# Need some "new guy" help...



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

Hiyas,

I was recommended to this tech forum by a friend of mine and she said I could probably get some good pointers on how to build a new computer. I'm in the market, as it were, for a new gaming computer with a total price tag up to 1500 dollars. I've got a few ideas on where I want to go with it, as well as what I've found so far. But I need everything, and any help anyone could provide would be awesome. I don't speak a heck of a lot of "computer speak" so plain terms are going to benefit me the most. To give you a ballpark of the kind of things I want to push, I play things like World of Warcraft, Crysis, Gears of War, Dawn of War 2, etc. Here's what I've got so far. Recommendations or help would be very much appreciated. 

Processor - $279.99 Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - Retail 
Processor Cooling: NEED ADVICE
Motherboard - $187.00 ECS X58B-A (1.0) Core i7/ Intel X58 / DDR3/ A&GbE/ ATX Motherboard
RAM - $82.99 OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1800 (PC3 14400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
Video Cards - $269.99x2 BFG GeForce GTX 280 Video Card - OC Edition, 1GB GDDR3, PCI Express 2.0 x16, SLI Ready, (Dual Link) Dual DVI, HDTV, HDMI Support, VGA Support
Sound Card: On Board
Fans: $2.99x2 GlacialTech 120mm Case Fan 
Case: - $39.99 Power Up Black Gamer ATX Mid-Tower Case with Front USB, Audio Ports and 450-Watt ATX Power Supply (Swap out for 600W power supply?)
Power Supply - $28.99 New V2 Viotek 600W 20/24 Pin High Quality Power Supply with PCI Express & SATA - New Revision for Advanced Cooling
Monitor: - $149.00 Acer V223WBD 22inch Black Widescreen LCD Monitor #16780
Keyboard - $28.99 Logisys KB608BK Black Multimedia Pro Backlit Illuminated Keyboard
OS - $95.00 Vista 64bit

Final Price: $1437.91 (Before shipping) 

I'm big on price-saving (who isn't?) and advice, so if you've got a comparable killer rig, please let me know. I'm not quite to the "ordering parts" phase, so advice right now could make or break this thing. Thanks a ton in advance!

Jimmy


----------



## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

and welcome to the Forum

I suggest you look at this for some ideas to get started

. . and this for Power Supply Selection http://www.techsupportforum.com/f210/power-supply-information-and-selection-192217.html


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

So I'm looking at those builds and I'm seeing a lot of not-cutting-edge type stuff. This is where my "computer smarts" really phone it in. Based on what I posted for typical gaming habits (i.e. World of Warcraft, Dawn of War 2, etc) would that 1200 dollar system be more than adequate? 

I'd looked at things like the HP Firebird gaming system and they seem to be very different in terms of hardware. Is a single vid card and dual core really going to run the top of the line games these days? Or should I look into replacing parts? 

Jimmy


----------



## grimx133 (Jan 15, 2008)

Well, cost saving can be a good and bad thing. Sometimes you really want quality, and have to pay accordingly. 

Good example is the case/psu combo. Bad idea. Almost all power supplies that come with cases are terrible, and powerup is substandard at the best of times. In any case, 450 watts is not enough to power a GTX280, and a 600 isn't either. You need a minimum of a 750 watt quality psu. Bang for the buck there is the Corsair 750TX, though the 850 would be better. I run the 850TX with my GTX285, which uses less power than the 280. 
750TX - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006&Tpk=750tx 

The case itself is unlikely to be very good, 40 bucks in combo with a psu sure does send me a clear message. Think about something like the Antec 300, fine case that's relatively inexpensive.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

You've chosen a 4GB kit for ram. It may or may not be compatible, a link might help in that regard, but OCZ doesn't list the motherboard in their configurator. Ram for the i7 is usually a 3 module kit for triple channel. Something along the lines of this corsair. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145236 

That's two corsair products in a row, accidental since I don't use their ram, but it is very good too. 

Fans - may not need to purchase any of those, cases come with varying amounts and sizes of fans installed.

The motherboard is also one of those things that may or may not be fine. Personally, I prefer Asus boards. And if I don't use that, then it's Gigabyte.


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

Thanks a ton for the advice! I realized that my initial post would likely be met with a ton of constructive criticism. I just didn't realize (like I said) what was good and bad. 

Thanks again for your input. 

I'm looking at those "build suggestions" that simswr posted previously. The 1200 dollar version sounds pretty nice, and from what I'm reading, most people are still happy with only one vid card, which surprised me. I got the impression that two vid cards was par for the course for gaming computers these days. 

Only problem I came up with, is the Asus Black DVD Burner that is posted is titled "deactivated item" on NewEgg. Any suggestions for a replacement? 

Jimmy


----------



## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

Majingbu said:


> Thanks a ton for the advice! I realized that my initial post would likely be met with a ton of constructive criticism. I just didn't realize (like I said) what was good and bad.
> 
> Thanks again for your input.
> 
> ...


----------



## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

Majingbu said:


> Hiyas,
> 
> I was recommended to this tech forum by a friend of mine and she said I could probably get some good pointers on how to build a new computer. I'm in the market, as it were, for a new gaming computer with a total price tag up to 1500 dollars. I've got a few ideas on where I want to go with it, as well as what I've found so far. But I need everything, and any help anyone could provide would be awesome. I don't speak a heck of a lot of "computer speak" so plain terms are going to benefit me the most. To give you a ballpark of the kind of things I want to push, I play things like World of Warcraft, Crysis, Gears of War, Dawn of War 2, etc. Here's what I've got so far. Recommendations or help would be very much appreciated.
> 
> ...


PS: I type slower than my team mates!


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

Okay, so with the 1200 dollar build I was looking at, with the DVD replacement, current price tag sits (at the time of this post) at 1032.41. 

Not bad at all. You guys are my new best friends for computer advice. 

Now, the other things I want to wrap my grubby little gaming mitts around is a nice gaming monitor and keyboard. With a 450 dollar (appx) budget, got any suggestions?

For the monitor, I'd like to go no less than 22 inches. The keyboard...hmm...backlit would be cool, but I don't need all kinds of extra crap to pay attention to (LCD's are Logitech's zone). They're okay, but it kinda distracts me from the screen, which is the more important thing, right? 

I'm a fan of Samsung, people tell me Acer is pretty sweet. But what do YOU guys think would be a smart way to go?


----------



## grimx133 (Jan 15, 2008)

I picked up a 24" Asus monitor, and it's looking excellent. Also use a 22" Samsung 2253BW, it's very nice too, but I like the higher resolution of the Asus. Sharp picture with the 1920x1200 resolution, they also have monitors in 1920x1080 too. 22 inchers generally have a 1680x1050 resolution, which is fine, but not as nice as the higher res. Of course, my laptop has 1920x1200 in a 17" screen, now the high res/smaller screen combo makes for quite the picture.
A good way to select a monitor is to go to a local "brick and mortar" store and look at the displays. Gives you a basis for comparison. I did that before I ordered the asus, had I of purchased one there, it would of been between and acer and a samsung, both 24 inch. Was leaning towards the samsung T240, but ended up going with the asus from newegg. So far I'm glad I did.
Asus MK241H - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236033

I just use a Logitech internet 350 basic keyboard, solid and works very well. There's so many gaming keyboards there, lot of people speak highly of razer and saitek, but I've never used them.


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

Okay...at the risk of opening another can of worms, I've compiled what I dig from all the posts so far. What do you think?

THIRD BUILD

Case: $58.95 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042
Motherboard: $209.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128386
Processor: $279.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ch-_-Processors+-+Desktops-_-Intel-_-19115202
RAM: $104.00 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145236
Power Supply: $134.49 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139009&Tpk=CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX
Video Card: $269.99 - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...PWATCH&cm_mmc_o=2mHCjCVybgwczfgtCjCVqHCjCdwwp
Hard Drive: $69.99 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320
DVD Burner: $22.99 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151175
Operating System: $99.99 - Vista Home Premium 64 
Monitor: $279.99 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236033
Keyboard - $15.99 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126018
CPU Cooler: Do I need one? Or should I get more tower fans?
Total Price Thus Far: $1546.36

Am I missing anything?
Is the build solid?

Jimmy


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

Oh, and to answer a question from earlier...

No, I don't plan on overclocking >.<


----------



## grimx133 (Jan 15, 2008)

Solid build indeed.

Don't know how much hdd space you need, but the 640GB WD Caviar Black is the same price as the 500GB. 

If you're planning on doing any overclocking, then you'll want an aftermarket heatsink. They run cooler, and another consideration is that they are a lot quieter as well. Speaking of quiet, Noctua makes very quiet fans, and this cooler is very highly rated. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608007 

The Antec 300 comes with the top and rear exhaust fans, but no intakes. There are mounts for two 120x25mm. fans in the front and one 120x25 on the side door. The door one could have clearance issues with the cpu heatsink, big heatsinks have a way of doing that. The rear exhaust is an Antec TriCool with the 3 speed switch. I use a fair amount of those, like to run fans on low for less noise, then crank them up when needed. Here's the non-led version. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835209005


----------



## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

For my opinion, that should be a killer rig. If you aren't overclocking, I would use the stock and save the few bucks. However, don't use the thermal pad on the CPU/Heatsink, use Artic Silver for thermal paste. Some of my mates may have other thoughts about the need for an aftermarket cooler.

Might want to see what some of my team mates say about your build though, the more ideas you have, the better your build will be. Opening a can of worms now will save you some headaches later. Enjoy your rig and post the final specs when you have heard from everyone.


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

I posted my last just a tad late for your replies, for that I apologize. 

I'm not going to do any overclocking, so I don't think (correct me if I'm wrong) that I'll need a huge heatsink, but I will probably take a page from grim's suggestion and fill those extra three fan ports with 3-speed fans. Cooling has always been something I've hated (since I've done store bought comps for the most part and they never have enough). 

Since that other HDD is the same price I'll likely go with that one. Can't have too much space when you're a gamer. 

Arctic Silver thermal paste I've used before I think. The thermal pad you're referring to is the one that comes already on the heatsink itself, right? Do I just scrape that off and apply generous A.S? I've never been really savvy on thermal paste application. Some people tell me JUST put it on the processing core, others tell me to smear it all over the processor, just don't let it ooze all over the MoBo. Pointers on how to apply heat paste would be awesome. With a rig like this, I want it to be done right. 

Thanks a ton, you guys, on getting me started. I've been a gamer for years, and you guys are the first people, by far, who spoke a language I could understand, and got me pointed in the right direction to build a computer that would work for me. I'll post the final specs once I place all my orders!

My hats off to you. I'll be a returning user to this forum!

Jimmy


----------



## grimx133 (Jan 15, 2008)

Here's Arctic Silver's instructions. 
http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm 

There's also the "dab the size of a grain of cooked rice" in the center of the cpu method. Both that and the arctic silver have the paste spread itself once it heats up. They both do work, personally I spread the paste. I put a small glob on the top of the cpu, then turn a plastic sandwich bag inside out over my hand and use a finger inside that to spread the paste in a layer as even as possible and as thin as I can get it, while still providing full coverage. Too much paste can become an insulator itself, that's not good. 
The stock heatsink is fine, if and when you decide to give overclocking a go, it's no biggie to pick up a decent cooler.

Don't scrape the thermal pad off, what paste and pad do is fill scratches and imperfections in the surfaces to eliminate air gaps. Air is an insulator, and that's the main cause of cpu overheating. That and poor airflow. 
Clean the old pad off with 90%+ isopropyl alcohol. Works quite well and is available in many places, such as drug and department stores. The lower percentage alcohols have too many impurities and shouldn't be used. 
AS5 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007 
Arctic silver also has a two stage kit for cleaning old paste/pad. I use it, as well as many others do. Everyone weighed in on what we use, and ArctiClean was the winner there.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100010


----------



## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

I bought three of these last weeki . . great monitors at a great price

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&sku=320-7438


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

Okay so this thread has been quiet for a bit, but I should be able to purchase my parts here fairly soon. So I wanted to re-hash my build and get a few more opinions to make sure nothing has changed. A part or two have been discontinued, so I'm going to need some help finding replacements, so any pointers/advice you can offer would be awesome. Thanks in advance!

Tower - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

MoBo (DISCONTINUED, need a replacement) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128386

Processor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ch-_-Processors+-+Desktops-_-Intel-_-19115202

RAM - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145236

Power Supply - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139009&Tpk=CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX

Vid Card - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...ffiliateID=X3Th4gZi_iQ-s66AMLg9jjW72PUGZCYAog

DVD R - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151175

Monitor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236033

Keyboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126018

Hard Drive - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319&Tpk=Western Digital Caviar Black 640

Case Fans (x3) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835209005

Thermal Paste Remover/Purifier - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100010

Thermal Paste - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007

Total Cost (minus MoBo): $1030.79

For some reason this build (minus MoBo and OS of course) still comes out cheaper than it used to be, though most of the prices seem higher. I dunno. I might have forgotten something and just not realized it. 

Again, the thing I need to replace is the motherboard, based on the other tech that I'm planning on installing. Suggestions, recommendations, or just a link to the best option for price, please don't hesitate to let me know. 

The only thing I don't need to replace is my mouse. Other than that, if there's something I missed, please let me know!

Thanks again you guys!

Jimmy


----------



## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

I can't get your links to work . .


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

Hmm, I don't understand why they won't work...

The links all still work for me but that could be the "I posted it" complex shining through.

Did I post them wrong or something? I mean all I did was go to the link on Firefox, copy from the address line and paste it into the text box here. 

Did I break it?

Jimmy


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

Here let's see if these work...

Tower

Motherboard (DISCONTINUED)

Processor

RAM

Power Supply

Video Card

DVD R

Monitor

Keyboard

Hard Drive

Case Fans

Thermal Cleaner

Thermal Paste

How'd those work? Hope I did them right...


----------



## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

When I click them, it get this for the address:

http://jbrlsr.com/?aid=5336121828&b...tem=N82E16817139009&Tpk=CORSAIR%20CMPSU-850TX


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

Well...since the links are refusing to work...I could post Item #'s from NewEgg...

Or is there an easier way to go about this that I don't know? I really don't understand why the links aren't working this time...

Jimmy


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Mobo> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128375

The only difference is that the boards are now SLI and Xfire Capable so no more different SKU's for each setup.


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

Hey Wrench 

So I went and did some reading about that motherboard you recommended. I'm a little pessimistic by nature, but some of those people REALLY hated that board. 

Do the benefits and ease of use with that board outweigh the negatives? Or is that "best for the buck right now" for i7 boards? Most of the products that have been recommended to me haven't had quite the depth of complaints, so I'm wondering if this is the new technology (i7) or just personal gripes. 

I'm not opposed to spending a little extra cash on a MoBo that is going to be more stable, offer less "potential problems" and allow this new build to be fairly smooth. 

Also, with the other tech that I was thinking of buying, it sounds like this might not use all of it. I was planning (reluctantly) on buying a fresh Vista OS, but some of the reviews said that Vista only recognizes the first 4 Gigs of RAM? Or is that only true for Vista 64? If that's true, I'm also kind of at a loss for which OS to use. 

Unfortunately, my tech level is really low. I'm more of a software guy, but even that falls short at Operating Systems. Layman's terms are my forte, not all the technical mumbo jumbo that a lot of the reviews and website explanations offer. 

Makes my brain hurt...

Any further input or advice you can offer would be awesome. Thanks!

Jimmy


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

When you read the write ups remember the most likely to take the time to write them are people who had trouble, The tech is new and people will complain when it doesn't work the same way as their last 2 boards. 
Any 32 bit operating system will only mathematically have address space for 4gig total including address space needed for add in cards like video, audio and drives. In order to use more ram you need a 64bit OS Vista or Win 7 is the one to use XP64 never had wide spread driver support.

The UD3R would not be my choice it's the direct replacement for the one you had listed earlier.
For X58 I use either this one> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128374 or the Asus P6T Deluxe > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131365
All though I've had a couple of issue with the Asus board it's still a good board in my opinion.

When you read the review of the UD4P the first "reviewer" obviously doesn't realize that a PCIe x1 card will work in any of the PCIe slots as they are downward compatible(a x1 card can be used in any PCIe slot x4, x8, or x16 so their really isn't an issue if you know the cards your using ahead of time research and plan accordingly as your doing. 

Did I cover everything?


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

Okay, so I think I'm going to give the X58 you recommended a try. One of the reviews I read said that your video card should be no longer than the PCI port itself, so that might be a concern unless I read it wrong. Would you guys mind taking a look at my (hopefully) final build and letting me know what you think? If you guys think it's going to be peachy, I'm going to start ordering parts here very soon, as I'd like to get this build finished up. Here's what I've got from the most current advice you have provided. 

MoBo - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128374

Tower - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

Processor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ch-_-Processors+-+Desktops-_-Intel-_-19115202

RAM - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145236

Power Supply - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139009&Tpk=CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX

Vid Card - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...ffiliateID=X3Th4gZi_iQ-s66AMLg9jjW72PUGZCYAog

DVD R - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151175

Hard Drive - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319&Tpk=Western Digital Caviar Black 640

Case Fans - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835209005

I think that's everything I need to actually build the computer from the ground up. I guess the only question I have for you guys is this: Is everything compatible and will there be any "space issues" between the different parts? 

Finally, being a gamer, I'd like your take on how solid a build this is for hardcore gaming. I don't intend to overclock, but I wanted to build a solid gaming rig that would stand the test of time (at least until the next greatest thing comes out.)

Again, thanks for all your time, advice, and patience with a hardware-dumb gamer...wait, is there such a thing?



Jimmy


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Your good except for the IDE DVD burner you want a Sata interface> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

Watch Tiger make sure you get the card you ordered they tend to swap parts when out of stock.


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130492

Is that a comparable/worse/better card than the one I'm looking at from Tiger? 

I'd rather deal with newegg anyway. They seem to have the best rep...

Jimmy


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

This is the overclocked edition from EVGA> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130493

Also have a look at the GTX275 there is a lifetime warranty compared to 2 years on the GTX280. What did the BFG card have?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130475


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

Wrench,

Hey, I dig both of those cards. 

The BFG also had a lifetime warranty, but I'm not sure I want to wrestle with a company that's going to swap parts on me if they're out of stock. Going with one of the EVGA cards will make my entire order come from newegg, and that makes me happy.

Noticing a lot of people saying that the cards all have a massive heat output, but like most of them say, that's to be expected when you're cranking up the video settings...

With the set up I'm going for, the heat issue shouldn't be too huge, since I'm packing the case with fans. 

The other thing I wanted to ask, and it doesn't seem like it, but is there a huge technology gap between a 275 and a 280? Like I said, it doesn't seem like it, but do you think with high-end games and settings I'll notice a huge difference? I'm not opposed to buying the 275, I just want to make sure that whatever I load into my system is going to perform. Seems like it will, just wanted to know the difference, really...

Thanks!

Jimmy


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The 275 is actually newer and is about equal to the 280, the 280 was replaced by the 285 which is more powerful, that's why Tiger is saying while supplies last.........They are also operating under the Comp USA and Circuit City names on the Web.


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

Okay, so if I did all my reading, research, and reposting correctly, the following should be my final build setup. Wrench if all looks good to you and there's no further conflicts, I'm going to order as soon as the money is in my account. On final look, and hopefully (crosses fingers) I won't be bugging you for more advice. Thanks a ton for your patience and effort so far!

Vid Card - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130475

MoBo - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128374

Tower - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

Processor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ch-_-Processors+-+Desktops-_-Intel-_-19115202

RAM - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145236

Power Supply - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139009&Tpk=CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX

DvD Burner - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

Hard Drive - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319&Tpk=Western Digital Caviar Black 640

Case Fans - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835209005

Monitor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236033

Keyboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126018

OS - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488

Cleaner - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100010

Thermal Paste - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007

Final Cost: 1641.76 before shipping

That, my friend, is absolutely everything I intend to order. I have the mouse already, so I didn't miss that. One final "heave to" from you and this build will be on it's way!

Thanks again! 

Jimmy


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Looks very good press the order button


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

*Cheers*

The computer parts arrived yesterday! HUZZAH! 

Okay, so this was my first attempt to build a computer completely on my own. Now an issue has arisen that I'm hoping is "operater error" and not "broken parts."

I followed the instructions to get everything installed, wires running where they needed to be, etc. Got the computer plugged in, cables to the monitor, keyboard and mouse plugged in, hit the power button and BAM! The computer whirred to life and purred like a kitten. 

...and the monitor said "No signal."

I swapped out VGA, DVI, and HDMI cables, plugged them into both ports on the back of the video card, and nothing. Not a blip on the screen. I made sure to swap both the cables and the input on the monitor, but still to no avail. I hear whispers here and there about disabling the on-board video, but there's no input in the back other than the vid card for video, and I can't change anything if the screen won't let me see what I'm doing. 

I'm at a loss. :sigh:

I'm going to try and have a friend of mine come over today and take a look at it to make sure I wasn't just a newbie and installed something wrong, but I'm fairly certain I did everything correctly. Any advice on what might be wrong would be awesome. 

I also did some reading on the thermal paste instructions and how to do it with an i7. I ended up doing the "dab of cooked rice" method mentioned earlier in this thread. Since I'm not overclocking and have the stock heatsink on the core, should this be sufficient or should I strip the paste and put more on there? 

Newbie is afraid questions that I hope have simple and straightforward answers, but life wouldn't be fun if it were simple, would it? :tongue:


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

Oh, one more thing...can I use the arctic cleaner directly on the core if I have to redo thermal paste? Or is there a different method to cleaning the processor?


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Do you have 2 6pin power connectors plugged into the video card, 1 24 pin main and the 8 pin CPU power to the motherboard?

Try clearing the CMOS if you have all the power connectors hooked up.


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

All right, well, it's all hooked up and I managed to figure out what the problem was with the system. 

The RAM wasn't installed correctly. 

Instead of going 1,2,3,4,5,6 across the board, the MoBo has been built with a 2,1,4,3,6,5 configuration for RAM sticks. I read something about it when I was shopping but didn't get the configuration correct when I installed. Once I placed them all in the right position, things were peachy. Now, I have a new issue. 

I installed something called EasyTune6 to monitor things like core temperature, etc. The instruction manual for the i7 core says "To ensure that this Intel processor will operate within thermal specifications, an internal ambient temperature at or below 38C is required."

Looking at EasyTune6, it's saying that system temperature is currently at 36-37C, but the core is up to 46-47C, spiking to 50 on occasion. Is that normal? Or did I screw up thermal paste/something else? 

Sorry for all the questions and concerns. I'm kinda nervous about this, being my first build and price tags and all. Please forgive the incessant questions >.<

Jimmy


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Ambient is the room temp the PC is operated in 38c is about 100F.
The CPU and chipset(system) temps look good well within normal range.


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

Okay cool, sounds like I managed to build everything without creating a home made nuclear weapon. *laughs*

Just for my own education, what's a good "window" for temperatures for both the core and the system? I don't ask out of concern, but more so to know down the road if my temperatures go up (due to gaming or whatever) what is "healthy" for the system, and when I cross into the "caution" threshold.

Thanks again Wrench, you've been awesome and extremely patient.

Jimmy


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

For the i7 max at 65c but you should see mid to high 50's under load. The chipset should max out in the mid 50's. Ambient will control a lot of the highs if your somewhere hot with room temps in the 90's the system will run warmer then room temps in the 70's.

I once had a system driver me nuts, build and delivered in June ran cool all summer then client brought it back in late Oct. complaining it was running hot, I ran it all was good, fourth time I made a house call to fine the system on the floor in front of the heat vent, gee I wonder............


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

Majingbu said:


> Okay, so if I did all my reading, research, and reposting correctly, the following should be my final build setup. Wrench if all looks good to you and there's no further conflicts, I'm going to order as soon as the money is in my account. On final look, and hopefully (crosses fingers) I won't be bugging you for more advice. Thanks a ton for your patience and effort so far!
> 
> Vid Card - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130475
> 
> ...


----------------------------

Hey all you techie smart peeps!

This was the final post of a computer that I built a little over a year ago. So far, thanks to your help, it's been a beauty of a machine, has done everything I could possibly ask for and kept me very happy. 

Unfortunately, like all other things in life, I feel there's a need for some change. I'm currently running the above GTX275 in my system and I was considering upgrading to a 400-series. I can't afford the 480's, moreover I would prefer to find a suitable 460/470 type card with a gig or more of RAM on it. 

I was looking at this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125333, but I'm one of those "non-computer savvy" people who don't know what all the little details mean. I figured this was a good start, but if you guys have a better idea or a more suitable card, I'd appreciate knowing what you've got in mind. 

My money cap probably sits around $300-$350 at most, so if you have a good idea that meets that requirement, I'm all ears. Also, the reason I posted the entire build with this new post is that I'd ask the "experts" to take a look at what is already in my case and let me know if a video card like this will require any further upgrades to the system to run properly. 

Many thanks in advance and I hope to hear from you soon!

Jimmy


----------



## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

Im afraid you wont see a jump in performance with a 460, maybe less power consumption and directx 11. That is more of a side grade really

You might see and increase with a ATI5850 or 5870, but overclocking the 460 will put it up close to the 5850


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

Okay...so there's really no point in upgrading at all? I mean it sounds like there's a significant difference between DX10 and DX11...

...am I wrong?

James


----------



## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

Not really, just for graphics, I dont know of any games out right now that utilize DX11.


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

The only one I've seen so far is Aliens vs. Predator. And even that is only a few options. Hmm...guess I'll wait for a while before I think about upgrades.


----------



## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

Probably a wise move on your part. I think your current setup will last well over another year.


----------



## Majingbu (May 28, 2009)

Hey all!

So post #41 on this thread has the final specs of a computer that I built back in 2009. The system has served me extremely well until now, but I'm kinda feeling that itch to upgrade a bit. So far I don't have any performance problems with the system as it's built, but I know it's been almost two years since I built it, and in "computer terms" that's ancient. Suggestions/recommendations for some upgrades to sustain my system for the next year or so would be great. 

I was thinking of upgrading the graphics card primarily, possibly the processor, and perhaps the operating system to Windows 7. But I don't want to get those without making sure there's nothing else I need to upgrade, like a new (or more powerful) power supply. 

Suggestions are greatly appreciated. 

--Bu


----------



## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

If anything at this point I would(if you have not already) overclock the CPU, there's not a lot to upgrade when looking at a price/performance ratio. The video card is only slightly dated an upgrade to the 500 series will only give you a slight performance increase and DX11.


----------



## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

There really isn't anything you can upgrade which will give a huge performance boost. IMO the only upgrade which will give you any noticeable boost in performance would be video; an nVidia 500 series or an ATI 68/69 series. You could go to a 950 or 960 proc (provided the board supports them; you would need to confirm this) but I'm not sure either would be a really noticeable improvement. Memory, you're good. Power supply, you're golden.


----------

