The (new) Official PC building thread!

There's nothing I really keep handy for building PCs specifically, but then again I don't build PCs that often, I mainly just look after the two of mine. If there's one thing I've recently acquired that's an absolute godsend though, it's a magnetic screwdriver. The one I had been using up until recently wasn't magnetised at all, and screwing drives into the enraging drive cages in the Antec 900 was a nightmare. With a proper screwdriver it's no problem though, no wonder nobody else complained about it!

 

I understand how that can be helpful. Please excuse my ignorance but I always thought that magnetism around hard drives and maybe a mobo's circuitry would be a bad thing. Maybe the tiny bit a driver is polarized is OK, compared to say a 50lb. rare earth magnet wouldnt be?

 

No I don't think magnetism like that harms your HDD or circuitry. At least not from a screwdriver.

 

Lol it's hardly very strong, one small PC screw is about as much as it can hold. With static electricity you've certainly got to be very careful, but it takes quite a strong magnet to wipe a hard drive, you're looking at something at least as powerful as from a large subwoofer I'd expect.

 

Talking of HD's, it seems Samsung's spinpoint drives have cause a stir in the market with the performance they have. Especially the

SpinPoint T166 HD501LJ

Quote from custompc.co.uk,

As each of the three platters inside the T166 HD501LJ provide 166GB of storage, the drive must have a very high areal density, although Samsung was unable to confirm the exact figure. Because of its high areal density and 16MB buffer, the T166 HD501LJ is incredibly fast, loading Far Cry in just 35 seconds, 17 per cent faster than the slowest 500GB drive, the Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3500630AS. In fact, the T166 HD501LJ loaded Far Cry in less time than the 'crazy but cool' 10,000rpm Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD. It also proved to be very fast in Paint Shop Pro, scoring 1.53. Even better, the T166 HD501LJ is very cheap, as each gigabyte costs just 18p, which is why it wins our Premium Grade Approved award.

 

My friend's server uses three 7200.10s and three 501LJs in it, and my server has (among others) two WD5000AAKSs in it. All of the drives are quiet and fast.

 

Sam,
I'm disappointed in the Phenom to say the least. Even non-overclocked it's rather unstable. I wonder if it's possible that it corrupted my Windows installation again. At this point I simply want it to run without locking up. I can't even turn it off within Windows. I have to push the power button. I'll reinstall windows (for the third time) and see if that helps. I want to make sure nothing else is causing the problem.

Definitely right about the magnetic screwdrivers. I wouldn't attempt a build without one. Mine is working great for stripping parts out of the Phenom build to use in other PCs.

I expect AMD to get it's act together eventually and release a working processor. I'll wait until the thing is out for a while though. This is my fault for buying into the hype and not waiting. I might RMA the thing but I don't think you can get money back, just a replacement processor, which wouldn't solve anything.

It sure was good to see those 3870's working correctly. I am so surprised at how well they work in the P5W-DH board.

 

Maybe you just got a bad CPU, you could try RMA maybe the next one will be better?

 

It's good to see that at least the Crossfire setup wasn't a waste of time, but I certainly think something's amiss with the Phenom. Do you think it's a buggy initial release of the AM2+ motherboard?

 

I know you've probably more builds under your belt this year than I do in my life so I dont doubt that the magnetics are a problem. I just wonder why this is a selling point for this toolkit. Click the specifications tab and check the features.

Is that advertising jargon for "theres nothing special about these at all because magnetic ones dont hurt it either?" I'm not trying to be a smartass, I just see conflicting answers here.

 

@he_man

The New Seagates are 7200.11...They only have (2) 250GB platters...therefore they are faster...quieter...and use less electricity...you always want the fewest # of platters in a drive...

@deadrum
I occasionally use a magnetic screwdriver...whenever I absolutely have to...but...I am very careful as to what I touch with it...you can destroy computer components with magnetism...however...It is highly unlikely with just a magnetized screwdriver...The case speakers is probably more dangerous then a screwdriver...large magnet pointing upward...don't ever let your component touch the case speaker...

 

Lp531,

Just how old is that case with the speaker magnet pointing up? I haven't seen a real speaker in a case in about 4-5 yers, and they were several years old by then! LOL!! Incredibly cheap cases too!

You would have to have a seriously strong magnet to harm something in a computer, like maybe a Super Magnet. Cooler Master Cavalier cases have 4 magnets that hold the door firmly closed. Each has a little "U" bracket that holds the magnet firmly to the door and the 4 cover screws are the part the magnet holds to! Makes for a very easy to open solid aluminum door that doesn't rattle at all. As far as the components go, the only thing a strong magnet could affect would be the hard drive and the Floppy. A magnetic screwdriver laid against the hard drive isn't strong enough to cause a problem. It's shielded much better than that! It would take an incredibly strong magnet to alter any of the electron flow going through the MB and the worst that could do is maybe give the computer some sort of temporary glitch, although I very much doubt even that!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Russ

 

@theonejrsI am very cautious with magnets and speakers since...I once took out my TV with a car stereo speaker that I was working on in my living room...I was swinging it around and it yanked the speaker to the metal front bezel...I watched my tube go Green on the side it stuck to.. It was a $1,000 lesson that I will never

forget...

Me...I would rather be Safe...then Sorry...As for Case Speakers...here is a picture of a Cooler Master Wavemaster case with a speaker like I am talking about..
And may Everyone Have a Merry Christmas..

 

Both of the cases I have my current PCs in came without case speakers, much to my annoyance. I personally would quite like one.
As for the large speaker, that's far more likely to do damage than a screwdriver, and TVs would be more vulnerable to large magnets than most PC parts I'd expect.

 

It was a 10" JBL with...probably a 20LB magnet...I tried pulling it off...got it about 1ft away...BAM ...Right back to the Frame..

 

Lp531,

damn that 10" JBL probably had a 40 oz or larger magnet! those things are for stereo speakers not TVs hehe

 

Have (4) of them in the back of my Celica...Had to Remove the Gas Tank to fit them into the Back Deck...Old tank was behind the Rear Seats...Wanted to remove the Side Filler anyways...I put the Gas Tank in the Trunk Floor...with the New Filler behind the Rear Plate...

 

Lp531,

Either the speaker impact somehow caused the Shadow Mask inside the picture tube to dislodge or the TV guy saw you coming. 99.9% of the time at the absolute worst, you would be the need to have the set professionally degaussed. I had the same problem one time when I didn't think and set a flashlight that had a magnet on it on top of a portable TV. Drove me absolutely nuts trying to figure what was wrong with the TV. Boy was my face red when I discovered the 2 bar magnet on the flashlight. Got out my Degausser and in a couple of minutes, it was perfect again! A magnet shouldn't do any permanent damage to a Television Set. In fact the original RCA sets had an array of magnets all around the picture tube front edge (the picture tube was round BTW), that were adjusted with little screws and hidden by the faceplate. They were there because in those days it was difficult to get a rectangular picture because of the round picture tube without losing too much picture quality on the edges, particularly the top and bottom edges because of the 4:3 aspect ratio. The old sets were particularly sensitive to magnetic fields, and even vacuuming the rug could and did cause problems with many of the early sets! Especially Consoles, because they were lower to the floor.

Since childhood, back in the mid 50s, I have worked on and off in Audio-Visual. I still repair a lot of electronic equipment. TVs, Stereos, Audio cassettes, VCRs and just about everything in the Audio-Visual field. I even repair an occasional 16mm optical sound projector and Reel to Reel Tape Recorders. It seems that there are very few people left around that know anything about this stuff. The biggest problem is locating mechanical parts, Tubes and Exciter lamps. Often I have to fire up the lathe and Milling machine to make my own parts! Fortunately the Internet helps in locating some of these items.

I didn't think it out too well when I answered before. You are right, that a very strong magnet could cause problems with Choke cores and the chokes themselves especially if they are Ferrite cores. Anything that's "wire wound" or has metal in it's construction could be affected. That includes CMOS chips and Eproms. Fortunately, Super Magnets are not a common household item, and that's about what it would take to do any real damage.

Best Regards,
Russ

 

The one built into it was did nothing...I also tried having it Degaussed...No Help...It was Toast...Trust Me..

Just depends on who's house...something tells me...you have a super magnet or (2) lying around...I know I Do...LOL..
Lp...

 

Lp531,

Then it moved or broke free part of the shadow mask inside the picture tube. They are made of steel and are very thin and it's easy to dislodge one if you are not careful when moving it. A 20 Lb. magnet could do that easily! The picture would be horrible, with all the colors and the picture all distorted! I actually watched some idiot shake his 13" portable TV because the reception was poor, and destroy it because the Shadow Mask broke free from the inside of the tube

Not a one! They are too dangerous with little kids around. My friend's granddaughter decided to see what would happen by putting a round one in the crook betweek two of her fingers and then see what would happen when she got near the other one! She found out! She came running in screaming and bleeding! We haven't had one in the house since!

Best Regards,
Russ