Overview / Usage

Hello! I'm Ethan Barker, a Sophomore studying CS at Oregon State, and I'm really excited to share my build idea with everyone.

The goal I'm striving for with this project is to build a machine that will inspire me to work hard on my projects and coursework, while also providing the necessary computing power for my compiling and rendering workloads. For the past few months, I've been working on developing a Voxel engine (a game engine specializing in 3D pixels/cubes). Originally written in LWJGL with Java, I'm moving to GLFW and C++ for performance reasons.

This project will take inspiration from these "Voxels" as a reminder of my passion for 3D engine development, and celebrate the creative side of programming. I love voxels as the possibilities you can create with them are endless. Anything can be represented by them if you have enough pixels to go around! Voxels are used in a variety of places in technology including imaging in medicine, digital art, and complex simulations. They are also responsible for Minecraft, a game that is largely responsible for my interest in software and computer science.

I'll be using this build throughout many aspects of my student life. It will provide a much more reliable machine for doing development work for school, with backup redundancy powered by RAID and Intel Rapid Storage Technology. My voxel engine workflow will benfit greatly with the additional computing power. Compile times will be speed up greatly from my current FX processor, and the powerful GPU will let me test the engine at a greater scale and unleash more creativity on shaders than before.

Methodology / Approach

What better way to demonstrate the Voxel build than with my own Voxel engine? The included photos above show my interpretation of how this build could look with these components. I'm really excited at the opportunity to build this!

The voxels will be represented by programmable 1.4"x1.4" RGB square modules. They will be installed using the included mounting tools to the back/non-clear side of the case near the bottom. I will design a simple script to control these lights in Python with a couple of default color themes to represent my favorite games. I'll also be adding some decals and stickers from those games around the back of the case. The front of the case will be kept clean to keep the internal hardware visible.

Additional custom components I'll be supplying:

• 16 x RGB PixelPro LED Square Module from Environmental Lights
• 3-5 decals/stickers of influential voxel games (Minecraft, Trove, Unturned, etc..)

Technologies Used

Intel Tech

• Intel Rapid Storage Technology will allow me to reuse my old HDD along with the new provided SSD/NVMe to store large amounts of data will keep application start-up times as low as possible.
• Intel Extreme Tuning Utility is a tool to stress test and overclock the system. I will use it to overclock the included 12th Gen processor slightly to help boost compile times for my Voxel Engine project.
• The Intel Core i9-12900K paired with the MPG Z690 Carbon WIFI are the perfect duo for future-proofing this build and ensuring it will run well for years into the future. The 12th Gen CPU is the fastest consumer chip available, and it will allow any compiling tasks to fly through. E-Cores will ensure the build stays cool and quiet while operating under less stressful conditions.
• Intel Thread Director, available in Windows 11, will empower the OS to make better decisions about allocating processes to threads and cores.

Other Tech

RAM: 32GB will be a significant upgrade from my current 12GB. It will allow me to run more programs without slowdowns, and perhaps more importantly free me from some anxiety of reloading tabs when I have 30+ open.

PSU: Seasonic's FOCUS PX-850 is rated Platnium and will help safeguard the longevity of the system.

Case: The Silent Base 802 is a clean and configurable case that allows for good airflow and cable management. See the included photos for my artistic render of the case :)

SSD: The provided NVMe SSDs will allow me to offload a huge chunk of my work from my HDD.

Motherboard: The MPG Z690 Carbon WIFI has FIVE M.2 slots which will allow for a ton of upgradability in the future. The faster onboard WIFI will also be a boon for my apartment setup.

CPU Cooler: I've always wanted an opportunity to use an AIO water cooler. I recently upgraded my CPU fan from the stock to a nicer heatsink, but water cooling would be really fun to install and use.