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Need help building a budgeted gaming system (amateur)
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JaguarGod
Senior Member
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27. December 2008 @ 17:20 |
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Go to about 4:10 into this video to see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-ksS41TxvI
Your motherboard is different, but it should look reasonably the same.
It seems to me like you are having the same problem as with the Gigabyte Motherboard, however, without the reboot cycle.
You don't need to get into the BIOS to install the OS. Usually the CDROM is set by default as a boot device, so you should get something like "press any key to boot from cd..." when you boot with a Windows CD in the drive. If you can't get this far, then it may be another component that is the problem.
You already tried two PSUs, so unlikely that the PSU is bad. Two motherboards, so unlikely the motherboard is bad. Do you have another PCI Express video card you can try?
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gera229
Member
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27. December 2008 @ 17:38 |
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How can gigabyte motherboards be bad? I thought they're the best mobos and the most reliable mobos.
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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27. December 2008 @ 18:46 |
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gera229
Member
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27. December 2008 @ 19:05 |
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How can gigabyte motherboards be bad? I thought they're the best mobos and the most reliable mobos.
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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27. December 2008 @ 19:22 |
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just tried benching it.. same result.. tried using the other video card.. same result.. dont see anything on the monitor
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gera229
Member
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27. December 2008 @ 21:28 |
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Sorry for my own questions but Which would cool better the antec 900 at high fan speed or the NZXT Tempestat high fan speed? I know the antec is steel and NZXT Tempest is steel/plastic. But does that matter? Well all I know is the tempest has more space and is easier to set up. Thanks. Peace.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 27. December 2008 @ 21:28
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JaguarGod
Senior Member
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28. December 2008 @ 00:58 |
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That should rule out the video card.
So you have tested:
Motherboard
PSU
Video Card
Either the cables are still incorrectly connected or you might have gotten a bad CPU. The only components left are CPU and RAM...
Try taking pictures of the case wires to be connected and a close up of the motherboard connectors. Maybe we can sort that out. If the connections are correct, then it has to be the CPU. Bad RAM usually gives a beep code of some sort.
I guess you can try booting only the CPU and Video Card to see if you get a Beep error, but the case speaker has to be connected. If you get a beep error, then the RAM is probably the culprit. If not, most likely the CPU.
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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28. December 2008 @ 02:13 |
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It was the RAM - I replaced the RAM and now I am getting into the BIOS screen! Such a relief.
But of course, the problems do not end there. I figured since it was the RAM this whole time, I would go back to the old UD3R GIGABYTE motherboard.. so I did that and hooked it up to the the CPU, RAM, and video card.
The problem now is that it will stay on the BIOS screen from anywhere from 2 minutes to 5 minutes... and then I lose all picture.
I'm pretty sure this is not the motherboard's fault, rather it is the video card's fault. I say this because of a couple reasons:
1. The rest of the power remains, fans still running, all lights still on - the only thing is that I lose picture.
2. When I touch the video card after only being on a little bit.. it is BURNING hot.
So I figured maybe there's something wrong with the video card... I try the other one (EVGA 8600 GTS) and that one is staying on the BIOS screen.. but it is still VERY hot.
So I figured this either meant that it's supposed to be this hot.. or this motherboard is not very good at heating the video card... ( I initially had everything in the case where the case fans were also cooling the video card, but that didn't help I believe).
So what do you think? Is it the mobo or the video card? Should I try the ASUS mobo?
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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28. December 2008 @ 11:09 |
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I checked the temps in the BIOS - the system temp was around 40C last night and the CPU temp was like 45C.. or the other way around I don't remember. How do I check the voltages? I couldn't find a way to check the video card temperature (if there is a way in BIOS).
After I installed the OS last night, I put the 4830 in for a little while and I didn't lose picture.. it is currently in the machine now also and I am not losing picture. I'm actually touching the video card now and although it's reasonably hot, it's not blazing hot like it was last night.. the hotness it is at now may be normal. So I don't know what was up with it last night but I'm going out for 2-3 hours now and I'm going to leave the machine on, and I will see if I lose picture when I come back.
But besides that, the OS is installed! Thanks to everyone that helped, I learned a lot!
A couple more questions- I installed the OS and I changed settings in the BIOS so it is 64 bit and I put it in HTEP mode and also ACHI mode (I don't really know what all that means) - but anyways, the OS is installed, but I noticed that it is Windows Vista Business 64-bit. Does it really matter that it is Business? Should I exchange it? What's the difference?
My last question (I think) - I need to go out and buy a wireless adapter so I can have wireless internet ( I know wired is better but I'm going to try this)
This is the router I have - LINKSYS WRT54GL IEEE 802.3/3u, IEEE 802.11b/g Wireless-G Broadband Router - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833124190
What wireless adapter do you recommend for gaming? Should I cheap out and just buy one for 10-20$?
Thanks.
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gera229
Member
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28. December 2008 @ 17:37 |
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Originally posted by gera229:
Sorry for my own questions but Which would cool better the antec 900 at high fan speed or the NZXT Tempestat high fan speed? I know the antec is steel and NZXT Tempest is steel/plastic. But does that matter? Well all I know is the tempest has more space and is easier to set up. Thanks. Peace.
I know I might break this thread but can anyone answer this all in one post and why.. Thanks.
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JaguarGod
Senior Member
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28. December 2008 @ 17:55 |
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Glad you got it all figured out!!!
For the BIOS voltage settings, those would be in M.I.T. It is the first option you can select in the BIOS.. However, do not change the voltage if everything is fine. You can also look at the voltage settings from windows (and change them) using easytune6, which is Gigabyte's overclocking tool.
Video card generally get very hot. This could be solved with an after market heatsink for the video card, but the card will work fine with the stock heat sink. Just don't overclock it.
The Vista Business edition is probably better than the Home Edition if there is any difference. Odds are that it is just a Volume Licensing edition of Vista Home Premium so it is probably the same thing :P In the past, business editions were generally the "Pro" versions of the OS. Like Windows 2000 Pro vs. Windows Millenium, Windows XP Pro vs Windows XP Home and Media Edition, etc...
With Vista they got into the whole "extreme" hype. Sort of like those ATI cards before when they were filled with x's, like x1950xtx. A business would never buy an "Extreme" or "Ultimate" edition of something, so they just label them "Professional", "Corporate" or "Business" editions. Usually they have more features and less junk than home editions.
For a wireless adapter, anything should work. I bought a PCI card adapter with a wired antenna rather than an omnidirectional one. I figured, if the antenna has a wire, I can move it to get a better signal and the omnidirectional would be stuck in the back of my PC where it might not get the best signal and block some components or get in the way. Either way though, you can always buy aftermarket antennas for a wireless card.
The other type would be a USB adapter. This would be good if you also have a laptop with no wireless. Personally, I do not like them too much, mainly because the antenna is internal. You are pretty much stuck if there is no signal or a bad signal and you would be forced to move the PC rather than the antenna.
So, it really depends on your setup. If you are near the Router, then it does not matter as you will get near a 100% signal. Mine is in the next room and I have thick plaster walls and I get an excellent signal. The upstairs one has an older omnidirectional antenna and I have to move the PC to get a good signal because there is not a lot of movement on the omnidirectional. The PS3 has an internal antenna which would probably be like a USB antenna. This gets about 60% - 70% signal upstairs and 90% and higher in my room. It does not lose the signal anywhere, but it is just not as strong. Signal strength does NOT affect connection speed. Only the possibility of losing a signal.
If you have signal problems in your house, a PCI adapter would be best since you can upgrade the antenna. If you do not have signal problems, then any type would do and let money be your guide. Just stay away from those ultra cheap USB Dongle ones as USB adapters are usually more than PCI so something too cheap has to be a red flag.
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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31. December 2008 @ 22:25 |
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Hello.
The computer is running beautifully. CS:Source and BF2 run flawlessly ... video-wise.
I still have one thing which frustrates me. I did not build this computer so I can lag spike every 30 seconds. It's not the computer - the PC is fine. It's my wireless internet.
Router: LINKSYS WRT54GL IEEE 802.3/3u, IEEE 802.11b/g Wireless-G Broadband Router
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124190
Wireless Adapter: LINKSYS WMP54G IEEE 802.11b/g, PCI 2.2 and 2.3 32bit PCI2.2 Wireless-G Adapter Up to 54Mbps Data Rates WEP, WPA, CCX 2.0 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124115
Yes, I know that wired is much much better for gaming, I am aware of that, but at this point that is not an option because my family hates wires.
Here is what I am going to try and I need some feedback.
I am going to install 3rd party firmware on my router (Tomato). I was deciding between Tomato and DD-WRT and I went with Tomato ... what is your opinion?
Also, I have no idea how to do this but from what I understand, it increases performance. I am hoping this will eliminate the lag spikes. I know that if I am not careful, I can "brick" my router - so if you guys have any guides on how to do this, I'd appreciate it. I was just going to google for some guides.
Secondly, I am going to replace my wireless adapter with this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124139
It's basically the same one I have now, but with SpeedBooster. However, it clearly says on the box that the speedbooster mode is only available under Windows 2000 and XP. So should I not bother?
However, reading a few NewEgg reviews here : http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductRev...dbooster&=0&=10
It looks like some people have hacked the firmware and enabled speedbooster, given that they have a speedbooster wireless adapter. What do you think of this? Will hacking the firmware and enabling speedbooster still work if I have vista 64-bit?
Thanks.
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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1. January 2009 @ 07:45 |
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I went to cmd and typed in "ping -t 192.168.1.1"
and then it started pinging my router.
it showed this line.. one second at a time
"reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=<1ms TTL=64
occasionaly it would have a request timed out line (every 5-15 lines)
but the thing I noticed was that EXACTLY every 60 lines ... the time would jump from <1ms to around 600-1500 ms.. just for the one line.
I'm guessing this is the spike problem that is pissing me off.
Based off google searches, I think problem is because of the incompatibility of the ralink rt2561 chipset for my adapter with Windows Vista 64-bit. It's actually a common problem.. called something like the vista 60 second lag spikes (1-3 second lag spikes every 60 seconds.
I say this because I have two other laptops. My laptop has XP. I tried this same cmd command on there... no major spikes...my dad's laptop is Windows Vista 64 bit (only difference is that his is home edition, the PC i just built has business edition) and that did not have any spikes as well.
So that means the only variable that remains is the adapter.. and based off google searches I think it's because it is incompatible with Vista 64-bit (I guess the laptop adapter is not the same chipset).
My friend has this router: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166020
He has the same problem.. however, after downloading one of the ralink drivers from these forums:
http://www.vistax64.com/vista-networking...g-spikes-2.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/235009...-wmp54g-drivers
He was able to fix the spikes. He downloaded and installed the driver, and then ran a program called WLAN Optimizer.
http://www.martin-majowski.de/wlanoptimizer/
^ That is a fix for my exact problem.
However, I could not manage to install the rlink drivers. It kept saying unsuccessful or whatever when I clicked browse and specified the driver. It worked for him though, and he suggested that I get the same adapter as him.
What do you think?
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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1. January 2009 @ 18:04 |
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The root problem for this I think is the WLAN Autoconfig, checking for new networks every 60 seconds. to disable this i go to run > services.msc, and scroll down to WLAN Autoconfig and disable it.. but the problem is that when I disable it, I can't detect my network so I can't connect.
This Autoconfig is only in Vista so what I need to do is install XP drivers for this adapter. The problem is that linksys does not have 64 bit drivers for XP so I have to use ralink or some other driver.
I do not get any error code - the error I get when trying to install any of the Ralink Drivers is this :
Windows was unable to install your network controller
Windows could not find driver software for your device
If you know the manufacturer of your device, you can visit its website and check the support section for driver software.
The Ralink Wire Lan Card Utility/Status is just a big black X... the Ralink utility/status ONLY works when I install the Linksys driver from my cd that came with my Linksys adapter. That is the only driver I can get it to recognize and thus the only driver I can access the internet with, for this adapter at least.
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JaguarGod
Senior Member
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1. January 2009 @ 18:30 |
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Looks like you know more about this stuff than I do... I don't have a PC with Windows Vista, so I have no experience with it. I am using XP Pro 64 bit and it doesn't have the WLAN autoconfig service. I wonder if that is the replacement for Wireless Configuration? If it is, then the only way you can connect is with a 3rd party utility. Try installing the Drivers from the CD and then use the Ralink Utility. When you launch Ralink, there should be a system tray icon. Right Click and choose "Use RaConfig as Configuration utility". See if that works.
Installing drivers from a different card will not work.
As for the difference between the two cards, I bet that the Speedboost thing is a gimmick. There is no way to make your internet faster without paying for more bandwidth. What it might do is lower the overhead so that more of the bandwidth is actually used for the internet, but this is not good to mess with. Don't buy a wireless card because of something claiming faster internet speed. I get full bandwidth on my wireless and I am using a $11 wireless card. Signal strength is more important, but only if signal strength is too low. Also, make sure you are actually connected to your network. When I first installed the card, it was connecting to someone elses network by default. The laptop is even worse as it picks up like 20 networks in the area...tempting to "borrow" someone's connection :P
See if there is a way you can configure the WLAN program. When you connect to the internet, there should be some type of icon. RIght Click on it and launch it. Probably something like "View Wireless connections" or similar. Then you can access more advanced features there. I have never messed with that stuff, but maybe there is a setting to disable the checking for a new connection every 60 seconds.
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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2. January 2009 @ 23:54 |
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I fixed it!!! Not exactly sure how - but the important thing is that it is fixed :}. My little brother has been gaming for hours without a lag spike!
I did several things - I'm not sure what fixed it - here is what I did :
1. Installed 3rd party firmware on my router (Tomato).
2. Enabled Frame Burst and AutoBurner in the Tomato settings.
3. Replaced my Linksys adapter with a SpeedBooster adapter (same adapter, just with speedbooster).
That's it. No Ralink drivers, no anti-lag software, or anything, just used the drivers from the linksys CD. I don't know what it was, it says on the box speedboster only works with XP and 2000.. but I heard people saying they utilized their non-speedbooster router to work with their speedbooster adapter via 3rd party firmware. Maybe that's what I did (I know afterburner enables speedbooster). But I don't see how that would fix it anyway.. whatever, who cares! I'm getting excellent/very good signal with great latency!
Thanks for the help.
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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11. March 2009 @ 13:21 |
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Hello all.
The PC is running great - but I have this error. My videocard has this error. My ASUS video card came with a software called "ASUS SmartDoctor" - I think it just monitors my video card and allows me to overclock and adjust other settings. I haven't messed with any of it.
But the other day, I get this error from SmartDoctor:
VGA's voltage is out of safe bound. Motherboard doesn't supply reliable 12.0 voltage. Contact with its manufacturer for help.
What does this mean and how do I fix it? Is my video card overheating? I am not familiar with overclocking.
Thanks.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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11. March 2009 @ 13:34 |
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It's more likely an error from the program. Use either Speedfan or Everest to monitor your PSU's 12V output.
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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11. March 2009 @ 13:40 |
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Yes, I had speedfan on my laptop. I used to check what the temperature was for my laptop. If I download speedfan, how will I know if everything is fine and that it was just a problem with a program? I don't remember speedfan ever giving me an error warning me.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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11. March 2009 @ 13:44 |
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See what it says by 12V: at the bottom, if it's between 11.7 and 12.5 you should be ok.
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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11. March 2009 @ 14:17 |
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Do you mean +12V or -12V?
Either way, I think I am not fine.
+12V: keeps moving from .77V to 2.5V
-12V: around -16.8V
Is this normal?
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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11. March 2009 @ 14:19 |
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It means your board's sensor isn't supported by the program then, the voltage isn't that value or your system wouldn't work at all, try Everest.
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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11. March 2009 @ 14:26 |
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I installed everest. Are you sure this program is legitimate? I have 10 different icons on my taskbar now for some reason...
Also, I went into Everest, under Computer, I went into sensor. But under 12V it reads 'TRIAL VERSION'
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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11. March 2009 @ 14:29 |
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Ah, I wasn't sure if the 12V was one of the things they let you see in the trial version or not.
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Kenny536
Junior Member
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11. March 2009 @ 14:33 |
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Okay, do you know any other temperature sensor programs or should I look for one myself?
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