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The (new) Official PC building thread!
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6. February 2008 @ 14:23 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
No idea - but thats what he linked to.
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6. February 2008 @ 14:38 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
greensman,
Quote:
I'll be honest here I don't think you'll see that much difference between IDE and SATA when it comes to DVDRW drives. jm2c... good luck...


There is no real difference. Optical drives are slow, and I doubt very seriously if, given the technology and short of a major breakthrough, if there ever will be! At the rate of development with 1x coming out in the mid 80s and 20x now, We'll all be gone and it still won't really change much. I think they just want to do away with the IDE interface and standardize it all to Sata. The tiny advantage Sata optical drives have is no ribbon cable, and that's easily fixed by round IDE cables like I use in mine! If I remember rightly, the Intel chipset can only handle 6 Intel Sata ports anyway! I know I would use the 2 GigaByte ports (Purple) for opticals and leave the Intels for other things if I was to use Sata for them!

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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6. February 2008 @ 14:39 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
IDE cables are so... messy. I just don't like them, especially their big plugs.

I think one standard is a good thing.
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6. February 2008 @ 14:52 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Sam this ones for you:-

XMS2 CAS4 @ £36.41

Think I might be getting this rather than the OCZ at that price.

Thought Id look before posting and they also have the OCZ down to just £30.54
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6. February 2008 @ 15:05 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
abuzar1,
Quote:
IDE cables are so... messy. I just don't like them, especially their big plugs.

Actually the round cables are much neater looking, and are absolutely impossible to put in backwards, and they can't be accidentally unplugged very easy. Not so with the Sata. The little "L" notch in the power plug breaks very easily if you are not careful! Too easily. I see it all the time, and of course it ruins the drive! Why the hell they put such a flimsy power plug for Sata is beyond me! Good for my business though! LOL!!
Quote:
I think one standard is a good thing.

Yes and no! How much is it going to cost to get beyond the chipset's 6 port limit? Raid on the hard drives and 3 or 4 optical drives, and you'll have to add an external PCI Sata controller card, without the IDE interface! IDE still has it's place and the need is still there for it! If there was some performance advantage, I would agree. But for optical drives there's not!

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


This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 6. February 2008 @ 15:08

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6. February 2008 @ 15:41 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Greg: Not sure what I got, the graphics test numbers seem almost identical, but unsurprisingly the CPU test scores are double mine.

Greensman: Until I sell one of my 3870s I sit in £250 of debt. Made of money? Pff, if only...
I haven't bought the drive yet, so I'm still open to options, if IDE sits me far cheaper it's what I'll go with. It would be nice to have the option to use this drive inside a PC at one stage and not have to deal with IDE to do so. I'm trying for a S-ATA and USB only infrastructure hehe...
As for S-ATA cables I think they're a godsend versus IDE. The hotswappability of them far outweighs the connection security (I've yet to find that a problem, ever) in terms of their usefulness. Rounded cables are all well and good, but the cable is still many times the diameter...

On the graphics card front, I'm going to try reformatting as soon as I can get an ISO burned (no CD burner at the moment you see). Once I've done that I'll try a new install on a different hard disk, probably using Catalyst straight off (I like the extra features it has over the omega drivers). If I still get crap, I'm getting an 8800. If I don't, who knows the 3870 might have a future yet.



Afterdawn Addict // Silent PC enthusiast // PC Build advisor // LANGamer Alias:Ratmanscoop
PC Specs page -- http://my.afterdawn.com/sammorris/blog_entry.cfm/11247
updated 10-Dec-13
GregI6
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6. February 2008 @ 16:35 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
3870X2 down to £276

http://overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-091-HT

Last week it started at £300...............


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6. February 2008 @ 17:01 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Originally posted by Pepp77:
Sam this ones for you:-

XMS2 CAS4 @ £36.41

Think I might be getting this rather than the OCZ at that price.

Thought Id look before posting and they also have the OCZ down to just £30.54
Pepp don't be like sam. lol. BE different and get the OCZ memory. It's good memory and if it's compatible with your mobo then you're golden. :D They're not bad modules, you know that right??

@sammy,
The only reason I could see to get a SATA enclosure is for swapping out a HDD drive later on. I think SATA HDD's are a Godsend and won't go another way if I'm buying NEW ones. lol. Funny thing is I just purchased an IDE HDD enclosure because I have 2-3 HDD's laying around that need some use. ;) A 160 and a 300 to be exact. I'll use the smaller HDD's for OS's and the larger ones for storage... I'm getting way to deep into this. lol.

@all in the states,
I may have a FORCED garage sale soon, so be ready for some good deals. lol. NOT really but the wifey would appreciate it. :D

....gm

[img]quoted from creaky, "I think i need a break away from this thread, you are just talking absolute and utter nonsense now. Im off to ban myself and hit myself repeatedly with blunt objects. And if im still conscious after that im going to install Windows Me."[/img]
PC build thread blank media thread Ultimate DVD Backup resource thread what did binkie7 do to me???
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6. February 2008 @ 17:12 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
From all the reviews I have read the OCZ are very good modules, but the Corsairs have gotten excellent reviews all round, one even said they were basically as good as their 8500 counterparts. Plus I like the purple (its my favourite colour :))
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6. February 2008 @ 17:14 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
greeny,

Quote:
Morty just saw your post from 2:39 this morning. lol. Didn't even read the bit about the externals. sorry. ;)
no worries buddy. I was only giving you a hard time anyway. I did however think you might comment on how comparable our weather and environmental conditions are being you live in Amarillo TX (about 230 miles from me) and how similiar it is there compared to here. dry, dusty, windy and the seasonal extremes temperature wise.

Pepp,

you can't go wrong with corsair either.

Rig #1 Asus Rampage Formula Mobo, Intel Core2Quad Q9450 CPU @ 3.55ghz, 2gb Corsair DDR2 1066 Dominator Ram @ 5-5-5-15, TR Ultra 120 Extreme w/ Scythe 9 blade 110 cfm 120mm Fan HSF, HIS Radeon 512mb HD3850 IceQ TurboX GPU, Corsair 620HX P/S, CM Stacker 830 Evo Case, Rig #2 Asus P5W DH Deluxe Mobo, Intel C2D E6600 CPU @ 3.6ghz, 2gb Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800 Ram @ 4-4-4-12-2t, Zalman CNPS9500LED HSF, Sapphire Radeon X850XT PE GPU, Corsair 620HX P/S, Cooler Master Mystique Case, Viewsonic 20.1" Widescreen Digital LCD Monitor, Klipsch Promedia Ultra 5.1 THX Desktop Speakers, http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc.php?id=348351 http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc.php?id=236435

This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 6. February 2008 @ 17:18

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6. February 2008 @ 17:23 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
sammorris,
Quote:
As for S-ATA cables I think they're a godsend versus IDE. The hotswappability of them far outweighs the connection security (I've yet to find that a problem, ever) in terms of their usefulness. Rounded cables are all well and good, but the cable is still many times the diameter...

The hotswapability is a good point, but only for E-Sata, and only if your MB supports it (not all do). The round IDE cables are a hair less than 1/2" and are very easy to make neat if you plan ahead and measure your needs before you buy. The Data cables, while flat are still almost as wide (about 3/8"), very stiff, harder to route and I have accidentally dislodged mine for my hard drive while plugging in a fan. Who ever invented the plug in arrangement, should have been shot! It should have been made more secure, with a deeper plug and not so damn flimsy, especially since the cable is so stiff! It's precisely the stiffness, that makes them so easy to dislodge! Bump against one by accident and no drive until you can sort it out! it doesn't take much force either, just a nudge!

Not all motherboards have 6 Intel's. Your P5N-E only had 4 Sata ports. Our Gigabytes have 6 Intel and 2 GigaBytes. We just had someone here the other day who had 4 or 5 Opticals, so throw in a couple of hard drives and it's pretty easy to run out. With no speed advantage because of the inherent slowness of Optical drives, the IDE interface is like a freebie! Especially since it frees up Sata ports for the use of something that can take advantage of it's speed.

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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6. February 2008 @ 17:25 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Originally posted by Pepp77:
From all the reviews I have read the OCZ are very good modules, but the Corsairs have gotten excellent reviews all round, one even said they were basically as good as their 8500 counterparts. Plus I like the purple (its my favourite colour :))
Oh by all means then get the Corsair. hehehe. Me likes purple too!!

@Morty,
I new you was but I had to apologize to me elder!! :P

Lubbock actually, RED RAIDER here.... sad day yesterday with B. Knight retiring btw... ;)

Oh you guys out there don't know what dusty is!!!! We've already had brownouts this season due to the frikkin blowing dirt/dust/sand or whatever!!! Nasty it is and with 3 kiddies running around stirring it up and the carpet "fuzzies' I have to clean at least every 4 months or so. It's bloody awful for you Brits/UKers. lol. :P

.....gm

[img]quoted from creaky, "I think i need a break away from this thread, you are just talking absolute and utter nonsense now. Im off to ban myself and hit myself repeatedly with blunt objects. And if im still conscious after that im going to install Windows Me."[/img]
PC build thread blank media thread Ultimate DVD Backup resource thread what did binkie7 do to me???
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6. February 2008 @ 17:27 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
TBh, i prefee the FAT flat IDE cables. they EASILY press against the edge of the case and an i can route them like that. just a bit a sticky tape needed. much better then those FAT rounded cables. but sata are better then both



MGR (Micro Gaming Rig) .|. Intel Q6600 @ 3.45GHz .|. Asus P35 P5K-E/WiFi .|. 4GB 1066MHz Geil Black Dragon RAM .|. Samsung F60 SSD .|. Corsair H50-1 Cooler .|. Sapphire 4870 512MB .|. Lian Li PC-A70B .|. Be Queit P7 Dark Power Pro 850W PSU .|. 24" 1920x1200 DGM (MVA Panel) .|. 24" 1920x1080 Dell (TN Panel) .|.
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6. February 2008 @ 17:30 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Originally posted by greensman:
Originally posted by Pepp77:
From all the reviews I have read the OCZ are very good modules, but the Corsairs have gotten excellent reviews all round, one even said they were basically as good as their 8500 counterparts. Plus I like the purple (its my favourite colour :))
Oh by all means then get the Corsair. hehehe. Me likes purple too!!

.....gm
I did 2 and a quarter hours ago lol
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6. February 2008 @ 17:34 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
I have to like purple. it's my teams color. KSU Wildcats. only team to beat the previously undefeated KU Jayhawks. back on topic..........

Shaffaaf,

I can't stand the IDE ribbon cables. I got a box full I'll give ya. only round IDE cables used inside my rigs.

Rig #1 Asus Rampage Formula Mobo, Intel Core2Quad Q9450 CPU @ 3.55ghz, 2gb Corsair DDR2 1066 Dominator Ram @ 5-5-5-15, TR Ultra 120 Extreme w/ Scythe 9 blade 110 cfm 120mm Fan HSF, HIS Radeon 512mb HD3850 IceQ TurboX GPU, Corsair 620HX P/S, CM Stacker 830 Evo Case, Rig #2 Asus P5W DH Deluxe Mobo, Intel C2D E6600 CPU @ 3.6ghz, 2gb Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800 Ram @ 4-4-4-12-2t, Zalman CNPS9500LED HSF, Sapphire Radeon X850XT PE GPU, Corsair 620HX P/S, Cooler Master Mystique Case, Viewsonic 20.1" Widescreen Digital LCD Monitor, Klipsch Promedia Ultra 5.1 THX Desktop Speakers, http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc.php?id=348351 http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc.php?id=236435

This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 6. February 2008 @ 17:37

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6. February 2008 @ 17:45 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
@ Russ - you could try these SATA cables
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6. February 2008 @ 17:45 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
greensman,
Quote:
Oh you guys out there don't know what dusty is!!!! We've already had brownouts this season due to the frikkin blowing dirt/dust/sand or whatever!!! Nasty it is and with 3 kiddies running around stirring it up and the carpet "fuzzies' I have to clean at least every 4 months or so.

I've seen dust storms standing up on a Butte in Montana that close the highways. You can see them coming from 15-20 miles away on the interstate! LOL!! If I waited 4 months to clean up the fuzzies around here, you wouldn't be able to open the door! We don't have "dust bunnies", we have dust bunny herds! Left un-attended you get about an inch a month! LOL!! The dust itself is like fine silt and gets into everything!

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


GregI6
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6. February 2008 @ 18:12 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Out of interest, can you buy retractable(like you could wheel it up like a power extension cable) sata cables?


This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 6. February 2008 @ 18:13

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6. February 2008 @ 18:24 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
GreGI6: To be honest, I couldn't care less about the HD3870X2, especially after reading the THG benchmark on it. So what, it's cheaper than an 8800 Ultra and about as fast. What about an 8800GTX you overclock yourself though? Might not be that much cheaper, but it'll be a damn sight more reliable, and probably cheaper to run too, not to mention make half the noise. Even if you discount my issues with the 3870s, you have to admit crossfire is far worse, be it on one PCB or separate cards.

Theone: I hotswap internal SATA drives all the time, never had any issues with doing it so far! I'm well aware of the lack of S-ATA ports on most boards, and for some it makes sense to stick with IDE for opticals. However, I run most of my hard drives in a separate fileserver, and so have plenty to spare from my original six. Not that I would have an internal optical drive when starforce is alround...

Greg: I doubt it, when you bend S-ATA cables the data can't get along the cable properly and you get errors sometimes, they're just not well-made enough for that job. Some proper cable shielding and it'd be doable, but right now, the reliability of S-ATA cables limits them to being rather loosely flattened against things.



Afterdawn Addict // Silent PC enthusiast // PC Build advisor // LANGamer Alias:Ratmanscoop
PC Specs page -- http://my.afterdawn.com/sammorris/blog_entry.cfm/11247
updated 10-Dec-13
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6. February 2008 @ 18:32 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
hows this for a HDD? its not the 32mb cache that i had before only 16mb is that noticable?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148245
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6. February 2008 @ 18:38 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Originally posted by sammorris:
I doubt it, when you bend S-ATA cables the data can't get along the cable properly and you get errors sometimes, they're just not well-made enough for that job. Some proper cable shielding and it'd be doable, but right now, the reliability of S-ATA cables limits them to being rather loosely flattened against things.
Well that scares me. lol. I have the SATA cables bent and stuffed so as to allow more air flow and cable management in my new rig as well as my AMD rig. linky to pic. I can take a pic of my AMD rig too if you like but it's about the same. ;)

....gm

btw Russ when I get that gfx card in I'm gonna switch my extra HDD's from the Gigabyte controller to the Intel controller. It's a PIA to deal with the GB controller if you ask me. ;)

[img]quoted from creaky, "I think i need a break away from this thread, you are just talking absolute and utter nonsense now. Im off to ban myself and hit myself repeatedly with blunt objects. And if im still conscious after that im going to install Windows Me."[/img]
PC build thread blank media thread Ultimate DVD Backup resource thread what did binkie7 do to me???
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6. February 2008 @ 18:39 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Couldn't say myself, I haven't owned a 32MB Cache drive. My 16MB cache drives are faster than my 8MB versions, but then the 16s are two years newer, so that may be the reason, not just the cache, and even then the difference is about 10%. The drive you've chosen is out of stock though, so you'll have to pick something else anyway. I wouldn't lose sleep over not having a 32MB Cache, but if it's not much more money, why not go for it?



Afterdawn Addict // Silent PC enthusiast // PC Build advisor // LANGamer Alias:Ratmanscoop
PC Specs page -- http://my.afterdawn.com/sammorris/blog_entry.cfm/11247
updated 10-Dec-13
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6. February 2008 @ 18:40 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Originally posted by cincyrob:
hows this for a HDD? its not the 32mb cache that i had before only 16mb is that noticable?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...2148245


Rob 16Mb is fine. ;) Look at this one. It has free shipping and it's in stock. lol.

....gm

[img]quoted from creaky, "I think i need a break away from this thread, you are just talking absolute and utter nonsense now. Im off to ban myself and hit myself repeatedly with blunt objects. And if im still conscious after that im going to install Windows Me."[/img]
PC build thread blank media thread Ultimate DVD Backup resource thread what did binkie7 do to me???
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6. February 2008 @ 19:06 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
i just droped down to the 250gb instead of the 500gb. i dont want that big of a HDD for my OS anyway. so in a few months i will get the 500gb or a 750gb

the reasoning on my change other than the OS, is Russ convinced me to go with that GPU he linked me to.lmao

plus i changed the MOBO to==GA-EP35-DS3R only $126.99 instead of $159.

but now my CPU is out of stock. which might be a blessing seeing they raised the price $20 from when i first put it on my list. i think microcenter has it still for the $219 instead of $239 at the EGG.

@Mort81
you wouldnt take a mans first build would ya????lol

thanks for the compliments guys. just hope it works once i get it all together..lol
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6. February 2008 @ 19:08 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Best of luck mate, you know where to come if you have problems... :)



Afterdawn Addict // Silent PC enthusiast // PC Build advisor // LANGamer Alias:Ratmanscoop
PC Specs page -- http://my.afterdawn.com/sammorris/blog_entry.cfm/11247
updated 10-Dec-13
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