# Building Computer



## TheSeeker07 (Feb 19, 2011)

Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the new build? ~400
Brands: Are there any brands of components you want or don't want? Nope.
Multitasking: Will you be multitasking with this computer and if so, how much? Not too much.
Gaming: Will you be gaming and if so, how much and how new are the games? Yes, Battlefield 3.
Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or media encoding?
Nope.
Overclocking: Do you plan on overclocking and if so, how much?
Maybe a little.
Storage: How much storage will you need and what will you be storing?
I already have a hard drive, it's a WD 500gb blue.
Legacy Support: Will you need support for older hardware like parallel, serial, or PS/2 devices?
No.
Operating System: Do you want Windows XP or Vista, or Linux compatibility?
I want windows 7 home premium 64-bit
Case: Do you want help selecting a case and if so, how big do you want it?
I was thinking of getting this Newegg.com - Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, option Fans-2x Side 120mm Fan unless you can find the same for cheaper.
Accessories: Do you want a keyboard, mouse, or other items included?
Nope, those are covered.
Recycled Components: Will you be reusing any components you already have?
Yeah, my power supply, cd-rom drive, fan.
Monitor: If you want a monitor, what size do you want and should it be widescreen?
Already have that covered.
Stores: Do you have any online stores that you prefer to purchase from?
Just reliable ones.
Location: What country do you live in? US
Pretty much I already have some parts that I have put together, I just want to make sure they will work together correctly and if there is cheaper for my uses then please tell 


Case - Newegg.com - Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, option Fans-2x Side 120mm Fan


Mobo - Newegg.com - ASUS M5A97 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS


RAM - Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL


Processor - Newegg.com - AMD FX-4100 Zambezi 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor FD4100WMGUSBX


I already have a GPU and power supply.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Cases are a personal choice but Rosewill is generally not the best quality.
If the CPU is on the Mobo's CPU Compatibility List you're good for compatibility.


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## TheSeeker07 (Feb 19, 2011)

What would be a better choice case for around the same $?

Could you throw out a good video card that would run BF3 into the mid-high range @ good fps?


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## MonsterMiata (Jan 5, 2010)

Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100312-1GDP Radeon HD 6950 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity

Should allow [email protected] with your chosen processor.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

OP says they have a GPU and PSU.


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## MonsterMiata (Jan 5, 2010)

Tyree said:


> OP says they have a GPU and PSU.





TheSeeker07 said:


> What would be a better choice case for around the same $?
> 
> *Could you throw out a good video card that would run BF3 into the mid-high range @ good fps?*


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Nothing wrong with that case though I like these better. I note Cooler Master and Thermaltake right now really lacking at Newegg.
Buy.com - Cooler Master Elite 341 Chassis
Buy.com - Thermaltake System Cabinet - Mid-tower - Black

Cpu is compatible with that board.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Oops. It appear there were second thoughts.
The 6950 will need a good quality 650W minimum PSU.


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## TheSeeker07 (Feb 19, 2011)

That's a pretty pricey gpu, I am guessing it will hold it battlefield 3 on ultra settings?

That first case only fits micro atx but the other appears to be compatible. Buy.com is a reliable site? This is the first of me hearing about it is all.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

TheSeeker07 said:


> That's a pretty pricey gpu, I am guessing it will hold it battlefield 3 on ultra settings?
> 
> That first case only fits micro atx but the other appears to be compatible. Buy.com is a reliable site? This is the first of me hearing about it is all.


Yes a well known site and I have been buying from them for years.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Rich-M said:


> Yes a well known site and I have been buying from them for years.


Sorry I missed that as a micro tower...here's another one I have used a lot of from these guys:
Buy.com - Cooler Master Elite RC-310-BWN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case


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## TheSeeker07 (Feb 19, 2011)

Oh, okay. Is there a place on the forums where I can see some reliable web sites to price check? I tried to see if any of the sub topics would make sense to have a sticky thread in them about it but none would make sense to have that within them. It would be appreciated, thanks.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

You can never go wrong with Newegg for PC components. Good prices and service/support second to none.


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## MonsterMiata (Jan 5, 2010)

TheSeeker07 said:


> That's a pretty pricey gpu, I am guessing it will hold it battlefield 3 on ultra settings?
> 
> That first case only fits micro atx but the other appears to be compatible. Buy.com is a reliable site? This is the first of me hearing about it is all.


If you want bf3 on ultra at 1080p you will need to dig deeper. A GTX 570 should fill the bill. I said the 6950 will allow [email protected] with high settings. It might do ultra but i couldn't tell you how well Since ultra is still a little buggy.


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## TheSeeker07 (Feb 19, 2011)

What's the main visual differences between the high/ultra settings and do you think it would be best to wait it out till they lower in price but go w/ the 6950 now?


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## MonsterMiata (Jan 5, 2010)

TheSeeker07 said:


> What's the main visual differences between the high/ultra settings and do you think it would be best to wait it out till they lower in price but go w/ the 6950 now?


Low vs Max - Battlefield 3 Low vs Ultra (High Max) Settings PC Full HD 1080p - YouTube

Minimal it seems.


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## TheSeeker07 (Feb 19, 2011)

Thanks, that helped my decision for sure. I ordered the parts Monday and received some today and the rest will come Friday. I was thinking of buying some fans for my computer. The max size is 120mm x 25mm for three so I was thinking of going with this: Newegg.com - Rosewill RFA-120-BL 120mm 4 Blue LEDs LED Case Fan

I think they would look good since you can see in my case and the accents of my case are blue. It also provides some decent air flow. 

What are some good companies that make PSUs? I will need to update mine before I invest in a new GPU.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f210/power-supply-information-and-selection-192217.html


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## MonsterMiata (Jan 5, 2010)

TheSeeker07 said:


> Thanks, that helped my decision for sure. I ordered the parts Monday and received some today and the rest will come Friday. I was thinking of buying some fans for my computer. The max size is 120mm x 25mm for three so I was thinking of going with this: Newegg.com - Rosewill RFA-120-BL 120mm 4 Blue LEDs LED Case Fan
> 
> I think they would look good since you can see in my case and the accents of my case are blue. It also provides some decent air flow.
> 
> What are some good companies that make PSUs? I will need to update mine before I invest in a new GPU.


To correct some information said earlier after playing around in bf3 some more. I found that with All AA disabled i was able to manage 50-60fps with high settings one most maps, medium on the rest @1080p with a gtx 460 768mb. A 560ti or 6950 should play @1080p with either high or ultra if AA is turned off. If you prefer the setting you still might want the 570.


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## TheSeeker07 (Feb 19, 2011)

Thanks, learned a lot of stuff I never knew. My power supply barely is able to run my new parts I ordered, I guess I know what my next upgrade will be!

What exactly does AA do? Doesn't it make objects more refined? Will the 6950 be able to run AA on high?


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## MonsterMiata (Jan 5, 2010)

TheSeeker07 said:


> Thanks, learned a lot of stuff I never knew. My power supply barely is able to run my new parts I ordered, I guess I know what my next upgrade will be!
> 
> What exactly does AA do? Doesn't it make objects more refined? Will the 6950 be able to run AA on high?


I couldn't tell you. AA is a big memory hog and if you want that setting turned up 1gb of memory might not be enough. Even with a 2gb version i still couldn't answer with certainty if the gpu could handle the extra workload.


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## TheSeeker07 (Feb 19, 2011)

Wow. That's pretty rough, I enjoy AA because it makes everything refined.


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## TheSeeker07 (Feb 19, 2011)

Would this psu be good if I want to run the 6950? Cooler Master Silent Pro M-700


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

That is ok but we would rather see you with this one.
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply


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## TheSeeker07 (Feb 19, 2011)

I plugged everything in and I am having trouble powering my system. I can supply pictures if necessary.


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## MonsterMiata (Jan 5, 2010)

TheSeeker07 said:


> I plugged everything in and I am having trouble powering my system. I can supply pictures if necessary.


Describe trouble? What psu is being used?


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## TheSeeker07 (Feb 19, 2011)

I am using the psu that was advised in a post above. It is like the power isn't going to the motherboard. The psu works too.. I am pretty sure the connectors are all in correctly.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

It's really tough to answer that when we only know a few of the components here, especially what's new and what is old. How about a full complete list.


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## TheSeeker07 (Feb 19, 2011)

Sorry guys... I decided to take the whole thing apart and put it all together. I turned it on and it worked ) sorry for the pointless post. I didn't think putting it back together would work but I was wrong. Thanks


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Glad you got it worked out. No need to apologize for posting and hopefully you gained some good experience from the situation.


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## TheSeeker07 (Feb 19, 2011)

*Re: [SOLVED] Building Computer*

I was wondering if I could add ram that isn't the same as my current ram in my computer. I have two open slots which I want to put either one of these in them: Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL or Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL

I don't really know the main differences in them, they seem the same in the details description. Maybe you can help? My current ram is this: Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL


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## MonsterMiata (Jan 5, 2010)

*Re: [SOLVED] Building Computer*

Just install more of what you already have. Same price as the other cheaper model.


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## TheSeeker07 (Feb 19, 2011)

Why wouldn't I want to opt for the bigger ram? Would I not be using that much ram?


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: [SOLVED] Building Computer*

No games and few apps can utilize more than 3GB so your 4GB should be plenty. If you just want more RAM then get the 2x4 pair and REMOVE the 2x2.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

*Re: [SOLVED] Building Computer*

That is the same ram, it's just 8 gb vs 4 gb. I would max it at 8 gb and realize you really can't utilize 8 gb but the overall pc will move faster.


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## TheSeeker07 (Feb 19, 2011)

Why is it that my games randomly crash to desktop then? Someone told me it had to do with not having enough ram.


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## MonsterMiata (Jan 5, 2010)

*Re: [SOLVED] Building Computer*



TheSeeker07 said:


> Why is it that my games randomly crash to desktop then? Someone told me it had to do with not having enough ram.


If things are crashing to the desktop its an instability issue. It will have nothing to do with how much of anything you have. Did you install all the correct drivers for the mobo and any other device?


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## TheSeeker07 (Feb 19, 2011)

Yes. I installed the disk came with the mobo. I ran the graphics driver online. Is there online drivers for ram? It only crashes to desktop when I play bf2 sometimes. Usually when I am commander but other than being commander it crashes every now and then. It went to a blue screen one time but I was unable to read it since it restarted so fast.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: [SOLVED] Building Computer*

There are no drivers for RAM.

This will allow you to see the Error Codes when you get a BSOD.
When you see the Error Codes, post them.

Prevent Automatic Restart after BSOD.In Windows XP.

Click on Start and then on Control Panel.
Control Panel double click to open System.
System Properties window click on the Advanced tab.
In the section labeled ‘Startup and Recovery’, click on the Settings button.
In the section labeled ‘System failure’, remove the checkmark from ‘Automatically restart’.
Click OK, OK to exit.

Vista & 7

Click on Start and then on Control Panel.
In the Control Panel double click to open System.
In the left panel under ‘Tasks’ click on Advanced system settings.
In the section labeled ‘Startup and Recovery’, click on the Settings button.
In the section labeled ‘System failure, remove the checkmark from ‘Automatically restart’.
Click Ok, OK to exit.


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## TheSeeker07 (Feb 19, 2011)

*Re: [SOLVED] Building Computer*



Tyree said:


> There are no drivers for RAM.
> 
> This will allow you to see the Error Codes when you get a BSOD.
> When you see the Error Codes, post them.
> ...


I did all that, is there a way I can pull up the previous information about the blue screen?


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## TheSeeker07 (Feb 19, 2011)

I have a question regarding two possible graphics cards. I was looking at both of these but I am not sure what I should do, please help explain the pros/cons of either one. 

Newegg.com - EVGA 012-P3-1570-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Newegg.com - EVGA 01G-P3-1561-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Thanks for the help!


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