Project Phantom

The idea came out 3 months back. I was running on an outdated Quad core processor, the mid-tower casing suddenly looked smaller and could not fit today's lineup of graphics cards. I knew that someday eventually I will need to overhaul my 2 year old setup. The time came when I saved enough to get something really good. Or so I thought. But it was not a DIY. It was the mid-2011 Mac Mini. Friends thought I was mad. I wanted to try something different. I wanted to see if a small-sized computer like the Mac Mini can be a contender to some of the full-fledged PCs out there. I began the order thru Apple Store. 2.7GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 4GB RAM, 256GB SSD and a ATI Radeon M6000 series. I was skeptical about the graphics card. The rest of the hardware was ok. As a mainstream gamer, graphics card is the core to the experience on gaming. If I were to run anything lower than HD resolution and medium effects, the machine is not for me - simple said. So the fruit finally was shipped and I ran benchmarks straightaway in Windows environment.



Things were far from smooth. I experienced it hang (in Lion OS !!!) trice but never in Windows. Then, played Call Of Duty 4. Default settings but I felt a tinge of lagness. My fears were confirmed when I tried to run Grand Theft Auto IV. To run smoothly, I had to set the resolution to 1024x768, all effects to LOW. I promptly applied for a full return to Apple Store the next day. A full refund will be given in 5 days time.

I had no choice but to stick to the DIY route. After going thru a few pricelists online, I chose just 1 retailer to get everything. It makes the process simpler.
Let the pictures and captions tell the story:


Start with the brain. The rest of the hardware relies on it


First thing I looked for in a casing is spacious enough to fit a large graphics card


Left: NZXT Guardian 921. Right: NZXT Phantom. Talking about big.


Now THAT's spacious


I've always wanted the Cooler Master V6 CPU cooler. Looks cool


Visual power. MSI TwinFroz II /w 2GB RAM.


All wiring completed. Ported over the green cathode ray tubes from the old casing

Chasis: NZXT Phantom | Aerodynamics: 1 front intake vent, 2 side intake fan, 1 rear exhaust fan | 1 top exhaust fan | Engine: Intel Core i7 2600 @ 3.40GHz | Electronic Control Unit: MSI Z68A-G45 | Fuel: Cooler Master 700W | Wheels: OCZ Vertex 2 | Western Digital 2TB 7200RPM | Heads Up Display: MSI Twin-Froz II GTX 560 Ti | Accessories: CCFL Green Kit | In-House Entertainment: Altec Lansing Expressionist Ultra 200W |

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