These are the things I have....the lcd display is my level of 'bling'....whilst the case remains ....nondescript...;)

I saw those on the Vantec site while i was assessing the available doodads to best achieve the goal in mind, and while that particular model was an early consideration, given it's pleasing appearance, I came across the 3 bay one we eventually decided upon. It consumes one less 5.25 bay to achieve the desired 3 hot swap drives, which means I'll only have to sacrifice the one component rather than two.

Oh how I'm going to enjoy discarding/eliminating all those unsightly cables and power packs, and it should hopefully save some power into the bargain.  I will obviously keep all the USB3 cables because they will never go astray in a tight pinch, but I expect that I'll discard the majority of the power packs as it's doubtful I'd need them all with the new setup... if I can't simply hand them to somebody who wants/needs them I'll just pitch 'em in the bin for the garbos to squabble over.

I was just going through some pics of Thermaltake Level 10 cases and saw the one I originally wanted but couldn't get...

This one completely separates all the components to help reduce heat damage to 'cold' components.  Oh well, I am more than happy with the version I got.... tho if I get bored I could resort to doing something like this....

Or this.....

Or this....

Or this....

I quite like the Aztec themed one... yup, I could live with that... given I'm not into anything military.

Now here's a real sexy case mod of a Level 10 GT... really sleek and sexy.

I've tried in vain to resize the pic to provide a better view but no go... it gets lost somewhere in translation and isn't getting any bigger

Today I got thinking about maybe a new machine....

Looking at Lian Li cases......got sidetracked [as you do] ....found this....

....and thought  of this thread.

Gotta work out if I can afford it.... AND find the space for it.... on the proviso it's upgraded into for centuries to come....;)

It's around $1400 [case only].....

Now that is one sexy case, and one I'd like to see in a custom made [especially built for it] desk very, very near me sometime.

Dunno how they justify the "around $1400 [case only]", though.... like is it made of hard-to-come-by Alien alloys from planet XY-57 or something.

Yup, for an additional 8 grand to fill it with the ultimate of top-end components, I could see this case residing with me for years to come...

Now where's that rich uncle whose use-by date is almost due?

Pockets are now a little lighter...but...

Here's the specs of stuff on the way....

Thermaltake Level 10 Limited Edition Case

Corsair AX12001 1200watt PSU

ASUS Rampage Extreme X99 MoBo

i7 5960 3.0 Socket 2011

Corsair Dominator Platinum DDR4 4x8 32Gig Ram [still room to double up]

ASUS GTX980 GPU

Corsair 240Gig Neutron SSD x 2

WD Caviar Green 3TB HD. [already have a couple of 2TBs to add]

Should have a little get-up-and-go ...

I expect it'll have a bit more zing than my current i7-920.  I'll chuck Win 7 on it for now...until 10's released [cleverly bypassing 8]....

Nice specs there, very nice indeed... and you can't go very far wrong with Corsair and Asus.

I was going to go the Socket 2011 route when I was building mine, though with a Xeon CPU... cost and availability at the time, however, changed that and I went with a Socket 1150 instead.

You will notice a performance boost from the i7 920, for sure, and with that mobo you'll be able to take advantage of ultra quick boots via the BIOS settings.  I know that your machine is more in a constant state of on, but those ultra-fast boots are handy when you have to reboot after updates and software installations... it just gets you back to what you want/need to be doing that bit faster.

I notice that you're going with 2 240gb SSDs.  Is that one for the OS and the other for games and your flight sim, or will use use them in RAID0 and load it on the one partition?  Just asking because you may have been better going with a 512gb if it's the latter... price-wise, that is.   I went with a Samsung 512 for my build, but I am seriously considering pairing it with another a bit further down the track to accommodate my skins library in its entirety, various games and personal files, etc.

I could say that I'm a tad jealous about that case, but I'm not.... NO, I'm fechin' green with envy.  That's the style Level 10 case I wanted but couldn't get at the time, but in black... it was going to take months to get in and add another $250 - $300 to the cost, so I opted for the one in the OP.

Anyway, all the best with your build and I hope it goes smoothly for you.... will be interested to hear how it all went, what you think of the system when done.

Yep...one's for the OS and the other is for FSX [and maybe a few other games - if there's room left].  All the other junk - backups, etc 'should' fit with the 7TBs of platter HDs.

The only 'cannibalizing' will be to pinch a burner from the existing...and use the current peripherals...KB and mouse [though I have new spares of both - if they ever die].

Reading up on the MoBo and ASUS has its own version of the 2011v3 with extra pins enabled...above and beyond what Intel has released currently.

Last 2 builds have both been ASUS...kinda like their quality.

Plan is to run 5 HDs and leave the sixth bay for swapping in/out so the case should be 'ideal'.

Then I'll have to dabble in the realms of overclocking since that's what the MoBo is all about.  I 'shouldn't' ever run out of SATA options and USB options...it has squillions of both.

If FSX won't run maxed on this I'll scream...;)

I sort of figured one of the SSDs would be for your FSX and games, which is what I plan to do when I expand with another 512gb, to run games from it... possibly some of the larger programs, such as PSP and Office, etc.... thus saving space on the OS drive and possibly prolonging its life.

Yeah, the 2011 socket board I was looking as was an Asus. I too like their products and sort of wish now that I had held out for the extra cash/those components my supplier was finding difficult to source.  I was told there was a shortage of 2011 socket components around that time,  and could take some months to get, so was asked if 1150 socket parts would suffice... and well, the rest is history.  Thing is, should I want or need to upgrade, the next build won't cost anywhere near as much as the last.  I'd keep my current case/components and just replace the CPU/mobo with socket 2011 versions.... easy peasy.

Thanks for the warning.  If I hear this ungodly, hellish wailing emanating from the South I shan't worry...  I'll know what it is.

So yeah, I was just checking out Asus Socket 2011 mobos and I'd have to go with the chipset version below yours to use my current RAM.  Your X99 version takes DDR4, so I'd have to get the X79 version to keep using my DDR3.

Also, in looking at just the prices of your CPU and mobo selections, not to mention the $1400-ish for the case, I'm guessing this new build of yours is in the vicinity of 6 grand... am I close?

And there I was thinking 2 1/2 - 3 grand was a lavish build.

Very...

6-3 ....;)

Curiously...my 'local' was out of stock re the case.... but I ordered it from the opposite side of Melbourne and it was $50 less....including delivery....so it was win-win...[didn't have to pick it up]...;)

Didn't think I'd be too far off, especially with DDR4 Ram costing up to $200 more than comparable DDR3 stuff, and that GPU ain't cheap, either.

Anyway, going on current prices through my regular supplier, the same CPU, RAM and mobo would cost $2610 if I were looking to upgrade any time soon.  Thing is, I still have to relocate properly, which hasn't proved to be easy - issues with photo ID - and having to replace various household items, no thanks to that ****** of a mother of mine [she gave away my $1000 washing machine, some rugs and furniture to persons unknown], so it wouldn't be for a while anyway.  Besides, prices for DDR4 and related tech will have come down considerably by the time I'm re-established and have saved the money, possibly some time in the latter part of 2015.

After having visited the Asus site to look at the mobo, I must say that I am more interested going with the X99 chip version than simply settling for the X79 to utilise my current DDR3 RAM.  No, I'd always be wondering if I went that way, so rather than wonder and likely want to upgrade again, I may as well cough up the extra for DDR4 and have my first preference to begin with.  Moreover, I'd pretty much have a complete DDR3 system to put in a case that's just collecting dust... meaning I can give Bianca what would be my 3rd spare by then, which ain't too shabby, either, and help her out with a PC to call her own.

Didn't think I'd be too far off, especially with DDR4 Ram costing up to $200 more than comparable DDR3 stuff, and that GPU ain't cheap, either.

Anyway, going on current prices through my regular supplier, the same CPU, RAM and mobo would cost $2610 if I were looking to upgrade any time soon.  Thing is, I still have to relocate properly, which hasn't proved to be easy - issues with photo ID - and having to replace various household items, no thanks to that ****** of a mother of mine [she gave away my $1000 washing machine, some rugs and furniture to persons unknown], so it wouldn't be for a while anyway.  Besides, prices for DDR4 and related tech will have come down considerably by the time I'm re-established and have saved the money, possibly some time in the latter part of 2015.

After having visited the Asus site to look at the mobo, I must say that I am more interested going with the X99 chip version than simply settling for the X79 to utilise my current DDR3 RAM.  No, I'd always be wondering if I went that way, so rather than wonder and likely want to upgrade again, I may as well cough up the extra for DDR4 and have my first preference to begin with.  Moreover, I'd pretty much have a complete DDR3 system to put in a case that's just collecting dust... meaning I can give Bianca what would be my 3rd spare by then, which ain't too shabby, either, and help her out with a PC to call her own.

Minor glitch...

Had to opt for the ASUS X99 Deluxe MoBo instead....the Rampage is an eATX ....and thus won't fit the box....

And I meanwhile added a Noctua NH-D14 CPU cooler.

Now I gotta research M2 PCIe thingies ....and get FSX going even quicker...;)

Quoting Jafo, reply 132

Pockets are now a little lighter...but...

Here's the specs of stuff on the way....

 

Thermaltake Level 10 Limited Edition Case

Corsair AX12001 1200watt PSU

ASUS Rampage Extreme X99 MoBo

i7 5960 3.0 Socket 2011

Corsair Dominator Platinum DDR4 4x8 32Gig Ram [still room to double up]

ASUS GTX980 GPU

Corsair 240Gig Neutron SSD x 2

WD Caviar Green 3TB HD. [already have a couple of 2TBs to add]

 

Should have a little get-up-and-go ...

 

I expect it'll have a bit more zing than my current i7-920.  I'll chuck Win 7 on it for now...until 10's released [cleverly bypassing 8]....

End of Jafo's quote

I hate you ..........Just kidding, of course. Those are some astounding specs/parts. Do post some pics as you put it together.  Better wear your track gear when you fire that mutha up. It's going to be FAST!

Cheers and beers.

I had a look at that mobo as well... it still has very decent specs, also.  I wouldn't have that issue, however, not with my Level 10 case.  It can accommodate the eATX boards with plenty of room to spare all 'round.... hence I would most likely go with the Rampage board when the time comes.  I figure that if I'm going to upgrade I may as well go the whole hog and get the best CPU, mobo and RAM to make it really worthwhile.  Actually, I already have a Asus Rampage board in my 8 core AMD rig, came with a few extras, like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and front USB3 pane,l and I am very happy with it

I also read up a bit more on DDR4 and will definitely go with it when I look to upgrade.  Not only does it have faster clock speeds, etc, it uses much less power than DDR3 into the bargain.  Thing is, being new tech, it is going to be pricey until it becomes more mainstream and demand drives prices down, so for now various tech commenters are advising to hold off until mid-2015 or later if possible.  By then the prices of the CPU [and what a beast it is, too] and mobo will also have dropped, so it's probably just as well I can't afford to do much about it before then... cos I do like paying less for whatever whenever I can.

That cooler looks very much like the Thermaltake I have in my AMD rig, and that's a big lump of a thing... hope you compared specs of it and the case to be sure it fits. While most Thermaltake full towers provide ample room for such things, space in that particular one is limited due to its design.  'Tis a beautiful case, though, and a black version may one day become home to what currently resides in my present Level 10... because the Rampage mobo/i7 5960X would obviously be housed in it.

I would likely look into liquid cooling as I have been happy with the Corsair H60 cooling my i7 4770K, though for the i7 5960X I'd probably go with a H110 or some such equivelant.  Having used a large and cumbersome air cooler and a more compact liquid cooling system, I do prefer the latter because they're space saving and easier to fit/install.

It was Yrag that put me onto Noctua fans....when I was looking to repair my V8 cooler that died.

They aren't into 'bling'....just good performance....and yes, it'll fit....max height for the case is 160mm.

Thermaltake 'should' have designed the 10 around the eATX .... would have made a lot of sense....though I suspect it's simply a fan placement issue....rethink the inlet fan placement and the bigger board might even fit.  I'll be able to have a close look at that when the stuff turns up.

Meanwhile I'm investigating the steps to 'migrate' a lot of paid-for proggies to the new machine...like Kaspersky....TrueImage, etc., though I'm sure the biggest pain in the bum will be FSX....the thing that prompted the upgrade in the first place.  Reinstalling would be a pain [though maybe more sensible as it'd allow me to 'refine' my excesses that sees it at 200gig].

Now for the hard part.....waiting....;)

That's good it'll fit okay.  As I recall, when looking into the black version earlier in the year, my Thermaltake cooler was about 3mm too tall, which is what prompted me to look into liquid cooling.  As it turned out, that version [my 1st choice] was unavailable/hard to get at the time and my supplier suggested I went with the one I now have to save being held up with the build.  It is a great case, just the same, and I've been more than happy with it, for its huge interior and cooling options... very sexy design.

I believe that 'your' version of the Level 10 was the original design and may have been created before the eATX boards, which are relatively new in comparison.  In any event, the Deluxe board is well appointed and will perform admirably.

Yes, migrating to a new machine can be a major PITA when you do a clean install and have to load all your programs, etc.  I've done it more than once and it is time consuming 'work'... thus taking away from the enjoyment of 'playing' with your new machine.  I didn't have that task last time, however, and you need not, either, if you have Acronis Ultimate with the 'Dissimilar Hardware' component to simply clone your OS and installed programs over to the new machine.  That's what I did last time and it saved hours of setting up.  I don't know about your FSX setup, though, given how big it is.  That's something you'd have to assess at the time.

Tell me about it!  Been through that more than once, and when one or two unavailable/not in stock items hold up the entire order it gives you the screaming abdabs.  That's when you take the 'calming down' meds... so you're not out in the street accosting every delivery driver who enters: "Where's my fechin' order?"

Nah, not really, but there you are, fingers itching to open those packages, and the waiting seems like forever. 

Hehe, maybe a medicinal scotch or 6 would help.

This is the 'Titanium Edition' that's the reprised style of the original 2009 ver....released in 2014 so it 'could' have been adjusted for eATX while they were at it - since they did rejig it to suit 2011 boards.

Last build I did was a bit compromised as I sourced it all from the one place...so from the outset it wasn't ideal.  This time the bits are coming from 2 places [so far] but if I go for a M.2 'drive' I may have to source a third...cos neither place has them [yet].

My first [bought not given] machine was a P100 with [I think] 16meg of ram and a 1 gig HD ....cost $2100+ back then. [the 90's]

This one is 'only' triple the price [and if you factor in inflation....probably cheaper]...;)

I see what you're saying, and they probably should have rejigged the Titanium Edition to accommodate eATX boards to allow system builders the choice, and maybe they will in the future to increase potential sales, but it is what it is for now, largely based on the original, and one will have to consider the components going into it when purchasing one.  Obviously some mobos and CPU coolers are not going to fit, though I wouldn't have that issue should I be able to get an original black [and somewhat less expensive] version further down the track.

Somebody on the forums wrote about PCIE SDD drives being faster and more reliable, and I did investigate when building my rig, but the cost was way too prohibitive if I wanted a top-end CPU, mobo and RAM... like in the vicinity of $1200 and more.  I see, though, they have come down in price some... last I looked a 256gb PCIE SSD would set you back about $650ish.  Would that be big enough for your FSX with mods and expansions still to come?  Anyway, I thought you might like to read this article about the Toshiba 512gb M2 drive ... it's quite interesting/informative.

From what I've read the original was slightly smaller...in that the mobo area didn't have the extra 'bump' for the cooler...only had 2 hotswap, not 6 and wasn't designed for the 2011 edition boards at all.

The one in the op was the down-priced one that compromised on tight compartments by making it a little more like a standard case...even the PSU went to the bottom...so some of its 'form' was redundant echo of the original layout.  What the cheaper one had was more adaptability/capacity re water cooling etc...;)

The M.2 'drives' interface has something like 32Gig/s throughput.... gets past the SATA 3 limit with ease... and a 512 is around $550 ...so in the midst of excess it's not noticed...;)

The Board has the capacity/option...so I may yet go for dropping both the OS and the major games on one...;)

The case I first looked and and ordered [seen in post #128] had 6 hot swap bays and could accommodate standard ATX boards... it also had the 'bump' to accommodate 3rd party coolers, it's just that my Thermaltake cooler didn't quite fit.  According to my supplier it was about 3mm out, hence the Corsair liquid cooling I ended up with in the current case.

Hmmm, for that price I'd happily go the whole hog and grab one.  I mean, it'd be necessary for a high-end upgrade... wouldn't it!

Wow, it must have been a while since I checked on prices.  The cheapest 256gb was $649.95 at the time... and now you're saying a 512 is a 100 bucks less?  Like it's hard to believe they've dropped that much inside 12 months... not that I'm complaining or anything

The 2009 original had 6 bays...but only 1 and 2 were hot-swap...the other 4 had to have sata connectors, etc added direct to the drives.

Unless I've got it all crossed up it wasn't till the 'gamer' ver as in the Op [and the Snow one] that had extended to all the bays...and fitted the eATX.

I've already dl'd the manual...and have both...for the 2009 'black' and the 2014 'Limited Edition Titanium'....and there are differences...

First I notice is the old one has a 150mm limit for the CPU cooler...and the new has a 160... I expect as part of the revision for the 2011 boards.

And from the Man-well....

Note) Group 1 and 2 are designed for easy swappable purpose; for the slots from Group 3 to 6, it is necessary to

remove the side panel and install additional connectors separately for power supply and data transfer.

Not having all 6 as hot-swap was a bit 'cheap' considering the box is probably the most expensive listed....and certainly would have been in 2009.

So from the  man-well it's clear the first ver was a bit too much kewl and not enough good sense ...;)

https://www.ramcity.com.au/buy/samsung-xp941-256gb-m.2-pcie-x4-80mm-ssd/MZHPU256HCGL-00000 

That's the 256 ...but I had a link somewhere to the same animal in 512 [in Oz] for under 600 ....dunno where...shall keep looking...;)