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Computer Build Thread: Old Dead Thread, Read New Thread

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  • IanatorIanator Gaze upon my works, ye mighty and facepalm.Registered User regular
    Alecthar wrote: »
    If you have a rough list in mind, post that and we can take a look at what exactly you're looking to get for that kind of money.

    Ta-daa!

    Case: Corsair Carbide 500R, White
    PSU: Seasonic M12II 520W (80+ Bronze, full modular)
    Mobo: Asus P8P67 PRO 3.1
    CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K
    Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
    RAM: G.SKILL Ares 8GB (2x 4GB)
    SSD: Crucial M4 128GB
    HDD: n/a (for now)
    Optical: ASUS 24x DVD Burner
    Video: MSI Twin Frozr - GTX 560 Ti (Fermi)
    OS: Win 7 Pro OEM (no .edu email address)

    Hrm. Forgot my OS, which puts me up to ~$1,220 even with the combo deal on Mobo and CPU.

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  • Day of the BearDay of the Bear The Qun demandsRegistered User regular
    why is it so hard to find a motherboard speaker to do post diagnostics? I had to order one on amazon after exhausting my area and I paid over twice the price of the speaker in shipping.

    I think the prevelance of LED post codes on higher end motherboards is somewhat obsoleting these, which is unfortunate to be sure.

    m6eoUgQ.jpg
  • Day of the BearDay of the Bear The Qun demandsRegistered User regular
    Ianator wrote: »
    Alecthar wrote: »
    If you have a rough list in mind, post that and we can take a look at what exactly you're looking to get for that kind of money.

    Ta-daa!

    Case: Corsair Carbide 500R, White
    PSU: Seasonic M12II 520W (80+ Bronze, full modular)
    Mobo: Asus P8P67 PRO 3.1
    CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K
    Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
    RAM: G.SKILL Ares 8GB (2x 4GB)
    SSD: Crucial M4 128GB
    HDD: n/a (for now)
    Optical: ASUS 24x DVD Burner
    Video: MSI Twin Frozr - GTX 560 Ti (Fermi)
    OS: Win 7 Pro OEM (no .edu email address)

    Hrm. Forgot my OS, which puts me up to ~$1,220 even with the combo deal on Mobo and CPU.

    I like this build. That's a pretty spot on list of things that I would pick out for this kind of build. You could probably find some savings by changing cases, but I'm a believer in spending on a nice case, since it takes way way longer for a nice case to become outdated than almost any other hardware.

    m6eoUgQ.jpg
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    why is it so hard to find a motherboard speaker to do post diagnostics? I had to order one on amazon after exhausting my area and I paid over twice the price of the speaker in shipping.

    I think the prevelance of LED post codes on higher end motherboards is somewhat obsoleting these, which is unfortunate to be sure.

    I have one that came with an old $40 case. It's a treasured possession that I will never allow to leave my sight.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • iammattpleeveeiammattpleevee Registered User regular
    So my friend is looking at lap tops. He currently like this one
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834200279
    and found it for $350 on overstock.com

    Is there a better option? or is that about on par with everything else.

    He is more or less going to use it for music, movies, internet, video editing software and maybe a bit of gaming.
    He's against the idea of building his own laptop he thinks it'd be too hard to put together in such a small case.

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  • mojojoeomojojoeo A block off the park, living the dream.Registered User regular
    My parts arrive tommorow. There will be much building... pictures to follow.

    Chief Wiggum: "Ladies, please. All our founding fathers, astronauts, and World Series heroes have been either drunk or on cocaine."
  • ParielPariel Registered User regular
    So my friend is looking at lap tops. He currently like this one
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834200279
    and found it for $350 on overstock.com

    Is there a better option? or is that about on par with everything else.

    He is more or less going to use it for music, movies, internet, video editing software and maybe a bit of gaming.
    He's against the idea of building his own laptop he thinks it'd be too hard to put together in such a small case.

    Building a laptop on a budget that size is going to be hard, period. That seems decent for the price, there might be slightly better things out there, but it's certainly not a bad deal for $350.

  • mojojoeomojojoeo A block off the park, living the dream.Registered User regular
    Pariel wrote: »
    So my friend is looking at lap tops. He currently like this one
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834200279
    and found it for $350 on overstock.com

    Is there a better option? or is that about on par with everything else.

    He is more or less going to use it for music, movies, internet, video editing software and maybe a bit of gaming.
    He's against the idea of building his own laptop he thinks it'd be too hard to put together in such a small case.

    Building a laptop on a budget that size is going to be hard, period. That seems decent for the price, there might be slightly better things out there, but it's certainly not a bad deal for $350.

    You can get a massive laptop at the price- @ christmass. If they can wait. I would wager not.

    Chief Wiggum: "Ladies, please. All our founding fathers, astronauts, and World Series heroes have been either drunk or on cocaine."
  • RobesRobes Registered User regular
    Normally "green" drives have a lower spindle speed as compared to other drives, giving lower power consumption but also lower performance across the board.

    They're a good pick for data drives that don't need high throughput, as the lowered cost, as well as less heat/power consumption are bonuses. As a system drive or an app/gaming drive I'd stick with something in the 7200rpm range, if you can't spring for an SSD.

    That is what confuses me though ^^. It says Green and that its' speed is 7200rpm.

    example: http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Caviar-Desktop-WD20EARX/dp/B004VFJ9MK/ref=pd_cp_e_3
    "WD Caviar Green hard drives provide high capacity storage while using up to 40% less power than traditional 7200 RPM drives. In addition, these hard drives are quieter and cooler than traditional 7200 RPM drives."

    "Wait" he says... do I look like a waiter?
  • Day of the BearDay of the Bear The Qun demandsRegistered User regular
    Checking WD's spec sheet it just lists a rotational speed of "inteliPower", which almost certainly means either 5400 or 5900RPM. The line about drawing less power than a 7200 isn't saying that the green drive is a 7200, but rather highlighting the power savings over a faster spinning drive.

    m6eoUgQ.jpg
  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    Robes wrote: »
    "WD Caviar Green hard drives provide high capacity storage while using up to 40% less power than traditional 7200 RPM drives. In addition, these hard drives are quieter and cooler than traditional 7200 RPM drives."

    Just remove the word "traditional" from both sentences and it makes sense. That's a clever bit of subliminal marketing, right there.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • mtsmts Dr. Robot King Registered User regular
    my current setup now is

    a corsair 90gb force 3 SSD as a boot

    a 1TB WD Caviar green as main storage and extra programs drive

    a 30 gb OCX SSD that was my old boot drive but i don't knwo what to do with it now

    i have steam and i think office installed on my WD Green and it doesn't take an extraordinary amount of time to load things, it is pretty snappy. granted its no SSD but i doubt you could tell a difference between that and a 7200

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  • IncindiumIncindium Registered User regular
    edited February 2012
    1.5TB Caviar Black 7200 RPM is $160 on Amazon... I'd probably go with that over the Green... $30 more for 3/4 the size though...

    Incindium on
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  • ParielPariel Registered User regular
    edited February 2012
    It's almost certainly worth it. I had a 5400RPM drive running my laptop until I replaced it with an SSD (so I know how slow it is), and to me the relatively small difference in price is more than made up for in speed. You're going to be used your hard drive a lot, the investment is likely worth it.

    Granted, the difference between an SSD and a HDD is way bigger, but going from 5400 to 7200 is also pretty big.

    Pariel on
  • centraldogmacentraldogma Registered User regular
    Just finished constructing my new computer. The damages after all was said and done:
    1 x ($319.99) Intel Core i7-3820 Sandy Bridge-E 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 2011 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80619i73820
    $319.99

    1 x ($259.99) MSI X79A-GD45 (8D) LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
    $259.99

    1 x ($54.99) Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, option Fans-2x Side 120mm Fan
    $54.99

    1 x ($32.99) Dynatron R17 92mm 2 Ball Intel Sandy Bridge Romley-EP/EX Processors up to TDP 160 Watts Overclocking
    $32.99

    1 x ($19.99) AMD Entertainment Edition 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model AE34G1609U2
    $19.99

    1 x ($-20.00) DISCOUNT FOR COMBO #835946
    $-20.00

    Subtotal:
    $667.95

    About the build: Took a surprising amount of pressure to close the two leavers for the CPU, I was a bit worried. Back faceplate was a pain to put in because there was a fan blocking view of it. The SATA cables that came with the motherboard posed a bit of a problem: one end of the the cable is bent (the connector is in an L shape). It can't be used on the motherboard end because it's too close to the case, the problem came when attaching my SSD, which is housed in a 2.5" to 3.5" adapter which can hold 2 2.5" drives. Because it was on the lower slot and the adapter stuck out beyond the end of the drive, I couldn't attach the SATA cable. I ended up moving it to the upper slot in the adapter.

    Running fine right now, CPU sits at 31C in BIOS.

    runningv.jpg

    Cheers!

    When people unite together, they become stronger than the sum of their parts.
    Don't assume bad intentions over neglect and misunderstanding.
  • TheCanManTheCanMan GT: Gasman122009 JerseyRegistered User regular
    edited February 2012
    @centraldogma

    You're running a $580 SB-E quad-channel CPU/MoBo with a single 4GB stick of RAM? o_O

    TheCanMan on
  • centraldogmacentraldogma Registered User regular
    TheCanMan wrote: »
    @centraldogma

    You're running a $580 SB-E quad-channel CPU/MoBo with a single 4GB stick of RAM? o_O

    Easily upgradeable. I'll probably add an extra 4GB when I upgrade the GPU in a while.

    When people unite together, they become stronger than the sum of their parts.
    Don't assume bad intentions over neglect and misunderstanding.
  • HandgimpHandgimp R+L=J Family PhotoRegistered User regular
    edited February 2012
    TheCanMan wrote: »
    @centraldogma

    You're running a $580 SB-E quad-channel CPU/MoBo with a single 4GB stick of RAM? o_O

    Easily upgradeable. I'll probably add an extra 4GB when I upgrade the GPU in a while.

    I think the basis for his surprise is that the main (only?) reason to go with that architecture is for the memory support.

    Edit: But then I seem to recall we already rode this merry-go-round.

    Handgimp on
    PwH4Ipj.jpg
  • TheCanManTheCanMan GT: Gasman122009 JerseyRegistered User regular
    Alecthar wrote: »
    Ianator wrote: »
    -More HDD: Since I need one of those anyways, could I just grab an External and use that for whatever won't go on the SSD (until I grab a proper Internal HDD when prices normalize)?
    Seagate's fine.

    Just go external for now, yeah.

    I was just mulling over this same decision, but I'm leaning towards going with this WD Green 2TB internal HDD. $140 for 2TB seems fairly reasonable to me.

  • ParielPariel Registered User regular
    I've had an Agility 3 in my laptop for about a week or two now, with a backup external in case I needed more space, but it looks like I'm gonna be good to go. I think I can finally get rid of my 1TB external (or do something with it, like maybe chuck it in for the wonky Seagate I got for $40 which keeps getting errors).
    Handgimp wrote: »
    TheCanMan wrote: »
    @centraldogma

    You're running a $580 SB-E quad-channel CPU/MoBo with a single 4GB stick of RAM? o_O

    Easily upgradeable. I'll probably add an extra 4GB when I upgrade the GPU in a while.

    I think the basis for his surprise is that the main (only?) reason to go with that architecture is for the memory support.

    Edit: But then I seem to recall we already rode this merry-go-round.

    I love a good merry-go-round! Especially when combined with your avatar (although this may lead to puking).

  • minirhyderminirhyder BerlinRegistered User regular
    175781191675774512_QGjiVwwY_c.jpg

    This is what I pulled out of my computer today.
    Is it normal for the PC to get that dusty after only 2 months or should I blame my cat?

  • Day of the BearDay of the Bear The Qun demandsRegistered User regular
    Do you keep your machine on the floor?

    Also yeah having a cat will contribute a lot to the dust buildup

    m6eoUgQ.jpg
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Cases with intake fan filters = best thing ever.

  • minirhyderminirhyder BerlinRegistered User regular
    Yeah it's on the floor. With cat on top sometimes :[

  • Day of the BearDay of the Bear The Qun demandsRegistered User regular
    Yep that'd do it!

    Just be extra careful about cleaning regularly and you'll be fine

    m6eoUgQ.jpg
  • tsmvengytsmvengy Registered User regular
    edited February 2012
    Heads-up, there are some Crucial SSD deals on Newegg today:
    http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/69890/newegg-crucial-m4-2.5-sata-iii-mlc-internal-solid-state-drives-ssd-64gb-ssd-ct064m4ssd2-65-128gb-ssd-ct128m4ssd2-130-256gb-ssd-ct256m4ssd2-280

    I used the 10% off coupon I got a few weeks ago and nabbed the 128GB one.

    Man I am excited about the potential for blistering speed.

    tsmvengy on
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  • GnomeTankGnomeTank What the what? Portland, OregonRegistered User regular
    We've already ridden this roller coaster with centraldogma. The fact that he completely and totally wasted his money on an SB-E setup, to run it with one stick of RAM and a CPU he can't max out, while humorous to us, just is what it is. No real point in trying to convince him of the absurdity at this point.

    Sagroth wrote: »
    Oh c'mon FyreWulff, no one's gonna pay to visit Uranus.
    Steam: Brainling, XBL / PSN: GnomeTank, NintendoID: Brainling, FF14: Zillius Rosh SFV: Brainling
  • centraldogmacentraldogma Registered User regular
    GnomeTank wrote: »
    We've already ridden this roller coaster with centraldogma. The fact that he completely and totally wasted his money on an SB-E setup, to run it with one stick of RAM and a CPU he can't max out, while humorous to us, just is what it is. No real point in trying to convince him of the absurdity at this point.

    I don't see the need to max out a build as soon as it's built. I choose to upgrade it over time. I could have gotten another 4GB or a better video card now, but I find it better to wait until it's necessary when I could could see reduced prices or, in the case of video cards, another generation of hardware.

    "You've wasted your money, so you should waste some more" is bad advice.

    When people unite together, they become stronger than the sum of their parts.
    Don't assume bad intentions over neglect and misunderstanding.
  • initiatefailureinitiatefailure Registered User regular
    edited February 2012
    a pair of 4gb sticks costs $40. spending an extra $20 would have broken the budget?

    Sorry I haven't been following your build experience and I'm sure a lot of people have probably stressed almost to a fault that point, but a second 4gb stick would have been a better investment than an incrementally better video card than whatever one you where looking at before. hell at the $20 price difference you probably could have gotten both by shopping around the different brands of that card and playing on the little price fluxuations.

    initiatefailure on
  • ParielPariel Registered User regular
    Well, it would have after spending a ridiculous amount of money on SB-E.

  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    a pair of 4gb sticks costs $40. spending an extra $20 would have broken the budget?

    Think of it like an ironic mustache. A single 4gb RAM stick in a SB-E machine is for the purpose of irony, man. It's a hipster computer. That machine is the Sleigh Bells of the Build Thread. I can only hope it has a 19" CRT to act as the metaphorical trucker hat.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • cardboard delusionscardboard delusions USAgent PSN: USAgent31Registered User regular
    I'd say for the sake of not letting this go further we should refrain from posting or commenting on the build. He choose to build what he wanted after given different opinions and that is fine - his money, his decision. No reason for either side to incite further argument since it's not a relevant conversation for the thread.

  • initiatefailureinitiatefailure Registered User regular
    right, so I found some thermal paste I had. I'm going to try reseating my cpu to see if it helps anything.

    Is there anything I should know? I've been told that the idea is "if you don't think there's enough on there, then you put too much on."
    With that in mind I'm pretty sure what i did was overkill last time I put it together.

  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    right, so I found some thermal paste I had. I'm going to try reseating my cpu to see if it helps anything.

    Is there anything I should know? I've been told that the idea is "if you don't think there's enough on there, then you put too much on."
    With that in mind I'm pretty sure what i did was overkill last time I put it together.

    Basically that. Imagine a pea-sized amount and then cut that roughly in half. Unless you eat those little tiny peas. Then just use a whole pea. But those peas are weird. That's my usual rule of thumb, anyway.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • cardboard delusionscardboard delusions USAgent PSN: USAgent31Registered User regular
    I've heard both, add a pea size and press and use a business card and spread evenly methods. I've had neither cause me any issues with a standard build. I believe having it evenly spread is more important for a machine that's going to be OC'd.

  • minor incidentminor incident expert in a dying field njRegistered User regular
    I've heard both, add a pea size and press and use a business card and spread evenly methods. I've had neither cause me any issues with a standard build. I believe having it evenly spread is more important for a machine that's going to be OC'd.

    A lot of people consider spreading the pea-drop of paste to be pretty much useless, but I have to admit that my superstition does not allow me to avoid spreading it out. Logically, the amount of pressure is plenty to spread out the paste just fine without any assistance, but I do like to make sure.

    Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
  • cardboard delusionscardboard delusions USAgent PSN: USAgent31Registered User regular
    (I wasn't going to say anything but I do that too)

  • GnomeTankGnomeTank What the what? Portland, OregonRegistered User regular
    I have to spread it out, or my OCD kicks in. It's super easy to do, and makes me feel better.

    Sagroth wrote: »
    Oh c'mon FyreWulff, no one's gonna pay to visit Uranus.
    Steam: Brainling, XBL / PSN: GnomeTank, NintendoID: Brainling, FF14: Zillius Rosh SFV: Brainling
  • GnomeTankGnomeTank What the what? Portland, OregonRegistered User regular
    I'd say for the sake of not letting this go further we should refrain from posting or commenting on the build. He choose to build what he wanted after given different opinions and that is fine - his money, his decision. No reason for either side to incite further argument since it's not a relevant conversation for the thread.

    I agree with you, I think most of us are just cringing in pain at someone basically crippling their system (which one 4GB stick does to a quad channel SB-E setup), and ignoring the advice of those of us who know for a fact it's crippling his system...but refuses to do anything about it, because he thinks he knows best. So we're poking a little fun. At any rate, you're right, it probably needs to end. His money, if he wants to knowingly cripple his expensive enthusiast chip set, that's his business.

    Sagroth wrote: »
    Oh c'mon FyreWulff, no one's gonna pay to visit Uranus.
    Steam: Brainling, XBL / PSN: GnomeTank, NintendoID: Brainling, FF14: Zillius Rosh SFV: Brainling
  • emp123emp123 Registered User regular
    I put a grain of rice and let the pressure of the seating spread the paste out. I figure this way the paste will go where its needed most.

This discussion has been closed.