PC Build Advice/Review Thread

[Isiolia]

One last thing and I think I'm good. In at least one of the links I read, it said to apply what would be the size of two grains of rice for thermal paste, but when looking around I also see some people put a small glob in the center, then spread it around to even distribute it (video I saw had a guy using a plastic bag to cover his finger). Is one way better than the other or are the both essentially the same?

Done well, either is likely just as good. Another way to spread it around can be with a credit card, and I've had thermal paste that included a plastic card to use for that.

That said, a small blob is easier, cleaner, and would tend to use less of a relatively expensive substance. It might be easier to put too much on if you pre-spread it.

[Siya]

So all the parts came in and we put it all together... but the video card fans aren't spinning up (or sending a signal at all), as well as the CD drive isn't working either. I built my own computer so I'm fairly sure everything is plugged in correctly, how would I go about making sure everything is ok?

[Zerocool]

Might be a dumb question, but are the power cables plugged into the cd drive and video card? Other than that, are you sure your power supply is enough to power everything?

[Siya]

So I took the card to my desktop and plugged it in, boots just fine. Called AMD and talked to a guy, he said 500 should be enough. Everything is plugged in just fine. One thing to note is that my gfs dad lent me an order card to test, which spins up just fine in the new machine. However the CD drive is still unresponsive. So the PCI slot should be fine and I think the board is fine, could it be a wonky power supply?

[Zerocool]

What are your specs?

[Siya]

Ok so my bro took out the IDE connector for the CD drive and now the CD drive works (as in it opens). The test card spins yet doesn't send a signal. There is a very very faint humming sound, can barely hear it.

Specs are as follows, as to what we bought:

ADM Phenom II II x4
MB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813130290
8GB RAM
HD 6850 GPU
Corsair 500W PSU

[Siya]

Found the problem... overlooked the 4 pin connector on the MB, the 8 pins on the power supply break in half... >.> my bad

[TacoTaru]

Everything hooked and up working, except GPU and RAM, but I know my computer works at least since I ripped some parts for a friend to get windows installed. So thanks BG for all the help! :D

With that said, I was looking at extra cooling potential when I was putting together my stuff today and noticed I can add 4 120mm fans and one 80mm fan. It currently has two 120mm in the back and one in the front but if I were to overclock my 570, would I need to add any extra on top of what I have, and if so how many (and brand recommendation if possible please and thank you!) I assume Coolermaster.

[Boyiee]

More fans = more noise. Try not to add more if you don't have to.

That gpu won't likely need additional case fans in order for it to get any OC. You might not ever even OC it.

edit: if you are going to add fans, don't add coolermaster ones. Check overclock.net and hardforum for fan speed/cfm/dba numbers and find ones that make you happy. They have nice graphs included. A lot of people like scythes/kaze's/etc.

[jmc]

Goto microcenter to exchange a router for another one........ leave with desktop upgrades lol.

Just wanted input on these devices, before I open them later tonight after work.

Picked up:

Mobo: http://www.msi.com/product/mb/P67A-G.../?div=Overview

Processor: i5 2500k

Crucial 4 GB DDR3-1333 Ram (temporary, will upgrade the memory when I eventually pick up a new GPU)

Mainly what i'm looking for, is the mobo any good.... or anything that is better than it? I paid $115 for the mobo, figured it was a good deal lol


*edit*

Will be upgrading from a q6770 processor.....

Rig already includes a 900w power supply (future proofing), 80 gb SSD and a ATI 5770

[TacoTaru]

Maybe a stupid question, but what's the difference between a mid-sized case and a full-sized case? My wife is wanting a smaller case than what I have, but I want to make sure all the components are going to fit. Is cable management just going to be an issue and that's it, or can there be legitimate concerns with hardware fitting?

[Orph]

Maybe a stupid question, but what's the difference between a mid-sized case and a full-sized case? My wife is wanting a smaller case than what I have, but I want to make sure all the components are going to fit. Is cable management just going to be an issue and that's it, or can there be legitimate concerns with hardware fitting?

The biggest concern most of the time is with the heatsink/fan. If you just make sure the case you buy is wide enough then you shouldn't really have any issues at all. And with cable management, it just depends on the case, some mid size cases have good cable management and some don't.

[TacoTaru]

Mmk thanks, one last question. Is the WD Caviar Blue 500GB a decent drive? Can get it fairly cheap with a newegg promo and I'm looking to save all the money I can.

[Cyn]

Black is better than blue due to a couple of extra features, but in the end both have similar performance. I would avoid using the greens for anything other than media storage though. Though I must say, if you're only going to have a single drive, 500GB seems a bit small.

Edit: Concerning cases, full size cases are generally meant for extreme performance. If you're not running multiple GPUs or overclocking your CPU, mid sized cases will suit your needs. Just confirm that the case is compatible with your MB, and be aware that certain video cards require more space than others.

[TacoTaru]

OK I lied as I'm still trying to get the price down a bit more to get more in line with my budget. Currently I'm using this card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130621
but I am considering putting my wife on this card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130610

In regards to FFXIV, how big of a performance will she take or will she take one at all? I run all settings on high with 4xsAA, and she'd like to run near that. It saves me $71 if I can go this route. In fact, could I even step back to a 560, or is that going too low to run settings that high?

Also when it comes to mobos, I hardly know the difference from one to another so is there a cheaper, but similar one to this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131706

Goal is to try to cut $100 or more off my current price while retaining as high as possible settings. I can post up the rest of the setup if someone wants to look for better saving options, but at the moment I'm just looking to cut these two as I'm pretty sure I cut the rest as much as I can.

Thanks again for all the help.

[Olo401]

Maybe a stupid question, but what's the difference between a mid-sized case and a full-sized case? My wife is wanting a smaller case than what I have, but I want to make sure all the components are going to fit. Is cable management just going to be an issue and that's it, or can there be legitimate concerns with hardware fitting?

In a word, size. Full-size tower cases are REALLY tall - usually 20-24 inches - providing much more room for drives, fans, expansion cards, cabling or anything else you'd want or need. That extra room also allows for better airflow. A mid-tower by comparison is 14-16 inches tall, so there's less room to pack things in but a well-designed case will still be able to fit everything comfortably and provide decent airflow. The problems arise when you buy a cheap case - when corners are cut on how the case is designed, airflow becomes a problem and so can fitting all your parts in (i.e. you'll have the video card pushing into or bending the drive cage).

[TacoTaru]

Yeah, I decided to go with a mid-sized case a friend of mine has since I know all the parts will fit in there (I thought it was a full sized case at first, but then he sent me the link).

*Edit*
Can ignore the question about the GPU/Mobo, I talked to a friend and got it figured out.

[Cyn]

In a word, size. Full-size tower cases are REALLY tall - usually 20-24 inches - providing much more room for drives, fans, expansion cards, cabling or anything else you'd want or need. That extra room also allows for better airflow. A mid-tower by comparison is 14-16 inches tall, so there's less room to pack things in but a well-designed case will still be able to fit everything comfortably and provide decent airflow. The problems arise when you buy a cheap case - when corners are cut on how the case is designed, airflow becomes a problem and so can fitting all your parts in (i.e. you'll have the video card pushing into or bending the drive cage).

My mid case is 20.5" tall haha. >.>

[Caiyuo]

Found some awesome resources to share, jerks. some is old and most all comes from http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/ - the sidebar is especially handy for doing your own homework and picking

Resources:

• pre-build beginner's guide
• BuildaPC Trusted Parts and Reviews
• tinyurl.com/falconguide Logical Increments Buying Guide
• http://pcpartpicker.com/ self-explanatory, really handy for checking compatibility as once your start picking components, the future categories edit results to only what is compatible but can also be turned off if you want more to look at
• post build advice

make remarks if any of this looks shitty or has crap advice, though

[elison]

Few upgrades I'm thinking about doing soon, and I have a few questions:

1. New gen video card or should I find another Vapor-X 5870 and crossfire?
2. RAM options? Currently have Corsair Dominators 6GB (2GB x 3) Thinking about bumping it up to 8, not sure about what I should be getting.

Computer is used for gaming, nothing else.