# new pc build



## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Hey guys. 

At the end of the month I will be looking to begin building my new pc.
I have a 1500 limit, maybe + 200 if it's worth it. 
So far I have made a quick selection of components which I would like some opinions on and if there are better components out there that can fit in my budget, let me know! 

Case:
NZXT Phantom Black Full Tower Case - £109
NZXT Phantom Black Full Tower Case | Ebuyer.com

Graphics Card:
Sapphire HD 7970 VAPOR-X GHZ Edition 3GB GDDR5 Dual DVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E Graphics Card With FREE Never Settle Reloaded download coupon - £318
Sapphire HD 7970 VAPOR-X GHZ Edition 3GB GDDR5 Dual.. | Ebuyer.com

Motherboard:
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 Socket 1155 VGA DVI HDMI 7.1 Channel audio ATX Motherboard - £111
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 Socket 1155 VGA DVI HDMI 7.1.. | Ebuyer.com

Processor:
Intel Core i7 3770K 3.5GHz Socket 1155 8MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor - £261
Intel Core i7 3770K 3.5GHz Socket 1155 8MB Cache.. | Ebuyer.com

RAM:
Trident 8GB 2666Mhz x2 - £240
DDR3 8GB PC 2666 CL10 G.Skill KIT (2x4GB) 8GTXD TridentX - WAE+

PSU:
Corsair AX1200i 1200W PSU - £254
Corsair AX1200i 1200W PSU | Ebuyer.com

Seagate 2TB Barracuda Internal Hard Drive - £70
Seagate 2TB BARRACUDA 3.5" SATA-III Hard Drive.. | Ebuyer.com

Sandisk 64GB Pulse SSD - £45
Solid State Drives - Cheap SSD Hard Drives | Ebuyer.com

TOTAL: £1408

May try finding the same ram on ebuyer to see if they offer me discount for buying my entire pc there.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

there is no need for you to have a 1200w power supply a 650w psu will be enough

if your gonna play games you will need a bigger ssd drive

Asus and gugabyte make better motherboards


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

I forgot to mention that I'm looking for the most powerful build I can afford that will play all games on max settings with ease and also be able to use Photoshop, autocad and music production, and home cinema software with no real strain either.

I already have a bluray player, surround sound system( though I could do with getting a new set) and 24 inch Acer monitor waiting.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

you still wont need a 1200w psu.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

If you buy a psu that is way overkill the efficiency of it will drop very fast and it will fail earlier than a psu that is closer to the actual wattage you need.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

greenbrucelee said:


> there is no need for you to have a 1200w power supply a 650w psu will be enough
> 
> if your gonna play games you will need a bigger ssd drive
> 
> Asus and gugabyte make better motherboards


Thanks for your reply and input. I will look into some new motherboards and ssd.

I'm wondering what is the difference between Intel cpu's and amd cpu's. 

The reason I chose a 1200w psu is to protect my components from psu degrading after a few years. Maybe dropping to 800w would make a better decision you think?


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

see my post above regarding power supplies, a 650w will be ok and a good make should last you for atleast 5 years.

There isn't much difference between intel and amd but intel have more money behind them and until recently were kicking AMDs butt since they introduced the core 2 duo. I always go intel and nividia.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

greenbrucelee said:


> see my post above regarding power supplies, a 650w will be ok and a good make should last you for atleast 5 years.
> 
> There isn't much difference between intel and amd but intel have more money behind them and until recently were kicking AMDs butt since they introduced the core 2 duo. I always go intel and nividia.


What applications would a 1200 w power supply be used for?

Also is there anything you would recommend I add to the build or change that will give me a more pleasant experience in using the computer? Maybe peripherals?


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

a 1200w psu would be used in systems where you have two or more very powerful graphics cards. Such as 2 gtx titans


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

To add to greenbrucelee's excellent advice, I would recommend going with G.Skill or Corsair RAM at 1600MHz for quality,reliability.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Tyree said:


> To add to greenbrucelee's excellent advice, I would recommend going with G.Skill or Corsair RAM at 1600MHz for quality,reliability.


Ok thank you for both of your inputs. I will post back here when I'm done changing a few things to the plan


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Tyree said:


> To add to greenbrucelee's excellent advice, I would recommend going with G.Skill or Corsair RAM at 1600MHz for quality,reliability.


Just wondering, wouldn't RAM at 2600MHz be of better quality than 1600MHz?


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

No there wont be that much difference. RAM of that speed is generally only needed for specific things such as music editing or something and even then it would only be noticeable to someone with a lot of experience.

1333 and 1600 are the best choice these days as 1600 is the best standard.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

greenbrucelee said:


> No there wont be that much difference. RAM of that speed is generally only needed for specific things such as music editing or something and even then it would only be noticeable to someone with a lot of experience.
> 
> 1333 and 1600 are the best choice these days as 1600 is the best standard.


I'm currently looking at the TSF recommended builds and it states that G.Skill Ripjaws X Series are the best choice. But I need 16GB of RAM, wouldn't it be better to have 2x 8gb sticks rather than 4x 4gb?


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

why do you need 16GB RAM? and yes 2x8 would be best.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

greenbrucelee said:


> why do you need 16GB RAM? and yes 2x8 would be best.


I will be looking to do a lot of 3D animation rendering.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Yes, 2x8GB is the better option for 16GB and 16GB is warranted for serious graphics/CAD work.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

3d then yes 16GB in 2x8 would be a good idea.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

So I've made some revisions:

Case : Coolermaster HAF X Case @ £124.98

Motherboard : Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD5H LGA 1150 Intel Z87 @£190.10

CPU : Intel Core i7 4770K 3.50GHz Socket 1150 8MB Cache @ £274.95

GPU : Sapphire HD 7970 VAPOR-X GHZ Edition 3GB GDDR5 @ £327.50

RAM : Corsair 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Vengeance Performance Memory @ £110.50

PSU : Corsair 750W CXM Builder Modular 80 Plus Bronze PSU @ £71

HDD : Seagate 2TB Barracuda Internal Hard Drive @ £70

SSD : Samsung 250GB 840 Series SSD @ £142.20

Total : £1311.23

Since this is £200 under my budget, is there an effective way to put that £200 towards the PC?.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

I would change the Psu to Seasonic or XFX as the Builder Series from Corsair is very poor quality and I liked your AS Rock board better quite honestly but there is a prejudice here amongst most for Asus boards I don't share. You first case I couldn't bring up but Cooler Master are my personal favorite anyway. I would also prefer WD hard dries as Samsung are very poor quality IMHO.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

The build is good apart from the power supply which isn't a good make as that unit isn't made by seasonic its made by a low quality manufacturer.

If you go for corsair 750w go for the AX750 otherwise look at seasonic, xfx or antec hcg 750w


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

You're going to have issues if you run Windows 7 and a 2TB hard drive. Windows 7 really isn't a fan of big hard drives.

And like everybody else is saying change the PSU to either XFX and Seasonic branded.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Rich-M said:


> I would change the Psu to Seasonic or XFX as the Builder Series from Corsair is very poor quality and I liked your AS Rock board better quite honestly but there is a prejudice here amongst most for Asus boards I don't share. You first case I couldn't bring up but Cooler Master are my personal favorite anyway. I would also prefer WD hard dries as Samsung are very poor quality IMHO.


XFX Core Edition 750w 80+ Bronze Captive PSU - This any good for a PSU?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

A 650W will do the job but yes that will do.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Do you guys think Ebuyer will give any discount for buying all components from them?.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

no they wont.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Mstrkurt said:


> XFX Core Edition 750w 80+ Bronze Captive PSU - This any good for a PSU?


Great any XFX is fine and I think you can get away with a 650 watt anyway.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Go with the best PSU deal but 650W is fine.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

I might end up buying 2 gpu's at some point though... Would 650W still be alright for that?.


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

The XFX 650 would be the absolute minimum I'ld want for two HD 7970. I'ld prefer a 750 or even an 850.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Mstrkurt said:


> I might end up buying 2 gpu's at some point though... Would 650W still be alright for that?.


One 7970 should do want you want.
For improving graphics, one better GPU is almost always the better option.
Two GPU's require/consume more power, generate more unneeded heat in the case and you get a small increase in graphics for the few games/apps that can even utilize two GPU's.



gcavan said:


> The XFX 650 would be the absolute minimum I'ld want for two HD 7970. I'ld prefer a 750 or even an 850.


Ditto ^


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Tyree said:


> One 7970 should do want you want.
> For improving graphics, one better GPU is almost always the better option.
> Two GPU's require/consume more power, generate more unneeded heat in the case and you get a small increase in graphics for the few games/apps that can even utilize two GPU's.
> 
> Ditto ^


The reason I wanted to get 2 gpu's is because I wanted 3 displays.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

well then go for an 850w to be safe.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

One GPU like the 7970 can do up to four displays on their own.

A PowerColor PCS+ Radeon HD 7970 Review | Tech Support Forum


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

I would recommend Sapphire or Asus for the brand.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Masterchiefxx17 said:


> One GPU like the 7970 can do up to four displays on their own.
> 
> A PowerColor PCS+ Radeon HD 7970 Review | Tech Support Forum


So the gpu I chose can support 4 displays?. Would that require a better power supply?.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

A good quality 650W, or even 620W, is fine for a 7970.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Tyree said:


> A good quality 650W, or even 620W, is fine for a 7970.


What I mean is, would the 650w psu need to be upgraded to use more displays or does how many displays the gpu is running not matter?. 

Also can someone tell me if watercooling is worth it?


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

Water cooling IMHO, is a waste and unless you buy a really expensive one, and won't cool any better than good quality fans well placed front and back and you don't have to worry about an eventual leak killing everything.

No, figure wattage needed by the needs of the card itself, as long as you hit 650 watts minimum for that card.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

I agree with Rich. Don't water cool anything on the PC. It is basically pointless.

A 620W would be what you should have if you want more displays as the card will need to work harder.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Masterchiefxx17 said:


> I agree with Rich. Don't water cool anything on the PC. It is basically pointless.
> 
> A 620W would be what you should have if you want more displays as the card will need to work harder.


So if I purchase the 750W XFX PSU I should be fine, right?.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Yes you will be.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Mstrkurt said:


> So if I purchase the 750W XFX PSU I should be fine, right?.





Tyree said:


> A good quality 650W, or even 620W, is fine for a 7970.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Can someone tell me what the Samsung ssds are like?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Samsung SSDs are top of the line as Samsung makes the entire SSD I house.

SSDs may seem nice but they are costly. If you wish to spend the money then I would advise that you get a samsung unit.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

SSD's will give you faster boot times / faster access times and that comes with a premium price, for now.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Masterchiefxx17 said:


> Samsung SSDs are top of the line as Samsung makes the entire SSD I house.
> 
> SSDs may seem nice but they are costly. If you wish to spend the money then I would advise that you get a samsung unit.


Thanks for the info, both . 

I was wondering what you guys would rate the specs of the pc I plan on building out of 10?. Should it be able to cope with any task I throw at it relatively easily?


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Post your final build list and I'll take one last look for you.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

As above, we can't offer any opinions until we have a list, by Brand & Model Number, of the components you will use as well as the intended primary use of the PC.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

greenbrucelee said:


> If you buy a psu that is way overkill the efficiency of it will drop very fast and it will fail earlier than a psu that is closer to the actual wattage you need.


Can you explain this a bit more and why that is?


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Masterchiefxx17 said:


> Post your final build list and I'll take one last look for you.


Here is my current "final" build:

Case : Coolermaster HAF X Case @ £124.98


Motherboard : Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD5H LGA 1150 Intel Z87 @£190.10


CPU : Intel Core i7 4770K 3.50GHz Socket 1150 8MB Cache @ £274.95


GPU : Sapphire HD 7970 VAPOR-X GHZ Edition 3GB GDDR5 @ £327.50


RAM : Corsair 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Vengeance Performance Memory @ £110.50


PSU : XFX Core Edition 750w 80+ Bronze Captive PSU @ £71


HDD : Seagate 2TB Barracuda Internal Hard Drive @ £70


SSD : Samsung 250GB 840 Series SSD @ £142.20


Total : £1308.25

Primary operation for this PC would be Gaming/Multimedia(Including BluRay playback). Secondary operation would be CAD and Graphical work(AutoCAD, Maya, Photoshop)


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

That build should meet your requirements with no problems.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

All looks good to me!




Solidify said:


> Can you explain this a bit more and why that is?


If you buy a 1000W PSU for a 450W system then the 80 Plus on the PSU is basically worthless as the PSU can never reach higher then 80% efficiency.

All you need to know about 80 Plus | Tech Support Forum


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

Masterchiefxx17 said:


> All looks good to me!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ah ok! All makes sense now.

OP, P.S. for the following:



> HDD : Seagate 2TB Barracuda Internal Hard Drive @ £70


I remember someone discouraging a 2TB since Windows 7 has issues with it. Might want to look into that since I see that it's still part of your final build list.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Solidify said:


> Ah ok! All makes sense now.
> 
> OP, P.S. for the following:
> 
> ...


Unfortunately, a 2TB is required as I eat up HDD space far too easily with the amount of games, software, music, videos I have etc.

Can the OP of the warning against the 2TB please explain what issues can be expected?. Thanks.

Also, is the PSU I chose a Modular PSU? Last thing I want is cables all over the place disturbing airflow or will it not matter on a case such as the HAF X since all cables apparently go behind the plate and motherboard?.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Having the 2TB hard drive as a storage drive is fine.

Just make sure to install the OS on the SSD.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Masterchiefxx17 said:


> Having the 2TB hard drive as a storage drive is fine.
> 
> Just make sure to install the OS on the SSD.


Yeah I plan to do that (Y). 

Would you know anything about the PSU being Modular or not MasterChief?. Or if the cables are easily hideable in a HAF X case?.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

A modular PSU is when the cables are not connected to the PSU. You only need to plug in the cables you will need, making cable management much easier and it looks much nicer. However they come at a higher cost.


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

The XFX Core Edition line of power supplies are not modular, but you will have no trouble hiding the unused cabling within the HAF X


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

As noted above, the case you selected will make it very easy to secure unneeded power cables out of the way, It takes a LOT of cabling to have any ill effect on or restrict airflow. :smile:


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

Mstrkurt said:


> Also, is the PSU I chose a Modular PSU? Last thing I want is cables all over the place disturbing airflow or will it not matter on a case such as the HAF X since all cables apparently go behind the plate and motherboard?.


I won't matter tbh because I have a non-modular PSU in this HAF mid-tower case (Newegg.ca - COOLER MASTER HAF series RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case) and the cables are all tucked in very neatly behind the motherbaord plate, so I'm assuming your full tower case will handle it like a breeze. 

It's very hand to have bad cable management with modern cases since their designs account for it, unlike older cases where it was a headache to manage cables.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Thanks for all your help guys.

Can't wait til PayDay . I will post pictures here later this month to keep you guys up to date with how I'm getting on and if I come across any trouble . 

Cheers, guys!.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Hey guys my parts have come (Aside from graphics card) and everything is built but my cpu is idling in BIOS at 50 degrees.

Any idea why that's higher? (Or atleast higher than I expected).

Also, the fan at the top of my HAF X isn't spinning for some reason.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

I'm not sure why the CPU is recording at 50C (hopefully someone else can help you troubleshoot that) but for the fan; is it plugged directly to the PSU or connected to a port on the motherboard?


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Solidify said:


> I'm not sure why the CPU is recording at 50C (hopefully someone else can help you troubleshoot that) but for the fan; is it plugged directly to the PSU or connected to a port on the motherboard?


The fan is connected to a port on the motherboard.


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## Solidify (May 12, 2011)

Try connecting it directly to the PSU and let us know.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

Double check your temps with CPUID hardware monitor or HWINFO or Real temp then re-do your thermal paste if needed.

Try the fan connected to a molex from your psu.


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## Rich-M (May 2, 2007)

50c is not really bad though it could be a bit lower. Check to see that all 4 clamps are all the way through motherboard and that cpu grease is thinly spread over hsf surface.




Mstrkurt said:


> Hey guys my parts have come (Aside from graphics card) and everything is built but my cpu is idling in BIOS at 50 degrees.
> 
> Any idea why that's higher? (Or atleast higher than I expected).
> 
> Also, the fan at the top of my HAF X isn't spinning for some reason.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

The Bios "should" be the most accurate source for temps but checking with a 3rd party app won't hurt.
Connect case fans to the PSU.



Rich-M said:


> 50c is not really bad though it could be a bit lower. Check to see that all 4 clamps are all the way through motherboard and that cpu grease is thinly spread over hsf surface.


Good suggestion. If you used the thermal pad affixed to the CPU heatsink, no concerns with the paste.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Tyree said:


> The Bios "should" be the most accurate source for temps but checking with a 3rd party app won't hurt.
> Connect case fans to the PSU.
> 
> 
> Good suggestion. If you used the thermal pad affixed to the CPU heatsink, no concerns with the paste.


The temps are more normal when using a 3rd party application (Speccy/Core Temp in this case) 35 degrees idle.

The fans now seem to be on since I've installed Windows.

Only issue I have now is the PC not recognising the 2 TB HDD on My Computer (it is there on Device Manager and in BIOS) [I believe I was warned about this]


------EDIT-------

No Worries, I've solved it . Everything seems to be fine!, just have to wait for my GPU now. 

Does anyone know a very good sound system I could get for my PC?. I would preferably like surround sound with a powerful subwoofer also. (Movies and Music[Gonna be having to battle other people in my halls with music so I would prefer a speaker set that would overpower a 300W sound system.)


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Don't expect any PC speakers to rival a home system, unless it's a very poor quality system, and "overpowering" just starts a urinating contest that no one will win and will result in problems.
If ambient noise is a problem, purchase some good sound deadening headphones. You and your neighbors will be much happier.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

most motherboards onboard sound these days are very good, you just need the speakers.


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

Hey again guys, I am receiving a blue screen error quite often when watching long videos in full screen mode (Haven't tried with windows media player or any other form of video media software, just youtube)

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name:	BlueScreen
OS Version:	6.1.7600.2.0.0.768.3
Locale ID:	2057

Additional information about the problem:
BCCode:	116
BCP1:	FFFFFA8010AA84E0
BCP2:	FFFFF8800402AEFC
BCP3:	0000000000000000
BCP4:	0000000000000002
OS Version:	6_1_7600
Service Pack:	0_0
Product:	768_1

Files that help describe the problem:
C:\Windows\Minidump\083113-8143-01.dmp
C:\Users\Kurt\AppData\Local\Temp\WER-35037-0.sysdata.xml

Read our privacy statement online:
Windows 7 Privacy Statement - Microsoft Windows

If the online privacy statement is not available, please read our privacy statement offline:
C:\Windows\system32\en-US\erofflps.txt

I should probably note that not ALL windows updates have been downloaded and installed as of yet and I'm making my way through them. And I currently am using my old ATI Radeon 4890HD graphics card until the 7970 arrives.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

[/COLOR]Please read *all* of the following instructions found here: http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...ons-windows-8-windows-7-and-vista-452654.html 

After reading *all* of the instructions found above post the required logs in a new thread: BSOD, App Crashes And Hangs - Tech Support Forum 

Please note that the BSOD team is very busy and will get to you in due time. If you do not get a reply within 72 hours then you may bump the post. 

*Do not post any logs here!*


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## Mstrkurt (Jul 2, 2009)

I removed my old Graphics Card and removed all display drivers with Driver Sweeper in Safe Mode and have yet to experience the BSOD again, but I will post in the forum you linked should I come across it again.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Hopefully the problem is resolved and good luck.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Glad the issue was solved.


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