# A little help/advise building a gaming computer.



## Timm73 (Mar 3, 2012)

In the selecting component stage. Unfortunately im from the UK so can't use newegg which i heard and saw was awesome value for products.

Any recommendations for good value UK sites to order hardware from? Does Tiger Direct deliver to Uk?

My budget is around 550£ - 650£ total.

Okay.. well I'm really not that knowledgable on this stuff but so far I've been advised to get:

-2500k i5 processor (because i7 is only really needed for the 'threading' when doing video editing etc, it wont be needed in a game apparently)
Intel Core i5-2500K BX80623I52500 Unlocked Processor - Quad Core, 6MB L3 Cache, 1MB L2 Cache, 3.30 GHz (3.70 GHz Max Turbo), Socket H2 (LGA1155), 95W, Fan, Retail at TigerDirect.com

- Graphics card maybe...

1GB 5830 ATI Radeon HD Graphics card 
2GB Radeon HD 5830 1GB Graphics Card - SIMILAR TO 5870 6870 7770 GTX 460 550 285 | eBay

or.. XFX ATI Radeon HD 6770 HD6770 1GB GDDR5 PCI-E Graphics Card (ZNFR) | eBay


-2 x 4GB corsair vengeance RAM - DDR3 1600mhz Memory
Corsair Vengeance 8gb Kit ( 2x 4gb ) DDR3 1600mhz Memory ( CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 ) | eBay


- ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard
ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 Motherboard Core i7/i5/i3 Socket 1155 Intel Z68 ATX | eBay

-Case
NEW COOLERMASTER HAF 912 COMPUTER TOWER PC GAMING CASE HIGH-AIR FLOW | eBay

And then just a random Harddrive and I guess I need a DVD-RW reader and a random PSU.

Advise, tips and is what I've selected so far compatible.

Also I plan to put this together myself and just download an Windows 7 64 Bit OS from online somewhere, would that be wise and updatable normally.

Thankyou


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Here is what they say:
For all international orders, export, and distribution please contact our sales force at:

*800-800-8300
or
1-305-415-2201
International orders can be placed but not online. I might also suggest Amazon.com which is quite competitive to Newegg and Tiger and does work internationally.
*​


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

If your intention is to game, then you've gone overkill on the CPU in lieu of purchasing a powerful video card. Your video card choice should be the more expensive of the two as games will depend on it for smooth performance much more than the CPU.


The i5-2500k is an excellent processor, but it will not game any faster than a much cheaper Phenom II, FX, or i3 unless you pair it with a $300+ video card.

The cheapest high graphics card for modern games would be the 550 ti, but for only $30 more you get the much better HD6850, followed by the HD6870. Good options in the higher price range include the 1gb HD6950 and the 560 ti w/448 cores. Which games do you intend to play, and what is your desired performance?

Also, we would advise against picking a "random" PSU. The PSU is the most important part of the computer to make a good choice on. Every other component in your system will depend on it to produce clean, non-spiking power in order to perform. We have a sticky post devoted to PSU information and selection here:
http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f210/power-supply-information-and-selection-192217.html
A poor-quality PSU can be source of many difficult-to-diagnose issues, bring down the performance of all your other components, and potentially even damage other hardware when it finally dies.
An excellent rule of thumb is to calculate your approximate wattage needs with a wattage calculator such as Newegg's:
Newegg.com - Recommended Power Supply Calculator.
then *add 30%*, then select only a top-quality unit that meets this value. SeaSonic, XFX, and Corsair make the best-quality units, and for what's usually only $20-30 more than you would spend otherwise you ensure quality and stability to the rest of your components.


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

International shipping will wipe away any potential savings you might see from North American merchants. Better to deal with a UK based site. Here are three popular sites offering competitive pricing.

Computer Hardware - Scan.co.uk
Cheap Laptops, Computers and Cheap LCD TVs | Ebuyer.com
Laptops, Computers, PC Components, MP3 players, Software, Digital Cameras and more - dabs.com


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Definitely stay within your country for purchasing.
Asus or Gigabyte for a Mobo toget reliability and support.
SeaSonic-XFX-Corsair (not the CX-GS-MN Series) for a top quality PSU.
The power required will depend on the GPU you select.


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## Timm73 (Mar 3, 2012)

Thanks for info so far guys.

Ah how do you guys do this.. There's to much choice and figuring out what is compatible with what.. I feel mind f***ed

I just want a quadcore decent graphics card and the main game I play is SoldierFront, which isn't THAT demanding but I want to play it at the fastest speed possible. Then I'll probably try out another few games in future, so just want it to be able to play any game at least at medium setting without problem, no FPS lag. Current PC is Duo core with an 8800 GTS nvidia geforce card, 3GB RAM. 

Want a new build not to upgrade that. Need specific help with this... Like why won't an i5 make things quicker if i dont get a better graphics card? The graphics in SoldierFront aren't demanding but it needs more processing power i believe to get the FPS up there. The only i3 i played on before was to slow.. for that game also..

But yeah dont want to spend a fortune, just around 600£ for everything. Includes DVD-RW, harddrive etc.. Help me out guys


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## A1tecice (Jun 1, 2010)

Hello Valdentia and welcome to *TSF*!

We have a thread already:

http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...evised-2012-and-updated-regularly-448272.html

From there you can get some advice on good quality computers that we reccomend and for differing price ranges.

Remember they are in $$$ but if you decide to go for one just post it here and im sure we will help you look for UK based sellers of the parts.

I would also just like to add to the list of my preferred UK retailers

Computer hardware, components & gaming PC retailer Overclockers UK

Hope this helps,
Altec

(Woo 400th post)


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

The i5 is an excellent CPU choice.
Look over our suggested build list for ideas for top quality compatible components. Convert the prices, compose a list, post it here and we'll advise accordingly.


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## Timm73 (Mar 3, 2012)

Weird how Newegg can be so cheap, all UK sites seem about 15-20% more expensive on each product.

Anyway I want the i5-2500k. What would be a compatible Motherboard, and someone pick the Graphics card to go with that, can it be AMD or Nvidia? Even though I've chosen an Intel Processor. 

I'm under the impression AMD goes with Radeon and Intel goes with Nvidia, or can an Intel Processor be used with an AMD motherboard and a Radeon type graphics card. Right


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

If you use the components listed in the build list you will have no concerns with compatibility.
Intel chipped Mobo's have no problems with Nvidia or AMD/ATI chipped GPU's. AMD chipped Mobo's have been known to have problems with Nvidia chipped GPU's but that is not all that common now. 
You can NOT mix Intel Mobo's with AMD CPU's and vice versa.


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

With the i5-2500k, I would recommend your video card choice at least match your processor in price. The 560 Ti w/ 448 cores would be an excellent pairing. As I stated above, gaming performance will depend mostly on your video card. The CPU needs to simply be powerful enough to not bottleneck.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

The 560 ti is a very capable GPU but the better bang for buck is with AMD/ATI GPU's.


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

And I think it'll be difficult fitting in a 560Ti with your stated budget.

The following prices out to about £575 including VAT; shipping is extra. Add another £75 or so for a copy of Windows. I didn't include mouse/KB/display as most will reuse what they have. Cut a few ££ by swapping the 2500K out for a 2400 (£145) or an i3 (£90)

Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3 Z68 Socket 1155 8 Channel Audio.. | Ebuyer.com £79
Intel Core i5 2500K 3.3GHz Socket 1155 6MB Cache.. | Ebuyer.com £171
XFX Pro 650W Core Edition PSU - Single Rail 9x SATA 4x.. | Ebuyer.com £60
Coolermaster Elite 335 Case | Ebuyer.com £35
Sapphire HD 6790 1GB GDDR5 DVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E.. | Ebuyer.com £106
G-Skill 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600Mhz RipjawsX Memory Kit.. | Ebuyer.com £45
Seagate 500GB 3.5" SATA-III 6Gb/s Barracuda Hard.. | Ebuyer.com £65
LiteOn iHAS124 24x DVD±RW DL & RAM SATA.. | Ebuyer.com £15


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

You would get more gaming performance out of a Phenom II x4 and a 6870 than an i5-2500k and a 6790. The processor needs to only not bottleneck you. An FX-4100, Phenom II x4, or i3-2120 all play games smoothly up til only the very highest settings.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

what sites do you use?

I am from the UK and these are the three sites I always use Computer hardware, components & gaming PC retailer Overclockers UK Computer Hardware - Scan.co.uk and PC Components, Desktop PCs, Laptops, LCD TVs & Computer Hardware


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## Timm73 (Mar 3, 2012)

Okay tell me what you guys think of this..
　
AMD A8-3870K Black Edition Socket FM1 Fusion 3.0Hz 4MB Quad Core Processor 100W (Inbuilt graphics card AMD Radeon HD 6550D) So I'll add a graphics card if I find i need it
OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W ATX Power Supply Unit PSU 
　
Gigabyte GA-990XA-UD3 Socket AM3 / AM3+ FX Motherboard
Casecom 5788 Mid Tower ATX PC Gaming Case Black Gloss & Red
8GB G.Skill Ripjaws-X F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL 1600MHX DDR3
NEW SEALED 500GB 500 GB SATA III 3.5 INTERNAL HARD DISK DRIVE HDD


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

Socket mismatch between processor (FM1) and motherboard (AM3+). Will not physically fit together.

If you want to use the A8 Llano proc, choose a board with the A75 chipset such as:
Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-A75-D3H FM1 AMD A75 (Hudson D3) HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard

The 3870 with its on-chip graphics will game, at low settings, but for better results, you will definitely want a discrete card.


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## Timm73 (Mar 3, 2012)

gcavan said:


> Socket mismatch between processor (FM1) and motherboard (AM3+). Will not physically fit together.
> 
> If you want to use the A8 Llano proc, choose a board with the A75 chipset such as:
> Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-A75-D3H FM1 AMD A75 (Hudson D3) HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
> ...


 
Which card would you recommend?


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## Timm73 (Mar 3, 2012)

Okay we've gone with the mother board you choose gcavan and just threw in a Sapphire HD 6570 ontop. Will it all be compatible?


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## Timm73 (Mar 3, 2012)

Sapphire AMD Radeon HD 6670 2GB GDDR3 HDMI Graphics Card

AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 975 3.60GHz CPU Retail Socket AM3 

Gigabyte GA-990XA-UD3 Socket AM3 / AM3+ FX Motherboard

OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W ATX Power Supply Unit PSU UK

Casecom 5788 Mid Tower ATX PC Gaming Case Black Gloss & Red

LG GH24NS70 24x Super-Multi computer internal SATA CD+-R/DVD+-RW writer recorder

8GB G.Skill Ripjaws-X F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL 1600MHX DDR3

NEW SEALED 500GB 500 GB SATA III 3.5 INTERNAL HARD DISK DRIVE HDD

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (SP1)


Ugh, okay it's hard to make up my mind. Does all this fit nicely together?


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

I would choose a better make of power supply if I were you. Such as corsair 650TX or xfx pro 650 or season x650


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

greenbrucelee said:


> I would choose a better make of power supply if I were you. Such as corsair 650TX or xfx pro 650 or seasonic x650


As above and go with a 2x4GB matched pair of RAM instaed of the single 8GB stick. That will let you take advantage of Dual Channel Mode and it's performance advantages.


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## Timm73 (Mar 3, 2012)

Valdentia said:


> Sapphire AMD Radeon HD 6670 2GB GDDR3 HDMI Graphics Card
> 
> AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 975 3.60GHz CPU Retail Socket AM3
> 
> ...


So this is all compatible and will work well together right? Although I admit I probably could do with a better graphic card but if anyone can suggest a better performance one for equal or less price i'll use that instead. 

THANKS EVERYONE. Once I have confirmation I'll order.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

OCZ PSU's are mid quality at best. SeaSonic-XFX-Corsair (not the CX-GS-M Series) are top quality with a better warranty.
8GB RAM sticks are new and not proven. Using a single stick puts you in Single Channel Mode and performance will suffer. 2x4 GB is the better option to help insure against problems and take advantage of the increased performance that Dual Channel Mode offers.


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## Timm73 (Mar 3, 2012)

Tyree said:


> OCZ PSU's are mid quality at best. SeaSonic-XFX-Corsair (not the CX-GS-M Series) are top quality with a better warranty.
> 8GB RAM sticks are new and not proven. Using a single stick puts you in Single Channel Mode and performance will suffer. 2x4 GB is the better option to help insure against problems and take advantage of the increased performance that Dual Channel Mode offers.


It says 2x4GB, i know it shows 1 stick in the pic but in the description it says 2x4GB and thanks I have now chosen this: PSU Corsair Enthusiast TX650 V2 650W 80 PC Power Supply PSU | eBay

Plus im assuming that the rest of my components are compatible since you didn't mention it?  if so now gona order.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Sorry for the confusion.
The rest of the build looks OK.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

IMHO the first processor had a lot more going for it so I would suggest the suggested board for it.


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

~$200 is a lot of money for a Phenom II 975. You'll get similar performance out of a 960T (and more if you overclock) for much less. Same processors I use, so I can personally witness that it games very well. Here's one auction:
AMD Phenom II X4 960T Zosma 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor | eBay

You could also save a little more getting s 970 chipset board and spend the combined savings on a better graphics card. The 6670 won't give you much improvement over the 8800.


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

A major problem with that 960 tooth:
Another 45 bucks US to ship it out of South Korea. I wouldn't be too eager to send my money out of the country.

As far as saving money goes, it doesn't really seem to be an issue, considering the premium BuyItNow prices. Also, I'm not sure of the wisdom of purchasing from several different eBay sellers


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

My apologies. I didn't look very closely at that auction. That's rough. How's Aria for UK shopping?
https://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Com...00GHz+(Socket+AM3)+Processor+?productId=47177

Looking at about £100 total after shipping and VAT (wow VAT is expensive!).

Here's a top-quality ASUS 970 mobo from a seller with excellent ratings on uk ebay (located in UK, too)
Asus M5A97 PRO AMD 970 AM3+ Atx Pc Computer Motherbaord | eBay
free shipping!

No significant disadvantages downgrading from the 990 to the 970. The money is much better spent on a better video card, like a Gigabyte HD6950 from the same seller on ebay.uk:
Gigabyte Ati Hd6850 1024mb Ddr5 Pci-E Graphics Card | eBay

Total cost comes out to about the same, but with much better gaming.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Same thoughts as gcavan. I would be more than hesitant to suggest purchasing from ebay for a new build.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

I am normally a big eBay proponent, but the one thing I try not to do is buy motherboards and/or processors for primary units. I don't mind an occasional "shot" at a real bargain. If something goes wrong as well and they easily support a good buyer, but it takes quite a while to get final resolve also and time is money, that's why I said "primary unit". 

Often times with cpus, cases and motherboards, I buy from someone whose quality shipping I know well but buying from an eBay seller can easily go wrong as there are no standards for shipping. I don't buy motherboards, or cases from Newegg ever because they have no inspection at all, and they simply reship mfgr boxes and that's how cases get dented and fragile motherboards don't work at times. Tiger reboxes mfgr boxes so its worth paying a little more and I got really tired of straightening out pc cases that were all dented. I had one dented so badly I couldn't fix it and they were great in shipping me another one and telling me to toss out the one I had, but the replacement was dented also, just not as badly!


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## Timm73 (Mar 3, 2012)

I have almost all components now so am getting started on the actual building. 

Uhm, so I've just screwed in the powersupply. Now what? Motherboard or Hardddrive. As for the Harddrive what are jumping settings used for?


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Valdentia said:


> I have almost all components now so am getting started on the actual building.
> 
> Uhm, so I've just screwed in the powersupply. Now what? Motherboard or Hardddrive. As for the Harddrive what are jumping settings used for?


Next I would say is install all drives (optical and hdd). The jumpers on sata drives are not really used to day except on an older board to downgrade the hard drive to 1.5 usage which is not meaningful to what you are doing.
Then install brass standoffs to case to position motherboard off the base of the case, install io shield(for external case ports) and install motherboard on the standoffs.


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## Timm73 (Mar 3, 2012)

By the way I recieved the PSU and I noticed it has white glue like stuff all over it, looks a bit messy, is that normal?


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

Before fully building in the case, we recommend a bench test.

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

Best way to test your parts while ruling out any problems with your case.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Valdentia said:


> By the way I recieved the PSU and I noticed it has white glue like stuff all over it, looks a bit messy, is that normal?


What PSU (Brand & Model)? 
Does the substance wipe off?
Can you post a pic?

As advised above, a bench test should be done before installing in the case.


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## Timm73 (Mar 3, 2012)

Tyree said:


> What PSU (Brand & Model)?
> Does the substance wipe off?
> Can you post a pic?
> 
> As advised above, a bench test should be done before installing in the case.


eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

I haven't tried whiping the substance, it looks dry to be honest and it's inside so inaccecable but I can see quite a bit of thick white stuff. Looks messy but generally what purpose would that serve having it there?

Eh, im not doing a bench test at the moment, already building inside case. Onto connecting wires up.

Question: There are 3 little wires. Reset sw, power sw, HDD LED. They have little arrows on the pin, do they represent its positive or negative? Can't really see where on the motherboard to place them in what exact order too.


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

That stuff is there for a reason and should pose no problems. I believe it's used as an insulator!


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

toothman said:


> Before fully building in the case, we recommend a bench test.
> 
> http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f255/how-to-bench-test-troubleshoot-your-system-171424.html
> 
> Best way to test your parts while ruling out any problems with your case.


Yes my bad "toothman" is right always bench test the board, psu, memory and video outside the case first, it can save you so much time later knowing at least these components work before installing in the case.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Valdentia said:


> Question: There are 3 little wires. Reset sw, power sw, HDD LED. They have little arrows on the pin, do they represent its positive or negative? Can't really see where on the motherboard to place them in what exact order too.


The colored wire is usually the positive and white the negative.
Instructions (with a diagram) should be in the Mobo manual.
Reading the manual thoroughly and bench testing are recommended before attempting to install components in the case.


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## Timm73 (Mar 3, 2012)

All bits in place, everything connected. Just plugged in and turned on, lights, fan etc working but nothing is showing on the monitor. What do I do next? Point me to a step by step process of what to do please


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## Timm73 (Mar 3, 2012)

SO yeah no Bios. where do I find a 'jumper' to place on the jumper pins?


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Valdentia said:


> All bits in place, everything connected. Just plugged in and turned on, lights, fan etc working but nothing is showing on the monitor. What do I do next? Point me to a step by step process of what to do please


We did and you messed up. Go back to bench test outside the case.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Rich-M said:


> We did and you messed up. Go back to bench test outside the case.


Ditto ^


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## Timm73 (Mar 3, 2012)

Yeah i would of but i had already put virtually everything inside all neat and tidy then I read that post. May well have to do that now though. whats the number 1 problem for the Bios not coming on though?


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Valdentia said:


> Yeah i would of but i had already put virtually everything inside all neat and tidy then I read that post. May well have to do that now though. whats the number 1 problem for the Bios not coming on though?


Grounding out against the case is the main problem which is why we stress bench test first to rule out components.


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## Timm73 (Mar 3, 2012)

In the manual it doesn't say where a single RAM should be placed.

Motherboard is: eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

RAM is: eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

What slot shall I put it in for single use? 1,2,3, or 4?


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## Timm73 (Mar 3, 2012)

Also I have this card: eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

There seems to be 3 slots to place it in. Which slot should I use? I believe the card runs at x16 and the slots are x4, x8 and x16. Is that right? Or do the 'Nvidia SLI' and 'Crossfire' Symbols mean anything in relation to where graphics cards should be placed?


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## Amd_Man (Jan 27, 2009)

You want the single ram chip in the slot closest to the cpu and the graphics card goes in the Pci-e slot closest to the cpu.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Valdentia said:


> There seems to be 3 slots to place it in. Which slot should I use?


Use the top GPU slot.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

the motherboard manual will tell you where everything goes and how it should be if there are more than one slot.

ram goes in the slot closet to the cpu for the first stick and the second goes in the matching coloured slot.

graphics cards goe in the top slot which would be the firest pciex16 slot.

When you have more experience of doing this you will find that it becomes easier but you will also learn that there are reasons as to why a system builder builds out side of the case first before installing into the case. Generally when you do this you really dont have unplug any thing as if you set it out correctly in the bench/desk it should be a simple case of lifting the parts into the case although with some cables like usb you will have to unplug then re-attach.


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## A1tecice (Jun 1, 2010)

Looks like your going to have to pull it all out your case and bench test, I had a friend who never bench tested and used over 100 cable ties.... i think he cried as i had to pull them all out for a bench test when it wouldn't post.

Live and learn


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## bob7up (Dec 25, 2011)

A1tecice said:


> Looks like your going to have to pull it all out your case and bench test, I had a friend who never bench tested and used over 100 cable ties.... i think he cried as i had to pull them all out for a bench test when it wouldn't post.
> 
> Live and learn


My, that must have taken a long time.


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## A1tecice (Jun 1, 2010)

Yeah it did but he soon learned to get it working, THEN tidy! . I am the same with my PC once I got it working I used a silly amount of cable ties to keep my pc looking "Clean"

Let us know if you still have problems while bench testing.


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