Bolt II Review

My goal for a new computer was to get a low power, low noise machine that was no larger, preferably smaller than my current 5-year old i7-930 machine I built, which was rather loud with 3 case fans running full speed all of the time and the performance was starting to show its age. I was looking around at a lot of cases to build my own machine and not finding any that were particularly thrilling. I began looking at mainstream and boutique manufacturers to see what systems they were putting together and once I came across the Bolt II, I was, I must admit, a bit enamored by the elegance of the packaging, with a zero maintenance all-in-one 240mm radiator CPU cooler in a fairly clean design.

I put together a configuration that suited my needs: I was interested in playing Assassin's Creed Unity; I wanted to use the full 3840 x 2160 at 60 Hz my UHD had for work and play; and meet the aforementioned requirement of being low noise. Here is what I ended up with:

Configuration URL:     https://www.digitalstormonline.com/configurator.asp?id=1113816
Specifications:
Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Pre-built Digital Storm Bolt II
Exterior Finish: Onyx Black Matte Finish
Trim Accents: - No Thanks
Processor: Intel Core i5 4590 3.30 GHz (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS Z97I-PLUS (Intel Z97 Chipset) (Mini-ITX)
System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 500W Digital Storm Bolt II Edition (Quiet) (Gold Plus Rated)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Optical Drive: Blu-Ray Player/DVD Writer (Play Blu-Ray and Burn DVDs) (Slim Slot Loading Edition)
Storage Set 1: - No Thanks
Storage Set 2: - No Thanks
Storage Set 3: - No Thanks
RAID Config: - No Thanks
RAID Card: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Graphics Card(s): 1x AMD Radeon R7 240 2GB
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
HPC Processor: - No Thanks
Extreme Cooling: 240mm Radiator Liquid CPU Cooler (Extreme-Performance Edition)
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Fans: High Static Pressure - Corsair Air Series SP120 Fans (2x 120mm)
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Airflow Control: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
LaserMark: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Standard Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 Automatic Overclocking
Boost Graphics Card(s): - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows CD)
Virus Protection: FREE: McAfee AntiVirus Plus (1 Year Service Activation Card) (Not Pre-installed) ($35 Value)
Office: - No Thanks
Game: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
Portable Gaming: - No Thanks
Branded Gear: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 10-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty (3 Year Labor & 1 Year Part Replacement)

I selected no storage as I was using a 512 GB Crucial M4 SSD I got for a laptop that was bought back under warranty. I also only spec'd the i5-4590 as I intend to either upgrade to an i7-5770K when they come out, or move to a Skylake, if the specs look extremely good on them, so any money saved now was money I could spend later (and the i5-4590 was "good enough" for my purposes; this dilemma is also why I'm deferring on getting good RAM, as Skylake will use DDR4). I also had purchased separately an EVGA GTX 970 FTW ACX 2.0 because I wanted the fans on the GPU to be able to completely stop at low GPU loads, so I spec'd only the AMD R7 240 for the GPU. My processor was locked and my GPU was being replaced so I did not opt for any overclocking. Also, I was happy to find out the slot-loading Blu-ray writer was the Panasonic UJ-265, which has BD-XL capabilities not advertised on DS's website (important for possible future compatibility with UHD media).

Here is a comparison on new (on the left) and old (on the right):



The Bolt II is actually slightly deeper by around 1" than my μATX case (Silverstone Grandia GD05), but it is also around 1" shorter in height (when laying on its side on the feet) and the same width.

I first went through the chassis and made sure all of the connections were seated correctly. While I was in there I re-routed some of the cables to my liking (there was one in particular routed through the 8.1 mm spacing behind the radiator that I moved to another area of the chassis to give the radiator more exhaust room). I noticed my RAM was upgraded to DDR3-1866 from the spec'd 1600MHz (sweet), but also I was missing a screw on the storage drive cage (more on that later). After that I got it up and running with all ordered components, no problem (obviously I had installed my SSD to install the O/S on; there was no mounting for SSDs in the drive cage, but after talking with DS, they sent me some 3.5"-to-2.5" drive adapters which I've mounted my SSD on). After that I replaced the GPU with my 970 FTW; again, no problems.













I did run into an issue with the motherboard not detecting Intel LAN controller on the board (this is an ASUS issue, not a DS one). I was able to get wireless connectivity, but could not detect the on-board Ethernet. I tried to trouble-shoot the problem by downloading the drivers from ASUS' webpage, but that did not work, either. However, DS tech support to the rescue, working with Mike, he got me the I218-V controller drivers directly from Intel and manually pointed the installer to load from the extracted files ...very much a headache averted. So, even though I know my way around a computer quite well, I'm am definitely not a fan of system administration and the premium paid for this system that comes with this level of support is absolutely worth it (and saved me from having a massive headache from banging my head on the desk too much). This actually happened twice as I had to re-install the whole system after I added a Trusted Platform Module (which you can see jammed right next to the swivel barbs on the H100i CPU cooler in the picture above looking down on the motherboard) to fully encrypt my SSD.   He additionally was able to help me with a boot prioritization issue I had, where the problem was rooted in a buried sub-menu. I hadn't used UEFI before and this was unfamiliar territory they were able to help me out with. Mike mentioned that they can send me a Digital Storm branded cover for my H100i, which I'm waiting on, but am in no hurry to change (just gives the machine a nicer aesthetic).

As I mentioned above, one of the screws on the drive cage was missing. DS sent me some screws along with the 3.5"-to-2.5" adapter plates and I attempted to fasten the missing screw. However, the threads on the case were not good and after talking with DS customer support, they offered to have the system shipped back to them so they could remedy the issue and they also offered an alternative compensation. I opted for the alternative compensation as it was quite attractive in my opinion. I did go find a good hardware store and bought an M3 tap and proceeded to ream the hole. You can see in the pic with the cover off looking at the motherboard that I was successful in getting the screw in and perfecting the fit and finish.



A minor concern of mine is that the radius of curvature of the hoses on the H100i are so tight, they are becoming out-of-round (you can see this on the pic looking at the back with the cover off). However, this machine has been on the market for a while, I'm sure with several running hotter overclocked processors, and I would think DS would have pulled the Bolt II or redesigned it if there were any issues resulting from this. Besides, I've see designs where flattening around bends for fluid flow was done intentionally: http://www.micronexhaust.com/store/prodserpent.htm. Also, if this does become a problem down the road, a couple simple coil springs wrapped around the hoses may help solve any issue.

Another concern is with the fans. The fans do not seal up well to the radiator and there is a lot of leakage in the gaps, especially in the area between the two fans. This is highly detrimental to the static pressure the fans are designed to create. For more effective cooling, this should be remedied. And while I understand the use of the SP-120 fans they have because they only have 3-pin headers on the Digital Storm Thermal Management Control Board, PWM fans can get to even lower operational speeds, reducing noise further than they can with voltage regulation (provided motor noise does not become significant).

As for low noise in my system, I am very pleased with how this machine came out. I swapped the GPU to the GTX 970 FTW with ACX 2.0 cooler as I already mentioned. I also added a fan header splitter on one of the motherboard ports and drove the fans from the motherboard instead of the H100i. This was recommended on the Corsair forums, as some users had had issues with fans connected to the H100i. It also allowed me to take advantage of ASUS' ability to stop the fans with the CPU at low temperatures. The H100i is a very short loop for a water cooler (yet still has enough for substantial thermal capacity) which makes it so I'm not so concerned about the delayed transient temperature swings, as they won't be very large. So, for almost all light loads, including web browsing and watching videos, the only fan running on the machine is the small 40mm fan on the PSU. This sounds like a quiet refrigerator and is a highly directional sound that can be readily diffused. I will be looking for a couple fans in the future to replace the SP-120's; right now I'm hoping the MassDrop for the Nidec Servo 2150RPM fans with PWM happens: https://www.massdrop.com/vote/nidec-servo-gentle-typhoon-d1225c-high-performance-caseradiator-fan-formerly-dis.

Overall, I am very happy with my Bolt II. It is extremely quiet, especially compared to my previous computer. I am able to play ACU at 1080p with high levels of detail and I've play a couple of other games at 2160p with the highest settings (except for anti-aliasing, which I've kept at 2x/FXAA). Working with a 2160p60 screen is awesome...I can have many windows open up on the screen in front of me and jump between them...it's essentially like having four 1080p screens to work on. I definitely look forward to using it for the years to come!



Edited by  - 12 Dec 2014 at 9:25am

Excellent review and the pics are top notch.  

Enjoy. 

I am creating a project log of an upgrade to a custom water cooling loop and other component changes on the Small Form Factor forum. A lot of very technically minded/inclined individuals over there and should generate some good discussion.

I haven't yet taken a picture with the DS CPU cover on it yet...that will happen soon. I am going to do a small test of some thermal interface materials and will snap a few pics then

I don't expect much of a performance gain initially. I have a locked Haswell processor, so there isn't much to gain there. Later on, when I look to update the platform, that is when I can look to see a performance gain with this.

Checking fitment of some of the components

Swiftech PWM D5 with EK XTOP Revo D5 pump top...tight fit



PWM Gentle Typhoon fans on Hardware Labs Nemesis 240GTS radiator



It looks like I will have to create a new bracket and shift the radiator up a little, but it looks like it will move the fans into areas of better airflow in the perforations on the door



P.S. Hoserator, DS pump cover in the pics

Edited by  - 05 Jan 2016 at 11:24pm

I will be using 12mm ID/16mm OD PETG hardline tubing. I will initially have a layout similar to what DS offered to customers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGzF40hDklI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbhvPSq9BM8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVUtp4Zy1mU

When I start adding new components to the computer, the loop will change some, incorporating the GPU and other components into it.

At the onset of planning for this upgrade, I was thinking of using a DDC pump like what DS did. I had planned to have the radiator flipped and in the loop right before the pump to reduce the propensity for cavitation on the low pressure side of the pump impeller. But, I later changed the pump to a D5, which cools itself by dumping it's heat into the water it is pumping, and went back to a layout akin to the DS setups.

Small little update: I got some parts in for the filter. The filter I went with was the Barrow acrylic one. It comes with 3 flat stainless steel screens of various hole sizes. I wanted to go with the Koolance unit with the larger curved screen to reduce pressure loss, but I don't have the space for it where I want this to end up.

So, I figured I'd make a new screen for this filter. I found some brass pipe screens online and ordered them sight unseen. Luckily, they have similar hole size to the middle stainless mesh that came with the Barrow unit. The brass has better galvanic compatibility with the rest of the system over the stainless, as well.

First I formed a dome with a couple brass screens. The dome will increase surface area and allow for a little better flow. It should also direct any trapped debris to the side of the vessel to keep the flow clear.





Then I put a flange on the screen.



I then cut the flange to size and fit it into the acrylic part. I botched my first attempt, so this is the second try.



And here it is with one of the fittings on the end.



Waiting for more parts to arrive, but coming along little by little.

Fantastic. I have distant memories of using those brass screens........for filtering.
That is a very nice job of adapting. Nothing like doing it yourself.


Edited by hoserator - 21 Jan 2016 at 3:07am

Interesting. Thanks for the update.   

Curious... Haven't heard of problems with the stock paste in some time and was wondering if it dried out from previous stress tastings, if you did it several times, or just a bad batch/ apply.    

And here I was thinking I was all fancy with my MX-4

Thanks for the write up on gallium liquid metals, I know of them but hadn't actually read an application story before.

Reading comprehension fail on my part! 

Still, thanks for the informative write up!

A+++.

Never tried drilling and tapping acrylic. That is a real great display of how to do it.  Excellent craftsmanship. Congratulations.

Nice work.  I've had limited experience drilling and cutting acrylic and suffice it to say, acrylic is not my friend.    

Good job on drilling the acrylic. I can't think of a more messy lubricant than graphite.    

I have done a lot of machining but not with acrylic. If anyone is thinking about doing a similar project you might find this article interesting.

Frank

Drilling Acrylic

Edited by FrankW - 09 Feb 2016 at 5:26am

Awesome, it's been a pleasure to follow along with your Bolt II modifications! Almost makes me feel guilty for doing nada to my Bolt I. 

Look forward to seeing what you have in store.

Originally posted by  Originally posted by Tidgxor Awesome, it's been a pleasure to follow along with your Bolt II modifications! Almost makes me feel guilty for doing nada to my Bolt I. Look forward to seeing what you have in store. I barely have enough room to do modifications in the Bolt II...I can't imagine what it'd be like trying to mod up a Bolt I    .

Building a ship in a bottle comes to mind.   

I also like reading and seeing the mods develop.   

Originally posted by oldlady RPGer I can't help it ........Coffee Lake? Will it go in my KeuRIG?