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I want to build you a computer


prophetik music
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Thanks for the offer, but it's actually not that computer. The parts are from the same time period, though! It's an i7-920 rather than the Core2 Quad Q9550. When my old workplace was shut down I salvaged the parts from the computers they were tossing. I still have the computer you built for me, but these days it serves as a makeshift file server. It's only a little better in performance, but when it's that old, every little bit counts.

Anyway, after I posted I decided to pull out some of the hard drives I had in the computer to see if something relating to them was the issue. Something like the drives themselves throwing errors, or the motherboard somehow suddenly not working properly with so many drives connected, or the power supply getting too old and not putting out enough power to support it all anymore. The power supply one was a hunch based on the fact that its uptime is probably about as long as the computer is old; I don't think anyone ever turned their computers off at my workplace, so it was probably running for essentially 5 years straight, give or take.

After a few days of running the computer with the drives disconnected, I haven't had any further issues. Well, I'm not saying it's solved, though, since it wasn't completely consistent in happening. I'll give it some more time and see if it happens again. If it doesn't, then I have to figure out what the root cause was so I can avoid that in the future.

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I'm looking into replacing the CPU on my Acer Aspire laptop that has an AMD Dual-Core E-350 processor with something a bit more powerful; it's about 4 years old and it's starting to show its age a bit. If I were to assume the board is only made to work with AMD processors, what would be a suitable upgrade for my laptop, if any?

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  • 3 months later...

Hey, I need a new computer as the mobo on my old one seems to be failing, and I'm on the fence of whether I should get a built PC and not have to worry about the time and cost of dealing with everything, or building it from scratch.

My current one was built by me, though quite some time ago.  2 x 2gb DDR2 memory, I think an amd 2.7 duel core, asus mobo, 3 SATA hard drives, etc.  I was hoping if I built it from scratch to start with a new case and go from there.

It would be used mainly for music production and internet-y things, so I'm not interested in a top of the line graphics card, or fancy case lightings.  Give me boring, give me functional, give me something that'll last.

Ideally I don't really won't to spend a great deal of coin, I'd think $600 is fair, but I'm willing to bend to $1000 (in CDN mind you).

What do you think?  Anything I'm missing? 

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2 hours ago, Skrypnyk said:

I'm all for doing it myself, I just don't know what to purchase.  What brands are considered quality now-a-days?  What can fit into what?  What should I be looking for?  (What's hyperthreading?)

Can you throw me a list of items I need in order to build something from scratch?

Hyperthreading pretty much allows CPUs to do multiple tasks at once.  Nothing really complicated, it's just about efficiency.

I have a little process I go through when I'm building a new computer.

I would do a little research on Tom's Hardware. http://www.tomshardware.com/ They have really good information about computer hardware and an useful hierarchy chart for processors.  Or you can just read reviews on Newegg.com 

I would at least decide what processor I'd want first.  Then, find a motherboard that will be able to work with that particular processor.  If you look at the board's specs, it will tell you exactly what processors you can use with it, what type of memory it will need, and it's memory capacity.  Grab your memory.  After you find a motherboard, look for a case that will fit your board.  After that, find a video card that will fit your case (some of them are big as hell) and a PSU that will be able to power everything.  I prefer to use one that is a little overpowered for the hardware I'm using.  That way, if I decide to add more hard drives or a second video card, I don't have to worry about upgrading the PSU.

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10 hours ago, noTuX said:

I would do a little research on Tom's Hardware. http://www.tomshardware.com/ They have really good information about computer hardware and an useful hierarchy chart for processors.  Or you can just read reviews on Newegg.com 

I would at least decide what processor I'd want first.  Then, find a motherboard that will be able to work with that particular processor.  If you look at the board's specs, it will tell you exactly what processors you can use with it, what type of memory it will need, and it's memory capacity.  Grab your memory.  After you find a motherboard, look for a case that will fit your board.  After that, find a video card that will fit your case (some of them are big as hell) and a PSU that will be able to power everything.  I prefer to use one that is a little overpowered for the hardware I'm using.  That way, if I decide to add more hard drives or a second video card, I don't have to worry about upgrading the PSU.

Solid advice.  Did some quick browsing and I've decided on I believe everything I would need to build a new rig.  You got the Case, PSU, CPU, Mobo, Memory, and optional Hard Drive.  Since the mobo has a VGA output, I'm guessing that would be enough(?)  I'm not sure about the PSU though, as I don't know how much power I need to power everything.  I'd have 3 additional hard drives (all SATA, although it can be reduced to 2), and I would try and bring over the case fans I have in my old rig if they'd fit.  Beyond that, did I do good?  Will everything be compatible with one another?  Did I overlook something?

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9 hours ago, Skrypnyk said:

Solid advice.  Did some quick browsing and I've decided on I believe everything I would need to build a new rig.  You got the Case, PSU, CPU, Mobo, Memory, and optional Hard Drive.  Since the mobo has a VGA output, I'm guessing that would be enough(?)  I'm not sure about the PSU though, as I don't know how much power I need to power everything.  I'd have 3 additional hard drives (all SATA, although it can be reduced to 2), and I would try and bring over the case fans I have in my old rig if they'd fit.  Beyond that, did I do good?  Will everything be compatible with one another?  Did I overlook something?

Why would you use VGA when there's an HDMI port on it ;~;

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11 hours ago, Skrypnyk said:

Solid advice.  Did some quick browsing and I've decided on I believe everything I would need to build a new rig.  You got the Case, PSU, CPU, Mobo, Memory, and optional Hard Drive.  Since the mobo has a VGA output, I'm guessing that would be enough(?)  I'm not sure about the PSU though, as I don't know how much power I need to power everything.  I'd have 3 additional hard drives (all SATA, although it can be reduced to 2), and I would try and bring over the case fans I have in my old rig if they'd fit.  Beyond that, did I do good?  Will everything be compatible with one another?  Did I overlook something?

That's a nice build.  If you don't plan on using video cards, the PSU you picked should be fine.  Video cards tend to hog a lot of power depending on what you get.

I would add an optical drive, but that is just a personal preference.  I know some people that don't use them, so its up to you.

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1 hour ago, noTuX said:

That's a nice build.  If you don't plan on using video cards, the PSU you picked should be fine.  Video cards tend to hog a lot of power depending on what you get.

I would add an optical drive, but that is just a personal preference.  I know some people that don't use them, so its up to you.

I'll bring over the optical drive from my old rig, although it's tempting to get a blu-ray drive, I'll wait until what I have starts faulting.

Cheers!

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don't buy rosewill. they used to be decent but they're trash now. corsair sells a 500w psu that's excellent and might be cheaper. as for the case, a Two Hundred or Three Hundred from Antec can handle that build, or the corsair carbide in the 50$ range works too. those are usually on free shipping, which is big for cases since they're often 20$ to ship.

don't spend 200$ on a mobo. you can get one in the 90-120$ range that's just as good for what you're doing.

buy a cheap graphics card in the 30-40$ range that is supported by W10 (GT 610 is probably good) for graphics processing so the cpu doesn't have to do it.

go with the 950 EVO, not 850 EVO.

 

edit: i have a 200$ mobo in my case. don't spend 200$ on a mobo *unless you know why you're spending 200$ on a mobo*. i wasn't clear before. i bought this one specifically for overclocking, and i bought it ages ago so i got my money's worth. since basically 0% of people who want to overclock would ask about what to build for a computer, i'm assuming you're using a mobo for basic usage. spending 75$ on a mobo for this then is totally fine.

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@prophetik music I placed the order of what I mentioned the day before you posted.  I checked out a couple of your suggestions, unfortunately most of your suggestions, even the cheap ones are some 30% more across the border and I wanted to avoid spending more money (lol!).  I did order up the video card though, should come some time next week.

Process story time!

I picked up everything and have started putting everything together, and learned early on that the CPU doesn't come with a heat sink (run out, 20 bucks, no big deal).  Keep installing, keep connecting, learned the mobo doesn't have an IDE ports, can't bring my DVD drive over (run out again, 95 bucks for a blu ray drive, sucks but new blu ray drive is kinda cool I guess).  Think I finished connecting everything and am ready to power everything for the first time, plug power in, hit power button and nothing.  Nothing comes on, no fans, zip.  Have a SD card reader LED that lights when there's power so I figured everything is okay, just maybe the F-Panel cables aren't quite in or something.  Eventually figuring that out, hit power and it works... for a second... then shuts off.  Check, re-check, 2-3 hours losing hair, start unplugging chassis fans, hard drives, maybe the PSU can't handle everything?  Maybe the mobo is defective?  Ended up removing the mobo from the case, plugging in just the power cords and whatever essentials and it powers up for longer than a second!!  Moral of the story the ATX 12v cable is just as important as the ATX cable.  The 12v cable wasn't long enough to plug into the mobo originally so I left it unplugged (run out, again, 9 bucks, getting tired).

Gonna try putting everything back together, hopefully everything starts running more smoothly (and I don't have to buy anything any more)

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Cheers.  Everything has been put together thus far, installed window 7 and wanted to just jump into windows 10 before doing anything else BUT, I guess windows 7 didn't have the drivers for the mobo.  It was interesting putting in a usb drive, having it not be read, and then when removing it have the computer shut down.  Also touching or moving the usb plugs in te back would turn the computer on and off which is weird.  After installing the drivers though, tried upgrading to 10 which failed cause I didn't authenticate windows 7, second attempt I thought it stalled/froze on the getting update portion of the installation, decided to try and update 7 a bit first, then go with 10.  So third times a charm, windows 10 just finished installing, I'll try updating all the drivers and apps or whatever then start reinstalling my studio.

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  • 2 months later...

@prophetik music I'm looking at ordering parts for a new rig very soon! My company has a program which refunds 20% of nearly all purchases that will go into an employee's personal build. However, I recently discovered that this program is ending August 31st. Now that I'm timeboxed, I lack the ability to take my normal approach of reading Every Review of Everything Ever. I'm seeking guidance so I don't do something stupid and preventable.

I built my current PC about 5 years ago. i5-2500k, ASUS P8Z77-V, 8GB DDR3, EVGA GTX 550Ti, 3TB HDD from WD in a mid tower (Corsair Carbide 300R). It's going in the basement to serve as a media box/arcade/stepmania machine

--

Please pick holes in this as much as you can, especially if you have choices that would be better (or would better take advantage of that 20% discount). I've been out of the game and I don't know what brands are solid any more.

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/gZwfPs
i5-6500, Gigabyte GA-H170M-D3HP, Corsair Vengence LPX (2x8), EVGA GTX 1070, EVGA G2 @ 550W, Samsung 850 EVO, WD Black 2TB @7200

CPU: The processor has been a toss-up between the 6500/6600/6600k. To be honest, I'm having a hard time believing anything can measure up to the performance and value I've gotten from the 2500k. I figure I might not need to OC on the new rig, so skipping over the unlocked cpu might save a few bucks. Then again, OC has made the 2500k competitive even now, so maybe it would be worth it down the line? Hard for me to say.

Mobo: I know what to expect with Gigabyte. Without OC, the H170M-D3HP should be good enough. If I end up getting a 6600k, I'd go with a Z170. Probably GA-Z170X-UD3 or MSI's Z170-A Pro. I've never ran a rig with anything other than full ATX. Are there any benefits other than size to using a smaller mobo?

RAM: Pretty sure I'm locked to 2133 unless I end up with a better mobo. I've had Corsair RAM in the past and have had good experiences with their customer service if there is an issue with the sticks.

GPU: Normal use is 2x1080p + 1440p. Gaming use is 1080p@144hz or 1440p@60hz. I think this justifies the 1070. VR down the line would be neat if/when it takes off. EVGA has always treated me well. The GTX 1070 SC ACX 3.0 is $381 on Jet, and my company's 20% rebate program would knock that down to $305ish. I'm happy with that.

SSD: I'm late on the SSD train. Don't know much here. Saw you recommended Mushkin a few pages back?

HDD: WD has had my back for years and years. Unless their drive failure rates are higher than I remember, this works for me.

PSU: G2 line seems crazy good.

Case: If you have any cases that come to mind, I'm all ears haha. Otherwise I'll get something boring and cheap with good airflow.

Misc: Is a PCI/PCIe sound card worth spending cash on nowadays?
EDIT: I can grab a spare optical from another rig; I'll want Win7 on the new build

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hey, i didn't even have myself logged in and happened to see my thread up top =D

a few notes:

you've got all this fancy hardware but no cpu cooler. since you've mentioned overclocking, i'd expect you know the value of a good cpu cooler. make sure you get one. i still go back to the hyper 212 but whatever works.

no case picked out? may i recommend a favorite - the corsair carbide air 540. unique layout, really is nice.

for the mobos, the form factor doesn't really matter if it's got the plugs you want. imo, though, go with the 6600k and better board. it's a lot of money later to upgrade and you are already spending most everything, just don't buy coffee for a few weeks and that's the balance. i didn't look at your picks but i'm sure they're fine, i use a gigabyte board right now but haven't ever bought a performance msi board yet.

i have a 970 and it's pretty dope at 1440p, so the 1070s can only be better. i prefer msi but their cards aren't really available. if you can get a 1070 made by msi, do it. otherwise evga'd be my backup.

ssds are hands-down the samsung 950's ball. if you can get m2 with your board, you might as well do it, else 2.5" is fine too.

that psu appears to be fine for this build, but doesn't really allow for any future-proofing down the line as your capacitors age. that build looks like it pulls 375-400w from the wall (estimated) before any efficiency is factored in. the G2s are gold certified, which is 88-90% efficiency iirc, so your build'd go around 450w from the wall the first year. it doesn't much allow, however, for overclocking headroom or future cap depreciation (5%ish of max power per year, or so, depending on usage). i'd go with at least 600w, probably 650w, since that puts your draw right in the 50-75% sweet spot that PSUs work their best in.

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  • 2 months later...

here's a bump. i did a build for a member of ocr who said i could post pictures! so here's a few =) this was a small form-factor build with a really reasonable price point considering the hardware in there. it's got something wonky with the in-Windows temp sensor so the BIOS reports it correctly but hwmonitor doesn't, but it appears to be idling at 24c (75F, in a 67F room) and under max CPU load and heat stress stays below 40c. really incredible machine, considering how quiet it is. just doing the burn-in and then it's ready to ship.

the specs:

  • cpu: i5-6600
  • graphics card: gtx 1060
  • mobo: ga-h170n-wifi
  • ram: g.skill 1x8gb ddr4 2400
  • ssd: kingston 240gb
  • hdd: wd blue 1tb
  • psu: corsair cx600
  • cpu cooler: h60
  • odd: asus dvd-rw
  • case: corsair obsidian 250d
  • os: W10

20161103_190332.jpg

can i take a few minutes and talk about this case? this case is incredible for the price (85$). it's so well thought-out. so much room for wire routing, so many little nooks to stash stuff, and the fans it comes with are easily 30$ worth up front. i mean, look at how open this is! for a mini-itx case, having this much room to work with is fantastic. it also is well designed to keep each major component in its own thermal zone. the psu draws and vents directly outside the case with no internal air used. the gfx card can do that as well with an EE-type card, but even this one mostly draws and vents directly outside the case. and that little notch in the ODD tray? that's to allow for gfx card power plugs to fit in there easily, so you don't have to pull the ODD tray to take out a long card. so simple, so effective. another QOL thing - there's a notch by the P4 connector to allow you to route that cable behind the motherboard easier, so you don't have a big stray cable right there. the front panel cords are 3x as long as they need to be to allow for routing as well. and - probably the coolest part of the design - it's made so that the psu and hdd bays are externally accessible, so you don't need to climb into the case to access either. so nice for the price, easily the most fun working on this case that i've ever done. and it fits in the tiny case form factor!

20161103_191145.jpg

here it is with the cpu cooler in the wrong spot. i had some issues getting that in there along with the ODD - i wanted the pipes to go up, but they interfere with the ODD, and then i wanted them like this, but it blocks both RAM slots then. i wound up with them down, which creates the possibility of air bubbles within the pipes, but this should be fine. these close-loop systems rarely have issues with air and i couldn't hear bubbles after several minutes listening with a stethoscope for cavitation. note the size of the gfx card, up for comparison. it's almost the exact length of the inside of the case :<

20161103_204454.jpg

here's a pic with everything in. look at how clean the sight lines are for the center of the case. there's one cable - the USB3 cable, which i couldn't hide thanks to the mobo design - and that's it. also note the gfx power (yellow/black on bottom right) in that slot. really nice design there.

20161103_210959.jpg

a final shot of it all buttoned up. again, look at those sight lines. a nice psu (or one with individually sleeved cables) and some cold cathodes and this design is a work of art, hiding all the junk but leaving a ton of view space.

20161103_211034.jpg

a size comparison. i have a fairly small wallet. this case is really freaking tiny.

20161104_102644.jpg

hanging out with my gaming system, server, and music pc. i swear those cords are normally hidden.

20161104_102611.jpg

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