Just built my own PC :D

[480sx]

I got a good deal on some core components of a gaming PC build and i went ahead and finished it off.

The deal was this..Antec 900 CaseAMD 2.6ghz 5000+ Athlon 64 bit black edition CPUASUS M2N SLI Delux MOB

260 shipped, all NIB.

So from there i went to newegg.com and got the following.2GB Corsair SMS DDR2 800 duel channel kit - 60WD Raptor 74GB 10000 RPM SATA 1.5gb/s HD - 110HP 20x DVD+R Burner with Lite scribe SATA - 32Bad *** Silverstone CPU cooler. NT06-E 50ModOSX 600w SLI ready PSU - 90 - 25 mailin rebateG-5 Logitec mouse - 50Free copy of windows XP pro

I also got a cheap graphics card until i get the funds to run a duel card SLI setup.

The MOB combo + the processor is very stable and runs really cool. People have overclocked this setup to 3.6 GHz with reasonable CPU temps.

Overall the PC is bad ***. Its got an amazing cooling system on it, it can turn from being silent to sounding like a jet engine when the CPU is under high load. A duel core processor makes everything run so much smoother, i could only imagine what a quad core would do. 2 GHz of ram helps a lot too heh. I was on a 10 year old PC before so this is a giant step up. Windows loads in under 15 seconds, graphics and rendering programs(along with games) run great. The raptor HD is awesome, super freaken quick search/load times.

FYI, its really damned easy to build your own PC. Best bang for your buck by far.

[nnorton44]

Nice build

[Beancooker]

Sweet.

[Roger_cha]

good build... this is the one that i bought 8 months back on price watch..http://search.pricewatch.com/b...0.htm

and my video card too.http://search.pricewatch.com/v...0.htm

and my ram...http://www.1stchoicememory.com...=2204the cheap ones...check it out... i know its expensive but hey it'll last me about 5-6 years...

[nnorton44]

I used to have a 5000+ Black Edition, hit 3.2 on the stock fan, 3.6 should be easy with upgraded cooling.

[480sx]

What core temps were you seeing at 3.2? Im really not impressed at the moment with my temps, im running at like 32-33 at idle and im not exactly sure under full load. Hits like 39-40c at 60-70%. Thinking it should be cooler but idk for sure. Still learning this MOB setup, have to find a way to data log core temps while im gaming or something. Im sure there is some way to max your cpu out for a while to test it under load, any tips? Im pretty noob to this whole scene.

[480sx]

Found a really cool prog that loads the cpu up well. My core temps get to about 48c when under full continuous load.. Thats really not impressive for this cooling setup IMO, should be doing better than that, i think. I guess ill just have to see how it reacts to overclocking.

[480sx]

Blah! Asus AI Booster is CRAP! Its been giving me horrible information on core temps, like way way off. My PC is running ice cold without O/Cing, like 18c at idle. The 'Asus AI Booster' was telling me that it was at 35c at idle.. When the CPU was ice cold to the touch so, fvk that prog. I found a bunch of other people who said the exact same things, that their temps were way over what they were really.

I got a few other core monitoring progs and they are telling me that its running ice cold, my fingers telling me the same thing so im gona go with the stable commonly used freeware on this one. I used a prog called CoreTemp designed to work with my processor. Also, to load the PC, i cant see how you would find a better program than a program called HeavyLoad. Its awesome.

I have had the first O/C crash though(and a few more after i figured out how to deal with it ), man did that have me freaked out lmao.

Im just going to O/C through Bios from now on, this windows based O/C program isnt gona work for me. Doesnt seem like a good idea either.

This is all very fun and exciting.

[nnorton44]

Definately stick to the BIOS to O/C

[Beancooker]

Yep, ASUS AI Overclocking sucks.

Stick to tweaking your BIOS.

If you need a better cooler, I highly recommend the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme.

It's huge, but it's the best air cooler made right now. It'll keep you almost as cool as water cooling.

I'm running one on a 100% OC, and at 100% full load (prime95 and FOH) it only got up to 49ºC.

[480sx]

Its running even colder than i thought. One core hits 9c at idle the other bounces around 13. Full load i hit about 20c for both cores. Iv been told that the deviation is normal and there is nothing to worry about. Im going to try to mess with my fan a bit to see if there is anything i can do to equalize the temps, although i doubt it makes much of a difference from what research i have done.

[brizanden]

just do water cooling imo. its like 120 bucks to have a dam decent thermaltake setup and i oc'ed my 2.44ghz duo to 3.1 ( i used bios not some fangled program) and it runs around 35C at full load.anyway need some games i got fallout nfsps and guitar hero III all for sale.

[Beancooker]

I figured you of all people would be against store bought water cooling systems. I'm not a fan of them. If you mildly OC, they're good, if you do anything major, you're better off building it yourself, or going with one of the Thermalright air coolers.

[nnorton44]

Newegg.com has a good selection.

[brizanden]

I figured you of all people would be against store bought water cooling systems. I'm not a fan of them. If you mildly OC, they're good, if you do anything major, you're better off building it yourself, or going with one of the Thermalright air coolers.

well i mean i built mine outta pieces.... idk wht u mean about store bought? i got them off various sites newegg xiodie extc. i got a nice pump/tank, rad, water block, temp sensor all seperate and it totalled up like 150 maybe.

[drftsil8ty]

im running sli atm and i gotta tell you....dont do it. Majority of the games out there do not support it. My advice is to get one better card. but thats just my opinion.

[brizanden]

pics ever?

[480sx]

Well i have some more custom work to do. At the moment i have realized that my HD is defect from the factory, and am kinda worried about the seemingly emanate possibility of a data loss. The HS is making a weird super fast ticking/hissing sound at times, and windows sometimes hangs at my background and wont load Explorer.exe or anything else. Its random, sometimes it will boot great but sometimes it takes 3-4 reboots to fix. I also had my USB 40 GB WD Passport(4 years old) crap out on me, and that WAS my backup. So now all my data is on this defective, but working, harddrive. I got an RMA from new egg, and ordered another HD. Im going to run one of these as a mass file storage drive. http://www.newegg.com/Product/...48262 On top of that eventually i have to buy a backup external, but im not stressing that at the moment i gotta stop spending money on this PC and get my car running agian.

This time though im gona set up a Raid 0 drive setup with two WD raptor drives. Along with some duct work, and i really need a 'wire tuck'. I want to change the blue LED's to green but im not sure if thats worth the time and effort lol.

In addition, i have come to realize that this thing is a monster at moving air. I can wipe the front covers one day and the next day they are covered in dust. The lower 6 ports have two fans in the front, the middle bays i have moded to be simply an air port that blows air into the middle of the case, directly on my graphics cards.

I have to make some custom filters for it, im thinking of using it as a HEPA filter/PC lol. I think im gona go to home depot and buy one of the large filters and cut up sections of it to fit in front of the fans along with a custom frame for the filter sections.

I also wana do some other mods, a powder coated aluminum cover on the bottom of my case to conceal the ball of wires at the bottom of my case.

Pics will come asap.

Iv read some stuff on SLI that makes me turn away as well, i might just stick with one nice one anyway. The idea of running two graphics cards is alluring but i dont think its worth it even for the average gamer. For rendering, ect i can see it but i think its almost a waste for most PC's.
Modified by 480sx at 4:56 PM 1/31/2009

[Beancooker]

I have the same issue with my Antec 900 case. I should buy stock in "Dust off".

It does however do it's job, and keep everythinmg cool. I have all my fans set to low, except for the huge top fan, the fans connected to my heatsink, and the on right behind the heatsink/graphics card, which are on high. Quiet and cool.

[480sx]

Yea seriously, its like an every other day thing, the inside of my case is already covered in a fine layer of the stuff. Since im taking this thing all apart anyway im gona do all my cosmetic mods and filter mods at the same time. I bought a air filter today and some thin weather stripping. Ill get some pics up with my filters, i think i might also have to make a custom plate that allows air to flow through and my filters for those bottom 6 bay covers.

I find that the big top fan seems to get overpowered by the other exhaust fans in the case. Iv got the big one on high now and it barely seems to push any air out. I upgraded most of the case fans to 80 CFM silverstones that really pump some air. I think i need more air flow through the case, it seems to be under a slight vacuum at the moment.

Or ducting, i think that would probably help a lot too. I want to get a slim PWM 4 pin 120mm fan(that cools my CPU heat sink) then some ducting that lines it up with the outer case fan in the back.

I actually like the 'turbine' noise of my CPU now, im looking to upgrade some of my intake fans with these monsters.. http://www.heatsinkfactory.com....html

I think that two of those in the center section of the case and one on the bottom would provide neutral pressure in my case. The one on the bottom would keep my HD's cool, and the two mids would supply the case with cool fresh air.

So many damn projects.

[Beancooker]

Why do you need so much airflow in the case? I have a CPU that is running a 100% overclock, and I don't need anymore airflow. At 100% full load (prime95 and FOH simultaneously) it was getting up to 49ºC. If the CPU is getting too hot, ditch the heatsink you are using, and get a Thermalright. They are still the top dog, and that isn't just my opinion, it's agreed on by every review that has been done.

I'm actually running Vista as well. CPU Z reads it as XP, since Vista was an upgrade from XP.





http://www.thermalright.com

[nnorton44]

Nice O/C, Ill be building a new rig soon I was looking into the Pentium E2180, only $70 bucks, good potential.

[Beancooker]

Grab the 2160 instead of the 2180. Easier to run a stable OC on.

[480sx]

I cant see that heat sink being any more potent than the one i have. It appears to use stainless steel which is less conductive of heat than copper, mines made with a copper base plate and heat tubes. I have a feeling that you cant go wrong with many of the hard core heatsinks. Heat isnt the issue for my build right now, im still running ice cold. My idle temps are on average ~12.5 between the two cores. ~20C under full load, so i have a ways to go.

As far as the airflow goes, hey, why not? Extra airflow is never a bad thing. I suppose i dont NEED it but.. Eh, might just save the money, you bring up a good point.

Well i got my new harddrive in yesterday and its formatting now. Going to back up all my important data on it, and my music from my Ipod(Ipod crashed too..was running it with a screwed up logic board and switching to Anapod nuked its filing system.. i PAID to have my ipod screwed up. Data is still there so w/e, new logic boards on the way.) on this new drive. Then im gona send my Raptor drive out and order another one so i can run them in a raid 0 config.

So for the next two weeks its back to my old dinosaur . On the plus side, if i can ever find the time.., this gives me the opportunity to do all my case mods and get it 100 percent.

[PoorManQ45]

12.5c would mean that your house is about 50 degrees. Is that correct?

I'm running a Nirvana NVSS120 that maxes out at 36 degrees celcius with an ambient temperature of 76 degrees.

This is with a 5600 oced to 3.32GHz

[480sx]

No its not. I should have been a little more skeptical of those numbers. Thanks for the heads up.

[Beancooker]

What is telling you your temps?

Try this: http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/CoreTemp32.zip

Core Temp will give you fairly accurate temps.

12.5 C is 53.3 F

Copper vs. Nickle all you want, but read the reviews. Thermalright U'120X' is almost equivalent to a water cooling unit. The composition of the metal isn't nearly as important as the mixture of gas/liquid in the tubes. It doesn't score #1 on every review for no reason.

Hell, I have my fans in the same case set much lower than you, and it is nice and cool. I hate the noise. That's why I have them so low. I could probably drop a few more degrees, if I cranked the fans up, but I wouldn't want to sit in that room either.

[480sx]

Thats the prog i use to monitor core temps. When i get my hard drive back im going to play around with it a little more and try to figure out whats going on.

[aleks77]

nice build

[n00d1ek1ng]

nice