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GAF'S ultimate $500/£400/$650 CAD budget gaming rigs + bonus high end configs!

Yazus

Member
A friend of mine wants to build a PC, the components are:

Motherboard: ASUS Motherboard M4A78-E socket AM3 chipset AMD 790GX ATX - 119,99€
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 940 3.0Ghz Black Edition Boxed - 169,98€
RAM: Corsair XMS2 4 Gb (2x2Gb) ddr2 800 Mhz - 56,98€
Case: Antec Nine Hundred V2 - 112,99€
PSU: Coolermaster - 500 Watt Silent Pro Modular Supersilent - 74,99€
CPU Fan: Artic Cooling Freezer 64 LP - 22€
DVD: Samsung DVD 22x Sata Black Bulk Version - 19,99€
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 500 Gb Sata 300 Buffer 32 Mb 7200 rpm - 54,99€
GPU: Powercolour HD 4870 512MB - € 119,98

Total is: 750,93€
Total plus shipping is: 770€

The motherboard uses DDR2 RAM and its fully AMD2/2+ Backward compatible. The CPU is the good ol' 940BE, and the RAM should be standard. The PSU should be ok, also the CPU Fan should be OK for Overclocking the Black Version. The DVD/HDD are common. The GPU is ok and also cheap around here, too bad the 1GB version costs 30€ more.
 

Sinn Fein

Member
Hey Brain_Stew,

After looking around a good bit, I'm thinking I may just stick with the exact configuration in the OP.

CANADIAN GAF'S ULTIMATE $650 BUDGET GAMING RIG

[Motherboard/CPU combo (Gigabyte UD3 770 and X3 720)]:
[RAM (Corsair XMS2 4GB DDR2 800)]:
[GPU (Powercolour HD 4870 512MB)]:
[HDD (WD Caviar Black 640GB)]:
[DVD (Samsung 22x DVDRW)]:
[CASE ( Coolermaster 330 Elite)]:
[PSU (PC Power & Cooling Silencer 80+ 420W)]:

Caught this GPU though:
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=35105&vpn=AX4870 1GBD5&manufacture=PowerColor
Is the 1GB card worth the upgrade?

There's a post on the NCIX page for that Mobo/CPU also that claims that board will not allow the extra cores to be unlocked or used, even if that were possible. Anyone know if that's true?

Would that PSU handle a GPU upgrade in the future, or an SLI 4870 setup later on? Just curious what the upgradability would be, though it seems good.

Thanks so much brain_stew! This thread is a huge help.
 

Dragmire

Member
Question: When I first got my setup, I was having issues with my computer taking a while to boot. I had been using that Best Buy Dynex thermal compound and I changed it to Arctic Silver 5, and now it works a lot better. It starts up a lot faster, but it still takes maybe 10-15 seconds before I see the Gigabyte bootup screen. Is that bad? And there's no beep from my computer. There never has been. Everything seems to run just fine once it starts up.
 

Mareg

Member
Sinn Fein said:
There's a post on the NCIX page for that Mobo/CPU also that claims that board will not allow the extra cores to be unlocked or used, even if that were possible. Anyone know if that's true?

I am the living proof that this isn't true. The Gigabyte GA-MA770T-UD3P as the 710 south bridge. 710/750 south bridge both are ACC (secret unlocking weapon) capable.

You should be aware that for ultimate stability of the ACC, you should flash the bios to the latest version (wich is currently F2). After that you go in the BIOS, configure ACC to Hybrid/auto and voila :)

There is a certain degree of chance to the recipe. You could be unlucky and stumble on a true X2 with defunct cores. In that case, there is no motherboard that could help you.

Happy unlocking.
 

Mareg

Member
Dragmire said:
Question: When I first got my setup, I was having issues with my computer taking a while to boot. I had been using that Best Buy Dynex thermal compound and I changed it to Arctic Silver 5, and now it works a lot better. It starts up a lot faster, but it still takes maybe 10-15 seconds before I see the Gigabyte bootup screen. Is that bad? And there's no beep from my computer. There never has been. Everything seems to run just fine once it starts up.

That is very weird. There is an option in the bios that speed up boot checks. Maybe you set it for slow boot. If you did it would explain a lot.

Also, there is a brand of external usb hard drive that are know for causing issues with boot up . I don't remember the specifics, but it is a well know brand (seagate/WD ?).
 

Sinn Fein

Member
Thanks for the info! That sounds great. I do realize there are no guarantees with the unlock at all. Either way it'll be a great chip for me.
 

Mareg

Member
Sinn Fein said:
Thanks for the info! That sounds great. I do realize there are no guarantees with the unlock at all. Either way it'll be a great chip for me.

To be honest, I think it might actually be your best chance to get a fully functional quad core out of an X2 550 BE. There currently is a crazy demand for the chip. I suspect AMD is hard at work re branding X4 955s. I have heard report from around the web that most 550 bought today will tend to be the 0922 stepping. I have yet to hear of a 0922 that did not unlock...
 
I've been out of PC building for quite some time, and I'm trying to build a nice HTPC capable of running games at high settings at 1080p.

Based on the suggestions on this tread, I've come up with the following possible configs:

Common parts
-----------------
CASE: COOLERMASTER ELITE 333 - 39,00 €
PSU: COOLERMASTER EXTREMEPOWER 500W - 59,00 €
HDD: WD CAVIAR BLACK 1TB - 110,00€
DVD: SAMSUNG DVD±RW 22X - 20,00€
GPU: SAPPHIRE HD4870 1GB - 158,90€

Config 1 (AM3)
-----------------

Motherboard: ASUS M4A78T-E - 138,06€
CPU: AMD PHENOM II X2 550 - 89,90€
RAM: OCZ GOLD 2 X 2 GB DDR3-1333 - 64,50€

Config 2 (AM2+)
-------------------

Motherboard: SAPPHIRE PURE CROSSFIREX 790X - 69,90€
CPU: AMD PHENOM II X4 940 - 159,90€
RAM: OCZ GOLD 2 X 2 GB DDR2-1066 - 43,90€

Which of these would you suggest? Would a Socket AM3 be a better bet for future upgrades?
Should I change any of the components?
 
Sinn Fein said:
Hey Brain_Stew,

After looking around a good bit, I'm thinking I may just stick with the exact configuration in the OP.

CANADIAN GAF'S ULTIMATE $650 BUDGET GAMING RIG

[Motherboard/CPU combo (Gigabyte UD3 770 and X3 720)]:
[RAM (Corsair XMS2 4GB DDR2 800)]:
[GPU (Powercolour HD 4870 512MB)]:
[HDD (WD Caviar Black 640GB)]:
[DVD (Samsung 22x DVDRW)]:
[CASE ( Coolermaster 330 Elite)]:
[PSU (PC Power & Cooling Silencer 80+ 420W)]:

Caught this GPU though:
http://ncix.com/products/?sku=35105&vpn=AX4870 1GBD5&manufacture=PowerColor
Is the 1GB card worth the upgrade?

There's a post on the NCIX page for that Mobo/CPU also that claims that board will not allow the extra cores to be unlocked or used, even if that were possible. Anyone know if that's true?

Would that PSU handle a GPU upgrade in the future, or an SLI 4870 setup later on? Just curious what the upgradability would be, though it seems good.

Thanks so much brain_stew! This thread is a huge help.

Yes, that GPU upgrade is worth it, especially for high resolution play.

I wouldn't worry about unocking an extra core too much, if it happens its a bonus, if it doesn't you've lost nothing.

No, that PSU is no good for Crossfire 4870s, though neither is that motherboard, and nor is it hardly ever a smart upgrade path either. If you're a bang for buck guy (which anyone buying that sort of rig, clearly is) then multi GPU rigs shouldn't even be a consideration. They come with a whole host of problems.
 
New US $550 config:

ME said:
US GAF's ULTIMATE $550 GAMING RIG.

[Motherboard (Gigabyte UD3 770)]: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128376 ($65 after rebate)
[Processor (Phenom ii X3 720 2.8ghz black edition)]: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103649 ($120)
[GPU (XFX HD 4870 1GB)]: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150394 = ($147.99)
[HDD (Samsung 640GB SATA)]: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152134 ($60)
[DVD (LG 22X DVDRW)]: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136167 ($26)
[Case (Coolermaster Centurion 5)]: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119068 ($44.99)
[PSU (OCZ 500W Modular 80+)]: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341016 ($39.99 after rebate)
[RAM (OCZ REAPER 4GB DDR2 800)]: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227267

$575 + $40 of rebates which I feel is fair for a $550 budget.

I had to up the budget a little this time but you'd be passing on far too many good deals if you didn't as the components in the previous $500 bracket have all seen price rises it seems. This is now one heck of a serious gaming/multipurpose rig. Incredible value imo. This thing is absolutely suited to 1080p gaming and future releases now, the triple core, 1GB 4870 and 500w modular 80+ certified PSU are huge upgrades.


Gully State said:
I don't know much about AMD but I found this on the frontpage of slickdeals.

How is this set for gaming?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-SlickDeals&cm_mmc=AFC-SlickDeals-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&ItemList=Combo.213493

They're not particularly great parts tbh.

The X2 250 should be the lowest CPU you should be considering imo.
 

Hazaro

relies on auto-aim
brain_stew said:
New US $550 config:



$575 + $40 of rebates which I feel is fair for a $550 budget.

I had to up the budget a little this time but you'd be passing on far too many good deals if you didn't as the components in the previous $500 bracket have all seen price rises it seems. This is now one heck of a serious gaming/multipurpose rig. Incredible value imo. This thing is absolutely suited to 1080p gaming and future releases now, the triple core, 1GB 4870 and 500w modular 80+ certified PSU are huge upgrades.
I'd drop the Reapers since they can get in the way of larger Heatsinks.

I'd also get a Samsung burner from another site... They are ALL sold out on ChiefValue and newegg. No reason to settle for that LG drive. Esp based on those reviews.

The CM 5 is a cramped case.... I had one before I upgraded :D
Plus dust gets stuck in the front which I never liked.
Other than that it's a nice case.
2002553634894192828_rs.jpg
 

diederich

Neo Member
With every update of this thread I get closer and closer to attempting to build my first pc instead of going the cyberpower route which has been my plan for months now. So, thanks?
 
brain_stew said:
New US $550 config:



$575 + $40 of rebates which I feel is fair for a $550 budget.

I had to up the budget a little this time but you'd be passing on far too many good deals if you didn't as the components in the previous $500 bracket have all seen price rises it seems. This is now one heck of a serious gaming/multipurpose rig. Incredible value imo. This thing is absolutely suited to 1080p gaming and future releases now, the triple core, 1GB 4870 and 500w modular 80+ certified PSU are huge upgrades.

Very nice. I went and bought this just now w/ the HIS HD 4890 1GB option. Came out to $644.26 after shipping + $40 Mail in Rebates. Looks like I got the last Samsung 640GB SATA tho because now when I click on the link it says auto-notify instead of add to cart.

Sidenote: You should update the OP to say: "1080p Gaming rig total cost= $619.93 + $40 of rebates + Free Game (Stormrise)". The "$585.88 + $30 of rebates" is from your previous build setup iirc.
 

Sinn Fein

Member
brain_stew said:
Yes, that GPU upgrade is worth it, especially for high resolution play.

That's great to know. I think I'd go with that at least, although even the 4890 isn't all that much more. Gotta draw the line somewhere, and I think for my purposes the 4870 will be fine.

brain_stew said:
I wouldn't worry about unocking an extra core too much, if it happens its a bonus, if it doesn't you've lost nothing.

Absolutely, I'm definitely not stressing on that.

brain_stew said:
No, that PSU is no good for Crossfire 4870s, though neither is that motherboard, and nor is it hardly ever a smart upgrade path either. If you're a bang for buck guy (which anyone buying that sort of rig, clearly is) then multi GPU rigs shouldn't even be a consideration. They come with a whole host of problems.

Of course, I didn't even consider the mobo. That's fine though. I wouldn't really be considering Crossfire/SLI in the future, especially if it's troublesome. I'd rather stick with a single card, and in that respect this should be upgradeable.

I happened to notice that ATI, on their 4870 site, recommend at least a 500W PSU for that card. I assume it will, but the PC Power and Cooling 420W will be alright? I do like the idea of the PSU being nice and silent. I'd like to keep the noise down as much as possible.

I was considering looking for a different case too, just due to looks--but that Coolermaster definitely looks like the best case for that kind of price. Any opinion on Chenbro cases? I don't know what they're like now, but I remember seeing some of their (Spyder?) cases some time ago and though they looked OK at least.

Planning to order soon, this has been a big help!
 
ATI use that "500w" figure because a lot of PSUs are very...."generous" with their quoted wattage. The figure in itself really means very little, its the sustained output on the 12V rail that really matters, and that PSU is really good in that department. Spending more in this area definitely isn't a bad idea but it isn't wholly necessary either.

If you don't mind dealing with rebates, then I'd suggest this PSU, its modular, very efficient and will support dual GPUs just fine:

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=33041&vpn=OCZ600MXSP&manufacture=OCZ Technology
 

Sinn Fein

Member
brain_stew said:
ATI use that "500w" figure because a lot of PSUs are very...."generous" with their quoted wattage. The figure in itself really means very little, its the sustained output on the 12V rail that really matters, and that PSU is really good in that department. Spending more in this area definitely isn't a bad idea but it isn't wholly necessary either.

If you don't mind dealing with rebates, then I'd suggest this PSU, its modular, very efficient and will support dual GPUs just fine:

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=33041&vpn=OCZ600MXSP&manufacture=OCZ Technology

Yeah, I spotted that one and its 500W relative. This and the OP one seem like good options.

I like the idea of quiet, but that and any difference are pretty hard to judge. Plus, if I don't have to deal with mail in rebates, that's a plus--but not a huge deal.

Maybe I'll just check prices and make the call when I'm ordering.
 

Firestorm

Member

Sinn Fein

Member
Firestorm said:
Sinn Feinn, NCIX's sale just started and I think you might reconsider your video card at this price:
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=37408&promoid=1187
4890 for $199.99 after $15 MIR. 20 in stock. If that fits in the case, I think it's worth it for $25 more ($30 after mail in rebate).

There's also this Power Supply on sale:
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=016235&cid=PS.731

Dunno if it's good or not as I don't know what too look for in one.


Thanks for the tips. I'll definitely check that card out.

It should fit in the case shouldn't it? What about the the PC Cooling & Power 450W PSU though, would the power requirements be much higher for this card than the 4870?

I was planning to get everything from NCIX, since I don't really have the time to assemble it all myself at the moment and as brain_stew pointed out they'll put it all together for you for a small fee.
 

Firestorm

Member
Sinn Fein said:
Thanks for the tips. I'll definitely check that card out.

It should fit in the case shouldn't it?

I was planning to get everything from NCIX, since I don't really have the time to assemble it all myself at the moment and as brain_stew pointed out they'll put it all together for you for a small fee.
Yeah when I get a computer I'm going to do that too. They both seem to have it for the same price before mail in rebate but NCIX only offers $10 while they offer $30. No use price matching I guess.

I think it'll fit in the case but the other countries have it as a possible upgrade while the Canadian build doesn't so I don't want to speak out of turn.
 

Sinn Fein

Member
Firestorm said:
Yeah when I get a computer I'm going to do that too. They both seem to have it for the same price before mail in rebate but NCIX only offers $10 while they offer $30. No use price matching I guess.

I think it'll fit in the case but the other countries have it as a possible upgrade while the Canadian build doesn't so I don't want to speak out of turn.

I am rushing this a bit. Normally I'd make sure I've read and understood everything, including all the power requirement stuff, but I could really use something new (for things other than gaming also) and it seems like a good time. I'm just a little short on free time at the moment.

How about it brain_stew? That card sale looks pretty good. I could consider the OCZ PSU if needed, otherwise I'd just do the other. That case seems like it should handle everything.

EDIT: Stayed up to do some specific reading about the mobo, HD 4890 and that Coolermaster case.

Everything looks like it'd check out fine. I think that PSU in the OP would be OK too if it's OK with the 4870. Definitely not looking to Crossfire ever having read more about that.

Those 4890s on sale are going so fast though. I can't order all this immediately because I don't have my own credit card! Alas. Tomorrow may be too late.
 

FrankT

Member
Well my old 450w just wasn't going to cut it with my new 4890. Got me a nice 580w last night off newegg as a shellshocker deal for $40 shipped. Not too shabby. Anyhow there is a decent mid size tower on there now for $23as the shellshocker deal. Heck of bargain for the bargain hunters.
 
Sinn Fein said:
I am rushing this a bit. Normally I'd make sure I've read and understood everything, including all the power requirement stuff, but I could really use something new (for things other than gaming also) and it seems like a good time. I'm just a little short on free time at the moment.

How about it brain_stew? That card sale looks pretty good. I could consider the OCZ PSU if needed, otherwise I'd just do the other. That case seems like it should handle everything.

EDIT: Stayed up to do some specific reading about the mobo, HD 4890 and that Coolermaster case.

Everything looks like it'd check out fine. I think that PSU in the OP would be OK too if it's OK with the 4870. Definitely not looking to Crossfire ever having read more about that.

Those 4890s on sale are going so fast though. I can't order all this immediately because I don't have my own credit card! Alas. Tomorrow may be too late.

I'd step up to the 600W OCZ ModXstream if you're going with the 4890. Sure you could probably get away with it either way, but its just not worth the hassle, and you seriously can't underestiamte how nice having a modular PSU is. It makes airflow and keeping things tidy so much easier, since the price after rebate is very similar, it looks like a no brainer to me.

Having a PSU with plenty headroom is always a good thing, should guarantee it lasts you through several builds.


Daante said:
Is it really that much of a upgrade to switch to Windows 7 if you are happy and satisfied with XP?

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/windows_7_gaming_performance/

??

Yes, absolutely. I'm only on Vista x64 Ultimate atm but even from there, there's no way I could make the switch back to XP at this point, it feels so antiquated, which it absolutely is at this point. Almost everyone that has ditched the land of XP and 32 bit OSes would say the same , you don't really appreciate the leap until you have to go back to using an XP desktop.
 
I've been getting the upgrade itch for a while now. I may just buy an antec p182 case to calm myself for a while and wait until the autumn, windows 7 and dx11 cards. 4870 412mb + a q6600 at 3.3ghz 4gb ram runs everything pretty much fine for now.
 
D

Deleted member 1235

Unconfirmed Member
so I just put my kit together, turns on, everything detected fine, no error codes seems good...

put in the windows 7 RC disk and its taking AGES to install this thing. I haven't done a 7 install yet so I don't know if it's normal... but it's taken about 25 minutes so far to get 30% of the way through 'expanding files'

is this normal? I thought my new quick PC would blaze through this, but it's barely moving. Seems to stop for a long time and do NOTHING. no HDD activity nothing.... Have no idea if thats indicative of a problem or windows setup is just funny.

This is installing 7 from scratch nothing else done to the box.
 

Great King Bowser

Property of Kaz Harai
Oh god, what have I done. I attached a power cable from the PSU to a connector on the motherboard labelled PWR_FAN. Turned it on, pop of smoke. Turned it off straight away.

Now when I turn it on, it doesn't do anything. No hardware beep, nothing output to monitor. Hell, I can't even turn it off using the front power button, I have to use the one on the back. I've fucked up haven't I. Sigh.
 
Great King Bowser said:
Oh god, what have I done. I attached a power cable from the PSU to a connector on the motherboard labelled PWR_FAN. Turned it on, pop of smoke. Turned it off straight away.

Now when I turn it on, it doesn't do anything. No hardware beep, nothing output to monitor. Hell, I can't even turn it off using the front power button, I have to use the one on the back. I've fucked up haven't I. Sigh.

That PWR_FAN spot was where the CPU fan header was supposed to go, probably why you were getting a CPU FAN error!!

Don't panic yet, Reset your CMOS, re attach everything (correctly this time :lol ) and uhm....pray. You may need to connect your CPU fan to a different header if you've buggered up that particular header.

In future, always take your time, and check, then re-check everything, don't be afraid to ask for help during the build either, better being safe than sorry.

You can always just RMA the motherboard if worst comes to worst, it arrived like that right, *wink*, *wink*
 

Great King Bowser

Property of Kaz Harai
brain_stew said:
That PWR_FAN spot was where the CPU fan header was supposed to go, probably why you were getting a CPU FAN error!!

Don't panic yet, Reset your CMOS, re attach everything (correctly this time :lol ) and uhm....pray. You may need to connect your CPU fan to a different header if you've buggered up that particular header.

In future, always take your time, and check, then re-check everything, don't be afraid to ask for help during the build either, better being safe than sorry.

You can always just RMA the motherboard if worst comes to worst, it arrived like that right, *wink*, *wink*

There's a CPU_FAN connection right next to where the CPU is. The CPU fan was correctly attached to there. I don't know what posessed me to decide to attach that cable to the PWR_FAN connection.

How do I reset the CMOS?
 
Great King Bowser said:
There's a CPU_FAN connection right next to where the CPU is. The CPU fan was correctly attached to there. I don't know what posessed me to decide to attach that cable to the PWR_FAN connection.

How do I reset the CMOS?

Should be a 2 pin header on your motherboard somewhere. Cover it with something metal (like a screwdriver) when you flip the power switch. At least that's how it is on most motherboards. You could always just pull the battery though I suppose.

Just re-do everything I reckon, and then try again, its worth a go, motherbaords are usually pretty damn resilient.
 

Great King Bowser

Property of Kaz Harai
brain_stew said:
Should be a 2 pin header on your motherboard somewhere. Cover it with something metal (like a screwdriver) when you flip the power switch. At least that's how it is on most motherboards. You could always just pull the battery though I suppose.

Just re-do everything I reckon, and then try again, its worth a go, motherbaords are usually pretty damn resilient.

So disconnect EVERYTHING? And start over? I just tried removing the battery, replacing and booting. Nothing happens. Fans just keep spinning. :(

Green light on motherboard is on, red lights on GFX card, but, interestingly, and has been the case all day, the little blue LED I can see inside the CPU fan, never lights up.
 

Great King Bowser

Property of Kaz Harai
Okay, in the process of disconnecting everything from the motherboard and then reconnecting. Thoughts on connecting the CPU heatsink fan to PWR_FAN instead of CPU_FAN?

When it was connected to CPU_FAN it wasn't working.
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
Great King Bowser said:
Oh god, what have I done. I attached a power cable from the PSU to a connector on the motherboard labelled PWR_FAN. Turned it on, pop of smoke.
Holy shit, dude! That's not good.

Great King Bowser said:
Thoughts on connecting the CPU heatsink fan to PWR_FAN instead of CPU_FAN?

When it was connected to CPU_FAN it wasn't working.
CPU_FAN wasn't working before or after you blew up PWR_FAN?
 

Great King Bowser

Property of Kaz Harai
Rentahamster said:
Holy shit, dude! That's not good.


CPU_FAN wasn't working before or after you blew up PWR_FAN?

Wasn't working before. Even when it was booting properly I was getting CPU FAN Error, but I let it carry on and I was mid-way into installing Windows 7. When it got to the part where you reset I got the CPU Fan error at bootup and a CPU temperature warning. This was the point where I turned everything off, and had the stupid idea to attach a cable from the PSU to PWR_FAN.
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
Great King Bowser said:
Wasn't working before. Even when it was booting properly I was getting CPU FAN Error, but I let it carry on and I was mid-way into installing Windows 7. When it got to the part where you reset I got the CPU Fan error at bootup and a CPU temperature warning. This was the point where I turned everything off, and had the stupid idea to attach a cable from the PSU to PWR_FAN.
CPU_FAN wasn't working from the very start? Hmm, that connecter has 4 pins, right? You were using the stock heatsink and fan? That connector on the fan has 4 holes, right? If the fan connector had 3 holes, maybe you put it in the wrong way?

These things are supposed to fit together fairly easily. You didn't force anything, did you?
 

Great King Bowser

Property of Kaz Harai
Rentahamster said:
CPU_FAN wasn't working from the very start? Hmm, that connecter has 4 pins, right? You were using the stock heatsink and fan? That connector on the fan has 4 holes, right? If the fan connector had 3 holes, maybe you put it in the wrong way?

These things are supposed to fit together fairly easily. You didn't force anything, did you?

Stock heatsink and fan, 4 pins. Documentation even says the fan should connect there. Wasn't forced.

Should the CPU fan immediately start spinning on boot? Because it never did. And then yeah, CPU FAN Error.

Okay, so in the even that it still doesn't boot due to my ineptness, it's just the MOBO i've fucked over right? So I'll just buy a new one and I won't have completely wasted nearly £450? Oh god the pain.

Edit - Yeah, reassembling everything and it still won't boot. Case and PSU fan just keep on spinning. Green light on MOBO, red lights on video card. No hardware beeps or anything.
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
Well, if the CPU_FAN header wasn't working from the start, you could have had a bad motherboard to begin with, or perhaps you shorted it out due to static shock.

Your CPU is probably safe, since there should have been safeguards to prevent your PCU from frying.

In any case, even if your mobo wasn't defective to begin with, after that PSU to PWR_FAN incident, it probably is now.

Try get an RMA or exchange. You should probably leave out the part where you connected the PSU to a fan header.
 

Gowans

Member
Guys,

My Mrs has finally moved her computer from her parents house to ours.

Here are the specs what can I expect and what's the cheapest way to beef it up as take it over as my gaming PC :D

Windows XP
AMD Seppron Processor
LE-1250
2.21 GHz 1.87 GHz of RAM
NVIDIA GeForce 6100 nForce 430 (512mb)

I'm login into my Steam account now and battlefield heroes to give it a run through. (usually use my low end gaming laptop).
 

Tideas

Banned
I don't get it. What's the difference between this thread and the other PC thread now that people are just asking for PC help again?
 

Great King Bowser

Property of Kaz Harai
Rentahamster said:
Well, if the CPU_FAN header wasn't working from the start, you could have had a bad motherboard to begin with, or perhaps you shorted it out due to static shock.

Your CPU is probably safe, since there should have been safeguards to prevent your PCU from frying.

In any case, even if your mobo wasn't defective to begin with, after that PSU to PWR_FAN incident, it probably is now.

Try get an RMA or exchange. You should probably leave out the part where you connected the PSU to a fan header.

Hmm. Will see if I can get an RMA on the defective and/or broken one. What should I say is wrong with it? :lol

Will put this question in well in advance of my new mobo (and my inevitable exploding of it): The Coolermaster's case fan came pre-connected to the PSU, but there's also a CHASS_FAN connection on the motherboard. Should I just leave it connected to the PSU, or should I connect it to the mobo?
 

LAUGHTREY

Modesty becomes a woman
LAUGHTREY said:
Regarding upgrades to already built custom PCs, would it be ok to ask here?


This is my PC.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8


What would be the first thing to update, and to what to get the most out of games?


Quoting myself because I didn't get an answer, wondering if anyone can help me.
 
LAUGHTREY said:
Quoting myself because I didn't get an answer, wondering if anyone can help me.

Try and use the other thread for more general questions in future but I'd say, nab an extra 2 gigs of RAM, A 4870 andthis cooler and get to OCing that CPU. If you can manage 2.6-2.8ghz or so, you're set.

Your gaming performance will increase about fourfold from those small upgrades.
 
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