That’s a badass setup, really like the case. If you plan on moving the OS drive, I would do it now, just less hassle.
Question though: if you are going to go full Jurassic Park on a rig (spared no expense), why not get the best RAM available also? I mean it may not be a noticeable difference, but there is plenty of 3200 MHz kits out there for not much more.
Yeah…the RAM speed was the only real surprise (besides the price)…I’m not sure why they didn’t go with 3200. The Corsair One was nice in size, but used a Z360 mobo I think and it didn’t have the USB-C connection I was looking for. Every system had 80% of what I wanted, but lacked a couple things. That is where a home-builder gets 100% satisfaction whereas someone like me just makes up for the lack of 100% satisfaction with the ability to turn the thing on immediately (and send it back if it breaks).
I’ll have to poke around and see how challenging getting to the RAM would be.
Holy **** that’s a monster machine!
Honestly it probably wouldn’t be worth it now, just seemed out of place. That rig will have no issue annihilating frames for several years. If you do plan on swapping out the ram, it probably isn’t any harder to get to than the M2 drive you plan on switching out.
That whole setup is insane, congrats!!
Are most people using wireless mouse/keyboard combos these days or is everyone still using wired stuff? I’m using an old Saitek Gamer’s keyboard that I love…but it and the mouse take up two USB ports.
Is moving a full DCS install from one computer to the other as simple as:
Disable all modules under Module Manager
Copy whole DCS World folder to new computer
Run clean and repair via GUI Updater
Does that sound right? In looking back I see @Toppometer had a couple challenges with it…but he got it sorted without having to redownload a bunch of stuff.
Wow. The 1809 Windows update takes forever.
Ran a Google search on that update and hopefully it is just being slow and not hanging up on you.
1809 windows update hanging - Google Search
Wheels
It did complete it…! Whew…I was worried though. Now updated NVidia drivers and am going to do the MSI recovery image backup to USB prior to cracking open the case and adding the m.2 drives.
It is definitely a process getting a new build up and running.
The only way to keep the it quick is if you can simply migrate your boot drive to the new machine and update drivers for the new hardware. Windows 10 is good for “stock” drivers at least getting Ethernet adapters etc working.
For the change to an M.2, I think a fresh install is worth the hassle. They are awesome, enjoy!
That’s a nice looking machine, congrats! Love that case!
Looking forward to hearing about the M.2 drives and the overall performance. XP11 and DCS should be really nice, so curious to see how much better they run.
Looking forward to it too. Hoping I can bump up some sliders in both X-Plane and DCS VR…
Alright. One panel off and the 2TB m.2 is installed (very easy). Now cloning the 500GB m.2 to the 2TB m.2 to make it bootable. Once it is bootable, the plan is to dig out the 500GB m.2 and replace it with a second 2TB m.2. Now…this looks a bit trickier in that the main m.2 card is under the heat sink on the mobo. From an MSI video…here is a cap. If I take that heat sink off - am I going to have to re-apply thermal paste to the top of that chip?
Pertinent part of the video:
Should be good just to leave it and pop the heatsink back on when done - the TIM should be fresh. Don’t lick it though.
Let me know how that migration goes. A lot of tools I read up on cannot natively “expand” a partition. So say, when you move the OS from the 500 to the 2TB, you get a 500GB OS partition and 1.5TB free. Windows will let you “extend” it - but it’s not a “natural”/contiguous 2TB partition, which is the result that I want.
Yup that’s what you’ll need Macrium for…
OK… first (and easiest) m.2 drive is in…
Cloned the 500GB m.2 to the secondary m.2 and then set the boot order in the BIOS to the secondary m.2…that seemed to work.
Then the scary one…the one on the other side. Pretty straightforward though. First remove the fan…
To reveal the heat sink. Four screws out of that and it peels back. I took photos so that I could remember orientation and cable routing…
Under the heat sink the chip…and @fearlessfrog was correct…it is still gooey and I made sure not to let any come off the bottom of the sink…I had goo-cicles hanging off it…
Removed the 500GB m.2 and slid the 2GB one in…just one screw holding that in. Don’t drop it!
All buttoned back up. Said a little prayer, hit the power button…and she booted up! Went into Disk Manager and made the mobo M.2 bootable and will now mirror the secondary m.2 mirror back onto the mobo m.2. I’m not sure that it makes a difference whether the mobo m.2. or the secondary m.2 is the actual boot device, but I figured I’d keep it the way MSI intended it… So just waiting to see if that goes OK.
Yes. I realize I’ve unbuilt and built my new computer. To some degree anyway. 
I think that the only thing I would be paranoid about is that the CPU/Heatsink connection has a good, even layer of that thermal paste. Any voids and it means a less than ideal connection.
I was certainly able to, so I’m sure you will as well. You have a better CPU too.
That does appear to be what I got. So the end result (and this could probably be done more efficiently):
Intel 2TB m.2 SSD - C: 500 GB and D: 1430 GB
Intel 2TB m.2 SSD - E: 1907 GB
Seagate 2TB 5200 - F: 1842 GB
I probably won’t install anything to the Seagate and replace that slot and the one remaining SATA slot with a pair of 2TB regular SSDs. I looked at 2.5" 7200 drives and for the cost you might as well just go with SSDs at this point.
