The Official PC building thread!

High guys...

I've seen some of you post pictures on this forum. Can you tell me hwo you did that? I'd like to post my PC build so maybe you will be able to identify if i've missed something in trying to connect my frontside USB. I still haven't gotten that working yet.

Thanks!

 

dougisjc,
theres a few free image hosing sites around,imageshack is a good one.
Go here:
http://imageshack.us/
Hit browse,find the image on your computer(your screen capture or photo)then hit resize for message boards 640x480 (If it's a large image)then click host it.
When the next page loads left click and drag over direct link to image(the last option) then right click,click copy,then paste into the reply box.Put
after the link.Then hit the reply box and your done!!

 

I hope that works. Let me know if you see anything missing with my frontside USB connection. I have an ASUS P5B Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard and a Sonata II case.

Thanks guys!

 

Also...

I put the fan and heatsink on facing the correct way, right? I'm pretty sure it's right...

The USB connectors, I believe, are in the front there (those two grey cables coming out). Not sure what else to try at this point.

Thanks!

 

dougisjc,
Go here and make sure your usb connectors are right:

http://www.directron.com/installusb.html

Have you installed the usb drivers??

The heatsink fan is right.

 

I'm sure that the the heatsink should be rotated anti-clockwise 90 degrees.
The idea is that it pulls air through the fan into the main body and then out towards the exhaust fan, then the warm air is pulled straight out of the case.
At present your warm air is being pushed towards the PSU, where it just increases that components temp.

 

BigDK,If it was rotated 90degrees anti clockwise I think it would take the top off of the ram!!

 

That will only be seen when he tries it.
It doesn't change the fact that it is still the optimal position for heatsink.
The correct position is as I stated, if he is forced to use it the other way around, then that is a limitation of the boards design for use with that heatsink, in which case you would come to the conclusion that the wrong heatsink was bought for the setup.

 

BigDK,I agree with what your saying whole heartedly,
but when he asked if it was right,I noticed the ram would interfere with the fan on the heatsink(at least that's how it looks in the pic).Any other way would be totally wrong.

 

Well this is not one of my wiser moves,but... I put a Digital thermal controller in place of my floppy... I was not sure how it got the info...after opening the box I noticed it had sencers? Then I felt really stupid- had nothing to do at the time sooo.. put it in! after monitering it for a few days the CPU senser is 10 c off from my asus software, it has not changed from that ratio for 3 days now- I guess what Im asking is, other then fan control- this thing is worthless- is there anyway to put the [3] sencers that will be profitable?

 

Also for the heat pipes to work efficiently they need to be oriented horizontally:
http://www.driverheaven.net/reviews/freezerpro/

So for the given configuration I'd leave it as it is.

 

I use thermal sensors on Graphics card, hard disks, motherboard and power supply. The CPU one is irrelevant, showing a max of 40 when the CPU's 55C, because it can only tell you how warm the air around the heatsink is, rather than the temperature of the processor. Trouble is, since I didn't install it, I need to work out which numbers are which!

 

herrick,
Judging by all the hardware you have crammed in that box I'm suprised you had any room for it!!ROFL!!

 

@ sammorris
Can you tell me were you put the sencers [vid. card, Mobo,HD- detail info please]on your machine? I put mine on the other side of the fan on my vid. card [have 2 ]and in the middle of my c/ drive and of coarse the heat sink of CPU.

@ crowy
Yep... big case, but crowded... as long as the temps are good- dont really matter to me, although need to put some effert in my wiring, but going to add two more drives and get rid of the sony optic so will deal with that then... what does ROFL mean? can you tell I really do not chat much... AH,AH,AH,

 

I realize my sig. is ... well over kill, but I am really new at this building and I want to give you people the most info. I can with out retyping it all the time...

 

That's why I put my system there too.
It's not so much where "I put" the sensors on my hardware, more I asked my system builder to put them on certain places and I can give you the locations they chose.
On my X1900XT they put one on the circuit board just behind the bracket that keeps the heatsink on. For the motherboard, it's attached to the board just to the left (as you look inside the case) of the chipset heatsink. The hard disk sensors are placed on the labels on the top of the drives, the PSU sensor is on the bottom of the front-side of the unit, underneath the modular connectors, and the CPU one is placed just outside the bracket that the Zalman uses to attach. I'll try and make a pictorial of it to make it a bit clearer.

 

herrick,
ROFL= roll on the floor laughing!!

 

Guy's go here:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=103638
This is the most accurate temp monitor I've used.
Regards Crowy.

 

Hey guys...did everyone come to a consensus on if my fan is connected correctly or not? I think it might be. I think it sucks air through it, so it's pulling air away from the stuff at the bottom (GPU and everything else) and back into the power supply area, and then the case fan is supposed to blow that air out the back of the case. In the case (or mobo maybe) manual it showed the fan facing the GPU and PCI slots I think. So I assumed that was correct. In any case though, my case temps seem reasonable. 45ish degree C for CPU and 35C for (...well i forgot...but you get the idea, haha). Nothing seems to be getting abnormal hot, so I'm probably ok. GPU seemed to be slightly warm, so I moved that network adapater card to the bottom PCI slot. Not sure if that really does anything, but it creates some separation and the fan on the GPU should be able to blow air away more freely now.

Thanks for the link Crowly. I'll take a look tonight. I didn't plug in that connector with all those little prongs...so thats' probably the problem.

 

Thosetemps are good for full load, a bit high for idle though. Chipset temp is fine, but CPU is a little on the warm side, which suggests the CPU cooler isn't in a proper place. I'd generally avoid blowing air from the CPU in the vicinity of the PSU, they get hot enough on their own, and with all that hot air blowing on them, they will get hot indeed. The problem is that that PSU as far as I can see has an end mounted fan, not bottom mounted fan, so you're just blowing air onto the PSU. If it had an inward blowing fan on the bottom such as the PSU me and herrick use, it can take that air outside easily. Without, it's blowing around making things warmer. The better position for that HSF is, as was said before to have the fan facing the RAM, so the air goes directly out the back of the case. The AC Freezer also has bent fins at the back to cool the voltage regulators on your board, if it's set up facing that way. This of course assumes the cooler will clear your RAM. it should, due to the height of the fan above the board surface, but no guarantees as I don't use it. Also bear in mind every time you move the cooler after running the system up you'll need to change the thermal transfer material, so plan well!