# 1st Computer Build



## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

I posted a couple of months ago about a computer I wanted to build and this forum helped me lower the cost without sacrificing too much speed. I wanted to check back before I bought the componenets to make sure there wasn't anything faster/better at the same price as what was recommended last time. I mented last time that this computer will be doing quite a bit of video and picture editing and I would like it to be a descent and upgradable gaming computer as well. Here is what I ended up with last time.

Case - Coller Master HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1GP

Mother Board - Asus P7P55D-E Pro

Graphics - PNY XLR8 GeForce GTX 465

Power - CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX

Processor - Intel Core i7-860 Lynnfield (noticed newegg was out of stock. What gives?)

Memory - Mushkin Enhanced Ridgeback 4GB (2X2GB) 240pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 (Also out of stock. Is there something better out now??)

OS HD - Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB 7200 RPM SATA (OS HD)

Ext. HD for pics and vids - Verbatim 1TB USB 3 (I got this for Christmas!!)

Thanks for all of the help!!


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

If you near a Microcenter store the 870 has replaced the 860> http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0319779

The newer GTX460 1 gig cards are a better card then the GTX465.

Ram > http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226103


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## emosun (Oct 4, 2006)

The 850w power supply seems a bit excessive , unless you plan to have dual gpu's.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

emosun said:


> The 850w power supply seems a bit excessive , unless you plan to have dual gpu's.






the corsair 750-tx is $20.00 cheaper; not really going to change the landscape much?


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## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

I had planned on the possibility of dual GPUs at some point, just not right away. I noticed you can buy an "unlocked" i7-875k for $330 or the i7-870 for $280. They both start at 2.93GHz. What's the difference? 

Also, I chose the EVGA GTX 460 (Fermi) 1GB @ 763MHz core and 1526MHz Shader. Any ideas on this. I really don't understand why the 460s are now faster than the 465s. Shouln't the 465s be able to outclock the 460s in the natural order of things? Why would NVidia go backwards and make an older model better?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The 875 has a unlocked multiplier on the CPU allowing you to change the multiplier to overclock, on any decent motherboard it is not a big deal to OC the 870.

The 1 gig card is not the same as the 460 768 meg/465 cards a little update and improved design they also run cooler.


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## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

Is the Asus P7P55D-E Pro a descent enough MB to OC the 870? I had picked out a different MB but this forum suggested the P7P55D-E Pro as a better alternative and less expensive. Will it be ok?


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

the Pro is an excellent choice and I would not pay anything extra for an unlocked cpu; people often get a misconception that unlocked cpu's overclock higherl this is not true

the unlocked versions allow overclocking by simply raising the multiplier whereas the locked version require the user to uncrease the FSB settings; both methods will get you to the same place. the "unlocked: aspect is a marketing gimmick IMHO


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

Yep ^^^ your good to with that board.


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## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

Great! So unless someone has any other suggestions on parts my computer will be as follows:

CPU - 17-870
MB - Asus P7P55D-E Pro
GPU - EVGA GTX 460 @ 763MHz core and 1526MHz Shader
PS - CORSAIR 850W ATX12V 2.2
Mem - Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 4GB (2 X 2GB) DDR3 1600
HD - Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB 7200RPM SATA
Case - Cooler Master HAF 932 
OS - Windows 7 Pro 64bit

Among the other reasons for the computer (picture/video editing, and Gaming). I'm also looking for this to be fairly quiet. The computer I currently have sounds like a 747. Does anyone see any noise issues with the parts selected, or have suggestions on how to make it quieter and retain performance?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The motherboard has 2 chassis fan headers to hook the case fans to, this will control the speed and slow them down when not needed, there is a 3rd labeled Pwr_fan it is for a fan in the power supply, the supply your using as well as 99% of them have a temp sensor in the supply to control the speed thus it's not used, I have in the past used it for a 3rd chassis fan when needed.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

wrench97 said:


> The motherboard has 2 chassis fan headers to hook the case fans to, this will control the speed and slow them down when not needed, there is a 3rd labeled Pwr_fan it is for a fan in the power supply, the supply your using as well as 99% of them have a temp sensor in the supply to control the speed thus it's not used, I have in the past used it for a 3rd chassis fan when needed.






great input Wrench; I also use the PWR fan once in a while "if" you need a third fan

this set-up should be rather quiet; it certainly will be no 747!


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## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

Thanks everyone. I'm sure I'll be back on with questions on how to set this thing up but you've helped a ton for now.


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## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

Could someone recommend a different HD? I've noticed quite a few bad reviews. Is there something better I could use while remaining quiet and high performance?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

The 640 black is about all I use it's been my current favorite for about a year now, haven't had any issues with them. Next on my list would be the 1t black drive, but the 640 is a faster drive.


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## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

I read something (which I understand can be dangerous depending on the source) that I cannot run my selected memory at 1600 with the i7-870 without overclocking the memory controller (please realize I'm speaking of things I know very little about). If this is true, should I need a better CPU cooler than stock? Which one would be both quiet and functional. Wouldn't hurt for it to look good too.

While I'm on the subject of reading things, I also read that I will not be able to use the Sata 6 and USB 3 at the same time. I have a PCIe USB3 card that came with my external usb3 HD. Will this allow me to use both am I completely off base with this?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

That's true the standard speed is 1333, to get 1600 will be a memory OC, unlike a CPU Over clock it doesn't increase the temps


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## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

So I will not need any extra cooling for memory or anything to OC the memory? 

What about the second question? Can I use the PCIe USB 3 card I have or do I have to get the U3S6 expansion card to use USB 3 on the P55D-E Pro?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

No extra cooling needed to get to 1600, just remember because it's a overclock the full 1600 speed is not a guarantee here's Corsair's explanation> http://www.corsair.com/media/cms/applicationnote/MemUpgrade2010.pdf

The P7P55D-E Pro has native USB3 ports.


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## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

I understand that the P7P55D-E Pro has native USB3 ports but it was my understanding that you cannot use both USB 3 and Sata 6 at the same time on this board.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

That's news to me.


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## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

So as far as your concerned, I can use USB3 and SATA6 without stealing any of the PCIe 16x? That would be great! 

On a different note, I have not purchased my memory yet because I'm considering going with 8gb instead of 4gb. If I decided to go this route, what memory would you recommend keeping in mind the computer will be used for picture/video editing and gaming?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

At the present I've seen problems(here on the forum and hands on) with any brand of 4 gig sticks and by using 4, 2gig sticks, it seems to be across all boards and ram brands as well as being unpredictable, either not being able to get the proper speed of even a boot from the the time of install, to having them run the correct speed for 3 weeks only to start BSOD'ing regularly. I don't have a good answer at the moment, but for the last couple sets I've used Mushkin Silverline http://www.mushkin.com/Memory/Silverline/996770.aspx. and run it at 1066 not happy about that but it seems to be what the OEM's are also currently doing with 8 gig.


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## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

I guess I'll stick with the 4gb for now. Back to the question on cpu cooling. I plan to OC the cpu and was wondering about a cpu cooler that was efficient and quiet. Any ideas?


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ter_v8_cpu_cooling_fan-_-35-103-055-_-Product

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...1&cm_re=zalman_cnps10x-_-35-118-051-_-Product

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608018

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...m_re=scythe_cpu_cooler-_-35-185-143-_-Product


all very good coolers


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

my personal fav

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835242001


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

For mild clocks I used a lot of these> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134

For higher clocks these> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835242001
With one or two of these> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185006

The second is not the quietest setup, the freezer pro 7 is quietier and cooler then the stock heat sink.


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

linderman said:


> my personal fav
> 
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835242001


Joe what fans are you using with the Megahalems?


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

I have been using the scythe 120mm / have used several S-Flex with no trouble


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...=BESTMATCH&Description=scythe+sflex&x=20&y=32


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

this is the fan an extreme overclockign buddy of mine uses; moves alot of air but its speed makes it somewhat noiser than some system owners will like (but you can control cpu fan speed too)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185054&Tpk=kaze 3000


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

another reason why I am in love with the mushkin blackline ram sticks is you can remove that pretty little heat sink if it gets in the way of cpu cooler fans; those memory heat sinks are nothing but bling -bling


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## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

I'm looking for efficient and quiet. There are a lot of options here. Any ideas on which one is the quietest and still efficient enough for mild or higher clocks?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

I'd probably go with the coolermaster cooler> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103055&Tpk=N82E16835103055


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## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

Any suggestions on fan controller interfaces?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

One of the Scythe units, depending on how many features you want on it, the Kaze Q is the basic unit> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...=1&Description=fan controller&name=Scythe USA


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## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

I just received my HAF 932 case. It is a little bigger than what I expected or really wanted. I can deal with it if I have to but does anyone have a suggestion on a smaller case similar to the HAF 932 in that it has great air movement, is quiet, will fit all of my components and looks descent. Here is a list of the components I have ordered.

MB - P7P55D-E Pro
CPU - i7-870
Heatsink - Cooler Master V8 RR-UV8-XBU1-GP [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103055[/URL]
GPU - EVGA GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi)
Mem - Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 4GB (2 X 2GB)
Power - Corsair CMPSU-850TX
HD - WD Caviar Black 640GB 7200 RPM


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## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

After looking up some other cooler master cases I found the Sniper Black, 912 Advanced, HAF 922, and the Scout. I'm not sure if these are quiet or if they will fit my hardware.


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## Laxer (Dec 28, 2010)

Sniper Black
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...239&cm_re=Sniper_Black-_-11-144-239-_-Product
Yes

couldnt find 912

HAF 922
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197&cm_re=Haf_922-_-11-119-197-_-Product
Has an extra expansion slot but it would fit

Scout
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196&cm_re=Scout-_-11-119-196-_-Product
Yes

My question is how many 5.25" or 3.5" appliances are you adding?
for example dvd drive card reader etc?

if its just what is stated earlier it will fit it will fit

This is the case i'm using for my build:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147153
Its a lot cheaper but has good airflow


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## Laxer (Dec 28, 2010)

I would probably go with the HAF 922, its pretty big so i'm not sure if that will be an issue for you but overall i think its the best out of the 4 you listed

If you want a slimmer case you will probably have to get a smaller cpu cooler...


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

HAF 912?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233

It's smaller and everything will fit.


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## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

Are you sure the V8 will fit? I did some research last night on cooler master's website. The only two mid tower cases they mentioned that would fit the V8 and the 200mm fan was the Sniper Black and 922. Both look like great cases but I'm not sure if they would be as quiet or efficient as the 932. They're also not that much smaller than the 932. I do like the led button though. I wish the 932 had the option to turn the LEDs off.


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## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

I take it back. Evidently it will fit.


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## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

I think I might just stick with the 932. The 922 and Sniper are almost the same size as the 932 and I really don't want to go through the hassle of sending this and possibly my CPU cooler back to get something smaller. I noticed the 932 and really all of the HAFs do not have dust filters. Has this been a problem? I couldn't find any dust filters to fit the 230mm fans on the 932. Does anyone know of any?


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## Wrench97 (May 10, 2008)

If needed I use foam or mesh filters, you could also cut apart furnace filters(old style pleaded paper) straighten out the pleats and cut to size.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

I have almost the same system you have Murdog and dont know how you could ask for anything more? I had to throw a file cabinet out the room to make room for the 932 but that baby has got internal room and air flow to burn! rather quiet for moving this much air!

nothing you can throw at this system it cant handle without breaking a sweat.



the monster will grow on yah; trust me.


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## Murdog (Oct 8, 2010)

Thanks! I get the rest of my parts Monday. I'm really excited. I'm sure I'll have more questions.


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