Final Thread Before Order

[Chimera6586]

Last Updated 7/25/08


I have decided to attempt to build my first computer. Originally I did not want to take the risk, and was going to buy from cyberpowerpc. But I want to take on the challenge, plus I want to choose my specific parts.

My experience is somewhat limited. I have been doing a lot of research over the past year and I feel really good about building it myself. I have never built a computer by myself before, however I did watch my friend build his. Also I am 22 years old.

I have downloaded and read every manual for each of my components. Still, I have some questions listed below, as well as a few choices to make.

I was hoping to start this thread in an effort to create some sort of a base for further questions/problems I might encounter when starting to build. I will continue to update as things change.

I want to thank everyone in advance for taking the time to help me out.

I’ll get to it:

Here is my proposed build (I plan on ordering when all of my major questions are answered):

Case:NZXT Tempest
Primary Monitor:Gateway FHD2401 24" Widescreen
Secondary Monitor:Gateway FPD1810 18.1"
CPU:Intel Core 2 Duo e8400
CPU Cooler:Arctic Cooling Freezer 7
Motherboard:ASUS P5Q Pro Intel P45
RAM:4GB (2x2) G-Skill
GPU:eVGA Nvidia Geforce GTX 260 FTW Edition
PSU:Corsair 750TX 750Watts
HDD:500GB Western Digital 3.0Gbs/sec 16mb Cache
Disk Drive:LITE-ON DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe SATA
OS:Windows Vista Ultimate 32bit (I will upgrade to 64bit later to get all of my 4bg of RAM)



Below are my questions/concerns, since there are many, please answer with the same numbers in front of the questions that are here. This will avoid confusion.


Software:

1. I am the most worried about software. Could someone give me some general directions on what to do after all the hardware has been connected and I push the power button for the first time?

2. I have been looking around, but many people give many different answers. Could someone give me an order to install software? i.e: first OS, second Windows Update, third GPU driver, fourth …..

3. Do I need to format my hard drive before I try to install the OS? The hard drive is brand new.

4. What are all the components that need drivers?

5. I heard that Windows Vista automatically downloads all of the drivers for your hardware on the first boot, should I allow it to try to do this? Or should I manually do it?

Hardware:

6. I have been looking around, but many people give many different answers. Could someone give me an order to install the hardware components? i.e: CPU to motherboard, Heatsink to CPU, RAM to motherboard, PSU to case, Motherboard to case, disk drive…. I don’t need any explanation on how to install each, just the easiest order.

7. What are some good general practices to avoid ESD, other than a wrist strap. I really don’t feel like paying 7 bucks to buy a wrist strap and pay 8 bucks to ship it.

Video Card:

8. One big general choice I need some help making is whether I should go with the HD 4870 or the GTX 260 FTW edition, any advice?

9. The GTX 260 will work with this motherboard, right?

10. When choosing between the HD 4870 and GTX 260, I looked at all of the benchmarks, of which, the HD 4870 won most (these benchmarks did not have the FTW edition though, the one benchmark I did look at that had the FTW edition showed that the 260 beat the 4870 in most of the benchmarks), and then I looked at two other things that I’m a bit puzzled about. The HD 4870 has GDDR5 memory which I understand is better than GDDR3 memory, BUT, the GTX 260 has 896mb of memory and the HD 4870 only has 512mb. So which should I hold more weight to?

11. Is there a step-up type program for ATI cards?

12. For eVGA, is everyone approved for step-up? Or is it like a lottery?

13. Is there a significant difference between the FTW edition and the superclocked edition? I mean one card is 666 clock the other is around 602 clock. I plan on overclocking the GPU either way. Is the FTW justified in price difference?

14. The return policy on newegg for the Visiontek is standard. For the 260 FTW edition it is limited non-refundable 30 days. This is obviously a big difference, however, I was looking on eVGA’s website and it looks like there is a lifetime warranty on their products. Does anyone know how well they honor this? Should I be worried about the difference in return policy at newegg, or should I not take that into consideration when choosing cards?

15. On my first install, should I use the driver CD that came with the card at first and then install latest drivers from website? Or never install the driver that came on the CD, and just install the ones from the website right away?

16. Can I use Rivatuner to control GPU fan speed and overclocking for an ATI card, like the HD 4800 series?

17. What is all this business I hear about a “hotfix” that helps the temps on the 4870? Should I download that? If so, is it an “addition” to my latest downloaded driver? Or is it more like an “add-on”?

18. Is Visiontek a good brand to go with for ATI cards?


Motherboard:

19. The motherboard manual doesn’t say anything about stand-offs. It says to just “screw the 9 screws secure into the chassis of the case, make sure to not over tighten”. I assume they have just forgotten to mention the standoffs?

20. Do I need to download updated BIOS for this motherboard? The manual says it is already optimized by default.

21. Is there such thing as a “Driver” for a motherboard? The manual mentions that there is a driver CD, but it only seems to install a bunch of additional features I don’t need. Do I need to download a driver for the motherboard?

22. The manual is not clear on which slots to install the RAM in. I think it should be 1 stick in the far left yellow (DIMM A1) and the second stick in the other yellow (DIMM B1). Is this correct?

Heatsink:

23. Do I need to buy a bracket for this heatsink?

24. I plan on using the thermal compound that already comes on the heatsink. I know many recommend AS5, however I only plan on overclocking up to 3.6Ghz, maybe 3.8 at the max. Will the pre-applied compound be “good enough”?

25. Can I control the speed of this CPU Heatsink fan? If so, how?

Case Fans:

26. In the pictures of the case, it seems that each fan has two or three cables coming out of it. One of the cables looks like a standard 4 pin Molex (I think), the other is very small. I believe the molex just plugs into the PSU, but where does the other small connector go?

27. Is there anyway to control the speed of my case fans? If so, how?

Case:

28. Will the motherboard cover up (or “be on top of”) the two cable management holes on the right side of the tray? If so, won’t this make it hard to screw the motherboard down if the cables get too fat?

Monitor:

29. My planned monitor setup is the following. One (1) primary 24” monitor, and one (1) secondary 18” monitor. The primary monitor has DVI and VGA and its resolution can get up to 1920x1200. The secondary monitor has DVI and VGA as well, but can only get up to 1280x1024. I want to do the following. Have the primary monitor hooked up to my GPU using DVI. Also have the primary monitor hooked up to my Xbox 360 using VGA (I have the cord). Then have the secondary monitor hooked up to the other DVI GPU slot. With this setup, I have the following questions:

a. Is it possible?

b. Will I be able to have a dual monitor desktop screen for my new computer for things like internet browsing, excel, word, etc…?

c. When I start up a computer game, will the game automatically only show up on the primary monitor, and lock out the other secondary monitor, so my mouse won’t move over to it, or will I need to unplug the second monitor?

d. Will the primary monitor know when I have my Xbox on versus when I have my computer on, or will I need to constantly unplug one or the other?

e. What happens if I accidentally turn on both the computer and the Xbox?

f. What about the resolution difference between the monitors, will that cause a problem? Also, one is widescreen, one is fullscreen.

RAM:

30. Another choice I have to make is between the G-Skill RAM or the Mushkin RAM. The only reason I like the Mushkin is the rebate and the free 3dMark Vantage Advanced Version. I know a lot of you don’t like the 3dmark benchmarks, and say they are not “a real game”, but I still think it would be a nice benchmarking tool to have in addition to the normal game benchmarking. Any advice on which RAM I should go with?

31. The Mushkin I have selected isn’t on the QVL list for the motherboard. I called ASUS and asked if it would work, and they said to call the RAM vendor. So I called Mushkin, and they said that it would work with the motherboard. Are they just telling me what I want to hear? Should the Mushkin work well with the motherboard even though it’s not on the QVL?

32. I plan on overclocking my CPU to around 3.6 or 3.8. How much would I benefit from a 1066mhz instead of 800mhz RAM? Is this worth the extra price, do I really need it?

CPU:

33. I actually want to get the Intel Core 2 Duo e8500 CPU because it’s only $20 more, and it comes with World in Conflict, which is $30 dollars retail. I am going to buy WIC anyway, so I might as well go with the e8500. The only reason I haven’t is because I’m not really familiar with the differences between the 8500 and the 8400 (other than clock speed). I want to be able to get guides online on how to overclock my CPU, and I feel like there are more for the 8400, as it is more popular. However, I have also read that the 8500 can be overclocked more. Should I go with the 8500? Does the overclocking for the 8500 work about the same as the 8400?



Thanks again

 

[Rydawg5143]

I'll help you out
www.google.com
www.ask.com

Come back later when you dont have 100 questions

Also, dont waste money on buying Vista twice, just buy the Home Premium 64 bit OEM off egg for 95 bucks

 

[Proteos]

I didn't read all of your post because I am at work but if I were you I'd swap that hard drive out with this one

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218

For 15 bucks more you get 140 more gigs and a much faster hard drive.

 

[Shambler]

Anyone have the Cliff's notes?

 

[Rydawg5143]

Cliff notes:

How do you build a computer?
Is all my stuff good?
insert random question

 

[Shambler]

Actually... Rydawg your signature can answer all this dudes questions.
Chimera, buy and assemble everything Ry has. You can cut it to 4gigs if you want to save some dough. But his PC looks super legit.

 

[magoo]

Lots of questions , you have.

I will start and then some body willprobably join in.

Software: have all the drivers you need available, either on the MB disc or on a thumb drive. Use the latest sound and video drivers from the wwebsite, not the CD.
Here's what I do: Boot up and visit the BIOS first. Make sure the settings are to your liking.
Then set the boot priority to boot from the CD drive first.
Shut down and restart with the Vista disc in the CD drive. Vista will ask you to format the HDD if it is brand new......follow the instructions.

Once Vista is done, you load the Drivers to the HDD.
I use this order: MB,chipset,LAN,Video(GPU)and lastly audio. Then you can install utilities or connect to the net and update Vista. Vista needs to be authorized/authenticated before you can update.

Building: I dont use an ESD strap, never have. Just touch the case before you start. I start my build out of the case on top of the MB box, with the MB on an antistatic bag or the plastic shell it came in.
Inspect the MB, put in your CPU following the instructions,after you have cleansed the Heat sink surface, apply thermal interface material, then attach the HSF. Your Freezer Pro 7 will have TIM applied to the bottom which is quite good, I use Artic Silver so I remove the TIM and clean both surfaces with Arctic Clean Solution.
Next place your RAM.
Then place the GPU.
The attach enough PSU to power up the system......usually the 24 pin, the 8 pin and the GPU power.
If you get the POST screen you are GTG.
I then transition to the case, installing the bare bones you just built into the case.
Then plug in your CD drive and HDD and post again.
If you successfully POST, you can then go into the BIOS and set it up the load the OS.

GPU: I cant tell you what is best to buy, both cards are good.
evga has excellent customer support as does newegg. You wont go wrong.
A videocard "lifetime" is only as long as it takes the company to come out with something better. A year or two is a long time for a videocard to be useful.
evga step up is for all evga owners as long as you follow their rules and register the card on line.
I know nothing about visiontech, I have always purchased Sapphire ATI cards and never had to deal with an RMA. Sapphire is the #1 producer of ATI branded cards worldwide.
The ATI "hotfix" for fan control is currently a fix within the Overdrive profiles in the CCC software, it's easy and is merely an adjustment to already in place software. Once a new Rivatuner is released I'm sure you'll be able to do it there, or ATI will probably fix the problem via the CCC in the next release.
I have two 4870s in Crossfire and really like them. Before this I always used nvidia and I have found their cards to be very good as well. Buy what seems good to you looking at price/performance.

You may PM me if I can help with any questions you have about the build in particular.

 

[Kaldskryke]

I'll try to answer a few questions quickly before somebody beats me to the punch.

1. There is no specific "right order" to doing things, everybody has their own preference. Obviously, you have to install the OS first, nothing else can be installed until Windows is loaded. The first time you turn on your computer just put the windows install disk in the drive as soon as the power is on. Windows Setup should load and will guide you through the process. Your disk will need to be formatted, even if it's brand new, but windows setup should walk you through it. This is when you get to make Partitions. Generally, I like to have a small partition for the OS and games (say, 100GB) and create a second partition for all the rest of the space. This way I can save all my junk to D: instead of C:, and if I ever need to reinstall windows I won't lose anything on D:.

Once windows is installed it's generally a good idea to run windows update first before anything else, but not mandatory. If you don't have internet access yet, you'll probably need to install a driver for your motherboard's NIC, which should be on the disc that comes with the motherboard. After all the updates are installed I would go about installing all your other drivers. If you have disk imaging software like Acronis or Ghost, you might want to take an image of this 'clean slate' before you start loading any other applications.

4. Just about every discrete piece of hardware needs a driver. Fortunately windows should have a driver for most of them so all you'll need to worry about is video card, sound card, and any drivers for your motherboard (such as the NIC driver mentioned earlier). Generally speaking, you should look on the web for the latest drivers for your stuff rather than using the install disks, but this is only really important for your video card.

7. I'm lazy when it comes to ESD and it hasn't burned me yet. I might be askin' for it, though...

8,9, etc. Every recent video card uses a PCI-Express slot. Every recent motherboard has PCI-Express slots. You'd be somewhat hard pressed to buy a motherboard that isn't compatible with the HD4870 or GTX260. However, if you want to use SLI or Crossfire you'll need to get a board that supports it.

The HD4870 and GTX260 are both great cards. Despite having GDDR5, both the HD4870 and GTX260 have similar memory bandwidth, so don't worry about GDDR5 vs GDDR3. The additional memory of the GTX260 is only relevent when playing titles with massive texture usage, like modded ESIV:Oblivion. Most of the time 512MB is plenty. Don't bother spending more money for a factory-overclocked board unless it gets you a better warranty, because most of the time you can overclock a lot further yourself.

No ATI vendors have step-up, sorry. If you buy from ATI you'll get $50 off your next purchase for turning in your card, or something. Not as good. Step-Up programs are not a lottery, everyone is entitled as long as you are within your step-up period.

 

[Rydawg5143]

Actually... Rydawg your signature can answer all this dudes questions.
Chimera, buy and assemble everything Ry has. You can cut it to 4gigs if you want to save some dough. But his PC looks super legit.

My system is pretty good, not super high end or anything but it does everythign i need it to do, havent even overclocked yet. Keep telling myself i'm goign to do it tonight, then i pass out, play tf2 or just plain get lazy Someone come do it for me im too lazy !

 

[magoo]

I'll help you out
www.google.com
www.ask.com

Come back later when you dont have 100 questions

Also, dont waste money on buying Vista twice, just buy the Home Premium 64 bit OEM off egg for 95 bucks

I bought Vista 32 Home Premium in retail form and had the option to buy a 64 bit disc from Microsoft for 10 bucks, which I did. I installed the 64 bit version about 3 months after I had the 32 bit version and it was a seemless install as I recall.

 

[Artificiary]

Took me 5 seconds on google to find an updated, free, and 'fairly' comprehensive guide that includes pricing for various parts and software.

...removed...

I think I did like most people and just skipped the initial post after seeing how many questions there were. Like the others have said "Cliff Notes"!

Edited....

When I open that site, AntiVir pops up with:
"Contains detection pattern of the HTML script virus HTML/Spooding.Gen"

Weird, I had no problems viewing from work and we’ve got several security / anti-virus programs running. I went ahead and removed the link though just to be safe. Honestly that was the second website link listed on Google when I typed in “Build a Computer”.

Sorry for posting the link if it was not clean.

 

[Rydawg5143]

retail = pricey, OEM is same thign minus the Microsoft 'support' which i have never used in all my years of working with Windows. I'd say if its all the same, buy oem and save money

 

[DiabloAzul126]

Software:

1. Install OS and required drivers (Video Card, Chipset, Sound, anything else)

2. Doesn't make too much of a difference, I've swung both ways.

3. No, OS installation will format before installing.

4. See #1

5. Maybe, depends on your hardware, certain things will just have generic drivers, so you can get the latest/most stable drivers from the respective manufacturer's sites before microsoft plops their solution on your build.

Hardware:

6. Case -> PSU -> HDD/Optical -> Mobo -> Cpu + HSF -> GPU -> RAM -> anything else

7. Not much you can do, avoid carpets?

Video Card:

8. Both perform about the same? Prices may or may not be the same? I'm not sure, I'm just sutck with the 8800GT.

9. Yes.

10. The extra RAM won't make a noticble difference AFAIK. I don't know what kind of textures you need to be loading to take up all 512MB, maybe Crysis or something on all high.

11. Catalyst. Or Custom Omega Drivers, I think.

12. 90-day after purchase limitation, but yes, anyone can do it.

13. The only difference is the clock speed which may yield a few percentage performance difference at most.

14. Well both have lifetime warranties from manufacturers so if you have any technical problems just deal with them. If you want to return the product altogether that a different issue.

15. Lastest/most stable (not always the same thing) drivers

16. Most likely.

17. No idea, sorry.

18. Yes, AFAIK.


Motherboard:

19. I'm sure it's just assumed.

20. Most likely not necessary.

21. Chipset drivers are motherboard drivers.

22. It should say somewhat which channel is which. Try your luck, or read the manual completely it has to be in there.

Heatsink:

23. No.

24. Yes it's most likely MX-2 or MX-1 which is better/on par with AS5

25. Probably, BIOS/ASUS software suite.

Case Fans:

26. Nowhere, they look like molex pass-throughs.

27. Fan speed controller perhaps, but the 4-pin molex might make it harder to find that a FSC for 3-pinners.
Case:

28. If it does, it will be had to screw down, most likely. I don't know what the dimension are on anything.

Monitor:

29. My planned monitor setup is the following. One (1) primary 24” monitor, and one (1) secondary 18” monitor. The primary monitor has DVI and VGA and its resolution can get up to 1920x1200. The secondary monitor has DVI and VGA as well, but can only get up to 1280x1024. I want to do the following. Have the primary monitor hooked up to my GPU using DVI. Also have the primary monitor hooked up to my Xbox 360 using VGA (I have the cord). Then have the secondary monitor hooked up to the other DVI GPU slot. With this setup, I have the following questions:

a. Probably, after a little hassle.

b. If you configure it properly, sure.

c. Yes, it should focus on a single monitor for the 3D rendering unless you do a clone screen then it'll just be the same on both (messed up resolution)

d. There is probably an input selector on the monitor, use it.

e. See d.

f. That will just be the hassle, it can be done, I just haven't dealt with it.

RAM:

30. Mushkin is fine, I have G.skill though.

31. Probably, RAM is RAM, just make sure the vDIMM is on par with what the RAM wants.

32. Very little, I tend to keep my FSB:RAM at 1:1, so DDR800 is fine for up to 3.6GHz after that the RAM will be overclocking as well.

CPU:

33. Most likely the same CPU base, just a 9.5x Multiplier vs a 9x multiplier, so the e8500 would be at 3.8GHz with 400mhz FSB while the e8400 will be at 3.6GHz with 400mhz fsb.

I'm not an expert on any of this crap, so feel free to correct anything I've missed. I'm just trying to kill time at work, LoL.

/thread?

 

[Gaiden133]

Here is my proposed build (I plan on ordering when all of my major questions are answered):

Case:NZXT Tempest
Primary Monitor:Gateway FHD2401 24" Widescreen
Secondary Monitor:Gateway FPD1810 18.1"
CPU:Intel Core 2 Duo e8400
CPU Cooler:Arctic Cooling Freezer 7
Motherboard:ASUS P5Q Pro Intel P45
RAM:4GB (2x2) G-Skill
GPU:eVGA Nvidia Geforce GTX 260 FTW Edition
PSU:Corsair 750TX 750Watts
HDD:500GB Western Digital 3.0Gbs/sec 16mb Cache
Disk Drive:LITE-ON DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe SATA
OS:Windows Vista Ultimate 32bit (I will upgrade to 64bit later to get all of my 4bg of RAM)



Below are my questions/concerns, since there are many, please answer with the same numbers in front of the questions that are here. This will avoid confusion.

Software:

1. I am the most worried about software. Could someone give me some general directions on what to do after all the hardware has been connected and I push the power button for the first time?

Have the Vista OS CD in the drive and you should be able to load a screen that says "Press any key to boot from CD or something" or it will automatically load. If you're having problems getting the Vista OS CD to boot, boot into BIOS and make sure the optical drive is the first boot sequence before any other existing hard drive with an OS on it. Rather quirky note: if its a SATA drive, make sure you choose the right one since I just clicked "CD/DVD drive when that was referring to IDE drive" lol. you can change the boot sequence again later.

2. I have been looking around, but many people give many different answers. Could someone give me an order to install software? i.e: first OS, second Windows Update, third GPU driver, fourth …..

It really doesn't matter a whole lot besides installing the OS first. I usually do OS first, raid drivers if you're raiding. Then GPU, windows update, x-fi, etc.. there's no real order that's strict or anything. Just use common sense. If your screen is stretching bad because it's not optimized due to drivers, then update that first before you go on installing network cards, etc.

3. Do I need to format my hard drive before I try to install the OS? The hard drive is brand new.

You will do that during the Vista OS install. Don't worry about it. It'll have a selection menu to ask where you want to install your OS and you can format your HD there.

4. What are all the components that need drivers?

Some components won't ship with 64 bit drivers or the most updated drivers. Most components are plug and play though so you still can use it but not to its fullest extent. I had to go and download the vista 64 bit drivers for my KB/mouse on the site, but it wasn't a hassle. Besides that, don't forget any utilities you may want for your mobo, GPU drivers, NIC drivers, and windows update. Along with any other peripherals you may have like joysticks, remotes, etc.

5. I heard that Windows Vista automatically downloads all of the drivers for your hardware on the first boot, should I allow it to try to do this? Or should I manually do it?

Hm.. I tend to trust myself more than letting Vista automatically go download all drivers as I want to ensure that they are all the latest ones. I'd rather do it all personally and it's not too much of a hassle.

Hardware:

6. I have been looking around, but many people give many different answers. Could someone give me an order to install the hardware components? i.e: CPU to motherboard, Heatsink to CPU, RAM to motherboard, PSU to case, Motherboard to case, disk drive…. I don’t need any explanation on how to install each, just the easiest order.

Again, there's no real "order" to install hardware components. Just relax, breathe and do everything intuitively. If it helps, have a printout of all your parts and after you plugged in everything, go down the list and ensure all the parts are in where they should be. Personally, i have a motherboard tray, So i install the CPU, RAM, GPU onto the mobo before i slide it into the case, and when I do, I then hookup all the appropriate power connectors, then connect all the SATA peripherals to the board. One important thing, is relax, be careful and don't forget to ground yourself.

7. What are some good general practices to avoid ESD, other than a wrist strap. I really don’t feel like paying 7 bucks to buy a wrist strap and pay 8 bucks to ship it.

Avoid walking on carpet or installing everything on carpet. Wearing a heavy wool sweater that day (if you're really paranoid). Also before handling a component (cpu,mobo,gpu etc), touch the side of your metal case or something that is metal.

Video Card:

8. One big general choice I need some help making is whether I should go with the HD 4870 or the GTX 260 FTW edition, any advice?

With that monitor, I would personally go with the 4870. Especially with dual monitor setup.. I've heard a lot of people found it really easy to use with ATi's drivers. In additional the 4870 > GTX 260 when it comes to 1920 x 1200, and AA turned on. Unless you're planning on stepping up the GTX 260 down the road, the 4870 will be a more worthwhile investment

9. The GTX 260 will work with this motherboard, right?
Yes, either the 4870 or GTX 260 will work fine. Where you start to question whether X cards work in a mobo, is when you're planning on doing SLI or crossfire.

10. When choosing between the HD 4870 and GTX 260, I looked at all of the benchmarks, of which, the HD 4870 won most (these benchmarks did not have the FTW edition though, the one benchmark I did look at that had the FTW edition showed that the 260 beat the 4870 in most of the benchmarks), and then I looked at two other things that I’m a bit puzzled about. The HD 4870 has GDDR5 memory which I understand is better than GDDR3 memory, BUT, the GTX 260 has 896mb of memory and the HD 4870 only has 512mb. So which should I hold more weight to?

The fact is, the 4870 has less memory but the memory is operating at higher speeds (GDDR5 vs GDDR3), giving it the edge over the GTX 260. Plus, that mofo can OC as well and it definitely can push it way past the FPS that the gtx 260 can reach. While the amount of memory on a card is significant, you have to also attribute some weight to the speed/bandwidth of the card, which the 4870 trumps.

11. Is there a step-up type program for ATI cards?

No, just eVGA & BFG (nvidia partners) have the step up program.
12. For eVGA, is everyone approved for step-up? Or is it like a lottery?

Yes. When you buy an eVGA card through a retailer, and register it within 30 days, you are eligible for step up. Keep in mind, its 90 days after you bought your card, so if it takes you 7 days to get your card, your window from owning your card to new card is 83 days. Anyway, it's not a lottery.

13. Is there a significant difference between the FTW edition and the superclocked edition? I mean one card is 666 clock the other is around 602 clock. I plan on overclocking the GPU either way. Is the FTW justified in price difference?

No. It has not been proven that the FTW has been "cherry-picked". Overclocking is still a random luck of the draw. I've seen vanilla (non-OC'd) cards OC past stock levels and "FTW" cards easily. I've also seen dud vanillas. I've also seen a lot of FTW cards that cant OC worth shit.. so its all random. If you were OC'ing anyway, i'd stick with the stock reference card and OC it.

14. The return policy on newegg for the Visiontek is standard. For the 260 FTW edition it is limited non-refundable 30 days. This is obviously a big difference, however, I was looking on eVGA’s website and it looks like there is a lifetime warranty on their products. Does anyone know how well they honor this? Should I be worried about the difference in return policy at newegg, or should I not take that into consideration when choosing cards?

Well that return policy is for newegg, not anyone else. Dunno why it's different. But in any case, I haven't heard too many problems in the GTX 260 and 4870 compared to the # of RMA's people seem to be having with the GTX 280. IMO, both of them have lifetime warranties and if your card goes down the shitter 2 months from now, you're still going to be covered by both of them. Lifetime warranty or decent one (5+ yrs) SHOULD be taken into consideration, but its not the end all be all. Customer Service is a huge factor, which apparently visiontek is pretty decent and evga is stellar

15. On my first install, should I use the driver CD that came with the card at first and then install latest drivers from website? Or never install the driver that came on the CD, and just install the ones from the website right away?

For graphics cards, I'd recommend just download the latest drivers from nVIDIA.com/ATI.com. You're going to be downloading the latest drivers anyway, and chances are they are better performing that the ones bundled with the graphics card. I'd keep the CD though in some place handy as I have done builds before where I have had no internet access and it's useful to have the drivers on the disk. OR even better, have the latest forceware/catalyst drivers on your thumbdrive for extra brownie points

I'll post these and answer more..

 

[Gaiden133]

16. Can I use Rivatuner to control GPU fan speed and overclocking for an ATI card, like the HD 4800 series?

Yeup. You can use rivatuner to OC an ATi card. on the nvidia flipside, you can use eVGA's precision OC tool or rivatuner as well. Just pick your poison.

17. What is all this business I hear about a “hotfix” that helps the temps on the 4870? Should I download that? If so, is it an “addition” to my latest downloaded driver? Or is it more like an “add-on”?

I didn't read too much about it but im sure the threads @ ATi flavor in this forum will help some.

18. Is Visiontek a good brand to go with for ATI cards?
Yes, imo, they're probably the best brand to go for in terms of ATi. For nvidia, go with XFX, evga or bfg.

Motherboard:

19. The motherboard manual doesn’t say anything about stand-offs. It says to just “screw the 9 screws secure into the chassis of the case, make sure to not over tighten”. I assume they have just forgotten to mention the standoffs?

Yes, dunno why they forgot to mention that. Probably because that's usually covered in the case manual perhaps.. But in any case, USE STANDOFFS. Always use them.

20. Do I need to download updated BIOS for this motherboard? The manual says it is already optimized by default.


You don't have to update your BIOS immediately.. some people do and some people don't. I generally take the mobo settings at stock and check online to see what the new BIOS revision fixes, if anything. If they have support for like RAID or whatever that I NEED, I will then proceed to flash my BIOS to the new one. Or if they fix some thing that enables my FSB to be higher, then i will flash the bios. But, for the most part, if the board runs stable and I don't need anything out of it, i tend to leave the bios alone.

21. Is there such thing as a “Driver” for a motherboard? The manual mentions that there is a driver CD, but it only seems to install a bunch of additional features I don’t need. Do I need to download a driver for the motherboard?

Yeah, usually the mobo CD comes with a chipset driver, usually intel or nvidia if you're going Intel for processor. My DFI board came with a disk that had more intel chipsets and it also comes with some additional drivers for the marvel sata controler, realtek audio on-board if you don't have a soundcard, etc. They also do load other things like temp monitors, etc but you don't really need that as there are more accurate 3rd party software. IMO, just install the chipset driver, and other stuff if it applies to you.

22. The manual is not clear on which slots to install the RAM in. I think it should be 1 stick in the far left yellow (DIMM A1) and the second stick in the other yellow (DIMM B1). Is this correct?


Generally, if you have 4 DIMM slots on your mobo, you want to stick it in the first and third one for dual channel. And yes, usually they are color co-ordinated. I say usually because I have seen some where they are not. If you still need clarification, PM me.

 

[Kaldskryke]

CPU: The 8500 can potentially be overclocked a little higher than the 8400 because it has a higher "multiplier". They way your CPU frequency is determined is: CPU Frequency = Front-Side-Bus Frequency * Multiplier. For a given FSB, a higher multiplier gives a faster processor. When you overlcock, your raise your FSB speed and therfore the CPU speed increases too. You might get to a point in your overclock where the rest of your system (motherboard and ram, usually) won't go any faster, and then you'll be "FSB limited". In this case, the higher multiplier of the 8500 will really help. However, sometimes your mobo and ram have a lot of headroom when your CPU won't go any faster. In this case the increased multiplier doesn't really mean much at all. This is pretty simplified, but you get the idea. The multiplier can help, but isn't guaranteed to, which is why overclockers will usually buy the cheapest processor of the bunch since it will sometimes go just as fast in the end as an expensive one. If the 8500 is only a few dollars more and comes with a game, then go for it. No reason not to.

Monitor questions: Your monitor will have a button or switch to select between input modes, so you can have both your Xbox and PC on at the same time. To switch between you'll just use the button rather than unplugging anything. You don't have to turn off the secondary monitor to play games. Windows will be able to handle the resolution difference just fine. Really there's nothing to worry about here.

Fans: the non-molex connectors for fans will plug into 'fan headers' on your motherboard. Plugged into these, you'll be able control the fan speed through your bios or other utilities. However, motherboards have a fairly limited number of fan headers. Also, some fans make clicking noises when connected to the motherboard because your mobo uses Pulse-Width Modulation to control the apparent voltage rather than actually changing the voltage. Some fans don't like this. The solution is to buy and use fan controllers which will let you control a large number of fans without PWM. If that's expensive, you can always change the fan speed using the molex connectors. If you google it, you'll learn how to modify your molex plugs to supply 5V or 7V instead of 12V. If you do this, however, you'll only be able to change your fan speed with the computer off and the case open. Works for me, since I never change the fan speed anyway.

Heatsink: just like your fans, the heatsink can plug into your motherboard and be controlled through the bios. I don't think you need a bracket for the Freezer, IIRC it uses the regular pushpin system. The default paste is acceptable for now, but if you feel like dropping your temps you'll probably replace it later .

Motherboard: the manual doesn't mention standoffs. Your case will come with them, and if they aren't in the right position you can rearrange them pretty easily. Screw the motherboard into the standoffs. The motherboard will come with drivers for any parts of it that need drivers, which is usually just the NIC. The other utilities can be handy but I rarely install them. When installing RAM, put the sticks into slots of the same color otherwise you won't get 'dual-channel' mode working, which reduces memory performance somewhat.

 

[WhiteZero]

Took me 5 seconds on google to find an updated, free, and 'fairly' comprehensive guide that includes pricing for various parts and software.

http://www.mysuperpc.com/

I think I did like most people and just skipped the initial post after seeing how many questions there were. Like the others have said "Cliff Notes"!

When I open that site, AntiVir pops up with:
"Contains detection pattern of the HTML script virus HTML/Spooding.Gen"

 

[Gaiden133]

Heatsink:

23. Do I need to buy a bracket for this heatsink?

Yep, that seems to come with it. Personally, for that price range, I would go with the Xigmatek Rifle S1283 + mounting bracket. The Ac7 is a fine choice though.

24. I plan on using the thermal compound that already comes on the heatsink. I know many recommend AS5, however I only plan on overclocking up to 3.6Ghz, maybe 3.8 at the max. Will the pre-applied compound be “good enough”?

personally, i'd go with AS5. I don't really like the preapplied thermal compound. Plus, that tube will last you a damn long time through many builds. if you're planning on hitting that high anyway, i'd still recommend that $5 addition to your build. Don't forget arctic cleaning solutions if you want that as well. (i'd rather use those than isoprophyl alcohol.)

25. Can I control the speed of this CPU Heatsink fan? If so, how?

usually some heatsinks come with a PCI bracket to adjust the fan.. i know since my tuniq 120 came with one. But, i took that out later cuz it began annoying me. In any case, i now can control it through hooking it up to my fan controller. I THINK there is some way to control it if you plug it in to an appropriate fan connector on your mobo but tbh.. its your fan heatsink, i generally leave those running at full RPM all the time anyway. the only speeds i change are the case fans

Case Fans:

26. In the pictures of the case, it seems that each fan has two or three cables coming out of it. One of the cables looks like a standard 4 pin Molex (I think), the other is very small. I believe the molex just plugs into the PSU, but where does the other small connector go?

The fans just give you 2 options of giving it power. The standard 4 pin molex and the smaller 3 pin connector (dont know the name, sorry). In any case, it can get power through both sources so you only need one of them. Blah, someone more knowledgable pls comment on this.. b/c IIRC there's a connector on one end that allows you to control fan speed as well.. i think. But to answer your question, you can power the fan with either of those two ** Read poster 2 before me for a better explanation.

27. Is there anyway to control the speed of my case fans? If so, how?

Again, like i said.. im not a 100% sure there's a way if you're just plugging it in to your mobo or PSU for power. Easiest way is probably through a fan controller in your 5.25" bay or 3.5" bay imo.

 

[bicycle_wreck]

I didn't know where to post this. But there is a GPU choice to make, so I thought the graphics card section might be appropriate.

Last Updated 7/25/08


I have decided to attempt to build my first computer. Originally I did not want to take the risk, and was going to buy from cyberpowerpc. But I want to take on the challenge, plus I want to choose my specific parts.

My experience is somewhat limited. I have been doing a lot of research over the past year and I feel really good about building it myself. I have never built a computer by myself before, however I did watch my friend build his. Also I am 22 years old.

I have downloaded and read every manual for each of my components. Still, I have some questions listed below, as well as a few choices to make.

I was hoping to start this thread in an effort to create some sort of a base for further questions/problems I might encounter when starting to build. I will continue to update as things change.

I want to thank everyone in advance for taking the time to help me out.

I’ll get to it:

Here is my proposed build (I plan on ordering when all of my major questions are answered):

Case:NZXT Tempest
Primary Monitor:Gateway FHD2401 24" Widescreen
Secondary Monitor:Gateway FPD1810 18.1"
CPU:Intel Core 2 Duo e8400
CPU Cooler:Arctic Cooling Freezer 7
Motherboard:ASUS P5Q Pro Intel P45
RAM:4GB (2x2) G-Skill
GPU:eVGA Nvidia Geforce GTX 260 FTW Edition
PSU:Corsair 750TX 750Watts
HDD:500GB Western Digital 3.0Gbs/sec 16mb Cache
Disk Drive:LITE-ON DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe SATA
OS:Windows Vista Ultimate 32bit (I will upgrade to 64bit later to get all of my 4bg of RAM)



Below are my questions/concerns, since there are many, please answer with the same numbers in front of the questions that are here. This will avoid confusion.


Software:

1. I am the most worried about software. Could someone give me some general directions on what to do after all the hardware has been connected and I push the power button for the first time?

Make sure the cd/dvd rom is set as the first bootable device, and put the OS disc in the drive. When prompted, boot from the disc. You read the manual, eh?

2. I have been looking around, but many people give many different answers. Could someone give me an order to install software? i.e: first OS, second Windows Update, third GPU driver, fourth …..

I generally do the GPU driver first so I'm not looking at a tiny screen 640x480 w/16-bit color. Sometimes Windows will give you a larger resolution than that, but not always. Your call.

3. Do I need to format my hard drive before I try to install the OS? The hard drive is brand new.

The OS install will format your hard drive for you. You'll see it. Read the manual, eh?

4. What are all the components that need drivers?

All of them. Though, some will be automatically retrieved by Windows. You should get a disc with your motherboard for your chipset/LAN/RAID drivers.

5. I heard that Windows Vista automatically downloads all of the drivers for your hardware on the first boot, should I allow it to try to do this? Or should I manually do it?

Most of them will probably be fine. You want the latest GPU drivers though, so you'll want to go directly to the website rather than use what's on the disc included with your graphics card.

Hardware:

6. I have been looking around, but many people give many different answers. Could someone give me an order to install the hardware components? i.e: CPU to motherboard, Heatsink to CPU, RAM to motherboard, PSU to case, Motherboard to case, disk drive…. I don’t need any explanation on how to install each, just the easiest order.

I usually install everything except the addon cards outside of the case and then drop in the mobo and screw it down. If your case has a removable mobo tray, then its even easier. Some CPU coolers require a backplate and therefore you have to have the motherboard out of the case anyway.

7. What are some good general practices to avoid ESD, other than a wrist strap. I really don’t feel like paying 7 bucks to buy a wrist strap and pay 8 bucks to ship it.

Ground yourself periodically, and don't do anything stupid like wear a wool sweater.

Video Card:

8. One big general choice I need some help making is whether I should go with the HD 4870 or the GTX 260 FTW edition, any advice?

Its up to you, they're both good cards. I would hit-up ATi just because they're doing something right for once and should be rewarded. You shouldn't pay for an overclocked card though. You can OC yourself for free.

9. The GTX 260 will work with this motherboard, right?

Yes.

10. When choosing between the HD 4870 and GTX 260, I looked at all of the benchmarks, of which, the HD 4870 won most (these benchmarks did not have the FTW edition though, the one benchmark I did look at that had the FTW edition showed that the 260 beat the 4870 in most of the benchmarks), and then I looked at two other things that I’m a bit puzzled about. The HD 4870 has GDDR5 memory which I understand is better than GDDR3 memory, BUT, the GTX 260 has 896mb of memory and the HD 4870 only has 512mb. So which should I hold more weight to?

GDDR5 is faster so it has better bandwidth than GDDR3 bit-per-bit. I would hold-off for a 1GB 4870 or get the GTX 260 if you're playing at larger resolutions.

11. Is there a step-up type program for ATI cards?

Not that I am aware, no.

12. For eVGA, is everyone approved for step-up? Or is it like a lottery?

I would read their step-up policy. I don't see how you avoided reading it in your 'research.'

13. Is there a significant difference between the FTW edition and the superclocked edition? I mean one card is 666 clock the other is around 602 clock. I plan on overclocking the GPU either way. Is the FTW justified in price difference?

Get the cheapest one. I don't recommend paying for an OCed card when you can do it yourself.

14. The return policy on newegg for the Visiontek is standard. For the 260 FTW edition it is limited non-refundable 30 days. This is obviously a big difference, however, I was looking on eVGA’s website and it looks like there is a lifetime warranty on their products. Does anyone know how well they honor this? Should I be worried about the difference in return policy at newegg, or should I not take that into consideration when choosing cards?

eVGA has some of the best support around. Just remember to register the card and you're good. If its fucked-up, you'll know in the first 30 days and you can just exchange it with NewEgg. You're good either way.

15. On my first install, should I use the driver CD that came with the card at first and then install latest drivers from website? Or never install the driver that came on the CD, and just install the ones from the website right away?

Website, right away.

16. Can I use Rivatuner to control GPU fan speed and overclocking for an ATI card, like the HD 4800 series?

It depends on if Rivatuner has added the 4800 series to their support list. Check their website.

17. What is all this business I hear about a “hotfix” that helps the temps on the 4870? Should I download that? If so, is it an “addition” to my latest downloaded driver? Or is it more like an “add-on”?

Its probably a BIOS flash that either alters clocks at idle, or increases fan speed across the board. Don't know much about it.

18. Is Visiontek a good brand to go with for ATI cards?

Read the reviews on NewEgg and decide for yourself. You'll get a bunch of opinions here.

Motherboard:

19. The motherboard manual doesn’t say anything about stand-offs. It says to just “screw the 9 screws secure into the chassis of the case, make sure to not over tighten”. I assume they have just forgotten to mention the standoffs?

Standoffs come with your case, and some cases do not require them. That's why they're not mentioned. You'll know as soon as you see your case.

20. Do I need to download updated BIOS for this motherboard? The manual says it is already optimized by default.

You can if you want, especially since the P45 boards are relatively new. However, if you're not having any problems, I would leave it alone.

21. Is there such thing as a “Driver” for a motherboard? The manual mentions that there is a driver CD, but it only seems to install a bunch of additional features I don’t need. Do I need to download a driver for the motherboard?

The CD will have drivers for the chipset, RAID, LAN, HDAUDIO or whatever else is onboard. The stuff on the CD is usually sufficient.

22. The manual is not clear on which slots to install the RAM in. I think it should be 1 stick in the far left yellow (DIMM A1) and the second stick in the other yellow (DIMM B1). Is this correct?

Correct. That's dual channel mode on most motherboards.

Heatsink:

23. Do I need to buy a bracket for this heatsink?

No, it uses the stock-style push pins.

24. I plan on using the thermal compound that already comes on the heatsink. I know many recommend AS5, however I only plan on overclocking up to 3.6Ghz, maybe 3.8 at the max. Will the pre-applied compound be “good enough”?

Probably, but AS5 is a good investment, why not?

25. Can I control the speed of this CPU Heatsink fan? If so, how?

If the HSF uses a PWM control, then the motherboard will automatically adjust the fan speed as needed. If it is a simple 3-pin connector then it will run full-tilt (12v). You can, however, add a fan controller. See what you think about the noise, it might be fine for your situation.

Case Fans:

26. In the pictures of the case, it seems that each fan has two or three cables coming out of it. One of the cables looks like a standard 4 pin Molex (I think), the other is very small. I believe the molex just plugs into the PSU, but where does the other small connector go?

Three-pin connectors connect to the motherboard. You will have several randomly placed on the PCB.

27. Is there anyway to control the speed of my case fans? If so, how?

Fan controller. Buy medium speed fans and be done with it. Pick up some Scythe S-Flex 1200RPM fans and you should be fairly happy.

Case:

28. Will the motherboard cover up (or “be on top of”) the two cable management holes on the right side of the tray? If so, won’t this make it hard to screw the motherboard down if the cables get too fat?

It may or may not. You can deal with it, and I have no idea what wires you are going to try to run there, so I wouldn't even speculate. Its not a big deal.

Monitor:

29. My planned monitor setup is the following. One (1) primary 24” monitor, and one (1) secondary 18” monitor. The primary monitor has DVI and VGA and its resolution can get up to 1920x1200. The secondary monitor has DVI and VGA as well, but can only get up to 1280x1024. I want to do the following. Have the primary monitor hooked up to my GPU using DVI. Also have the primary monitor hooked up to my Xbox 360 using VGA (I have the cord). Then have the secondary monitor hooked up to the other DVI GPU slot. With this setup, I have the following questions:

a. Is it possible?

Yea. Take a look around.

b. Will I be able to have a dual monitor desktop screen for my new computer for things like internet browsing, excel, word, etc…?

Yea.

c. When I start up a computer game, will the game automatically only show up on the primary monitor, and lock out the other secondary monitor, so my mouse won’t move over to it, or will I need to unplug the second monitor?

Your drivers will take care of this. You will also be able to manually decide which monitor is your primary monitor.

d. Will the primary monitor know when I have my Xbox on versus when I have my computer on, or will I need to constantly unplug one or the other?

You'll have to manually select a different source on the monitor itself--hopefully it supports that.

e. What happens if I accidentally turn on both the computer and the Xbox?

A cute kitten dies.

f. What about the resolution difference between the monitors, will that cause a problem? Also, one is widescreen, one is fullscreen.

No, it will just look goofy and we will all make fun of you.

RAM:

30. Another choice I have to make is between the G-Skill RAM or the Mushkin RAM. The only reason I like the Mushkin is the rebate and the free 3dMark Vantage Advanced Version. I know a lot of you don’t like the 3dmark benchmarks, and say they are not “a real game”, but I still think it would be a nice benchmarking tool to have in addition to the normal game benchmarking. Any advice on which RAM I should go with?

It sounds like you've already made up your mind. That mushkin is not a bad deal.

31. The Mushkin I have selected isn’t on the QVL list for the motherboard. I called ASUS and asked if it would work, and they said to call the RAM vendor. So I called Mushkin, and they said that it would work with the motherboard. Are they just telling me what I want to hear? Should the Mushkin work well with the motherboard even though it’s not on the QVL?

You called and got an answer, and you're still asking? How existential. You have the word from the horse's mouth. Make your decision accordingly.

32. I plan on overclocking my CPU to around 3.6 or 3.8. How much would I benefit from a 1066mhz instead of 800mhz RAM? Is this worth the extra price, do I really need it?

The e8400 has a multiplier of 9, so you can get to 3.6GHZ with 1:1 ram multi with DDR2-800. If you want to go higher, then grab some faster RAM. OCing is not a guarantee.

CPU:

33. I actually want to get the Intel Core 2 Duo e8500 CPU because it’s only $20 more, and it comes with World in Conflict, which is $30 dollars retail. I am going to buy WIC anyway, so I might as well go with the e8500. The only reason I haven’t is because I’m not really familiar with the differences between the 8500 and the 8400 (other than clock speed). I want to be able to get guides online on how to overclock my CPU, and I feel like there are more for the 8400, as it is more popular. However, I have also read that the 8500 can be overclocked more. Should I go with the 8500? Does the overclocking for the 8500 work about the same as the 8400?

The e8500 has a multiplier of 9.5. Half multipliers make me want to vomit. Do what you want. If you want WIC and you'll save $10 by getting it with the bundle then go for it.

GOOGLE.

 

[DiabloAzul126]

P.S. I didn't realize anybody willing to build their own PC would have this many friggin questions.

I always built under the style that invovled learning from making mistakes (Killed 2 Motherboards 3 sticks of RAM, a PSU, a few hard drives.) =/

Har har har

 

[Gaiden133]

Monitor:

29. My planned monitor setup is the following. One (1) primary 24” monitor, and one (1) secondary 18” monitor. The primary monitor has DVI and VGA and its resolution can get up to 1920x1200. The secondary monitor has DVI and VGA as well, but can only get up to 1280x1024. I want to do the following. Have the primary monitor hooked up to my GPU using DVI. Also have the primary monitor hooked up to my Xbox 360 using VGA (I have the cord). Then have the secondary monitor hooked up to the other DVI GPU slot. With this setup, I have the following questions:

a. Is it possible?
yep.. don't see why not. it's just a typical dual monitor setup.

b. Will I be able to have a dual monitor desktop screen for my new computer for things like internet browsing, excel, word, etc…?

Yes. You can extend your desktop over to over side. since they are different resolutions, i wouldn't stretch it out and create one huge resolution. but still, you can be typing a post on one monitor while watching a movie on your desktop in the second screen at the same time.

c. When I start up a computer game, will the game automatically only show up on the primary monitor, and lock out the other secondary monitor, so my mouse won’t move over to it, or will I need to unplug the second monitor?

Since I don't have any personal experience gaming with dual monitor, i hope someone else can comment more explicitly.

d. Will the primary monitor know when I have my Xbox on versus when I have my computer on, or will I need to constantly unplug one or the other?


You don't need to unplug anything as you should be able to just change sources with the button on the monitor. So if you x360 is on, you just change your monitor source to VGA. If you want to switch back to desktop, switch the source back to DVI.

e. What happens if I accidentally turn on both the computer and the Xbox?

the world explodes. LOL no really, there's nothing bad that happens. Just choose your source.

f. What about the resolution difference between the monitors, will that cause a problem? Also, one is widescreen, one is fullscreen.

well like i said earlier, you probably don't want to set it up with a resolution that stretches all the way across considering they are different resolutions and sizes. Just extend your desktop over and it becomes a new "space" in your virtual desktop area. you can drag and drop windows there and tbh, i wouldn't worry too much about it. it's easier explained when you play around with it.

BTW, i'm doing these in chunks so its easier to section them off and also anyone please feel free to correct any errors im making. the OP is asking quite an extensive set of questions

 

[Gaiden133]

RAM:

30. Another choice I have to make is between the G-Skill RAM or the Mushkin RAM. The only reason I like the Mushkin is the rebate and the free 3dMark Vantage Advanced Version. I know a lot of you don’t like the 3dmark benchmarks, and say they are not “a real game”, but I still think it would be a nice benchmarking tool to have in addition to the normal game benchmarking. Any advice on which RAM I should go with?

G.Skill RAM. They make damn great memory modules and have never had one of my sticks die on me just yet. Plus, they OC great and have great timings. i don't hear that many great things about mushkin modules. BTW, don't let the vantage be a factor in your decision. Because when it comes down to it, get the best memory module for your $, not the one that includes the license to some shitty benchmark anyway. My vote remains for the G.Skill because i believe its a better kit of ram

31. The Mushkin I have selected isn’t on the QVL list for the motherboard. I called ASUS and asked if it would work, and they said to call the RAM vendor. So I called Mushkin, and they said that it would work with the motherboard. Are they just telling me what I want to hear? Should the Mushkin work well with the motherboard even though it’s not on the QVL?

qualified vendors list? don't stress out about that. most memory modules, especially the popular ones will generally work in most motherboards. while they are exceptions in some picky mobo's on hitting high FSB's, i believe that the P5Q should have no problems with either the G.Skill or mushkin ram.

32. I plan on overclocking my CPU to around 3.6 or 3.8. How much would I benefit from a 1066mhz instead of 800mhz RAM? Is this worth the extra price, do I really need it?

Well, DDR2-800 speeds is around an effective 400FSB on your motherboard. those two kits you showed should be able to hit that pretty easily. As far as how much further though, that's dependant on the memory. If i were you, i'd get 1066 speeds as that gives you a higher rated speed of 533 Mhz to run 1:1.

CPU:

33. I actually want to get the Intel Core 2 Duo e8500 CPU because it’s only $20 more, and it comes with World in Conflict, which is $30 dollars retail. I am going to buy WIC anyway, so I might as well go with the e8500. The only reason I haven’t is because I’m not really familiar with the differences between the 8500 and the 8400 (other than clock speed). I want to be able to get guides online on how to overclock my CPU, and I feel like there are more for the 8400, as it is more popular. However, I have also read that the 8500 can be overclocked more. Should I go with the 8500? Does the overclocking for the 8500 work about the same as the 8400?

Like the guy said earlier, i personally don't like 9.5x multipliers anyway. But, it could help you hit that wall if you'd like. That is pretty much the only difference between the two. I've seen a lot more people hit higher speeds with the e8400 though. My brother owns a e8400 and he's sitting at 4Ghz pretty easily. Please keep in mind, there is NO guarantee on what speeds you're going to hit with what chip. You may get a golden chip, average chip or dud chip with whatever cpu you buy. So don't think that getting an e8500 will give you higher clocks than an e8400 because it very may well won't. If its only $20 more and you were planning on getting WIC anyway, go with the e8500. If the price were way more and you didnt want WIC, i'd say stick with the e8400. And all reviews/guides for the e8500 are applicable to the e8400 sans a few things.

Damn dude. you seriously had a lot of questions BUT its good that you asked that's what we're all here for. if you have any more questions, shoot any of us a PM.. we're more than happy to help. we've all been there, done that, got [H].

 

[Rydawg5143]

P.S. I didn't realize anybody willing to build their own PC would have this many friggin questions.

I always built under the style that invovled learning from making mistakes (Killed 2 Motherboards 3 sticks of RAM, a PSU, a few hard drives.) =/

Har har har

+10000000000

 

[magoo]

This thread is turning into a pretty damn good PC building 101.

Yes, we are here to hep you.
We all do things a bit differently, but have achieved the same result of [H]'ness.

 

[Rydawg5143]

this is how i built my last PC, once i got unlazy and actually unboxed the parts,
PSU
mobo w/ cpu and hsf already installed (bigger hsf become hard to install later with everything in it least with my big clumsy hands)
memory
GPU
whatever else
connect power and other cords as needed

 

[AltTabbins]

My only bit of advise is to get rid of that case and get something respectable instead a of a heaping shit pile of plastic.

Antec 300.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

Antec 900
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021&Tpk=antec+900

Anything from Lian Li.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112099

 

[tuksonrider]

The NZXT Tempest looks like it has the same amount of plastic as the 900. It's practically a copy of the 900.

As for the OP, I would suggest the Xigmatek RVT-S1283 heatsink.

Also, Provantage.com has that same PSU (Corsair 750W) for cheaper. I've ordered from them alot.

Last, for the same price, you can get a 500GB drive with 32mb of cache instead of 16mb for the same price (Seagate Barricuda).

 

[Rydawg5143]

get a WD6400AAKS for 85 bucks, look in hot deals.

 

[Shawnasee]

These are the kinds of questions I would have if I were to build a computer and I doubt they would be as few as this.

Many were deriding this thread for its length but I find value in it and have already saved Gaiden's answers to a Word doc for future reference. Thanks Gaiden!

Google IS your friend but (H) is your best friend.

 

[Chimera6586]

Wow guys, thanks for all of the answers. It is helping me out tremendously.

I am wondering. Should I edit the original post by taking out the questions that I no longer have, and feel completely good about?
Or should I leave it the same for others who have similar questions? If I leave it, I will post a revised list (that is shorter) as just a reply.

I need to go through all of the replies in more depth to clean up and narrow down my next step.
For now one question I have for sure relates to the recent talk about cases.

My only bit of advise is to get rid of that case and get something respectable instead a of a heaping shit pile of plastic.

The NZXT Tempest looks like it has the same amount of plastic as the 900. It's practically a copy of the 900

I was debating between the Antec and the Tempest. I chose the Tempest because it has better airflow. However, I am also concerned about cheap steel and plastic.

Do these cases have the same kind of material on the sides? As far as steel? What about plastic amount?

Also: My friend has a really nice case, I'm not sure what its made of so I'll try to describe it. The material that the case is mostly made out of is very sturdy, to the point where you might not even be able to bend it. It also appears to have extremely fine vertical lines in the metal, and has a dull shine to it....not a reflection. What is it? I don't think its steal, maybe aluminum I'm not familiar with aluminum.

Once again, thank you to those helping me out.

 

[Power5]

The case looks similar to an antec 900, but appears to have even less possiblities for good wire routing. Friends sounds aluminum. Most cheaper cases like the NZXT and Antec have SECC steel structure and side panels. Then the front has clip on plastic components.

I hope you are not serious about that 18" Gateway??? For nearly the same cost of your 24" you are going to think about picking up a 18"???? Get dual 24".

I would look at multiple HDDs in Raid 0 if I were you as well. Or, possibly look into an OCZ SSD. Then you can pick up a 1tb seagate for backup for $150.

 

[Gaiden133]

These are the kinds of questions I would have if I were to build a computer and I doubt they would be as few as this.

Many were deriding this thread for its length but I find value in it and have already saved Gaiden's answers to a Word doc for future reference. Thanks Gaiden!

Google IS your friend but (H) is your best friend.

NP, you're welcome. We were all nervous the first time we built our rigs..

Shoot a couple years ago, my first rig.. I even installed my mobo directly onto my case without standoffs Great way to start off the build, haha. (had to buy a new mobo -_- )

If anything, this would've helped me out a ton back then knowing every answer to every question as it can be daunting on the first try.

Trust me, you'll look back at this and go like "Man.. why the hell did I ask that stupid question for?".

Answer: It gets archived @ [H] to help out future newbies

Anyway, i said fuck it and I answered 1-8, in post #14, and updated question 15 since i missed it first time around.

I am wondering. Should I edit the original post by taking out the questions that I no longer have, and feel completely good about?
Or should I leave it the same for others who have similar questions? If I leave it, I will post a revised list (that is shorter) as just a reply.

If you have more questions, I would probably just post them in a new reply unless you discern them discreetly in the original OP. Plus, once you're all done asking questions anyway, you can just add it into the OP.

 

[tuksonrider]

I think the Tempest case would be just fine.

I own the 900, but with a new build I just finished, I was deciding to get the Tempest or the Cooler Master 690.

I went with the Cooler Master 690 because it was $60 from Provantage.com

 

[Chimera6586]

I hope you are not serious about that 18" Gateway??? For nearly the same cost of your 24" you are going to think about picking up a 18"???? Get dual 24".

Lol, no sorry, I forgot to mention, I already have that monitor lying around. I'm not paying for it. I just thought I might as well use it.


I will post another reply with an updated build config and list of questions.



Also, I had never heard of that provantage site. Do people recommend it? I live in Wisconsin....
If it's a reliable site, I might do some price shopping again.

So far I only compared newegg and tigerdirect

 

[tuksonrider]

Provantage is a GREAT site to order from . Fast and relieable. They ship out immediately and send you tracking info asap.

 

[Hemi345]

c. When I start up a computer game, will the game automatically only show up on the primary monitor, and lock out the other secondary monitor, so my mouse won’t move over to it, or will I need to unplug the second monitor?

Since I don't have any personal experience gaming with dual monitor, i hope someone else can comment more explicitly.

This depends on how you configure your dual monitor setup. If you extend the display to the 2nd monitor, that monitor will usually just go blank/black screen while you're in a game on the primary monitor. It would do this on 90% of the games. Others I could actually still see the desktop on the other monitor. This was kinda nice because i could I could have have IM or be killing time gaming while keeping an eye on an app doing some work on the 2ndary screen.

 

[Chimera6586]

I have updated the massive list of questions. I have also changed my build around slightly after reading some of the answers.


Here is my proposed build (I plan on ordering when all of my major questions are answered):

Case:NZXT Tempest
Primary Monitor:Gateway FHD2401 24" Widescreen
Secondary Monitor (which I already have):Gateway FPD1810 18.1"
CPU:Intel Core 2 Duo e8500
CPU Cooler:Arctic Cooling Freezer 7
Motherboard:ASUS P5Q Pro Intel P45
RAM:4GB (2x2) Mushkin
GPU: Visiontek Ati Radeon HD 4870 512mb
PSU:Corsair 750TX 750Watts
HDD:500GB Western Digital 3.0Gbs/sec 16mb Cache
Disk Drive:LITE-ON DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe SATA
OS:Windows Vista Ultimate 32bit (I will upgrade to 64bit later to get all of my 4bg of RAM)

Below are my questions/concerns, since there are many, please answer with the same numbers in front of the questions that are here. This will avoid confusion.






Software:
1. With regards to software order install. From what I have heard I’ll go with this order.
-Push power button
-Check out BIOS
-Make sure boot drive is CD first
-Put in OS CD
-Restart with CD in
-Follow on screen instructions (which will show me formatting)
-Put in MB driver CD and dl appropriate drivers
-Restart
-This is where I get confused…Some people are saying to plug into the internet at this point and download all of the windows updates before installing anymore drivers. I have heard this before as well.
-Install the rest of drivers? Not sure.

Could someone clarify some more please, try to be as specific as possible.

Hardware:
All good here.

Video Card:
2. Which card handles overclocking better, the HD 4870 or the GTX 260? I have read that the HD 4870 does because of the GDDR5 memory. What do you guys think?

Motherboard:
All good here

Heatsink:
3. Can I control the speed of this CPU Heatsink fan? If so, how?
I’m still a little shaky about this.

Case Fans:
4. In the pictures of the case, it seems that each fan has two or three cables coming out of it. One of the cables looks like a standard 4 pin Molex (I think), the other is very small. I believe the molex just plugs into the PSU, but where does the other small connector go?

So I looked harder at the pics. There is one male molex, one female molex, and one three pin thing. From what I understand, I need to plug both of the molex in and attach the three pin to the mobo. Is that correct?

5. Is there anyway to control the speed of my case fans? If so, how?
Is a fan speed controller the only way to do this then?

Case:
All good here.

Monitor:
All good here.

RAM:
6. I plan on overclocking my CPU to around 3.6 or 3.8. How much would I benefit from a 1066mhz instead of 800mhz RAM? Is this worth the extra price, do I really need it?

Could I get some more input on this one?

CPU:
All good here.

Thanks again guys

 

[Gaiden133]

Software:
1. With regards to software order install. From what I have heard I’ll go with this order.
-Push power button
-Check out BIOS
-Make sure boot drive is CD first
-Put in OS CD
-Restart with CD in
-Follow on screen instructions (which will show me formatting)
-Put in MB driver CD and dl appropriate drivers
-Restart
-This is where I get confused…Some people are saying to plug into the internet at this point and download all of the windows updates before installing anymore drivers. I have heard this before as well.
-Install the rest of drivers? Not sure.

OK, so if your HD is empty anyway, you don't need to worry a whole hell of a lot about making sure in boot priority your SATA dvd drive is there & first. IIRC, it should be there in the boot sequence and should automatically load the OS drive. IF you do have a problem though, that's where I would start first.

-Follow on screen instructions (which will show me formatting)
-Put in MB driver CD and dl appropriate drivers

** Keep in mind, in between these two "steps" you have listed here, you started, completed your vista OS install and now you're in your desktop. You're not doing any driver installs (unless RAID) while you're doing the vista OS install.

The part where you get confused is rather simple.. once you get into your desktop, install motherboard drivers from disk, then go to ati and download the latest graphics drivers. Install it and then do all the windows update. once that's done, install all other peripheral drivers. It's really not that hard or you cant fuck it up let me put it that way..



Hardware:
All good here.

Video Card:
2. Which card handles overclocking better, the HD 4870 or the GTX 260? I have read that the HD 4870 does because of the GDDR5 memory. What do you guys think?

The 4870 runs pretty hot as it is, and if you want to crank up that monster to max OC potential with decent temps, you're gonna want to get an aftermarket air cooler. the gtx 260 can clock up to 700 on stock cooler iirc.. but still that's on par or slightly slower than the 4870. The 4870 is fast as tits even at stock, even OC'ed a little, and it flies.

RAM:
6. I plan on overclocking my CPU to around 3.6 or 3.8. How much would I benefit from a 1066mhz instead of 800mhz RAM? Is this worth the extra price, do I really need it?

Could I get some more input on this one?

http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1032266181&postcount=6

Scroll down to "Which speed of memory do I need for my CPU?"

In fact, take some time and read that thread there or if you have any other questions, search in that FAQ. It's really a wealth of information and those guys know what they're talking about.

CPU:
All good here.

Thanks again guys

Leaving all questions in regards to fans to someone else

 

[bicycle_wreck]

I have updated the massive list of questions. I have also changed my build around slightly after reading some of the answers.


Here is my proposed build (I plan on ordering when all of my major questions are answered):

Case:NZXT Tempest
Primary Monitor:Gateway FHD2401 24" Widescreen
Secondary Monitor (which I already have):Gateway FPD1810 18.1"
CPU:Intel Core 2 Duo e8500
CPU Cooler:Arctic Cooling Freezer 7
Motherboard:ASUS P5Q Pro Intel P45
RAM:4GB (2x2) Mushkin
GPU: Visiontek Ati Radeon HD 4870 512mb
PSU:Corsair 750TX 750Watts
HDD:500GB Western Digital 3.0Gbs/sec 16mb Cache
Disk Drive:LITE-ON DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe SATA
OS:Windows Vista Ultimate 32bit (I will upgrade to 64bit later to get all of my 4bg of RAM)

Below are my questions/concerns, since there are many, please answer with the same numbers in front of the questions that are here. This will avoid confusion.






Software:
1. With regards to software order install. From what I have heard I’ll go with this order.
-Push power button
-Check out BIOS
-Make sure boot drive is CD first
-Put in OS CD
-Restart with CD in
-Follow on screen instructions (which will show me formatting)
-Put in MB driver CD and dl appropriate drivers
-Restart
-This is where I get confused…Some people are saying to plug into the internet at this point and download all of the windows updates before installing anymore drivers. I have heard this before as well.
-Install the rest of drivers? Not sure.

Could someone clarify some more please, try to be as specific as possible.

Once you have your LAN driver installed, I would plug-in the cat5 cable and download the latest GPU drivers first. Then after you restart I'd hit-up windows update. Rinse and repeat.

Video Card:
2. Which card handles overclocking better, the HD 4870 or the GTX 260? I have read that the HD 4870 does because of the GDDR5 memory. What do you guys think?

Overclocking your graphics card (GPU and VRAM) doesn't yield spectacular results--maybe a few extra FPS. I wouldn't base my purchase decision on which card OCed better.

As far as a general comparison between the two: at your resolution, its a crap-shoot. If the 1GB 4870 was out, I would say ATi hands-down, but the dudes in green have been cutting prices like cocaine and its very tempting. GTX 260 has more RAM...

That's a hard decision. Flip a coin?

Heatsink:
3. Can I control the speed of this CPU Heatsink fan? If so, how?
I’m still a little shaky about this.

If you want to control your CPU fan, then get one with a controller or a PWM connector. Personally, I don't think the fan you have picked out is going to be annoyingly loud. Check out the reviews and see what people are saying.

Case Fans:
4. In the pictures of the case, it seems that each fan has two or three cables coming out of it. One of the cables looks like a standard 4 pin Molex (I think), the other is very small. I believe the molex just plugs into the PSU, but where does the other small connector go?

So I looked harder at the pics. There is one male molex, one female molex, and one three pin thing. From what I understand, I need to plug both of the molex in and attach the three pin to the mobo. Is that correct?

Your motherboard will have several of these plugs on the PCB. The manual will show you where they are if you're fuzzy. So yes, that is correct.

5. Is there anyway to control the speed of my case fans? If so, how?
Is a fan speed controller the only way to do this then?

There are some fans, like the Antec Tri-Cool, that have controllers built-in, but they aren't the greatest fans. If you want to do it right, then yes a fan controller--preferably a rheobus, would do the job. I say just get some decent low-noise fans and don't mess around with a controller. Scythe S-Flex 1200 RPM would do nicely.

RAM:
6. I plan on overclocking my CPU to around 3.6 or 3.8. How much would I benefit from a 1066mhz instead of 800mhz RAM? Is this worth the extra price, do I really need it?

Could I get some more input on this one?

Stick with DDR2-800 and get the e8500. There you'll have enough leg room with the 9.5 multi to hit 3.8ghz without OCing the RAM. Don't get greedy with an OC. You're new at this and OCing isn't guaranteed.

 

[chinesepiratefood]

Few bucks more gets you DDR2-1000
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231145&Tpk=F2-8000CL5D-4GBPQ

I have it though, and it doesn't go much over 1000, just an FYI