# Budget mid-high gaming desktop build?



## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

Good morning,

I currently have a Dell Dimension 4700 Desktop PC. I purchased it from a PC Health Stop five years ago, it wasn't so great back then but over the years I have fitted it with a corsair 650W PSU, Geforce 512MB 9800GT, and 3 GB of Kingston RAM. I have never had the desire nor the cash to actually go out and buy one of those $1,000+ systems, and have rarely seen the need to. I play mid-to-high end system req games, such as: AoE3, Fallout 3, and R6V2 currently. 

Unfortunately, the Dell I bought came with a built-in single core processor. The speed is 2.8ghz, but it is too slow to support Fallout 3 mods that add NPCs to the game world, is too slow for Battlefield Bad Company 2 (where all my R6V1+2 clanmates went), and will more then likely not be set up for the new Medal of Honor or Call of Duty Black Ops games. I also want to make sure that I don't have the stuttering problems caused in Fallout 3 due to single core processor in Fallout New Vegas when it comes out. So the main thing I want to upgrade is the processor and the motherboard (and the case is way too small as well) so I can play those upcoming games with decent performance on high (max is welcome but unnecessary) settings. I decided the best decision would be to get a whole new computer altogether.

I have parts I can salvage. The 9800GT is still a good video card, and the 650W corsair PSU is gold for any gaming system. So I looked at this desktop on newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227241 

The video card and the PSU both suck, but I can replace those. The processor is dual core, and the computer is well-rated, but there are little specifics in the reviews regarding game performance.

I've come here asking for a second opinion. I am not a frequent buyer of computer parts or hardware. Will this be sufficient to meet my gaming parameters as I've laid them out? Any help would be appreciated and thanks for your support and services here.

I will also answer the mandatory questions you asked on the top of the board:

1. Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the new build? *$450-550*

2. Brands: Are there any brands of components you want or don't want? *Unknown*

3. Multitasking: Will you be multitasking with this computer and if so, how much? *Unknown*

4. Gaming: Will you be gaming and if so, how much and how new are the games? *I will be gaming with the computer build, and the specification-intensive games will be: Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, COD Black Ops, Medal of Honor (2010)*

5. Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or media encoding? *No.*

6. Overclocking: Do you plan on overclocking and if so, how much? *Never knew how to do this, so no.*

7. Storage: How much storage will you need and what will you be storing? *Will probably never use more than 100-150GB.*

8. Legacy Support: Will you need support for older hardware like parallel, serial, or PS/2 devices? *No, but the current plan is to make use of my 9800GT and 650W corsair PSU.*

9. Operating System: Do you want Windows XP or Vista, or Linux compatibility? *Windows XP.
*
10. Case: Do you want help selecting a case and if so, how big do you want it? *The case in the newegg link or any other recommendations has to be big enough to fit the 9800GT. It is a massive card and just barely fits inside my dell to the point that I sometimes have concerns about whether I should've put that in there or not.*

11. Accessories: Do you want a keyboard, mouse, or other items included? *No, I have all of these.*

12. Recycled Components: Will you be reusing any components you already have? *9800GT and 650W corsair PSU*

13. Monitor: If you want a monitor, what size do you want and should it be widescreen? *Already have one.*

14. Stores: Do you have any online stores that you prefer to purchase from? *Newegg, but I'm not familiar with a lot of the other ones, so no bias at all.*

15. Location: What country do you live in? *USA.*


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

personally I would simply replace the mobo and the cpu

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/skusearch_v3.asp?scriteria=BA25927&pagetitle=GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3L LGA775 Intel P45 ATX motherboard

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/skusearch_v3.asp?scriteria=BA24502&pagetitle=INTEL Core 2 Duo e8500 (BX80570E8500) 3.16ghz em64t dua

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/skusearch_v3.asp?scriteria=BA21145&pagetitle=COOLER MASTER cac-t05-uw centurion 5 (silver/black) mid



your ram will be reusable


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/skusearch_v3.asp?scriteria=AA76471&pagetitle=INTEL Core 2 Duo E7500 (BX80571E7500) 2.93ghz em64t dua


this would save you $60.00 and would probably better suit your needs

if you have lasted this long with the single core P4 at 2.8ghz then this E7500 dual core will give you whip lash


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

Thanks for the response,

So let's say I get the motherboard, the cheaper processor, and case. That would be about half the cost I was planning on paying  The problem though is that I've never put together a computer from mere parts before. Is that a relatively simple process? Are the tools/screws/etc included with manuals on how to do it? Just want to be sure of this because this is new territory for me, I've been used to going out and buying a full computer and then just replacing small things like the video card and RAM.

Also does that case come with fans or anything? Should I get a heatsink? Reason I ask is because my computer runs really hot. The single core processor I'm using right now is one of those prescotts.

P.S. what do you think of this motherboard, it was a customer's choice award on Newegg and is a bit cheaper: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...e=Gigabyte_motherboard-_-13-128-394-_-Product


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

or take just the mobo / ram / cpu / case from the $800.00 AMD build here

http://www.techsupportforum.com/f25...evised-2010-and-updated-regularly-448272.html


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

grub20 said:


> Thanks for the response,
> 
> So let's say I get the motherboard, the cheaper processor, and case. That would be about half the cost I was planning on paying  The problem though is that I've never put together a computer from mere parts before. Is that a relatively simple process? Are the tools/screws/etc included with manuals on how to do it? Just want to be sure of this because this is new territory for me, I've been used to going out and buying a full computer and then just replacing small things like the video card and RAM.
> 
> ...



the motherboard you picked out is OK but if you are going to go in the direction of AMD platofrm then I would go up the ladder a bit more and get away from the onboard video type boards those are a tad "too" economy for a gamer IMHO

and the assembly aspect of your question is "youre ready" with alittle review
I am confident you are up to the task given what you have already accomplished

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=computer+assembly&aq=o


watch 4 or 5 of these a couple of nights in a row while you wait for parts


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

linderman said:


> the motherboard you picked out is OK but if you are going to go in the direction of AMD platofrm then I would go up the ladder a bit more and get away from the onboard video type boards those are a tad "too" economy for a gamer IMHO


Oh, I actually didn't even see the onboard video on that one.



> and the assembly aspect of your question is "youre ready" with alittle review
> I am confident you are up to the task given what you have already accomplished


Hahaha. I like how you put that. Thanks for the link, I'll check that out. If there's a will there's a way!

I think I'm gonna go along with the parts from the $800.00 system. Once I get my check and buy this stuff and put it together I'll keep you updated on how things go. Thanks so much for the quick and informative responses, I appreciate it.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

enjoy the quest; the end result will be very rewarding and you will have 3 year warranty on all parts / not a one year system warranty you get from OEM box builders


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

Oh, one other thing:

Which case is better? 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ler_master_centurion_5-_-11-119-068-_-Product

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811208009

I read some reviews on the solaris that said their 8800GTS card 'barely fit.' That's about the same size as my 9800GT. But looking at the picture, thats actually pretty hard to believe.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

I have sold alot of the centurion's (my fav case for the money actually) and I know it will take any video card out there

cant comment on the Xion; havent used it yet


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

Ok, I was thinking mixing the cpu, ram, and motherboard from the $800 AMD setup with the other case would be a better setup. Just wanted to make sure that would be a good decision or not.


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## hofflerb (Dec 18, 2004)

Depending on where you live or the time of year, cooling can make a big difference. I prefer the larger fans, 120mm and up, because they are generally quieter.

If you're not particular on brand, take a look at this one. At $44 with free shipping, It has three 120mm fans, but if that's overkill you can always unplug one or two of them.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147144


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

if my other team mates have listed the xion case in the build listing then its a "tried and proven" offering / I was speaking only of a first hand experience personally

any case we have listed in the building listing has been proven ready for all video card on the market! :wink:


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## BlackHatJack (Sep 18, 2010)

I just scanned through the thread. My two cents:I think it's dumb that people pay money for new cases. You can drive up and down my street on garbage day and find 3 cases sitting on the side of the road within a mile. So many people get hung up on form, the sacrifice function in order to get it. I think the word "budget" in "budget build" automatically means "ugly case". You can put your case money into more/better RAM.


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

I disagree completely. Google the Dell Dimension 4700 - that thing is a true POS for space.

I'll just list the problems with it:

1.) The Corsair 650W PSU does not fit in it. I literally have the PSU with one screw bolted in, lying on top of the heat sink. I was nervous when I first did this, but 2+ years later and countless hours of gaming, no problems.

2.) As mentioned before, the 9800GT barely fit in my computer. It came so close that I almost didn't think my motherboard/case would fit it, until I just basically 'wedged' it in there. To this day, I'm nervous as to what would happen if I took it out.

3.) The air flow through the case is awful. The fan was never any good and the heatsink that it came with was never of any use. I had to go for aftermarket cooling fans and even those dont keep the temp from going 40-65C. All you have for the air to escape is a screen on the side of the computer case that isn't very well designed like these newer cases are for that purpose.

4.) Another problem related to the Corsair PSU - the wires for this PSU are very big and thick, so much to the point that the safest thing to do when installing new RAM or other components is to take the PSU out first. The case is just too small.

Lastly, I don't even know if that motherboard which has been recommended would fit in a Dell case. I'm gonna say probably not.

$50 for an upgrade that affects all of those things is a great deal.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

dell cases are not very friendly for re-use with standard size retail motherboards; Dell buys proprietary motherboards which are non-standard in size

best move is to buy a new case which is designed for all standard size parts and better air flow capability than the dell cases also


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## BlackHatJack (Sep 18, 2010)

The Dell Dimension case is not the only used/cheap/free case alternative. I see plenty of very large, spacious and very ugly white cases tossed on the side of the road.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

BlackHatJack said:


> The Dell Dimension case is not the only used/cheap/free case alternative. I see plenty of very large, spacious and very ugly white cases tossed on the side of the road.





very true; you are correct

most any gateway / e-machines / acer etc etc etc are standard cases


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

I would certainly agree on not spending a bunch of cash on a case but I don't see using a piece of trash when you can buy very nice quality case for $50 or less.


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

Ah, there is a tidbit I forgot to discuss on this thread: Hard drives and other drives.

I currently have two drives in my computer. One is a DVD drive that uses an IDE connector, and the other is my hard drive, which uses the blue cord (SATA I think). The hard drive is a 80GB Maxtor GY080M0 (according to device manager). I don't use a lot of space on my computer so this is something I'd be happy to retain on my system if I could. But how can I be sure as to whether or not this is compatible with the motherboards we've discussed on this thread?

What are your suggestions in this regard?

Thanks in advance.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

both of your drives will be compatible with your new parts

you will have to do a clean install of


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

linderman said:


> both of your drives will be compatible with your new parts
> 
> you will have to do a clean install of


Er, how come I will need to clean it out?


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

Also what do you guys think of the newegg bundled deals? Good stuff, or just undersold products thrown together?

http://www.newegg.com/Store/MasterC...s.newegg.com/homepage/pillar/atplay072110.jpg


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

Sorry to post a third time in a row but there seems to be no edit option, or it decays after a certain time.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131398

This was the recommended motherboard in the $800 AMD set, but I'm going to have to ask for another choice. I don't like what I am reading in the feedback for that mobo. People are saying that they ordered 5 of them and 4 were DOA, or that they got one and a month later it died. I don't get how a cruddy dell mobo like the one I have now can survive as long as it has but all these new high-tech models just burn out that easily. Any help would be appreciated. Worse yet, it seems a lot of these complaints have been generated mostly in recent months from June - September, which probably means they had a bad batch or something. I don't want that to happen to me, and I seriously wonder if the people giving it 4-5 eggs ratings are about to have their mobo go kaput and just don't know it yet.

Edit: What about this one? 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131366


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

grub20 said:


> Sorry to post a third time in a row but there seems to be no edit option, or it decays after a certain time.
> 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131398
> 
> ...



yes / thats a good choice too

you cant use an operating system from one motherboard to another (the HAL = hardware abstract layer / recognises its too many different hardware pieces and will refuse to boot


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

grub20 said:


> Also what do you guys think of the newegg bundled deals? Good stuff, or just undersold products thrown together?
> 
> http://www.newegg.com/Store/MasterC...s.newegg.com/homepage/pillar/atplay072110.jpg




bundles can be a very good deal; but know the prices of each component seperately then add them up to see if its really a good deal = sometimes yes / sometimes no


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

another very good choice

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128416


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

linderman said:


> yes / thats a good choice too
> 
> you cant use an operating system from one motherboard to another (the HAL = hardware abstract layer / recognises its too many different hardware pieces and will refuse to boot


Oh no.

Are you saying I need to buy a new operating system too?? Or thats why I just need to clean it and reinstall XP?



> another very good choice
> 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128416


Gonna go with this one I think, thanks.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

clean install is not "just cleaning it out"

clean install means a fresh start from scratch 

as far as what OS you will use depends on the copy of windows you have now; if the OS you have now came with the Dell system then YES you will need a new copy of windows


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

No, my XP didn't come with my Dell.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

grub20 said:


> No, my XP didn't come with my Dell.





then you should be fine


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

Just an update:

I decided to go with the newegg bundle offered here:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.472937

Better computer case, same processor, comparable mobo that has confident reviews, and a brand of RAM (Kingston) that I am more comfortable with. Ordered it today, can't wait for it to arrive.


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

Just be warned that psu that comes with the case is junk, I would buy a quality psu to go with it


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

shotgn said:


> just be warned that psu that comes with the case is junk, i would buy a quality psu to go with it







*amen*


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

Don't worry about that, as mentioned before in the thread I'm retaining my corsair 650W from my previous machine.


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

grub20 said:


> Don't worry about that, as mentioned before in the thread I'm retaining my corsair 650W from my previous machine.


Good choice:4-clap:

Ebay that antec psu when you get it


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

Ok,

All parts except the case arrived today. But as I watch all these videos about installation it scares the crap out of me. There's talk about how installing a processor can electrocute you and you need to wear leather straps or something, then a warning that if the heatsink isnt installed perfectly ontop of the processor then the whole thing goes kaput, and if the right screws aren't in the motherboard it will overheat and die. I can't afford to have any of these pieces fail on me because of novice computer knowledge. Whats the best video out there for assembling a computer?

I'm not afraid of installing the vid card, PSU, RAM, or anything like that but I don't get installing the I/O, Mobo, hard drive, and heatsink for the processor.

Thanks for the help so far.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

do the bench build first / this will give you alot of confidence as well as a very nice beginning 

http://www.techsupportforum.com/f255/how-to-bench-test-your-system-171424.html

dont let the heat sink attachment rattle you; you will soon see it aint that bad

there is NO risk of being physically hurt


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

That's going a bit far right now - I still have to resolve this processor issue. 

The instructions say that I should use 'thermal interface material' - are they referring to paste, and if so why did they not supply me with it? Where should I go to get some/what is a good brand?

Another issue: this mobo came with no screws like the ones shown in videos and websites...the 'standoffs' or whatever they called.


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

grub20 said:


> That's going a bit far right now - I still have to resolve this processor issue.
> 
> The instructions say that I should use 'thermal interface material' - are they referring to paste, and if so why did they not supply me with it? Where should I go to get some/what is a good brand?
> 
> ...


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

> The standoffs and the screws usually come with the case, not the motherboard.


Hopefully it also tells you how the best way to go about attaching the mobo to the case also, because with the manuals of this mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130269

it does not say how the screws should go. It only tells you how to attach the RAM, processor, etc.

Checking the processor heatsink.

I can't tell if there's paste applied already. At the bottom of the heatsink, there is a plastic cover which I removed, and then a square that looks like it has a sticker over it. Since my case hasn't arrived I'm not quite sure I want to mess with it, but is that the paste? Do I just peel it off and then press it down ontop of the processor?

edit: Regarding the 'bracelet' thing I was talking about: YouTube - Tiger How To: Install a Motherboard go to 0:59.


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

No you just need to touch the side of the case when you get it, That will ground you...And just keep touching it constantly throughout the build. You dont need that bracelet 

That "sticker" you saw should be the paste, Touch it, it should feel a little greasy/tacky 

There will be holes on the motherboard tray, Just line up the motherboard to the case and you will know which holes to put the standoffs in.


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## Acuta73 (Mar 17, 2008)

Best bet is to plug in your PSU and leave it off. The ground is constant, the power circuit is not. Just touch your PSU every few seconds or any time you move your feet. If yer paranoid, you can keep a finger on it all the time, but that could be problematic. Most static bracelets will plug into the ground lead of a 3-prong house circuit, same difference.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

the cpu comes from the factory with a "thermal pad" / looks kinda of like butyl tape or a sectional piece of a stick of bubble gum 

dont disturb or touch the pad / simply install the cpu into the motherboard socket (read the motherboard manual for the proper orienation of the cpu into the socket (hint = golden arrow on one corner of cpu)


as for the standoffs and screws they come with the new case


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

DONT sweat the anti static thing / that only happens during a perfect and ideal atmospheric conditons of humidity and static 

just dont be standing on carpet when you assemble computer


as for breaking something / relax man! these parts are tougher than you think and they have warranty coverage far longer than any OEM bought system!


make sure you do the bench build BEFORE you start putting parts into the case!


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

the most perplexing aspect for new builders and I have helped hordes of beginners; is the Input / Output sheild and understanding how its the entity that establishes the proper orientation of the motherboard in the case!

I suggest you start by holding your motherboard in between your legs with the "output" section of the motherboard facing upwards to the ceiling (the output connections are the ones like USB ports / networking ports / mouse & keyboard ports etc etc etc

align the input outpuit shield which comes with the motherboard (you can discard the one that comes inside the case; although I suggest you carefully observe how its held in place in the new case which is by friction fit only

once you understand how YOUR motherboards input / output shield fits against your motherboard (often times you have to bend upwards some little metal blocking tabs or some guys simply remove them by a pair of needle nose pliers

once you install your motherboards input / output shield into your new case; simply align your motherboard into that input output shield just like you did when the board was between your legs / now mark the locations of all mounting holes in the motherboard with a fine point felt tipped marker / lift the motherboard out of the case and install a stand-off at each location the felt tipped marker shows (shoudl be 9 of them on a full atx sized motherboard

*ALL motherboard work and most other parts too will all be installed with the new case laying on a table on its side!*


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

I'm really confused right now.

Is there any way I can just ignore the whole 'static fear' phase of installing computer parts? Is this just superstition or is it really a vital safety step that everyone needs to heed?

Also I've never done a 'bench' before and from what I saw in the link it looks like you are asking me to connect everything to my motherboard except the case and turn it on...I don't feel very good about that at all.

Lastly, they say that the purpose of the standoffs is to prevent the case from 'touching metal.' That doesn't really make sense does it? The standoffs are metal. The screws are metal. And the case is metal, and the motherboard HAS to touch the case in order to line it up with the holes to see where you need to place screws. Are these guys in the videos saying that if I just placed my motherboard on a metal table for 10 seconds, that means it's dead?

Ugh...Now I see why some people prefer consoles. Not saying I regret buying new computer parts, but still.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

dont focus on the static topic 

the holes in the motherboard are isolated by the resin board / if you dont use the stand-offs then the solder traces on the bottom of the board will touch the bare metal on the case! that is guaranteed to cause a short


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

linderman said:


> dont focus on the static topic
> 
> the holes in the motherboard are isolated by the resin board / if you dont use the stand-offs then the solder traces on the bottom of the board will touch the bare metal on the case! that is guaranteed to cause a short


Does that risk exist only when the motherboard is hooked up and powered on, or can it still be ruined even though it's not on and it touches metal?


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

It only happens when you power on the system.


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

Ok,

This is basically how I'm going to do things when my case arrives tomorrow:

-Sit indian-style on a plastic PC-chair mat (you know those ones with the spikes on the bottom that go into the carpet)
-Put the opened case on my lap
-Replace the I/O shield
-set the motherboard into the new I/O to see where the holes line up
-Remove motherboard, place standoffs in appropriate location
-place motherboard over standoffs
-puts screws in holes to attach to the standoffs

From there on, I add (in order) the processor, heatsink, graphics card, RAM, PSU (bottom mount), hard drive, DVD drive

-Close the case, turn it right side up, attach power cords, VGA cable, keyboard/mouse, sound, ethernet, power on.

I'm assuming in this scenario that it is safe to ignore the whole static thing. Has carelessness regarding static from hands resulted in a short or something? Whats the big hoopla about?

Did I forget anything in that sequence? If so how should I modify that and why.

Thanks.


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

I would put the cpu and heatsink on while the motherboard is outside of the case, it is easier to see what you are doing if it is your first time. Whatever you do don;t forget the thermal paste.

Other than that just be sure everything that needs a power connector gets one before you turn it on the first time.

As long as you touch bare metal before touching any components you should be fine, the only time i would think it would be a problem is with socks and carpet.


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1292/3/

Go to picture three; that is what the bottom of my heatsink looks like. So that means the thermal paste is taken care of already right? Or do I need to peel something back?

edit: take off socks, got it.


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d (Jan 31, 2007)

That is thermal paste, and you could use it. However i have found that the paste included with heat sinks often is not of the highest quality and personally i always replace it with a quality paste like arctic matrix.
In the end you end up with a few less degrees, is it need no. But it sure is nice.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

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

*I would put the cpu and heatsink on while the motherboard is outside of the case*


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

OK guys, I need help ASAP!!!! The new computer isn't booting up correctly and I think I broke the old one somehow. I'm writing this post from an even older computer that can barely open a website. I need help big time.

Basically this what happened:

-I attached the processor to the motherboard - no force used, but I'm not sure if I fastened it enough with the lever as I didn't put my finger on the processor chip (I was told not to)

-I put the heatsink on top, but the little chain things wouldn't attach evenly. I had to use a lot of force in order to get them both to latch on to the nozzles, and then I pulled the lever forward to fasten it. I'm nervous about this though because there's all that whole deal about how you shouldn't apply pressure to the processor chip, but I don't see how you can avoid that when you need to put the heatsink on (which requires downward force)

-I installed the video card, PSU, LED/power/reset wires and plugged in the PSU wires where they needed to go

-Installed RAM and DVD drive.

-Screwed in the hard drive, put a SATA connector that came with the motherboard into it, plugged that into the motherboard connector named 'SATA-1'

-There were other cords from the front of the case called 'USB' 'HDA' 'AC 97' but I didn't know what to do with those and the motherboard manual didn't say where they go so they are unplugged for now.

-Connected fans and then put all the sides of the case back on.

I hooked it up, and started up my machine.

Right away it says I need to put in the CD that came with the motherboard, so I do that. When I put it in, it says 'failed to boot from disk, press any key to continue so I did that and then tried to install directly from 'MSI Winki,' but again there is nothing listed as a partition or a drive space. Apparently, the hard drive is not detected.

At this point I don't know what's wrong. Is it the motherboard? I tried the SATA connector from my old hard drive (blue one) but that didn't change anything. Is the HDD broken? Both SATA cables broken?

I then tried to hook up my old computer, the dell dimension 4700, but it wouldn't work anymore. Whenever I try to turn it on now there is this green thing at the front of the case with wires connected to it that flashes a yellow light and the only way to make it stop is to turn off the PSU.

So, that's pretty much that. The HDD drive on the new computer wont be detected, and the dell dimension 4700 won't start up. Any ideas so I can finally get off this 2003 computer?

Thanks in advance.


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

Updates:

-Old computer still isn't working, same blinking on/off light.

-New computer is...Working!!! Thanks for all the advice. But the only problems I'm having now is 1, the processor fan seems really loud, any way to deal with this/is that a bad sign?

and 2, my 'core' temperature on Speedfan shows 71C. This isn't an overclocked system at all, and that seems dangerously high. The temp was tested right after I exited a game I was playing for 2 hours.

Thanks for all the assistance so far!!


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Speedfan is for fans. Use the Bios for the most accurate Temp & Voltage readings.
Did you


linderman said:


> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> *I would put the cpu and heatsink on while the motherboard is outside of the case*


The best reason for assembling the CPU Heatsink/fanto the Mobo, BEFORE installing the Mobo into the case, is to insure all four legs of the heatsink are securely snapped into the Mobo.

If the Bios shows those same temps then the most likely cause is the heatsink not being properly attached to the Mobo.
The OEM thermal pad is more than sufficient for normal use but if you have to remove the heatsink from the Mobo then you will have to remove all the OEM thermal pas, using Isopropyl Alcohol, and properly apply new thermal paste.

The better option is to assemble and test on the bench to insure all the hardware is working properly and to avoid many problems.

Set the motherboard on a non conductive surface. The motherboard box is perfect for this. DO NOT PLACE THE MOTHERBOARD ON THE STATIC BAG! It can actually conduct electricity! 
Install the CPU and heat sink. 
Install 1 stick of RAM.
Install the video card and attach the power supply connection(s) to the card if your card needs it.
Connect the monitor to the video card.
Connect the power supply to the motherboard with both the 24pin main ATX Power connection and the separate 4 or 8 pin power connection.
Connect power to the power supply.
Do NOT connect ANYTHING else. Make sure you have the power connector on the CPU fan connected.
Use a small screwdriver to momentarily short the power switch connector on the motherboard. Consult your motherboard manual to find which two pins connect to your case's power switch. Then touch both pins with a screwdriver to complete the circuit and boot the system.

If all is well, it should power up and you should get a display. Then assemble the parts into the case and try again. If the system now fails to boot, you have a short in the case and need to recheck your motherboard standoffs.

If the system does not boot after this process, then you most likely have a faulty component. You'll need to swap parts, start with the power supply, until you determine what is defective.


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

I did attach the CPU on the motherboard before putting it in the case. I placed the processor in the square, put the lever down (but i did not push down the processor while doing it), then put the heatsink on. I had to use a lot of downward force to get the heatsink on, there was no other way the hooks would reach the clips. I'm not sure if that did any damage or not. I'm sure that the heatsink was centered on top of the processor, I made sure of that.

Here's a screenshot of what Speedfan told me after playing a game:

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/8854/cputemp.jpg

GPU, 'Core', and 'Temp1' were all 60C or above. I don't know what they all refer to but I don't like the looks of it. I was told that some windows versions will just crash once it hits 75C. I was pretty close to that as you can see. It was 71C before I took the screenshot.


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

update:

computer temperature according to the BIOS is 42C / 35C...

That doesn't sound too bad, but uhh...why does Speedfan have it nearly double?


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## Elvenleader3 (Jan 1, 2010)

Programs like Speedfan can be inaccurate, and BIOS is hooked up directly to the sensor, making it the better choice to read the temperatures.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

grub20 said:


> update:
> 
> computer temperature according to the BIOS is 42C / 35C...
> 
> That doesn't sound too bad, but uhh...why does Speedfan have it nearly double?


Those temps are acceptable. Speedfan is for fans and has problems with newer Mobo's.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

speedfan doesnt keep up with the newer hardware IMHO / I never use speedfan anymore


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## grub20 (Aug 2, 2007)

Alright,

Week one in the bag. No problems, gaming runs great. Thanks so much for all the advice folks!


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

well done & thanks for the update


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