Not at all....I'm just not frantic as I had always assumed the OS dev would catch up....and the issue is very likely moot as the current OS [7 Ult 64] is to be replaced by 10 when it's ready...and by then the issue is no more...

Jafo I would only change a few things. Go with an AMD processor. Bigger SSDs. And Windows 8 or 10. 7 is getting old. 

Main thing is...it's a done deal...the system has been up and running since December.

AMD doesn't make anything that would match in performance.  Bigger SSDs mean bigger replacement cost at T.E.C. date of 2023, and the OS is on the fastest 'drive' currently available.

As for 7 vs 8/10 ...It's 7 because it works...and 8 is a dog....only to be bypassed for 10 once that is RTM.... and as a temporary OS 7 was free as I had a spare key [TechNet].

Zubaz linked me to the 'next-big-thing' re the drive...about double the through-put of mine...but it's not yet on the market  [but will fit my MoBo] [and likely add another grand to the build price] ...

In the first instance, AMD does not manufacture a CPU that comes remotely close to the i7 5960X for processing power or speed;

Secondly, what's wrong with a 512gb M.2 SSD for size?  And a 240gb as a secondery SSD?  Seems ample to me.

And lastly, while I have been an advocate of Win 8, much to the bemusement of some, Win 7 is still a decent OS, and not one to dismiss so easily for many, many PC users.  I will obviously update to Win 10 when released - for all the under-the-hood improvements, but I certainly won't be sticking with the butt ugly default UI when that time comes.  All I can say is thank goodness for Stardock products.

Jafo Windows 8.1 is no dog. Far, far, far faster than 7 on my setup. In almost every way. Just have to learn to ignore the Metro screen. 

Both 8 and 8.1 are dogs....just ask the people who made them....Microsoft.

I have the crap on my laptop...but I'll wait for 10 all the same for this machine....

Before you two girls start scratching eacher others faces.
OS performance/stability all depends on the hardware/software setup.

Remember my Vista experience, eh?

I rest my case.

Man, now that's the truth.  Honestly I think a lot of it depends on how much effort a hardware manufacturer wants to put into drivers for the hardware that they probably don't even make anymore - can't really blame them for that though.

The reason for skipping 8 for 10 is that I NEED an OS that post-dates my hardware.  UEFI combined with DDR4 and an M.2 install of the OS gets 7 all flustered.

Even Windows 8 dates back to 2009 [at 7's release]... 8.1 was RTM in 2013, 2 years BEFORE my X99 was released.  10 will be about a year after....

I can understand that reasoning and agree with it... in part.  I don't have DDR4 as yet, but I have Win 8.1 running on UEFI and an M.2 SSD without issue, and I believe that it would manage your hardware better than Win 7... nor is it the "dog" you think it is.  With Start8 and WB installed, Metro disabled, there's barely a difference to Win 7, except it is faster, more reliable and sturdy.

As for Win 10, it will be as much a 'dog" as Win 8/8.1, given the appearance of the GUI and icons.  They're butt ugly , to put it mildly.  However, like Win 8 was an improvement over 7, Win 10 will have major under-the-hood improvements over Win 8.1

Well....it took 5 months but I finally managed a BSOD...

That means it's been pretty bloody stable for yonks.

Just prior to the 'crash' I'd had 17 instances of PSP6 running....5 of which were multi-layer PSDs...and 6 instances of an image converter too, [DXTtoBMP], not to mention that processor-hog aka FSX, and the usual winamp for music...browser windows...et al...

It was all an argument between what I wanted to do...and what Windows Update wanted me to do...

...and WinUpdate clearly had a hissy-fit and until I'd done a full shutdown/restart kept on blanking my screen every 10 seconds...."you WILL reboot or I'll have your balls"....

Anyway...up and running once more...slowly getting back up to that same workload yet again....

Well aren't you just the clever one... 5 months of busting a nut to BSOD one of the most toppest-end rigs to be found anywhere in a modest Aussie suburban street and... and, and you finally succeeded.

Well congratulations in completing what is no mean feat... tho, given your reputation for breaking things, as having been awarded to you by yrag himself, I almost put money on it to have happened a lot.sooner.

Anyway, with regard to my own new build, I took another step closer today.  I spotted the CoolerMaster Cosmos II case today for $370, being down from the usual $420 - $478 and more, so I decided to order it.  I still have to get the mobo, CPU and RAM, but I pretty much have the rest already... though I may reconsider the mobo after looking at this Asrock x99 Extreme 11.  Yup, that's 2x Ultra M.2 connectors @ 30gbps, and almost unlimited expansion potential.... and it likely wouldn't be as expensive as the Asus board, either.  Hmmmmm!!!!

A Deep Silence 6 is only 200 on Amazon, expensive handles.

They look pretty good....just not comparable if you see one of these things in the flesh.  The simple thickness of the metal [on the Level 10] exudes quality alone....

Oh, and the handles are a bit of a joke....you have to be a bit of an Atlas to lift it once built ....

They're probably not there to lift it up, they're probably there to give a person something to hang on to once he turns it on