3XS Z87 Sniper FT03 - Custom Series query

[WInkson]

I am in the joyous position of receiving a significant insurance pay out and have decided to replace my PC

Previously I have always self built but now want to dispense with the hassle, and after much searching have decided that Scan is my preferred of the bunch.

I have a question regarding the Z87 Sniper FT03 system however.

This case would fit my space requirements perfectly and is just plain lovely, but I am considering an SLI build. Is this really viable? MATX and SLI makes me a little nervous at the best of times but is it really a good idea in this case? In your experience is the cooling sufficient?

Following on from that I would be looking at SLI 780s so would you recommend the reference design or would the ACX cooler version work better. Also which motherboard would you recommend for an SLI build in this case?

Any input on this would be greatly appreciated.

[James @ Scan]

Glad to hear your interested in our 3XS Z87 Sniper FT03 system - it certainly does pack a lot of performance in for it's size.

All our recommended configurations have been tested, and of course any 3XS system you order is covered by our year 3 standard warranty.

That said, any small form factor system with that much stuff in it will get hotter and noisier than a system which has more cooling.

Re the 780s, the reference cooler is already so good I wouldn't consider the ACX version a 'must have' in terms of better cooling. Instead, the ACX version is pre-overclocked (the GPU and RAM) is so faster than the reference 780.

As for motherboards, the cheapest Asus and Gigabyte boards don't have enough PCI-E bandwidth for SLI, so you need to be looking at one of the following:

Asus GRYPHON Z87
Asus MAXIMUS VI GENE
Gigabyte GA-Z87-G1.Sniper M5

All three boards have broadly similar specs have got good reviews in the media, so the choice is more down to personal preference such as price and colour.

Let me know if there's anything else you'd like help with selecting your rig's configuration.

[WInkson]

Thank you for the reply, it conirms what I already thought. Now if you can just get this check to clear a bit faster.......... ;-)

[James @ Scan]

I'm sure I could get the check to clear faster, but that probably won't make the accountants at Scan very happy

Did you decide whether to go SLI in the end?

[WInkson]

I probably will, as on this occasion I would like to be in a situation whereby i'm not getting itchy fingers every time cards get updated. Two 780s should see me well for a few years atleast.

Part of the reason i'm buying built is so I can drop out of the technology arms race, and just buying a new system every 3-4 years. Hassle free lifestyle is the goal as always.

[James @ Scan]

Great stuff, I'm sure that two 780s will serve you very well in many games for many years to come

[WInkson]

Order placed!

And now we play the waiting game....