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The Official PC building thread -3rd Edition
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Any Flaming Results in a Temp Ban or Worse. Your Choice!!!
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24. November 2008 @ 20:34 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
I just had an interesting problem crop up with my computer. Because of all the dust here, I usually clean everthing out every couple of months with a small vacuum cleaner hose and blow everything out with compressed air. A couple of days after I cleaned it I noticed my temps being 3 or 4 degrees higher than I expected them to be. I also noticed my Core temps being a lot higher than normal so I decided to pull the AF7-Pro and install one that I have on hand. Usually I wash it in dish detergent and then blow it out with air to get all the little bits of grunge out. This time I had released 3 of the 4 push pins, when I discovered the 4th was already loose. After looking at it I discovered that the locking barbs had broken off on 1 pin! I've never seen that before, ever!

I never have any problems installing them because I'm smart enough to push down on the spring mount to keep the part against the motherboard flush with it, so I'm really puzzled why it broke. We had one pretty good 5.6 earthquake about 6 weeks ago that lasted about 20 seconds, and I'm wondering if that's what broke the barbs off. I know everyone hates those push pins, but I've never seen one break on it's own! Since I have a drawer full of Intel coolers, I just transplanted one from the E4300 cooler, to the FS7-Pro, and it's back in business. My cores are now back down to more normal temps while encoding and everything is working fine again! Weird!

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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24. November 2008 @ 20:57 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Originally posted by bigwill68:
whats goin on peoples? droppin in to say hi drop some factory specs
of the r&r of the centurion 590,Russ your favorite Sandra specs
just getting use to new ride gonna take it easy and see what this puppy
can do..lol all factory level tests..
cpu


memory



Orthos test after 30mins
E8400

Memory
by the way check the temps on alittle stress.lol
sorry russ.. i jump ship on buying gigabyte..but i still
got 1 running ga-p35-ds3r rev 2.0 in my antec case stuck
the ga-ep35c-ds3r rev 2.1 in the box and it's under the bed..

Hey bigwill,
Hint! Scroll the bottom part down on the Processor arithmetic so we can see the CPU speed! LOL!! I'm assuming that it's running stock speed at the moment, judging by the MIPS (Dhrystone) and the memory bandwidth.

I have nothing against BioStar MBs. I just did an AMD upgrade with one, and I loved it! The MB you chose is one of the best you can buy in that price range! I think it even holds some overclocking records, if I remember rightly! I see you have the memory running at 1066, and that's good! Do you plan to overclock it?

Whatever you do, good luck with it!

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


bigwill68
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24. November 2008 @ 21:13 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
my bad Russ..I was in a little in a hurry..lol here you go..
i'm just learning about the board no hurry..i know it's got the record in Oc'ing with this cpu..but''i'm not planning to catch it..lol


hope this shot is better:)

Done out of Here!
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24. November 2008 @ 23:44 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
been playing with this Mushkin mem. this is some good stuff let me tell ya...ddr2 800 (PC6400) stock settings are 4-5-4-11. i have them now running at DDR2 1066 (PC8500) 5-5-5-18 at stock volts 2.1v sure wish i would have gotten these from the jump start of this build..lol










suprising the temps didnt get as high with IBT.guess the paste is doing its job on the lapped coolermaster cooler. thanks buddy ;)

i am truely impressed with this mem. ive done nothing to it other than change the timing to 5-5-5-18. i might have been able to go
5-5-5-12 as the mushkin tech suggested but i didnt wanna push it..lol
i have the straps set at 400mhz with the 2.66d setting
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25. November 2008 @ 00:13 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
cincyrob,
What's with the memory bandwidth? I've got less L2 Cache than you, yet my memory bandwidth is much higher. I'm running 5-5-5-15 @533x2=1066MHz! ???




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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25. November 2008 @ 00:16 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
i was wondering that too Russ. would it have anything to do with me haven utorrent running???? i dont know... ill try again

turned off utorrent and picked up couple hundred points.????


This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 25. November 2008 @ 00:23

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25. November 2008 @ 00:24 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Originally posted by cincyrob:
i was wondering that too Russ. would it have anything to do with me haven utorrent running???? i dont know... ill try again

DUH!!!!! You can't run benchmarks with programs running, other than what's loaded at startup. You can even fluff up the benches a little bit by turning of various running processes!

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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25. November 2008 @ 01:01 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Got to admit a cheapy AMD rig is looking pretty easy to justify with the price of this... AMD 9600 Quad $104.99 delivered from the EGG. ;)

Get one of those 780G mobos (Biostar or ASUS) and some inexpensive RAM and you're off and running. :) some mobos to choose from .... ;)

..gm

edit: just realized that I need to look for the new AMD thread.. sorry people... Off to search for Russ's AMD thread. :P

[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???

This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 25. November 2008 @ 01:14

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25. November 2008 @ 01:30 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Originally posted by greensman:
Got to admit a cheapy AMD rig is looking pretty easy to justify with the price of this... AMD 9600 Quad $104.99 delivered from the EGG. ;)

Get one of those 780G mobos (Biostar or ASUS) and some inexpensive RAM and you're off and running. :) some mobos to choose from .... ;)

..gm

edit: just realized that I need to look for the new AMD thread.. sorry people... Off to search for Russ's AMD thread. :P

GM,
Here it is! http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/719940

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


spamual
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25. November 2008 @ 05:57 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
russ 3 of my white pins on my ACF7P snapped off :(
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25. November 2008 @ 06:59 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Originally posted by spamual:
russ 3 of my white pins on my ACF7P snapped off :(

Shaff,
I've seen them break while trying to install them, but this is the first time I ever saw one just break while not even being moved. The earthquake we experienced about 6 weeks ago might have been the culprit. The whole house was shaking back and forth and I leaped out of bed to keep the console from falling off the desk as it was banging everytime it rocked off one side of it's feet and then back down again!

The install problem is usually caused by not having the surface of the pin pressed flush with the MB! If you try and just push it in with the black knob, it allows the tapered lock pin to slightly spread the lock pins and it will not go in that way! I've never had a problem installing one yet and I've never had one come loose after it was installed. I replaced the whole push pin assembly with one from a Stock Intel cooler I'll never use!

Must be my day for fixing weird problems. After Sam had said that he couldn't get Surround with his S/PDIF, I rearanged my room and moved everything. After that I couldn't get my Sony to find the Optical cable. I fiddled with it till I was frustrated with it all and left it for months with the Coax cable connected. The manual was no help at all! What else is new! LOL!! If they had only included the words "Video must be selected to use the Optical cable", it would have been easy! I mistakenly had DVD selected. Works magnificently now in full Dolby Surround! Crystal clear! I gave it the "Acid Test" and hooked up the keyboards, pedals and 3 swell pedals for my "Virtual" Theater Organ and it kicks A$$! As close to being the sound I get sitting behind the console playing the Real Wurlitzer, as you can get. The software is for the same model I play at the Theater, a Wurlitzer 216. The only appreciable difference is I don't hear the Pneumatics and electro-magnets that work them when I push a pre-set button on the keyboard. The ones on the real Wurlitzer make a bit of noise when I press a button as the tabs click up and down. It's eerie not to hear them clack! LOL!! It doesn't sound the least bit electronic at all! The Dynamic range is awe inspiring! It's hard to believe that I don't have the pipes hidden somewhere in my room! LOL!! Since the number of pipes is approaching 5000, that would be some hiding trick! I wouldn't have room for even one 16' pipe! LOL!! My room isn't that long or wide! Incredibly, with all the pipes loaded into memory, I still have about 70% of my computer's memory available to me.

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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25. November 2008 @ 07:47 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Likewise, I've only broken pins on installation, they don't break by themselves. They do, however, come off by themselves, I found out.



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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25. November 2008 @ 12:20 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Interesting note about P45 boards and games performance. The EP45-DS3R tested against the P5Q-E in games using Radeon HD4850 boards - I never usually check games performance for motherboards because they're usually identical, not so here it seems:

Single cards
Half Life 2 Episode Two: Asus 3% faster at High-res, Gigabyte 3% faster at low-res
World in Conflict: Gigabyte 11% faster at High-res, Gigabyte 5% faster at low-res

Dual cards
Half Life 2 Episode Two: Gigabyte 5% faster at High-res, Gigabyte 3% faster at low-res
World in Conflict: Asus 12% faster at High-res, Asus 2% faster at low-res

long story short, if you want Crossfire, you want a P5Q-E, if you want the best gaming performance with a single card (realistically, you probably do with boards like these), you want the EP45-DS3R. One wonders how cards like the HD4870X2 would turn out in these benchmarks.



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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25. November 2008 @ 15:13 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Ehh, I think the Gigabyte would do better with the 4870X2. It's probably having information from 2 different slots cpming in that's messing with the gigabyte.
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25. November 2008 @ 15:31 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
It's all in how the individual MB manufacturers implement the functions of the chipset through the bios. One of the reasons Dual Bios is a handy thing to use for games!

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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25. November 2008 @ 15:49 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Originally posted by sammorris:
Likewise, I've only broken pins on installation, they don't break by themselves. They do, however, come off by themselves, I found out.

These broke off flush with the top side of the MB! How it did that without breaking the black lock pin is beyond me! The AF7-Pro had been installed for over a year without any problems. I thought it just needed cleaning! now it's back to idling at 28C-30C and the core temps are much lower.

One thing's for sure, if I ever throw away all those stock Intel coolers, I'll pull the push pin assemblies out and save them before I do. FYI! To remove them, twist the knob all the way counter clockwise and release it from the back side by gently prying with a jeweler's screwdriver on the little black lock tab. It comes right out. It won't come apart in any position but this as the little stop has to fit through the black outside part. The rest is self explanatory and they just snap back together again!

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


Chui2k8
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25. November 2008 @ 23:58 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
I plan on doing my first build in January, and I'm having trouble deciding which CPU I need. My current computer is a six year old Dell, and I'm afraid that the problems I have with it due to its age have left me with the mindset that I need more power than I really do. I don't play intense games or anything, but I'm a big multi-tasker. My Dell is so old, if I try to play music in Windows Media Player and run Firefox at the same time, Media Player skips. I surf the web, IM, watch videos, play music, do a lot of word processing, and play around with Photoshop a bit. I usually do at least 2-3 of these things at the same time. Any CPU recommendations?
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26. November 2008 @ 01:04 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Chui I'm betting that you need to build a new computer altogether. ;) A new cpu in that rig won't benefit you enough to make a difference. :O If you could post your exact model # we could prolly make a determination on the statement I just made. lol.

We've been discussing inexpensive builds here and on the AMD thread. Russ and I put one (separately) together earlier on the AMD thread that was under $350 easily for a good little dual core system. :) It can be done with an Intel as well. :)

Just name your needs and let us have some fun picking parts. :)

...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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26. November 2008 @ 02:14 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Originally posted by Chui2k8:
I plan on doing my first build in January, and I'm having trouble deciding which CPU I need. My current computer is a six year old Dell, and I'm afraid that the problems I have with it due to its age have left me with the mindset that I need more power than I really do. I don't play intense games or anything, but I'm a big multi-tasker. My Dell is so old, if I try to play music in Windows Media Player and run Firefox at the same time, Media Player skips. I surf the web, IM, watch videos, play music, do a lot of word processing, and play around with Photoshop a bit. I usually do at least 2-3 of these things at the same time. Any CPU recommendations?

Chui2k8,
We need a bit more information about your computer in order to make suggestions. If it's 6 years old, I doubt if anything you can do short of adding more memory would be worth the effort. Chances are good that it's either a Dimension or an Optiplex followed by a model number!

We need to know the following:Dell Model, usually on the front around the power button, not the numbers on the back! The Service Tag number would be the best as that information will tell us how it was configured when it left the factory. What CPU and speed it has. Memory size and speed, you can get that info from the setup. Being 6 years old it's probably PC-100 or PC-133.

Welcome to AD,
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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26. November 2008 @ 02:59 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Chui2k8

Just based on the type of applications and multitasking that you say that you do I'm going to recommend a quad core and a fair chunk of RAM. From what you've told us so far I don't think that you need a processor with a high clock speed so a lower to mid range quad should be enough. In fact it doesn't even have to be Intel although over all Intel's have more gas.


On the low end of processors you could easily get away with an AMD pheonom 9600 Agena Black edition for $105 at Newegg. It has an ulocked clock multiplier which would allow for some minor overclocking to increase it's power to that of the next version above it. This is an important decision since it will guide you to your next choices.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103244

If you're looking to stay with Intel then you can move up in price to $179 for a Q6600.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017


These two choices merely set a baseline based on what you've told us so far. If you have other intended uses and an operating budget it would be helpful if you would mention what they are. Gaming does have it's expenses since it requires some considerable portion of your budget going into a graphics card, but even not being a gamer there are other areas that can also point to increased costs such as encoding.

"Please Read!!! Post your questions only in This Thread or they will go unanswered:

Help with development of BD RB: Donations at: http://www.jdobbs.com/
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rick5446
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26. November 2008 @ 03:11 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Chui2k8.. You've probably got all the addons DVDRW, 3.5Drive Small HDD & Room for one more HDD
My first build I used my old E-Machine cabinet. Just replaced The PSU, MotherBoard, CPU, Memory, 1 500gig HDD
So just with these items you could probably end up with an impressive unit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153023
($20.99 after $15.00 Mail-In
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145177
($9.99 after $40.00 Mail-In Rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128360
$79.99 + about $8.00 shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136073
$59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103299
$49.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185125
CPU Cooler $26.99
TOTAL $242.00 ...THIS SHOULD BE QUITE Adequate
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26. November 2008 @ 08:26 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
rick nothing wrong with the suggestions you posted you just have to take into consideration that Dell "cabinets" are custom and might not except the mobo, psu, or cooler. ;) I actually like the suggestions for the build and am/are considering them myself. :)

....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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26. November 2008 @ 08:32 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Rick

All decent suggestions but I would still recommend the quad core over the dual core, especially since we are discussing the 9600 Black edition for only $105 dollars. It has an unlocked multiplier which would allow even a novice to quickly up it to a more expensive $180 9850. It requires just two minor setting changes to make them identical in all respects.

"Please Read!!! Post your questions only in This Thread or they will go unanswered:

Help with development of BD RB: Donations at: http://www.jdobbs.com/
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This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 26. November 2008 @ 09:44

Chui2k8
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26. November 2008 @ 09:19 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Originally posted by theonejrs:
Originally posted by Chui2k8:
I plan on doing my first build in January, and I'm having trouble deciding which CPU I need. My current computer is a six year old Dell, and I'm afraid that the problems I have with it due to its age have left me with the mindset that I need more power than I really do. I don't play intense games or anything, but I'm a big multi-tasker. My Dell is so old, if I try to play music in Windows Media Player and run Firefox at the same time, Media Player skips. I surf the web, IM, watch videos, play music, do a lot of word processing, and play around with Photoshop a bit. I usually do at least 2-3 of these things at the same time. Any CPU recommendations?

Chui2k8,
We need a bit more information about your computer in order to make suggestions. If it's 6 years old, I doubt if anything you can do short of adding more memory would be worth the effort. Chances are good that it's either a Dimension or an Optiplex followed by a model number!

We need to know the following:Dell Model, usually on the front around the power button, not the numbers on the back! The Service Tag number would be the best as that information will tell us how it was configured when it left the factory. What CPU and speed it has. Memory size and speed, you can get that info from the setup. Being 6 years old it's probably PC-100 or PC-133.

Welcome to AD,
Russ
It's a Dimension 2300. Service tag is FTT9021. CPU is Pentium 4 2.0 GHz. According to Newegg's memory configuration tool the memory is PC-133 (Computer came with 512 MB, I upgraded to 1 GB a while back and it didn't make any noticeable difference).

I'm not concerned at all with upgrading it. I want to build a new one from scratch. When I'm done I'm just going to let my mom have this one, since all she does it check her email and order stuff from QVC.

Originally posted by Sophocles:
These two choices merely set a baseline based on what you've told us so far. If you have other intended uses and an operating budget it would be helpful if you would mention what they are. Gaming does have it's expenses since it requires some considerable portion of your budget going into a graphics card, but even not being a gamer there are other areas that can also point to increased costs such as encoding.
Other than what I posted earlier, it's possible that I might do some video encoding. I'll probably upgrade to a Blu-ray drive later on when the technology gets more affordable. I'm an IT and Networking student, so I use some network simulators, and if I had the power I'd run some virtualization software to try to learn about other operating systems and things.

If it helps, I'll probably have in the neighborhood on $1000 to buy the components and an OS. I've got a general idea of what I want. I definitely have to have a DVD burner and plenty of HD space. I was going to get a 1TB HD but I decided to go with dual 500 GB HDs instead to eliminate the single point of failure.

Anything else specific you guys need to know?
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26. November 2008 @ 10:25 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
That's a long time ago, I'm going to guess at 2002 for build date. You may find it hard getting hold of replacement bits for that system for cheap.



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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