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[MikeE21286]

What are your load temps?
Did you find out what the issue was with your OC?

The load temps during the Prime95 test were in the lower 60s on SpeedFan (which is high) but while I was playing COD:BO they were in the low to mid 50s.

I think the problem I found was the FSB 'hole" you were talking about. With the same voltage settings I could not get the FSB up to 300, but I could get it to 311 o_0

I tried to go up to 333 with the same settings but I got the endless-cycle reboot problem i was talking about. Not sure if I need a higher voltage or it's another "hole"

Until you mentioned that problem with the FSB 'hole' I had never heard of that before in the (albeit limited) reading I had done.

 

[pje122]

If you're getting something pre-built for SC2, make sure it at least has an i5 750/760 and a 5770. Don't go AMD for SC2, unless you're overclocking.

This is really the only acceptable configuration on the HP site:

http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/rts_desktop/rts_desktop/1/storefronts/BM428AA%23ABA

And that's pretty bad value.

Something like this is way better:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...227282&cm_re=ibuypower-_-83-227-282-_-Product

Interesting. However, if you're looking at something like an HP, you can find various coupons on slickdeals to really bring down the price, such as this:
http://slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=0&t=2373905 ($500 off $1399 Desktop)
So, what are your feelings on a configuration that is a little bit better than that for only $900?
Decent? Or are the parts such garbage that you wouldn't be interested anyway?

 

[TheExodu5]

Interesting. However, if you're looking at something like an HP, you can find various coupons on slickdeals to really bring down the price, such as this:
http://slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=0&t=2373905 ($500 off $1399 Desktop)
So, what are your feelings on a configuration that is a little bit better than that for only $900?
Decent? Or are the parts such garbage that you wouldn't be interested anyway?

None of the configurations have a video card that's as good as the GTX 460, but I'd go for this:

http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/rts_desktop/rts_desktop/1/storefronts/BM428AA%23ABA

Great CPU for the money. Video card is mid-range...passable. Still far faster than any of the consoles, in case you were wondering. Should be enough to max out most games at 1680*1050 or so. I'd probably want something a little stronger if you were running 1080p though.

The HD 5770 is a lot faster than the HD 5570.

 

[pje122]

None of the configurations have a video card that's as good as the GTX 460, but I'd go for this:

http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/rts_desktop/rts_desktop/1/storefronts/BM428AA%23ABA

Great CPU for the money. Video card is mid-range...passable. Still far faster than any of the consoles, in case you were wondering. Should be enough to max out most games at 1680*1050 or so. I'd probably want something a little stronger if you were running 1080p though.

The HD 5770 is a lot faster than the HD 5570.

Hmm... that looks like the same link as before. You need to pick a customizable machine and get the base price to at least $1399 to use the coupon to bring down the price.

Edit:
Nvm, the card options vary depending on the model.

 

[TheExodu5]

Hmm... that looks like the same link as before. You need to pick a customizable machine and get the base price to at least $1399 to use the coupon to bring down the price.

Oh gotcha. Gimme a min.

edit: wow, what a bunch of shitty video cards on the i5 760 builds.

2GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 420 [DVI, HDMI, VGA adapter]

2GB GT 420? WTF? That's the most useless thing I've ever heard of. :|

 

[TheExodu5]

Do you need a monitor?

 

[pje122]

Do you need a monitor?

Nope.

 

[TheExodu5]

Was trying to figure out something to waste $120 on...had to add a Blu-Ray player.

Customize your HPE480t series

* • Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* • Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-930 quad-core [2.8GHz, 1MB L2 + 8MB shared L3 cache]
* • 12GB DDR3-1066MHz SDRAM [6 DIMMs]
* • 1.5TB RAID 0 (2 x 750TB SATA HDDs) - performance
* • No additional office software
* • Norton Internet Security(TM) 2011 - 15 month
* • 1GB NVIDIA Geforce 460 [2 DVI, mini-HDMI, VGA adapter]
* • No speakers
* • Blu-ray player & Lightscribe SuperMulti DVD burner
* • Integrated Ethernet port, No wireless LAN
* • 15-in-1 memory card reader, 1 USB, 1394, audio
* • No TV Tuner
* • Integrated sound
* • HP USB keyboard and optical mouse

$1409

That's about the best you can get off HP. If you do actually get that for $909, that's a pretty damned good deal, despite not being able to overclock it.

 

[pje122]

Was trying to figure out something to waste $120 on...had to add a Blu-Ray player.



$1409

That's about the best you can get off HP. If you do actually get that for $909, that's a pretty damned good deal, despite not being able to overclock it.

OK, cool. Thank you very much.
And you don't have anything negative to say about the parts or build quality of HPs?
How do I know what/how big the power supply unit is?

Edit: And for anyone who is ever looking for a pre-built machine from one of the major manufacturers like HP or Dell, make sure you check deal sites like Slickdeals for coupon codes. $500 off a $1399 configuration is a pretty large chunk of change.

 

[TheExodu5]

There's no way to know. The power supply would be my biggest worry. The CPU is very fast, that's way more RAM than you need (I would have picked 6GB if it were available in 3 DIMMS), and that's quite a fast video card as well. Expect to be able to max anything you play.

Also, I'm questioning whether I should have picked the 2x 750GB RAID 0 configuration or just a single 1.5TB drive for $10 less. I'd say go with the single drive for added reliability.

 

[Servizio]

Well this sucks.

All my stuff came today, and I was in the process of putting everything together, got the power supply in, put together the motherboard and the CPU and the ram, put that in, go to plug the power cables in, and...Notice one of the wires on the ATX 24 pin plug has popped out. I spend twenty minutes trying to force it back into the plug, but nope, refuses to get in there. I can't tell if it's just supposed to be forced in there or if some fastener has completely broken.

So, keep trying to get it in there and see what happens, or just return it?

I'm actually leaning towards returning it and getting a 750w model, as 650w seems a bit low for a 470 GTX and a i5-760, plus all the fans and hard drives I'll have plugged in with it.

 

[Shambles]

Well this sucks.

All my stuff came today, and I was in the process of putting everything together, got the power supply in, put together the motherboard and the CPU and the ram, put that in, go to plug the power cables in, and...Notice one of the wires on the ATX 24 pin plug has popped out. I spend twenty minutes trying to force it back into the plug, but nope, refuses to get in there. I can't tell if it's just supposed to be forced in there or if some fastener has completely broken.

So, keep trying to get it in there and see what happens, or just return it?

I'm actually leaning towards returning it and getting a 750w model, as 650w seems a bit low for a 470 GTX and a i5-760, plus all the fans and hard drives I'll have plugged in with it.

650W is more than enough for an i5 and a 470.

The load temps during the Prime95 test were in the lower 60s on SpeedFan (which is high) but while I was playing COD:BO they were in the low to mid 50s.

I think the problem I found was the FSB 'hole" you were talking about. With the same voltage settings I could not get the FSB up to 300, but I could get it to 311 o_0

I tried to go up to 333 with the same settings but I got the endless-cycle reboot problem i was talking about. Not sure if I need a higher voltage or it's another "hole"

Until you mentioned that problem with the FSB 'hole' I had never heard of that before in the (albeit limited) reading I had done.

Pushing mine just now I noticed in order to go from 3.4 to 3.6 I had to change a setting in my Asus bios named "Load Line Calibration" from auto to enabled. This reduced the vdroop and now i'm running fairly stable even though I am also sitting at 1.48V. Tomorrow I'll see how far I can get that down, i just cranked it to see if it would work whereas before it wouldn't even work at 1.5V. Normally I was sitting at 1.43 for 3.4Ghz. Worth looking into anyways.

 

[Hazaro]

Well this sucks.

All my stuff came today, and I was in the process of putting everything together, got the power supply in, put together the motherboard and the CPU and the ram, put that in, go to plug the power cables in, and...Notice one of the wires on the ATX 24 pin plug has popped out. I spend twenty minutes trying to force it back into the plug, but nope, refuses to get in there. I can't tell if it's just supposed to be forced in there or if some fastener has completely broken.

So, keep trying to get it in there and see what happens, or just return it?

I'm actually leaning towards returning it and getting a 750w model, as 650w seems a bit low for a 470 GTX and a i5-760, plus all the fans and hard drives I'll have plugged in with it.

A good 450W is enough for that. Don't worry. PSU Wattage is one of the most overrated things. There wasn't a whole lot of good selections so GPU companies overrated. They still do, but it's a bit better.

Are you talking about the 20+4 pin power connector? It's detachable for older systems. Just line them up and plug them both in.

 

[Servizio]

Good to hear the wattage is enough, from what I understand the 470 and the 480 are real power hogs.

This is actually what I'm talking about:

As you can see, the orange wire popped out of the setting and I can't force it back in. Seems silly to return it over such a trivial thing, but I can't very well run it loose either. It doesn't even stick in there a little.

 

[Hazaro]

Uh oh!
That's... well sorta important at least.

3.3V you need jack for power, but it's probably a wise idea to send it back.

What brand/model was it?

 

[Servizio]

Uh oh!
That's... well sorta important at least.

3.3V you need jack for power, but it's probably a wise idea to send it back.

What brand/model was it?

Corsair CMPSU-650TX 650-Watt TX

By far the sexiest packaging of all the things I bought. It came in a little black faux velvet bag

 

[Enemy Of Fate]

Hi guys, have finally decided I want to build my own computer, have done some basic reading on the subject and was wondering if you guys could help me out with hammering down working out what I'm going to get? Basically I'm looking to spend less than 1000 Euro in total for everything (including a good 30+ inch monitor/TV I guess) bar the graphics card (which is already taken care off, am gonna get the new GTX580).

The machine will be almost entirely for gaming, and nothing else thats really super stressful on it. It will need to be able to run Dolphin and PSX2 as well as is possble though, so I was thinking about something along the lines of an overclocked i7, and then basically whatever is needed to support the processor and graphics card (motherboard, cooling system, etc). Was thinking for going for prob 6GB of ram, although I'm not sure what type?And was thinking bout getting a small SSD for OS use and other programs that are used heavily, and prob a 1.5TB or 2TB harddrive in there as well.

Basically I'm looking to build a pretty high end machine that will last me without upgrading for a good number of years, so if anyone could help me out with getting an actual solid config nailed down that would be great. Also if its better to wait till January for sales or whatever then thats fine, I can hold off till then. If possible it would be best if the components came from within Europe so that I could claim the VAT back on them (although my 1000 euro price tag is including VAT). Thanks for any help or advice you guys can give me!

 

[Manp]

Good to hear the wattage is enough, from what I understand the 470 and the 480 are real power hogs.

This is actually what I'm talking about:

As you can see, the orange wire popped out of the setting and I can't force it back in. Seems silly to return it over such a trivial thing, but I can't very well run it loose either. It doesn't even stick in there a little.

it's not popped out, the pin is clearly broken in the middle!

send it back

 

[Lumine]

Seeing as my PC is still in repairs and I didn't get any replies to my last post, I'm going to try this again.

As a "budget" graphics card, is the GeForce GTX 460 768 MB a good choice? Is ~160 dollar/euro a good price for it? I'm hearing stuff about nivida/amd releasing a new line of cards soon, does that mean it might be a good idea to wait first and see how that impacts the current prices? How long would I have to wait?

Is Phenom II X4 955 a good choice for a "budget" cpu? It's around 140 dollar/euro. Or should I perhaps invest in something more expensive yet durable?

What kind of mobo should I be looking for?

My current PC, the one in repairs, has a MSI K9N nforce 570 AM2 motherboard with a AMD athlon X2 3800+ cpu. Both more than 4 years old. The graphics card is a nvidia 8800 GTS 768mb, about 3 years old. I added more than a year ago 2GB memory to the 1 it already had.

I really need some help with this stuff guys. Thanks in advance.

 

[mescalineeyes]

As a "budget" graphics card, is the GeForce GTX 460 768 MB a good choice? Is ~160 dollar/euro a good price for it?

Awesome card. Really good price.
Do it.

 

[Cheech]

Corsair CMPSU-650TX 650-Watt TX

By far the sexiest packaging of all the things I bought. It came in a little black faux velvet bag

Yeah, that sucks. I bought the 750w version of that power supply for my own build, and it's really good. I pulled the velvet bag out of the box, which was the point I realized that PC building is a different world now than it was in the 1990s. :lol

 

[TheExodu5]

Hi guys, have finally decided I want to build my own computer, have done some basic reading on the subject and was wondering if you guys could help me out with hammering down working out what I'm going to get? Basically I'm looking to spend less than 1000 Euro in total for everything (including a good 30+ inch monitor/TV I guess) bar the graphics card (which is already taken care off, am gonna get the new GTX580).

The machine will be almost entirely for gaming, and nothing else thats really super stressful on it. It will need to be able to run Dolphin and PSX2 as well as is possble though, so I was thinking about something along the lines of an overclocked i7, and then basically whatever is needed to support the processor and graphics card (motherboard, cooling system, etc). Was thinking for going for prob 6GB of ram, although I'm not sure what type?And was thinking bout getting a small SSD for OS use and other programs that are used heavily, and prob a 1.5TB or 2TB harddrive in there as well.

Basically I'm looking to build a pretty high end machine that will last me without upgrading for a good number of years, so if anyone could help me out with getting an actual solid config nailed down that would be great. Also if its better to wait till January for sales or whatever then thats fine, I can hold off till then. If possible it would be best if the components came from within Europe so that I could claim the VAT back on them (although my 1000 euro price tag is including VAT). Thanks for any help or advice you guys can give me!

Don't have time atm to price things out for ya, but for that price tag, you're probably looking at an i7 930/950 (whichever is cheaper). Add a nice CPU cooler, and either 6GB/12GB of RAM (depending on how much money you have left), and you should be good to go. The main places you're going to have to make a decision is:

Case
HDD (do you want an SSD?)

What do you like in a case? Are you going to be working on it yourself? Do you want it to have a window or be black on the inside? Or do you just want it to be easy to work with? I'll go ahead and start by recommending the HAF 922:

Extremely easy to work with, space enough to fit any video card, and really good cooling. Really hard to beat, coming in at around $90. The only caveat to it is its looks, which aren't for everyone.

 

[Arucardo]

Are there any mid towers that can fit a 5970? I know the Fractal Designs Define R3 can just barely fit one if you just slightly bend/press on the HD rack during installation.

 

[Krauser Kat]

this deal is so good i really want to dive in for the upgrade

 

[Enemy Of Fate]

Extremely easy to work with, space enough to fit any video card, and really good cooling. Really hard to beat, coming in at around $90. The only caveat to it is its looks, which aren't for everyone.

Not really liking the look of that case, although if it comes down to practicality vs looks then I guess looks aren't really that important but still if there was a similar alternative to the one you showed that would be great. As for your question I'd kinda like to be able to look inside, also I'll be building this with the help of a guy I know who has built loads of computers before successfully, so really putting it together shouldn't be too much of a problem.

As for RAM is there really any need for 12GB of RAM at the minute? I could always add more at a later date if needed yes? I was planning on having both a SSD and a HDD, one to store the OS and commonly used programs and the HDD for storing everything else, although I haven't really given any thought to what size the SSD should be (I know the HDD will need to be at LEAST 1.5TB, probably more as long as it doesn't cost too much).

From what I've read the i7 950 overclocks very easily to around 4.0Ghz right? If so then I'd prob go with that, can someone advise me on what kind of cooling system I'd need to take care of the heat and all? Also what kind of motherboard, power source and sound cards should I be looking at? Is it possible for me to get a USB 3.0 port on my computer yet (I'm fairly sure the answer is no here though cause I haven't really heard anything bout it).

Thanks for your help, if anyone else has anything they'd like to contribute that'd be great!

 

[Krauser Kat]

do you really need 8 cores 2 ( 4 extra for hyperthreading) the 760 i5 over clocks just as well and unless you are doing some major rendering can pretty much takes its place. Toms hardware does not really recommend buying anything above the i5 760/50 as far as bang for bucj goes. Get a good cooler ( like one in the cart i posted) and you will be at 4ghz in no time.

 

[OmegaDragon]

Hello I have a problem with my PC and I'm wondering if you could help me

Basically I'm getting motherboard beeps when I'm in Windows (well at least I think they are motherboard beeps). The beeps are short and single and look to be random.

My PC boots up fine, with just one beep. The sound of this beep also sounds different than the sounds of the beeps I hear in Windows
However, after I loaded Windows I get short, single beeps at random intervals. I don't notice my computer acting odd during a beep, except sometimes I hear a fan spinning up for a moment. Also I monitored the amperage of my videocard, and after a beep it looked like it went from 1.7 A to about 8 A.
Does this sound like a PSU/power problem? Also, what can I do myself to fix it?

Thanks in advance

I've got:
Gigabyte P55-UD3 BIOS F6
Antec Sonata III with 500 W PSU (EarthWatts)
Core-i5 750 at stock
PowerColor HD5850
Windows 7

 

[TheExodu5]

Not really liking the look of that case, although if it comes down to practicality vs looks then I guess looks aren't really that important but still if there was a similar alternative to the one you showed that would be great. As for your question I'd kinda like to be able to look inside, also I'll be building this with the help of a guy I know who has built loads of computers before successfully, so really putting it together shouldn't be too much of a problem.

As for RAM is there really any need for 12GB of RAM at the minute? I could always add more at a later date if needed yes? I was planning on having both a SSD and a HDD, one to store the OS and commonly used programs and the HDD for storing everything else, although I haven't really given any thought to what size the SSD should be (I know the HDD will need to be at LEAST 1.5TB, probably more as long as it doesn't cost too much).

From what I've read the i7 950 overclocks very easily to around 4.0Ghz right? If so then I'd prob go with that, can someone advise me on what kind of cooling system I'd need to take care of the heat and all? Also what kind of motherboard, power source and sound cards should I be looking at? Is it possible for me to get a USB 3.0 port on my computer yet (I'm fairly sure the answer is no here though cause I haven't really heard anything bout it).

Thanks for your help, if anyone else has anything they'd like to contribute that'd be great!

Both the 930 and 950 should overclock to 4.0GHz just fine. Get whichever is cheaper. 950 was on sale for a lot of people last week, which is why it was being used in builds.

12GB of RAM isn't really needed. Thus just an option if you want to avoid ever having to put more RAM in the build. If I were being price conscious, I'd go 6GB.

As for the case, you can check the Coolermaster CM690 II, and the Antec Nine Hundred...though I'm not sure how easily the GTX 580 fits in the Nine Hundred. The HAF 922 is great because the cooling it offers is unmatched in a kid tower, and it's very deep so it had no trouble fittin massive cards. If you don't like the look of it though, no sweat. There are definitely other great cases out there.

I posted a bunch of cases a few pages back. I'd repost them for ya but that's tough on an iPhone.

 

[Krauser Kat]

Hello I have a problem with my PC and I'm wondering if you could help me

Basically I'm getting motherboard beeps when I'm in Windows (well at least I think they are motherboard beeps). The beeps are short and single and look to be random.

My PC boots up fine, with just one beep. The sound of this beep also sounds different than the sounds of the beeps I hear in Windows
However, after I loaded Windows I get short, single beeps at random intervals. I don't notice my computer acting odd during a beep, except sometimes I hear a fan spinning up for a moment. Also I monitored the amperage of my videocard, and after a beep it looked like it went from 1.7 A to about 8 A.
Does this sound like a PSU/power problem? Also, what can I do myself to fix it?

Thanks in advance

I've got:
Gigabyte P55-UD3 BIOS F6
Antec Sonata III with 500 W PSU (EarthWatts)
Core-i5 750 at stock
PowerColor HD5850
Windows 7

that sounds like a heat warning for something. you usually get 3 beeps then a shut down if heat continues to rise. I have a mobo very similar to that one, for core2duo. You need to find out what is hot and try to fix it.

 

[TheExodu5]

do you really need 8 cores 2 ( 4 extra for hyperthreading) the 760 i5 over clocks just as well and unless you are doing some major rendering can pretty much takes its place. Toms hardware does not really recommend buying anything above the i5 760/50 as far as bang for bucj goes. Get a good cooler ( like one in the cart i posted) and you will be at 4ghz in no time.

Not really, but I'd get the 930 to best match the GTX 580. No sense in pussyfooting around the CPU when getting a $500 GPU.

 

[Krauser Kat]

Not really, but I'd get the 930 to best match the GTX 580. No sense in pussyfooting around the CPU when getting a $500 GPU.

True, im just too thrifty to ever get something crazy powerful. I did have an X800XT the week they came out when PCIe was debuting in 2004 for my college computer, that was fun. Back in the days where a single core p4 was good enough for half life 2

 

[FoxSpirit]

TheExodu5, is there some kind of dust filter for that case available? Because otherwise this looks really awesome from an airflow and cable-management perspective

 

[Dizzy-4U]

When you are looking for a video card, do you guys have any preference on the manufacturer? Sapphire, Diamond, XFX, etc... Are they equal in quality or should I avoid some of them?

 

[TheExodu5]

TheExodu5, is there some kind of dust filter for that case available? Because otherwise this looks really awesome from an airflow and cable-management perspective

The intake have air filters, but you need to tweak the fan to get positive air pressure if you want to avoid dust buildup. If you're looking for something with better filtration, you need to spend a bit more.

Anyways, I'm having a really hard time picking out my next case. I mean, I thought I wanted the Corsair 800D, but then I decided it would be too big to bring to lans. So now I'm considering some Lian-Li mid towers and Silverstone cases as well. I will spend up to $300 to get what I want.

So far, I'm eyeing the Lian-Li P-B25FW. The main concern though is airflow, and the fact that it cant fit the biggest GPUs like the 5970. I don't want to go with the HAF 922 because I want something higher end and more elegant.

My actual wishlist for a case:

Mid tower
Good airflow
Dust filters
Perpendicular HDD bays with trays
Mostly toolless design
Black interior
Window
Quiet
Good cable management with grommets
Bottom mounted PSU
Space for 4HDDs and 3x 5.5" bays

I know I won't be able to satisfy everything here...but I'm trying to find the best case I can.

 

[TheExodu5]

When you are looking for a video card, do you guys have any preference on the manufacturer? Sapphire, Diamond, XFX, etc... Are they equal in quality or should I avoid some of them?

I usually try to fid something with a good non reference cooler. My favorites are MSI, Gigabyte, and Asus.

Sapphire and Diamod both have pretty bad reputations when it comes to skimping on parts. EVGA ad XFX are not worth the extra money unless you plan on reselling with the warranty.

I'll probably try to do a nice non reference Asus card for my next build, for the sexy black PCB. First time I want to build a PC for looks.

 

[discohiro]

TheExodu5, is there some kind of dust filter for that case available? Because otherwise this looks really awesome from an airflow and cable-management perspective

http://www.performance-pcs.com/cata...t_info&cPath=36_463_500_514&products_id=26197

A bit pricey, though...

 

[Darkatomz]

Not really liking the look of that case, although if it comes down to practicality vs looks then I guess looks aren't really that important but still if there was a similar alternative to the one you showed that would be great. As for your question I'd kinda like to be able to look inside, also I'll be building this with the help of a guy I know who has built loads of computers before successfully, so really putting it together shouldn't be too much of a problem.

As for RAM is there really any need for 12GB of RAM at the minute? I could always add more at a later date if needed yes? I was planning on having both a SSD and a HDD, one to store the OS and commonly used programs and the HDD for storing everything else, although I haven't really given any thought to what size the SSD should be (I know the HDD will need to be at LEAST 1.5TB, probably more as long as it doesn't cost too much).

From what I've read the i7 950 overclocks very easily to around 4.0Ghz right? If so then I'd prob go with that, can someone advise me on what kind of cooling system I'd need to take care of the heat and all? Also what kind of motherboard, power source and sound cards should I be looking at? Is it possible for me to get a USB 3.0 port on my computer yet (I'm fairly sure the answer is no here though cause I haven't really heard anything bout it).

Thanks for your help, if anyone else has anything they'd like to contribute that'd be great!

As Ex0dus already said, 12gb of ram is not needed, go for 6gb with decent timings and clocks.

For an SSD, your best overall choice (IMO, but it's a pretty universal suggestion) is the Crucial c300 128gb, retails for $270 right now on NewEgg. But, I'm personally waiting for Q1 of next year, as some new next-gen SandForce SSDs are coming out, and if most reviewers are right, there should be a sizable performance gain, and you'd be getting more space for your dollar. My own rig is almost done (still need the cpu and ram, which I'll be getting by next week), but I'll reformat and correctly set up the SSD when it get it early next year.

If you want to overclock a i7 950, get a Cooler Master 212+ (which you should get anyways, since they're so damn cheap). Throw another 120mm fan for some extra cold.

TheExodu5, is there some kind of dust filter for that case available? Because otherwise this looks really awesome from an airflow and cable-management perspective

You're going for a middie case right? That's the downside of the HAF cases, they don't have dust filters. It was pretty much the only reason why I didn't go for one.

The most popular case with dust filters would be the Antec 900 or 902 for a middie. The most obvious downside between those and the HAF cases is the lack of a usb 3.0 port on the case itself.





Now, in terms of the components you were asking for. I don't know what you're wallet limit is (although it sounds like it's going to be around $1.2k), nor do I know the purpose of this computer (computing, gaming, etc), but here's my general suggestions for now.

Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131641
PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139012 (a better choice is http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151088, but it was just on sale yesterday for $110)
Sound card: ...depends on what speakers you're using, how much you're willing to spend, what it's for, how much you love audio, etc.

 

[Dizzy-4U]

I usually try to fid something with a good non reference cooler. My favorites are MSI, Gigabyte, and Asus.

Sapphire and Diamod both have pretty bad reputations when it comes to skimping on parts. EVGA ad XFX are not worth the extra money unless you plan on reselling with the warranty.

I'll probably try to do a nice non reference Asus card for my next build, for the sexy black PCB. First time I want to build a PC for looks.

Thanks for the input.

 

[MikeE21286]

650W is more than enough for an i5 and a 470.



Pushing mine just now I noticed in order to go from 3.4 to 3.6 I had to change a setting in my Asus bios named "Load Line Calibration" from auto to enabled. This reduced the vdroop and now i'm running fairly stable even though I am also sitting at 1.48V. Tomorrow I'll see how far I can get that down, i just cranked it to see if it would work whereas before it wouldn't even work at 1.5V. Normally I was sitting at 1.43 for 3.4Ghz. Worth looking into anyways.

hmm...I'll look into it. I don't know if there is an equivalent on my board or not.

Also, just wondering, what was the VID on your q6600? Mine was 1.275. Not sure if that is higher than average (I think so though)

 

[Shambles]

I don't recally exactly what mine was But I think it was more towards 1.3. I'm trying to find this old Q6600 thread I used to have bookmarked that had a list of dozens of peoples Q6600 overclocks with their OC settings, voltages, VIDS etc...

Just to make sure your BIOS is up to date right?

Edit: Looks like other VIDS are lower, not a huge deal though.

I'm not as familliar with Gigabyte boards, I don't know if they have a LLC option. If it doesn't you can always revert to pencil mods to reduce vdroop.

 

[AceBandage]

When you are looking for a video card, do you guys have any preference on the manufacturer? Sapphire, Diamond, XFX, etc... Are they equal in quality or should I avoid some of them?

I did a bit of research for my new PC, and I found the ASUS the best.
The HD 6850 was so easy to OC (it comes with a program that does it from Windows, even) and the drivers are updated easily.

 

[MikeE21286]

I don't recally exactly what mine was But I think it was more towards 1.3. I'm trying to find this old Q6600 thread I used to have bookmarked that had a list of dozens of peoples Q6600 overclocks with their OC settings, voltages, VIDS etc...

Just to make sure your BIOS is up to date right?

Edit: Looks like other VIDS are lower, not a huge deal though.

I'm using the F10 bios for my Mobo. The most up to date verison is F11. There are a couple other version out there I've read that people have installed for my bios (up to F14), but none of these are listed on the manufacturers official site, so I don't really trust those.

Honestly, I've never updated my Bios, so I don't even really know how to do it...

 

[Spiderjericho]

Don't think that cooler will fit. Servers are meant to be small and reliable. You can measure yourself.

I'd also get a different PSU. Maybe a Sparkle or a 450W Corsair (400W is not built as good, but still good).

What cooler do you think would fit in there? Or is it just best to use the standard cooler?

And I'll take a look at the power supply.

Thanks.

Just asking again. I want to throw my current motherboard, Intel QQ6600, 750GB Hard Drive and 6GB of DDR2 RAM into a 3U or 4U rack-mount server chasis to use to study for my IT certifications.

Does anyone know of a good CPU cooler that can fit in a 3U server chasis? I have an Artic Cooler Freezer Pro currently, Hazaro doesn't think it can fit in there. What about if I move to a 4U instead?

And what about this power supply

Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 Modular Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016

Thanks

 

[TheExodu5]

You're going for a middie case right? That's the downside of the HAF cases, they don't have dust filters. It was pretty much the only reason why I didn't go for one.

The most popular case with dust filters would be the Antec 900 or 902 for a middie. The most obvious downside between those and the HAF cases is the lack of a usb 3.0 port on the case itself.

Just a note, the HAF 922 doesn't have USB 3.0. That would be the HAF X (full tower). The main advantage to the HAF as opposed to the 900 is more GPU space (the Antec is not very deep at all), perpendicular drive bays, bigger fans, and a tool-less design.

Of course, I think the Antec 900 looks way better...it's just not as build friendly. If you're more concerned with the finished product, rather than the build, the Antec 900 II is a better case overall.

 

[Shambles]

I'd just keep trying to punch through overclocking holes. Not all Q6600's can stand up to 4Ghz but 3.4 shouldn't be a problem at all. I wish I could be more help on a Gigabyte board but i've never used their BIOS. How I learned is going through all the menu's in the BIOS with my laptop beside me to google up what everything was. I switched enough options and eventually got my higher clocks working :lol

Don't be afraid to crank the voltage. Most people running 4Ghz are running well above 1.5V. You won't be able to do it on air cooling though but it gives you perspective on what the chip can handle. Don't go above 1.5V or 71C on the chip and you'll be fine.

 

[Smokey]

My monthly check-in, what's the latest on the sandy bridge I7s? Any pricing benchmarks, anything?

 

[OmegaDragon]

that sounds like a heat warning for something. you usually get 3 beeps then a shut down if heat continues to rise. I have a mobo very similar to that one, for core2duo. You need to find out what is hot and try to fix it.

Thanks, but I'm not sure if that is the cause. It never had to shutdown and a brief check of temperatures with realTemp and GPU-Z didnt show anything heating up. The CPU stayed at 20 degrees Celcius and the GPU at 40 when idle. But I still got beeps.

 

[opticalmace]

My monthly check-in, what's the latest on the sandy bridge I7s? Any pricing benchmarks, anything?

There's a thread showing the 2600K hitting 5ghz on air on guru3d, I think. That's the only thing I've heard for benchmarks.

sandybridge roadmap

 

[Askia47]

There's a cheap Asus wireless card which I found great. No need to install any extra drivers or anything. Worked out of the box with Windows 7 64-bit.

Thanks man ill look into it.

 

[TheExodu5]

Ugh I can't find a case I want. This is frustrating.

edit:


I may have it:

SilverStone FT01

The main issue here is that it can't fit a graphics card longer than 10.5" without removing the HDD bay...but otherwise it seems to satisfy all my criteria.

Thoughts?