# [SOLVED] building first system



## sirglitch (Oct 20, 2008)

hello i want to build my next system but i am in a little over my head

1. budget: $800 to $1000 

2. brands: i have had mostly good experiences and i trust you guys to point out quality products

3. multitasking: i like to multitask so there will a large amount.

4. gaming: more of a casual gamer Leauge of Legends World of Warcraft Starcraft so being able to smoothly run the games would be a plus.

5.calculations or media encoding: not too much heavy calculatons but the occational encoding 

6. never overclocked before. so not that much of an issue unless you guys can make a case for it

7. storage: there will be an amount of multimedia storage along with game data, 600gig min, also would it be a good idea to have a small solid state drive to run games off of?

8. legacy; no major issues usb ports and a bluetooth radio would cover all of my needs

9. os: windows 7. 

10. case help would be nice, a quiet case is important 

11. i have a quality mouse, suggestions for accessories would be appreciated

12. this is first desktop so no really recycled componants unless you count the mouse.

13. moniter: yes i would like moniter help, i was thinking would it be wise to get a hd tv and use that as a dedicated moniter? should be widescreen and maybe around 22' open to debate.

14. stores: newegg has been kind but not opposed to go elseware.

15. location: iowa, United States of America.


things i need:
wireless card plugging in an adapter does nothing but cause headaches
bluetooth radio

will be used as upper mid gaming rig and as a entertaiment system. 

if possible built so that it will go a few years before it has trouble running games.


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## JMPC (Jan 15, 2011)

*Re: building first system*

Have you read through this thread for ideas:
http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...evised-2011-and-updated-regularly-448272.html


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## sirglitch (Oct 20, 2008)

*Re: building first system*

the $800 dollar AMD looks nice but since i have some budget left over i might try to buy up to 6 gigs or more of memory. would that cause a noticeable increase in performance?

also i am interested in having a hdmi port on the motherboard. i could try to find one that works with the other parts but do you guys know of one that is held in high regard that would work. 

also even though the case is called quiet would it be possible to add a sound damping kit to it, or does that just sound like paranoia.


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## JMPC (Jan 15, 2011)

*Re: building first system*

Extra memory won't have much affect unless the programs you use specifically require large amounts of ram. 

For general purpose or gaming, 4GB is enough. Upgrading to a faster CPU or GPU would make a good amount of difference. You could also explore the possibility of using an SSD for your boot drive if you had money to spend.

As far as noise, that can be controlled by using quiet fans for the case, heatsink and possibly the GPU by using an aftermarket cooler. When looking for a GPU check reviews to see what the noise levels are under load.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: building first system*

6GB (3X2GB) would put you in Single Channel Mode and performance will suffer. Only serious graphics or data work will ever require more than 3GB. 2X2GB is more than enough for any game and most apps.
SSD's are over priced and offer little more than faster boot times. 
Most good quality Mid-Tower cases will be relatively quiet.
Our $100 Intel build is $872.90 and a few of the components have dropped in price making it about $20 less.


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## sirglitch (Oct 20, 2008)

*Re: building first system*

@tyree i like your thoughts, 

from what i can tell if i pick a motherboard with a HDMI port i will lose performance is that correct.

and yes based on the reviews the build would be nice and quiet.


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## sirglitch (Oct 20, 2008)

*Re: building first system*

so before i assemble this beast does anyone have any advice?


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

*Re: building first system*

Read your manuals, from cover to cover.

Before you begin final assembly:

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


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: building first system*



sirglitch said:


> @tyree i like your thoughts,
> 
> from what i can tell if i pick a motherboard with a HDMI port i will lose performance is that correct.
> 
> and yes based on the reviews the build would be nice and quiet.


Using a Mobo with an HDMI port will not cause a decrease in performance. 
As above, read the Mobo manual thoroughly and familiarize yourself with all the components.
Test on the bench before assembling in the case.
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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## sirglitch (Oct 20, 2008)

*Re: building first system*

system assembled and os installed. not so familiar with bios settings so not sure what settings should be changed if any. 

only problem is that there seems to be some kind of wobbling sound coming from the tower like there could be a bad case fan or somtehing is vibrating. any tips on how to troubleshoot the cause of the noise.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: building first system*

Remove the case side and you may be able to see the problem. If not, disconnect one fan at a time and see if the annoyance stops.


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## sirglitch (Oct 20, 2008)

*Re: building first system*

the wobble: i did as suggested and ran the system unplugging one case fan at a time, what i learned the noise is not coming from a case fan. that leaves the power supply which i do not think i could test the same way the cpu fan which i do not want to test that way and the video card which would be difficult to test that way.

side note somehow i set up the password one way and now it is not working i have no idea if i typed it in wrong when setting it up or what. so i think i need to reinstall windows. i know how to do that after logging in but how do i do it without being able to log in.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: building first system*

Please list the components used in the build.
Brand & Model of Mobo-CPU-RAM-Graphics-PSU-Case.


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## sirglitch (Oct 20, 2008)

*Re: building first system*

update: I figured out the password so i feel less stupid right now. 

using the high tech test of putting my ear next to the tower i am convinced that the power supply is producing the noise.

i went with the intel 1000 suggestion so the specs are:


Motherboard: Motherboard- ASUS P7P55D LX @ $134.99
Newegg.com - ASUS P7P55D-E LX LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard


CPU: Intel Core i5-760 Lynnfield 2.8 GHz @ $209.99
Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-760 Lynnfield 2.8GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80605I5760


Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 @ $174.99
Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100315L Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity


Ram: Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 @ $59.99
Newegg.com - Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 996782


Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 534 @ $54.99
Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Centurion 534 RC-534-KKN2-GP Black Aluminum & Mesh bezel / SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case


Power Supply: Corsair 650W @ $99.99
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply


DVD Rom Drive: LG Black 24X DVD & CD Burner @ $19.99
Newegg.com - LG Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM SATA DVD Burner - Bulk - CD / DVD Burners


CPU Cooler: Artic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 @ $29.98
Newegg.com - ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 92mm Fluid Dynamic CPU Cooler


Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 32MB Cache @ $87.99
Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive



one other thing i noticed what that apparently out of my 4 gigs of installed ram windows 7 claims only 2 are useable.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: building first system*

Corsair PSU's are top quality and run nearly silent but it's possible you have a defective unit. Try removing the PSU from the case and connecting it up externally to isolate it.


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## sirglitch (Oct 20, 2008)

*Re: building first system*

Did as suggested. the noise is coming from the power supply. 
So what is next?


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

*Re: building first system*

Contact your Newegg and request an RMA.


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## sirglitch (Oct 20, 2008)

*Re: building first system*

roger. started the jumping through hoop process.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: building first system*

Newegg is very easy to deal with. Much better than going through the manufacturer.


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## sirglitch (Oct 20, 2008)

*Re: building first system*

ok today i got the power supply back, screwed it in place connected the mother board at both places. connected it to the video card the disk drive and the HD.

i hook it up and push the power button all i get is about half a second of the fans spinning then nothing. 

the system was working when i took out the power supply in fact i wrote my last post with that system so i have no idea what is currently wrong.


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## sirglitch (Oct 20, 2008)

*Re: building first system*

note the mobo standby led is lit stays, also i have been using antistatic wristband so i hope no static damage.


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## sirglitch (Oct 20, 2008)

*Re: building first system*

ok apparently i had some ram not inserted correctly. so now the computer boots correctly,

according to the control pannel only 4 gigs out of the 8 installed are useable, considering that all sticks are the same what could be causing it?

according to my net search it could be either badly installed ram sticks or the cpu has a bent pin what is your guys opinion.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: building first system*

How much RAM is installed? Your Post # 24 says 


sirglitch said:


> Ram: Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 @ $59.99
> Newegg.com - Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 996782


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## sirglitch (Oct 20, 2008)

*Re: building first system*

well i started with 4 gigs but when i had to wait for a new power supply i added another 4 gigs so the total is 8gig (4 x 2gig)


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: building first system*

Remove all but 1 stick. If all is well add a second stick. No games and few apps can utilize more than 3GB.


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## sirglitch (Oct 20, 2008)

*Re: building first system*

Got the sticks correctly installed, i realize that no no game will use all of it but with the extended ram i can use skype for gaming communication and not max it out.

I think i am all out of issues the pc is running correctly and smoothly, i think we are down with this thread unless someone has a way i can back up my 1tb drive without the backup taking up the vast majority of my portable hard drive.


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