Things got chaotic over on the original thread, so here we are.

Please post your problem(s) and question(s) here. I and others will attempt to help you choose parts listed in the original thread or make additional suggestions.

The original/source thread can be found here (http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=136927&t=553826). :)



Hello everyone,

If you have a question about the following, please label your concern as such in your post. Here are the categories:

Construction (how to build)?

Which part(s) to choose?

How to install the operating system (Windows, Linux, etc.)?

How to overclock?

Other (or multiples of the above)?


Before asking about overclocking, please do a bit of research. Here is an excellent Overclocking Guide (http://www.asusreviews.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=6)

good idea. i was staying out of that thraed cuz it was too confusing for me.

So I had a question in respect to two different mobos. I narrowed down the list to basically two different ones. Would you guys recommend the abit IP35 Pro, or the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L?

No intels have ram multipliers too. So like if you had a 800mhz fsb and 800mhz ram you would want a 4x multi for the ram. but if you had a 4x multi for 1333fsb your ram would also run at 1333mhz and melt. So you run the ram at 2.4x to get it back down to 800mhz. The lowest you can go is 2x. so at 1600fsb(OC) ram would be at 800mhz. The hard limit of most mobos is 1700fsb and you would need 1066cert ram or 800mhz ram that can oc to 850mhz.

sorry, u lost me there.

so is my ram the wrong type? or it ok?
I have abit p35-e
e2810
and the G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory

what setting should i use to overclock to 3.2ghz?

So I had a question in respect to two different mobos. I narrowed down the list to basically two different ones. Would you guys recommend the abit IP35 Pro, or the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L?

Thread on overclocking the Gigabyte P35 @ Hardforum:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1169366

There's also a thread on the Abit IP35 Pro:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=147163&highlight=ip35


They each have their pros and cons. Both are superb boards, for sure ... I'd sooner go for the Gigabyte (it is the Slicker deal, after all ;)).

What do you guys think of this brand and board? Good for over clocking? Enough features? I'm building a new comp but i don't know the details and reputation of brands. Seems like the cheapest available for am2 cpu with sli.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128014

Ok, I know I'm getting the Gigabyte DS3L and an e2180 and will be using XP.

Is there any reason to get 2x2gb now or will I be fine with a 2x1gb Ballistix kit? ($35 after rebate is much lighter on the funds than $100 for a 4gb kit.)

I am looking at building a new rig and am wondering if it is worth it to spend the ~$200 on a C2D 6xxx model or the $250 on the e8400 over just spending the $50 on an e2180 and overclocking it.

I am going to be doing quite a bit of video editing on it, and other than that mostly day to day stuff. No major gaming at the moment, but I will when SC2 comes out.

I'll be adding 4gb of ram and a ton of storage space to go along with it, still undecided on the motherboard.

Any opinions on that for my needs? Or am I better off just getting a Mac for the video editing and sticking it out with this PC for a little longer and upgrading down the line?

After reading these threads on building a computer, I have been helped, but also confused. This will be my second build (1st was 4 years ago). First I have decided on the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L and the intel E2160 or E2180. I have 4 x 1gb sticks of HP DDR2 667 (from a slick deal a few weeks ago purchased at pcmicrostore.com). My goal is to have a machine that will do everyday internet searches. Nothing fancy and not concerned about OCing until I have something stable to use right off. I plan to use Vista Business 32 bit (I have the 64 bit version, but have read that there may be problems).
Questions:
Do I or can I use the 2 sticks or 4 of the DDR2 667 I already have or should I get DDR2 800's?

I've read about setting the voltage to 1.5, 1.425, 1.7 etc. Do I have to set voltages and how do I know what to use and where do I set voltages? Is there a guide?

And then guys have talked about setting multipliers to 7x or 8x or 9x. Do I have to set a multiplier and where do I do this and how do I know what to set? Any guide?

Any suggestions the 64 bit version or Maybe someone knows of a web site that can address these issues? Thanks in advance

Hey guys--what's better (if at the same price):

The Intel e8400 or the Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe 3.0GHz ?

Please help decide asap! Thanks!

Hey guys--what's better (if at the same price):

The Intel e8400 or the Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe 3.0GHz ?

Please help decide asap! Thanks!

E8400. You'll get lower temperatures, use less voltage, and have a better chance of scoring a higher overclock.

After reading these threads on building a computer, I have been helped, but also confused. This will be my second build (1st was 4 years ago). First I have decided on the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L and the intel E2160 or E2180. I have 4 x 1gb sticks of HP DDR2 667 (from a slick deal a few weeks ago purchased at pcmicrostore.com). My goal is to have a machine that will do everyday internet searches. Nothing fancy and not concerned about OCing until I have something stable to use right off. I plan to use Vista Business 32 bit (I have the 64 bit version, but have read that there may be problems).
Questions:
Do I or can I use the 2 sticks or 4 of the DDR2 667 I already have or should I get DDR2 800's?

I've read about setting the voltage to 1.5, 1.425, 1.7 etc. Do I have to set voltages and how do I know what to use and where do I set voltages? Is there a guide?

And then guys have talked about setting multipliers to 7x or 8x or 9x. Do I have to set a multiplier and where do I do this and how do I know what to set? Any guide?

Any suggestions the 64 bit version or Maybe someone knows of a web site that can address these issues? Thanks in advance

For overclocking, it's often better to get 2 sticks of matched RAM in dual channel.

Voltages are tricky. If you're using the Gigabyte board, I'd suggest using this guide (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=114468&t=755908&u2=http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1169366) to help you figure out how much voltage to apply.

Multiplier is what you're multiplying the FSB (front side bus) by to get a grand total of Mhz. For example, my E6750, natively, is 333x8 .... 8x multiplier, 333 Mhz front side bus. Multiply them together, you get the stock speed of my chip, 2.66 Ghz.

Increasing the FSB, multiplied by the multiplier, will get you higher clock speeds. Again, read the guide I just linked to for a guide on how to effectively and safely scale up your OC.

I am looking at building a new rig and am wondering if it is worth it to spend the ~$200 on a C2D 6xxx model or the $250 on the e8400 over just spending the $50 on an e2180 and overclocking it.

I am going to be doing quite a bit of video editing on it, and other than that mostly day to day stuff. No major gaming at the moment, but I will when SC2 comes out.

I'll be adding 4gb of ram and a ton of storage space to go along with it, still undecided on the motherboard.

Any opinions on that for my needs? Or am I better off just getting a Mac for the video editing and sticking it out with this PC for a little longer and upgrading down the line?

The E8400 is an overclocking monster. They often hit 4.0 Ghz easily, and Mhz for Mhz, they are faster than their E6xxx or E2xxx counterparts at 4.0 Ghz. The E8400 or Q6600 would suit you best for video editing.

Motherboard I'd recommend is the Gigabyte so often recommended here, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128059. Overclocking guide's here (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=114468&t=755908&u2=http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1169366).

E8400. You'll get lower temperatures, use less voltage, and have a better chance of scoring a higher overclock.



For overclocking, it's often better to get 2 sticks of matched RAM in dual channel.

Voltages are tricky. If you're using the Gigabyte board, I'd suggest using this guide (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=114468&t=755908&u2=http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1169366) to help you figure out how much voltage to apply.

Multiplier is what you're multiplying the FSB (front side bus) by to get a grand total of Mhz. For example, my E6750, natively, is 333x8 .... 8x multiplier, 333 Mhz front side bus. Multiply them together, you get the stock speed of my chip, 2.66 Ghz.

Increasing the FSB, multiplied by the multiplier, will get you higher clock speeds. Again, read the guide I just linked to for a guide on how to effectively and safely scale up your OC.



The E8400 is an overclocking monster. They often hit 4.0 Ghz easily, and Mhz for Mhz, they are faster than their E6xxx or E2xxx counterparts at 4.0 Ghz. The E8400 or Q6600 would suit you best for video editing.

Motherboard I'd recommend is the Gigabyte so often recommended here, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128059. Overclocking guide's here (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=114468&t=755908&u2=http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1169366).



If I didn't want to overclock so I could keep my warranty, etc (I mean...if I did overclock, it would only be to like 3.4 ghz instead of the 3.0 stock + I'd have to buy a better heat sink...do ireally need the increase in speed? So if I didn't overclock is the e8400 still the thing to go for? And also, are they available anywhere now? What's a good price for one--the ones I see from resellers I know are decent cost $250 +. Microcenter had them for $200 but they're out of stock. Ideas? Thanks!

If I didn't want to overclock so I could keep my warranty, etc (I mean...if I did overclock, it would only be to like 3.4 ghz instead of the 3.0 stock + I'd have to buy a better heat sink...do ireally need the increase in speed? So if I didn't overclock is the e8400 still the thing to go for? And also, are they available anywhere now? What's a good price for one--the ones I see from resellers I know are decent cost $250 +. Microcenter had them for $200 but they're out of stock. Ideas? Thanks!

The included stock heatsink actually does very well with overclocking. Very, very rarely do CPUs ever require a return based on a warranty (besides, if it fails within the first year of purchase, just return to Newegg and say that one day it just stopped working. They'll replace it. ;)).

If you're looking for a good alternative, search SD for the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro. ~$22 shipped @ Ewiz, if memory serves. Great, easy to install aftermarket cooler.

I'd suggest going instore to Microcenter to see if they have stock. $200 is a bargain on the E8400.

Alternatively, you could get a Xeon E3110, which is the same as an E8400 but can handle higher temperatures (designed for server duty). SD linkage:
http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=114468&t=750443&highlight=xeon

As you can see, it's much more readily available and a bit cheaper.

Ok, I know I'm getting the Gigabyte DS3L and an e2180 and will be using XP.

Is there any reason to get 2x2gb now or will I be fine with a 2x1gb Ballistix kit? ($35 after rebate is much lighter on the funds than $100 for a 4gb kit.)
I'm running DS3L and e2160 with 2x1GB RAM and the thing FLIES on XP. No need for 4GB RAM just yet for this setup.
Hey guys--what's better (if at the same price):

The Intel e8400 or the Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe 3.0GHz ?

Please help decide asap! Thanks!
E8400 by far. Newer, faster per clock, draws less power, runs cooler, overclocking monster.
If I didn't want to overclock so I could keep my warranty, etc (I mean...if I did overclock, it would only be to like 3.4 ghz instead of the 3.0 stock + I'd have to buy a better heat sink...do ireally need the increase in speed? So if I didn't overclock is the e8400 still the thing to go for? And also, are they available anywhere now? What's a good price for one--the ones I see from resellers I know are decent cost $250 +. Microcenter had them for $200 but they're out of stock. Ideas? Thanks!
The stock heatsink on the E8400 chips is pretty good, especially since that chip is more efficient than many current chips. Chips hardly fail and need to be RMA'd to Intel though. If you have a MC or Fry's locally, stop in a few times a week to check. If you go for a Q6600, make sure it says SLACR on the box, as those are the new G0 revision.

Is $250 for an e8400 too much?

also, will 4x2gb chips of ram run in dual channel or do I have to get 2x4gb? I read above that if you overclock you want to have 2 like chips rather than 4--is that a big deal? It's just that 2x4gb chips are so much more expensive I might as well put more money towards a processor lol.

Is $250 for an e8400 too much?

also, will 4x2gb chips of ram run in dual channel or do I have to get 2x4gb? I read above that if you overclock you want to have 2 like chips rather than 4--is that a big deal? It's just that 2x4gb chips are so much more expensive I might as well put more money towards a processor lol.
There's no reason for 8GBs of memory, 4GB will be more than enough as it is. The four sticks will run dual channel in pairs. I wouldn't spend $250 for an E8400, wait for the prices to drop a bit. We already know you can get them much cheaper.

There's no reason for 8GBs of memory, 4GB will be more than enough as it is. The four sticks will run dual channel in pairs. I wouldn't spend $250 for an E8400, wait for the prices to drop a bit. We already know you can get them much cheaper.

i mean 8gb in a 64bit OS--someone mentioned before that this is like 4gb in a 32bit OS. I figure RAM isn't so pricey right now if I get the A DATA ram it will be like $130 for 8gb. BTW what do you guys think of A-Data VS. Crucial Corsair or Kingston, etc? Is it about the same crap or is there reason to consider the others and what owuld that reason be?

Thanks for all the help!

i mean 8gb in a 64bit OS--someone mentioned before that this is like 4gb in a 32bit OS. I figure RAM isn't so pricey right now if I get the A DATA ram it will be like $130 for 8gb. BTW what do you guys think of A-Data VS. Crucial Corsair or Kingston, etc? Is it about the same crap or is there reason to consider the others and what owuld that reason be?

Thanks for all the help!
You're confused or misinformed. 8GB is 8GB, and 4GB is 4GB. The difference is that a 32bit OS will not recognize 8GB, and the 64bit one will. What will you be using the computer for?

You're confused or misinformed. 8GB is 8GB, and 4GB is 4GB. The difference is that a 32bit OS will not recognize 8GB, and the 64bit one will. What will you be using the computer for?


It'll be used for reaaaaaaally light video editing and photo editing, and some heavier sound recording/editing purposes. Also it's my media machine in terms of watching movies (HD eventually once the drives go down in price). I know 8GB may be overkill for now but I figure if it's better to have 4x2gb of the same RAM rather than 2x2gb of one and 2x2gb of another later.

BTW--what say you about using A-Data over Crucial/Corsair, etc

It'll be used for reaaaaaaally light video editing and photo editing, and some heavier sound recording/editing purposes. Also it's my media machine in terms of watching movies (HD eventually once the drives go down in price). I know 8GB may be overkill for now but I figure if it's better to have 4x2gb of the same RAM rather than 2x2gb of one and 2x2gb of another later.

BTW--what say you about using A-Data over Crucial/Corsair, etc

If you're not overclocking, the ADATA should be fine. If you are, get G.Skill, Crucial, or Corsair.

Is $250 for an e8400 too much?

also, will 4x2gb chips of ram run in dual channel or do I have to get 2x4gb? I read above that if you overclock you want to have 2 like chips rather than 4--is that a big deal? It's just that 2x4gb chips are so much more expensive I might as well put more money towards a processor lol.


Yes. The Xeon E3110 is the same as the E8400, and can be found for cheaper in this thread (http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=114468&t=750443&highlight=e8400).

If you don't plan on a high overclock, you'd be fine with 2x2GB + 2x2GB with different brands/series per pair. They'd be on different channels, so brand won't really matter much.

If you don't plan to OC much or any at all, any of the name brands should be fine. Just make sure you manually set them to their rated speed/voltages in the BIOS.

If you don't plan on a high overclock, you'd be fine with 2x2GB + 2x2GB with different brands/series per pair. They'd be on different channels, so brand won't really matter much.

If you don't plan to OC much or any at all, any of the name brands should be fine. Just make sure you manually set them to their rated speed/voltages in the BIOS.

Would OC really increase the performance of my system to a point where it would make a difference for what I'm doing? And does A-Data have lifetime warranty? So "good quality brand" RAM is only better for OCing?

Also, that xeon processor--since it's rated for higher temperatures...doesn't that make it BETTER than the e8400? Are they literally the same chip? If so, why is it so hard to get the 8400 but easy to get the xeon?

Would OC really increase the performance of my system to a point where it would make a difference for what I'm doing? And does A-Data have lifetime warranty? So "good quality brand" RAM is only better for OCing?

Also, that xeon processor--since it's rated for higher temperatures...doesn't that make it BETTER than the e8400? Are they literally the same chip? If so, why is it so hard to get the 8400 but easy to get the xeon?
The e8400/q6600 are fast chips at stock speeds. No clue about a-data warranty. Good quality RAM isn't only good for OCing. A RAM that OC's well would be great for normal use just as much as a non-OC friendly ram would be fine for standard duty. But if you plan on OCing in the future, better to invest now than buy new stuff later.

The Xeon is likely marginally better in terms of heat resistance, plus it has some virtualization feature that won't do anyhting for the home user. The e8400 is selling because of its name, and most people don't think or know about the Xeons in desktop use.

The e8400/q6600 are fast chips at stock speeds. No clue about a-data warranty. Good quality RAM isn't only good for OCing. A RAM that OC's well would be great for normal use just as much as a non-OC friendly ram would be fine for standard duty. But if you plan on OCing in the future, better to invest now than buy new stuff later.

The Xeon is likely marginally better in terms of heat resistance, plus it has some virtualization feature that won't do anyhting for the home user. The e8400 is selling because of its name, and most people don't think or know about the Xeons in desktop use.

So the xeon overall is better than the e8400 anyway? So if both were at the same price, I should go for the xeon?

And if I don't overclock, getting the cheaper quality ram won't have any downsides?

So the xeon overall is better than the e8400 anyway? So if both were at the same price, I should go for the xeon?

And if I don't overclock, getting the cheaper quality ram won't have any downsides?
I'd get the Xeon if price was the same, but I'd wait till either was $200 before I buy. So long as you've set the RAM to their rated specs and volts you should be fine.

I bought Dell 530 for $422 in the deal last week. I soon realised it is not what I really wanted. It has so many limitations.

Hence I am considering building my own system. :) Hurray!!

But I feel that since I have never assembled in past, I am scared I will mess up. :(

I dont know if it is the right idea to assemble or may be I am going nuts!!!! I am sure my wife will tell you I am nuts.

Here is what I am planning/thinking to build
1. Desktop with Q6600 processor,
2. Atleast RAID 1 Controller Internal (this is important for me)
3. Slot for atleast 3-4 Harddisks (1HDD for regular Win XP OS, 2HDDs for RAID 1 setup - for backup of important data like family photos, documents)
4. 2 to 4GB RAM
5. may be 8600GT (i don't game but watch movies on computer/sometimes personal video editing)
6. may be TV tuner card.
7. Ability to connect regular IDE drives (I dont want to throw the PATA HDDs and IDE DVD drives) as well as to connect optical drive (if I buy any in future). Dell 530 did not have it and it wasted all my old drives.

What motherboard, power supply I should get for this setup? Also am I going nuts?? :)

=ShyGuyCalif

I bought Dell 530 for $422 in the deal last week. I soon realised it is not what I really wanted. It has so many limitations.

Hence I am considering building my own system. :) Hurray!!

But I feel that since I have never assembled in past, I am scared I will mess up. :(

I dont know if it is the right idea to assemble or may be I am going nuts!!!! I am sure my wife will tell you I am nuts.

Here is what I am planning/thinking to build
1. Desktop with Q6600 processor,
2. Atleast RAID 1 Controller Internal (this is important for me)
3. Slot for atleast 3-4 Harddisks (1HDD for regular Win XP OS, 2HDDs for RAID 1 setup - for backup of important data like family photos, documents)
4. 2 to 4GB RAM
5. may be 8600GT (i don't game but watch movies on computer/sometimes personal video editing)
6. may be TV tuner card.
7. Ability to connect regular IDE drives (I dont want to throw the PATA HDDs and IDE DVD drives) as well as to connect optical drive (if I buy any in future). Dell 530 did not have it and it wasted all my old drives.

What motherboard, power supply I should get for this setup? Also am I going nuts?? :)

=ShyGuyCalif
GA-P35-DS3R or any of the boards that end in DS3R offer two RAID controllers, one IDE channel, and are excellent overclockers.

I wanted to confirm that we can run sli with two different brands of video cards, correct? For example if i had a EVGA 8800gt and a MSI 8800gt.

Which part(s) to choose?

I'm trying to replace my dell e521 with the antec 900 case.
First I'm doing this to add more harddrives, but later on I will change the mobo and cpu. I currently have 2 hard drives in there using sata, and I want to add one more (More later on)
I'm using about 5 USB connecters + 1 firewire. I also have a media card reader/ dvd burner
Do you guys think I need to replace the psu?
I will need it for my later build but I'm replacing it one by one. According to the dell website, the one installed is 305w... I was looking at
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371007
this if I needed one... or what else would be good?
(I'm a light gamer but my comp is on 100% of the time)

Which part(s) to choose?

I'm trying to replace my dell e521 with the antec 900 case.
First I'm doing this to add more harddrives, but later on I will change the mobo and cpu. I currently have 2 hard drives in there using sata, and I want to add one more (More later on)
I'm using about 5 USB connecters + 1 firewire. I also have a media card reader/ dvd burner
Do you guys think I need to replace the psu?
I will need it for my later build but I'm replacing it one by one. According to the dell website, the one installed is 305w... I was looking at
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371007
this if I needed one... or what else would be good?
(I'm a light gamer but my comp is on 100% of the time)

Did you install a new video card or are you still using onboard video? If you're using onboard video, i wouldn't upgrade the PSU just yet. Maybe when you buy your new motherboard.

Did you install a new video card or are you still using onboard video? If you're using onboard video, i wouldn't upgrade the PSU just yet. Maybe when you buy your new motherboard.

It's the nvida 7300LE
will be using this until I replace anything else lol
I never really built a computer, just only replace so I wanted an advise xD Thank you

It's the nvida 7300LE
will be using this until I replace anything else lol
I never really built a computer, just only replace so I wanted an advise xD Thank you

The PSU you linked to is fine if you choose to upgrade your PSU. If you're not planning on grabbing any power hungry video cards.

GA-P35-DS3R or any of the boards that end in DS3R offer two RAID controllers, one IDE channel, and are excellent overclockers.

SuberOrb
I took your advice and bought the board. I went to microcenter today and got these.

1. Gigabyte EP35C-DS3R motherboard for $151.99. I was stupid... should have checked the price online first. :mad: LINK has it cheaper (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128082)
2. Intel Q6600 Boxed/Sealed for $199 ... Hurray!! :)
3. 2 x 1GB CORSAIR 6400 DDR2 for $34.99 AR LINK at Newegg (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145590)
4. Antec III Sonata Quiet Mid Tower with built in Antec 500W Power Supply. LINK (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129024)

I am planning to order 8600GT from newegg.

Question: Do you think ANTEC III Sonata (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129024) case is good? The case has one 120mm fan.

Will it be enough for overclocking Q6600 to 3.0Ghz (if I add ARCTIC Cooling Freeze 7 Pro (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134)) ? Do I need more fans??

=ShyGuyCalif

SuberOrb

Question: Do you think ANTEC III Sonata (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129024) case is good? The case has one 120mm fan.

Will it be enough for overclocking Q6600 to 3.0Ghz (if I add ARCTIC Cooling Freeze 7 Pro (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134)) ? Do I need more fans??

=ShyGuyCalif

i have one of these cases.. i like it. comes with a great PS, and you can add an additional 120mm fan right in behind the hard drive if you want to.

i have one of these cases.. i like it. comes with a great PS, and you can add an additional 120mm fan right in behind the hard drive if you want to.

ppg33
Are you running a similar setup with Q6600 OC'ed with just an extra fan?
Also I just bought 8600GT 256MB DDR3 OC (620Mhz), will it also require some extra cooling now?

=ShyGuyCalif

Hey guys, I just finished putting together my new build. I have a Gigabyte P35-DS3L with a Q6600. The BIOS reads the chip as a 1.2GHz with 200MHz. Is that normal? My computer in XP shows it as a 2.4GHz CPU though so I'm not sure what the deal is there.

Also, I was installing the video drivers and the whole thing just shut down. I tried to restart, and the light would come on, but then it would quickly shut down. I opened it up and noticed the CPU heat sink was super hot. I restarted after a couple of minutes and checked the temps and the CPU was at around 57C and was slowly going down until it reached about 45C where it pretty much hovered. Any ideas on what happened?

Thanks for any advice.

Hey guys, I just finished putting together my new build. I have a Gigabyte P35-DS3L with a Q6600. The BIOS reads the chip as a 1.2GHz with 200MHz. Is that normal? My computer in XP shows it as a 2.4GHz CPU though so I'm not sure what the deal is there.

Also, I was installing the video drivers and the whole thing just shut down. I tried to restart, and the light would come on, but then it would quickly shut down. I opened it up and noticed the CPU heat sink was super hot. I restarted after a couple of minutes and checked the temps and the CPU was at around 57C and was slowly going down until it reached about 45C where it pretty much hovered. Any ideas on what happened?

Thanks for any advice.

Firstly let me acknowledge that my knowledge in this is very limited (compared to all the gurus) but I was still wanting to help.

Try the tips in this article. It seemed very informative to me.
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/142/1

Have you tried Arctic cooler? I am planning to get that for my newbie system ;)

I hope this helps...

=ShyGuyCalif

Firstly let me acknowledge that my knowledge in this is very limited (compared to all the gurus) but I was still wanting to help.

Try the tips in this article. It seemed very informative to me.
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/142/1

Have you tried Arctic cooler? I am planning to get that for my newbie system ;)

I hope this helps...

=ShyGuyCalif

Thanks, I think I will Arctic Cooler since that seems a bit high for idle temps. I've been running it for a good hour with no problems, so maybe it was just a fluke.

Another problem came up though, I get an nvidia sentinel message saying my MSI 8800GT is not receiving enough power and it is throttling back on the GPU. I did some research and it seems it's a well known problem and people are just disabling the nvidia helper. Is that safe? I have a Corsair 550VX PSU so it should be more than adequate to power the card.

This build your own PC thing is like an adventure. You never know what kind of problems are coming next, lol.

Thanks, I think I will Arctic Cooler since that seems a bit high for idle temps. I've been running it for a good hour with no problems, so maybe it was just a fluke.
..... ....
This build your own PC thing is like an adventure. You never know what kind of problems are coming next, lol.

I am just getting started with this adventure today.... :) Wife has already started saying that she does not want this project of mine to encroach into her or kid's time. What other time have I got ?

I am planning to order this cooler ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134) for my Q6600 OC setup.
Thinking of adding extra fan also because I feel my case does not ventilate that well.Dont know if this will be enough.

Time to stop researching and go sleep.

=ShyGuyCalif
-------------------------
My BYOS: Q6600 on GA-EP35C-DS3R (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128082&Tpk=GA-EP35C-DS3R) board in Antec Sonata III 500 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129024&Tpk=Antec%2bSonata%2bIII%2b500) Case.

hey guys. I was thinking about getting the A-Data 2x2gb ram package but as I was looking through Kingston Ram, I saw the following review for it:
Pros: Great memory. Beleive it or not, my computer seems twice as fast and tests much higher than it did with the same amount of DDR2 Patriot brand memory.
Cons: Double the cost of the cheap stuff... But double the quality too.


I've been trying to decide whether getting brand name RAM will make a decent difference or whether I should go with the cheaper kind. Is the above review sensible? Or is A-Data just as good?


The review was for this memory:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104001

Thanks!

ppg33
Are you running a similar setup with Q6600 OC'ed with just an extra fan?
Also I just bought 8600GT 256MB DDR3 OC (620Mhz), will it also require some extra cooling now?

=ShyGuyCalif

Ugh. With good air circulation, you don't need extra cooling just for that card. I'm pondering why you didn't go for a better card?

hey guys. I was thinking about getting the A-Data 2x2gb ram package but as I was looking through Kingston Ram, I saw the following review for it:
Pros: Great memory. Beleive it or not, my computer seems twice as fast and tests much higher than it did with the same amount of DDR2 Patriot brand memory.
Cons: Double the cost of the cheap stuff... But double the quality too.


I've been trying to decide whether getting brand name RAM will make a decent difference or whether I should go with the cheaper kind. Is the above review sensible? Or is A-Data just as good?


The review was for this memory:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104001

Thanks!

I'm a believer and convinced that ADATA ram is just as good as any other brand. Very good prices and i haven't had a problem with them since i bought some in november. I haven't OC'd the ram though.

Which part(s) to choose?

I'm trying to replace my dell e521 with the antec 900 case.
First I'm doing this to add more harddrives, but later on I will change the mobo and cpu. I currently have 2 hard drives in there using sata, and I want to add one more (More later on)
I'm using about 5 USB connecters + 1 firewire. I also have a media card reader/ dvd burner
Do you guys think I need to replace the psu?
I will need it for my later build but I'm replacing it one by one. According to the dell website, the one installed is 305w... I was looking at
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371007
this if I needed one... or what else would be good?
(I'm a light gamer but my comp is on 100% of the time)

I thought that the E521 had a BTX layout. 500 watt PSU is fine for almost anything but SLI. I had an 8800 GTS in my 325 watt XPS 400. No problem.

hey guys. I was thinking about getting the A-Data 2x2gb ram package but as I was looking through Kingston Ram, I saw the following review for it:
Pros: Great memory. Beleive it or not, my computer seems twice as fast and tests much higher than it did with the same amount of DDR2 Patriot brand memory.
Cons: Double the cost of the cheap stuff... But double the quality too.


I've been trying to decide whether getting brand name RAM will make a decent difference or whether I should go with the cheaper kind. Is the above review sensible? Or is A-Data just as good?


The review was for this memory:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104001

Thanks!

ADATA's customer service and warranty support isn't as good as any of the bigger companies'.

Go with this G.Skill set for $10 more: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231098. G.Skill has technical support threads on several online forums, and while they're not the best (Crucial, Corsair) at customer support, they still have an excellent reputation with timely and efficient RMAs.

RMA = return merchanise authorization, what happens when your RAM (Random Access Memory ;)) dies and you need to send it back to the manufacturer.

ADATA's customer service and warranty support isn't as good as any of the bigger companies'.

Go with this G.Skill set for $10 more: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231098. G.Skill has technical support threads on several online forums, and while they're not the best (Crucial, Corsair) at customer support, they still have an excellent reputation with timely and efficient RMAs.

RMA = return merchanise authorization, what happens when your RAM (Random Access Memory ;)) dies and you need to send it back to the manufacturer.



Those are 1gb chips :-/--I need 2gb chips. So A-Data chips (not overclocked) should be as fast as Crucial/corsair/kingston chips with same specs?

Also, what is CAS latency? this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145194

has lower than A-Data...I hear lower is better but I never knew exactly what it translates into performance-wise.

Ugh. With good air circulation, you don't need extra cooling just for that card. I'm pondering why you didn't go for a better card?

2 reasons,
1. I dont game at all. I might do some(very little) editing for personal videos. So dont need high end card.
2. Price ... got this for just $65 at newegg with Free Ship !!!! :) :) Not bad for a OC 8600GT with great reviews. LINK (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150229).

8800GT would have been around $200 and anything lower like 8500GS etc was around $50+. Hence thought 8600GT will be good ValueForMyDollar. :)

=ShyGuyCalif

Also, what is CAS latency? this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145194

has lower than A-Data...I hear lower is better but I never knew exactly what it translates into performance-wise.

The amount of performance gained from lower timings is marginal. The Corsair kit you've linked should be just fine.

2 reasons,
1. I dont game at all. I might do some(very little) editing for personal videos. So dont need high end card.
2. Price ... got this for just $65 at newegg with Free Ship !!!! :) :) Not bad for a OC 8600GT with great reviews. LINK (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150229).

8800GT would have been around $200 and anything lower like 8500GS etc was around $50+. Hence thought 8600GT will be good ValueForMyDollar. :)

=ShyGuyCalif

8600GT will do nicely, especially at that price! :eek:

XFX's warranty is superb. It's a Double Lifetime, meaning that should you ever sell your card to someone else, they will also be covered.

Hey guys, I just finished putting together my new build. I have a Gigabyte P35-DS3L with a Q6600. The BIOS reads the chip as a 1.2GHz with 200MHz. Is that normal? My computer in XP shows it as a 2.4GHz CPU though so I'm not sure what the deal is there.

Any ideas on this? Thanks!

SuberOrb
I took your advice and bought the board. I went to microcenter today and got these.

1. Gigabyte EP35C-DS3R motherboard for $151.99. I was stupid... should have checked the price online first. :mad: LINK has it cheaper (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128082)
2. Intel Q6600 Boxed/Sealed for $199 ... Hurray!! :)
3. 2 x 1GB CORSAIR 6400 DDR2 for $34.99 AR LINK at Newegg (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145590)
4. Antec III Sonata Quiet Mid Tower with built in Antec 500W Power Supply. LINK (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129024)

I am planning to order 8600GT from newegg.

Question: Do you think ANTEC III Sonata (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129024) case is good? The case has one 120mm fan.

Will it be enough for overclocking Q6600 to 3.0Ghz (if I add ARCTIC Cooling Freeze 7 Pro (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134)) ? Do I need more fans??

=ShyGuyCalif
You're gonna hate to hear this, but that RAM can now be had for $25AR. Also, you'll need more than that cooler to OC a q6600, they're heat beasts when OC'd. Aim for somethign from Zerotherm or one of the Thermalright 92/120mm fan HSF's.
That case isn't bad, but remember that the q6600 generates a lot of heat. You'll need something where the ir turnover rate is high. The P182 cases have two 120mm fans in the back, and the 900 has a 120mm and a hunungo 200mm fan at the top/back.

Hey guys, I just finished putting together my new build. I have a Gigabyte P35-DS3L with a Q6600. The BIOS reads the chip as a 1.2GHz with 200MHz. Is that normal? My computer in XP shows it as a 2.4GHz CPU though so I'm not sure what the deal is there.

Also, I was installing the video drivers and the whole thing just shut down. I tried to restart, and the light would come on, but then it would quickly shut down. I opened it up and noticed the CPU heat sink was super hot. I restarted after a couple of minutes and checked the temps and the CPU was at around 57C and was slowly going down until it reached about 45C where it pretty much hovered. Any ideas on what happened?

Thanks for any advice.
First of all, the Intel speedstep and some other power saving options are enable. It basically runs the chip at half speed when idling to save energy. It's a great feature, and all my PC's run with it on, even the OC'd ones. Have you OC'd the chip at all? One of the most common problems is in mounting the HSF's when they use the crappy push pin style mounting method. Check to make sure the fan is spinning, and check behind the mobo to make sure all 4 push pins went through.

First of all, the Intel speedstep and some other power saving options are enable. It basically runs the chip at half speed when idling to save energy. It's a great feature, and all my PC's run with it on, even the OC'd ones. Have you OC'd the chip at all? One of the most common problems is in mounting the HSF's when they use the crappy push pin style mounting method. Check to make sure the fan is spinning, and check behind the mobo to make sure all 4 push pins went through.

That makes sense.

I haven't OC'ed and don't really plan on it for the time being. I am using the stock heat sink and the fan is spinning. I will check to make sure the pins went through. Thanks for the response.

Any suggestions on an affordable, yet great, fan ($30 to $50) for the Q9450? (LGA 775)

Any suggestions on an affordable, yet great, fan ($30 to $50) for the Q9450? (LGA 775)
Zerotherm BT90 is good along with a few of their other coolers. The Thermaltake ultra 120 is the de facto standard, and their 92mm solution is also very good. The nirvana is a good cooler as well.

*raises hand*

I've got A-Data memory and it works just fine, even for overclocking.

2 reasons,
1. I dont game at all. I might do some(very little) editing for personal videos. So dont need high end card.
2. Price ... got this for just $65 at newegg with Free Ship !!!! :) :) Not bad for a OC 8600GT with great reviews. LINK (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150229).

8800GT would have been around $200 and anything lower like 8500GS etc was around $50+. Hence thought 8600GT will be good ValueForMyDollar. :)

=ShyGuyCalif

I guess i'm just disgusted about buying the 8600GT for like $110 4 months ago. But at $65 AR, that's a very good deal.

Any suggestions on an affordable, yet great, fan ($30 to $50) for the Q9450? (LGA 775)

where'd you get a q9450?

So I'm getting tired of the stupid Nvidia sentinel telling me my video card is underpowered. I'm thinking of RMA'ing it back to Newegg and getting a different card, but which one would be a good replacement? I was thinking of exchanging it for an HD3870 or a 9600GT, or maybe even an 8600GT and then wait for the 9800 to come out. Which of these would be the best performance for the price? I don't want to spend more than what I did with the 8800, which is around $200.

So I'm getting tired of the stupid Nvidia sentinel telling me my video card is underpowered. I'm thinking of RMA'ing it back to Newegg and getting a different card, but which one would be a good replacement? I was thinking of exchanging it for an HD3870 or a 9600GT, or maybe even an 8600GT and then wait for the 9800 to come out. Which of these would be the best performance for the price? I don't want to spend more than what I did with the 8800, which is around $200.
What's your current card? Underpowered as in not enough power from the PSU?

What's your current card? Underpowered as in not enough power from the PSU?

I have an MSI 8800GT with a Corsair 550VX, so it’s definitely not a power issue. It’s some weird random problem that happens to some people with the 8800GT. The suggested solutions are to wait for Nvidia to release a patch (it’s been a couple of months since they found out about it), disabling the Nvidia Sentinel so it doesn’t underclock the card, or trying to switch out either the M/B, PSU, or Video Card. It’s only a problem with the G92 chips on the 8800 series though.

See this thread on the corsair forums:
http://www.asktheramguy.com/v3/showthread.php?p=332610

people keep dissuading me from a 64 bit OS and saying to just go with 2gb of ram and a 32 bit...I can't decide--you guys think the A-Data that has the rebate now expiring today will be extended or a similar one pop up?

I have an MSI 8800GT with a Corsair 550VX, so it’s definitely not a power issue. It’s some weird random problem that happens to some people with the 8800GT. The suggested solutions are to wait for Nvidia to release a patch (it’s been a couple of months since they found out about it), disabling the Nvidia Sentinel so it doesn’t underclock the card, or trying to switch out either the M/B, PSU, or Video Card. It’s only a problem with the G92 chips on the 8800 series though.

See this thread on the corsair forums:
http://www.asktheramguy.com/v3/showthread.php?p=332610
Interesting. What happens if you disable the sentinel? Can you do without it?
people keep dissuading me from a 64 bit OS and saying to just go with 2gb of ram and a 32 bit...I can't decide--you guys think the A-Data that has the rebate now expiring today will be extended or a similar one pop up?

You can get 32b XP to recognize 4GB, you just need to add an argument to one of the windows config files. I'm sure Vista has somethign similar.

hey, anyone have a link to this original thread? It had a bunch of useful links I can't find. Thanks!

hey, anyone have a link to this original thread? It had a bunch of useful links I can't find. Thanks!
http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=136927&t=553826

Interesting. What happens if you disable the sentinel? Can you do without it?

I probably could, but don't know if it will be safe without it. I'm going to try it when I get home though and see if that works.

hey, anyone have a link to this original thread? It had a bunch of useful links I can't find. Thanks!

It's now part of the Wiki, first line. Pretty hard to miss. :yummy:

I probably could, but don't know if it will be safe without it. I'm going to try it when I get home though and see if that works.

I rolled back to the 167.26 drivers as ShadE87 suggested in that thread and lo and behold, it works! I ran 3DMark03 and got nearly 24,000 marks so I am pretty happy.

Thanks for the help everyone.

It seems like some people fixed that underpowered problems by buying a PSU that supplied at least 26 amps on the 12v railing as well...

It seems like some people fixed that underpowered problems by buying a PSU that supplied at least 26 amps on the 12v railing as well...

One of many reasons I continually recommend the Antec Earthwatts 380w unit at Newegg.

Justifications:

1. It's cheap. $34.99 shipped is an excellent price.

2. It will handle 95%* of non-gamer systems. It will also handle 85%* of gamer systems: ~34A combined on the 12v rail will handle 99% of single graphics card setups.

3. It's quiet. This is a Seasonic OEM unit, featuring a very quiet 80mm fan with an excellent fan controller.

4. Antec's 3 year warranty.

5. Environmentally friendly. It's 80 Plus certified for efficiency, which means you actually save money on your electric bill by using it (compared to less efficient units).


*Approximate figures.

And no, I do not work for Antec. :)

One of many reasons I continually recommend the Antec Earthwatts 380w unit at Newegg.

Justifications:

1. It's cheap. $34.99 shipped is an excellent price.

2. It will handle 95%* of non-gamer systems. It will also handle 75%* of gamer systems: ~34A combined on the 12v rail will handle 99% of single graphics card setups.

3. It's quiet. This is a Seasonic OEM unit, featuring a very quiet 80mm fan with an excellent fan controller.

4. Antec's 3 year warranty.

5. Environmentally friendly. It's 80 Plus certified for efficiency, which means you actually save money on your electric bill by using it (compared to less efficient units).


*Approximate figures.

And no, I do not work for Antec. :)
Yup. I've got a few of these things; they're grrreattttt!

It seems like some people fixed that underpowered problems by buying a PSU that supplied at least 26 amps on the 12v railing as well...

The Corsair 550VX has 41 Amps on the +12V rail so I don't think that's the reason.

Here's what somebody in the corsair forums quoted from another forum:

Antec say they have arranged the problem and have revised units."Okay a little more info... apparently it is a timing issue, when your computer first turns on the PSU sends power down each line and then backs off waiting for the computer to start the boot process. With the G92 cards they are expecting to see this at a different time than when they are actually getting the signal and it causes them to think they are underpowered so they clock themselves back"

Hey all, I decided to go with 4gb of ram in my new rig and I'm deciding between the following:

4x1gb of :
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=85025-5

2x2gb (only one with CAS latency of 4--does this make a big difference?):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145194

2x2gb:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145176

2x2gb:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145184

2x2gb:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104001


what do you guys think is the best way to go? Now that I decided not to go 8gb of A-Data, I'm thinking maybe I will overclock...but I'm not sure yet. Thanks!

I'm looking for a suggested build. I have a budget of 250 - 300 dollars and have the video card (got the radeon 2600 from bb clearance). What's the best build (case, cpu, mobo, fan, power supply, sound card, memory, harddrive, dvd drive) I can get for the money? I really appreciate the suggestions and the top one will be the one I will pursue. The build your own AMD/Intel forum is so confusing, I figured I would ask the experts instead.

This pc will be used for mild gaming (we're talking Sims and such) and mostly surfing the web, maybe some eventual video editing or photo work (all amateur stuff).

Thanks so much!

I'm looking for a suggested build. I have a budget of 250 - 300 dollars and have the video card (got the radeon 2600 from bb clearance). What's the best build (case, cpu, mobo, fan, power supply, sound card, memory, harddrive, dvd drive) I can get for the money? I really appreciate the suggestions and the top one will be the one I will pursue. The build your own AMD/Intel forum is so confusing, I figured I would ask the experts instead.

This pc will be used for mild gaming (we're talking Sims and such) and mostly surfing the web, maybe some eventual video editing or photo work (all amateur stuff).

Thanks so much!
Same thing many inluding myself have said every other post.

DS3L
e21xx
XMS2/Ballistix 2x1GB
Earthwatts EA380
Integrated audio/ethernet
Quality Antec case (Solo, P180/P182, 900)

Same thing many inluding myself have said every other post.

DS3L
e21xx
XMS2/Ballistix 2x1GB
Earthwatts EA380
Integrated audio/ethernet
Quality Antec case (Solo, P180/P182, 900)

Thanks Superorb. Would you recommend a different mobo considering the video card I have requires an AGP slot and the one mentioned only has pci express?

Hey all, I decided to go with 4gb of ram in my new rig and I'm deciding between the following:

4x1gb of :
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=85025-5

2x2gb (only one with CAS latency of 4--does this make a big difference?):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145194

2x2gb:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145176

2x2gb:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145184

2x2gb:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820104001


what do you guys think is the best way to go? Now that I decided not to go 8gb of A-Data, I'm thinking maybe I will overclock...but I'm not sure yet. Thanks!

Again, lower timings have very little impact on overall performance.

Any of the Corsair kits you've listed will do just fine. They aren't the best, per se, for overclocking, but they will be serviceable regardless.

Hello all; I'm new to SlickDeals (just registered today but have been lurking for a month or so) and am thinking about building my own computer. I build my own 7 or 8 years ago before I went to college, but I have been using a Mac iBook for a few years now and am looking to have some sort of a desktop again. I'd love to get another Mac, but I don't have the extra cash right now. Anyway, I do have some experience installing hardware, so I think I can follow the directions for that part, but I have been out of the loop for a while as far as the new technology goes, so I am wondering what the best components would be.

I would primarily be using it for day-to-day internet and normal use (office type stuff) as well as photo editing. I might occasionally do video editing, but that won't be all that often. I'll probably also use it to watch baseball games with MLB.tv. I don't see myself doing gaming or anything, so I don't need anything capable for that.

I'd like to stay under $500 (I already have a monitor) and that certainly looks possible with the prices quoted in the other thread. What I am wondering is how much system I really need. I'd like it to be usable for a few years. Any help anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated! Oh, I also plan to run Linux (ubuntu) if that makes a difference. Thanks! I'm glad I found this place.

Thanks Superorb. Would you recommend a different mobo considering the video card I have requires an AGP slot and the one mentioned only has pci express?
I don't know of any OC friendly boards with an AGP slot, they're pretty old school now. You could pick up a very nice 8600GT with Zalman fan for $80AR.

hey what's the best setup if it costs the same amount (in 32bit Vista Busines):

4x1gb memory

2x2gb memory

or

2x1gb memory + 2x 512gb memory?


Please let me know asap. Thanks!!

hey what's the best setup if it costs the same amount (in 32bit Vista Busines):

4x1gb memory

2x2gb memory

or

2x1gb memory + 2x 512gb memory?


Please let me know asap. Thanks!!
If you're not going to OC, 4x1 and 2x2 won't be any real difference. But, it's better to have all of the same size than a 2gb stick and a few 512 sticks.

If you're not going to OC, 4x1 and 2x2 won't be any real difference. But, it's better to have all of the same size than a 2gb stick and a few 512 sticks.



Will 4x1gb and 2x2gb be the same performance (not overclocking) in a vista 32 bit setting?

Would they still run dual channel despite vista not recognizing all 4? Or is it better to get 3x1gb? I was initially gonna go for the 2x2gb in case I switch to 64bit later and add 4gb...but 4x1gb is a bit cheaper and someone said that it's better to have 4 than 2 for same amount of memory because there is more throughput.


Thoughts?

PS-repped for all the help!

Will 4x1gb and 2x2gb be the same performance (not overclocking) in a vista 32 bit setting?

Would they still run dual channel despite vista not recognizing all 4? Or is it better to get 3x1gb? I was initially gonna go for the 2x2gb in case I switch to 64bit later and add 4gb...but 4x1gb is a bit cheaper and someone said that it's better to have 4 than 2 for same amount of memory because there is more throughput.


Thoughts?

PS-repped for all the help!
Well, as long as you have a matched pair they'll run in dual channel mode. If you ever plan on going 64bit and adding more RAM in the future, it's probably best to spend the extra $10 and get the 2x2GB kit now. It will run the same speed no matter what OS is utilizing it, but each OS might recognize a different amount.

Well, as long as you have a matched pair they'll run in dual channel mode. If you ever plan on going 64bit and adding more RAM in the future, it's probably best to spend the extra $10 and get the 2x2GB kit now. It will run the same speed no matter what OS is utilizing it, but each OS might recognize a different amount.


In that case--should I go for the cheaper 2x2gb corsair or the more expensive cas4 with heat fins? It's $20 more which is doable ( I got a decent amount on craigslist for my old rig and much of htis is one-for-one exchange...but if it's pointless then I might as well get the cheaper one).

Also, on a sidenote, when would you estimate blueray/HD burners are gonna come out at a reasonable price?

oh and one last thing--I see DDR3 GT8600 cards and DDR2 versions...should I go for one or the other for minimal gaming purposes? There is an EVGA DDR2 on Newegg for a decent price AR but the DDR3 is almost as much as the 9600gt

oh and one last thing--I see DDR3 GT8600 cards and DDR2 versions...should I go for one or the other for minimal gaming purposes? There is an EVGA DDR2 on Newegg for a decent price AR but the DDR3 is almost as much as the 9600gt

I'd skip both and aim for the middle; the 8800GS. So long as you aren't running a resolution > than 1280x1024, the 8800GS is an excellent budget solution. And still, if you're a casual gamer, the card is serviceable at 1680x1050.

The XFX variant is $129.99 after MIR.

I'd skip both and aim for the middle; the 8800GS. So long as you aren't running a resolution > than 1280x1024, the 8800GS is an excellent budget solution. And still, if you're a casual gamer, the card is serviceable at 1680x1050.

The XFX variant is $129.99 after MIR.

I'm running 1900 res--dell 2405fpw :-/

I'm running 1900 res--dell 2405fpw :-/

If you're gaming somewhat seriously, 8800GT's the Slick way to go.

In that case--should I go for the cheaper 2x2gb corsair or the more expensive cas4 with heat fins? It's $20 more which is doable ( I got a decent amount on craigslist for my old rig and much of htis is one-for-one exchange...but if it's pointless then I might as well get the cheaper one).

Also, on a sidenote, when would you estimate blueray/HD burners are gonna come out at a reasonable price?
RAM is always going on super cheap sales, so you could wait a few days to get a good set of 2x2 corsair/crucial with the heat spreaders. It's good to have those on there anyways even if you're not OCing. It looks cool, and it helps cool the chips. Cool is always better in any application.

You definitely want to get a card with DDR3 in it, as DDR2 is pretty much obsolete on a video card these days. The XFX 8600GT with the Zalman and GTS speeds is only $79AR, but I don't know if it'll be able to push 1900 resolution. For that you'd really need an 8800GT card. Good news is they're dropping in price big time. When I bought my 8600gt they were $250 in December, but now they're down to $180 I've seen.

:iagree:

Get the 8800GT

it's the best bang for the buck

RAM is always going on super cheap sales, so you could wait a few days to get a good set of 2x2 corsair/crucial with the heat spreaders. It's good to have those on there anyways even if you're not OCing. It looks cool, and it helps cool the chips. Cool is always better in any application.

You definitely want to get a card with DDR3 in it, as DDR2 is pretty much obsolete on a video card these days. The XFX 8600GT with the Zalman and GTS speeds is only $79AR, but I don't know if it'll be able to push 1900 resolution. For that you'd really need an 8800GT card. Good news is they're dropping in price big time. When I bought my 8600gt they were $250 in December, but now they're down to $180 I've seen.

At this point, I could wait like 2-3 weeks tops--do you think I should get the 8800GT deal now or wait? Would you expect prices to drop then? So far, I only bought an HD and sound card for my rig--

You think within 2-3 weeks the gigabyte board may drop in price too? I figure throught this time if I see things going on sale decently I'll buy them. If the 8800GT hits $150 I'd buy it. I just don't know if it's worth it. I had a 6800 XT running my 1900 res. for games like NFS most wanted, GTA San Andreas and Doom.

Also, do you think the Corsair 2x2gb ram with Cas 4 and heat fins that ocst s$94 after $40 rebate will drop in price within the next week or two or should I take advantage of the rebate now?

At this point, I could wait like 2-3 weeks tops--do you think I should get the 8800GT deal now or wait? Would you expect prices to drop then? So far, I only bought an HD and sound card for my rig--

You think within 2-3 weeks the gigabyte board may drop in price too? I figure throught this time if I see things going on sale decently I'll buy them. If the 8800GT hits $150 I'd buy it. I just don't know if it's worth it. I had a 6800 XT running my 1900 res. for games like NFS most wanted, GTA San Andreas and Doom.

Also, do you think the Corsair 2x2gb ram with Cas 4 and heat fins that ocst s$94 after $40 rebate will drop in price within the next week or two or should I take advantage of the rebate now?
Look for either XMS2 or the Ballistix, don't worry about the dominator or any 8500 speed stuff since you won't need it.

In 3 weeks 8800gt's should be a little cheaper since the 9600 cards are now out. The DS3L is often $85 shipped every other week or so. You could also snag the IP35-e which is very similar for about $70AR.

Which of these should I pair with the Abit IP35-E, 4x1gb or 2x2gb?

http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A4330633&CMP=EMC%2DCrsAsus022808

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146565

Which of these should I pair with the Abit IP35-E, 4x1gb or 2x2gb?

http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A4330633&CMP=EMC%2DCrsAsus022808

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146565
Probably best usually with 2x2 vs. 4x1. You probably won't need all that DHX crap on those Corsair sticks either. I think it's just a marketing gimmick. Get yourself some 2x2 ballistix and enjoy.

Probably best usually with 2x2 vs. 4x1. You probably won't need all that DHX crap on those Corsair sticks either. I think it's just a marketing gimmick. Get yourself some 2x2 ballistix and enjoy.
I cant find 2x2 ballistix anywhere. Do you have a link so I can check it out?

I cant find 2x2 ballistix anywhere. Do you have a link so I can check it out?
Not at the moment. Have patience grasshopper, deals on Crucial RAM happen all the time. XMS2 RAM is good too, and that pops up frequently too.

Not at the moment. Have patience grasshopper, deals on Crucial RAM happen all the time. XMS2 RAM is good too, and that pops up frequently too.
I was planning on ordering one of the 1 above kits, 4x1gb or the 2x2gb.

4x1gb Crucial Ballixtix for $70AR or 2x2gb Corsair XMS2 for $77AR

Both seem like great deals but I'm leaning towards the 2x2gb kit (unless its a junk kit) in case I want to add more ram down the road.

I was planning on ordering one of the 1 above kits, 4x1gb or the 2x2gb.

4x1gb Crucial Ballixtix for $70AR or 2x2gb Corsair XMS2 for $77AR

Both seem like great deals but I'm leaning towards the 2x2gb kit (unless its a junk kit) in case I want to add more ram down the road.
If you plan to add down the road, no point in filling up all your slots right now. 4GB should hold you over until DDR3 is more mainstream though, but the choice is yours :)

I've been a lurker for some time now but had to register to finally get involved. I read this article http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2270998,00.asp about building a gaming computer for $800.00. I have more to spend on my next build than the recommended parts list below:

Brand / Model Price
CPU Core 2 Duo E6550 $170 (Compare Prices)
Motherboard ASUS P5K Pro $132
Memory Corsair TWIN2X 2048 6400 $75 (Compare Prices)
Graphics EVGA GeForce 9600 GT SSC $180 (Compare Prices)
Sound Card Integrated NA
Hard drive Seagate 7200.10 160GB $53 (Compare Prices)
Optical drive Lite-On LH-20A4P $30 (Compare Prices)
Case Cooler Master Centurion RC-534 $80 (Compare Prices)
Power Supply Cooler Master 430W (incl. with case) NA
Operating system Windows XP Home $74
Total $794

The computer I'm replacing is not getting the performance it should. Nothing is Overclocked on it. This is the specs;

Thermaltake Mozart TX
OCZ 850W GameXstream SLI-Ready Power supply
EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard
Intel Core 2 DUO E6600 2.4 Mhz
2 x PNY GeForce 8800 GTS 640 MB GDDR3 PCI-E
2 x Seagate 320GB Serial ATA HD 7200/16MB/SATA 3G
OCZ Dual Channel 2048MB PC8500 DDR2 1066MHz Nvidia SLI-Ready EPP Memory (2 1gb sticks)
Plextor SATA 16+- DVD RW
Thermaltake Media LAB Multifunctional IR Remote device + Remote control

I need to build a gaming computer that will be faster than the one I'm replacing. Reusing some of the above parts is ok if you think their as good as what I could replace them with. The only restriction I have is to use a portable case with a handle on it. This computer will be used mostly for online gaming. I don't want to spend $5000 to build it either. $3000 would be a good price point. Overclocking is an option for this rig also.

Please chime in!

Antilamr,

What you have right now is already exceptional, no need for the new build. The case is a bit overkill, IMHO, but other than that, you have high quality parts within.

However, I'd recommend upgrading to 2x2GB of RAM and selling your 640MB cards in favor of a pair of 512MB 8800GTs (if SLI is your thing).

Oh, and overclock that E6600. ;)

Antilamr,

What you have right now is already exceptional, no need for the new build. The case is a bit overkill, IMHO, but other than that, you have high quality parts within.

However, I'd recommend upgrading to 2x2GB of RAM and selling your 640MB cards in favor of a pair of 512MB 8800GTs (if SLI is your thing).

Oh, and overclock that E6600. ;)
What he said :) ^^^

Whoever was looking for 2x2GB RAM can try these, under $70 for the pair: http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=238510&t=760985&u2=http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A4354049

Just completed my build this past weekend. This is to whoever was having a power problem for the 8800GT. I'm running a MSI 8800GT just fine with a COOLER MASTER Real Power Pro. Shown here
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171023
On the other hand, the PSU isn't cheap by any means.

Just completed my build this past weekend. This is to whoever was having a power problem for the 8800GT. I'm running a MSI 8800GT just fine with a COOLER MASTER Real Power Pro. Shown here
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171023
On the other hand, the PSU isn't cheap by any means.
$140 and not modular? Wow...

If an Earthwatts cant handle it, I don't want it.

Just completed my build this past weekend. This is to whoever was having a power problem for the 8800GT. I'm running a MSI 8800GT just fine with a COOLER MASTER Real Power Pro. Shown here
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171023
On the other hand, the PSU isn't cheap by any means.


hehe, yeah, that's a lot more than the $60 I paid for the Corsair unit I got. After rolling back the drivers to the original drivers (167.27?) that came out with the 8800gt though, it works perfectly.

Just completed my build this past weekend. This is to whoever was having a power problem for the 8800GT. I'm running a MSI 8800GT just fine with a COOLER MASTER Real Power Pro. Shown here
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171023
On the other hand, the PSU isn't cheap by any means.
I bought this model 4 months ago from NewEgg for $60AR w/FS. Real SlickDeal'ers hold out for good sales.

I bought this model 4 months ago from NewEgg for $60AR w/FS. Real SlickDeal'ers hold out for good sales.

You'll be hard pressed to find a deal like that again.


EDIT .... I stand corrected:

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0265149

Cooler Master
Real Power Pro 750w

$60 after MIR.

gahhhh when is the e8400 coming back :( I should've ordered it for $240 when I saw it in stock at tiger direct :*(

gahhhh when is the e8400 coming back :( I should've ordered it for $240 when I saw it in stock at tiger direct :*(
Patience grasshopper...

I've been a lurker for some time now but had to register to finally get involved. I read this article http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2270998,00.asp about building a gaming computer for $800.00. I have more to spend on my next build than the recommended parts list below:

Brand / Model Price
CPU Core 2 Duo E6550 $170 (Compare Prices)
Motherboard ASUS P5K Pro $132
Memory Corsair TWIN2X 2048 6400 $75 (Compare Prices)
Graphics EVGA GeForce 9600 GT SSC $180 (Compare Prices)
Sound Card Integrated NA
Hard drive Seagate 7200.10 160GB $53 (Compare Prices)
Optical drive Lite-On LH-20A4P $30 (Compare Prices)
Case Cooler Master Centurion RC-534 $80 (Compare Prices)
Power Supply Cooler Master 430W (incl. with case) NA
Operating system Windows XP Home $74
Total $794

The computer I'm replacing is not getting the performance it should. Nothing is Overclocked on it. This is the specs;

Thermaltake Mozart TX
OCZ 850W GameXstream SLI-Ready Power supply
EVGA nForce 680i SLI Motherboard
Intel Core 2 DUO E6600 2.4 Mhz
2 x PNY GeForce 8800 GTS 640 MB GDDR3 PCI-E
2 x Seagate 320GB Serial ATA HD 7200/16MB/SATA 3G
OCZ Dual Channel 2048MB PC8500 DDR2 1066MHz Nvidia SLI-Ready EPP Memory (2 1gb sticks)
Plextor SATA 16+- DVD RW
Thermaltake Media LAB Multifunctional IR Remote device + Remote control

I need to build a gaming computer that will be faster than the one I'm replacing. Reusing some of the above parts is ok if you think their as good as what I could replace them with. The only restriction I have is to use a portable case with a handle on it. This computer will be used mostly for online gaming. I don't want to spend $5000 to build it either. $3000 would be a good price point. Overclocking is an option for this rig also.

Please chime in!

WHAT!!!???!!!???

Why would you replace that? How much performance do you need? As it is now, that will play almost everything (except Crysis) at max settings.

Hi Ive been thinking about building a computer but I dont know what parts to buy. I am afraid some parts/brands may not be compatible or wont fit in case. Can anyone help me out with a list of all the parts to get? I want a gaming computer that can play new games like Lost Planet, Crysis, etc. Preferably parts that dont cost too much. Thanks

Hi Ive been thinking about building a computer but I dont know what parts to buy. I am afraid some parts/brands may not be compatible or wont fit in case. Can anyone help me out with a list of all the parts to get? I want a gaming computer that can play new games like Lost Planet, Crysis, etc. Preferably parts that dont cost too much. Thanks

Read back a few pages and you will find this answered several times..

basically, for a cheap and highly overclockable gaming system, you need:

any Core 2 Duo or E21xx chip.
Gigabyte DS3L or Abit P35-E mobo
2GB DDR800 ram
8800GT
Any quality 400W+ power supply (read the reviews on newegg)

If im not able to assemble the parts together, is there a place where I can get it assembled?

If im not able to assemble the parts together, is there a place where I can get it assembled?

AVADirect builds systems and has a giant selection of parts to choose from. Great customer support, as well. Decent prices.

Oh, and if you're in the Cleveland area, I charge a very modest construction fee and would be glad to put a system together for you with minimal labor charges. :)

Hey all I am building up a new comp and was wondering if the power supply I am planning on getting is going to be for enough to power everything I am putting in the case.

Here are the specs of the machine so far:
Processor: Intel Core2Quad Q6600 ($224)
Motherboard: DFI Infinity P965-S Dark ($73)
Graphics: XFX 8600GT XXX Series ($65)
RAM: 4GB SuperTalent DDR2 PC2-5400 (already own...may upgrade to PC2-6400)
HDD1: WD 640GB SATA2 ($130)
HDD2,3: Seagate 300GB SATA2 (already own)
DVD: Samsung 20x SATA ($22?)
Floppy: maybe
Case: Antec P1812 Gunmetal

Power Supply: Antec True Power Trio TP3-550 ATX12V 550W Power Supply with Three 12V Rails (case + power supply = $160)

So, is this power supply going to be able to power everything in here? I may do a little overclocking to get the FSB to 1333mhz and the processor at 3GHz. Oh yeah I have an aftermarket HSF as well (Arctic Cooler 7 Pro).

Thanks,
sdelano

Hey all I am building up a new comp and was wondering if the power supply I am planning on getting is going to be for enough to power everything I am putting in the case.

Here are the specs of the machine so far:
Processor: Intel Core2Quad Q6600 ($224)
Motherboard: DFI Infinity P965-S Dark ($73)
Graphics: XFX 8600GT XXX Series ($65)
RAM: 4GB SuperTalent DDR2 PC2-5400 (already own...may upgrade to PC2-6400)
HDD1: WD 640GB SATA2 ($130)
HDD2,3: Seagate 300GB SATA2 (already own)
DVD: Samsung 20x SATA ($22?)
Floppy: maybe
Case: Antec P1812 Gunmetal

Power Supply: Antec True Power Trio TP3-550 ATX12V 550W Power Supply with Three 12V Rails (case + power supply = $160)

So, is this power supply going to be able to power everything in here? I may do a little overclocking to get the FSB to 1333mhz and the processor at 3GHz. Oh yeah I have an aftermarket HSF as well (Arctic Cooler 7 Pro).

Thanks,
sdelano

Everything looks solid here. The DFI board you've selected is a superb OCing board and will carry that Q6600 to 3.0 Ghz+ nicely. The only, and I mean only, weak link that I can see with this system in the graphics card (and potentially the RAM, if it doesn't clock high enough).

FWIW, for about $60 more, you can get the 8800GS, which would offer dramatically improved frame rates.

That is, of course, assuming that you'll be gaming on this system. :)

Everything looks solid here. The DFI board you've selected is a superb OCing board and will carry that Q6600 to 3.0 Ghz+ nicely. The only, and I mean only, weak link that I can see with this system in the graphics card (and potentially the RAM, if it doesn't clock high enough).

FWIW, for about $60 more, you can get the 8800GS, which would offer dramatically improved frame rates.

That is, of course, assuming that you'll be gaming on this system. :)

Actually no I don't game much at all, that's why I chose the lower-end graphics card. Actually all of the components were selected to work well with OSX, and I will be spending alot of the time there coding / which for me involves running a few VM's simultaneously. I actually ended up getting a HD2600XT because the price of the 8600GT went up $10 overnight and the free shipping went away. I also realized that I still wouldn't be able to use TV-out with in in OSX, and actually have a better chance of getting that to work with the ATi card.

The Radeon was $65AR + s/h and includes a free copy of The Witcher, which I plan on selling on eBay.

About the RAM, when I bought it I saw that others had easily overclocked it to over 800mhz.

This is my first time overclocking, and from what I can tell, wouldn't a FSB of 333 give me a RAM speed of 666? That would give me 3GHz on the CPU and be well within the bounds of the RAM's operating speed.

Correct me if I'm wrong

-sdelano

Actually no I don't game much at all, that's why I chose the lower-end graphics card. Actually all of the components were selected to work well with OSX, and I will be spending alot of the time there coding / which for me involves running a few VM's simultaneously. I actually ended up getting a HD2600XT because the price of the 8600GT went up $10 overnight and the free shipping went away. I also realized that I still wouldn't be able to use TV-out with in in OSX, and actually have a better chance of getting that to work with the ATi card.

The Radeon was $65AR + s/h and includes a free copy of The Witcher, which I plan on selling on eBay.

About the RAM, when I bought it I saw that others had easily overclocked it to over 800mhz.

This is my first time overclocking, and from what I can tell, wouldn't a FSB of 333 give me a RAM speed of 666? That would give me 3GHz on the CPU and be well within the bounds of the RAM's operating speed.

Correct me if I'm wrong

-sdelano

Regarding the RAM's potential OC ability, you should be just fine. I was unaware of such reviews. So yes, those sticks should do just fine. Also, the CPU overclocking you've computed is spot on; 9x multiplier, 333Mhz FSB = approximately 3.0 Ghz.


Regarding the graphics card purchase, no harm done in choosing the 2600XT. Thumbs up across the board.

Hey guys,

I'm looking to upgrade my computer.
I guess you can say I'm quite the gamer of old times (CS, WC3, HL2,)
However, I want to be a gamer of the present (Crysis, etc)

Please guys, help me out here. I just started my build yesterday as I just purchased the BFG Tech GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3.

So what i'm looking for here is something that will last me for awhile. I'm giving my old rig to my parents (cause they're not gamers :lol:)

CPU: (looking at a quad core i guess?)
Motherboard:
PSU:
RAM: (i'm a corsair guy)
Sound card: (is soundblaster still the best out there?)
2 Hard drives: (i'm looking for something fast for a primary drive for gaming and then around 500 gigs for personal documents/pix/vids)
Monitor: (i always got confused. i thought crts were better than lcd screens for gaming due to fps)


o0o0o I forgot to mention. I bought a water cooling system last summer, and I was waiting to put it in my rig, but i decided to wait till I upgrade. It's the Zalman Reserator I V2. (You think I should switch out the fan on the graphics card?)

This was my old build:

Intel P4/3.4EGHz 800M 478P/1MB HT
Thermalright XP-120 with Enermax Fan plus 5 Case Fans
Raptor WD 72GB 10000RPM
Maxtor 250GB 7200RPM
ASUS P4P800SE 865PE/ICH5
Corsair TWINX1024-3200LL 1GB DDR400 XMS3200 Ultra Low Latency Dual-Channel Memory w/Heat Spreader
ATI Radeon X800 XT PT
Samsung 17'' LCD
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS
Mad Dog 16x DVD+-R+-RW
Some case by Xoxide.com that i won at this Lan party in college with 1 case fan and some LEDs (bought 4 additional 80mm fans)
G15 Gaming Keyboard
MX Revolution Mouse
Plantronics Headset

Thank you soooooo much guys!

hi my friend has a HP dv2000 laptop Core2duo 2ghz 2g ram but a nvdia 128mb video card. he wants to know if he can upgrade the laptop's video card. Is it possible? If yes, what kind and where? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

hi my friend has a HP dv2000 laptop Core2duo 2ghz 2g ram but a nvdia 128mb video card. he wants to know if he can upgrade the laptop's video card. Is it possible? If yes, what kind and where? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Nah you can't. Its built in.

When playing counter-strike after awhile my mobo starts beeping at me, it will only happen every few minutes. It's sometimes a single beep or 2 short beeps. I have riva tuner running so my graphics card fans are running at 65% typically and my core temp stays at 48*C.

Anyone know why this will happen? If i'm not playing counter-strike then I get no beeps, just built it last night.

My Rig:
Gigabyte DS3L Mobo
e8400 ( Artic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Heatsink/Fan )
EVGA 8800GTS 512mb 670mhz
700W OCZ GameXStreamPS
4 x 1 GB G.SKILL pc2 6400
WD Raptor 150GB HD

When playing counter-strike after awhile my mobo starts beeping at me, it will only happen every few minutes. It's sometimes a single beep or 2 short beeps. I have riva tuner running so my graphics card fans are running at 65% typically and my core temp stays at 48*C.

Anyone know why this will happen? If i'm not playing counter-strike then I get no beeps, just built it last night.

My Rig:
Gigabyte DS3L Mobo
e8400 ( Artic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Heatsink/Fan )
EVGA 8800GTS 512mb 670mhz
700W OCZ GameXStreamPS
4 x 1 GB G.SKILL pc2 6400
WD Raptor 150GB HD
Only thing I could think is that it might be drawing too much power, or there's some kind of warning on a low speed fan or something. Why don't you run the video card at 100% while gaming?

Only thing I could think is that it might be drawing too much power, or there's some kind of warning on a low speed fan or something. Why don't you run the video card at 100% while gaming?

I have it set so the fan increases if the core temp increases past a certain point so it keeps it constantly cool. I'm also wondering if it could be a power issue with the graphics card but I would think 700W for what I have is more than enough.

I have it set so the fan increases if the core temp increases past a certain point so it keeps it constantly cool. I'm also wondering if it could be a power issue with the graphics card but I would think 700W for what I have is more than enough.
700w on one PSU could mean only 400 actual watts, and dirty power to boot. I'd think an OCZ is pretty stout though.

700w on one PSU could mean only 400 actual watts, and dirty power to boot. I'd think an OCZ is pretty stout though.

I agree and am aware of this but OCZ is pretty quality, I know of people running 8800gtx, e8400, 2 wd raptor hd's, 2 dvd drives on a 700w OCZ PS and not having any issues.

The 8800GTS card I have requires 2 power connections, so I have 2 seperate cables from the PS coming to it but also have a dvd drive hooked up to one of these since I don't have any seperate 4 pin connectors I have to run it this way. Could this be causing the problem? The DVD drive eating up some of the power so its not all going to the card?

I've heard it couple more times now, all temps stay good but its just a single beep from the mobo. I know this has to indicate something so hopefully someone will know, google hasn't yielded me anything yet other then give me some ideas of what it might be.

I agree and am aware of this but OCZ is pretty quality, I know of people running 8800gtx, e8400, 2 wd raptor hd's, 2 dvd drives on a 700w OCZ PS and not having any issues.

The 8800GTS card I have requires 2 power connections, so I have 2 seperate cables from the PS coming to it but also have a dvd drive hooked up to one of these since I don't have any seperate 4 pin connectors I have to run it this way. Could this be causing the problem? The DVD drive eating up some of the power so its not all going to the card?

I've heard it couple more times now, all temps stay good but its just a single beep from the mobo. I know this has to indicate something so hopefully someone will know, google hasn't yielded me anything yet other then give me some ideas of what it might be.
If the optical drive is in use while gaming, it might mean something, however, I wouldn't expect the mobo to beep if the GFX card was hungry for more power. HAve you read the mobo manual yet to look for beeping events?

I think I solved my own problem, isolated the problem to happening when to many keys are pressed on the keyboard. This causes the mobo pc speaker to beep after the queue is filled on the keyboard. Time to buy another keyboard and hopefully that solves the issue!

I think I solved my own problem, isolated the problem to happening when to many keys are pressed on the keyboard. This causes the mobo pc speaker to beep after the queue is filled on the keyboard. Time to buy another keyboard and hopefully that solves the issue!
It's not the keyboard. Mobo's have a buffer that will error when overflow occurs.

Simple fix: don't press so many buttons ;) Map some keys to a mouse/gamepad or something

It's not the keyboard. Mobo's have a buffer that will error when overflow occurs.

Simple fix: don't press so many buttons ;) Map some keys to a mouse/gamepad or something

Changing the keyboard worked though?

Changing the keyboard worked though?
It's not a keyboard thing. Keyboards are just input devices. The motherboard can only accept so many inputs at one time, it doesn't matter which model keyboard is sending them.

I think I solved my own problem, isolated the problem to happening when to many keys are pressed on the keyboard. This causes the mobo pc speaker to beep after the queue is filled on the keyboard. Time to buy another keyboard and hopefully that solves the issue!

Stickykeys. Disable them. :)

Basically, SK is a warning that beeps whenever you hold too many keys down on the keyboard at once. You should get some sort of an error asking if you want to keep SK on or Cancel it. I'd choose the latter.

Stickykeys. Disable them. :)

Basically, SK is a warning that beeps whenever you hold too many keys down on the keyboard at once. You should get some sort of an error asking if you want to keep SK on or Cancel it. I'd choose the latter.

SK beep would come from the pc speaker, not from the motherboard. and it is disabled.

Hmm i've always thought stickykeys come from the mobo. You're sure it's not a temp problem? Maybe you can disable all the bios audio warnings and see if it still occurs?

Hmm i've always thought stickykeys come from the mobo. You're sure it's not a temp problem? Maybe you can disable all the bios audio warnings and see if it still occurs?
It's beeping for a reason. How many keys are you pressing at one time? I think 3 is the limit on most boards. I've never seen a command longer than 3 keys at once.

Hey,

My bro in law wants to build a computer that will be fairly powerful but as economical as possible. He wants to be able to watch, burn and edit HD movies from his camera--this is probably the most hardcore thing he would be doing. Anyone have any ideas for a cheap, efficient build? Thanks!

Anyone overclocking their DS3L? Specifically with an e8400? What settings in BIOS do I need to change to tweak my e8400 to 3.6ghz. From what I hear this shouldn't be hard for the e8400, I got an an aftermarket heatsink/cpu fan. Any tips?

Anyone overclocking their DS3L? Specifically with an e8400? What settings in BIOS do I need to change to tweak my e8400 to 3.6ghz. From what I hear this shouldn't be hard for the e8400, I got an an aftermarket heatsink/cpu fan. Any tips?
I think most people who have a DS3L are overclocking with it. Keep in mind every chip will be different; there are good and bad chips in a batch. Don't think you'll automatically get to 3.6 though.

Anyone overclocking their DS3L? Specifically with an e8400? What settings in BIOS do I need to change to tweak my e8400 to 3.6ghz. From what I hear this shouldn't be hard for the e8400, I got an an aftermarket heatsink/cpu fan. Any tips?

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1169366

All the information you'll need on overclocking Gigabyte P35/965 boards ^.

I am looking to possibly update my machine by getting a new mobo,cpu, and ram. Would I be better off getting 1066 ram vs 800 even though the cpu doesn't need it?

Bear in mind I am a huge tightwad, and will probably be using this same ram in 5 years as I just checked my Newegg history and saw that I bought the ram I am using now 5 years ago.

I am still using PC2100 DDR.

I am looking to possibly update my machine by getting a new mobo,cpu, and ram. Would I be better off getting 1066 ram vs 800 even though the cpu doesn't need it?

Bear in mind I am a huge tightwad, and will probably be using this same ram in 5 years as I just checked my Newegg history and saw that I bought the ram I am using now 5 years ago.

I am still using PC2100 DDR.

Nope. DDR2-800 will do just fine. Unless you're looking for higher OC headroom, there's no real reason to get 1066.

I am looking to possibly update my machine by getting a new mobo,cpu, and ram. Would I be better off getting 1066 ram vs 800 even though the cpu doesn't need it?

Bear in mind I am a huge tightwad, and will probably be using this same ram in 5 years as I just checked my Newegg history and saw that I bought the ram I am using now 5 years ago.

I am still using PC2100 DDR.

800 should be good.

bayareaaa are you running your e4300 at 333x9? it's what i'm running mine at... havent been able to get it to post with any other timings at 3.0 ghz

edit: cleared cookies and went back to abit and look bios 16 SHOWS UP -_-

Hi, I'm building a desktop PC also, for the first time, and have a few questions. Before that, here are my planned components:

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L
GPU: Geforce 8800 GT 512MB GDDR3 :)
Hard Drive: 160GB 7200rpm SATA
Memory: 4GB Corsair DDR2 800 mhz
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio PCI Express
CD Drive: Just a basic one that will read CD-R, RW+, and DVDs

As you might be able to tell, this will be a gaming rig, so I'm very concerned about cooling. Another thing you may have noticed, my list does not include a case, PSU, or additional cooling as of yet. Obviously I'm a bit of a noob for this kind of building, and therefore jumped for joy when I found this thread.

My questions ( I do plan to attempt overclocking, so keep that in mind):
1. Should I get 1066 mhz RAM instead of 800?
2. Any particular case you would recommend?
3. What kind of PSU will I need for this? I realize that these components are going to eat up quite a bit of power, especially the GPU.
4. What recommendations for cooling would you have for me? (conventional only, please, i.e. fans and heatsinks)

The overall price is kind of getting up there as it is, but I wanted to make sure I had everything since my previous attempts at gaming on my old computer (1.4 ghz, 512MB DDR, and *shudders* integrated graphics). Your thoughts would be appreciated.

blast289212,


1. DDR2-800 RAM will often overclock to DDR2-1000 (and even 1066) speeds.
2. Anything CoolerMaster or Antec-built.
3. An OCZ StealthXtreme (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341012&guid=59316a2fa7b344ac9933898971404610) seems to be the best deal on Newegg right now.
4. Several coolers will do the job. Those "on sale" @ Newegg that offer a good price/performance ratio:


Scythe SCNJ-1100P ("Ninja") will be the quietest and still provide excellent cooling potential.
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 is an excellent performer that comes with an integrated fan controller. The most effective cooler listed here.
The AC Freezer 7 Pro is often recommended around here, but lacks the raw power cooling power of the NV120 and Ninja. It's $22 shipped @ Ewiz.com.
Rosewill's RCX-775-LX is a steal at ~$24 shipped at Newegg - price has steadily increased (as has its popularity). It's an excellent quiet performer and cools better than the AC Freezer 7 Pro.

blast289212,


1. DDR2-800 RAM will often overclock to DDR2-1000 (and even 1066) speeds.
2. Anything CoolerMaster or Antec-built.
3. An OCZ StealthXtreme (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341012&guid=59316a2fa7b344ac9933898971404610) seems to be the best deal on Newegg right now.
4. Several coolers will do the job. Those "on sale" @ Newegg that offer a good price/performance ratio:


Scythe SCNJ-1100P ("Ninja") will be the quietest and still provide excellent cooling potential.
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 is an excellent performer that comes with an integrated fan controller. The most effective cooler listed here.
The AC Freezer 7 Pro is often recommended around here, but lacks the raw power cooling power of the NV120 and Ninja. It's $22 shipped @ Ewiz.com.
Rosewill's RCX-775-LX is a steal at ~$24 shipped at Newegg - price has steadily increased (as has its popularity). It's an excellent quiet performer and cools better than the AC Freezer 7 Pro.


i was really amazed with the quality of the rosewill cooler's that i got from the egg awhile back in the FAR/make $15 deal awhile ago. They are silent and great performers. Paired with a decent thermal compound such as as5 (outdated but 7 bucks) it cools excellent :).

i was really amazed with the quality of the rosewill cooler's that i got from the egg awhile back in the FAR/make $15 deal awhile ago. They are silent and great performers. Paired with a decent thermal compound such as as5 (outdated but 7 bucks) it cools excellent :).

Awesome! Yeah, I'm not sure if the "SL" version is the same as the "LX" - I do know, however, that the LX is identical (except for the different colored fan) to the Akasa AK-965, an excellent heatsink in its own right. Check out its review on Frostytech.com.

Awesome! Yeah, I'm not sure if the "SL" version is the same as the "LX" - I do know, however, that the LX is identical (except for the different colored fan) to the Akasa AK-965, an excellent heatsink in its own right. Check out its review on Frostytech.com.

only difference i can see from the outside is. it has the fan the amd rosewill has on it. and no aluminum type shell.. the design besides those two factors looks identical.

I am looking at building a new rig and am wondering if it is worth it to spend the ~$200 on a C2D 6xxx model or the $250 on the e8400 over just spending the $50 on an e2180 and overclocking it.

I am going to be doing quite a bit of video editing on it, and other than that mostly day to day stuff. No major gaming at the moment, but I will when SC2 comes out.

I'll be adding 4gb of ram and a ton of storage space to go along with it, still undecided on the motherboard.

Any opinions on that for my needs? Or am I better off just getting a Mac for the video editing and sticking it out with this PC for a little longer and upgrading down the line?

You should be able to pick up a Q6600 for about $200, much better for video editing since video programs will use all 4 cores. I have an E6600 and E2180, both at 3.0ghz. These are fodling@home rigs, and in that specific application the 4mb cache on the E6600 makes it 33% faster than the E2180. Doesn't look like video editing (http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/pentium-e2160_4.html#sect0) is so cache sensitive.

It is hard to beat the E2180 for $50 though. Even an overclocked Q6600 at 2x the performance is 4x the price (but it's only $200)

Ok, I know I'm getting the Gigabyte DS3L and an e2180 and will be using XP.

Is there any reason to get 2x2gb now or will I be fine with a 2x1gb Ballistix kit? ($35 after rebate is much lighter on the funds than $100 for a 4gb kit.)

No reason for 4gb since XP/Vista32 can only see about 3 to 3.5 gigs.


so is my ram the wrong type? or it ok?
I have abit p35-e
e2810
and the G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory

what setting should i use to overclock to 3.2ghz?

Ram is fine. e2180 has a 10x multi, so set your FSB to 320 to get 3.2ghz. Set your RAM multiplier to 2.5x (5:4 RAM:FSB) and your RAM will be at 2.5x320 = 800. Or go for 3.33ghz, FSB 333 and 2.4x (6:5 RAM:FSB) multiplier. Or, set your FSB to 400, reduce your CPU multiplier to 8x and set the RAM to 2xFSB (1:1) and it will run at 800 mhz. Many ways to get to 3.2ghz. I like setting the FSB to 320 or 333 since, at that speed, you're running at the motherboards rated spec. FSB 400 will give a performance bump since you're overclocking the northbridge.

Other settings you'll need to play with as you test stability. In my case, to get 3.0 ghz I did FSB 333, changed the CPU multiplier to 9, and upped the CPU voltage by 0.05 or 0.1 to get the overclock stable. Nothing I could do to get the chip stable over 3.2 ghz (and 3.2 required 1.5 volts). So I leave it at 3.0 and figure 50% overclock out of a $50 chip is good enough.

Hi, I'm building a desktop PC also, for the first time, and have a few questions. Before that, here are my planned components:

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L
GPU: Geforce 8800 GT 512MB GDDR3 :)
Hard Drive: 160GB 7200rpm SATA
Memory: 4GB Corsair DDR2 800 mhz
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio PCI Express
CD Drive: Just a basic one that will read CD-R, RW+, and DVDs

As you might be able to tell, this will be a gaming rig, so I'm very concerned about cooling. Another thing you may have noticed, my list does not include a case, PSU, or additional cooling as of yet. Obviously I'm a bit of a noob for this kind of building, and therefore jumped for joy when I found this thread.

My questions ( I do plan to attempt overclocking, so keep that in mind):
1. Should I get 1066 mhz RAM instead of 800?
2. Any particular case you would recommend?
3. What kind of PSU will I need for this? I realize that these components are going to eat up quite a bit of power, especially the GPU.
4. What recommendations for cooling would you have for me? (conventional only, please, i.e. fans and heatsinks)

The overall price is kind of getting up there as it is, but I wanted to make sure I had everything since my previous attempts at gaming on my old computer (1.4 ghz, 512MB DDR, and *shudders* integrated graphics). Your thoughts would be appreciated.

With all the marketing hype about 1000watt PSUs, you will be amazed how little power your system draws. I have an Antec Earthwatts 380 powering two systems similar to yours. Just be sure you get a quality PSU with lots of 12v power, as opposed to the many cheap ones that overstate their rated power but it's all 3.3v or 5v that's useless. Try this PSU calculator (http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine) to calc your needs, then look for slickdeals on good brands like Corsair, Seasonic, Antec, OCZ, etc.

With all the marketing hype about 1000watt PSUs, you will be amazed how little power your system draws. I have an Antec Earthwatts 380 powering two systems similar to yours. Just be sure you get a quality PSU with lots of 12v power, as opposed to the many cheap ones that overstate their rated power but it's all 3.3v or 5v that's useless. Try this PSU calculator (http://extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine) to calc your needs, then look for slickdeals on good brands like Corsair, Seasonic, Antec, OCZ, etc.

From what I've heard, the PSU calculator referenced here is a gross over-estimator.

However, the recommendation for an Earthwatts 380 is right on the money.

From what I've heard, the PSU calculator referenced here is a gross over-estimator.

However, the recommendation for an Earthwatts 380 is right on the money.
That calculator estimated my system 120w over what it actually draws (which was over double the real amount!).

From what I've heard, the PSU calculator referenced here is a gross over-estimator.

Really? Remember that it allows the selection of percent load, with the default being 90%. This is good, because under the rare condition of max load, if you don't have a PSU that can keep up your system will behave strangely or shutdown. Sure, it might only happen a few times a year, but it's better than chasing down a strange problem, right?

In my case:

C2D E6300 OC'd to 2.8 GHz
2 sticks of RAM
2 hard drives
8800GTS 320 MB
DVD Writer
TV Tuner
2 USB devices
90% load

It calculates me using 350 watts, so I know my 380 watts Earthwatts was a good choice. I'm also sure that in most conditions, it's not even using 200 watts.

That calculator estimated my system 120w over what it actually draws (which was over double the real amount!).

Keep in mind that's a 90% (I assume that's what you selected) load.

That calculator estimated my system 120w over what it actually draws (which was over double the real amount!).

Just checked my main system and the calculator says 356watts. My Kill-A-Watt meter at the wall socket says 270 (4 cores full load). So 90-100 watts over, but then I left 4-cores loaded and ran a 3DMark06 benchmark and got max 324watts at the wall socket. I guess if I was burning a couple DVD's at the same time, I might be able to push it to 360watts. But realistically, the PSU is at best 80% efficient, so 324watts at the wall is really 0.8x324 = 260 watts. :eek:

For reference, my computer is:
Asus P5B Deluxe, Q6600 (B3), 8800GTS 640mb, 2 x 320mb SATA drives, 2 x DVD R/Ws, 5-120mm fans, and I think that's it. Everything at stock speed.

The amazing thing to me is that this is a pretty powerful system, yet a quality 380w PSU will power it. Had I known this a year ago when I built this system, I could have gotten a 380w or 430 watt Earthwatts for $30 after rebate and saved $100 over the 700watt PSU that I got.

I would bet that a quality 500w PSU will power any non-sli / non-crossfire system. Once you start adding multiple GPU's, I guess all bets are off.

Were you stressing your GPU and hard drives at the same time? I think if you did both and burned a DVD at the same time, you'd be drawing closer to the estimate. Also realize PSUs become more efficient as you approach max draw.

I bought the computer from THIS (http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?t=772018) thread. adding 2x2gig ram sticks and this video card (http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10007125). Considering the 350w stock PSU, should I be concerned? My knowhow on PSU's is zilch. Thanks for any help

JPSftw, thanks for the advice. The ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 looks good for me, Coolermaster seems to produce quality cases (My selection: http://www.directron.com/cact05uw.html#caption)
I found a different power supply, though. After reading a later post by Mackowitz mentioning an Antec earthwatts 380w, I looked on newegg and found this.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-SlickDeals&cm_mmc=AFC-SlickDeals-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16817371007
Similar price, quality brand, and 500w. Good for me.

I have 4 fans, if you include the one in the PSU. The other three are the ZEROtherm mentioned above, 1 80mm & 1 120mm, the latter 2 built into the case (first link). From the case design, with the smaller fan as intake and the larger as exhaust, it seems to promote a slight vacuum, which makes sense for cooling. However, with the extra 2 fans, there
seems to be more "air", if you will, inside the case. Will this cause any issues?

My other question is on power connections. I'm looking at all of my components, and there seem to be quite a lot of places to connect my PSU to.
From the Antec PSU's description, it has: a 20+4 pin connector (good), 2 PCIe (good), and 4 SATA (good).
I don't exactly need more than one 24 pin connector, but my other stuff:
Geforce 8800GT 512MB GDDR3
Razer Barracuda AC-1 sound card
(http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=207534819)
CD/DVD combo drive (SATA)
160GB 7200rpm hard drive (SATA)
The previously mentioned ZEROtherm
The two fans on my case (First link)

Basically, what needs power? The sound card for one, does it draw power through the motherboard? I'm pretty sure the CPU does, right? Same for the hard drive. For the PCI connectors, I heard somewhere that the 8800 GT needs 2. And for the fans, both the ZEROtherm and the case ones, what kind of power do they need?

And one other thing, when I was looking for cooling, I came across this.
http://www.inno3d.com/products/graphic_card/ichill/ichill_arcticcooling/i8800gt_ac_accelero_x1.htm
It's basically a factory overclocked version of the 8800 GT that also has a fan built onto the card. But holy crap!, I must have checked 6 different search engines, and all I could find were reviews saying how awesome it was! I looked on the company's website also, but no luck. If anyone finds anything about, that it would be very helpful.

Sorry for such a long post, but, like I said before, I am a noob when it comes to building computers. Thanks again for all the help.

EDIT: Now I remember, where I saw that the 8800 GT needed 2 connections was on one of those reviews for the specially cooled card. Anyone know if the extra power applies to other versions?

Were you stressing your GPU and hard drives at the same time? I think if you did both and burned a DVD at the same time, you'd be drawing closer to the estimate. Also realize PSUs become more efficient as you approach max draw.
Burning a DVD only drew under 5w, and even HD benchmarks only added under 5 watts again. The big draws are graphics car and CPU. If there was a hardware RAID card I'd be interested in knowing how much power one of those draws.

Silly question. It has been quite a while since I put together an Intel based computer. I just bought a new retail intel processor (E2180) to use in a cheap rig. The heatsink did not have any thermal compound on the base nor did I see anything in the instructions mentioning the need for any. Is thermal compound required these days? Artic silver still good to use?

Thanks,
-frank

if you bought a retail box, thermal paste should be there under the heatsink. its 3 gray lines.
I had them when i bought 2 of e2200 retail box. but then I didn't really use them.. cleaned it off and used AS5.

Thermal paste is required for any heatsink you will be using, not using them will overheat your cpu.. not making full contact between CPU and heatsink.
I use AS5 for video card, cpu.. any hardware that has heatsink.. works good. even chipset.

Read back a few pages and you will find this answered several times..

basically, for a cheap and highly overclockable gaming system, you need:

any Core 2 Duo or E21xx chip.
Gigabyte DS3L or Abit P35-E mobo
2GB DDR800 ram
8800GT
Any quality 400W+ power supply (read the reviews on newegg)


Ok, I'm getting ready to make this my first build ever, but now I'm confused. Newegg's website indicates that the Gigabyte DS3L requires DDR21066 memory. Am I missing something?

Gigabyte DS3L at Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128059

Ok, I'm getting ready to make this my first build ever, but now I'm confused. Newegg's website indicates that the Gigabyte DS3L requires DDR21066 memory. Am I missing something?

Gigabyte DS3L at Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128059
Does not require that memory, but it will support it. I've got ddr800 in my DS3L,and I've had the speed anywhere from like 500mhz all the way up to 1100mhz. It's a great board, my favorite right now.

Ok, I'm getting ready to make this my first build ever, but now I'm confused. Newegg's website indicates that the Gigabyte DS3L requires DDR21066 memory. Am I missing something?

Gigabyte DS3L at Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128059
Its just stating it'll support up to DDR2-1066. I used one in my brother's build 2 weeks ago, and he's had no problems, getting a 3DMark06 score of 10700 with a stock Q6600, 2gbs DDR2 800 Ram @ CAS5, and a G80 8800GTS 320MB.

I am getting very close to assembling a gigabyte ga-p35-ds3l and an Intel e2180. I have available xp pro, vista business or vista business 64. Would I have problems with any of these or more with one than the others. Any advantages of one over the others? I can go with 2x1gb sticks or 4x1gb sticks of that HP memory deal from a few months back (HP PC2-5300 667MHz). Any thought on the memory? I do not plan to overclock just yet. Thanks in advance.

If you have no reason to use Vista, go with XP. It'll be much faster and more stable. I "upgrade" all my vista boxes to XP Pro right when I get them.

I would do Vista, Their are all these people that give it crack but I have been using it on two different machines, one a p4 2.4ghz and 2 gb of pc 2700 memory, and one a Dual Core E6750 with 4 gb of ram, and both run great. Even the P4 runs it with out a hich and I have never had any kind of stability problems or any slow downs even the P4. Both these computer are on nearly 8 hours each day doing various different kinds of work. I never had any kind of trouble finding drivers for the old machine (actually I didn't even have to look vista recognized everything right away.

I say go for vista and play around with it for a while, You can always dual boot and have both on the same machine.

I would do Vista, Their are all these people that give it crack but I have been using it on two different machines, one a p4 2.4ghz and 2 gb of pc 2700 memory, and one a Dual Core E6750 with 4 gb of ram, and both run great. Even the P4 runs it with out a hich and I have never had any kind of stability problems or any slow downs even the P4. Both these computer are on nearly 8 hours each day doing various different kinds of work. I never had any kind of trouble finding drivers for the old machine (actually I didn't even have to look vista recognized everything right away.

I say go for vista and play around with it for a while, You can always dual boot and have both on the same machine.
It may be fine for you, but XP has been proven stable for some time now, and there's a reason people don't like Vista...

It may be fine for you, but XP has been proven stable for some time now, and there's a reason people don't like Vista...

i have a tri boot with mce, kubuntu, and vista sp1 now. i've been doing some transfering of files and some of the tasks that used to take around double the time in mce.. its actually almost on par with transfering between my external now. also vista 32bit see's 4gb's of ram with sp1 now. of course, i didnt buy my vista OS.

a handy little guide for some newbs is tweakhounds guide to optimizing vista (http://www.tweakhound.com/vista/tweakguide/page_8.htm) its a pretty helpful guide for the novice. i usually give the link to people who are getting vista machines and they can follow it pretty easily.

Just checked my main system and the calculator says 356watts. My Kill-A-Watt meter at the wall socket says 270 (4 cores full load). So 90-100 watts over, but then I left 4-cores loaded and ran a 3DMark06 benchmark and got max 324watts at the wall socket. I guess if I was burning a couple DVD's at the same time, I might be able to push it to 360watts. But realistically, the PSU is at best 80% efficient, so 324watts at the wall is really 0.8x324 = 260 watts. :eek:

Mac,

I'm having trouble following your math. You're calculating that your 360watts is 80% efficient so it's actually 324w at the wall, if I'm reading correctly.

With that math, that would mean that it would be better for you to buy a less efficient PSU, at say, 70% because 360w x 0.7 = 252watts.

Efficient PSU's are better drawing power when you need it, not extracting more energy per watt, which seems to be the calculation you're doing.

questions: I'm about to decide to build my own system. I'm wanting to know if I should stick with an AMD or go with an Intel. I'm going to use this for internet, email, some publishing, cd burning/music downloading and possibly some gaming. I'd like to know which socket to go with, motherboard (i'd like to use a Giga-byte since that is what I have now) as well as what type of hard drive to go with. Thanks.

Mac,

I'm having trouble following your math. You're calculating that your 360watts is 80% efficient so it's actually 324w at the wall, if I'm reading correctly.

With that math, that would mean that it would be better for you to buy a less efficient PSU, at say, 70% because 360w x 0.7 = 252watts.

Efficient PSU's are better drawing power when you need it, not extracting more energy per watt, which seems to be the calculation you're doing.
No no no, you're confused. If it's 80% efficient, it will draw more power from the wall that will be wasted in the conversion. Some PSU's will draw 500w from the wall when the PC components are only requesting/drawing 250w. Does that help?

No no no, you're confused. If it's 80% efficient, it will draw more power from the wall that will be wasted in the conversion. Some PSU's will draw 500w from the wall when the PC components are only requesting/drawing 250w. Does that help?

right, that's what i was saying...


Efficient PSU's are better drawing power when you need it, not extracting more energy per watt, which seems to be the calculation you're doing.

sorry i probably wasn't clear. wrote this while @ work lol

right, that's what i was saying...



sorry i probably wasn't clear. wrote this while @ work lol
:thumbsup: Gotcha.

Hi everyone. I intend to build a new pc to replace my old P4. Any advices are appreciated since I did not update these stuff until recently :lmao:. FYI, I am not a hardcore gamer, and I intend to live with this rig in next two years. My cost should be in the neighbor of $1100, is this price appropriate? Thanks in advance.

My rig-gonna-be.

Mobo: Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3 or a x38/x48 mobo to take advantage of pci express 2.0 that my Video card offers??? If so, which one is best for the money?
CPU: Xeon 3110
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 4GB(2 x 2GB). 4-4-4-12, 2.2V
HSF: A lapped Thermalright ultra 120 ex. + a Scythe fan.
Case: Antec PC 182
PSU: PC Power & Cooling 610W or OCZ 600W (save me $20)
Graphic: MSI 8800GTS (G92) + free Witcher games.
HDD, monitor and other devices I already had.

Hi everyone. I intend to build a new pc to replace my old P4. Any advices are appreciated since I did not update these stuff until recently :lmao:. FYI, I am not a hardcore gamer, and I intend to live with this rig in next two years. My cost should be in the neighbor of $1100, is this price appropriate? Thanks in advance.

My rig-gonna-be.

Mobo: Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3 or a x38/x48 mobo to take advantage of pci express 2.0 that my Video card offers??? If so, which one is best for the money?
CPU: Xeon 3110
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 4GB(2 x 2GB). 4-4-4-12, 2.2V
HSF: A lapped Thermalright ultra 120 ex. + a Scythe fan.
Case: Antec PC 182
PSU: PC Power & Cooling 610W or OCZ 600W (save me $20)
Graphic: MSI 8800GTS (G92) + free Witcher games.
HDD, monitor and other devices I already had.

Question. why get 8800GTS if ur not going to "hardcore" game. (future proofing?)
If so how about spending 20 bucks more on MoBo supports on SLI. (and if thats the case. 20 bucks more for 700watt, some will disagree, 2 cards will suck power)
continuing w future proofing. spend 30 more on 2 gig sticks. opens up 2 slots for upgrades

1more side note. check if mobo supports 45nm chip (if it doesnt might consider some other MoBo. (might i suggest Asus P5K-E . i have it and i love it)
good choice on the 45nm chip. i got the same one :) .. and for $1100 you can get aLOT MORE

Anyone have suggestions for a thermal compound? I used to use AS5 but that was a few years ago is it still the best?

Anyone have suggestions for a thermal compound? I used to use AS5 but that was a few years ago is it still the best?
MX-2 is better than AS5. It's non-conductive, easier to remove, and is just a better performing compound.

Mac,

I'm having trouble following your math. You're calculating that your 360watts is 80% efficient so it's actually 324w at the wall, if I'm reading correctly.

With that math, that would mean that it would be better for you to buy a less efficient PSU, at say, 70% because 360w x 0.7 = 252watts.

Efficient PSU's are better drawing power when you need it, not extracting more energy per watt, which seems to be the calculation you're doing.

Agree, confusing :confused: in what i was trying to show. I'll try that again. The efficiency doesn't effect how much power the computer is using. If the computer needs 260 watts, the power supply will provide 260 watts, and it doesn't matter whether the PSU is 60% or 80% efficient. Graphics card, CPU and RAM don't know or care what the efficiency is, they just know they need 260 watts. But the more efficient PSU will waste a lot less power and generate less heat.

So, in my example:
Computer ----- 260 watts (80% efficient, so 80% of 324)
Waste ---------- 64 watts (PSU wastes 20% of 324 watts because it's not efficient)
Wall Socket-- 324 watts (this is what I measure)

If you look at a 60% efficient PSU (ridiculous, but my not be that far off for some $5 psu's)
Computer ------ 260 watts (computer needs 260w, efficient PSU or not)
Waste ---------- 173 watts (waste to heat, 40% of 433)
Wall Socket ---433 watts (60% of 433 = 260, which is what the computer needs. Same power to computer, more power needed at the wall socket because of inefficient PSU and more heat generated)

I was just trying to work backwards to compare what the power supply was providing to the Computer (which I can't measure) to what the wall socket was providing to the power supply (which I can measure with my Kill-a-watt meter).

Hope this helps.

Hello all,

I have a question. I recently made a couple purchases to build a decent but cheap computer. i bought the case that I wanted and it came with a 600watt ultra psu. I can post and have the computer running with everything connected except the hdd. When I plug that in via the side plugs on the psu the comp doesnt post.

So, do I need a better psu?

the specs are...
biostar 7050-m2 mobo
amd 5000+ black cpu
4gb g.skill ram(only have one in dimm)
artic cooling hsf
seagate barracuda 7200.11 320 gb sata(that i removed from external)

Hello all,

I have a question. I recently made a couple purchases to build a decent but cheap computer. i bought the case that I wanted and it came with a 600watt ultra psu. I can post and have the computer running with everything connected except the hdd. When I plug that in via the side plugs on the psu the comp doesnt post.

So, do I need a better psu?

the specs are...
biostar 7050-m2 mobo
amd 5000+ black cpu
4gb g.skill ram(only have one in dimm)
artic cooling hsf
seagate barracuda 7200.11 320 gb sata(that i removed from external)
Do you have another PSU to test?

without looking at it, yes I have the one that is running this computer. I believe it is a 400watt. This comp i built a good 5-7 years ago, I hope it has the compatible connections.

Hi everyone. I intend to build a new pc to replace my old P4. Any advices are appreciated since I did not update these stuff until recently :lmao:. FYI, I am not a hardcore gamer, and I intend to live with this rig in next two years. My cost should be in the neighbor of $1100, is this price appropriate? Thanks in advance.

My rig-gonna-be.

Mobo: Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3 or a x38/x48 mobo to take advantage of pci express 2.0 that my Video card offers??? If so, which one is best for the money?
CPU: Xeon 3110
Memory: Crucial Ballistix 4GB(2 x 2GB). 4-4-4-12, 2.2V
HSF: A lapped Thermalright ultra 120 ex. + a Scythe fan.
Case: Antec PC 182
PSU: PC Power & Cooling 610W or OCZ 600W (save me $20)
Graphic: MSI 8800GTS (G92) + free Witcher games.
HDD, monitor and other devices I already had.

If your not a hardcore gamer why are you spending more money on a slot thats 2.0?
And why a 8800GT?

I just tested 2 more psu's. both were 20 pin and 4 pin, my mobo needs 24 pin and 4 pin. I got one psu to work anyways up until i plugged in the sata hdd.

I am putting together a new rig. I already have a Q9450 quad-core processor and the A-Bit IP35 Pro motherboard.

I am trying to make sure I know which ram speed I need to get for this. That Q9450 has a multiplier locked at 8 and the FSB is 1333mhz. It's my understanding that this is actually 333x4 (four cores) so if I run memory dual channel I can run PC6400 ram and still be fine, right?

However, since the multiplier is locked that would leave me with little room for overclocking, correct? So should I be going with PC8500 ram? I'm assuming PC1066 is overkill...

I am putting together a new rig. I already have a Q9450 quad-core processor and the A-Bit IP35 Pro motherboard.

I am trying to make sure I know which ram speed I need to get for this. That Q9450 has a multiplier locked at 8 and the FSB is 1333mhz. It's my understanding that this is actually 333x4 (four cores) so if I run memory dual channel I can run PC6400 ram and still be fine, right?

However, since the multiplier is locked that would leave me with little room for overclocking, correct? So should I be going with PC8500 ram? I'm assuming PC1066 is overkill...
You're confused with all the numbers me thinks.

The multi is locked at a max of 8, but will go from 6 to 8. You're correct in 333x4, but the 4 has nothing to do with the number of cores (Some C2D are also 333x4) but the fact that they are quad pumped. DDR2-1066 is the same as PC2-8500. You'd be fine with the DDR2-800 b/c you can set the memory divider in the BIOS, and a quality RAM will be able to OC more. You could go with some 1066 RAM, but it's not completely needed. The IP35-Pro should be able to get that chip up to a pretty high FSB. I don't know much about the 45nm quad cores though since they're so new, but I'm sure you could google "q9450 overclock" and find a bunch of info on them. I've got two of those chips, but for resale only. I'll eventually get one for folding.

I am putting together a new rig. I already have a Q9450 quad-core processor and the A-Bit IP35 Pro motherboard.

I am trying to make sure I know which ram speed I need to get for this. That Q9450 has a multiplier locked at 8 and the FSB is 1333mhz. It's my understanding that this is actually 333x4 (four cores) so if I run memory dual channel I can run PC6400 ram and still be fine, right?

However, since the multiplier is locked that would leave me with little room for overclocking, correct? So should I be going with PC8500 ram? I'm assuming PC1066 is overkill...

The Q9450 + IP35 Pro combo should be fine, I've heard of the latter hitting 500 FSB fairly easily. You'll need a good CPU cooler, obviously..

It's been 5 years since I built my first system. I've been using a "desktop replacement" laptop, but it's not cutting it!

Here's my starting shopping list:
8400 / E3110 CPU
8800 GT
Abit IP35
4 (2x2) GB OCZ Reaper

My question is... I'll be using Vista 32 bit.. Will I be able to see the full 4GB with this rig? From what I've been reading, by default Vista will only see like 3 - 3.5GB and only with a certain bios, chipset, and some Vista settings will I be able to see the full 4GB.

It's been 5 years since I built my first system. I've been using a "desktop replacement" laptop, but it's not cutting it!

Here's my starting shopping list:
8400 / E3110 CPU
8800 GT
Abit IP35
4 (2x2) GB OCZ Reaper

My question is... I'll be using Vista 32 bit.. Will I be able to see the full 4GB with this rig? From what I've been reading, by default Vista will only see like 3 - 3.5GB and only with a certain bios, chipset, and some Vista settings will I be able to see the full 4GB.

Vista 32bit will only see 3-3.5GB.
Vista 64bit will see 4GB+ (should you get more).

The same goes for 32bit and 64bit versions of XP.

Vista 32bit will only see 3-3.5GB.
Vista 64bit will see 4GB+ (should you get more).

The same goes for 32bit and 64bit versions of XP.

vista sp1 32bit see's 4gb but still only utilizes 3-3.5gb. i dunno why i posted this but its the truth.

vista sp1 32bit see's 4gb but still only utilizes 3-3.5gb. i dunno why i posted this but its the truth.

32bit operating systems, by definition, can use a maximum of ~3.5GB. Motherboards will see the actual 4GB of RAM, yes, but 32bit versions of Windows will not be able to use all 4.

I built a rig recently and would like opinions. Basically a media computer.

GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2H Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
Transcend 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit
LITE-ON Black SATA Blu-ray DVD-ROM Drive Model DH-4O1S-08
Sunbeam Hush PSU-HUSH580-US 580W Power Supply
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ 2.6GHz Socket AM2 65W Processor
SAMSUNG Black 20X DVD Burner with LightScribe
Cheap Case, and had an extra 250 gig drive I added

It ran me a little over $600.00. I considered building an Intel but I really liked this mobo. Also could have gone dell route, but I like building my own considering I can pick exactly what parts I want and then think about upgradablity later. Also it is running Windows XP professional.

32bit operating systems, by definition, can use a maximum of ~3.5GB.
32 bits, by definition, is 4294967296. That's 4GB - not 3.5GB.

I've told you a million times not to exaggerate! :lmao:

Do I need to buy a new copy of Windows XP for the PC I am building?

I am building it up from scratch, but I have two older PCs that have Windows XP. Is there any way to transfer XP from the old systems to my new one?

The older PCs are both HP, I thought about trying a HDD swap and using boot recovery, but the recovery partition is on the same HDD as XP, so I am not sure how that would work. I think I can make recovery CDs as well, would those work?

Is there any easy way to do it? Am I technically "allowed" to do this with XP anyway?

32 bits, by definition, is 4294967296. That's 4GB - not 3.5GB.

I've told you a million times not to exaggerate! :lmao:
You're not getting it... The board can see and will use 4 gigs of RAM, but the 32b OS will only be able to have access to roughly 3.5gigs or RAM b/c the remaining 500megs of addressable memory is used up by devices on, or connected to, the board.

You're not getting it... The board can see and will use 4 gigs of RAM, but the 32b OS will only be able to have access to roughly 3.5gigs or RAM b/c the remaining 500megs of addressable memory is used up by devices on, or connected to, the board.

Thank you.

Do I need to buy a new copy of Windows XP for the PC I am building?

I am building it up from scratch, but I have two older PCs that have Windows XP. Is there any way to transfer XP from the old systems to my new one?

The older PCs are both HP, I thought about trying a HDD swap and using boot recovery, but the recovery partition is on the same HDD as XP, so I am not sure how that would work. I think I can make recovery CDs as well, would those work?

Is there any easy way to do it? Am I technically "allowed" to do this with XP anyway?

Technically, you should buy a new version of XP. You can, however, try to use the old CD key with your the "new" installation of XP. I'm guessing it won't work, though, as it's probably an OEM version for HP systems.

Boot recovery won't work because you've switched motherboards and chipsets from the old to the new system.

I'd connect your old HDDs to your new system and transfer the files you want to save that way (internally or via external enclosure.

You're not getting it... The board can see and will use 4 gigs of RAM, but the 32b OS will only be able to have access to roughly 3.5gigs or RAM b/c the remaining 500megs of addressable memory is used up by devices on, or connected to, the board.

I get it just fine, thank you. I'm specifically commenting on this:
32bit operating systems, by definition, can use a maximum of ~3.5GB.
32-bit OS'es do not by definition use a maximum of ~3.5GB. There is no such "definition". I'm arguing semantics. Win-XP and Vista 32-bit can only access up to ~3.5 GB, but it's not by definition.

I get it just fine, thank you. I'm specifically commenting on this:

32-bit OS'es do not by definition use a maximum of ~3.5GB. There is no such "definition". I'm arguing semantics. Win-XP and Vista 32-bit can only access up to ~3.5 GB, but it's not by definition.

Okay, so I made a bad word choice. Happy?

I get it just fine, thank you. I'm specifically commenting on this:

32-bit OS'es do not by definition use a maximum of ~3.5GB. There is no such "definition". I'm arguing semantics. Win-XP and Vista 32-bit can only access up to ~3.5 GB, but it's not by definition.
Ok, I understand where you were going with that. My apologies :)

geeze, sorry i started that little tantrum up there. lol

geeze, sorry i started that little tantrum up there. lol

Sorry, I'd had a rough couple of days when that little ordeal took place... Let's put it behind us and continue the thread. :)

And if you want to get picky on "by definition" :D 32-bit OSes can use even more than 4 GBs of RAM through PAE.

I was dabbling with vista x64 on my desktop and i can't seem to get the abit airpace wifi card to work the vista x64 sp1 install i have. I tried the atheros thing that was supposed to work but it didn't for me. Anyone have any ideas?

I was dabbling with vista x64 on my desktop and i can't seem to get the abit airpace wifi card to work the vista x64 sp1 install i have. I tried the atheros thing that was supposed to work but it didn't for me. Anyone have any ideas?

Check the Abit Forums.

Check the Abit Forums.

yeah ive been reading those for awhile. its a finicky piece of equipment i guess. i might just rollback sp1 install the driver and see if that works. then re install sp1

yeah ive been reading those for awhile. its a finicky piece of equipment i guess. i might just rollback sp1 install the driver and see if that works. then re install sp1

Yeah, it is. Actually, I've been avoiding getting Vista for lack of cheap/supported wireless cards for desktop.

Hi I recently bought
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3Ghz 6MB 1333FSB CPU
2GB (2x1GB) OCZ PC2-8500 1066MHz Desktop Memory
Antec 900 case
Which motherboard should I buy if I want to be able to SLI in the future?
Thanks

Have you tried upgrading to sp2?

Hey so I was thinking about building my own computer but I honestly have no idea what would make a good mix for what I want out of it. I was looking through the build your own computer thread for what parts to get and don't know where to get started.

I've got a flexible budget of around 600-700 bucks (can't go too much higher than 700) and already have a monitor, keyboard/mouse and speaker/subwoofer. The primary use of the computer would just be surfing the internet and watching DLed shows and DVDs but I'd love to get back into PC gaming and haven't been able to play in a while since my current rig is stuck at 256 mb ram (stupid RD ram).

If someone could explain to me what can/can't go together and what I should look for in parts and what I should try to save my money on I would greatly appreciate it.

Things got chaotic over on the original thread, so here we are.

Please post your problem(s) and question(s) here. I and others will attempt to help you choose parts listed in the original thread or make additional suggestions.

Somewhere here on slickdeals several months ago I saw a list of all intel processrs broken down in order of "power". Kind of a poor mans way of getting a grasp of this one better than that one. Now I can't find the list. Anybody have a source they can point me to?

Hey so I was thinking about building my own computer but I honestly have no idea what would make a good mix for what I want out of it. I was looking through the build your own computer thread for what parts to get and don't know where to get started.

I've got a flexible budget of around 600-700 bucks (can't go too much higher than 700) and already have a monitor, keyboard/mouse and speaker/subwoofer. The primary use of the computer would just be surfing the internet and watching DLed shows and DVDs but I'd love to get back into PC gaming and haven't been able to play in a while since my current rig is stuck at 256 mb ram (stupid RD ram).

If someone could explain to me what can/can't go together and what I should look for in parts and what I should try to save my money on I would greatly appreciate it.

You'll probably want to invest in a reasonably large HD; at least 320GB, I'm thinking. I'd go with this Samsung (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152052) for $89.99 shipped.

You'll want to get a Core 2 Duo processor. I'd highly suggest the E7200; it's $132 shipped at Newegg (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115052&Tpk=e7200) and can overclock up to 3.8 Ghz (and possibly beyond). It outputs very little heat and performs very well, whether overclocked or not.

Motherboard selection's pretty broad. I'd go with this Gigabyte board for $97 shipped:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128337

For RAM, this $85 shipped G.Skill set:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231145

Case/PSU: Antec's Sonata III (http://www.buy.com/prod/antec-sonata-iii-super-mini-tower-w-earthwatts-500w-power-supply/q/loc/101/204559259.html) $90 shipped after GCO discount.

Graphics card: This Asus 8800GT (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-SlickDeals&cm_mmc=AFC-SlickDeals-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16814121224&CMP=AFC-C8Junction). Comes to $142ish after MIR and discount.

And finally, this DVDRW drive is $30 prior to shipping. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151153

Comes to about $670, including shipping.

Somewhere here on slickdeals several months ago I saw a list of all intel processrs broken down in order of "power". Kind of a poor mans way of getting a grasp of this one better than that one. Now I can't find the list. Anybody have a source they can point me to?

This (http://forums.slickdeals.net/showpost.php?p=7704554&postcount=2) post might help you a bit.

If you're looking to buy .. for under $150, E7200. Under $200, E8400. For video editing and other processor intensive stuff, get a quad core. Under $100, E2200 or E4500.

Yeah, it is. Actually, I've been avoiding getting Vista for lack of cheap/supported wireless cards for desktop.

just wanted to update that the abit wifi card works perfect before sp1, once the driver and everything is installed your fine. if you try to install the abit wifi drivers AFTER sp1, you will most likely fail. If you roll back and uninstall sp1 then install the abit driver and once again install sp1 it works flawlessly. i finally got around to doing that lol.

just wanted to update that the abit wifi card works perfect before sp1, once the driver and everything is installed your fine. if you try to install the abit wifi drivers AFTER sp1, you will most likely fail. If you roll back and uninstall sp1 then install the abit driver and once again install sp1 it works flawlessly. i finally got around to doing that lol.

lol nice. Thanks for the update. However, after ClubIT's recent demise (may it RIP :eek:), I haven't given much thought to getting one of the adapters (the rebate was only good @ their site, after all). That and my new motherboard has a built in wifi card ... :yummy:

Okay, I'm building a computer on the cheap and this is what I have so far ready to order and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on a proper case to buy with a power supply...

BIOSTAR TForce TF7050-M2 - Motherboard
AMD x2 5000+ - Processor
2GB G Skull ddr2 Ram(800) - Memory
Artic Cooler Pro 64 - heat sink & fan
lg 19" widescreen monitor - monitor
Samsung 20x DVDRW SATA Black - burner

Planning on using on-board video and sound also. Any help would be nice on a case with a power supply. Building a computer for a friend thats looking to spend low amount of money for great bang for the buck. Thanks.

Also is it worth the extra $$$ to get the GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail??? May do that since its $10 more

Okay, I'm building a computer on the cheap and this is what I have so far ready to order and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on a proper case to buy with a power supply...

BIOSTAR TForce TF7050-M2 - Motherboard
AMD x2 5000+ - Processor
2GB G Skull ddr2 Ram(800) - Memory
Artic Cooler Pro 64 - heat sink & fan
lg 19" widescreen monitor - monitor
Samsung 20x DVDRW SATA Black - burner

Planning on using on-board video and sound also. Any help would be nice on a case with a power supply. Building a computer for a friend thats looking to spend low amount of money for great bang for the buck. Thanks.

Also is it worth the extra $$$ to get the GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail??? May do that since its $10 more

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0257459 90+tax+ship antec sonata III with antec earthwatt 500.

if you plan to hook it up to a hdtv at all i would go with the 780g.. actually 780g is a better chipset so just go with that anyways. its a better choice.

jpsftw! suggested a good case that i wasn't aware of :)

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0257459 90+tax+ship antec sonata III with antec earthwatt 50.

if you plan to hook it up to a hdtv at all i would go with the 780g.. actually 780g is a better chipset so just go with that anyways. its a better choice

That 500w power supply will be a bit overkill for integrated video ... OP, if you have any Fry's B&M stores around, this deal (http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=114468&t=840996&highlight=nsk) seems pretty solid.

You'll pay less for both the case and PSU, both of which are more than adequate for your friend's build.

EDIT: Should he not have a Frys store nearby, here's a similar deal online ($55 after MIR, free shipping): http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=114468&t=848451

So, now that I'm OCing the q6600, the EA380 fan is on all the time now, and the thing is loud at full speed.

Is there any modular, efficient PSU that's about 500w tops that's also quiet? Nowhere to hide wires in Antec 900 :)

So, now that I'm OCing the q6600, the EA380 fan is on all the time now, and the thing is loud at full speed.

Is there any modular, efficient PSU that's about 500w tops that's also quiet? Nowhere to hide wires in Antec 900 :)

Corsair HX520. :nod:

Whisper quiet; SilentPCReview's charts (http://www.silentpcreview.com/article699-page1.html) show it to be the second quietest unit they've tested. I have one myself ... practically inaudible.

$84.99 after MIR, shipped free @ Buy.com: http://www.buy.com/prod/corsair-520w-sli-certified-modular-atx-power-supply/q/loc/101/203270716.html ... OOS, unfortunately.

Alternatively, $82.99 after MIR @ Directron: http://www.directron.com/cmpsu520hx.html

Damm, $80 AR really hurts. Anything else out there?

Alright didn't notice this thread before when looking at the build your own thread. Maybe I can get some better recommends here from a technical standpoint over a cost point.

I building a new computer primarily for gaming. I just ordered a GTX280, I got 4GB of DDR2 800 ready and waiting.

I'm trying to decide if I should go Quad with the Q6600 or go with the equivilent priced Dual. The Quad is what I'm leaning towards. I was also looking at the EVGA 132-CK-NF78-A1 board for a decent board with PCI-E 2.0 with SLI potential originally but after thinking about the chances of me going SLI later rather than just buying a new card seem slim.

What would you guys recommend? I'm a fan of ASUS and plan to stick with INTEL. I've loved AMD for years but I'm gonna give Intel a try with this Nvidia card.

quad core will do NOTHING for gaming except hinder it. For the price point go with the e8400. this chip should easily overclock to 4.0ghz and sometimes 4.4ghz on AIR. As for motherboards; I haven't bought anything that hasn't been a-bit or gigabyte, yet, so if i had to choose a board without SLI and a bunch of capabilities i'd go with the gigabyte ep35c ds3r board or abit ip35pro.

Damm, $80 AR really hurts. Anything else out there?

haven't seen you in the threads lately.

Damm, $80 AR really hurts. Anything else out there?

Unfortunately, no. You'll pay a premium for quality/modular units.

Alternatively, the VX450 (Corsair) isn't modular, but still has the excellent acoustics and efficiency of the HX520. It sometimes goes for about $60 after MIR.

quad core will do NOTHING for gaming except hinder it. For the price point go with the e8400. this chip should easily overclock to 4.0ghz and sometimes 4.4ghz on AIR. As for motherboards; I haven't bought anything that hasn't been a-bit or gigabyte, yet, so if i had to choose a board without SLI and a bunch of capabilities i'd go with the gigabyte ep35c ds3r board or abit ip35pro.



haven't seen you in the threads lately.
I know, I've been pretty busy with work lately, not to mention getting out of date on all the new PC stuff :blush:

Looking at these two cards
http://www.amazon.com/XFX-PVT88SF... 40&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZPJ79A

Now i would think the 8800gs would be better but am confused because the 8600gt is faster(gpu and memory)

Which is better\ any recommendations in my price range($75 or less OTD)

Looking at these two cards
http://www.amazon.com/XFX-PVT88SF... 40&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZPJ79A

Now i would think the 8800gs would be better but am confused because the 8600gt is faster(gpu and memory)

Which is better\ any recommendations in my price range($75 or less OTD)

8800GS is the faster card between the two.

I'm a computer building noob in the middle of selecting parts for my first self built PC. Any good reason for me to spend the extra money on a case like the Antec Nine Hundred, which is $80 AR at newegg now?

I want a pretty basic setup, E8400, 2GB, one HD, one DVDRW, 8800GS video card. Are the more expensive cases only providing value to those who are adding tons of extra parts and fancy cooling setups to their PC? The Thermaltake WingRS is around $30 at RadioShack, would that be a better choice for me or will I wish I had gotten the Antec?

Any help would be much appreciated.

I'm a computer building noob in the middle of selecting parts for my first self built PC. Any good reason for me to spend the extra money on a case like the Antec Nine Hundred, which is $80 AR at newegg now?

I want a pretty basic setup, E8400, 2GB, one HD, one DVDRW, 8800GS video card. Are the more expensive cases only providing value to those who are adding tons of extra parts and fancy cooling setups to their PC? The Thermaltake WingRS is around $30 at RadioShack, would that be a better choice for me or will I wish I had gotten the Antec?

Any help would be much appreciated.

The main advantages you'll have with the 900 (over the WingRS) include the following:

- Screw mounting for HDs and 5.25" drives (vs. the TT's plastic mountings)
- Airflow; no contest. Antec's 900 has two 120mm intake fans, one 120mm exhaust, and a 200mm exhaust. It's a frickin' wind tunnel.
- Temperatures; pretty much every component will run cooler inside a 900.
- Noise; the 900's made of thicker steel, which should help dampen vibrations a bit. Should you decide to, you can always remove some of the 900's fans. Not everyone's going to need two 120mm intake fans. :O
- Expandability and flexibility; with the 900, you can put pretty much anything anywhere you want to. Optical drives can be placed anywhere; the same goes for hard drives.
- Motherboard inversion; helps "isolate" the PSU and results in more efficient CPU exhausting. The "big boy" 200mm fan top exhaust in the 900 is a beast. The WingRS, conversely, uses the traditional ATX mounting.

Thanks for the informative reply. Sounds like this is more of a "luxury car" kind of case, when all I need is something that'll get me to work and back without breaking down.

Anyone have any ideas?

No, sorry.

Okay, I'm building a computer on the cheap and this is what I have so far ready to order and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on a proper case to buy with a power supply...


I would shy away from a case with a built in power supply. You can get a decent 350-500w power supply for <$50.

Honestly, you're better off buying a low-cost Dell. I spent $479 and bought an Inspiron 530 with a quad-core Q6600, 2gb of 800mhz ram, DVD-RW, etc etc. Spent $130 for a 8800GT and added an additional 4gb of ram for $50.

I would of built my own but the Dell was a much better deal and included the OS.

I'm a computer building noob in the middle of selecting parts for my first self built PC. Any good reason for me to spend the extra money on a case like the Antec Nine Hundred, which is $80 AR at newegg now?

I want a pretty basic setup, E8400, 2GB, one HD, one DVDRW, 8800GS video card. Are the more expensive cases only providing value to those who are adding tons of extra parts and fancy cooling setups to their PC? The Thermaltake WingRS is around $30 at RadioShack, would that be a better choice for me or will I wish I had gotten the Antec?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Personally i love then antec 900 case the best out of all cases. I paid 100 After MIR for it and its worth every penny so if you can pick it up for 80 i would def. go for it

I have a quick question and trust the answers from SD. I have an old computer that I have an All-in-Wonder 9000 tv tuner/vid card in. I want to use the tv tuner/capture aspect of that card in my machine which was a Radeon HD 2400 Pro in it. My question is if I install the AIW in my new machine is it possible to just use it for tv/capture and not mess up my video display?

I have a quick question and trust the answers from SD. I have an old computer that I have an All-in-Wonder 9000 tv tuner/vid card in. I want to use the tv tuner/capture aspect of that card in my machine which was a Radeon HD 2400 Pro in it. My question is if I install the AIW in my new machine is it possible to just use it for tv/capture and not mess up my video display?

If your All-in-Wonder happens to be a PCI card, then yes, you will be fine. The 2400 Pro is a PCI-express (or AGP?) card ... so long as you have a free PCI slot, you will be able to use both (and the TV card for TV capture). :)

Good question, by the way.

Thanks for the response, didn't know that for sure. The AIW is an agp card, which I'm guessing makes the whole point moot?

Anyone wanna put together a $1,300 computer? (Need Monitor, Mouse, Keyboard, & Speakers also included)

I've made a couple lists, just gonna compare them to what someone else would do with that amount of money for the best bang for the buck kinda setup.

alright, first problem i've had in awhile i haven't been able to find answers for. I put a greenpower sata hard drive in my system today. I am using a lite-on lh-20a1p ide rom drive. and the damn thing isn't recognized in my computer or anything. I can see it in the bios and in the device manager but i can't use it (or any other virtual cd-rom drive). What did i do wrong and/or not do? i've already tried all the slave/master type settings and i got nowhere.

edit: more useful info, the drive boots linux live cd's fine. vista is telling me there is no driver -_-
edit2: FIXED. if this happens to anyone its a registry error -_-

I have a MSI P6N motherboard, an Intel E8400 (at 3GHz), 1333MHz FSB, 800MHz DDR2 800 RAM, and my multiplier is 9.

Can someone highlight to me the basics of overclocking my CPU (maybe to 3.16GHz as a start)?

Thanks.

well, first of all, that mobo sucks, and good luck (i just finally got rid of my p6n platinum this weekend)

1333 is 333 quad pumped.

meaning for 3.16 you divide by 9 (multi) and get 351.

simply move the fsb from 333 to 351. (351*9=3160mhz)

ideally you'd just move the fsb to 400, that puts you at 3.6ghz, and your ram (400*2=800) is clocked properly. but good luck with that mobo.... start with 351, and if it boots, try again, 5 or 10 higher.... keep going till it wont post. then you'll clear the cmos (turn the comp off, hold red button near battery for 5 sec or so) and go back to the highest number that posted. if it will boot, check for stability.... orthos, prime, FAH, etc.... if it's not stable, bump it down a little more or try adding voltage to the cpu, in very small increments.

well, first of all, that mobo sucks, and good luck (i just finally got rid of my p6n platinum this weekend)

1333 is 333 quad pumped.

meaning for 3.16 you divide by 9 (multi) and get 351.

simply move the fsb from 333 to 351. (351*9=3160mhz)

ideally you'd just move the fsb to 400, that puts you at 3.6ghz, and your ram (400*2=800) is clocked properly. but good luck with that mobo.... start with 351, and if it boots, try again, 5 or 10 higher.... keep going till it wont post. then you'll clear the cmos (turn the comp off, hold red button near battery for 5 sec or so) and go back to the highest number that posted. if it will boot, check for stability.... orthos, prime, FAH, etc.... if it's not stable, bump it down a little more or try adding voltage to the cpu, in very small increments.

Yeah, I've determined it sucks as well (I have the diamond edition). I had to RMA it once already, but I got it for cheap, so I guess you get what you pay for.

When you say add voltage in small increments, what would be a good increment, .05? Or something more significant?

thats fine

Question: I'm wondering if it would be of any benefit for me to upgrade from DDR2 800 to 1066?

Current memory:
OCZ Platinum 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800
Cas Latency 4
Timing 4-4-4-15
Voltage 1.9V - 2.1V

The upgrade would be the similar:
OCZ Platinum 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 1066
Cas Latency 5
Timing 5-5-5-15
Voltage 2.1V - 2.3V


Processor is a P940 D, FSB of 800Mhz.
MB is a new Asus P5Q (not deluxe or anything else, just P5Q) which is compatible with both memory specs.

In future I plan to upgrade this processor to a core 2 duo, though I have no idea which one yet. And I can use the current memory in another system.

your current memory is fine.

Working on my first build. The current plan includes
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 Processor (http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0287628&BrCs=498&BrCg=16182160&BrRc=1465887463)
Geforce 9800 GX2 (http://www.buy.com/prod/pny-geforce-9800-gx2-1gb-512-bit-ddr3-600mhz-pci-e-2-0-dual-dvi-hdmi/q/loc/101/207534756.html)
WD Caviar 640gb (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-SlickDeals&cm_mmc=AFC-SlickDeals-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16822136218)
Antec Nine Hundred ATX Ultimate Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-SlickDeals&cm_mmc=AFC-SlickDeals-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16811129021&Tpk=antec%2B900)
4gb (2 x 2gb) DDR2

Any advice on a motherboard, memory, and psu? I'm not interested in sli/cf. I have never overclocked before, but might give it a shot eventually. A couple I have looked at are Asus P5Q Deluxe Motherboard and ASUS Maximus II Formula LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard. Any thoughts?

Ah, well at least I think I know my current ram is correct for my 800 MHz FSB, but I was wondering if there might be any advantage (or disadvantage) to switching to the 1066 ram?

Ok, I know I'm getting the Gigabyte DS3L and an e2180 and will be using XP.

Is there any reason to get 2x2gb now or will I be fine with a 2x1gb Ballistix kit? ($35 after rebate is much lighter on the funds than $100 for a 4gb kit.)

XP has a 4GB RAM limit, and will generally will not see all of this, due to XP reserving blocks within this space for drivers, such as video cards.

I've seen setups that "see" slightly over 3 GB when 4 GB is installed, and some add-on cards will NOT boot when 4 GB is installed.

A reference to study this topic is:

http://blogs.technet.com/markrussinovich/archive/2008/07/21/3092070.aspx

Micro$oft sorta explains this at:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888137

Good Luck :wave:

question.I am looking to purchase a new mb/cpu. I am going with an Intel E-6550 or E-8400. Which NORTHBRIDGE chipset and SOUTHBRIDGE.would be better to go with the INTEL or NVIDIA.. i see from Neweggs information there are about 15 different Intel versions,,
thanks for the info. I want to spend less than 100 bucks on motherboard. by the way.

question.I am looking to purchase a new mb/cpu. I am going with an Intel E-6550 or E-8400. Which NORTHBRIDGE chipset and SOUTHBRIDGE.would be better to go with the INTEL or NVIDIA.. i see from Neweggs information there are about 15 different Intel versions,,
thanks for the info. I want to spend less than 100 bucks on motherboard. by the way.

Gigabyte EP35-DS3L

Gigabyte EP35-DS3L

seconded. buy it from chiefvalue.com neweggs sister site. 91.99 shipped

Any advice on a motherboard, memory, and psu? I'm not interested in sli/cf. I have never overclocked before, but might give it a shot eventually. A couple I have looked at are Asus P5Q Deluxe Motherboard and ASUS Maximus II Formula LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard. Any thoughts?

the 9800 gx2 is such a frankenstein card from what i've heard it isn't all its cracked up to be. the new 260/280 series cards are really good though. again from what i've heard. you should talk to tsaijo about it he had/has both. g.skill is really good ram. antec and corsair are great psu's. and the e8400/8500 are awesome cpu's.

Gigabyte EP35-DS3L
x3 I love this board. All your basics with solid overclocking options. No raid/firewire is the only downside (unless you don't need it for your build, then you are fine!)

Hi All, as OLH said, but I will venture...

quote Originally Posted by YourOnlineHero http://i.slickdeals.net/images/misc/backlink.gif (http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=133151&p=12635847#post12635847) computer nerd fiiight :woot: j/k

.......When a beginner or typical computer user sees a page like this they will go crosseyed and go buy a pre-built pc.......



As I branch out for my first build, after reading both threads here and technical, I decided to post here and I will already assume I shouldnt have.
But with that being said.

This is what I have now, that I will give to my teenager.
MOBO Amberine M 1.03 Bus 200 Megaherts
CPU 2.0 Gig AMD Sempron w/ 128k primary and 256k secondary
1.5 Gig memory
ATI Radeon Xpress 200

What I want to be able to do:
Would like to keep my old IDE hard drives (about 5 - I will also end of life 2 other PC's) and incorporate them into the system
Would like to be able to set up a Raid-1 configuration (only for main drive to backup)
SLI some time in the future
Want to play games the current one does all the games fine
Something that I can grow into and with as time goes on
I use MS Office suite, email, web research, the occasional games/online games,
MOST important dual monitor, I have a standard and DVI monitor

What I would wish for if I had the $'s
E8400
GeForce 8800GT Akimbo
EP35-DS3L
OCZ 600W or Antec Neo 550W
OCZ Reaper 2x2GB DDR2 800
Antec 900
But at about $650 not happening.

SO with that being said, I have put together the following and would value any thoughts.
$20 Rosewill R218-P-BK Black 0.5mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=133151&sdtid=553826&sdfid=9&u2=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147073) Model #:R218-P-BK Item #:N82E16811147073 (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=133151&sdtid=553826&sdfid=9&u2=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147073)
$85 GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=133151&sdtid=553826&sdfid=9&u2=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128337) Model #:GA-EP35-DS3L Item #:N82E16813128337 (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=133151&sdtid=553826&sdfid=9&u2=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128337)
$60 AR EVGA 256-P2-N761-AR GeForce 8600 GTS 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=133151&sdtid=553826&sdfid=9&u2=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130084) Model #:256-P2-N761-AR Item #:N82E16814130084 (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=133151&sdtid=553826&sdfid=9&u2=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130084)
$30 AR Antec earthwatts EA430 430W ATX12V v2.0 Power Supply - Retail (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=133151&sdtid=553826&sdfid=9&u2=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371006) Model #:EA430 Item #:N82E16817371006 (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=133151&sdtid=553826&sdfid=9&u2=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371006)
$70 Intel Pentium E2180 Allendale 2.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E2180 - Retail (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=133151&sdtid=553826&sdfid=9&u2=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116052) Model #:BX80557E2180 Item #:N82E16819116052 (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=133151&sdtid=553826&sdfid=9&u2=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116052)
$20 AR OCZ Platinum Revision 2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2P800R22GK - Retail (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=133151&sdtid=553826&sdfid=9&u2=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227139) Model #:OCZ2P800R22GK Item #:N82E16820227139 (http://slickdeals.net/?sduid=133151&sdtid=553826&sdfid=9&u2=http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227139)
I have my own HDD (IDE though), DVD DL R/W, and some spare memory that I would have to see if it works

With a total of $285 AR +or- this is somethng that I can swing BUT did I just create Frankenstein???
Is this slightly better that what I already have?
Based on what I would like am I close to getting there or is this just a pile of metal that a Dodo bird would crap on. :omg:

Thanks for your time.
-g-

@ Stevie G^ ,

Get this case/PSU combination instead; http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129032

You're getting almost the exact same power supply and a vastly superior case for only $20 more (you forgot + shipping in your original Rosewill quote).

Other than that, everything else looks superb. Thumbs up!

x3 I love this board. All your basics with solid overclocking options. No raid/firewire is the only downside (unless you don't need it for your build, then you are fine!)
If you would like raid should you not select the EP35-DS3L board or is there some type of work around?
Thanks
-g-