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[LilJoka]

I-I manage to score an i7-6700k at MicroCenter with their sale + online rebate:

This just bring me down to the M.2 drive and 4TB HDD. And thermal paste. And eSATA-to-SATA adapter (for the optical drive). And any additional screws I need.

Another question: Thermal paste application - My instructor in the ComptiaA+ class has always told us to never use the pea method. Instead they tell use to use a streakless, time consuming application of a very even layer spread of thermal paste (emphasis on streakless: they basically made do a carpenter-like application of concrete, making sure it was very thin, very very smooth and absolutely flat). I've seen countless videos of people comparing and testifying with the pea method but always do the spread method incorrectly (they just smooshing it with a buisness card, which is what my instructor deems incorrect).

Pea method is absolutely fine to use for consumer chips. This is what all the guys at Intel use. Doing any manual spread is a recipe for disaster.

Having a flat application is less efficient than one that uses the minimum thickness in all areas, and that is best achieved with pea method.

The IHS and Coolers are designed to be bowed too.

 

[sfried]

Pea method is absolutely fine to use for consumer chips. This is what all the guys at Intel use. Doing any manual spread is a recipe for disaster.

That's not what my instructor, who has had some 20+ years experience in IT, would say. In fact, he pretty much emphasizes that the manual, streakless application, while a pain in the ass, ensures there are no air pockets or bubbles trapped between the surfaces, which is prone to causing temperatures to skyrocket.

Having a flat application is less efficient than one that uses the minimum thickness in all areas, and that is best achieved with pea method.

Actually based on what I've read and seen online, the pea method does not cover all areas, leaving some corners uncovered.

 

[repeater]

Do they offer any other PCs? Do they have a website?

Yeah, their range is over here. It's the "D15-0304" configuration that is even further discounted (you have to click through further to see the extra discounted price of 13990 SEK); I would guess it's discounted to clear the shelves for some new configuration.

 

[kromeo]

Forgot to put the pics of my ROG Swift.



Can't get a good pic of the actual monitor, but it's amazing.

Make sure you mess around with the colour settings, mine looked like it had a brown filter on at first

 

[Ambitious]

A lot of these components are overkill. swap the Z170X board for a regular Z170 (maybe the Gigabyte UD5) and switch the 850 PRO with an 850 EVO. He won't notice the difference unless he's dealing with enterprise-level workloads. I suppose he's going for a quiet system, so I won't knock the WD Black, but he could get 2TB Red (slower, but just as quiet) and rarely notice. The power supply is a good choice for noise, but 450W is much closer to what he needs.

Hey, thanks so much for the feedback.
In the store he wants to buy from, there's only one Gigabyte Z170 model without any suffix (e.g. X, XP, N); it's called Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3P. Is that the correct one?
There's another model of the power supply with 500W, so I'll tell him to get that one instead.

But apart from this, you think the build is okay?

 

[teokrazia]

Yes, they look fine.

I've briefly tried one of those OC auto settings from BIOS: @4.0 GHz while playing and recording through OBS Star Wars: Battlefront I've touched 86 degress. I guess I need a better cooler. :/

 

[JoJo UK]

With the release of the likes of The Division, Colin McCea, etc. I’ve got right back into PC gaming, luckily for me I have a pretty decent setup (thanks to the fact that myu son it pretty happy to stick with the XB1 and let the computer gather dust).

The one thing I'm really missing is a decent monitor. I don’t have a lot and was pretty much set on the BenQ XL2411Z because it got good review, supports 144Hz and it will be a step up from the 21” 60hz BenQ I’m rocking ATM.

The one thing stopping me from pulling the trigger is size [insert joke here]. For years I’ve been used to console gaming a 40+ inch screen and I’m really tempted to get a 27” monitor instead of the 144Hz BenQ mentioned previously.

The problem is I can’t find a decent 27” 144Hz monitor in my price range (no more than £250), maybe the BenQ RL2755HM. I haven’t experienced 144Hz before but as they say fps is king and the jump from 30 – 60 in The Division is startling. I do however miss ‘the big screen’ (using the TV is not an option).

So gaf what do you say, 144hz 24” or 60Hz 27” monitor?

EDIT: 1080p BTW, not looking to go higher ATM.

 

[Interrobang]

It's going to cost another $100 to get a GTX 970 so its really up to you. One thing to consider is whether you are interested in VR, in that case a GTX 970 is the recommended level of card to get in order to get the performance required for VR so it will save you some trouble down the road.

Also if you go with the 380X the minimum power supply is 550W as described on XFX website, so you'll need to get to get a new power supply.

As always, thanks, Arbok! I'll reply to your PM now.

 

[Frostburn]

With the release of the likes of The Division, Colin McCea, etc. I’ve got right back into PC gaming, luckily for me I have a pretty decent setup (thanks to the fact that myu son it pretty happy to stick with the XB1 and let the computer gather dust).

The one thing I'm really missing is a decent monitor. I don’t have a lot and was pretty much set on the BenQ XL2411Z because it got good review, supports 144Hz and it will be a step up from the 21” 60hz BenQ I’m rocking ATM.

The one thing stopping me from pulling the trigger is size [insert joke here]. For years I’ve been used to console gaming a 40+ inch screen and I’m really tempted to get a 27” monitor instead of the 144Hz BenQ mentioned previously.

The problem is I can’t find a decent 27” 144Hz monitor in my price range (no more than £250), maybe the BenQ RL2755HM. I haven’t experienced 144Hz before but as they say fps is king and the jump from 30 – 60 in The Division is startling. I do however miss ‘the big screen’ (using the TV is not an option).

So gaf what do you say, 144hz 24” or 60Hz 27” monitor?

EDIT: 1080p BTW, not looking to go higher ATM.

If I had to choose for gaming I'd go with 144Hz every time over a bigger screen. 27" 144Hz could be nice but unless you have a 980Ti to drive a higher res it just isn't worth it to me at this time. I'd go 1080p 144Hz 24" for sure.

 

[JoJo UK]

If I had to choose for gaming I'd go with 144Hz every time over a bigger screen. 27" 144Hz could be nice but unless you have a 980Ti to drive a higher res it just isn't worth it to me at this time. I'd go 1080p 144Hz 24" for sure.

Thanks man, it's pretty much the conclusion I came too but tbh don't trust myself with hardware choices just yet (it's been years since I was really into PC).

I'm running a 970 atm with no need / want to upgrade the card anytime soon.

 

[DeathByBacklog]

Ok...the power supply is in today. First time ever trying to switch out a power supply. Any suggestions on things to do? What's the process other then unplug wires, pull out the supply, screw in new supply, plug in new wires?

 

[RGM79]

That's not what my instructor, who has had some 20+ years experience in IT, would say. In fact, he pretty much emphasizes that the manual, streakless application, while a pain in the ass, ensures there are no air pockets or bubbles trapped between the surfaces, which is prone to causing temperatures to skyrocket.

Actually based on what I've read and seen online, the pea method does not cover all areas, leaving some corners uncovered.

I've not found a huge difference between perfectly machine spread paste (e.g., like those pre-applied to Corsair water coolers) and simply using a pea of thermal paste in ordinary use.

The corners of the processor's integrated heat spreader not being covered don't really matter that much. Under the IHS the processor die is quite small. Covering the corners doesn't result in a dramatic different in temperature.

 

[RGM79]

Ok...the power supply is in today. First time ever trying to switch out a power supply. Any suggestions on things to do? What's the process other then unplug wires, pull out the supply, screw in new supply, plug in new wires?

That's pretty much it.

Yeah, their range is over here. It's the "D15-0304" configuration that is even further discounted (you have to click through further to see the extra discounted price of 13990 SEK); I would guess it's discounted to clear the shelves for some new configuration.

If you don't mind the price, it seems alright to me.

 

[DeathByBacklog]

That's pretty much it.

 

[killertofu]

Trying to find a mini ITX LGA1155 motherboard is such a pain in the ass.

My mobo is kaput. Didn't even last 3 months. I plugged in the Sata and tried to turn it on and then my sata cable started smoking. I don't know what to do. I literally just bought a new 6TB red drive to put in it and now the fucking thing doesn't even work.

 

[CrashPrime]

With the release of the likes of The Division, Colin McCea, etc. I’ve got right back into PC gaming, luckily for me I have a pretty decent setup (thanks to the fact that myu son it pretty happy to stick with the XB1 and let the computer gather dust).

The one thing I'm really missing is a decent monitor. I don’t have a lot and was pretty much set on the BenQ XL2411Z because it got good review, supports 144Hz and it will be a step up from the 21” 60hz BenQ I’m rocking ATM.

The one thing stopping me from pulling the trigger is size [insert joke here]. For years I’ve been used to console gaming a 40+ inch screen and I’m really tempted to get a 27” monitor instead of the 144Hz BenQ mentioned previously.

The problem is I can’t find a decent 27” 144Hz monitor in my price range (no more than £250), maybe the BenQ RL2755HM. I haven’t experienced 144Hz before but as they say fps is king and the jump from 30 – 60 in The Division is startling. I do however miss ‘the big screen’ (using the TV is not an option).

So gaf what do you say, 144hz 24” or 60Hz 27” monitor?

EDIT: 1080p BTW, not looking to go higher ATM.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00A4K9KBQ/

This monitor is outstanding for the price. Easier to shoot for 60fps than try to maintain those higher frame rates wanted for 144hz. Keep in mind it isn't just refresh rate. That Asus is an IPS so the viewing angles are near flawless, color accuracy is 99% sRGB, and the input lag is measured to be <1 frame (9ms). GTG 5ms isn't the 1ms that TN panels achieve, but ghosting/trailing is almost non-existent.

I do suggest trying to find a 27" 1080p set in person. Some people claim the pixel density is too low. I think it is a little low, but very much usable, for productivity (office, video editing, windows, web browsing), but in games it is not that noticeable and that extra screen size is nice.

 

[JoJo UK]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00A4K9KBQ/

This monitor is outstanding for the price. Easier to shoot for 60fps than try to maintain those higher frame rates wanted for 144hz. Keep in mind it isn't just refresh rate. That Asus is an IPS so the viewing angles are near flawless, color accuracy is 99% sRGB, and the input lag is measured to be <1 frame (9ms). GTG 5ms isn't the 1ms that TN panels achieve, but ghosting/trailing is almost non-existent.

I do suggest trying to find a 27" 1080p set in person. Some people claim the pixel density is too low. I think it is a little low, but very much usable, for productivity (office, video editing, windows, web browsing), but in games it is not that noticeable and that extra screen size is nice.

Aw man, now that&#8217;s a spanner in the works! I&#8217;m not 100% sure on that monitor (it&#8217;s a fixed base and I&#8217;ll probably need to raise / lower it) however your right that maintaining 60fps is probably more likely than anything higher. I was worried about pixel density @ 27&#8221; however I have been using a 40&#8221; TV for years and which I sat pretty close too so I&#8217;m not sure if it will be a major issue. I was tempted to go 1440@60 however I don&#8217;t know if I&#8217;ll be able to keep it at 60 with my current setup without dropping too much.

Decisions decisions!

 

[Shake Appeal]

I was tempted to go 1440@60 however I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep it at 60 with my current setup without dropping too much.

Decisions decisions!

If you do, I just got one of these and love it: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00U701NH2/

It's 25"/1440p, so the pixel density is beautiful. But I also have a 980Ti, so 1440p made sense for me.

 

[DeathByBacklog]

Ok...replaced the PSU...didn't burn the house in doing so. But it changed NOTHING. Still have the boot up issues when the SATA drive is plugged in. So what's left? SATA ports on the motherboard? No way of fixing that without replacing the whole motherboard right?

 

[LilJoka]

That's not what my instructor, who has had some 20+ years experience in IT, would say. In fact, he pretty much emphasizes that the manual, streakless application, while a pain in the ass, ensures there are no air pockets or bubbles trapped between the surfaces, which is prone to causing temperatures to skyrocket.

Actually based on what I've read and seen online, the pea method does not cover all areas, leaving some corners uncovered.

No, most people just arent applying the right amount of paste with pea method. All my mounts cover the entire IHS. Most tests are not applying the pressure of the heatsink either.
The problem with spread method is you apply the same level of paste in all areas, when in fact some areas need more, and some need less.

Heatsinks and the IHS are both Convex, meaning a flat spread will cause the area around the die to have more paste than required. And under significant pressure the paste would just end up leaking out towads the edges of the CPU.

When i worked at Intel, we used to do 100s of CPU mounts, an we would joke about different application methods, division sign etc lol.

Firstly it makes absolutely negligible difference between a good and excellent application, its only if the application uses way too much paste, or introduces air bubbles will you see significantly worse performance.

I can get pea method to leave a very faint mark on the center of the IHS and slightly thicker layer around the die. A good paste that isnt too thick like MX4 helps with that.
The paste is supposed to fill microscopic gaps in the metal surface, it is not meant to be the majority interface between the IHS and Heatsink, which is why the spread methods dont make sense.

Im sorry, but CompTIA vs guys working at Intel?

Let me ask a question, how do you tell that your streakless application has no air bubbles? I know for a fact pea method has no air bubbles 100% of the time.

 

[Interrobang]

Hey guys,

I'm trying to fit my build in this case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case

This is my build: Parts List

Two questions:

1) I'm getting a Blu-ray Drive, but the front of this case looks closed to me. Am I looking at this wrong or will a drive not fit in this? I'm not getting a compatibility error from PcPartsPicker, so I thought it'd be fine, until I looked at it.

2) I'm getting a "soft" (seems like just a warning) that my R9 380X is too big and might block a drive bay. In my parts list, you'll see a HDD, an SSD and a Blu-Ray drive. Will these 3 things still fit including the graphics card or should I get a bigger case?

Thanks!

 

[LilJoka]

Hey guys,

I'm trying to fit my build in this case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case

This is my build: Parts List

Two questions:

1) I'm getting a Blu-ray Drive, but the front of this case looks closed to me. Am I looking at this wrong or will a drive not fit in this? I'm not getting a compatibility error from PcPartsPicker, so I thought it'd be fine, until I looked at it.

2) I'm getting a "soft" (seems like just a warning) that my R9 380X is too big and might block a drive bay. In my parts list, you'll see a HDD, an SSD and a Blu-Ray drive. Will these 3 things still fit including the graphics card or should I get a bigger case?

Thanks!

Supports graphic card up to 350mm in length with one HDD mounted
Supports graphic card up to 210mm in length with two/three HDD mounted
Card Dimension (cm) : 23.4 x 11.5 x 3.81

Itll fit 2xOptical drives, just have to knock out the covers from the front.

Therefore it will fit all your parts.

 

[Interrobang]

Supports graphic card up to 350mm in length with one HDD mounted
Supports graphic card up to 210mm in length with two/three HDD mounted
Card Dimension (cm) : 23.4 x 11.5 x 3.81

Itll fit 2xOptical drives, just have to knock out the covers from the front.

Therefore it will fit all your parts.

Thanks, Joka! The error on part picker was saying the card was 234mm long, is that wrong?

Is knocking out cover from the front easy / normal? Like, is it built to do that?

 

[SlaughterX]

Well I'm in the process of installing windows 10 on my dated Core 2 Duo Dell XPS. I've been using a 1TB HDD that I think I may have pulled out of my Alienware X51 when I upgraded it to a 2TB,but I've had a 500GB sitting in the case unplugged that I wamted to use but it must be dead because when I connect it my PC doesn't detect it at and it make a weird clicking noise. Also my 3TB external HDD isn't showing up even though it installed the drivers when I connected it to this computer. Both if them are Seagate but neither have been used in a long time but were working fine in the past.

Also I just realized I had Windows 7 Pro installed, what's the big differences between 1p Home and Pro?

 

[sfried]

The corners of the processor's integrated heat spreader not being covered don't really matter that much. Under the IHS the processor die is quite small. Covering the corners doesn't result in a dramatic different in temperature.

My instructor actually explained to me that this is not always the case, and thus was a safe bet to give the heat spreader an even amount of coverage. Exposed surface areas might still be emitting heat too, so its best to let the cooler conduct and dissipate it rather than it just being left in an air gap.

 

[LilJoka]

Thanks, Joka! The error on part picker was saying the card was 234mm long, is that wrong?

Is knocking out cover from the front easy / normal? Like, is it built to do that?

Yes its normal, just use the back of a screwdriver and knock it out.
23.4cm = 234mm

My instructor actually explained to me that this is not always the case, and thus was a safe bet to give the heat spreader an even amount of coverage. Exposed surface areas might still be emitting heat too, so its best to let the cooler conduct and dissipate it rather than it just being left in an air gap.

Thats a very simplistic view. You must take into account the pressure at the convex surface right over the die. That alone is doing much of the heat transfer. The edges have much less impact because they are further from the die and at reduced pressure. Its still best to have the whole surface covered, but that can still be achieved with pea method which is vastly less complicated and not time consuming. It only takes a handful of attempts to figure out the optimal amount of paste to apply.

http://www.overclockers.com/heatsink-mounting-pressure-vs-performance/

I believe there is a 1/thermal resistance relationship to heat transfer.

Here they show how inceasing the heatsink size when the source is much smaller (15x15mm) there is not much performance increase. This correlates with why after ivy bridge, and smaller dies, we found it harder to cool the CPUs (omitting that we switched to TIM between IHS and Die).
http://www.electronics-cooling.com/2003/05/how-much-heat-can-be-extracted-from-a-heat-sink/

6700k

 

[ShenmueDojo]

If you want a 6700k and have a Micro Center nearby to pick it up now is the time to get it. You can also knock another $5 off using a coupon from Retailmenot.com

 

[Interrobang]

Yes its normal, just use the back of a screwdriver and knock it out.
23.4cm = 234mm

Great, thanks!

In your first reply, you mention it states it can support a graphic card up to 210mm in length with two/three HDD mounted, is that not including SSD?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but it sounds like if I had 2/3 HDDs (HDD and SSD in my case) I can only fit a 210mm card and mine is 234mm?

Sorry, just want to make sure!

 

[LilJoka]

Great, thanks!

In your first reply, you mention it states it can support a graphic card up to 210mm in length with two/three HDD mounted, is that not including SSD?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but it sounds like if I had 2/3 HDDs (HDD and SSD in my case) I can only fit a 210mm card and mine is 234mm?

Sorry, just want to make sure!

Dont worry about the SSD, it can be thrown anywhere and if you like just velcro it somewhere. You can just mount free mount it above the HDD and zip tie the cables such that it wont fly around the case.

Youll be fine with all of it.

 

[Interrobang]

Dont worry about the SSD, it can be thrown anywhere and if you like just velcro it somewhere. You can just mount free mount it above the HDD and zip tie the cables such that it wont fly around the case.

Youll be fine with all of it.

Great, thanks again, Joka!

 

[Interrobang]

Ah! Just saw a cool deal on Newegg and need quick advice:

Which video card is the better deal?

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 4GB WINDFORCE 2X OC EDITION for $184.99

Or XFX Radeon R9 380X 4GB DD XXX OC for $209.99

 

[RGM79]

Ok...replaced the PSU...didn't burn the house in doing so. But it changed NOTHING. Still have the boot up issues when the SATA drive is plugged in. So what's left? SATA ports on the motherboard? No way of fixing that without replacing the whole motherboard right?

Yep. Your motherboard is just faulty, I'd say.

Ah! Just saw a cool deal on Newegg and need quick advice:

Which video card is the better deal?

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 4GB WINDFORCE 2X OC EDITION for $184.99

Or XFX Radeon R9 380X 4GB DD XXX OC for $209.99

My vote is for the R9 380X. It's a bit faster than the GTX 960, and worth the money I think. If you wanted to save money, there's an XFX R9 380 4GB model for $170 after rebates and discounts at Newegg.

 

[Interrobang]

My vote is for the R9 380X. It's a bit faster than the GTX 960, and worth the money I think. If you wanted to save money, there's an XFX R9 380 4GB model for $170 after rebates and discounts at Newegg.

Another poster told me there is a noticable difference between the 380 and the 380X - if I'm being budget conscious, is the 380 at that price still adequate enough or should I splurge for the X?

 

[sfried]

http://www.overclockers.com/heatsink-mounting-pressure-vs-performance/

I believe there is a 1/thermal resistance relationship to heat transfer.

Here they show how inceasing the heatsink size when the source is much smaller (15x15mm) there is not much performance increase. This correlates with why after ivy bridge, and smaller dies, we found it harder to cool the CPUs (omitting that we switched to TIM between IHS and Die).
http://www.electronics-cooling.com/2003/05/how-much-heat-can-be-extracted-from-a-heat-sink/

This is quite an interesting read. I might have to take this up with my instructor when I meet him again. In fact, I actually might have to ask him what would be his take on non-flat coolers too.

Just wondering though, what are your thoughts on a similarly applied X-method (where you apply two small lines crossing each other, with each line pointed towards the corners)? I know a friend who actually stands by this method and got a good 5° C difference.

Also, does the mentioned pea-sized dot principle also work too if your cooler is a non-flat surface (like aforementioned heatpipes on my Zalman 8900CNPS Quiet Cooler)?

 

[DeathByBacklog]

Yep. Your motherboard is just faulty, I'd say.

So just to recap...

PROBLEM: System would randomly freeze up, often locking up completely, forcing a hard reboot.

ATTEMPTED FIXES:

Factory install of Windows 7

Trouble persisted. Noticed that the secondary SATA drive (primary is an SSD) was freezing up periodically when attempting to access. Drive letter was switching out. And the drive will just drop out altogether. Boot times taking over 6 minutes to go to desktop.

- Replaced cell battery on motherboard - no change
- Switched SATA cables from the PSU to Drive. 2 different runs, 4 plugs total - no change
- Switched cable running from the SATA drive to the motherboard - no change
- Attempted to run HD Tune on the drive while plugged into the comp. Program will just hang or freeze altogether
- Switched SATA drives - no change
- Switched ports on the motherboard that the SATA drive is plugged into - no change
- New PSU - no change
- Left the blue ray player unplugged - no change
- Blue ray player unplugged and relabeled the drive back to D - no change

The only fix at this point, is not plugging any SATA drives into the motherboard. I guess I have yet to get a accurate assessment on whether or not the blue ray player is functioning properly while plugged in. The one thing that is clear though, is that having the blue ray player plugged in, has no impact on the boot up time.

No SATA drive = Bootup times in less then 10 seconds. SATA drive plugged in, 6.5+ minutes to boot up, random freezes, and the drive will drop out out of nowhere or freeze the comp up completely.

 

[LilJoka]

This is quite an interesting read. I might have to take this up with my instructor when I meet him again. In fact, I actually might have to ask him what would be his take on non-flat coolers too.

Just wondering though, what are your thoughts on a similarly applied X-method (where you apply two small lines crossing each other, with each line pointed towards the corners)? I know a friend who actually stands by this method and got a good 5° C difference.

Also, does the mentioned pea-sized dot principle also work too if your cooler is a non-flat surface (like aforementioned heatpipes on my Zalman 8900CNPS Quiet Cooler)?

With non flat coolers with exposed heatsinks, it's more difficult to get the pea method to work. Newer coolers with exposed heatpipes do a good job at minimising the gaps between the pipes and will have less trouble. You will see people pack these gaps with some TIM before applying the pea method. It's still the method of choice but really it's a compromise with any method with these types of coolers.

On the X method, this is good for the enthusiast grade CPUs as the pressure on the Heatsink makes it harder for the pea method to spread ideally over the larger distance. X and Line methods are what I use for the enthusiast CPUs like LGA2011.

I don't believe anybody's results without strict controls of ambient temps and multiple remounts. And of course it also needs to be carefully load tested. Idle temps are pretty useless even though they have gained accuracy. Ambient temps and case temps cause exponential differences in results. Sometimes you just get a better mount based on the amount of paste used, which is hard to control. 5c is an easy swing, only if it's reproducible in a controlled environment would it mean anything.

Good

Medium

Bad

 

[roadrunn3r]

Ah! Just saw a cool deal on Newegg and need quick advice:

Which video card is the better deal?

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 4GB WINDFORCE 2X OC EDITION for $184.99

Or XFX Radeon R9 380X 4GB DD XXX OC for $209.99

Tbh I don't consider either of them to be a good deal. Those cards are both just a bit faster than a GTX 950 (which you can find often at 119$) for 80$ more. If you want something faster than a 950 just try to up your budget and jump to the 970/390 which is the sweet spot. (or wait for a better deal on a 960/380)

edit: thought that was a 380 not the 380X, that's not bad then still I would go for the 970.

 

[LilJoka]

So just to recap...

PROBLEM: System would randomly freeze up, often locking up completely, forcing a hard reboot.

ATTEMPTED FIXES:

Factory install of Windows 7

Trouble persisted. Noticed that the secondary SATA drive (primary is an SSD) was freezing up periodically when attempting to access. Drive letter was switching out. And the drive will just drop out altogether. Boot times taking over 6 minutes to go to desktop.

- Replaced cell battery on motherboard - no change
- Switched SATA cables from the PSU to Drive. 2 different runs, 4 plugs total - no change
- Switched cable running from the SATA drive to the motherboard - no change
- Attempted to run HD Tune on the drive while plugged into the comp. Program will just hang or freeze altogether
- Switched SATA drives - no change
- Switched ports on the motherboard that the SATA drive is plugged into - no change
- New PSU - no change
- Left the blue ray player unplugged - no change
- Blue ray player unplugged and relabeled the drive back to D - no change

The only fix at this point, is not plugging any SATA drives into the motherboard. I guess I have yet to get a accurate assessment on whether or not the blue ray player is functioning properly while plugged in. The one thing that is clear though, is that having the blue ray player plugged in, has no impact on the boot up time.

No SATA drive = Bootup times in less then 10 seconds. SATA drive plugged in, 6.5+ minutes to boot up, random freezes, and the drive will drop out out of nowhere or freeze the comp up completely.

If SATA ports are broken on the board, it's odd that the SSD has no issues...

The final test has to be to check the HDDs on another PC or via USB.

 

[HokieJoe]

I have a 290X and haven't had any problems. Only the occasional hotfix issues just like Nvidia. Just don't crossfire, they're a little slow with profiles.

Cool deal. Thanks

 

[sfried]

With non flat coolers with exposed heatsinks, it's more difficult to get the pea method to work. Newer coolers with exposed heatpipes do a good job at minimising the gaps between the pipes and will have less trouble. You will see people pack these gaps with some TIM before applying the pea method. It's still the method of choice but really it's a compromise with any method with these types of coolers.

On the X method, this is good for the enthusiast grade CPUs as the pressure on the Heatsink makes it harder for the pea method to spread ideally over the larger distance. X and Line methods are what I use for the enthusiast CPUs like LGA2011.

I don't believe anybody's results without strict controls of ambient temps and multiple remounts. And of course it also needs to be carefully load tested. Idle temps are pretty useless even though they have gained accuracy. Ambient temps and case temps cause exponential differences in results. Sometimes you just get a better mount based on the amount of paste used, which is hard to control. 5c is an easy swing, only if it's reproducible in a controlled environment would it mean anything.

So what would you recommend for the above cooler? Apply a bit of thermal paste on the gaps, then use your aformentioned pea method?

 

[LilJoka]

So what would you recommend for the above cooler? Apply a bit of thermal paste on the gaps, then use your aformentioned pea method?

Indeed, use a credit card to apply the paste just so the gaps are covered with a thin layer of paste, then use the pea method. That will help the spread of the paste. But really this is all pointless unless you are trying to overclock the CPU to the edge of stability. Running the CPU slightly warmer is not a problem.

 

[Felix Lighter]

Hopefully you can see this. I just installed a pci-e usb 3.0 card in between my 2 GTX 980tis (my existing usb 3.0 controllers were not compatible with the Oculus Rift). Does that look safe? I also added 2 ports to the front panel. There are 2 cables running to the card. One cable is the sata power cable and the other is the usb 3.0 header cable to the front panel. I kind of feel like it's the best I can do.

 

[Collateral22]

Got a good deal on a 960 so went with that for now. €177 for an MSI 960 4GB. Just till Pascal version of a 970 drops then will be upgrading to that.

 

[DeathByBacklog]

If SATA ports are broken on the board, it's odd that the SSD has no issues...

The final test has to be to check the HDDs on another PC or via USB.

Any chance this could be a a bios issue?

 

[OriginofHysteria]

Hey all. I'm trying to figure something out. So I want to have an intake in the bottom of my case to blow air directly into the GPU. Sad thing is that because the PSU is large I can only fit a 120mm fan there (as opposed to a 140 mm fan). I already have a 140mm exhaust and two 120mm fans as an intake (as its mounted on a h100i). My question is, does it matter that the exhaust is a different size than the intakes? Does that mess up airflow somehow?

FWIW, I'm planning on using a be quiet silent wings 2 140mm as an exhaust and the silent wings 2 120mm as the bottom intake.

 

[DEO3]

So the $800 Acer Predator XB271HU 27" IPS G-Sync monitor I ordered was stolen from my front door after delivery today.

 

[finalflame]

So the $800 Acer Predator XB271HU 27" IPS G-Sync monitor I ordered was stolen from my front door after delivery today.

Holy shit dude, that fucking sucks. I was afraid this EXACT thing would happen to me because I have had another two packages (waaaay less important) stolen from my door. I am now getting ALL my shit delivered to work, including my XB271HU that arrived 2 days ago.

Hopefully the merchant has your back and can get you sorted out. Fuck people who steal, especially off someone's fucking front door. I feel for you bro =(

 

[sfried]

Indeed, use a credit card to apply the paste just so the gaps are covered with a thin layer of paste, then use the pea method. That will help the spread of the paste. But really this is all pointless unless you are trying to overclock the CPU to the edge of stability. Running the CPU slightly warmer is not a problem.

Oh okay! Thanks for the heads up.

Running a slightly warmer CPU actually might be a bit of an issue where I live: Though we sometimes have cold weather, the folks who live with me love to turn up the heater to 70°F/21°C, but it can get stuffy in my room if it goes unchecked which is why I'd want to make the CPU run cooler than usual if it could. There's also the case of the unit being housed on the west wing, so it can get really warm during summers.

 

[HokieJoe]

Hey all. I'm trying to figure something out. So I want to have an intake in the bottom of my case to blow air directly into the GPU. Sad thing is that because the PSU is large I can only fit a 120mm fan there (as opposed to a 140 mm fan). I already have a 140mm exhaust and two 120mm fans as an intake (as its mounted on a h100i). My question is, does it matter that the exhaust is a different size than the intakes? Does that mess up airflow somehow?

FWIW, I'm planning on using a be quiet silent wings 2 140mm as an exhaust and the silent wings 2 120mm as the bottom intake.

Not necessarily. You can create a positive or negative pressure airflow environment in your case. I generally think that exhausting hot air is more beneficial than pushing fresh air in; so in your situation, I think you're okay. That just my opinion though. Others may differ.

 

[HokieJoe]

So the $800 Acer Predator XB271HU 27" IPS G-Sync monitor I ordered was stolen from my front door after delivery today.

I'd file a police report and turn it on your homeowners insurance.