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[memecomplex]

Discount is retroactive but the $20 off right now is the maximum discount. Also it doesn't list it on the website but if you want to order extra/different side panels they're $15 each. You can PM SHE LOVES E on Overclock.net or put it in the comments of your order.

mkenyon helped me spec out the WC system, I can forward along what he gave me. But any of the build threads on OC.net have basically what I'm getting anyway.

EDIT: I love the customizability of the case. Neat to get it just the colour I want with my name on there. (Though one of the surprise colours for the S3 was almost the exact blue I was getting anyway)

Cool thanks! The Splash is pretty much designed around certain components isn't it? Yeah having your name on it and whatever colour you want is mighty tempting! But you're right, the S3 will always be there (even though the Splash isn't strictly a limited edition).

Edit: Oh and what's a good NAS solution these days, might need to look into that if I go with the Splash.

 

[kennah]

Yeah, I'll have to compromise on my HDD if I go with the Splash, and it'll wreak havoc on my Steam Mover I think. But mini-ITX is all about size and compromises so the Splash makes sense. However, I LOVE the look of the S3 and that mobo layout, plus all those windows you can get for it would really let you show off the innards of your PC, which is something I desperately want after my windowless SG09.

I'm like a dog chasing my own tail!

I went through all this exact issues. I much prefer the flat mobo layout, better HD options and windowness of the S3, but the limited edition/FUCKING TINY got me with the Splash. Been meaning to get a NAS anyway.... (also some people are saying that there should be enough clearance for two SSDs taped together where one mounts)

 

[memecomplex]

I went through all this exact issues. I much prefer the flat mobo layout, better HD options and windowness of the S3, but the limited edition/FUCKING TINY got me with the Splash. Been meaning to get a NAS anyway.... (also some people are saying that there should be enough clearance for two SSDs taped together where one mounts)

I have 2 SSDs in Raid 0 and a 3.5" HDD, so I might be able to tape those 2 SSDs together and put a HDD without the front IO? Or is that just asking too much lol

Edit: I'll check with SLE!

 

[kennah]

I have 2 SSDs in Raid 0 and a 3.5" HDD, so I might be able to tape those 2 together and put a HDD without the front IO? Or is that just asking too much lol

Most ITX boards have at least one eSATA port. That's part of the reason I went with the Asus is because it has 2. (Other boards have one eSATA and a mSATA onboard - so there is that option as well)

EDIT: I just did a quick add up and calculation - the watercooling system for this system would be over $600 for me with taxes and shipping

 

[memecomplex]

Most ITX boards have at least one eSATA port. That's part of the reason I went with the Asus is because it has 2. (Other boards have one eSATA and a mSATA onboard - so there is that option as well)

EDIT: I just did a quick add up and calculation - the watercooling system for this system would be over $600 for me with taxes and shipping

$600! It's going to be much dearer to get those parts shipped to Asia I bet! But to have a quiet OCed system is worth it.

MK, how's your SM5 build coming along? Does it ever feel weird to have such a massive case for an mATX system? Does its flexibility outweigh the space considerations? I mean the S3 is like 3 times the size of the Splash!

 

[knitoe]

For those looking for a 27" IPS, the PB278Q is on sale for $650 today

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236294

When made the choice last month, I went with Dell 2713HM instead, currently $640 on Amazon. The Dell has a much better 3 year pixel warranty.

 

[kennah]

But to have a quiet OCed system is worth it.

I hope my wife agrees with you

 

[mkenyon]

$600! It's going to be much dearer to get those parts shipped to Asia I bet! But to have a quiet OCed system is worth it.

MK, how's your SM5 build coming along? Does it ever feel weird to have such a massive case for an mATX system? Does its flexibility outweigh the space considerations? I mean the S3 is like 3 times the size of the Splash!

I paused it as I'm building a PC for another GAFer.

The case itself isn't huge. It's big for mATX, but definitely a bit smaller than some mid-tower cases like the 500R/600T. The amount of space is perfect for a modder, because there's a ton of room to mod. It's more like a blank slate that you put your own mark on rather than a case with limited options that ends up with the exact parts it's designed for.

 

[Deadpandas]

I almost went crazy trying to find a combo of mini itx board and decent cooler. The case has plenty of room but the motherboard is tricky.

I'd stick with the stock cooler for a while unless you really want to overclock - that motherboard will only get you to 4GHz, maybe 4.2, so you don't need a huge cooler anyway.

If you do (either now or later), look at the Corsair H60. Closed loop water cooler which will easily fit on the CPU because that part is small, the cooling fins are moved to a radiator which mounts on one of your fan mounts.



Do you really need the bluray drive? Fine if you do (won't be able to play bluray movies without extra software though). But if not, and you download most stuff, you could put that money towards upgrading your 7850 to a 7870. just a thought.

I'm kinda clueless when it comes to pcs so probably not going to overclock (atleast not right away). I guess the stock coolers will be fine for now then.

Changed the optical drive to a cheaper one without Blu-Ray and the graphics card to 7870.

So I guess that's pretty final then?

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/KLJs

Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
Gigabyte GA-Z77N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1155 Motherboard
Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Gigabyte Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card
SeaSonic 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
Samsung SH-222AB DVD/CD Writer
BitFenix Prodigy (White) Mini ITX Tower Case

 

[kharma45]

I'm kinda clueless when it comes to pcs so probably not going to overclock (atleast not right away). I guess the stock coolers will be fine for now then.

Changed the optical drive to a cheaper one without Blu-Ray and the graphics card to 7870.

So I guess that's pretty final then?

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/KLJs

Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
Gigabyte GA-Z77N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1155 Motherboard
Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Gigabyte Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card
SeaSonic 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
Samsung SH-222AB DVD/CD Writer
BitFenix Prodigy (White) Mini ITX Tower Case

Another change swap the 7870 to the 7870 XT

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-312-SP

It's basically a 7930 if such a card were to exist as it's Tahiti based not Pitcairn.

 

[memecomplex]

I paused it as I'm building a PC for another GAFer.

The case itself isn't huge. It's big for mATX, but definitely a bit smaller than some mid-tower cases like the 500R/600T. The amount of space is perfect for a modder, because there's a ton of room to mod. It's more like a blank slate that you put your own mark on rather than a case with limited options that ends up with the exact parts it's designed for.

Based on your experience with the Caselabs case and I believe SLE's/ Dwood's test bench, which mITX case would you go for? I could go SM5 too lol! But I'm most likely going single GPU after this (thanks to you!) so mITX makes sense.

Itching for a WC build!

 

[mkenyon]

Well, I do have plans for an ITX case, and while the Compact Splash is right up my alley in terms of a streamlined and compact enclosure, there's a few things I'd want to incorporate into an ITX build that would require a bit more space than it offers.

Some things that I would want to do in an ITX build:

1) Install an external DAC/Amp internally to make up for crappy ITX onboard sound. Would be a pretty cool looking feature as well.

2) Preferably a bit more than 360mm of radiator space, or at least thicker rads that would allow me to spin fans at 1000RPM or lower.

3) Visible internals to show off cables/aesthetics for competitions.

Some other ideas bouncing around in my head as well.

I'm actually leaning towards a scratch build. Something that combines elements of the NFC prototype with the Caselabs.

 

[Fergie]

Is this a pretty bang for your buck build? Bedir Shop. I was thinking of the i5 and 660, but a friend bought the FX-4100 recently with the 560Ti, and it seems to be great.

 

[mkenyon]

Is this a pretty bang for your buck build? Bedir Shop. I was thinking of the i5 and 660, but a friend bought the FX-4100 recently with the 560Ti, and it seems to be great.

It's on par with AMD processors from 4 years ago, and below Intel processors from four years ago. The i3 is a better gaming processor.

 

[brentech]

Thanks guys. Got everything in now. All I have left is to connect the cables to the mobo and psu. Are there any useful guides so I know what to plug in?

The installation papers aren't too great.

It changes per motherboard in terms of what all needs plugged in.
The motherboard itself is usually labeled to some extent as to what goes where (Such as: CPU Fan) and then the front case features are usually located at the bottom and right side of the board. Some are hard to understand, but some general tips are you want the labeling on the wire pin connector to face outward (by this I mean, if you have 2 separate wires that need plugged into 2 rows of pins, the labled text on them generally shouldn't be facing each other...both should be conceptually visable - if only our heads could shrink inside cases)

Mkenyon has an excellent guide as to power supply cables and good ideas on how to path those. When it comes down to it.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=35688401&postcount=4383

When it comes down to what all needs plugged in, I've always been a stickler for actually using the MOBO manual and looking at their mapping.
Some cases don't have all the pins, so if yours doesn't, don't worry about it. (Some cases don't have POWERLED pin, or maybe not as many USB pins, so don't be concerned if that is the situation for you).

Hopefully that wasn't all too confusing.

 

[Hazaro]

I see, comparing prices for an almost identical build ( barring differences due to replaced items , e.g 2600k -> 3770k ) it would cost roughly $2600 using the same site I bought my parts from during the past 12-18 months or w/e.

If the store's asking price is $2600 for a similar pc, what would be a fair and good offer? For a pc/parts that is in impeccable condition.

Just list your parts here.

You are looking at used listing prices right? A PC package is always less than parting it out, but if your rig is really nice you can get close to per part value.

 

[Lanbeast]

Sorry to sound like a Newegg advertiser today but I've spent the past 6 hours scanning for parts.

ZALMAN LQ-320 Water Cooler $109.99

With code EMCXTWL222 and $35 MIR, it's down to $39.99. Pretty tempting.

 

[mrklaw]

I'm kinda clueless when it comes to pcs so probably not going to overclock (atleast not right away). I guess the stock coolers will be fine for now then.

Changed the optical drive to a cheaper one without Blu-Ray and the graphics card to 7870.

So I guess that's pretty final then?

http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/KLJs

Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
Gigabyte GA-Z77N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1155 Motherboard
Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Gigabyte Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card
SeaSonic 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
Samsung SH-222AB DVD/CD Writer
BitFenix Prodigy (White) Mini ITX Tower Case

Ignore Kharma spending your money if you have a budget to meet GPUs are really good at just having another nice little bump just £25-30 more

Looks good

 

[Fergie]

It's on par with AMD processors from 4 years ago, and below Intel processors from four years ago. The i3 is a better gaming processor.

Thanks, seems I'll go with the i5 and the 660.

 

[kharma45]

Ignore Kharma spending your money if you have a budget to meet GPUs are really good at just having another nice little bump just £25-30 more

Looks good

For £8 you'd be mad not to go for the 7870 XT

 

[memecomplex]

Well, I do have plans for an ITX case, and while the Compact Splash is right up my alley in terms of a streamlined and compact enclosure, there's a few things I'd want to incorporate into an ITX build that would require a bit more space than it offers.

Some things that I would want to do in an ITX build:

1) Install an external DAC/Amp internally to make up for crappy ITX onboard sound. Would be a pretty cool looking feature as well.

2) Preferably a bit more than 360mm of radiator space, or at least thicker rads that would allow me to spin fans at 1000RPM or lower.

3) Visible internals to show off cables/aesthetics for competitions.

Some other ideas bouncing around in my head as well.

I'm actually leaning towards a scratch build. Something that combines elements of the NFC prototype with the Caselabs.

Hmm yeah, an external USB DAC/Amp is not the most elegant, and one of the things that might bug me down the road... Good point about the thicker rads too, if I go WC I want my system to be as quiet and with as much OC headroom as possible (within reason). Thanks for the always great inputs, will keep mulling this over!

Your mITX build sounds dope!

 

[mrklaw]

For £8 you'd be mad not to go for the 7870 XT

ah, sorry, I was going from the previous 7850 price.

In that case yes, grab the XT

 

[memecomplex]

Ok the $140 shipping to my part of the world rules out the Compact Splash for me. The S3 ships for $88 to OZ (further than to Asia), so the Splash is potentially similar in price or more expensive than the base S3, so much for that.

Gonna wait a bit to check out the S5, but I have doubts about the proportions and size needed to house an mATX board in that layout. Probably down to S3 vs SM5...

 

[Deadpandas]

For £8 you'd be mad not to go for the 7870 XT

the Club one, right?

 

[kennah]

Ok the $140 shipping to my part of the world rules out the Compact Splash for me. The S3 ships for $88 to OZ (further than to Asia), so the Splash is potentially similar in price or more expensive than the base S3, so much for that.

Gonna wait a bit to check out the S5, but I have doubts about the proportions and size needed to house an mATX board in that layout. Probably down to S3 vs SM5...

I hear ya. I almost cancelled at the $85 shipping to Canada.

 

[hockeypuck]

Built my first PC ever thanks to this thread. Now I have a question for veteran overclockers. The Overclock3D.net link in the OP was also very helpful.

Specs:
i5-3570K @ 3.4(3.8 turbo)
MSI z77A-G43 mobo
8 GB RAM
650W PSU
AMD 7950 GPU

Is it feasible to achieve a small speed bump to 4.2 GHz without increasing the voltage?

Reason, of course, is that I'm still using my stock cooler. I will purchase a CM 212+ in the near future, if that will stop the tomatoes from being thrown at me. But I am really, really pleased with the temperatures I'm getting right now and was curious if I can get a "free" 200-400 MHz boost without a significant increase in temps.

Bonus question: if the above is feasible, has anyone tried undervolting a 3570K @ 4.2? Very curious.

Thanks in advance.

 

[tbhysgb]

I have a 2500k and I heard about people getting close to 4 ghz on stock voltage but not a chance on undervolting. I had a wolfdale e5200 and I could get 500mhz on stock voltage so if you want 4-500 I'd say its feasible.

 

[VE3TRO]

Booted up for the first time and it's running but I see a red led on the mobo under the VTTDDR_CD.

 

[brentech]

Booted up for the first time and it's running but I see a red led on the mobo under the VTTDDR_CD.

When you say running, do you mean it just powers on or that you can actually boot to windows?

Either way, I think you're looking at a problem. When installing the motherboard risers into the case, did you ensure that you didn't leave any UNUSED risers in the case?
If there isn't a screw hole for them to secure to through the MOBO, they will put voltage into MOBO and likely fry it.
So if unused, it needs to be taken back out of the case before securing all the risers that do have a screw hole to secure motherboard.

Other than that, would probably need to know more.

 

[VE3TRO]

When you say running, do you mean it just powers on or that you can actually boot to windows?

Either way, I think you're looking at a problem. When installing the motherboard risers into the case, did you ensure that you didn't leave any UNUSED risers in the case?
If there isn't a screw hole for them to secure to through the MOBO, they will put voltage into MOBO and likely fry it.

Other than that, would probably need to know more.

Just powers on. :-\

Made sure I only used the risers needed. Only had 9 and all 9 are tied down.

 

[brentech]

Just powers on. :-\

Made sure I only used the risers needed. Only had 9 and all 9 are tied down.

Well, at least you know the number needed. That's a good start.

Does it give you an error code with the red light or anything?

 

[Slackbladder]

Yeah, I'll try that before anything else. I'll hook up to my monitor and see if that works.

Well, the Mobo must be the problem. After two days of constant tinkering still no luck. My 670 will not install.
Basically install driver, restart, no signal. Re-boot and I get the message "Windows did not start" and a repair option. When I look at the details it mentions "bad driver" but it could still be a hardware error. I did wonder if it had any relation to the PC being OC'd.
Initially I thought it might be related to a problem with a windows driver update - "nVidia - Graphics Adapter WDDM1.1, Graphics Adapter WDDM1.2, Other hardware - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670" which has known to cause issues. But it's not that. New install of windows, updated without that specific update and manual driver installation and same problem, no signal - windows failed to start. Tried in both PCI E ports, same issue. Tried older driver, same problem. Tried different GPU, same problem. Tried with DVI, no signal.
Time to send it back and get a replacement. Pain in the ass.

Oh, one addition. The dram red light on the mobo comes on for a second and then goes off. Any significance?

 

[VE3TRO]

Well, at least you know the number needed. That's a good start.

Does it give you an error code with the red light or anything?

Nothing comes up on the monitor. Could it be related to the bios? The cpu was oc'd with the mobo as a bundle. Or could I be not using the correct inputs on the PSU?

 

[Corky]

Just list your parts here.

You are looking at used listing prices right? A PC package is always less than parting it out, but if your rig is really nice you can get close to per part value.

No I was looking at new price for equivalent hardware.

Anywho list time :

2600k, good chip, 4.8
asus p8p67 deluxe
8gb corsair 1600 mhz
850(?) w corsair psu bronze
corsair 600 T case
noctua dh14 fan
gigabyte gtx 670
asus xonar dx sound card
samsung spinpoint 1 tb hdd
Dell uh2312m ips monitor
legit copy w7 64 professional + disc/serial
mouse, keyboard, and cables for a ~ twohundred bucks or so

 

[brentech]

Nothing comes up on the monitor. Could it be related to the bios? The cpu was oc'd with the mobo as a bundle. Or could I be not using the correct inputs on the PSU?

From what I'm able to find about your MOBO, it doesn't have a little LCD display built into it to show an error code, is that correct?
Is all you have is the oldschool style of a set of LED lights?

If so, your manual should list all the possible light combinations to give you an idea of what's wrong.

Edit: Downloaded your manual (Asus Rampage Extreme 4, correct?)
Looks like your debug lights are around the top right of the board.

Onboard LEDs
The motherboard comes with a set of LEDs that indicate the voltage conditions of CPU, memory, northbridge and southbridge. You may adjust the voltages in BIOS. There are also an LED for hard disk drive activity and an onboard switch for power status. For more information about voltage adjustment, refer to 3.3 Extreme Tweaker menu.

1. Voltiminder LED II
Voltiminder LED II provides not only many measurement spots for various voltages but LEDs indicating which voltage is being polled. This is especially useful when debugging overclock failures. Voltiminder LED II consists of the following LED set: GND, CPU_VCORE, CPU_VSA, CPU_VTT, PCH_1.1V, PCH_1.5V, DRAM_AB, and DRAM_CD. For example, when you fail to post and see the LED for CPU_VTT light up, the system is alerting you that the setting for CPU VTT should be readjusted.

 

[memecomplex]

I hear ya. I almost cancelled at the $85 shipping to Canada.

To Canada, whoa, that is like shipping to Europe or something !

 

[TriniTrin]

I was thinking about getting a 120hz monitor but honestly I don't know what the difference is between 60 and 120. Does the screen not blur as much when high speed things are going on, im not sure what it would add really but everyone tells me to get one and itll look amazing. Can someone tell me if thats true or if 60hz is just as good?

 

[mkenyon]

I was thinking about getting a 120hz monitor but honestly I don't know what the difference is between 60 and 120. Does the screen not blur as much when high speed things are going on, im not sure what it would add really but everyone tells me to get one and itll look amazing. Can someone tell me if thats true or if 60hz is just as good?

Can you tell the difference between 30hz and 60hz? It's like the same sort of thing.

You also generally don't have to worry about screen tearing, which means that you don't ever have to deal with the setbacks that vsync creates.

Nothing comes up on the monitor. Could it be related to the bios? The cpu was oc'd with the mobo as a bundle. Or could I be not using the correct inputs on the PSU?

Are you spamming DEL or F1/F2?

 

[VE3TRO]

From what I'm able to find about your MOBO, it doesn't have a little LCD display built into it to show an error code, is that correct?
Is all you have is the oldschool style of a set of LED lights?

If so, your manual should list all the possible light combinations to give you an idea of what's wrong.

Edit: Downloaded your manual (Asus Rampage Extreme 4, correct?)
Looks like your debug lights are around the top right of the board.

I've also just noticed the Bios led is orange. I'll do some searching see what I can find.

 

[mkenyon]

I've also just noticed the Bios led is orange. I'll do some searching see what I can find.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh

This is a RIVE? You need to disable LN2 mode. Check it out in the manual but..

*lotsofedits*

Removed that crap, can't find a good pic, but your manual will show you where it's at.

 

[TriniTrin]

You also generally don't have to worry about screen tearing, which means that you don't ever have to deal with the setbacks that vsync creates.

I see!

Elimination of tearing is a huge deal for sure, does this also eliminate it for consoles hooked up to them (Like xbox and ps3), or are those locked at 60hz for output.

Take a look at this. You won't be able to compare 60 fps vs 120 fps, but just looking at what it is between 30 to 60 should give you an idea.

http://frames-per-second.appspot.com/

Thanks!!

 

[Arulan]

I was thinking about getting a 120hz monitor but honestly I don't know what the difference is between 60 and 120. Does the screen not blur as much when high speed things are going on, im not sure what it would add really but everyone tells me to get one and itll look amazing. Can someone tell me if thats true or if 60hz is just as good?

Take a look at this. You won't be able to compare 60 fps vs 120 fps, but just looking at what it is between 30 to 60 should give you an idea.

http://frames-per-second.appspot.com/

 

[mkenyon]

You will not get 120Hz from consoles. Currently only Dual Link DVI and Displayport support 120Hz. HDMI/DVI/VGA do not have the bandwidth.

 

[kennah]

To Canada, whoa, that is like shipping to Europe or something !

You're making me have second thoughts. Considering cancelling the order

 

[Vinterbird]

I need some very basic help: I just upgraded from a 560 Ti to a Radeon 7970, and everything seemed fine until I wanted to load up a Unreal Engine based game.

When I had my Geforce card I had turned on Physx, and with the AMD card the games won't automatically turn it off, instead they just refuse to boot and say something is missing and makes Steam go crazy.

I've uninstalled everthing related to my Nvidia drivers, but the problem persists. Is there a way to circumvent the issue (Bulletstorm won't boot, Borderlands 2 won't load textures and so on).

 

[mkenyon]

I need some very basic help: I just upgraded from a 560 Ti to a Radeon 7970, and everything seemed fine until I wanted to load up a Unreal Engine based game.

When I had my Geforce card I had turned on Physx, and with the AMD card the games won't automatically turn it off, instead they just refuse to boot and say something is missing and makes Steam go crazy.

I've uninstalled everthing related to my Nvidia drivers, but the problem persists. Is there a way to circumvent the issue (Bulletstorm won't boot, Borderlands 2 won't load textures and so on).

Have you deleted everything in C:\NVIDIA\ ?

Try reinstalling the games?

 

[VE3TRO]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh

This is a RIVE? You need to disable LN2 mode. Check it out in the manual but..

*lotsofedits*

Removed that crap, can't find a good pic, but your manual will show you where it's at.

It lists in the manual a LN2 Mode jumper and on the board it's a socket. I do have a little bag here with 2 really thin cables in which look like they might go on the socket.

 

[kharma45]

the Club one, right?

It's good but I prefer the Sapphire variant myself, better cooler.

 

[mkenyon]

It lists in the manual a LN2 Mode jumper and on the board it's a socket. I do have a little bag here with 2 really thin cables in which look like they might go on the socket.

There should be a little plastic dohickey on the jumper. You need to change the pins that it is on in order to enable/disable LN2 mode.

It's good but I prefer the Sapphire variant myself, better cooler.

FWIW, there's a lot of speculation that Club 3D GPUs are binned.

 

[VE3TRO]

There should be a little plastic dohickey on the jumper. You need to change the pins that it is on in order to enable/disable LN2 mode.

FWIW, there's a lot of speculation that Club 3D GPUs are binned.

Read through the manual more and it seems it's to do with the VTT being too high. Is this possible to lower without having a screen?