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[Hawk269]

If anyone has questions, ask them now. Hopefully I can check.
Name your vendors too.

Any info from EVGA would be great. Curious about the FTW edition 4gb cards and possibly if you can get anything out of them in regards to the Classified 680's.

 

[MrBig]

Any info on the 660/670s if they talk about them as well.

 

[Hawk269]

I know that some of you may think that this was nuts, some of you may think because I am playing at 1080p it is just a waste and I know some of you may say...hell ya...go for it...lol

I ended getting my bonus from work today and it ended up being close to 2k more than I thought it would be...so with all bills payed off, all credit cards payed off, vehicle payed off, I decided to go nuts and build my "Super Rig". While not all parts are the best, they are the ones I researched and read up on. Lastly, water-cooling was an option, but for me being still fairly new to PC building I did not want to take that on this year...perhaps with next years bonus...lol.

Anyways, thanks to the many users that answered questions...also thanks to those that made me really think about doing this, even if it is a bit of overkill. Here are the specs/parts I have for the new rig, some parts I already have in the existing rig and they are denoted with ***.:

Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition Sandy Bridge-E 3.3GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 2011
ASUS Rampage IV Extreme LGA 2011 Motherboard
EVGA 02G-P4-2680-KR GeForce GTX 680 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 X2 in SLI ***
G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000)
1ST PC CORP. FC-FC6-B Lamptron Fan Controller, Black Color
CORSAIR H100 (CWCH100) Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler
CORSAIR Professional Series Gold AX1200 (CMPSU-1200AX) 1200W ***
ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner ***
Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" HDD x2 ***
Samsung 830 Series 256GB SSD ***
Antec P280 Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Noiseblocker NB-Multiframe M12-P 120mmx25mm Ultra Silent PWM Fan x3

Of course I have thermal paste (MX4), Win64 and other small things that I did not list.

As some of you may know, I previously had the Antec Twelve Hundred case which was really good, but it was such a pain in the ass to clean the filters...having to remove the 3 fan cages, which was 8 screws each. The new case which is actually a mid-tower, not the full tower that the 1200 is actually has more room inside because of the way they set up the HDD cage. Someone at the EVGA forum just build a rig using the same mobo and 680's and looking at his pictures, the case is really nice and better use of interior space and a bit more room the the backside of the case for cable management.

Lastly, not sure who was the person that suggested the Noiseblocker, but I did alot of reading and people are in love with them. A bit more expensive, but the reviews and feedback from users has been very impressive.

Of course any feedback is welcomed...parts have been ordered, but dont plan on doing any building till Wednesday or Thursday, but if someone see's something off, I will send the part back and re-order what I need.

Again, thanks to everyone here...still the best thread on the forum!

 

[Smokey]

I know that some of you may think that this was nuts, some of you may think because I am playing at 1080p it is just a waste and I know some of you may say...hell ya...go for it...lol

I ended getting my bonus from work today and it ended up being close to 2k more than I thought it would be...so with all bills payed off, all credit cards payed off, vehicle payed off, I decided to go nuts and build my "Super Rig". While not all parts are the best, they are the ones I researched and read up on. Lastly, water-cooling was an option, but for me being still fairly new to PC building I did not want to take that on this year...perhaps with next years bonus...lol.

Anyways, thanks to the many users that answered questions...also thanks to those that made me really think about doing this, even if it is a bit of overkill. Here are the specs/parts I have for the new rig, some parts I already have in the existing rig and they are denoted with ***.:

Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition Sandy Bridge-E 3.3GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 2011
ASUS Rampage IV Extreme LGA 2011 Motherboard
EVGA 02G-P4-2680-KR GeForce GTX 680 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 X2 in SLI ***
G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000)
1ST PC CORP. FC-FC6-B Lamptron Fan Controller, Black Color
CORSAIR H100 (CWCH100) Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler
CORSAIR Professional Series Gold AX1200 (CMPSU-1200AX) 1200W ***
ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner ***
Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" HDD x2 ***
Samsung 830 Series 256GB SSD ***
Antec P280 Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Noiseblocker NB-Multiframe M12-P 120mmx25mm Ultra Silent PWM Fan x3

Of course I have thermal paste (MX4), Win64 and other small things that I did not list.

As some of you may know, I previously had the Antec Twelve Hundred case which was really good, but it was such a pain in the ass to clean the filters...having to remove the 3 fan cages, which was 8 screws each. The new case which is actually a mid-tower, not the full tower that the 1200 is actually has more room inside because of the way they set up the HDD cage. Someone at the EVGA forum just build a rig using the same mobo and 680's and looking at his pictures, the case is really nice and better use of interior space and a bit more room the the backside of the case for cable management.

Lastly, not sure who was the person that suggested the Noiseblocker, but I did alot of reading and people are in love with them. A bit more expensive, but the reviews and feedback from users has been very impressive.

Of course any feedback is welcomed...parts have been ordered, but dont plan on doing any building till Wednesday or Thursday, but if someone see's something off, I will send the part back and re-order what I need.

Again, thanks to everyone here...still the best thread on the forum!

Looks like you already ordered your stuff, but I was going to tell you to maybe consider going with a full tower. I'm using the 500r case and it's a bit cramped in there between the 580s, the PSU, the H100, the CPU pump etc. That's why I'm currently looking at the Roswell and HAF X just to kind of space some of this out.

I also can't help but feel a little empty that you did not get a 120hz monitor with your bonus money. I know you do the TV thing but...you could've got one just because and see what the fuss was all about!

Congrats on being the 2nd crazy mofo after sk3tch!

 

[Hawk269]

Looks like you already ordered your stuff, but I was going to tell you to maybe consider going with a full tower. I'm using the 500r case and it's a bit cramped in there between the 580s, the PSU, the H100, the CPU pump etc. That's why I'm currently looking at the Roswell and HAF X just to kind of space some of this out.

I also can't help but feel a little empty that you did not get a 120hz monitor with your bonus money. I know you do the TV thing but...you could've got one just because and see what the fuss was all about!

Congrats on being the 2nd crazy mofo after sk3tch!

Thanks. I wish I could link the picture, but the case I am getting is pretty roomy. The guy that has one has the same mobo I am getting, the same water pump and there looks to be a ton of room in the case. If it does not work out, will probably use the existing case, but I think I will be good to go.

I hear you about the monitor, it's just that I really love the big screen gaming from the sofa, nice sound coming from my sound system and it just cant be beat.

I have been starring at newegg, amazon and alot of other sites reading about the parts etc. So glad, I finally decided on what I wanted.

 

[Team Filler]

Anybody have recommendations for a good wireless adapter to go with NETGEAR WNDR3700-100NAS? My preference would be plugging it through PCI, but I suppose I could go with ethernet port or USB should anybody have a strong recommendation.

Primary purpose for wireless activity is gaming.

 

[LordAlu]

so basically, I just need a new GPU. right?

Yup, from what I can find your PSU is made by Flextronics who also make the decent Corsair PSUs. It should be good to handle a good single-card GPU within your price range like a 7850/7870

 

[GraveHorizon]

At the part where it asks "Where do you want to install Windows?" in a new installation of Windows 7, should I partition my SSD at all, or just click "Next"? I was wondering if I needed to select "New" and choose the maximum amount.

 

[LordAlu]

At the part where it asks "Where do you want to install Windows?" in a new installation of Windows 7, should I partition my SSD at all, or just click "Next"? I was wondering if I needed to select "New" and choose the maximum amount.

Does your SSD already have 1 complete partition that is the size of the SSD? Or no partitions at all?
Edit: Actually, on that page you should just be able to choose the SSD, and even if it says "Unallocated Space" Windows will partition/format it for you before installation. Just make sure you don't choose any other drive (for example if you have a big SATA drive in there as well).

 

[GraveHorizon]

Does your SSD already have 1 complete partition that is the size of the SSD? Or no partitions at all?

I don't think it has anything, it's brand new. This is what appears if I click "New" (not my screen):

That Newegg installation video said you do need to partition your hard drive, and to select the maximum number when doing it, but the OP says something about leaving space on the partition? Should I do the maximum, less than that, or just hit "Next" instead?

EDIT: I just read something saying I should disconnect any other hard drives than the one I'm installing the OS on, to prevent a boot partition from being installed on it or something. Should I turn it off and disconnect it right now?

 

[LordAlu]

I don't think it has anything, it's brand new. This is what appears if I click "New" (not my screen):

That Newegg installation video said you do need to partition your hard drive, and to select the maximum number when doing it, but the OP says something about leaving space on the partition? Should I do the maximum, less than that, or just hit "Next" instead?

Yeah, under-partitioning. You can have a bit of space so that when the SSD gets full it has a bit of space to move stuff around in. I myself have never bothered but if you want to do it then leaving 7-8% (or even a little more) would be easy enough.

EDIT: I just read something saying I should disconnect any other hard drives than the one I'm installing the OS on, to prevent a boot partition from being installed on it or something. Should I turn it off and disconnect it right now?

Yes. Also, make sure you go into your BIOS and Enable AHCI SATA before you continue, plus ACPI 2.0 if the option for it is there.

Edit: I used this guide for installing Windows 7 to an SSD if you want to have a quick read of it?

 

[chualie]

I'm looking to build a new computer before D3 and was wondering if waiting until the first week of may to order the parts would make a substantial difference in price if I ordered it now?

Going to build a i5 2500k system with a GTX 560 ti 448.

 

[GraveHorizon]

Yeah, under-partitioning. You can have a bit of space so that when the SSD gets full it has a bit of space to move stuff around in. I myself have never bothered but if you want to do it then leaving 7-8% (or even a little more) would be easy enough.

I don't really plan on ever letting it get full, so I guess I don't have a major need to leave space.

Yes. Also, make sure you go into your BIOS and Enable AHCI SATA before you continue, plus ACPI 2.0 if the option for it is there.

Check.

Edit: I used this guide for installing Windows 7 to an SSD if you want to have a quick read of it?

Yeah, that's exactly where I read the bit about disconnecting the other drive.

EDIT: Got to the desktop, now I'm running the driver disc for the motherboard. There are a lot here, but I don't know if all of them are necessary. For example, the Realtek High Definition Audio driver. I think my Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 has audio. Would that conflict with it at all?

 

[LordAlu]

EDIT: Got to the desktop, now I'm running the driver disc for the motherboard. There are a lot here, but I don't know if all of them are necessary. For example, the Realtek High Definition Audio driver. I think my Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 has audio. Would that conflict with it at all?

No it wouldn't, and in fact you'd want to install that. Your GPU will have sound for output through HDMI, but your normal sound will come through your speakers and they would plug into your motherboard, which uses the Realtek drivers.

 

[Valravn]

Im thinking about upgrading my system to a socket 1155 motherboard and an i7 2600k CPU. But i already have the i7 870. Is an upgrade to 2600k worth it?
The primary reason for this upgrade is my current motherboard Asus Maximus III Formula has trouble recognizing my SSD drive. So instead of the fast boot you would expect from an SSD my pc boots slow, it takes ca. 5 minutes.

 

[GraveHorizon]

No it wouldn't, and in fact you'd want to install that. Your GPU will have sound for output through HDMI, but your normal sound will come through your speakers and they would plug into your motherboard, which uses the Realtek drivers.

There's also an Intel HD Graphics driver. Isn't the graphics card what runs the graphics? Will there be any conflict from installing both?

These are all the things it lists, I've already installed the blacked out ones:
Drivers:

Spoiler

INF driver

, Onboard VGA driver,

Spoiler

HD Audio driver and application, LAN driver

, Rapid Storage Technology driver and utility, ME driver,

Spoiler

ASMedia USB3.0 driver

, Lucid Virtu, ASRock APP Charger.
Utilities: ASRock Extreme Tuning utility, ASRock Instant Boot, ASRock XFast USB, ASRock 3TB+ Unlocker, XFast LAN.
Software Suite:

Spoiler

Adobe Reader

, THX TruStudio, CyberLink DVD Suite free bundle (Trial version), CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 trial version, SmartView, ASRock Magix Multimedia Suite, Norton internet Security (yeah right).

Some of that is obvious garbage, but I'm not sure what of that is truly necessary, or even very useful.

 

[Manp]

I've had these BSODs randomly since I built my PC back in August 2011.

See picture below:



I've tried memtest overnight and no errors came up. I've done checks on both my hard drives too. I've overclocked my i5 2500k to 4.3Ghz.

The BSODs seem to occur quite randomly, a lot of the time when my computer's not doing much.

Anyone have any ideas on how to isolate the problem?

your hardware?

 

[LordAlu]

There's also an Intel HD Graphics driver. Isn't the graphics card what runs the graphics? Will there be any conflict from installing both?

These are all the things it lists, I've already installed the blacked out ones:
Drivers:

Spoiler

INF driver

, Onboard VGA driver,

Spoiler

HD Audio driver and application, LAN driver

, Rapid Storage Technology driver and utility, ME driver,

Spoiler

ASMedia USB3.0 driver

, Lucid Virtu, ASRock APP Charger.
Utilities: ASRock Extreme Tuning utility, ASRock Instant Boot, ASRock XFast USB, ASRock 3TB+ Unlocker, XFast LAN.
Software Suite:

Spoiler

Adobe Reader

, THX TruStudio, CyberLink DVD Suite free bundle (Trial version), CyberLink MediaEspresso 6.5 trial version, SmartView, ASRock Magix Multimedia Suite, Norton internet Security (yeah right).

Some of that is obvious garbage, but I'm not sure what of that is truly necessary, or even very useful.

Well, you really don't need any of the Software Suite at all, however the rest of them I would install, including the one for your Intel HD. There won't be a conflict, as your 6870 will handle all of the video output and tasks anyway, but having the driver installed will ensure there are no issues with anything that might take a look and notice a missing driver. Once installed, you can always disable the Intel HD in the Device Manager anyway.

 

[n0n44m]

Just moving my current build from my Corsair 800D into there, and upgrading GPUs. Silverstone 1500Watt PSU, EVGA Classified X58 3-Way SLI board, i7 980x, 12 GB Corsair Dominator 2000mhz DDR3, and just ordered 3 superclocked 680s + EVGA waterblocks... was trying to wait for the Hydro Copper cards themselves, cause they should overclock better due to 5-phase power, but they sell out in like 10 seconds whenever they're available.

oooh nice ... what watercooling equipment do you have?

What's a good 120hz/3d compatible monitor that isn't hard on the wallet (24in is good enough for me)? I currently have a sammy px2370 and I think I can get a good chunk of cash to fund a new monitor if ever I decide to sell it.

Also how good or compatible is 3d with non nvidia hardware? I only know of nv 3d vision but I currently have a 6970

I love my new XL2420T , which is also the best reviewed one out there. It is hard on the wallet though, but all the good 120 hz monitors are (although the only ones I found that came close to this one are 27" and thus even more expensive...). I have the Nvidia 3D Vision 2 kit so I can't comment on AMD 3D

Helped some younger kid spec out his PC. Hope it works out for you!

Day 1 PAX stuff:

Visited a ton of hardware vendors at PAX and talked it up. Played Crysis 2 at 100FPS on tri SLI GTX680's from StealthMachines. Big respect for MSI actually sending a knowledgeable person out, I got cop out answers from most of the vendors. Corsair and eVGA also good. FSP was also nice to chat up with... partly since no one was at their booth. They had working Ivy Bridge mobile at the Intel setup.

Sounds cool! Ask MSI about a 680 Lightning

Lastly, not sure who was the person that suggested the Noiseblocker, but I did alot of reading and people are in love with them. A bit more expensive, but the reviews and feedback from users has been very impressive.

Again, thanks to everyone here...still the best thread on the forum!

I did! Great, smooth running fans The ones you selected though run at 2000 rpm (!!) unless you turn them down over a PWM connector. You could run all three of them from your motherboard PWM connector(s) (using a splitter if you have too) but I think most motherboard only have the PWM connector at the CPU fan connector. Not sure.... Or are you planning to put them on the H100? Else I would suggest the 1200 rpm version with a fancontroller so you can tune them to whatever is the sweetspot between noise and cooling for you. More than 1200 rpm on a casefan isn't necessary in my experience, else the case itself is just insufficient for the contents.

As for the 120 hz, I love my new BenQ ... everything is so smooth compared to my 32" Samsung. But I played mainly BF3 on it the past week. I did some Batman AC in 3D Vision yesterday, and while it is totally amazing looking (and good performing once I turn off DX11 with a single GTX480) it does feel weird to sit on a chair in front of the screen with the gamepad in my hands instead of leaned back in my comfy chair time for 120 hz OLED TVs ....

the only thing I really don't agree with is the Extreme Edition CPU ... for a pc that's only used for 1080p gaming I doubt even a 2600K would ever let you be CPU limited in the coming years, let alone a 3930K ... I just can't think of any way you'd ever see the difference in performance or do you do some encoding or other productivity stuff as well?

Im thinking about upgrading my system to a socket 1155 motherboard and an i7 2600k CPU. But i already have the i7 870. Is an upgrade to 2600k worth it?
The primary reason for this upgrade is my current motherboard Asus Maximus III Formula has trouble recognizing my SSD drive. So instead of the fast boot you would expect from an SSD my pc boots slow, it takes ca. 5 minutes.

I assume it's overclocked somewhat if you have a nice board such as the Maximus III ? did you try updating the bios? the integrated Intel SATA ports should be pretty reliable normally ...

 

[asdad123]

Any suggestions for an atx case that will fit a 560gtx and hyper 212 evo but that also is good at keeping fan noise low?

Thanks.

 

[n0n44m]

Any suggestions for an atx case that will fit a 560gtx and hyper 212 evo but that also is good at keeping fan noise low?

Thanks.

Fractal R3 has good sound isolating features while still offering plenty of cooling.

 

[Karmum]

Any suggestions for an atx case that will fit a 560gtx and hyper 212 evo but that also is good at keeping fan noise low?

Thanks.

As stated above me the Fractal R3, there is the Antec P280 which is $112 ($12 more than the R3) and the NZXT H2. I'm debating between all three. I mean, those three around the price of $100.

 

[Uniracers]

I just finished my first new PC build, which includes an ASRock H61M-VS motherboard an NXZT 210 source 210 case. One small issue that I ran into was that I could not find a way to make the connector for the case fan reach the connector on the motherboard, so I plugged the case fan into one of the molex connectors from the power supply instead. Am I missing anything by doing this?

 

[Wazzim]

I just finished my first new PC build, which includes an ASRock H61M-VS motherboard an NXZT 210 source 210 case. One small issue that I ran into was that I could not find a way to make the connector for the case fan reach the connector on the motherboard, so I plugged the case fan into one of the molex connectors from the power supply instead. Am I missing anything by doing this?

It'll be running on full speed now instead of a variable speed. Might cause some noise but nothing else.

 

[Starfish_Oxide]

Case: Thermaltake Commander MS-I USB 3.0
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Box, LGA1155
Motherboards: ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3, Sockel 1155, ATX
SSD:OCZ Octane 64GB 6,4cm (2,5") SATA II
HHD: Seagate Barracuda 7200 2000GB, SATA 6Gb/s
Optical Drive: LiteOn iHAS122-18 schwarz SATA
Video Card: Sapphire HD 7850 OC 2GB GDDR5 PCI-Express
Power Supply: Kiss Quiet 560W
Monitor: ASUS VH238T
Keyboard and Mouse : Will get a local one
Headphones: Plantronics GameCom 777, 7.1 Gaming
Soundcard: ASUS Xonar DG, PCI x1
RAM: 8GB-Kit Corsair XMS3 DDR3-1333 CL9

Thinking about getting the above computer for gaming purposes mainly looking to spend around 1000 (-1200) euro of all the above (including windows).

What do ye think about it? Opinions needed.

 

[Wolf Akela]

DVD drive should be another brand.

Not really familiar with SSDs but I'd rather go with Samsungs, Intels and Crucials.

PSU: NO! Seems to be a rebrand of a crappy model from China. Get Corsair 430W at least.

 

[Sethos]

Case: Thermaltake Commander MS-I USB 3.0
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Box, LGA1155
Motherboards: ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3, Sockel 1155, ATX
SSD:OCZ Octane 64GB 6,4cm (2,5") SATA II
HHD: Seagate Barracuda 7200 2000GB, SATA 6Gb/s
Optical Drive: LiteOn iHAS122-18 schwarz SATA
Video Card: Sapphire HD 7850 OC 2GB GDDR5 PCI-Express
Power Supply: Kiss Quiet 560W
Monitor: ASUS VH238T
Keyboard and Mouse : Will get a local one
Headphones: Plantronics GameCom 777, 7.1 Gaming
Soundcard: ASUS Xonar DG, PCI x1
RAM: 8GB-Kit Corsair XMS3 DDR3-1333 CL9

Thinking about getting the above computer for gaming purposes mainly looking to spend around 1000 (-1200) euro of all the above (including windows).

What do ye think about it? Opinions needed.

OCZ SSDs doesn't have a very good reputation. Might want to consider something like Intel or Samsung. And don't get some random crap PSU, which that sort of sounds like ( Never heard of it ) get a quality PSU, Antec, Seasonic, Corsair etc.

 

[sk3tch]

Did my buddy's build last night. Inspired me to make some changes to mine.

i7 3930K
Corsair H100
32GB Mushkin Redline 2133 MHz DDR3 993997
2x MSI GTX 680 (SLI)
ASUS Rampage IV Extreme
512GB Samsung 830 SSD
Sound Blaster Recon3D Fata1ity Edition sound card
Seasonic X-860 Platinum 860W power supply
NZXT Switch 810 case

Before -


After -


(click to enlarge)

Made me decide to sell off the MSI Big Bang XPower-II X79 mobo and just get an ASUS Rampage IV Extreme. NewEgg had an open box R4E this AM for $297! Can't beat that. That way I can keep my NZXT Switch 810 in use and not buy that $500 Case Labs M10 (which would be awesome...but ridiculous). Also picked up a Seasonic X-1250 power supply. The best out there today. The X-860 really impressed me.

 

[Flame Lord]

Usage has nothing to do with it. It could running at 100%. You want to look at temps though real temp, hwmonitor, etc

My temps have dropped a lot. 26-30 degrees.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

http://skinneelabs.com/thermal-paste/2011-2012-thermal-paste-review/

have fun!

(MX-4 is good, cheap, available everywhere)

Is there that much of a difference between pastes? I've always just used Arctic Silver 5.

 

[1-D_FTW]

Is there that much of a difference between pastes? I've always just used Arctic Silver 5.

There's not a huge difference in temps. Something like MX-2 or MX-4 may be a degree or two cooler, but nothing huge. Biggest difference is, with something like MX-2 or MX-4, you can get a little sloppy without fear of shorting anything out since it has no conductivity.

 

[BigBlackGamer]

Did my buddy's build last night. Inspired me to make some changes to mine.

i7 3930K
Corsair H100
32GB Mushkin Redline 2133 MHz DDR3 993997
2x MSI GTX 680 (SLI)
ASUS Rampage IV Extreme
512GB Samsung 830 SSD
Sound Blaster Recon3D Fata1ity Edition sound card
Seasonic X-860 Platinum 860W power supply
NZXT Switch 810 case

Made me decide to sell off the MSI Big Bang XPower-II X79 mobo and just get an ASUS Rampage IV Extreme. NewEgg had an open box R4E this AM for $297! Can't beat that. That way I can keep my NZXT Switch 810 in use and not buy that $500 Case Labs M10 (which would be awesome...but ridiculous). Also picked up a Seasonic X-1250 power supply. The best out there today. The X-860 really impressed me.

ha awesome I was upgrading to my X79 build last night as well. crappy cell phone pic

OC'd the cpu to 4.4 Ghz and let me tell you the 3930k is a straight up beast. coming from a i7 930? I was simply blown away at how fast this shit is. Still waiting for Extreme 3D Capture card so I can do crazy encoding.

 

[clav]

Is there that much of a difference between pastes? I've always just used Arctic Silver 5.

Yeah silver based pastes degrade faster and require reapplication every few years for optimal performance. Plus if applied incorrectly, you can damage the electrical components.

MX stuff does not have these disadvantages.

 

[Gaogaogao]

If I was spending that much money, I would buy 1 big ram kit instead of 2, to guarantee they match. Or maybe I'm just paranoid about ram.

 

[Gav47]

I want to start imaging some of my Blurays as back ups.
Whats the difference between 4x,6x,8x ratings etc. I get that they're read/write speeds but will the higher speed drives be hampered by what ever my HDD's write speed is? Would outputting the images on to an SSD be faster?
I'm currently deciding between 4x and 12x models from LiteOn. Are 12x readers worth the extra money?

 

[MrBig]

About to purchase the first thing that can be used for my build, a K90. It's $97 shipped, $77 with MIR. Probably as cheap as it will get so I might as well get it now even though I won't be buying anything else for over a month, since I still can make use of it.
Anyone used this? I don't care about the F keys being domes, I don't make use of them myself.
Might pick up the Fractal R3 for $80 as well, but that depends on some other things.

 

[faceless007]

Question for anyone with the CM 690 II. It came with two types of mobo standoffs, 10 normal-looking ones and 2 marked "Stand-off - hole - fix" according to the manual.

The "hole-fix" one has a slightly raised rim taller than the normal one. What's that for?

Also, when I went to screw them in, I found that most of them wouldn't screw in all the way, they'd stop when a few mm of thread still sticking out. Is that normal?

 

[scogoth]

Question for anyone with the CM 690 II. It came with two types of mobo standoffs, 10 normal-looking ones and 2 marked "Stand-off - hole - fix" according to the manual.

The "hole-fix" one has a slightly raised rim taller than the normal one. What's that for?

Also, when I went to screw them in, I found that most of them wouldn't screw in all the way, they'd stop when a few mm of thread still sticking out. Is that normal?

The standoff hole fix should go into specific holes with longer thread, they have that raised lip in order to make it easier to put the motherboard on by holding it in place while screwing it in.

 

[Hawk269]

I did! Great, smooth running fans The ones you selected though run at 2000 rpm (!!) unless you turn them down over a PWM connector. You could run all three of them from your motherboard PWM connector(s) (using a splitter if you have too) but I think most motherboard only have the PWM connector at the CPU fan connector. Not sure.... Or are you planning to put them on the H100? Else I would suggest the 1200 rpm version with a fancontroller so you can tune them to whatever is the sweetspot between noise and cooling for you. More than 1200 rpm on a casefan isn't necessary in my experience, else the case itself is just insufficient for the contents.

The plan was to use 2 of them as the front intake and the third placed somewhere in the case to drive moor air over the GPU's. From reading what I read, I thought the ones I bought could be directly connected to a fan controller and then use the fan controller to adjust speed on them. Is that wrong? I hope not...lol.

 

[Lion Heart]

After 8 long years (with basic updates along the way) I finally got a new PC! This is insanely fast.

In the coming months I'll look to upgrade my mid range GPU and get a new 1080p monitor and I'm set. No more low/medium laggy bs in Starcraft II!

Thanks for the help gentleman.

 

[Starfish_Oxide]

DVD drive should be another brand.

Not really familiar with SSDs but I'd rather go with Samsungs, Intels and Crucials.

PSU: NO! Seems to be a rebrand of a crappy model from China. Get Corsair 430W at least.

OCZ SSDs doesn't have a very good reputation. Might want to consider something like Intel or Samsung. And don't get some random crap PSU, which that sort of sounds like ( Never heard of it ) get a quality PSU, Antec, Seasonic, Corsair etc.

Cool thanks for the input guys will change the stuff you mentioned but what's you opinions on the CPU ( Intel Core i5-2500K Box, LGA1155) and GPU ( Sapphire HD 7850 OC 2GB GDDR5 PCI-Express) and what kind of level of graphics should I expect on BF3 for example and is the motherboard ( ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3, Sockel 1155, ATX) particular futureproof.

Sorry for all the questions first time gaming pc builder here.

 

[luiztfc]

I'm running a 90GB SSD and 1 TB HDD and I want to reformat my pc.

I've never partitioned my main drive and I'd like to know how much space should I use for Win 7. Also, any good guide on partitioning on a fresh install?

Is there a way for my to change my default installation path so that I don't have to manually change it to 'd'?

Thanks for any input!

 

[n0n44m]

The plan was to use 2 of them as the front intake and the third placed somewhere in the case to drive moor air over the GPU's. From reading what I read, I thought the ones I bought could be directly connected to a fan controller and then use the fan controller to adjust speed on them. Is that wrong? I hope not...lol.

PWM fan controller would work fine

I'm not sure about regular controllers. The only PWM fan I use right now doesn't run full speed when I set my controller to regular mode, but that might be due to the controller itself... Haven't really looked into it to be honest. If you saw someone else use these with a regular controller I guess it should work ;-)

 

[MrBig]

I'm running a 90GB SSD and 1 TB HDD and I want to reformat my pc.

I've never partitioned my main drive and I'd like to know how much space should I use for Win 7. Also, any good guide on partitioning on a fresh install?

Is there a way for my to change my default installation path so that I don't have to manually change it to 'd'?

Thanks for any input!

What are you looking to do with the partitioning? Split up the SSD or get rid of the SSD and partition a space for windows on the HDD or using the SSD as your OS drive now?

Changing the default program files location

 

[luiztfc]

What are you looking to do with the partitioning? Split up the SSD or get rid of the SSD and partition a space for windows on the HDD or using the SSD as your OS drive now?

Changing the default program files location

Fresh install. Partition the SSD for OS (one partition) and the other for a few games that I'd like to benefit from the SSD, like BF3 and use the HDD for programs, movies, music and etc.

(thanks!)

And BTW, what an awesome thread you linked! I'm currently reading it.

 

[MrBig]

Fresh install. Partition the SSD for OS (one partition) and the other for a few games that I'd like to benefit from the SSD, like BF3 and use the HDD for programs, movies, music and etc.

(thanks!)

I would just keep the SSD as one volume, and then split up the HDD into two parts. The first for games, applications, and music you use but don't want on the SSD, and the second for storage, media, movies, etc. That is if the HDD is new. If it isn't you won't get any benefit from splitting it up.

 

[Hawk269]

PWM fan controller would work fine

I'm not sure about regular controllers. The only PWM fan I use right now doesn't run full speed when I set my controller to regular mode, but that might be due to the controller itself... Haven't really looked into it to be honest. If you saw someone else use these with a regular controller I guess it should work ;-)

You are making me nervouse now...looking at my specs, I have the nosieblocker fans and the below fan controller. Can you tell me if I will be fine with those fans and the fan controller I picked? If not, I will need to see if I can stop one of the orders and change things up.

Thanks ahead of time for your help. Here is the fan controller I am getting:

1ST PC CORP. FC-FC6-B Lamptron Fan Controller, Black Color
1ST PC CORP. ModelFC-FC6-B
SpecCompatibility5.25" Drive bayDimensions148.5 x 42.5 x 75mm
FeaturesFeaturesLCD display with 7 changeable colors in Blue, Green, Red, Yellow, Cyan, Purple, and White

Top line displays cooling fan RPM; bBottom line displays either temperature (Celsius or Fahrenheit), or fan voltage

Alarm is triggered when temperature is over 70 degree C, or if the fan fails to work when voltage is over 6.5V

Industrial minimalism design with simple operation

Solid Aluminum in black or silver front bezel finish

4 channels stepless fan speed control with up to 10W per channel output

Standard molex 4-pin connector to power supply

Standard 3-pin connection to cooling fans

 

[n0n44m]

You are making me nervouse now...looking at my specs, I have the nosieblocker fans and the below fan controller. Can you tell me if I will be fine with those fans and the fan controller I picked? If not, I will need to see if I can stop one of the orders and change things up.

Thanks ahead of time for your help. Here is the fan controller I am getting:

OK I just googled around for a bit, and if the info in this post is correct it should all work fine

apparently when you connect a 4-pin (PWM) fan to a regular 3-pin connection it is always supposed to run at 100%.

It doesn't on my fan controller (runs at lowest speed possible), but that's because it's some advanced digital controller that can operate in both PWM and non-PWM mode (where non-PWM apparently = PWM @ 0%) ... long story short the issue I had should be with my particular controller and not due to PWM fans

so you can safely use the PWM fans on any 3-pin fan connector, and they'll run at maximum speed. If you attach them to your 3-pin non PWM controller, you should indeed be able to successfully lower their speed

 

[Acrylic7]

Yup, from what I can find your PSU is made by Flextronics who also make the decent Corsair PSUs. It should be good to handle a good single-card GPU within your price range like a 7850/7870

thanks

sorry but another noob question :/
GPU or Graphics Card? Or are they the same thing?

 

[LordAlu]

thanks

sorry but another noob question :/
GPU or Graphics Card? Or are they the same thing?

Same thing - GPU means (G)raphics (P)rocessing (U)nit, it tends to get used as shorthand for graphics card