Tempered Tech Solutions

09/09/2025

Teased this a while back, but finally getting around to posting about it. This was the latest major commission build for TTS: A full-spec racing sim and showcase build for Ultimate Motorsports & Racing for their sponsored drivers to practice with and for customers to pass the time with while their vehicles are being serviced.

The frame is a Sim-lab.eu (Sim Lab) GT1 Evo with an integrated monitor mount, matches with a Fanatec CSL DD 8NM direct drive wheel motor mated to a Fanatec CSL Steering Wheel P1 V2 and their Clubsport V3 Pedal Kit. Fanatec's Clubsport V1.5 dual-mode shifter assembly, along with a MOZA Racing HBP handbrake and Buttkicker Gamer Plus haptic feedback motor completes the interactive portion of the rig. The seat was provided by UMR and is a BridgeMoto FuryKai Sugo XL.

The monitor is an ASUS Republic of Gamers PG49WCD 49" Super-Ultrawide QD-OLED that has an amazing picture quality. There's just nothing better than a proper OLED when it comes a gaming or multimedia display and it really was the right choice for this build.

As for the PC that's driving all of these? The specs for that are as follows:

- Case: Phanteks Evolv X2

- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D

- CPU Cooler: Thermalright Mjolnir Vision 360

- Motherboard: MSI PRO X870-P WIFI

- Memory: 32GB of 6000mhz CL30 G.SKILL Trident Z5 Neo

- SSD: Western Digital Black SN770 2TB NVME

- GPU: Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT (modified to incorporate internal shroud lighting)

- PSU: NZXT C1000 1000w 80+ Gold Fully Modular

- Exhaust Fans: Phanteks M25G2-120 Fans

- Intake Fans: Phanteks M25G2-120 Reverse-Blade Fans

- Cables: CableMod Pro ModFlex Cable Extensions

04/30/2025

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03/31/2025

Another custom build worth sharing! The client this time was an online streamer who was wanting to upgrade in order to take advantage of the release of Inzoi. She had originally been looking at a pre-built from a well-known system integrator and asked for my thoughts on it. I told her that I could build her a system that looked better and performed better for the same price, or possibly less.

The initial consultation and parts list went smoothly enough, but when it came time to order the original graphics card I had selected (A white Galax 4070 ti Super), we found it suddenly sold out. Soon thereafter, we found nearly all 40-series cards sold out and prices gouged through the nose on the remaining stock. Turns out, the current GPU shortage began right as this build was getting underway.

After some discussion and back and forth, the decision was made to go with an AMD GPU, as they had greatly improved their encoders in recent years and the 7000 series cards have had enough driver updates to be quite stable now. Plus, my client isn't particularly concerned about ray-tracing and in terms of pure rasterized performance, AMD GPU's are often still the better value.
While a 7900 GRE would have been ideal, those are only available on the used market at highly inflated prices now. But, since my client is gaming at 1440p, a mid-tier card would also do just fine. We ended up picking up a Yeston Sakura 7800 XT for just a hair over MSRP, which seemed very fitting considering the Sakura theme of the rest of the build.

I've attached a screenshot of the parts list, but what it doesn't show is the custom fan frame decor, decals, and 3D printed dragons from Etsy. We also agreed to have me paint the graphics card with a metallic acrylic paint to better match the overall color scheme. I layered the acrylic paint thick at first, with thinner layers later on to enhance the brushstrokes, to give it a whittled woodgrain type of texture. We're both happy with out it turned out and it's definitely a one-of-a-kind system.

In terms of performance and acoustics, it runs extremely cool and quiet. She games at 1440p while streaming at 1080p and it doesn't break a sweat with either and stays barely audible the entire time.

01/26/2025

Really enjoyed this build. Another SSF mITX build, this time featuring the Fractal Terra. This was a professional system instead of a gaming system, so the focus was on memory, core count, and storage within a set budget while keeping the system as quiet as possible. See the comments for more photos, as FB won't let me add photos and videos to the same post.

If you're wanting something a little different, or just want a better value than retail pre-builts, contact me for a consultation and let Tempered Tech Solutions make your PC dreams come true.

10/27/2024

This latest build has been a special project of mine, made in secret as a surprise for my girlfriend, who has never owned her own gaming PC. She is a massive fan of horror movies and games, as well as pretty much all things nerdy and spooky. Our post-hurricane budget has been tight, so I picked up the core components and case off of the used market and supplemented it with some new parts to fill in the gaps.

I then removed the GPU shroud, painted it white, and installed a 4x8" locker mirror to be used as a backplate, since the GPU doesn't have a backplate from the factory. After that, I used a combination of nail polish and fake blood to decorate the entire system to be an absolute bloody mess, including the obligatory "MURDER/REDRUM" on the mirror backplate (right way around since there's not a second mirror to reflect it). I finished it off with writing "SPOOKY" on the GPU shroud, as every one of her online tags and handles always has 'Spooky' in the name.

I plan on upgrading the fans in the future to lower noise levels, but the white ARGB Arctic P12's are seriously price-inflated right now, so I decided to go with some trustworthy budget-friendly Thermalright fans and spent a little extra time with the fan tuning and undervolting on the CPU and GPU to get the noise levels as inoffensive as possible.

She seems to be absolutely loving it and it handled Baldur's Gate 3 and heavily modded Minecraft, plus shaders, at 1080p without any issues.

The Specs:

- Case: Okinos Aqua 3
- CPU: Ryzen 7 5700X3D
- CPU Cooler: Jiushark JF13K Diamond
- GPU: Powercolor Fighter AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT
- Motherboard: MSI B550M PRO-VDH
- RAM: 32GB (4x8GB) Crucial Ballistix 3600Mhz CL16 DDR4
- Boot Drive: 1TB Crucial P3 Plus NVME
- Game Drive: 2TB Crucial P3 Plus NVME
- PSU: Seasonic Focus G 750watt
- Case Fans: Thermalright TL-C12CS-S

10/27/2024

This client wanted to upsize from his SFF NR200P system to something a bit (lot) larger, easier to work on, and with more dust filtration. So we put our heads together on some used-market deals and I got this system put together for him.

The Specs:

- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D
- CPU Cooler: Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360 ARGB
- GPU: ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC
- Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F
- RAM: 32GB 6000Mhz CL30 DDR5 TeamGroup T-Force Delta RGB
- Boot Drive: 1TB WD Black SN850X NVME
- Game Drive 1: 2TB WD Black SN770 NVME
- Game Drive 2: 2TB WD Black SN770 NVME
- Case: NZXT H9 Flow
- PSU: Corsair RM1200e 1200 watt
- Case Fans: Arctic P12 PWM PST ARGB

05/07/2024

This is extremely on-point. I have repeatedly had to advise people away from specific components or build concepts due to it not being smart use of their money. It's possible to make a great-looking and well-performing system without paying through the nose for nothing more than bragging rights based on brand recognition or functionless aesthetics.

Every system I build or advise on prioritizes effective value and smart use of the budget over bragging rights or shallow flash. This doesn't mean no fancy lights or cool aesthetics- it just means that I'll do my best to make sure that the inclusion of those things doesn't detract from the overall performance of the finished system within the available budget.

Also, I haven't posted much here lately. Don't worry- I'm still doing business and taking clients. I've just been very busy with life and family. Plus, been doing a more less exciting client work lately like repairs and refreshes on business systems and laptops, which don't make for the most thrilling posts, haha.

Thank you to Micro Center for sponsoring this video! Today will show you how much money you can easily waste by spending too much on certain parts and direct...

02/20/2024

Ooh man, this is huge. The best just got better, baby!

Sponsor: Montech K95 Pro on Amazon https://geni.us/C5P2Arctic is launching the new Liquid Freezer III cooler, which immediately set forth to take the top ran...

01/03/2024

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season this year. Mine was fantastic- but also fantastically busy, which is why I'm a little late posting this latest build showcase.

This one was for a client named Brandon who had a budget of $1,300 (including monitor and peripherals) and wanted to stretch that budget as far as possible for a 1440p-focused gaming system that would last him for some time while also looking good in the process.

Taking advantage of Black Friday sales and holiday specials, I feel like Brandon's mission was definitely accomplished and he seems pretty satisfied with it as well. :-)

System Specs:

- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X
- CPU Cooler: Thermalright Frozen Notte ARGB 360mm AIO
- Motherboard: MSI B550-A Pro
- RAM: Teamgroup T-Force Delta RGB 16GB DDR4
- SSD: Teamgroup MP33 2TB
- GPU: Powercolor Hellhound Radeon RX 6700 XT 12GB.
- Case: Montech Air 903 Max
- Additional Case Fans: Some leftover Thermalright and Silverstone fans I had which I included at a discount
- PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 750w 80+ Gold

09/28/2023

A great pair of interesting builds to finish out the month and welcome the Fall season. The builds belong to a pair of friends who want to make the jump from console to PC gaming and saw the work I'd done for July's Father's Day build. They contacted me and hired me to build them a pair of all-AMD gaming PC's on a tight schedule.

The black build is a more mid-range MicroATX build with a focus on function-over-form value-per-dollar with a pinch of aesthetic pizazz. The owner plans on upgrading the case cooling in the near future, but for now we used what fans were available.

Because of the untraditional layout of the Asus Prime AP201 case, we discussed our options and decided to go with a reverse airflow path for the CPU cooler. Fresh air is pulled in from the rear (with the addition of a magnetic dust filter post-delivery), flowing from left to right and being exhausted out the top. The PSU is turned around to act as an additional exhaust fan.

The result, until more fans are added in the future, is a negative airflow scenario, which helps evacuate excess heat and allows the GPU to better intake fresh air from the bottom and the mesh side panel. Once more intake fans are added, we'll adjust the layout to create a balanced air pressure setup.

The components for the black MicroATX build:

- CPU: Ryzen 7 5800x
- CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB
- Motherboard: MSI Pro B550M-VC WiFi
- Memory: 32GB Patriot Viper 4 Blackout DDR4 3600CL16
- GPU: PowerColor Red Dragon OC Radeon 6800 XT
- Storage: 2TB Western Digital Black SN770 NVME SSD
- Case: Asus Prime AP201
- PSU: Thermaltake Tough Power 750w
- Additional fans: 3-Pack of 120mm Arctic P12 PWM PST ARGB

PCPartPicker link: https://pcpartpicker.com/user/WrenchViking/saved/mtfbpg

The second build started out as a much more modest machine, but the owner decided to stretch his budget to see just how much AMD gaming power he could fit in the smallest package. The answer? A LOT.

This build really stretched the limits of what can fit inside of a Cooler Master NR200, with the graphics card technically being incompatible due to how large it is. However, by dismantling the lower frame of the case and rebuilding it AROUND the GPU, it managed to fit- albeit just barely. Some clever cable and tube routing were needed to not have the components interfere with each other and not affect case panel closure.

In the end though, it's a mini powerhouse that is runs shockingly cool and quiet considering what's under the hood. It's pretty much the absolute best all-AMD gaming PC you could build for under $2500 and it's the size of a shoebox. That's just impressive.

(Oh, and about the feet; I advised the owner that taller feet would help the GPU breathe better. I never expected him to take that advice quite so literally...)

The components for the white Mini-ITX build.

- CPU: Ryzen 7 7800X3D
- CPU Cooler: Arctic Liquid Freezer II 280mm
- Motherboard: Gigabyte B650i Aorus Ultra
- Memory: 32GB G. Skill Ripjaws S5 DDR5 6000CL30
- GPU: Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon 7900 XTX
- Storage: 2TB Western Digital Black SN770
- Case: Cooler Master Masterbox NR200
- PSU: Cooler Master V850 SFX Gold 850w
- Case fans: Arctic P12 PWM

PCPartPicker List: https://pcpartpicker.com/user/WrenchViking/saved/GKtDwP

07/14/2023

Update: I recently changed my monitor layout to the "Tie Fighter" layout for ergonomic reasons and relocated my PC to a rolling caddy under the desk, rasied about 5" off the ground to keep it away from the carper. The newest picture is the current layout.

So, a question I get a lot these days is about my own setup. People are curious what someone who builds and repairs systems professionally uses in their personal life. I work from home when not building systems, so my gaming setup and home office are one and the same.

My setup has been years in the making, with changes and additions taking place incrementally- sometimes for fun, and sometimes for work. It looks like a lot now, but I started with the basics just like many of you did.

I've filled my space with nerdy and geeky knick-knacks, as well as pictures and reminders of my son Nikolai to keep me motivated on those days when work seems to just drag by. It's my happy place (at least when I'm not clocked in, lol).

As for the actual hardware on display, that's a very long list:

- PC Case: Lian Li Lancool II Mesh
- CPU: Ryzen 9 5900x, with mild undervolt and overclock
- CPU Cooler: Raijintek Orcus 360mm AIO w/ fan swap
- Motherboard: Asrock X570 Steel Legend WiFi
- RAM: 32GB G.Skill Trident Z Neo 3600CL16
- GPU: Aorus Xtreme Waterforce 3080 12GB, with mild undervolt and overclock, fan swap
- Boot drive: 2TB Samsung 990 Pro
- Game drive: 2TB Adata XPG SX8200 Pro
- Bulk storage: 2TB WD Blue 7200RPM, 3TB WD Red 7200RPM
- PSU: 1000w Phantek AMP 80+ Gold, White
- Fan: 12 x Silverstone Air Blazer AR120r
- Cables: Cablemod RT Classic ModMesh, White

- Laptop: Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 (for work), or Dell Inspiron 7425 for doing digital artwork.

- Mouse: Logitech G502 Hero (gaming) & Logitech Ergo M575 (work)

- Keyboard: Akko 3098B frame, base, and PCB, with Gazzoo/Boba U4 V2 RGB silent tactile switches and PBT double-shot shine-through keycaps in custom color configuration.

- Speakers: Logitech G560 (which are FINALLY truly good after many years of firmware hell)

- Bottom monitor: Alienware AW3423DWF 34" Ultrawide 3440x1440 OLED

- Top monitors: 2x Dell S2721DGF 2560x1440 165hz IPS

- Headset: Steelseries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless

- Microphone: TRUST GXT 241 Velisca

- Interface: Elgato Stream Deck Plus (I use this for managing audio sources, running macros, and viewing system stats like temps and component load)

- Controller: Microsoft Xbox Elite Controller Series 2

- We**am: Razer Kiyo (got it on sale, plan on upgrading in the future, but it does the job for now).

- Tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab A4 (for watching IP cameras when I'm expecting packages and deliveries).

06/20/2023

This latest build was extremely special and while I may have been the one to put it together, it was very much a group effort.

The recipient was a very good friend of mine named Justin. He recently lost his father and his friends all knew that Father's Day this year would be exceptionally difficult, especially those of us who have lost our own fathers. We wanted to do something that would bring a smile to his face and let him know that he is loved and has a network of loyal friends there to support him.

He is one of my best friends and someone I look up to and respect greatly, as both a person and as a fellow father. He's a fellow gamer, a fellow ex-skater, a fellow automotive enthusiast, and a HUGE fan of Gundam Wing. He's wanted a gaming PC for years but has never felt like he could treat himself to one. So a group of his closest friends decided to pool our resources so I could build him the custom Gundam-themed gaming PC setup that he deserves.

A number of the components, such as the fans, case, and CPU (Ryzen 7 3700x), were donated, while the rest of the components were crowdfunded by those involved. We actually modified the case's front panel to allow it to breathe better, by way of enlarging the lower intake port and adding additional side ventilation. The improvement in airflow was actually very impressive. Under stress testing, the CPU and GPU both topped out at about 65 degrees Celsius. The budget was admittedly tight, but we all feel like each dollar was well-spent, especially considering some items were on major sales or discounts at the time of purchase. It's a great 1440p gaming setup that runs cool and quiet and should be great for the racing games that he loves to play.

The full list of components is as follows:

- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700x

- CPU Cooler: Thermalright Assassin X, with an additional Thermalright TL-C12C-S fan added for push-pull purposes.

- Motherboard: MSI Pro B550-VC

- Memory: 2 x 8GB GeIL Orion AMD-compatible DDR4 3600mhz CL18

- GPU: Asrock Phantom D OC Radeon 6750 XT 12GB

- Storage: 2TB Silicon Power UD85 PCIe 4.0 NVME M.2 SSD

- Power Supply: Enermax Revolution D.F. 2, 850w 80+ Gold

- WiFi/Bluetooth card: TP-Link Archer TX55E

- Fans: 9 x Deepcool CF120

- Monitor: CRUA 27" Curved 2560x1440 165Hz Freesync HDR

- Keyboard: HyperX Alloy MKW100 Mechanical RGB keyboard with red switches

- Mouse: HyperX Pulsefire Haste Lightweight Gaming Mouse

- Headset: HyperX Cloud Stinger Core

- Desk: 47" Pamray desk with cable pass-through, headset hooks, storage basket, and cable management shelf