# A few questions on building a gaming rig...



## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

So last week my 7-year-old gaming rig finally died. I've been researching parts for a replacement rig ever since, and I think I have a fairly good system planned out now:

- Corsair Carbide Series 500R Black Steel ATX Mid Tower
- EVGA Z97 FTW LGA 1150 ATX Motherboard
- Intel Core i7-4790k Quad-Core 4.0GHz LGA 1150 Processor
- EVGA GeForce GTX 970 FTW 4GB 256-Bit GDDR5
- G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 2133
- Transcend 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive
- Seagate 2TB MLC/8GB SATA 6.0Gb/s NCQ Desktop Solid State Hybrid Drive

I do, however, have a few questions about things I'm not 100% certain on. For instance, how can I tell how big a power supply I'm going to need? I've been looking at this one: 
EVGA SuperNOVA 750W ATX12V Full Modular Power Supply
But will that be enough? What if I want the option of adding in more hard drives, either my old ones from my old rig, or new drives I purchase later on? What if I was thinking of maybe someday trying a raid array? What if at some point I need or want to upgrade the graphics card? I suppose I'll probably need some kind of DVD drive; not sure how much power those use. I'm just not sure what sort of power supply is the most appropriate for my needs.

Also, from what I've read, RAM that's rated at certain speeds doesn't always function at those speeds by default. Am I going to need to overclock that RAM in order to achieve 2133? I don't know much about overclocking but assuming it's relatively safe I'd be willing to give it a go this time around.

Anyone have any thoughts on this proposed build and/or the questions I asked? Help is greatly appreciated.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

The build looks solid, but I would recommend you change a few things:

1. Change the motherboard brand to Gigabyte or Asus for better quality and performance.

2. Change me memory speed to 1600MHz.

3. Stick with Samsung, Intel, Seagate, or SanDisk SSDs.

As for the power supply you should be looking for a 620W or higher unit. Stick with XFX or Seasonic brands only! The others may leave you with another dead PC.

You can reuse the hard drives from your old system, the PSU should supply enough SATA power cables to do so.

How many hard drives do you have for the RAID?

No need for a DVD drive unless you use DVDs. I don't even bother putting them in my builds.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

I second what chief said.

When I go for a new psu I look at what is recommended for the graphics card then I add 30%. That will leave enough for more drives and overclocking if done and anything else.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

I used several EVGA components in my old rig and it lasted for 7 years. The thing that finally killed it was some kind of power failure in the neighborhood and not a failure of the components themselves. I've also heard nothing but good things about EVGA as a manufacturer. Have I missed something?

Also won't I need a DVD drive to install the operating system? I'm buying Windows 8.1 along with these components and I assume it comes on a DVD.

And why is 1600MHz preferable to 2133MHz? I admit I don't know much about it, but I did check to make sure that the motherboard said this speed was supported.

I'm certainly willing to follow your suggestions if I have made some mistakes, but a bit more explanation first would help.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

EVGA makes great GPUs. Motherboard and surely PSUs are NOT their specially.

You can install Windows via a USB drive rather then a CD. Use a secondary PC that has a CD ROM and transfer the files to a USB drive.

Anything over 1600MHz puts a load onto the motherboard. Plus, you won't be able to tell a difference.

Let me know if you have more questions.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Alright, so if I should switch to another manufacturer, can you recommend a good motherboard that won't cost significantly more and will work with all my components? I had mostly chosen this EVGA board because Newegg was offering a special deal on it when purchased with the EVGA GTX 970, but I certainly want to ensure that what I'm buying is quality and will last me a long time.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Change the motherboard brand to Gigabyte or Asus for better quality and performance.

Both brands have excellent quality and will work just fine with your systems. I'd go with this unit here:

GIGABYTE GA-G1.Sniper Z97 LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - Newegg.com

Same unit I just recently used in my latest build.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Reviews for that board say that it's not quite the standard ATX size and that some people who own it were forced to leave part of the board hanging unsupported. Did you have any similar experience with it?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Why anybody would say that is beyond me. ATX is ATX, there's no difference.

I've installed it in my H440 and it runs like a dream. Great board IMO and Gigabyte is top in quality.

Edit: I was reading the reviews and maybe they are complaining because the board doesn't reach the ending three ports that some boards may use? Not really sure on their thoughts there.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Ah, I see what they are speaking about now. The last three mounting holes on the G1 are either moved closer or not present. Honestly, it won't change anything. It still mounts fine in any ATX configuration.

If it bothers you (it really shouldn't) you can also opt for this one:

ASUS Z97-A LGA 1150 Intel Z97 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - Newegg.com


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Well according to the reviews I read the board actually isn't exactly standard ATX size. It's close but not exact when you look at the dimensions of it. I guess in some cases that causes not all the screw holes to line up properly. Dunno. I'm not sure if there's any way I could possibly tell if such a thing would happen in the case I was going to buy.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Like I said, ATX is ATX. The width and length of the board do not change! The G1 is 12.0" x 9.2" and the Hero VII is 12.0" x 9.6" and the EVGA board is 12.0" x 9.6", you see where I am going.

Gigabyte just removed the mounting holes as it interfered with the components, it doesn't change anything.

But as I said above, if it bothers you switch the board to the Asus model.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Oh, ok. Not sure what the reviewers were talking about then. I mean if they were just nitpicking something that doesn't really matter and making it sound like more of an issue than it really is, then maybe I'll just get that one after all. 

I assume between the ASUS and the Gigabyte, you'd probably say that the gigabyte is the better purchase, considering you bought one yourself?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Yeah, I'd go for the Gigabyte board. 

I can only assume they are complaining about how the last three standoffs are not used. :ermm:


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

As far as the SSDs, is Transcendance not considered a reliable manufacturer? I wanted Seagate but Seagate SSDs don't seem to be available on Newegg for some reason.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

I've actually never heard of them before. Hence my recommendation on changing the drive.

You really can't beat Samsung SSDs, but Intel, Seagate, and SanDisk make some good units.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

I do have another question actually... can you recommend a good thermal paste and a decent processor heatsink/fan?


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

good thermal paste Artic sliver 5, mx-2 and good cooler noctua nh-d15 (comes with mx-2 paste)

transcendence make good flash/pen drives not sure on their SSDs as cheif said Samsung etc are good.

ps dont believe reviews on sites where you buy stuff from because you get people saying things are good when they are not and get people who say things are crap when they are good.

You sometimes get people from different companies dissing another companies product whilst posing as a normal person.

Always use google to get independent proper reviews of products i.e gigabyte GA-G1.Sniper Z97 review.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Ric_Adbur said:


> I do have another question actually... can you recommend a good thermal paste and a decent processor heatsink/fan?


I personally like the Noctua NH-D15, but it is a very large cooler and may not fit in your case due to that side window fan.

Another good unit that will work for you is the Noctua NH-C14. I reviewed it here if you wish to take a look:

A Processor Cooler that Excels – A Noctua NH-C14 CPU Cooler Review | Tech Support Forum

All CPU coolers will come with their own thermal paste and its fine to use whatever they come with.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Is it a good idea to use a dedicated processor heatsink/fan even if you aren't planning on overclocking? I actually haven't tried any overclocking before.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

You have to use a third party cooler if you wish to overclock. The stock unit will not do.

Overclocking requires background knowledge in how to do it as if done incorrectly, you can end up having a failing system.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

I have always overclocked and I can tell you never use a standard heatsink to overclock it wont help as when you overclock it generates more heat, sometimes a lot sometimes a little this why aftermarket heatsinks are made. Plus in my opinion they do a better job at cooling even if you dont overclock.

Overclocking can be done with very little knowledge but you need to read proper guides to do it and follow them to the letter because missing one stage out can screw things up.

With that cpu you could be looking at anywhere from 4.4 to 4.8 with good settings and good cooling.


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

> Is it a good idea to use a dedicated processor heatsink/fan even if you aren't planning on overclocking?


In 'dedicated' I am going to assume you mean an aftermarket unit, or one which was not supplied by the manufacturer of the processor. If you are not overclocking the proc, the stock cooler which was shipped with the processor is usually sufficient. However, a high efficiency aftermarket unit will usually provide better cooling (and thus lower temperatures) even in non-overclocked systems. They are also often much quieter running.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Yeah sorry I did mean an aftermarket device. I've never done overclocking before, and I know that one wrong move can ruin an expensive piece of equipment which is why I was too hesitant to attempt it in the past. Perhaps I'll just leave well enough alone this time around as well.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

You should be fine with stock settings.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

overclocking does have its risk but where as 10 years ago doing something wrong could blow your cpu which cant get fixed these days doing something wrong usually just requires a cmos reset to fix it.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

What's a good 24" monitor that'll look great for gaming in the next few years? Preferably one that isn't super expensive. I'm afraid I don't know much about new stuff like 1440p or 4k or whatever the options these days are.


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

IMO best 24" gaming monitor is Acer GN246HL. 1ms response, 144Hz, TN. Will cost a bit over US$200

Also, BenQ GL2460HM 2ms response, 60Hz, TN. Usually around $160. Currently $130 using Promo code at Newegg.com


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

What kind of games are you looking to play? I'm not a huge fan of TN panels, but if you must have the fast response time, there's no other option. Otherwise, I would seek out monitors that support a VA, IPS, or PLS panel so you get excellent colors without color shift for viewing angles.

Samsung, Asus, Dell, or Acer make fine monitors.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

I don't know much about response times. I'm not really a stickler for that kind of technical detail as far as monitors go generally. Tbh i'm not sure I could tell the difference. I'm just looking for a 24" screen that will be reliable for a good few years without me having to worry about dead pixels or other such faults, and will look nice for general gaming purposes (MMOs, RTSs, FPSs, RPGs, anything really) and watching movies and TV shows.

I prefer to run a dual-screen setup and if possible I'd like to use HDMI this time around, it wasn't available on my old rig. Not really interested in 3D, just seems like a gimmick to me. I doubt I'd use it.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

I would recommend a IPS monitor then, you'll enjoy it in the long run.

ASUS VS24AH-P VS24AH-P Black 24" 5ms (GTG) HDMI Widescreen LED Backlight LCD Monitor IPS 300 cd/m2 80,000,000:1 - Newegg.com


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Anyone here know anything about headsets? I was hoping to find a wireless behind-the-head-style pair of headphones with a mic but the options for headsets with those criteria seem pretty limited. I'm not really looking for a "gaming headset," I don't have any need to pump the audio through the headphones really, in fact I prefer to use the speakers. I just need a reliable wireless microphone to use for VOIP communications in games and such. Would one of those little cellphone-style bluetooth thingys work for my purposes? I've never really tried one. I'm just looking to make sure that I can be easily heard over programs like teamspeak or in-game voice chat options.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Not wireless, but some of the best headphones on the market are:

Headphones that will Rock your World – A Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Review | Tech Support Forum

If you want a very nice headset with a detachable microphone, then go for:

Game like a Pro – A Kingston HyperX Cloud Gaming Headset Review | Tech Support Forum


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

I'm really just looking for something simple and reliable and wireless that I can talk through. I prefer to use my computer's speakers for actual game audio.

Also everywhere I look people are saying that there isn't any point to getting this i7 for a gaming rig, an i5-4690k will be just as good or better and cost less. If I were to go with the i5 instead, I'd be interested in attempting an overclock but I've never done it before. From what I hear it's not _too_ difficult, though. But I'm going to need a good aftermarket cooler for that. I'm betting you can recommend me a nice one.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Something like this then:

Sennheiser RS 110 II - Wireless Headphones Stereo - Ideal for modern music & TV - Lightweight

You could go for the i5-4690K, its actually the same CPU I run in my system. I've gotten an overclock to 4.7GHz running on a Noctua NH-D15 cooler. However, you do need some experience when overclocking.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Is it possible to get automatic voltage regulation on something less expensive than an external battery backup unit? I want to protect my machine but a UPS of the size I'd need is probably outside my budget.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

I use just a standard surge protector from a known company:

http://www.amazon.com/APC-P6W-Outle...421284980&sr=1-6&keywords=apc+surge+protector


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

I had heard that standard surge protection isn't sensitive enough for the delicate electronics inside a computer. They can't protect you from things like sags and stutters. My old rig got fried somehow during a power outage and it was plugged into a power strip that I'm pretty sure is surge-protected. Dunno.


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

A surge protector is just that. It protects the connected devices from voltage spikes, either by blocking them or by shorting to ground any unwanted voltages above a safe level. It will give zero protection from voltage sags (brownout) or power outages.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

If you experience a lot of power outages, then go for something like this:

Amazon.com: APC BR1000G Back-UPS Pro 1000 Uninterruptible Power Supply: Electronics

It's also a resettable surge protector.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Actually I don't experience many power issues here. That's what was so strange. My old rig went through probably over a dozen power outages over the years I had it at my old house without any problems, and it was only hooked up to a simple surge protected power strip. Then I moved here, and the first time there's a power outage, my computer gets fried.

At this point I'm not really sure why it happened, I'm just worried about it happening to my new rig.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Also, if I have to get one of those external battery backup things, like the thing you linked, do I need one with a power output capacity equal to or greater than my computer's internal power supply?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

You want to have enough power where you can run the machine for around five minutes.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

So does that mean I need to get one that has a power capacity of 750w or more if I have a 750w power supply in my computer?


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

The nameplate watts rating of the power supply is irrelevant. Base your UPS sizing on the actual power used by the connected appliances. You measure this at the wall plug, or make an informed estimate on maximum power usage. For instance:

Internet box PC or NAS - ~150 watts
Single GPU gamer - ~ 400 watts
Multi GPU PC (SLI/Crossfire) - 700watts +
24" LED/LCD monitor - 50 watts
SOHO router + modem - 20 watts
42" plasma TV - 220 watts

As far as runtime goes, that would be personal preference. You need enough to save your open work and safely shut down the equipment. Five minutes would be the minimum. Longer runtime usually means higher capacity (and more $$).

Most UPS manufacturers have sizing guides on their respective web sites.

PS: I have one of these. Carries the 'My System' pc (at left), a 24" LED monitor, plus modem/router for just almost 20 minutes at idle and 5-6 minutes while gaming. I have another 350 VA unit which carries a 32" LED TV, a printer and a few other small devices.

CyberPower CP850PFCLCD UPS 850VA / 510W PFC compatible Pure sine wave - Newegg.com


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

I suppose I'm really just concerned with preventing my new machine from getting fried like the old one did. I don't really care about having the ability to run it for any sort of extended period of time using the battery. I'd just shut the thing down right away if the power went out.

I'll see if I can calculate the minimum requirement I need. Thanks for that information. That unit you linked might just be what I need, too.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

My personal recommendation is just to pick up that APC surge protector I listed last page.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Masterchiefxx17 said:


> My personal recommendation is just to pick up that APC surge protector I listed last page.


Hmmm... yeah they seem to be the same price, but the one you listed seems to be slightly better. Or at least has slightly more power output.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

I was talking about this:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0046BGUWG//ref=nosim/connorswebguidec


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

> I don't really care about having the ability to run it for any sort of extended period of time using the battery. I'd just shut the thing down right away if the power went out.


Which is why 5-10 minutes of runtime is usually enough for home systems. Be different if we were talking about a critical system which must stay up.

The software included with line-interactive UPS' are smart enough to allow the PC to keep running through a momentary interruption, and in the instance of a longer outage and after nagging you with a couple warnings, to automatically shut it down safely after a specified interval.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Ok so one last question about UPS systems. I read something in a review where a guy was complaining that the UPS he bought wasn't compatible with the "pure sine wave" of his internal power supply, or something like that. Is this an issue I need to watch out for with an EVGA SuperNova 750 G2?


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

Yes. I apologize for not mentioning this important issue.

All PC power supplies must now use some form of Power Factor Correction (PFC). This may be active or passive. Active PFC has the advantage of allowing for very high conversion efficiency.

And there are two types of UPS; those with modified sine wave output (sometimes hybrid or stepped sine wave), and those with a true sine wave output. Most electronics will happily accept a modified sine wave. However, a power supply using Active PFC may power cycle or even turn off completely when a modified sine wave UPS activates (i.e. a power outage occurs). 

Now as to your EVGA supply, it isn't clear what type of PFC it uses, but I would expect it to be using an Active PFC circuit. Regardless, I suggest you look for a true sine wave unit, because even if your current supply does not use Active PFC, your next one surely will.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

And the true sine wave units will work with any type of internal power supply?


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Also, which end of the CPU and VGA power cables are intended to go into the power supply, and which ends are intended to go into the motherboard/video card? Both cables have a single connector on one end and a connector with the same number of points but split into two parts on the other end. I assume the solid side goes into the PSU and the split side goes into the devices but I'd prefer to confirm that before hooking it up.


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

> And the true sine wave units will work with any type of internal power supply?
> 
> I assume the solid side goes into the PSU and the split side goes into the devices.[/qupte]
> Correct and correct.
> ...


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Excellent. Thanks. So these "true sine wave" units will be labeled with that exact phrase? I can just look up "true sine wave UPS" and fine what I need, right?


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

That would be one way to find a prospective unit, though not fool proof. The device specification list should state clearly the output waveform.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Ok thanks. Also, I notice now that the "VGA" power cables provided with my power supply have a 6-pin+2-pin end, but the GTX 970 I bought seems to have 2 6-pin power cable slots on it. Do I need a different cable? If not, precisely which slots do I plug this 6+2 cable into on the card itself?


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Also does it matter which PCIe x16 slot I plug the video card into, or which RAM slots I plug the 2 sticks of RAM I bought into?


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

Graphics card: Use the x16 slot nearest the CPU.

Memory: Refer to your motherboard user's manual. Will state the preferred slots and how to identify them.

Cables: The '6+2' plugs are made such that they will fit either an 8pin or 6pin connector. Leave the 2pin part hanging when using as a 6pin.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Ah, ok thanks. Why is it that the video card has 2 6-pin slots on it? Do I not need both?


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

A factor of the amount power it may use. 75 watts available at the PCI-e slot, and 75 watts from each 6 pin. 

Both should be connected.


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

So I need to hook up 2 of these VGA power cables to the card then?


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

Yes .


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Sweet thanks. I might have more questions eventually, I haven't done this in over 7 years. lol


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## Ric_Adbur (Jul 15, 2009)

Well, everything is hooked up and seems to be running perfectly. My pure sine wave UPS system with AVR is going to arrive next week and then I'll be all set. 

I appreciate all your help guys.


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