The Official PC building thread -3rd Edition

no they gave me a new board. my sata controller and mem controller were both faulty on my board. the new one they sent me they tested first and did a bios update for me and then sent it back to me. i told them the hardware i had(e8400 7600gt) and xp home, and they tested it with that stuff(so they say i wasnt there to verify it) buti havent had any issues as of yet.

 

Rob,
I see that Micro$oft says that the page can't be found?? It worked when I sent it because I always open all links in the preview before I post! Here's another link. I recommend adding it to your files in case you run into the problem in the future. It must be dependent on what files M$ added to your install, and yes, they do add some files without asking permission, but only after the lan install. Glad you are "Jammin"! I'm listening to some Bianca Ryan at the moment, myself. What a set of lungs! Simply an amazing voice for such a young girl!

Best regards,
Russ

 

I use the card to play games like Doom 3, Far Cry, and F.E.A.R. So nothing really graphic intense like Crysis. It's just I would want to get a new one that is only around 200 so I can use the 8800 ultra just as a backup.

I have another question too. Is the new Dominator GT just for AMD or Intel too? I saw the Cas Latency is a 7 instead of Dominator 8. But does it OC very easy to get the 7 even lower or no? I know Dominator can get to 5 or 6 but can it get lower with the GT?

 

mmm IMO if it does what u need it to do now with no problems why upgrade?

whats your budget btw? i pressuem you will use newegg?

 

Rob,
It's actually pretty easy for them to test just about any popular hardware Most manufacturers usually supply companies like Asus, GigaByte, BioStar, etc with their components. I know one time I went over to BioStar and they had a whole shelf full of all sorts of video cards for testing purposes. Same way with CPUs! It's the source of many product leaks as well! LOL!! With all the big companies located in the City of Industry, CA. they often can get certain memory or video cards, or whatever else they need for test purposes. I know they did that with the memory I was using (GSkill). They just sent someone over to GSkill and got the exact memory I was using. It's to their advantage to all work together, and being so close together, makes it easy!

Best Regards,
Russ

 

Oh it does make sense that they would do that. they can then see what the consumer is dealing with, when they call in with a problem. but i also look at it like OM7 kinda hinted at. they get so many RMA's they cant honestly look at each and everyone. if they get some mobo's back and they have the same issues as just say 250 other mobo's they arent gonna test that board. they will just give out a new one and test it with said hardware and then ship it out. im 100% sure thats what they did with mine. heck the one tech i talked to the last time calling there he said it was a new board and was tested with my same hardware and updated the bios.. so cool for me..

 

Rob,
I think it depends on the problem and whether it's a known problem or not. When it's a new problem they get more involved and spend more time with it. Asus did the same thing when I built Gina's rig, after the second motherboard, too. I know for a fact that GigaByte will often test with your configuration, just to check for hardware issues!

Best Regards,
Russ

 

About $2500 unless I don't get my Alienware laptop then it's about $5000.

So it's not unlimited but not tight either. I'm a "big" power hungry and OCer. So the more the CPU can OC the better. I've always used AMD so I'm new to the Intel but I go to where the power chips are.

 

thats an insane budget!

anything you want to keep in the current build?

 

Yes I'm keeping my 250 GB HD, my DVD-ROM, PSU, my wireless keyboard and mouse, and my 22" monitor.

I'm trading in my DVD burner for a burner with lightscribe. Plus I have to trade in my Artic Cooler 64 for a Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 120mm SSO CPU Cooler. Never heard of the brand but looks good on reviews.

Plus all my purchases will be from Newegg.

 

whats the brand of the PSU?

(PS in that budget id recoommend an SSD for the OS + 1/1.5TB for storage )

 

The brand is Thermaltake toughpower 750W and I'm thinking of getting a bigger HD but I'm still on the ropes with either adding another HD and running Raid 0 with a Raptor 10K RPMs. But I don't like that they are only 160 GB or a 750 GB WD HD.

Reason being since my old HD was on a AMD board I think I will have to format the Drive and start with a fresh Windows install.

 

Oh and for the SSD is just a bit overkill for me. I like the idea of no moving parts and hardly any noise if at all. However, the price is a "big" turnoff for me.


Just for a 250GB SSD cost $725.

 

trust me mate, if you put the OS on an 80GB drive (yes new install, IMO take windows 7 64 bit)

and if you are moving form amd to intel a new install of the OS will be needed.

80GB is enough, for the OS and programs, and then use the 1TB/1.5TB for videos/games/mydocs/my pics/my music etc etc etc.

also you have $2500 thats ALOT of monies

and the PSU, as sam would say isnt suited for a high end system, THOUGH it is the same one as the carsait TX750W, i know sam would go on about the fan.

ill spec 3 systems then, 2 at 2500 and one at 5000

 

going with a new build you would want to go with a fresh windows install.

out of curiosity why do you want the lightscribe drive? do you plan on useing it often?

being a odd guy myself. i had a lightscribe drive. used it about 25 time and was done with it. they take way to long to do the scribe. if done on best setting to get a quality scribe. i went to printable disc and have since looked back. thats just my opinion. but if light scribe is what YOU want then let me help you out in the right direction.
here is 2 good drives for burning as well as lightscribe, this plextor has the same chipset as the 7200 sony optaric/
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...mpareItemList=N82E16827249054,N82E16827118032

 

a friend of mine has a Q9300. what is a normal temp for this cpu to be running at? same as my Q9550? he says its idle temps are in the mid 40c sometimes hitting 50c

it is in a dell desktop with only 1 side fan for cooling...

 

those speeds are max speeds. dont mean you have to burn them there..lol
i have the 7200A and 7200S and 7220S 20x and 22x speeds. but i only burn at 8x 12x max. but they are awsome burners.

 

Rob,
The Q9300 runs warmer than the Q9550. The Q9550 is a different, newer generation chip, and more efficient than the Q9300. Roughly the same as comparing an E6700 and an E6750. The XX50 intels are all better than their even numbered counterparts, perform better and make less heat doing it! Some of his heat is also the fault of the Dell design. Simply not enough airflow, with just a single fan! The E6750 I replaced ran low 30C temps in spite of being overclocked. Even at the end, before I sent it back for RMA at max 1.5v it still ran remarkably cool! Very low 30s!

Best Regards,
Russ

 

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I know exactly what your saying mine averages around 9x I'm like what the heck. I have DVDs that are suppose to burn 16x and my burner is suppose to burn at 16x but I can't even get close to that. The best is like you a 12x