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Author Topic: The 'Build Me A PC' Thread  (Read 853737 times)
Sky
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Reply #700 on: July 05, 2011, 11:27:03 AM

Oh, good idea.
SnakeCharmer
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Reply #701 on: July 05, 2011, 12:13:17 PM

Hell, some proper cable management would do wonders for airflow.  That picture gives the neatfreak in me the heebie jeebies and would keep me up at night.
Sky
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Reply #702 on: July 05, 2011, 12:59:05 PM

IT'S NOT THAT BAD.

It just doesn't photograph well!

 Ohhhhh, I see.
Engels
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Reply #703 on: July 05, 2011, 01:31:30 PM

Yeah, its not that bad. Some people really :)

I should get back to nature, too.  You know, like going to a shop for groceries instead of the computer.  Maybe a condo in the woods that doesn't even have a health club or restaurant attached.  Buy a car with only two cup holders or something. -Signe

I LIKE being bounced around by Tonkors. - Lantyssa

Babies shooting themselves in the head is the state bird of West Virginia. - schild
SnakeCharmer
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Reply #704 on: July 06, 2011, 06:53:12 AM

Yeah, I'm one of those people when it comes to stuff like that.  It took me three days of planning/building/rebuilding/routing/rerouting my PC until I was done.  And that doesn't include the freaking near week it took me to cable management behind my desk before I was happy.

Clutter is the one thing that puts me in the nuthouse - even if I don't see it, I know it's there and my eye twitches.
Sky
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Reply #705 on: July 06, 2011, 07:13:11 AM

I honestly do not have enough time in the day to worry about clutter. I'm jealous!
MisterNoisy
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Reply #706 on: July 06, 2011, 12:58:07 PM

I dunno - you don't have to take three days to plan out the wiring to avoid clutter in the case (to be honest, I can't imagine it ever taking that long unless you're going bananas and re-sleeving all the wires while you're at it), but a case that has provisions for cable management and/or a modular PSU goes a long way towards making it easier.

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SnakeCharmer
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Reply #707 on: July 06, 2011, 01:59:42 PM

It's not like I put 72 hours into it.  An hour or two, possibly three, a day messing with it, mocking it up, sleeving up wires, etc.  Some of it was 'research' into how others did it, that sort of thing.  The result was an exceptionally clean install with no wires stretched over my motherboard that includes SLI, XiFi sound card, Corsair H50 with dual fans for push pull with a shroud from the top front fan of my Antec 902.  Did some additional rewiring of the case fans to elminate plugs and excess wire.  The painted the clear side black and added sound deadener to the sides.   

I'm a detail oriented guy that believes if you're going to do something, do it right.  I ended up with a PC that's exceptionally quiet, stays remarkably cool even when overclocked, and is a breeze to clean when I need to dump a can of compressed air into it.
Rasix
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Reply #708 on: July 06, 2011, 02:16:05 PM

My cable management guide:

Cables fit (shove as necessary) and side panel closes.
Computer boots. 
No weird noises.
Temps OK. 

Yep? GAME ON.

The only temp increases I've seen since install (and minor at that) is when it got pretty dusty and I had to clean the filter and when it stopped being winter in Arizona. I installed in a historically cold time in the state.

If I really had the time to blow on optimizing the setup, I might.  I don't like fiddling with the computer's innards and unplugging shit once everything's working fine, however.


-Rasix
Soln
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Reply #709 on: July 06, 2011, 02:19:15 PM

for a new system is there any reason not to invest in a full tower? 

also, any drawbacks with investing in an i7 2600k?
Trippy
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Reply #710 on: July 06, 2011, 02:22:27 PM

Size/space, weight?
MisterNoisy
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Reply #711 on: July 06, 2011, 03:12:53 PM

also, any drawbacks with investing in an i7 2600k?

If you're using it for tasks that will benefit from HyperThreading (video encoding, etc), go for it.  If it's primarily a gaming machine, I'd stick with the 2500K and save the $100 - there isn't a whole lot of difference between the two in games.

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Soln
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Reply #712 on: July 06, 2011, 03:19:06 PM

Size/space, weight?

thanks.   Just thinking blank canvas.

also, any drawbacks with investing in an i7 2600k?

If you're using it for tasks that will benefit from HyperThreading (video encoding, etc), go for it.  If it's primarily a gaming machine, I'd stick with the 2500K and save the $100 - there isn't a whole lot of difference between the two in games.

thanks. I'll think about the 2500k only.

Engels
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Reply #713 on: July 07, 2011, 08:34:33 AM

My cable management guide:

Cables fit (shove as necessary) and side panel closes.
Computer boots. 
No weird noises.
Temps OK. 

Yep? GAME ON.

This. There is an argument that for airflow reasons, you should tuck everything neatly away. Sure, you don't want a beaver damn of muck obstructing airflow, but Sky's set up is not particularly obstructing and by normal standards is positively neat.

As for aesthetics, the case is closed :P

I should get back to nature, too.  You know, like going to a shop for groceries instead of the computer.  Maybe a condo in the woods that doesn't even have a health club or restaurant attached.  Buy a car with only two cup holders or something. -Signe

I LIKE being bounced around by Tonkors. - Lantyssa

Babies shooting themselves in the head is the state bird of West Virginia. - schild
Sky
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Reply #714 on: July 07, 2011, 08:45:34 AM

As I said, the cabling is mostly tight up against the case walls. The tangle at the bottom of the top chamber isn't really in the airflow (and can't really be helped, anyway). In my last line of defense, the middle cage is gone, so the power and sata are now both in the lower chamber. That's actually my current concern, 2hdds and the psu with just a 12cm and the psu fan. But when the cage was in there, the gpu was exhausting externally (albeit noisily), so that mitigated the airflow issues of having the hdd and cabling in the intake stream.
Engels
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Reply #715 on: July 07, 2011, 09:00:08 AM

I know what you mean because I own a P180 myself, but I think that's difficult to translate unless folks know about its construction. For what its worth, I too have had cooling issues with the P180. Its a case built for silence, not thermals, and it has always been a struggle. I finally gave it to the GF who never runs anything above 1280x1024 so heat's not a problem.

I should get back to nature, too.  You know, like going to a shop for groceries instead of the computer.  Maybe a condo in the woods that doesn't even have a health club or restaurant attached.  Buy a car with only two cup holders or something. -Signe

I LIKE being bounced around by Tonkors. - Lantyssa

Babies shooting themselves in the head is the state bird of West Virginia. - schild
NiX
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Reply #716 on: July 18, 2011, 04:02:18 PM

Ugh, I've put off building a computer for the past 2 years. I've put up with my 4850 whirring like a helicopter when I play games, but now the HDD is going and the motherboard has given up on 4 of its 6 USB ports and occasionally doesn't even get past posting.

Budget is $1000

Don't need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers or DVD Drive.
Trippy
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Reply #717 on: July 18, 2011, 04:03:27 PM

Do you need a case and power supply or are you going to be reusing those?
NiX
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Reply #718 on: July 18, 2011, 04:17:42 PM

Case and power supply. Preferably a quieter case too, this Antec 300 doesn't stop anything.
Engels
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Reply #719 on: July 18, 2011, 04:52:41 PM

I was gonna suggest this case

http://www.fractal-design.com/?view=product&category=2&prod=53

Was on sale at New egg, but its been pulled/soldout. So, well, got nuthin.

I'm also eyeing a new system.

Is there any advantage to having an X68 chipset mobo over a P67 if I'm gonna have my discrete vid card anyway?

I should get back to nature, too.  You know, like going to a shop for groceries instead of the computer.  Maybe a condo in the woods that doesn't even have a health club or restaurant attached.  Buy a car with only two cup holders or something. -Signe

I LIKE being bounced around by Tonkors. - Lantyssa

Babies shooting themselves in the head is the state bird of West Virginia. - schild
Sky
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I love my TV an' hug my TV an' call it 'George'.


Reply #720 on: July 18, 2011, 10:03:40 PM

I've put up with my 4850 whirring like a helicopter when I play games
So there's a pretty good compatibility spread. At worst you'd need a new plate and maybe some heatsinks for the components (but I was able to make do with all the extras they send). I paid $70 through mwave.com.

http://www.arctic.ac/en/p/cooling/vga/376/accelero-xtreme-plus-ii.html

Other than that, get an i5-2500k, load it up with some RAM on an ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe.
Hoax
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Reply #721 on: July 18, 2011, 10:33:57 PM

At $1,000 does he really need the Z68?

Its pretty easy to build a machine right now since there are such consensus cpu's on the market. From there go with your brand loyalties and the stuff you trust and if there is anything you aren't sure about post it and people can chime in. I mean your biggest question will probably end up being ram v gpu where to spend the $$$ and on what exactly and that may come down to what's on sale that day.

A nation consists of its laws. A nation does not consist of its situation at a given time. If an individual's morals are situational, then that individual is without morals. If a nation's laws are situational, that nation has no laws, and soon isn't a nation.
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NiX
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Reply #722 on: July 19, 2011, 06:17:56 AM

At $1,000 does he really need the Z68?

Its pretty easy to build a machine right now since there are such consensus cpu's on the market. From there go with your brand loyalties and the stuff you trust and if there is anything you aren't sure about post it and people can chime in. I mean your biggest question will probably end up being ram v gpu where to spend the $$$ and on what exactly and that may come down to what's on sale that day.
I don't have any loyalties nor do I recall most of what's in my current computer, which is why I came here. I found this build, but I'm not so sure I need a honking aftermarket cooler or that kind of PSU. I was always under the assumption that 500W should be enough unless you're using SLI/Crossfire or overclocking.
MisterNoisy
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Reply #723 on: July 19, 2011, 07:16:20 AM

I don't have any loyalties nor do I recall most of what's in my current computer, which is why I came here. I found this build, but I'm not so sure I need a honking aftermarket cooler or that kind of PSU. I was always under the assumption that 500W should be enough unless you're using SLI/Crossfire or overclocking.

Nice build, though I think I'd probably replace the HDD with the Samsung F3, a Caviar Black or an SSD if you're feeling really spendy.

The XFX 'Core Edition' power supplies are quite good and a decently priced alternative to the one in that wishlist.  650W unit for $90 ($70 after MiR).  Not modular, though.

Newegg charges too much for the Hyper 212 - you can get it on Amazon for $30.  The Xigmatek Gaia SD1283 is a great direct replacement if you'd like to avoid splitting up your order.  

At $30, a good CPU cooler is worth the extra cash just for the reduction in noise, and both of those coolers will comfortably let you drive a 2500K well past 4GHz.
« Last Edit: July 19, 2011, 07:18:35 AM by MisterNoisy »

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NiX
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Reply #724 on: July 19, 2011, 07:38:52 AM

Awesome, thanks!

Ignore that the wishlist is on Newegg, that's just what they had it setup with. I'll probably be buying from NCIX.com or CanadaComputers.com.
Lantyssa
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Reply #725 on: July 19, 2011, 08:54:36 AM

The cooler is worth it, even if you don't overclock. (I have one of the Xigmatechs.)  A cool CPU means a happy CPU.

Absolutely get a backing plate for it though.  Pushpins are the devil's work.

Hahahaha!  I'm really good at this!
Sky
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Reply #726 on: July 19, 2011, 09:20:21 AM

At $1,000 does he really need the Z68?
I was just looking at components over the weekend and the Z68 seems to have fixed some of the problems with the first gen 1155 boards. The P67 boards I have in the list are ASUS P8P67 PRO (REV 3.0) and ASRock P67 EXTREME6 (B3). I'm still considering the ASUS P67, but I really like the features on the Z68 deluxe. I also need enough room for (hopefully) SLI and my X-Fi. I would also use the Hyper 212 for the CPU.

I'm pretty happy with my gtx460 + aftermarket cooling, which would run like $100 less than the frozr, but I'm not one to say spend less on the gpu. Almost always pays off. I'd still say put the aftermarket cooler on the 570, you'll get better performance at lower temps with almost no noise.

4GB might be a bit light for a new system, I've got 8GB specced for my rebuild (8GB of Corsair PC3 12800 for $80).

Also wondering about the green hdd, aren't those rated for less power usage at the cost of some performance?

About the PSU: the gtx 570 draws 38A off the 12V rail, the Corsair has 62A and the XFX has 53A. The i5-2500K pulls 98W and the 570 pulls 330W (under gaming load). So the XFX should be good enough, but I like to build in plenty of headroom.
Rasix
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Reply #727 on: July 19, 2011, 09:36:52 AM

At $1,000 does he really need the Z68?

Its pretty easy to build a machine right now since there are such consensus cpu's on the market. From there go with your brand loyalties and the stuff you trust and if there is anything you aren't sure about post it and people can chime in. I mean your biggest question will probably end up being ram v gpu where to spend the $$$ and on what exactly and that may come down to what's on sale that day.
I don't have any loyalties nor do I recall most of what's in my current computer, which is why I came here. I found this build, but I'm not so sure I need a honking aftermarket cooler or that kind of PSU. I was always under the assumption that 500W should be enough unless you're using SLI/Crossfire or overclocking.

Couple observations on that list:
-The hyper 212 was easy to install for me and has been running great with my current setup.  Looks big, but fit pretty easy inside my Antec 300 M.
-Why limit yourself to 4GB on a new install.  Go with 8, imo.
-I love Corsair PSUs.  Hard to go wrong there. Not sure you need one that nice, however, and you could save some money.
-You could save money on the GPU.  My 470 Twin Frozr was just a touch about 200.  I'm not really sure what the sweet spot is now on GPUs but that seems high.

If you find what you want, have a little flexibility, and watch sales: you can save a decent amount on your total build price.

-Rasix
MisterNoisy
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Reply #728 on: July 19, 2011, 09:56:23 AM

I'm pretty happy with my gtx460 + aftermarket cooling, which would run like $100 less than the frozr, but I'm not one to say spend less on the gpu. Almost always pays off. I'd still say put the aftermarket cooler on the 570, you'll get better performance at lower temps with almost no noise.

The MSI in the wishlist should be fine - both the MSI Twin Frozr II and the new ASUS DirectCu2 non-reference coolers are pretty comparable to a decent aftermarket solution unless you're going bananas overclocking the GPU, where the 3-fan Accelero will pull ahead.

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NiX
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Reply #729 on: July 19, 2011, 12:41:10 PM

Couple observations on that list:
-The hyper 212 was easy to install for me and has been running great with my current setup.  Looks big, but fit pretty easy inside my Antec 300 M.
-Why limit yourself to 4GB on a new install.  Go with 8, imo.
-I love Corsair PSUs.  Hard to go wrong there. Not sure you need one that nice, however, and you could save some money.
-You could save money on the GPU.  My 470 Twin Frozr was just a touch about 200.  I'm not really sure what the sweet spot is now on GPUs but that seems high.

If you find what you want, have a little flexibility, and watch sales: you can save a decent amount on your total build price.

I went to price out the build with the suggested adjustments and it turns out they don't have the 4GB kit selected and I decided it would be better to have 2x4GB instead of 2x2GB, but thanks for confirming. I figured the Corsair model given was a bit much and might be using the assumption of future use of two cards, which would make sense. I don't think I'd ever do that.

The GPU has been a sticking point for me. If the price difference is justified with the 560 with some assurance it'll last a lot longer with the added performance, I'm ok with it.
Strazos
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Reply #730 on: July 19, 2011, 02:58:04 PM

Absolutely get a backing plate for it though.  Pushpins are the devil's work.

This. When I built my system 2 years ago or so, I didn't consider this...took close to an hour to ensure that all 4 stupid pins were engaged.  Ohhhhh, I see.

Fear the Backstab!
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Lantyssa
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Reply #731 on: July 19, 2011, 04:49:07 PM

In addition to the time, I scraped the skin off two knuckles trying to push the damn things in, and then it popped off while running a few months later.  Which led to me having pull the entire system apart to put a bracket on anyways, and nearly breaking my motherboard because one of the pushpins broke in such a fashion it never wanted to release.

The. Devil's. Work.

Hahahaha!  I'm really good at this!
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Reply #732 on: July 20, 2011, 08:16:22 AM

I've never seen plates sold separately. Or is this a suggestion to get a case that comes with one?
MisterNoisy
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Reply #733 on: July 20, 2011, 08:57:00 AM

I've never seen plates sold separately. Or is this a suggestion to get a case that comes with one?

No.  They generally come with your CPU cooler (very few good coolers come without them).  I think it's a suggestion to get a decent aftermarket cooler more than anything else.  :)

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Sky
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Reply #734 on: July 20, 2011, 09:06:27 AM

I just checked the Hyper 212 and it does come with the backplate. The scissor bracket looks a bit odd, though.
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