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The Official PC building thread - 4th Edition
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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22. September 2012 @ 22:01 |
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Yah, I pretty much new my old processor would have to go back in. Done. Apparently it IS BIOS vers. F2. I've never updated a bios from flash or internet before. Only floppy. Wish me luck LOL! :S
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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22. September 2012 @ 22:27 |
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Pretty painless. I updated from file, it finished in about 30 sec. F3 bios is in, and now the 1090t will finally make its debut LOL!!!
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Senior Member
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22. September 2012 @ 23:29 |
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Good job!
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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22. September 2012 @ 23:31 |
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Eh, it was nothing LOL! I seem to have a new fan noise though :S
Nice to see 6 cores running in task manager xD
Forgot the stock voltage was so high! It almost scared me! LOL! I don't think I'll overclock this one much. Probably only 3.7Ghz, just like the 965.
To delete, or not to delete. THAT is the question! This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 22. September 2012 @ 23:33
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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23. September 2012 @ 01:03 |
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3.8Ghz seems to be stable via Prime95. X264 will be the true test though. As some of you know, there is no other test that equals it. Per core performance seems to be VERY close via Super pi. Though the 965 was only at 3.7Ghz. My guess is the Ram or northbridge isn't at the right settings. Though I think they're exactly where they used to be.
CPU never exceeded 41C in nearly 20 min. Northbridge however reached 54C. I really don't like that... The CPU temp dropped VERY fast when I stopped the torture test. The northbridge dropped fairly quickly, but I'd really like to do something for the northbridge.
Clearly the Xigmatek Mega Killer is better than I imagined. I'm getting better temps than I ever did on the 965.
To delete, or not to delete. THAT is the question! |
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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23. September 2012 @ 06:36 |
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Yeah you have to be careful of auto volts, especially with Gigabyte boards. I forget which one it was, but one of my Gigabyte boards on auto voltage put my Q9550 at 1.6V if I even overclocked it as little as 100mhz. Needless to say that got removed immediately - I couldn't figure out why the CPU suddenly idled at 65ºC!
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Senior Member
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23. September 2012 @ 09:13 |
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Originally posted by omegaman7:
3.8Ghz seems to be stable via Prime95. X264 will be the true test though. As some of you know, there is no other test that equals it. Per core performance seems to be VERY close via Super pi. .
I will admit to liking the way the usage meters bounce using 8 cores when i run x264 with Handbrake. I lately have been encoding while also using CPU cycles for BOINC and the SETI project. The i7 950 doesnt break a sweat but i don't OC it anymore either.
When new, i tested to see what i could get away with using stock cooling and i found out not much. At stock speeds, it got hotter than i was comfortable with encoding with 8 cores, let alone an OC. Now i have better cooling, and am not afraid to make it do 8 cores full for hours so i don't care to push it further being this machine does all my encoding, and serves media to 4-5 devices in house, and acts as a DAW for mixing electronic drums, and runs the VM's i use for a networking/operations management classes i'm taking, etc. so on and on...
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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23. September 2012 @ 09:32 |
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Yeah 130W CPUs like the i7 950 don't overclock far on stock cooling needless to say :)
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23. September 2012 @ 09:58 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
Yeah 130W CPUs like the i7 950 don't overclock far on stock cooling needless to say :)
Absolutely. But the scientific process, with proper testing methods and all, call for a before and after test. That and i thought i had an extra cooler, remembered after the fact i sold it to a friend, and had nothing extra when i built the machine. I didn't wait for replacements, and built using the stock cooler, then was too lazy to change it until i really needed to.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 23. September 2012 @ 10:56
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Senior Member
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23. September 2012 @ 10:59 |
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Originally posted by omegaman7:
3.8Ghz seems to be stable via Prime95. X264 will be the true test though.
Another good test is Angry Birds believe it or not. I've run Prime on an OC'd rig and it pass with flying colors then to run the original Angry Birds just to have her crash. You, (I), wouldn't think that game would be intensive enough to make a difference but it does and unlike Prime it only takes a few seconds before you know.
I definitely want to move up to a 8 or 12 core and will soon.
Way to go Kev,
Stevo
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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23. September 2012 @ 12:08 |
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LOL! I've had Prime 95 pass, and X264, only to have Dvd Rebuilder have a problem. As well as a program which won't be named. It wasn't the northbridge, and it wasn't the CPU though. Stupid Memory problem. Which thankfully I remembered when setting it this time ;)
To delete, or not to delete. THAT is the question! |
AfterDawn Addict
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23. September 2012 @ 14:08 |
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Originally posted by omegaman7:
3.8Ghz seems to be stable via Prime95. X264 will be the true test though. As some of you know, there is no other test that equals it. Per core performance seems to be VERY close via Super pi. Though the 965 was only at 3.7Ghz. My guess is the Ram or northbridge isn't at the right settings. Though I think they're exactly where they used to be.
CPU never exceeded 41C in nearly 20 min. Northbridge however reached 54C. I really don't like that... The CPU temp dropped VERY fast when I stopped the torture test. The northbridge dropped fairly quickly, but I'd really like to do something for the northbridge.
Clearly the Xigmatek Mega Killer is better than I imagined. I'm getting better temps than I ever did on the 965.
Oman7,
I would bet the farm that the 54C is the CPU temp, not the Northbridge. For one, 54C is just about right temp to be seeing for the CPU, as would be the 41C for the Northbridge. A lot of 700 series boards had difficulty getting the temps right between the CPU & the NB. If you are going to spend the money on a 1090t, spend the money for one of these motherboards that are on sale for $123.88!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128514
2X 16X SLI slots, with your two Dual video cards, awesome!
Check out this case! Tell me what you think!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a...720120923094635
Best Regards,
Russ
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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23. September 2012 @ 14:16 |
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I thought that first too when I read his post Russ, but the fact that the CPU temp drops instantly when the load is removed suggests otherwise - temperatures change far more slowly for the northbridge than the CPU. I'd try and check that, as that is a very common issue. It's not just an AMD 700 series issue - SpeedFan reads the temps the wrong way round on my P55 board as well, the CPU is Temp3.
Cases will always be a personal thing, but Corsair do certainly make very nice ones. By the looks of it you've finally found one that's also reasonably priced.
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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23. September 2012 @ 14:50 |
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I'm not big on mid tower cases, but that one seems agreeable.
I've been under the impression, that my build of Everest gets the NB/CPU temps backward. Given the Mainboard/NB temp drops rapidly after stopping stress test, and there's no advanced cooling on the NB, I'm forced to believe they are in fact backwards.
In any case, I'm not too concerned at the current Overclock. 54C is still within tolerance. When encoding, I'll be sure the exhaust is set higher than usual. It does seem to help. I have 3 fans exhausting. 2 on the Mega killer, and the actual exhaust fan. All three are ran through the Scythe fan controller :) I carefully set their RPM's so that the exhaust is able to keep up with the pre exhaust fans ;)
The bios seems to confirm my beliefs. The System temperature is always higher than the CPU :p
To delete, or not to delete. THAT is the question! This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 23. September 2012 @ 14:55
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Senior Member
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23. September 2012 @ 14:56 |
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Nice case but too expensive considering there is no PS with it for that price!
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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23. September 2012 @ 15:25 |
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Why would you ever use a PSU that came free with a case?
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Senior Member
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23. September 2012 @ 16:05 |
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First off I have and have had great luck even with cheap crap PSU's. But on good cases I've had really good supplies with them. However my point that you entirely missed was for that price you should at least get a cheap supply with it, if not a decent one, whether you use it or not. I like them for backups or to use as replacement supplies for people with web machines or less requirements, they do have their uses.
It doesn't cost much to make a PC case these days and it certainly is a waste to spend big bucks on one but then to me the case really isn't important if it meets certain functional requirements. Don't get me wrong I like a nice looking case but that is far from what is really important. I don't pay more than $60 for a PC case, a server case is another story like the one you got.
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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23. September 2012 @ 17:51 |
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I spent roughly 150USD on my HAF932. It will serve my PC upgrades for many years to come. One, I have a thing for large cases. Two, there aren't many cases that can beat it for air flow.
I do understand wanting a spare PSU. Some though are so bad, I wouldn't trust to power a light bulb, much less PC equipment. Imagine if the PSU blew so bad, it took all the hard drives with it. No thanks :p If you've had good luck with them, more power to you. I on the other hand have had bad luck with Cheap PSU's... Seasonic, and Corsair are my most trusted. I also bought a die hard Thermaltake 430W which doesn't wanna quit LOL! Only 60% efficiency... I suppose it isn't powering a whole lot though. Some 2001 machine which shouldn't be drawing more than 200W.
To delete, or not to delete. THAT is the question! |
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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23. September 2012 @ 18:02 |
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Having toasted some hard disks off a cheap PSU (very common too, not like I got unlucky), I steer well clear of them. Also, $100 is cheap for a decent case like that. Proper high quality cases are $150-$200, sometimes more, and enterprise-grade server cases are $400-$1000, so $100 for a case isn't much, especially when it's fairly solid and highly specified like that one is. I wholeheartedly agree cases are overpriced for what they are, horrendously so, but if you've got to spend to get something good then so be it.
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Senior Member
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23. September 2012 @ 19:03 |
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I've NEVER toasted HDD's from poor supplies and I've had some expensive poor supplies. Also I've built ten's of thousands of PC's and servers. I've had supplies completely melt down too. The only times I've screwed up a HDD in a case is when I've pulled a Kevin and connected/disconnected the power with the system live, not the PS's fault there and you only do that once. Sorry Kev that was shameful and I did it before you did so I actually pulled a Steve! LOL
I've bought cases like that for $40 to $60 bucks and even got supplies with them. I have yet to pay more than $70 for a case and will not as they really isn't much difference between a $200 case verses a $70 dollar one with exception to windows and nonsense I certainly don't need. I can have great airflow in a $40 case and have all the HDD space I need however sometimes the thickness of metal is an issue of the really cheap cases, you wouldn't want to carry them around much loaded up.
You are right though Sam that for $100 this case is much better then cases I've seen for twice as much, if that truly is what you are getting at. I could see ,myself buying this case even though I think it's high but I bet I can find something similar that is $60-$70 instead of $100. Maybe not with 3 nice fans setup the way they are here but something I could work into a suitable fashion.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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23. September 2012 @ 19:09 |
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Oh of course, there's a lot more to it than just paying more to get something better, I've seen my fair share (although only owned one, luckily) of high-end PSUs that were suspect. In my case, everything on the 5V rail got a fair toasting in the system (so I'm guessing the 12V rail shorted to it) which is very common for cheap PSUs once they're run beyond about 40% load.
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Member
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24. September 2012 @ 09:20 |
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I don't like spending more than around $60-70 on a case, but I wouldn't go for a PSU that isn't from a high-quality brand such as Antec, Corsair, Seasonic, and XFX and I've also heard good things about PCP&P and Enermax.
With cases, Several great models show up in the $30-70 range. The Rosewill REDBONE U3, the Apex Vortex 3620, and the Cooler Master HAF 912 are excellent examples of very good yet cheap cases. Sure, if you spend a lot more money, you can get a somewhat better case, but will it really be worth four to ten times more than what these cases can cost?
At least with consumer, not server cases, chances are that the answer is generally no. There are some cases that may be extremely good, but most really aren't worth that much and even when they are, you don't need to spend that much on a case unless you specifically have a need such as needing to be able to fit sixteen to forty hard drives or something similarly extreme.
Even with PSUs, high quality brands don't need to be expensive. Look around for deals; 430-450 watt models can often be found from great brands such as Antec and the others at the start of this post at around $20-40 and up to even 750W or 850W can often be found for $40-60. Sure, you probably won't find something such as a Gold or Platinum efficiency model and maybe not even modular, but they're at these prices with 80+ and Bronze and even Silver and a few modular models are around at somewhat higher prices for those who care. You don't really need to pay much over $100, if at all, for a 750W-850W Silver or better modular PSU from a reputable brand.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 24. September 2012 @ 09:23
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AfterDawn Addict
15 product reviews
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24. September 2012 @ 09:28 |
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Gigabyte also makes quite good PSUs though limited in availability.
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T 4GHz(20 x 200) 1.5v 3000NB 2000HT, Corsair Hydro H110 w/ 4 x 140mm 1500RPM fans Push/Pull, Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5, 8GB(2 x 4GB) G.Skill RipJaws DDR3-1600 @ 1600MHz CL9 1.55v, Gigabyte GTX760 OC 4GB(1170/1700), Corsair 750HX
Detailed PC Specs: http://my.afterdawn.com/estuansis/blog_entry.cfm/11388 |
AfterDawn Addict
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24. September 2012 @ 11:27 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
Having toasted some hard disks off a cheap PSU (very common too, not like I got unlucky), I steer well clear of them. Also, $100 is cheap for a decent case like that. Proper high quality cases are $150-$200, sometimes more, and enterprise-grade server cases are $400-$1000, so $100 for a case isn't much, especially when it's fairly solid and highly specified like that one is. I wholeheartedly agree cases are overpriced for what they are, horrendously so, but if you've got to spend to get something good then so be it.
Sam,
After this build, I have to agree I took my time, researched every purchase, and had it all together when I started the build. I just put it together and it's worked fine ever since. Now, I have one more computer to build for my friend Russell. I've never completely built him a new one, so I'm going to start with the Corsair 400R case, Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3, Phenom IIx4 965BE, Corsair CWCH60 Hydro, 8GB GSkill Ripjaws, (2x4GB) Cas 7 1333MHz DDR3, and an Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD Burner. I have the Patriot Pyro 60GB SSD for the boot drive, now that the Intel 120GB SSD is installed in mine, and there is a 250GB WD for storage. I'm also updating my memory to 1600MHz DDR3, Cas 7, and see if it will run stock clocks (7-8-8-24), with my overclock.
The Intel 330 series SSD installed without issue, and is very fast. Much more solidly built than any of the others I've seen. It also weighs a lot more too! It's a well made, very fast drive!
Russ
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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25. September 2012 @ 15:30 |
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Yeah it's a shame Intel switched to Sandforce rather than using their own controllers, but it has brought the continuous transfer speeds way up, and quite interesting, their SSDs still post far lower failure rates than other brands that use the same controllers. It's infuriating as it shows what's possible if other countries paid a blind bit of notice to quality. Fortunately due to the higher importance of what they do and the tolerances involved, the storage industry tend to pay a bit more attention to this than other areas of the PC hardware market, but many SSD brands, particularly OCZ have abandoned it.
Considering how often consumer-grade motherboards and graphics cards in particular fail, it's appalling really.
Considering my PC only has continuous speeds of about 160MB/s read and 35MB/s write, it's still incredibly fast having not been reformatted for a year, loads windows in seconds, and I still have about the fastest loading times for the game that's installed to it of my peers (some of which are other SSD users). Performance isn't really an issue with it apart from one area which is when downloader applications use C: for their temporary storage before writing it elsewhere - then 35MB/s can be a bottleneck when extracting stuff, and I would eventually like a bit more than 40GB, hence eyeing up the 120/180GB 330/520 series drives. Still, apart from that I'm in no pressure to remove it, and I'll certainly reuse it in one of the other machines afterwards, it's a good performing drive.
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