First power on. All the lights lit, all the fans fanned.
Windows installed, running some synthetics to see what she can do ...
Arctic Overkill
This is a build done for my nephew's graduation ... 100% funded by my mom. The goal with this build is a high midrange gaming PC that will last him as is for several years, while being easy to maintain and upgrade when needed. High airflow coupled with a 280mm AIO - all case fans will be 140mm or 200mm to keep noise levels down. This is a bedroom PC after all.
Case : h500p mesh white. high airflow, takes 140mm's all around, all the right covers, and white inside to highlight the RGB. mobo: x470 prime. lots of good feels with asus, went full ATX this time to give room for expansion ... (maybe future elgato???) CPU: 2700. not x. slightly lower clock speeds, more cores. better multitasking than the 6 core parts. suits the games he plays (not into shooters) --- this was the hardest part to pick ... i would go 2700x for me. i would go 2600x for someone that plays FPS ... he plays a lot of sim games, and multitasks hardcore. also the easiest part to upgrade later, and can be reused in several systems around the house. The lower TDP was a large consideration as well ... less heat = less drama. GPU: xc 2070. same card i run in my ryzen cube. solid performer. toyed with thought of the white GB card ... but went with evga in the end. drives: 500gb 970+ for the boot, 2tb 860qvo for the steam library. should cover his bases for a few years. cooler: h115i rgb. love my h110i, almost got him the white 240mm to be matchymatchy, erred on the side of performance instead. fans: LL140's. i love my hd120's, do not care for the ML140s that come with the AIO. LL140's were the balance. 3 on top, 1 in the back. control: commander pro + rgb hub - unfortunately had to spend a few extra $$ on a LNP that wasn't totally needed, to get the rgb fan hub.
Color(s): White
RGB Lighting? Yes
Theme: Futuristic
Cooling: AIO Cooling
Size: ATX
Type: General Build
Build Updates
quick & dirty h500p mesh white semi-review
ok, this is to benefit anyone looking to get into one of these cases. mostly just what i like, and what i would change if i could.
first off, the good: 1. excellent layout, especially if you are not scared of negative pressure setups. 2. 200mm fans in front are quality. way better than the junk in my daughter's case. 3. it's white inside. and quality finish at that, textured a bit, not glossy. great with RGB heavy builds. 4. captive thumbscrews everywhere, except for the top panel. 5. also, can remove top panel without taking the whole case apart or drilling out rivets 6. top rad/fan frame comes out with 4 screws. much easier to torque a dozen fan screws down sitting at the desk than standing up on top of a potentially wobbly case. 7. cable covers & psu shroud - my first case with them - amazing. 8. integrated vertical gpu mount ... (see below)
and, now for things i would change:
1. vertical GPU mount. with glass panel, it is useless unless you are using a thin card (2 slot or less) that is watercooled. 2. top fan tray - would like to be able to replace with a flush fit for better exhaust flow, if mounting a rad or fans there 3. cable covers - the large back one is a right PITA to get back on unless you are very meticulous with your cable routing 4. if using top exhaust, pull the dust filters off the mesh ... also - an optional top mesh panel would be better 5. stock 140mm rear fan is pretty flimsy, and the gloss white does not match the rest of the case
overall, i am really happy with the case. airflow is excellent with 2x200mm intakes, and a 280mm AIO with the ML RGB fans pulling. 3x140mm exhausting up top, and one more in the back, creates just enough negative pressure to eliminate any hot spots effectively. the matte white is great with RGB, this build having 8 RGB fans and 4 led strips, with accents on the motherboard and waterblock, and rgb ram. even with all controlled fans on the "extreme" profile in iCue, it is much more quiet than my air240 with 6x120mm fans that idle around 1000rpm.