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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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Red_Maw
Senior Member
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20. March 2010 @ 00:03 |
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Turns out the RAM wasn't faulty, just wouldn't run stable until I put the voltage up to 1.8v (specification is 1.7-1.8). There might be room to drop it down a bit but I don't want to cause any instability down the line, even though I dislike having it so high. The fact it wasn't working at 1.5v, or even 1.7v, like it should have (according to SPD) bothers me a lot, but I'm not sure it's worth RMA'ing the ram for. Does anyone think I should replace the ram?
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20. March 2010 @ 03:46 |
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Originally posted by Red_Maw:
Turns out the RAM wasn't faulty, just wouldn't run stable until I put the voltage up to 1.8v (specification is 1.7-1.8). There might be room to drop it down a bit but I don't want to cause any instability down the line, even though I dislike having it so high. The fact it wasn't working at 1.5v, or even 1.7v, like it should have (according to SPD) bothers me a lot, but I'm not sure it's worth RMA'ing the ram for.
I don't understand why you would be against running the RAM at its manufacturer recommended voltage? RMA'ing ram sticks because they won't undervolt would be like a return because my CPU wont overclock or my PSU wont pump out 50W more than its rated...Manufacturer probably won't authorize return for such thing.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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20. March 2010 @ 06:47 |
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Jeff: My point exactly, the ion can handle it as nvidia's IGPs aren't as shockingly bad as Intel's. As expected, the Intel DXVA is so bad you're better off with the CPU...
Rob/Will: I'd be careful about using red cold cathodes. Due to the way they work, the colour they produce is actually pink. We're not talking crazy barbie pink, but pure red like the rest of your case, they ain't. If you want extra lighting, perhaps find some point source LEDs, having different areas of light scattered around rather than one long bar of it can also create a better lighting effect.
Maw: DDR2? I'm amazed you didn't have more grief if you were looking at less than 1.8V. Standard for DDR2 is 1.8, for high-end DDR2, you should be using 1.9-2.1! Don't be afraid to turn the voltage up, you should already have done so!
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Red_Maw
Senior Member
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20. March 2010 @ 13:40 |
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As usual I was too vague, sorry (going make an effort to stop that bad habit). The ram in question is the DDR3 Mushkin for the i3 system. It should work at 9-9-9-24 at 1.5v according to SPD, but even at such loose timings it wasn't stable at 1.7v (although it would pass over an hour of memtest). Moving from 1.7v to 1.8v made it stable, but why it's only [potentially] stable in the 1.7+-1.8 range doesn't seem right to me. Currently it's running 7-7-7-20 at 1.8v and doing fine from the looks of it. Thanks for the help guys.
While I'm talking about the i3 build I might as well mention a few other things that took me by surprise. The HSF overlaps the first two ram slots on the MB so I needed to cut part of the coolers fan enclosure away to get two sticks of ram in. Not really a big deal since I doubt that rig will ever need to upgraded to 4GB's of ram but still surprised to see how tight of a fit the stuff is on a u-ATX board.
I'm a bit disappointed in Gigabyte for only giving me 2 sata cables, especially since the MB had 8 sata ports. Would have had to buy some if my Asus MB hadn't come with a proper amount of sata cables ;)
The case, CM 534+, was probably the one component I was really satisfied with. It looks far better in real life than it does in pictures and finish is quite nice. It's much better then my NZXT and also a lot easier (in some respects) to work with. My only gripe about the case is not all of the holes for the MB are labeled requiring you to guess at the majority of them.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 21. March 2010 @ 16:33
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22. March 2010 @ 17:32 |
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Originally posted by Red_Maw:
As usual I was too vague, sorry (going make an effort to stop that bad habit). The ram in question is the DDR3 Mushkin for the i3 system. It should work at 9-9-9-24 at 1.5v according to SPD, but even at such loose timings it wasn't stable at 1.7v (although it would pass over an hour of memtest). Moving from 1.7v to 1.8v made it stable, but why it's only [potentially] stable in the 1.7+-1.8 range doesn't seem right to me. Currently it's running 7-7-7-20 at 1.8v and doing fine from the looks of it. Thanks for the help guys.
While I'm talking about the i3 build I might as well mention a few other things that took me by surprise. The HSF overlaps the first two ram slots on the MB so I needed to cut part of the coolers fan enclosure away to get two sticks of ram in. Not really a big deal since I doubt that rig will ever need to upgraded to 4GB's of ram but still surprised to see how tight of a fit the stuff is on a u-ATX board.
I'm a bit disappointed in Gigabyte for only giving me 2 sata cables, especially since the MB had 8 sata ports. Would have had to buy some if my Asus MB hadn't come with a proper amount of sata cables ;)
The case, CM 534+, was probably the one component I was really satisfied with. It looks far better in real life than it does in pictures and finish is quite nice. It's much better then my NZXT and also a lot easier (in some respects) to work with. My only gripe about the case is not all of the holes for the MB are labeled requiring you to guess at the majority of them.
Red_Maw,
You must have had an ASUS P7P55 WS motherboard then, because it's the only Asus Intel MB that comes with 6 Sata cables that I could find. most of the highest priced motherboards from Asus come with 3 Sata cables, and the vast majority from pretty much all the manufacturers, come with only 2 Sata cables. As far as the holes in the case for mounting the motherboard standoffs go, you are kidding, right? I can't ever remember in over 20 years of building computers, anyone with that complaint. I just lay the MB in the case and mark the ones I need to use with a magic marker, the same as I've done with every build, over the last 20 years. Couldn't be any easier than that! LOL!!
I agree totally, that the CM 534+ case is a lot nicer looking than what you see in the pictures from Newegg. I think it's a very classy looking case!
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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Red_Maw
Senior Member
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22. March 2010 @ 23:15 |
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That MB was is an Asus Commando and it came with at least 8 Sata Cables...must have been the good old days lol. As for the case, I'm lazy ;) It isn't really a complaint, I just found it odd that only some of the holes were marked.
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Senior Member
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22. March 2010 @ 23:57 |
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Originally posted by Red_Maw:
As for the case, I'm lazy ;) It isn't really a complaint, I just found it odd that only some of the holes were marked.
Cheers to you for only investing in the good stuff. If you haven't seen some of the surprises from off-brand cases you've made wise choices in your builds.
Ever see a case with standoffs built into the mobo tray? Front panel wires not marked or in connectors that don't match common mobo pinout design?
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Red_Maw
Senior Member
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23. March 2010 @ 00:49 |
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While I would like to accept your praise, I've only done two builds (cases of choice were CM 534+ and NZXT Zero). Generally I tend to spend too much rather than too little, and I never buy off brand, too risky lol.
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AfterDawn Addict
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23. March 2010 @ 01:31 |
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Originally posted by Red_Maw:
That MB was is an Asus Commando and it came with at least 8 Sata Cables...must have been the good old days lol. As for the case, I'm lazy ;) It isn't really a complaint, I just found it odd that only some of the holes were marked.
The Commando was a pretty pricey bosrd in it's time. They had so much trouble with them, I guess they had to give the customer something!
It shows you how set in my ways of doing things, I am. I had no idea that they marked any of the holes! LOL!! I've never looked! ROFL!
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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Senior Member
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23. March 2010 @ 03:04 |
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Originally posted by theonejrs:
It shows you how set in my ways of doing things, I am. I had no idea that they marked any of the holes! LOL!! I've never looked! ROFL! Russ
Really i've only seen it (IIRC)in my TT Armor and some Gigabyte cases i used.
by far its not a majority of brands doing it.
BTW any cases out there bigger than the Armor LOL? Mine is filled up since I added a MIDI controller/audio interface card for the recording of electronic drums.
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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23. March 2010 @ 05:00 |
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Well, I finally bought my new Lan switch. My mother will do fine with the 100Mb/s switch. I do a lot of transfers between my primary and secondary. The most she'll need hers for is networking her printer. Which I should be knowledgeable enough for now :p And now, I'll have my 1,000Mb/s switch on thursday. I'm gonna try really hard to put my new 140mm fan in the top of my secondaries case tomorrow. The temperature here is rapidly increasing. Which is fine. I love the spring :D Although computers probably prefer a more frigid climate LOL! I haven't been able to rewire my primary yet. But stutters haven't gotten worse. In fact I've only had a few. I returned to stock clock speed to see if that would have an effect. No such luck. So it's definitely either a wire issue, or a chip issue. Or perhaps a slight possibility that its the PSU. I guess I could run my 700W OCZ and see how it fairs. If the problem disappears, then voila!
Probability of secondaries kodak moment tomorrow: 99.9% :D It really doesn't take much to mod a case. A little bit of enthusiasm, patience, tools, and slight know how(+time). This case has already been through hell and back. So aesthetics are not really what I'm aiming for. The knowledge, and the pampering of my secondaries airflow is what I'm after LOL! That poor Phenom 940 needs some air!
So please don't be too harsh about the crudity of the cutting technique. :p I plan on using probably tin snips. Not sure yet...
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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23. March 2010 @ 07:11 |
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Maw: You prefer the RC534 to the NZXT Zero? I'm surprised, on what grounds?
Russ: Most Asus top-end motherboards come with as many S-ATA cables as they have S-ATA ports. They are only the cheap red ones of course, but nonetheless it's a nice gesture. I personally would prefer it though if they included a more realistic number of cables and used higher quality latching ones, like Gigabyte do.
Deadrum: That doesn't sound like a cheap case, that sounds like an OEM case, the sort that stock PC builders like Dell use.
All NZXT cases have the board holes marked according to which size board you use. I find that very handy, as it saves me having to check/double check the board.
Deadrum: Coolermaster ATCS840, HAF932, Lian Li PC-A70B, Silverstone TJ09, all good, large cases.
Omega: As it happens I've just bought another for here at my parents' house. I brought my PC and my server home, knowing that neither of them have dual LAN, and I was anticipating using the USB functionality of the modem to keep the LAN free for crossovering the two PCs together. Turns out because the modem I use was a flawed product, it was discontinued soon after it was launched, before 64-bit OSes came out, therefore no 64-bit drivers! <RAGE>. So, switch it is, and new modem while I'm at it. The reason for the discontinuation of the modem I use (Linksys ADSL2MUE) was because the power supply they shipped it with (along with the circuitry used) can't handle the power required to use ADSL2+. Since I use ADSL1 for the time being, it works-ish, but when you use ADSL2+, 5W isn't enough, and supposedly they go pop! Going to try and get hold of a couple of DrayTek Vigors, one for here and one for York to replace the now ailing AM200.
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23. March 2010 @ 09:54 |
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the coolermaster atcs284 is just amazing. i so badly want one, and have wanted one for a long time. and the AMD HAF is really really nice aswell.
had i the money, i would get an atcs but i have my portable rig, so no need. when i finish uni, i want to buy that case, even if a newer version comes (well maybe not but damn thats a nice case). i had an atcs 201, which i got because someone was chucking it away, as by that time it was over 10 years old. very nice case for the few weeks i had it. was only 80mm fans, but you could tell it was a king of cases, esp considering 10 years back it was just beige cases haha. this was silver, fully rolled edges window etc.
as for the pca70b, i still have that, my brother now uses it, but it seems an insult having that pale hardware in such a nice case lol. E2140 and 9800GT in a P5K-E..... no thankyou!
speaking of cases i have gotten my SG03B-F today, and the corsair H50-1. excited :D
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) .|. |
AfterDawn Addict
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23. March 2010 @ 10:06 |
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I assume you mean ATCS 840, can't find any evidence of a 284. Personally I find the AMD version of the HAF 932 a bit vulgar, and obviously it's a lot weaker for cooling as well, which is the sole purpose of the HAF. Probably less an issue if it weren't for how silly it'd look if you later wanted to stick Intel parts inside :P
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AfterDawn Addict
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23. March 2010 @ 10:33 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
I assume you mean ATCS 840, can't find any evidence of a 284. Personally I find the AMD version of the HAF 932 a bit vulgar, and obviously it's a lot weaker for cooling as well, which is the sole purpose of the HAF. Probably less an issue if it weren't for how silly it'd look if you later wanted to stick Intel parts inside :P
i have to agree with you on this one sam. the AMD haf932 just dont look right and that comes from a guy that likes red..lol guess it has something to do with the AMD thingy on it...lol
i did look into those red cathodes. not gonna go that route. they are to pinkish in color. i did find a orange one that looked more red then the red one.. i think im gonna swap out one of the 120mm antec tricool fans with the black 120mm that came with the case and see if that adds more lighting for me. if not then i will just buy another one of the red led 200mm fans that i got on the side panel now. or even try and order the same fan that is on the front of the case with the on off switch and find a way to combine the 2 with the on/off button????
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rick5446
Suspended due to non-functional email address
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23. March 2010 @ 11:05 |
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This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 23. March 2010 @ 11:10
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Red_Maw
Senior Member
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23. March 2010 @ 11:15 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
Maw: You prefer the RC534 to the NZXT Zero? I'm surprised, on what grounds?
They're actually pretty close in terms of overall quality and features (not including cooling), with the CM case pulling a head slightly. The plastic front of the Zero looks a bit cheap in person and the finish isn't as nice. This might have been my fault, but if you look closely you can see thousands of scratches, which I can only imagine came from dusting the case off. Obviously, cooling wise the NZXT wins hands down, although with a bit of modding the CM could also be quite good. Aesthetically I would choose the CM, just more of my style (I would unplug the hdd activity light though, far too bright).
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4 product reviews
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23. March 2010 @ 11:17 |
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guess thats a plus for my 922. it has filters where as the 932 doesnt.. but other than that the 932 is a sweeeeeet beast.
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23. March 2010 @ 11:18 |
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sorry yes 840. dont know where i got 284 from lol.
the thuban CPUs form AMD are priced insanely well.
the topend one, shoudl cost under $300, at 3.2GHz, with a turbo mode to 3.6GHz and its a black edition. aroud the same price as the 930 i7.
and the lower clocked one at 2.8GHz, none black, with turbo of 3.3 should come under $200.
those are some fantastic prices!
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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23. March 2010 @ 11:31 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
I assume you mean ATCS 840, can't find any evidence of a 284. Personally I find the AMD version of the HAF 932 a bit vulgar, and obviously it's a lot weaker for cooling as well, which is the sole purpose of the HAF. Probably less an issue if it weren't for how silly it'd look if you later wanted to stick Intel parts inside :P
Sam,
Actually from the reviews I've read, it apparently cools just about as well as the standard HAF 932, without the 230mm fan on the cover. Unless you are a "Purist Fanboy", who would know or care whether it has an AMD or an Intel in it? It's a case, so why would it look silly? How would anyone even know what was inside, unless it had the stock Intel cooler installed?
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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23. March 2010 @ 11:35 |
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im sure he meant it as a joke russ lol.
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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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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23. March 2010 @ 11:38 |
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AfterDawn Addict
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23. March 2010 @ 11:51 |
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Rob: Hmm, the on/off switch, is that a feature of the 922? Quite a nice feature I must say, as in a case with a large number of fans, you don't need them all on all the time, which is why I like 0-12V fan controllers versus the usual 5-7V minimum.
Rick: The HAF932 can mount the PSU at the top or the bottom.
Maw: The front panel of the Zero is not to everyone's taste. I haven't owned one, but I prefer the finish of the Lexa that I owned, which is reasonably well done. They aren't thoroughly resilient, but you can order replacement front panels for free on warranty just by providing proof of purchase. Other cases, once they're scratched, that's your lot. Coolermaster have no customer service division whatsoever, which is frankly rather poor.
Rob again: The 932 has mesh instead of filters, it's not perfect but it still works reasonably well compared to large openings.
Shaff: Thuban prices seem about expected to me. TDP is probably going to be quite high, but they'll be good value for encoding PCs, not for anyone else.
Russ: Any proper review would disagree, as side ventilation is of paramount importance for high-end gaming PCs, which let's face it, is what the HAF gets used for. A lot of case reviews use basic hardware so it can be used in all cases small or large, makes perfect sense as you can have direct comparisons, but it's relatively useless for a case like the HAF, as you don't see low-end systems in such high-end cases very often, and that is where side ventilation comes into its own.
As for the purist fanboy remark, I didn't mean it physically looks silly, but rather, when you own a case with AMD logos all over it, and explain it has an Intel CPU in it, you look silly. These things do happen, if someone is a big fan of AMD products but then with the next wave of products it turns out to be better to use a rival brand, or vice versa, if they don't have the means to replace the case, then they're stuck with that situation. Same story with when you place stickers, only to a lesser extent. It's hardly a major issue, just something that a few people would want to consider when purchasing such a case.
Personally I agree with Rob, the dragon logo is just too overdone for my liking.
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4 product reviews
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23. March 2010 @ 12:00 |
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@sam
i should say you can turn the led light off on the front fan. it has a 2 pin plug for a molex cable to power the led light. not the fan in itself.
as for filters i actually only have 2 as well as the mesh like your talking about. i have a filter on the front fan and the top fan. the mesh is first then the filter behind that.
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AfterDawn Addict
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23. March 2010 @ 12:03 |
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i dunno 130w isnt bad, esp when you consider its at 130W tdp, when intels is the same tdp for 32nm. then again the intel 6 core is mindblowingly fast, which i doubt these will be
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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