The (new) Official PC building thread!

this is a good introduction. its basicly a way of using your pc when its idle to help with medical research. i used to run seti@home aswell which is along the same lines but instead of analyzing protiens it analyzes data from space to search for alien inteligence.

 

O... LOL well, thanks for the other info, will be getting some better [silver] past-

 

Below was taken from a site that sold the past you mentioned- I realize I have a different CPU, but does this apply in my situation?

We do not recommend using Arctic Silver 5 on the older slot type Intel Xeon processors with large multiple square inch CPU to heatsink interfaces. The huge contact area and large gaps between the processor and the heatsink require a thermal pad or thick mesh-reinforced paste. Arctic Silver 5 can be used on socket type Xeons without a problem.

 

im not 100% sure, as i dont use severs, but i think those xeon's were a cartridge design, not like the ones used now.

this pdf is for your x2 from the same peeps who make that paste.

 

Again thanks... you have been very helpful

 

The following is a list of components I am planning on using to build a gaming computer. I am a super newb and I don't know much about computers, so I desperately need some help choosing the correct components.

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor $309.00

CPU Cooling: COOLER MASTER RR-LIE-L9E1-GP Rifle CPU Cooler $14.99 I’m not sure if I need this cpu cooler

Motherboard: EVGA 122-CK-NF68-AR Socket T (LGA 775) NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard $250.00

RAM: CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2
6400) $263.00

Video Card: BFG Tech BFGR88768GTXE GeForce 8800GTX 768MB GDDR3 PCI
Express x16 HDCP Video Card $629.00

Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 70SB073A00000
7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card $89.99

Hard Drive: Western Digital 320GB Caviar SE16 7200rpm SATA II w/ 16MB Cache $119.95

CD/DVD Drives: SONY Black IDE DVD-ROM Drive Model DDU1615/B2s $18.99
SONY 16X DVD±R DVD Burner With 5X DVD-RAM Write Black
IDE Model DRU120C 44.99

Power Supply: Thermaltake toughpower W0117RU ATX12V/ EPS12V 750W
Power Supply $189.99

I will be using this computer for gaming, so I would like the best gaming system I can buy for $2000 to $2500. I want to be able to upgrade this computer later on, with another video card so I can run in SLI mode, a better processor and more RAM, so I need to know if the parts I’ve listed will allow me to upgrade. I also need to know if all these parts will be compatible and work together. I have $2500 to spend, but I would like to keep it as close to $2000 as possible. This list adds up to $1923, and I still have to buy a case, which will be around $100 so I still have $500 to spend. If you see a part on the list that you think should be upgraded to something better, or if you think one of the parts should be changed for any reason, please let me know. If my list is missing a component that I will need let me know, I know I didn't list a mouse, speakers, a case and a keyboard, but if there is anything else missing let me know. I'm hoping the list is fine how it is, but I don't know much about computers, so please help me build the best gaming system possible for my budget.

 

they are some very good parts, the only concern i have is if you want to upgrade later to quad core and sli 8800s you will need a bigger psu.

this one should serve you for years. a bit pricey but you dont want to try and save cash on your psu, especialy when you look at the rest of your componants.

the case, you will need a full tower to fit all those bits in, the 8800 more than the others as its longer than all other cards out. get the case from somwhere easy to return it to, incase it dont fit. something like a thermaltake armor va8000 should fit them all in.

 

I realize there is a size differance but what is the differance between the mid and full size cases? I mean is there more bays in front? I do not see very many cases with more then 5 bays. At a glanse how can I tell? seems to go from 5 to like ten bays in the sites I was looking at...looking for a full size case with lots of fans?

 

thats about the size of it yes. a mid tower normaly has 4 external 5inch drives (cd/dvd drives) 1 3inch drive (floppy drive) and about 5 or 6 internal, a full will have 1 (or) more external and anything upto 12 internal drives.

this one is a good case will more bays than you will need and has clearly been designed with airflow in mind(and watercooling to some degree). if you look around you will see different maker have different traits, some good , some not so. you want front fans at the bottom pulling air in, through filters if you can, and rear fans at the top pushing all the warm air out. with as few blockages inbetween. a side vent for your graphics card is also somthing to think about (the link doesnt have one but you could drill holes and mount a fan if you wanted) you dont realy want the harddrive rack at the bottom mounted sideways as this will reduce airflow through the case and over your drives.

 

what purpose does those doors serve?

 

the one on the right, i assume, covers/protects the buttons on your drives. the other is just to make it look even i think.

 

Thanks for the reply, it's good to know that I have finally gotten the right components. I was wondering what I will need to do for cooling. Should I get a cpu cooler, and extra fans, or just go with whatever comes with the case? And speaking of the case, how do I know if everything will fit, as long as it's a full tower do you think it will fit? Other than that I am all set to order the components and start building, I hope I'm not forgetting any parts. I am extremely excited, and I could never have gotten this far without these afterdawn forums, so thanks to everyone that helped me out.

 

i allready have a good hard drive,case,PSU,cooling,cd-drives, and video card now all i need is a proccesser,mobo, and RAM.
this is what i found any suggegtions im on a tight budget
Mobo http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813130491
CPU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819103023
RAM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820150009
i thought these were good deals

 

@rudsta
looks like they all should work together, not sure about the ram as iv never heard of them, have a look on msi.com for any known issues as they have been known not to like some brands of ram. should give you a nice boost over your current rig. man i hate how cheap stuff is in the states

@pooface

hey dude,we are here coz we like to help

im not sure how you will find out if they all fit in the case other than putting it together. the only part you might have an issue with is the 8800 as it is 269mm (or 10 and 10/16 in inches) which is quite big. it should fit in most full towers, some mid towers it might not.

as for the cooling, do you plan on overclocking it? if not you can use the stock hsf assembly, if you do i would advise an arctic cooling freezer 7 pro with silver based thermal paste(both proven performers). the case fans, most people who swap them out do so because of noise, now its a relative issue but it is also a personal one which depends on you more than me. its your pc in your house and your ears that have to listen/tolerate it, what i can put up with might be loads louder than you would like to live with and vise versa. the loudest thing in most pc's is the psu and there is not much we can do about that anyway. i would say try it with the ones included and see how you find it, you can always replace them later.

 

@marsey 99
I think I will just stick with the case fans, as I won't be overclocking. I was also wondering if you would be willing to take a look at the list I posted and see if you think those components will all work together. In your previous post you said those parts all looked good, but I'm not sure if you meant they are compatible. I talked to a guy I know that works with computers, and he told me the most important thing to do when building a computer is to find out if all the parts are compatible, and will all fit together. Unfortunately he didn't know much about newer components so he couldn't help me with that. I know it's a lot to ask, but this is the last hurdle I have to get over before I order the parts. The only change I have made since that post is my psu, I decided to go with the 1000W one that you suggested. Thanks again for all the help and if you don't have the time to see if the list is compatible don't worry about it.

 

that psu you should leave you worry free for years.

as for the rest of the parts, some mobos dont like some brands of ram, now in your case thats not an issue. the xms2 is sli certed so in the nvidia chipset(nf68i) you wont have ant problems as they have been designed with each other in mind. add to that your going to be running a nvidia card which completes the package.

the parts are different but the theory is still the same, look here

with nvidias n-tune you (once you have installed all the right software) can click one button and it will run your rig at 125% without any trouble.

its a shame you wont be overclocking (your choice, im not tring to twist your arm) as i would like to know how for you can go with that chipset. with the aartic cooling hsf i mentioned above you could hit somwhere between 3 and 3.5 ghz.

 

hi i jus bought a enermax eg615p-ve psu and its a 20 pin i was wondering is it ok to use a 20 pin to 24 pin convertor cable on this thing it has copper molex connectors and its rails are as follows +303v 36a +5v 36a
+12v 36a and what i read on its reviews these are not boggus amperages newayz by mobo is the a8n32-sli fully powered sli using 2 4 pin molex powerd xfx 6800 xt's help much appreciated thx u guys

mmz

 

I know this thread is for building a PC, but im really having trouble with this issue and I know I will get responses here so sorry but I appreciate the help. (also i feel this may just end in me buying a new video card so it could end up more relvant)

I am having an issue with video in games. I run a XFX 6800GT (pci-express, never overclocked or anything)






The issue started with Madden and then happened on BF2142 and now LOTR beta. I had played tons of games even these ones many many times before it ever happened the first time. First of all yes my drivers are up to date. Second of all it seems to be happening at a greater frequency as the days go bye. It generally occurs shortly into a game. (madden loads, i start a game and as I am goin onto to the field picking kick or return... bam its done) however occasionally it will do it 30min into a game. Now at the same time I have played LOTR for 8 hours with no issue and its only done it once in LOTR and it was when loading the initial menus. Madden seems to do it the most, BF only has done it once. Also it totaly locks up my computer and I just have to restart it.

The only thing I can think of is overheating, but doing it so close to the start of a game makes that seem less likely especially when it occasionally runs fine for hours and hours... any ideas?



Anyone else use an XFX card and have issues?

 

Hey all,

I need to upgrade my old p3 500Mhz (yes they still exist). My first question is whether I should go Intel or AMD. I know the core2duo has received good reviews as of late, but I think AMD has dropped prices on their Athlons 64 x2. So I can get a +5000 for the price of a E6600. I am also concerned about power consumption. I have read most of the posts in this thread but I notice that few discuss the power consumption. I know the E6600 has good power performace at 65W, but I remember reading that the AMD has units that operate at 35W.

Any suggestions as to which brand provides the best value per dollar is at the moment?

 

i was an amd whore for a long time, but if i built a system today i would go core 2 duo