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Help on building a media PC
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incubud
Newbie
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15. November 2010 @ 18:13 |
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Ok, i have been out of the loop for several years on the advancement of computer technology so i need some help being pointed in the best/cheapest direction.
I was recently given six 2gb ddr2 memory sticks, and two 4gb ddr3's (i think, after doing some research i found that they are meant for servers and thus are slower so im unsure if using 2 of those would be better than using 3 or more of the 2gb's, or if the server memory will even work properly)
Also i have 2 sata hard drives, so it will need to support those
My question is can i get a motherboard with 4-6 ddr2 memory slots, or if the server memory would work just fine then one with ddr3 capability and have the motherboard have HDMI built in and support all the things ive listed above?
Thanks,
-Ethan
p.s. Also, can i use my old power supply and DVD-ROM with a newer motherboard?
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 15. November 2010 @ 18:31
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incubud
Newbie
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15. November 2010 @ 18:30 |
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p.p.s. I would also like it to have as many usb solts as possible, and have good on board graphics. Also if it comes with a processor...even better. Im looking to have all of this on board so when i reformat i dont have to worry about finding all the drivers as that has been a problem in the past (i move a lot)
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 15. November 2010 @ 18:33
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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17. November 2010 @ 13:03 |
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All memory modules are not equal, detailed specs of the memory would be nice so we can tell if it's actually useful.
All boards support all variants of S-ATA, so that's no issue.
Really need to know what the PC is for before proceeding, and how much you're willing to spend.
You can get boards with 6 DDR3 slots, but they're either top-end boards, or they're for the Core i7 900 series, which are not cheap CPUs. Very powerful and great if you need lots of CPU power, but a waste of money if you don't.
Boards with 6 DDR2 slots are basically non-existant, you will only get 4.
However, if you actually need more than 8GB of RAM (assuming your DDR2 sticks are 2GB each) you're running a very high-end system, so see earlier comment about the i7 CPUs.
Is the system playing games at all? If not, a high end graphics card is not required, and that will reduce required power.
What brand and wattage is the existing PSU?
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incubud
Newbie
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17. November 2010 @ 16:59 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
All memory modules are not equal, detailed specs of the memory would be nice so we can tell if it's actually useful.
All boards support all variants of S-ATA, so that's no issue.
Really need to know what the PC is for before proceeding, and how much you're willing to spend.
You can get boards with 6 DDR3 slots, but they're either top-end boards, or they're for the Core i7 900 series, which are not cheap CPUs. Very powerful and great if you need lots of CPU power, but a waste of money if you don't.
Boards with 6 DDR2 slots are basically non-existant, you will only get 4.
However, if you actually need more than 8GB of RAM (assuming your DDR2 sticks are 2GB each) you're running a very high-end system, so see earlier comment about the i7 CPUs.
Is the system playing games at all? If not, a high end graphics card is not required, and that will reduce required power.
What brand and wattage is the existing PSU?
The DDR3 memory sticks read as follows:
Hynix
4GB 2rx4 PC3-10600R-9-10-E1
HMT151R7BFR4C-H9 D7 AA-C 1011
and the DDR2:
2GB 2rx4 PC2-5300F-555-11-H0
2GB, DDR2, 667, CL5, ECC
and there is one that reads:
2GB 2rx4 PC2-5300F-555-11-H0
2GB, FBD, DDR2-667, CL5, ROHS
and the power supply is a Thermaltake 430 Watt Model: XP550NP
BUT the more i think about it, i think ill just buy a new power supply and keep this old PC mostly intact so i can use it in the basement seeing how i have new hard drives now anyway
All i want this computer to do is play HD video mostly, and run very fast. I tend to leave a torrent program running all time with 3-5 torrents going, and have 1-2 browsers open with several tabs open in each.
If i can get a motherboard with 4 slots of DDR2 im assuming that would be good enough since i would have 8gb of memory correct? Then again if those DDR3's will work then id like a motherboard with 4 slots of DDR3, and everything else i listed in my first post.
Also the only reason i mentioned my SATA hard drives is because my old motherboard doesnt support them as far as i know
Sorry if i left anything out, or am not understanding completely. Im not up to date with things, and was never supremely great with building PC's in the first place so thanks for your patients and understanding.
One last thing, my biggest need for this motherboard is to have all the things that will require drivers to be onboard so i only have to have the one driver disk when i reformat.
Thanks again,
-Ethan
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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17. November 2010 @ 20:46 |
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Yeah the Tt PSU would probably be OK, but I'm not a great fan of the early Tt units, as they were quite cheaply made PSUs.
The ECC memory will be from a server. I'd probably recommend not using it at the same time as the other set of DDR2, as they may not play nice with each other, despite being the same speed.
4GB of RAM is all I currently have and it's ample for me. uTorrent uses relatively little memory (less than 100MB the majority of the time) in windows, though I no longer run torrents from my local PC. I use chrome, a relatively memory-heavy browser and I can sometimes have as many as 70 tabs open for various reasons, and still I very rarely even reach 3GB used. HD Video doesn't require much memory either. To be honest, 4GB will be fine for you.
If you use Windows 7, it can install basic functionality drivers required for you to get online (at least it can if you use a networked modem/router. If you use a USB modem or a wireless card/dongle that will need its own driver, but may/may not also be detected automatically), and once you're online windows can install all the drivers you may need over the internet, I haven't used a physical driver CD in at least a year now, despite having reinstalled windows in multiple PCs.
For a good basic PSU that isn't too expensive, I'd say go for a Corsair CX 430W unit. They're pretty solid, and at low loads, pretty quiet.
For the rest of the system it's a bit of a tricky one really, as DDR2 is very much an old fashioned technology now, all new systems typically use DDR3 instead.
The good news is the DDR3 memory you've posted appears to be 1.5V so should work fine with a Core i3 or i5 based system, the current up to date high performance technology.
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incubud
Newbie
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17. November 2010 @ 21:57 |
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So the 4gb memory sticks for servers are ddr3? And if so can i use two of them and get just as good of results in performance? And if the answer to that is yes, then could you point me in the direction of a cheap motherboard that has all the things i listed above?
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 17. November 2010 @ 22:04
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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17. November 2010 @ 22:14 |
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incubud
Newbie
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18. November 2010 @ 00:47 |
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This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 18. November 2010 @ 01:14
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AfterDawn Addict
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18. November 2010 @ 01:12 |
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We've switched back to the DDR2 now?
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incubud
Newbie
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19. November 2010 @ 19:50 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
We've switched back to the DDR2 now?
It would be a shame not to use all of these 2gb sticks i have
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AfterDawn Addict
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20. November 2010 @ 07:22 |
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Since this is a relatively new revelation, I'll post this here, I'm going back on my recommendation of the Corsair CX 430W PSU, as there have been some problems with the units to the extent I'm not happy recommending them to people any more, so I'm switching to the Antec Earthwatts Green 380W instead.
As for the memory, as I said before, I'm not happy with the idea of using both sets of DDR2 together when one set is ECC, that will probably cause you problems, so you'll only be using two of the sticks anyway.
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incubud
Newbie
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20. November 2010 @ 16:28 |
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Alrighty, now how about a motherboard with all the stuff i listed in my first 2 posts? Also i have 5 ddr2 that are non ECC.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 20. November 2010 @ 16:29
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AfterDawn Addict
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21. November 2010 @ 13:06 |
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As long as they are the same specification and brand. While you can mix memory modules, it's not usually a good idea.
The maximum number of DDR2 sticks you can fit in a board is 4, and that goes for almost any board. What it really comes down to is compatibility with the CPU you're using.
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