# Help with Building a Gaming Computer



## Novaj

Ok so this is my first computer that I'm going to try to build myself. Oh and also would it be cheaper to just buy a premade one like alienware etc. ok back on topic:

1. I need to know everything i need for a computer. like video card, motherboard....I need to know what else.
2. My price range is 800-1000.
3. I want a computer that can run the upcoming games. Ex: Crysis, etc.
4. I prefer Nvidia for a video card.
Much help would be appreciated by me :]


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## pharoah

its cheaper to build your own,and better quality most of the time.what all do you need everything like monitor,dvd drives,a case,etc etc.in other words im asking is this build totally from scratch?do you need an operating system disk as well?


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## Novaj

Well I have a monitor and stuff like that, I just need to build a computer from scratch. and I probably might get windows vista later...


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## pharoah

ok i will see what i can put together for 1000$


edit:is this U.S. dollars?


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## Novaj

Yes....it is US Dollars I live in California...lol :] oh and thanks for helping :] the one I'm using right now was built by my brother a while ago so he's gone and I have no idea how to build one now....


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## pharoah

motherboard

 cpu

memory

 hard drive

video card

 dvd drive

 case i did the combo on this with an antec tp3 650w power supply.

the total was 991.43$


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## Novaj

Thank You! now I have an idea of where to go. oh and can this system run Crysis at all? i know the game isnt out yet but I just want to know...


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## Novaj

and is there a major difference between the Nvidia 8800 640 MB one and the 320 MB one?


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## koala

Yes, it will run Crysis. The 8800GTS is a powerful DirectX10 graphics card that will run the game on quite high settings. Actually, I'm looking through the reviews myself, considering upgrading from the Radeon x1950Pro 256mb to the 8800GTS 320mb.

There is very little difference in noticeable gameplay quality or framerates between the 320mb and 640mb versions. See *here* for some comparisons and game benchmarks.


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## Novaj

What do you think of the system pharoh set up for me?


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## koala

Listen to Uncle Pharoah, he knows his stuff! :grin:

That's a good system he's listed there for the price, well-balanced with some very good parts. Note the 16mb cache on the hard drive and the DDR2 800 RAM as examples of this being a good computer.

You will probably get more replies offering different options, but they will all be fairly similar to Pharoah's in terms of speed and quality.


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## Novaj

ok gotcha listen to pharoah ray: Ok thanks again! :]


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## Novaj

oh and which windows vista is good? cause are the games that are coming out require vista? ha sorry for all the questions....but I just need to know.


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## koala

I haven't used Vista yet, but from what I've heard the Home Basic edition is not even worth considering. Home Premium or Ultimate seem to be the best options. Comparisons *here*.

Some of the newer games are Vista-only, although some of these can be patched to work in XP. I would stick with XP for now unless you have a good reason to upgrade.

No worries about the questions. Keep 'em coming :grin:


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d

Personaly i think basic is the best as aro is not sucking up your resouces, its cheap and has dx 10


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## pharoah

also if you wait untill after the 22nd of this month.intel is having a price drop,and you will be able to get an even faster cpu for the same price.


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## Novaj

oh awsome ok I'll wait.....so the current one you built or more like help me decide what to put in it, will that one cost a lot less? Oh and also if they are going to be cheaper what parts would be differnt from the ones you chose for me? oh thanks again :]


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## pharoah

only thing dropping in price will be the intel processors.either the one listed here you will be able to get for a bit cheaper,or a bit better one for the same price.


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## Novaj

oh ok, I'll wait. and I hear people always saying overclocking their video cards....what is overclocking and how do you do it lol


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## pharoah

overclocking is when you raise the chips speed.it can be done with software.


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## Novaj

pharoah said:


> also if you wait untill after the 22nd of this month.intel is having a price drop,and you will be able to get an even faster cpu for the same price.


ok which CPU is that?


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## pharoah

all intel cpu's are dropping in price.in fact you may even want to get one of the new ones with a 1333 fsb


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## Novaj

ok I'm back....:] 
um another question about windows vista, if I buy it 

1.) can I install it on two computers with one copy? 

2.) Will there be mircosoft word etc... so that I can do school work?

3.) If not, am I able to use older versions of Mircosoft word, etc.... on windows vista? 

4.) Which CPU should I get after the price drop? and you said something about the "1333 fsb" but which one? 

5.) THANK YOU for answering my questions!! :smile:ray:


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## pharoah

not sure about the 2 computers part.older versions of word should work fine.ive seen office 2000 run ok on vista.as far as the cpu with a 1333fsb.look at the chart above for the price range you need.


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## nappymonster

To save money and imrpove performance, overclock stuff - but be careful and makesure you know how to cool it and how much to overclock it. 

E.G On the gadget show, they said don't be a freak that buys the best possible - a quadcore processer won't be much use when there are currently no games that need it. An overclocked dualcore processer can do almost as much. 

Hope i helped,

Nappymonster


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## Novaj

Would I need a sound card? and also fans? if so which ones...cause I heard the sound card isnt that important, and that you can just buy a super cheap one and it wouldnt matter?


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d

Motherboard should have am onboard sound card, look for 120mm fans with molex adapters.


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## pharoah

you wont need any case fans that antec 900 comes with all ya need.depending on what exact cpu you get,and if you are going to overclock it.you may need a better cpu cooler.


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## nappymonster

Novaj said:


> Would I need a sound card?


A soundcard is not overly important, but i don't reccomend that you get a super cheapy either. If your playing state of the art games, you don't want it to sound you are using phone speakers, but they are not that important in my opinion.




Novaj said:


> and also fans? if so which ones...


I presume when you say fans you are talking about fans so you can overclock it nicely. Fans are not the only way to go for cooling; although they are one of the cheaper options. No idea as to actual prices, or which ones, but i know that you can also get liquid nitrogen cooling systems (expensive but look AWESOME!), and various other things. A friend of mine has a kind of miny fridge built in lol.

I should imagine you will probably have to budge on your price range of up to $1000, as cooling (very important for overclocking) can be expensive.

Good luck and hope i helped,

Nappymonster


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## Novaj

ok thanks guys. I'm all set right (all the parts work together for sure?) ? cause I'm gonna order the parts pharoah advised me to, like today or tommorow. :]


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## pharoah

there is no doubt they will work fine together.


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## Novaj

Wait I just noticed, Do I need a power supply unit thing? Cause I dont think I saw one in the case on newegg


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## pharoah

yes there was a combo deal with an antec 650 w psu.thats what i added to the cart when i was virtually building it.


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## Novaj

Is this the same one as the newegg one? but its cheaper 

http://shop3.outpost.com/product/4991611?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

or
this http://www.amazon.com/Antec-Nine-Hundred-Steel-Computer/dp/B000I5JHB0

cause I think the combo thing is gone now and the discount for the case is gone now too on newegg.


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## Novaj

Novaj said:


> Is this the same one as the newegg one? but its cheaper
> 
> http://shop3.outpost.com/product/4991611?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
> 
> or
> this http://www.amazon.com/Antec-Nine-Hundred-Steel-Computer/dp/B000I5JHB0
> 
> cause I think discount for the case is gone now on newegg if I buy one of those would it bet he same? and then just buy the power supply seperate?.


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## koala

The case is a good one, so go for that separately if the offer is finished. You can get an Antec True Power Trio 650W for $65 (weekend special offer, $40 rebate) from *http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371001*

Thanks to mattlock for the link.


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## pharoah

thats an awesome deal on that power supply.id go for it if i was you.


edit:yes that is the same case an antec 900.if you can get it elsewhere cheaper go for it.


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## Novaj

The price drop for the intel cpu's are tommrow right? So will newegg drop its prices right away or like wait a while. And is the E6550 one good on the chart above? and its the same price as the 6540 one so whats the differnce in "txt" I dont know what that is.


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## pharoah

you may have to wait till monday.im not 100% for sure on that.as far as what txt is have a  look


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## Novaj

Ok another windows vista question to throw at you  
um 
1.)Is it worth it to buy the full version (DVD) or just buy the OEM version?
2.) For the OEM version am I able to reinstall it if I wanted to?
And also I read up and googled about the 64 bit and 32 bit version of vista, but 
3.)are future products going to be in 64 bit if so should I just buy the 64 bit? 

Thank you again, this forum has been the most useful out of everyone I've been to, you guys just answer my question straight on, which is what I need. thanks :]


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## pharoah

64 bit is the future without doubt.as far as the oem im not sure.you may need to ask that over in the windows section of the forum.im sure our windows experts could answer that.

ive seen some of those new cpu's just a bit ago  here


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## Novaj

Thanks...but apparently its taking them a while to answer.....unlike here...ok I'll stop with my rant...
Ok so would this new CPU work with my parts? 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-pr1c3grabb3r-_-Processors-_-intel-_-19115030

Newegg is having some problems loading their site....or its just me...
Well um 
1.) will that work with my parts?
2.) How much better is it?
3.) Should I wait for it to get cheaper? (I ordered my other parts already)


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## Novaj

*Bump* :]


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## koala

If this is the *motherboard* you've chosen, then the E6550 will work on it.

It looks like a good price. You could wait for prices to drop, but I don't know when newegg are planing to do this.


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## Novaj

Does this one work with my motherboard?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115029


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## koala

Yes. See *here* for a 7 page detailed review of the Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 LGA 775 Intel P965 Express.


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## Novaj

ok I got the case and most of the stuff except the proccessor and I'm thinking of putting the rest of the stuff together first. So what are some tips to reduce the chance of shocking the equipment....or bruning them out due to electric shocks.


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## pharoah

just ground yourself before you touch anything,if you dont have a wriststrap for that.i used to do my builds on the counter next to an electric stove,and ground my arm against it.when gettin ready to pick up a part.


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## koala

Also, make sure you attach all the standoffs below the motherboard to keep it from touching the case.


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## Novaj

Would this CPU need any more extra fans/cooling devices? cause I reread earlier posts about fans and I bought this CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115029


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## koala

You should be ok with the standard heatsink and fan cooling system unless you're going to be overclocking. If you decide to replace it, go for a known brand like Zalman, Thermaltake or Asus and make sure it's LGA775 compatible.

*ZALMAN CNPS9500 LED 92mm 2 Ball Cooling Fan with Heatsink - $54*


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## HawMan

koala bet me to what i was going to suggest - The Standard Fan will be perfect unless you plan to overclock the CPU ( Which i dont recommend ).


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## Novaj

ok for the anti wrist strap what does it mean when it says "connect the banana plug or alligator clip to a grounded area" Can you give me some examples? Thanks


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## HawMan

Clip it to a metal part of the PC case as shown below.


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## Novaj

I am sooo confused with the power plugs and plugging them into the computer parts....


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## pharoah

just look closely each component will only accept one type of plug.so you really cant mess it up.they are keyed as well so they will only plug in one way.


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## Novaj

on the motherboard, am I suppose to plug something into all the available plugins?


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## 1 g0t 0wn3d

The 4 pin and 24 pin connectors..... it may have a 8 pin instead of the 4 pin though


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## Novaj

ok now when I turn it on, it stays on for a while but shuts down by itself....i'm afraid to turn it on...I think i did somethign wrong.


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## pharoah

from what you have described it sounds like the cpu is overheating.have you gotten it into the bios yet?if so go in and check the temps.did you use the stock cpu cooler,or something else?


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## Novaj

"did you use the stock cpu cooler,or something else?"
what do you mean, and yes I used the fan that came with the CPU. I'm in the middle of the bios thing and it shuts off...


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## pharoah

be sure that cooler is seated properly.here is a  video on how to install one properly.


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## Novaj

what temperature is the CPU suppose to be at in Celcius?
ok I think you're right, it is overheating...um I pretty sure I plugged the CPU correctly though....the fan is running and everything


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## Novaj

ok I noticed that when I'm in the bios thing i get 33-40 degree Celcius. Is that normal or should it be lower?


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## pharoah

thats not getting hot enough to shut it down for sure.sorry i didnt get back to ya sooner had an air conditioner.with a plugged drain hole blow nasty stinking water all over the place when it froze up.:laugh:


double check your ram make sure it is plugged all the way in,and the locks on both ends are engaged.


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## Novaj

ha nice air conditioner.... :]
Well my second post was after I fixed the CPU cooler thing, the 33-40 Degree C. 
Is that normal when it is in bios? and how will i know if its getting too hot when i'm not in bios?


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## pharoah

that may be a bit high,but nothing to worry about right now.did you check the ram as i asked?


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## Novaj

yea they look fine to me. Its locked in and all.


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## pharoah

ok the next thing on the list.is make sure all power connections are secure,and everything is plugged in.be sure the video card has its power connector as well.


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## Novaj

I think everything is plugged in...I honestly had the most trouble with the power supply cause this is my first time doing this so i had no idea what to plug in and I basically plugged the cords into the slots that fit...


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## pharoah

is the video card seated proper,and its lock engaged?


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## Novaj

Yea I think it is, but its so big it might be blocking some of the motherboard. the first time it wasnt seated properly then I fixed I'm pretty sure (cause then I wouldnt be able to see anything on the monitor) and I'm pretty sure its fine.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a353/NOVAJ_/IMG_0517.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a353/NOVAJ_/IMG_0516.jpg

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a353/NOVAJ_/?action=view&current=IMG_0518.jpg


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## pharoah

are all the front panel conections right.do you have the power light coming on,and the hard drive light flash any when you start it?


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## Novaj

yep they light up. Right now i'm afraid to turn it on cause I'm afraid it might overheat when I install windows...So 30-40 C. is a bit high eh....do I need extra cooling systems then...


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## pharoah

no its not getting that hot.i see one of your sata cables is plugged in a purple slot.try them both in yellow slots.hard drive should be port 0,and the dvd drive should be port 1.also put the ram in matched color slots.


thats sata0 and sata 1 just to be clear.


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## pharoah

in your first photo.i noticed a screw hole in the motherboard with no standoff under it.is it possible one isnt lined up right,and is grounding out the board?


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## Novaj

Well there are four standoffs (one in each corner) and it keeps it from touching the case....So there wouldnt be a problem rihgt?


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## pharoah

here is what im talking about.is there another standoff up under the board in the area i highlighted?


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## Novaj

yea I see that but its not touching the case so there's no problem right? I mean arent the standoffs meant to support the motherboard from not touching the case?


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## pharoah

pharoah said:


> no its not getting that hot.i see one of your sata cables is plugged in a purple slot.try them both in yellow slots.hard drive should be port 0,and the dvd drive should be port 1.also put the ram in matched color slots.
> 
> 
> thats sata0 and sata 1 just to be clear.


i quoted my double post just to make sure you seen it.the purpose of standoff's is to isolate the board yes,but they have a second purpose as well.that is to support the board so when ya plug things in the board doesnt flex,and possibly crack from the force.not having standoff's in the middle is a bad idea.


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## Novaj

ooo ok I didnt see that....ok I'm gonna do this tommorow its getting late. 12:38 
Summer school tommorow. Thanks for all your help today  Really appreciate it.


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## pharoah

your welcome you must be west coast.its like 3:28 am here lol.


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## Prowsezy

The Mobo and Case manual with help you alot, Check them out for more help.


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## Novaj

When is it ok to install windows? Cause I'm afraid it might overheat. At idle it is now like 30-39 degrees. Is it ok or is there something else I should do pharhoa?


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## pharoah

if you have it to the point that its not turning off anymore.go ahead start the windows install.


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## Novaj

ok but is the temperature average? 27-30 something degrees at idle.


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## pharoah

does the room the pc in have air conditioning?what is the temperature of the room its in?the room temp has a direct affect on temps.


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## Novaj

its like 80 something degrees F. 
And I think the wires are blocking the air flow too..


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## pharoah

dude if your room is 80f that cpu is running totally normal temps.get busy on that windows install:laugh:


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## Novaj

ok thanks :] lol
ok so what temperature is usually the danger zone? and right now its at 35-39 idle it seems to change from time to time. Sorry I have no knowledge of any of this, i'm just curious.


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## pharoah

did you get the e6550 conroe?


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## Novaj

no I got the E6750 one and you can see I'm nervous about everything cause I'm screwed if I break one part. lol


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## pharoah

a 6750 ok it has a top end of 72c.here look


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## Novaj

Thanks. When playing games it should increase dramatically right? to around 60 maybe?


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## pharoah

yes gaming it will be alot warmer.


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## Novaj

Thank you!! so much for all your guys help! I finally set it up and running, Battlfield 2142 runs sooo much better than on my old computer. :] Thanks again! You guys were helpful from picking the parts out to building it piece by piece, especially Pharoah :] 
If I have any problems I'll ask agian :]


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## pharoah

your welcome im glad you like it.:wave:


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