous build that didn't have CAD front and center, the curve is very nice for gaming and watching the odd movie but I would not recommend it for work where you need to know straight lines are straight, an upgrade to a flat panel 1440p monitor that can take advantage of the 10bit colour output of the Radeon Pro is also on the horizon.