This is an in depth tour of my current home office setup. Yes. This machine is what is pumping out all of my content! There are still many improvements to be made as I'm writing this on 11/30/2014 I love my computer but the MSI motherboard is too glitchy. (I will never buy another) I also find myself deleting footage to make space on my HDD, and wishing more games could fit on my SSD. My graphics card could be a bit beefier so I can play BF4 smoothly on ultra but other than that it plays most games on their highest settings. Most importantly my next upgrade will be a $100 blue yeti microphone so I can give you guys the best quality sound during my youtube videos.
So here is my setup:
I plan on doing a review video for this soon. It is truly a wonderful product. I enjoy typing on it as well as the loud clicky sound of the mechanical keys. It has macro keys as well which I have put to use in some games. It might be a little difficult to find my exact keyboard because razer doesn't seem to be making the blue ones anymore. The price of the blue one has actually gone up!
I really like this mouse! It is very affordable, and does just as good a job if not better than the expensive competitors. It really feels like a premium piece of gaming equipment. It also has 3 extra buttons that I have macro'd to do several things. I used to use it with all of the weights in to make it feel heavy but lately I have switched to having absolutely no weights. Can't really say which I prefer. I love how you can choose any color you want for the mouse it is great for someone as picky as myself!
I don't think they make this exact model anymore but this thing really bumps! Whether you're watching scary movies, or listening to music this system sounds GREAT! I rarely get to enjoy it on its max setting because it is LOUD! Everything sounds crystal clear and I have it connected to my PC via optical.
With all of the features that come with this case it is hard to complain! I chose it 3 years ago because it was big enough for a good card, looked fantastic, and had extra cooling with all of those fans! It also has plenty of card readers, and USB ports 2 of which are USB 3.0. I'm still happy to this day with it besides the fact that maybe I was a little rough on the external headphone jack but it does not always work anymore. (it actually could end up being my garbage MSI glitchy PoS motherboard) No problem either because I never use the 3.5mm jack. if I'm not bumping my sub I'm wearing my headset which uses optical.
I am extremely happy with this 8 core processor. I really don't remember paying that much money for it but I bought it 3 years ago and still today it is playing some pretty intense games and managing my heaviest tasks with ease. Not only am I play CPU intense games like Guild Wars 2, or Battlefield 4, but I am also editing and rendering videos from Sony Vegas, After Effects, etc. This thing handles it all. HOWEVER. You must keep this thing cool. Like me you probably understand that CPU cooling is essential. If you decide to use the stock CPU fan that comes with it that is acceptable. If liquid cooling is in the budget then you'd really be golden! If you're using the stock fan cooling like me you MUST KEEP IT CLEAN! I give my PC a very heavy cleaning probably about once a month. I'll also go ahead and re-apply thermal paste if I think it has deteriorated. If I notice temperatures get unusually high it means that there is likely some dust clogging up the CPU cooler.
So here is my setup:
Alright let's start with some of the outer peripherals first
Desk:
I have a customized computer desk that was built by my step dad. He is a great craftsman that can create just about anything you can think of that is made of wood. Check out his etsy store and Facebook page. He also does custom objects as well. The holes for wire management is a very nice custom feature!
Razer Black Widow Ultimate keyboard
I plan on doing a review video for this soon. It is truly a wonderful product. I enjoy typing on it as well as the loud clicky sound of the mechanical keys. It has macro keys as well which I have put to use in some games. It might be a little difficult to find my exact keyboard because razer doesn't seem to be making the blue ones anymore. The price of the blue one has actually gone up!
Thermaltake Gaming Mouse
I really like this mouse! It is very affordable, and does just as good a job if not better than the expensive competitors. It really feels like a premium piece of gaming equipment. It also has 3 extra buttons that I have macro'd to do several things. I used to use it with all of the weights in to make it feel heavy but lately I have switched to having absolutely no weights. Can't really say which I prefer. I love how you can choose any color you want for the mouse it is great for someone as picky as myself!
Tritton Warhead 7.1 Gaming headset
I am also planning to do a review video of this headset soon. I have tried many many headsets and I have to say this is by far my favorite one yet. Turtle beach tended to break on me every single year, and other headsets just didn't seem on par with what I wanted. I was extremely happy I made the Tritton purchase. This headset has the most amazing bass I have ever heard wirelessly around my ears while I'm on the porch enjoying my morning coffee. I bought it over 2 years ago and still am wearing it currently listening to itunes while I'm typing this! :D
Samsung SyncMaster2494HM 24 inch Monitor (Left) + Some random old gateway 19 inch (right)
The samsung on the left has been really great. It has a matte finish, looks crisp and clean at 1080, and does everything I need it to. The one on the left is a 19 inch I'll have to upgrade at some point. It has a glossy finish so at least I have the best of both worlds!
Sony Home Theatre System HT-CT150 Sound bar + Subwoofer
I don't think they make this exact model anymore but this thing really bumps! Whether you're watching scary movies, or listening to music this system sounds GREAT! I rarely get to enjoy it on its max setting because it is LOUD! Everything sounds crystal clear and I have it connected to my PC via optical.
THE 3 YEAR OLD RIG
Yes I bought all of the components to build this computer 3 years ago! I can't believe it. It really has served me well, and I have accomplished many things with this machine.
Sentey Extreme Division GS-6510 Case
With all of the features that come with this case it is hard to complain! I chose it 3 years ago because it was big enough for a good card, looked fantastic, and had extra cooling with all of those fans! It also has plenty of card readers, and USB ports 2 of which are USB 3.0. I'm still happy to this day with it besides the fact that maybe I was a little rough on the external headphone jack but it does not always work anymore. (it actually could end up being my garbage MSI glitchy PoS motherboard) No problem either because I never use the 3.5mm jack. if I'm not bumping my sub I'm wearing my headset which uses optical.
MSI 990XA-GD55 Motherboard
Okay so this is the motherboard that I am hesitating to recommend. If it worked correctly and gave me no problems I believe it would have been great. However it limited my options when it came to overclocking, and the ports have been a little iffy. I did contact MSi and they did offer me an RMA program but I don't have a second motherboard to fall back on. I had to say no because I can't afford to be without my computer for that 2-4 week process.
AMD FX-8150 Bulldozer CPU + Cooling
I am extremely happy with this 8 core processor. I really don't remember paying that much money for it but I bought it 3 years ago and still today it is playing some pretty intense games and managing my heaviest tasks with ease. Not only am I play CPU intense games like Guild Wars 2, or Battlefield 4, but I am also editing and rendering videos from Sony Vegas, After Effects, etc. This thing handles it all. HOWEVER. You must keep this thing cool. Like me you probably understand that CPU cooling is essential. If you decide to use the stock CPU fan that comes with it that is acceptable. If liquid cooling is in the budget then you'd really be golden! If you're using the stock fan cooling like me you MUST KEEP IT CLEAN! I give my PC a very heavy cleaning probably about once a month. I'll also go ahead and re-apply thermal paste if I think it has deteriorated. If I notice temperatures get unusually high it means that there is likely some dust clogging up the CPU cooler.
Gigabyte GTX 560 Graphics Card
I really have gotten everything out of this card. So many games have been played and enjoyed. This thing has no problem with any of the "typical" games with graphics. Diablo 3, League of Legends, Warframe, Guild Wars 2, Call of Duty. These are examples of games that this rig can handle absolutely no problem at all. It'll run all of these 60+ FPS. However if you throw some Crysis or Battlefield in there you will be running a laggy 30-40 FPS on ultra highest settings. You'll need to lower the settings down 1 notch to just "high" where you'll be getting 50-60 FPS, and even another notch down to medium or so if you want that solid absolutely no stutter performance of 60+ at all times. Overall I'm very happy with the card and I believe the price was fair when I bought it. However today there are much better cards available to choose from.
Thermaltake Toughpower XT TPX 675W PSU
I bought this because I wanted something that I could rely on when using powerful graphics cards and other components, and because it is modular. Modular Power supplies used to be the future, they should be standard by now I'd hope. Modular power supplies make for much easier installation and LOADS better cable management. Enabling you to use only the cables you need for your setup.G.Skill Ares series 16GB (2 x 8GB) Memory
If I'm not mistaken these are pretty close to top of the line when it comes to high speed high performance gaming memory (RAM) You're able to overclock them to 1887mhz I believe it was. However my system does not like when I use them that fast so I run them at 1600 and it has been great. I am a HUGE MULTI-TASKER. Not even exaggerating the least bit I have on average 20-30 windows open at the same time. When I have a lot of projects I'm working on at the same time it can become even more hectic. I'll have all of these open, be editing a picture in photoshop, and have Guild Wars 2, and hearthstone in the background at the same time. Never a stutter.IOGear Bluetooth 4.0 USB dongle/receiver
I purchased this to use both with my phone and other various accessories. Too bad I tend to use things like Skydrive and Dropbox more than the bluetooth file transfers.
Microsoft LifeCam HD-5001
Nice webcam. I actually used it to record this video here. The auto focus can get kind of annoying. I'm sure there is a way to manually set it. It shoots 720p at 30 fps which is pretty standard for a webcam these days.
Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless receiver
I purchased this because it would enable me to use the microphone on my Tritton Warhead 7.1 headset. It also lets me use my wireless xbox 360 controller with my PC. Occasionally I will play a game whatever it is from my bed with my controller. Most modern PC games will recognize the controller immediately which is very convenient. For other games like Guild Wars 2, or any emulation I use a program called Xpadder.
That about wraps up my setup! Are you a PC gamer/enthusiast too? Tweet me or connect with me on instagram! I'd love to see what everybody else has going on.
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