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Computer Build Resource Thread - Page 797

Forum Index > Tech Support
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When using this resource, please read FragKrag's opening post. The Tech Support forum regulars have helped create countless of desktop systems without any compensation. The least you can do is provide all of the information required for them to help you properly.
skyR
Profile Joined July 2009
Canada13817 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-12-10 03:03:19
December 10 2011 03:03 GMT
#15921
On December 10 2011 12:00 Kleataurus wrote:
Could you use the MSI afterburner with any make of card?


Yes. It was answered before.
Sway.746
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States95 Posts
December 10 2011 03:28 GMT
#15922
On December 09 2011 07:10 Sway.746 wrote:
Looking to build a new computer... Here are the answers to the standard questions.
Thanks!

What is your budget?
$500-800, depending on diminishing returns at various levels in there.

What is your resolution?
Recommend me a good display for under $150 (separate from the above budget).

What are you using it for?
SC2, streaming, photoshop

What is your upgrade cycle?
Not looking to upgrade again for 3 years.

When do you plan on building it?
I want to finish it by mid-January, and will start buying parts now if there are some ridic deals or something.

Do you plan on overclocking?
Probably not.

Do you need an Operating System?
No

Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
I doubt it will be cost effective at my budget, but if it is, that's fine.

Where are you buying your parts from?
Pretty much Newegg exclusively, although I have access to a wholesale supplier that can give slight discounts over Newegg at times.


oh and I should probably mention that I only need the box and everything in it, no peripherals.
Womwomwom
Profile Blog Joined September 2009
5930 Posts
December 10 2011 03:37 GMT
#15923
There aren't really many large deals right now - even if you save money, its not going to be a significant amount (say $100 at best). Wait till January and see what AMD has to offer in terms of GPUs.
Myrmidon
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
United States9452 Posts
December 10 2011 03:46 GMT
#15924
You may want to consider diverting a little bit of that $500-800 (well more like on the upper side) to the monitor, so that's not restricted to under $150.
GloryOfAiur
Profile Joined October 2011
United States127 Posts
December 10 2011 06:24 GMT
#15925
On December 10 2011 12:03 skyR wrote:
Show nested quote +
On December 10 2011 12:00 Kleataurus wrote:
Could you use the MSI afterburner with any make of card?


Yes. It was answered before.

Yes
Sources: I asked that. =D
Shikyo
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
Finland33997 Posts
December 10 2011 06:27 GMT
#15926
Yes
I use it with an XFX card right now


By the way for a 800 dollar budget I would try something like i5 2400 with a cheap h61 8gb ram and 6870 or something along those lines, might be able to fit in a gtx 560 ti if you skimp on the other components a bit
League of Legends EU West, Platinum III | Yousei Teikoku is the best thing that has ever happened to music.
SleepTech
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
United States222 Posts
December 10 2011 10:31 GMT
#15927
I have a modem that I've had through Time Warner Cable since like 2007 and a linksys router since 2005. I'll be getting a new router soon and my question is should I go ahead and upgrade my modem as well or should that matter too much? I have horrible internet anyway and if I could squeeze more download/upload out of it then I'm all for it.

So just by upgrading the router could I experience much better download/upload speeds or would I need to upgrade modem as well to get more out of my internet?
Myrmidon
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
United States9452 Posts
December 10 2011 16:07 GMT
#15928
If it's functioning properly, the modem should be conforming to the relevant DOCSIS standard that your ISP is using (otherwise no data could be received). As long as the front end connecting to your router isn't somehow buggy or not performing as it should, that shouldn't be an issue either.

You're limited by whatever speeds your ISP is allowing you to use, generally not by any of your network hardware (unless it's malfunctioning). Maybe if you paid for a higher-rate plan, then you may require a new cable modem that supports a newer standard.
Shauni
Profile Blog Joined July 2004
4077 Posts
December 10 2011 16:26 GMT
#15929
I have a Sparkle GTX 460 768 MB GDDR5, I got it for free from a relative, but without a fan. As a temporary solution i strapped an intel cpu fan onto the heatsink. For temperature it's okay, but it gets waaay too loud and it doesn't seem to go below 40%, maybe because I had to connect it to cha_fan on MB.

I wonder if there are any cheap aftermarket coolers that fit, preferably just a decent fan that has this 2 pin PCI connector... I've looked around, but all VGA coolers i find are with heatsinks, and I'm not even sure they fit. Few seem to mention the GTX 460, and it's a bit confusing because the architecture seem to differ with manufacturers. And buying a chassis fan seems like a worse solution than my current one, if there are no 2 pin connector adapters...Anyone got an idea?
I'm taking whatever coverage I can get, because frankly, I'm busy working on this million dollar deal at my job. Early retirement is a good thing brotha man. - MessengerASL
Myrmidon
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
United States9452 Posts
December 10 2011 16:42 GMT
#15930
Is there any voltage control on the chassis fan header on the motherboard (in BIOS)? I don't see any problem with just strapping a larger fan to the heatsink and again using the motherboard header or even molex.

If it's loud, it's probably just feeding +12V (for max speed) to the Intel stock heatsink fan...which of course makes it very loud. You could use a fan controller (Zalman fan mate for just a single fan), but I don't think that's a great idea with a weaker fan such as that.

But you're reading that the "chassis" fan strapped to the graphics card isn't going below 40%? What do you mean by "seem to go below 40%?" Just making sure, but you're (1) not using the fan header on the graphics card and (2) not reading the fan control from the graphics card?
Shauni
Profile Blog Joined July 2004
4077 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-12-10 17:31:29
December 10 2011 17:11 GMT
#15931
http://i.imgur.com/KYUwQ.jpg

im not sure how to read this, but i suppose its the 99% 4250~RPM fan. So I guess it doesnt regulate speed at all? Can the 3 pin cha_fan connectors do that? I thought regulation was just for the 4 pin CPU fan pins, and unfortunately my only is occupied.

Oh and you're right about me reading from gpu programs, silly me. Funnily enough it registered fan reading even though there obviously is no fan there.

In Bios, all i can find is smart chassis fan control, which is enabled by default. Disabling it doesnt seem to change anything.
(this is it: http://www.manualowl.com/m/Gigabyte/GA-890GPA-UD3H/Manual/207678?page=56 )
I'm taking whatever coverage I can get, because frankly, I'm busy working on this million dollar deal at my job. Early retirement is a good thing brotha man. - MessengerASL
Phyre
Profile Blog Joined December 2006
United States1288 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-12-10 18:07:37
December 10 2011 17:55 GMT
#15932
I got some advice here a few weeks back and am pretty much all set except the picking of the last few components and was hoping to get a final word on the parts listed under "Still Deciding". Copy/Pasted goals from my original post:


What is your budget? About $1,000. Willing to go a little bit over if it's really worth it.
What is your resolution? 1280x1024. I use two 19 inch 4:3 Dell Ultrasharps. Going to upgrade one day though.
What are you using it for? Gaming mainly, programming work secondary.
What is your upgrade cycle? 4-5 years, I rarely upgrade.
When do you plan on building it? Some time in the next 2 weeks.
Do you plan on overclocking? Nope, this thing has to last and I'm not taking any chances.
Do you need an Operating System? Nope.
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire? Probably not.
Where are you buying your parts from? I'm in the USA, so Newegg and Amazon most likely. There is a Microcenter close by too.


Current components I've already bought:
- Fractal Design Define R3
- Intel i5-2400
- Intel 320 120gb SATA2 SSD
- G Skill 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600 RAM

Still Deciding:
- Intel BOXDH67BLB3 LGA 1155 Intel H67 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard: Just curious about whether or not I should go for the Micro ATX board from this line for the case and GPU I'm getting. The ATX board with what seems like the same specs is only $5 more (ATX version) so I wasn't sure if there was a particular reason to go one way or the other.

- EVGA 01G-P3-1561-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card: Seems like EVGA is the way to go from the reviews I've read and this one has $15 coupon code which brings the price to $215 after rebate. There are quite few models that look identical on Newegg so I just want to make sure I'm not getting screwed by picking this one.

- The PSU I'm the most undecided on. There seem to be a lot of intricacies in picking the right PSU. The ones I'm looking at are the following:
- Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80
- Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-520 520W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.91
- Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V
- XFX Core Edition PRO550W (P1-550S-XXB9) 550W ATX12V 2.2 & ESP12V 2.91
- SeaSonic S12II 520 Bronze 520W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91

They all seem very well reviewed and most were suggested to me here at TL as well. The XFX one in particular seems constantly sold out, makes me wonder if that is for a reason. In any case, I'd really appreciate some advice on the PSU especially.

Thanks!

"Oh no, I got you with your pants... on your face... That's not how you wear pants." - Nintu, catching 1 hatch lurks.
Myrmidon
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
United States9452 Posts
December 10 2011 17:55 GMT
#15933
Some motherboards don't support voltage control on (all or some) chassis fans, so no speed regulation. Yes the 4250 rpm seems like an Intel stock heatsink fan at 100%. Larger fans don't generally spin that fast.

If the GPU fan header is two pins, that means it's not getting rpm information. It's just sending a "fan speed" setting by sending different voltages. So of course there is still a reading. That 40% is what the graphics card wants the GPU fan to spin at. If you were to measure the voltage at the GPU fan header, you'd see something that corresponds to 40% then.

Just grab a fan with a lower max speed, and/or a fan controller. If you can make it fit, maybe just like a 120mm fan at no more than 1200 rpm or so should be okay.
Womwomwom
Profile Blog Joined September 2009
5930 Posts
December 10 2011 17:57 GMT
#15934
I have no clue what you guys are talking about so correct me if I do get it wrong.

The 3 pin slots on the motherboard will pump full power straight into the fan and so they don't (as far as I know) regulate speed. The only real way to regulate speed in 3 pin fans is through resistors, whether through adding resistors to the wire or use a potentiometer.

Now you've plugged the 4 pin Intel stock fan into a 3 pin motherboard slot right? No wonder its so loud. Intel stock fans are designed so that if the fourth wire is disabled for whatever reason, it will run at full bore (4200 RPM sounds right, the Core 2 Duo fans ran at ~3800RPM).
Myrmidon
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
United States9452 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-12-10 18:09:43
December 10 2011 18:08 GMT
#15935
I think some motherboards can do PWM on the "+12V" line for regulation, even if it's just a 3-pin header. So even if there's no PWM or control circuitry on the fan side, it's only getting the full +12V at X% of the time, and hence won't run at full speed.

If there's no such trickery on the motherboard side, then yeah, resistors (a potentiometer is just a variable resistor) can be used to drop the +12V seen by the fan to a lower value, which reduces fan speed in the traditional way.


@Phyre:

If you have money to spend, get the Intel H67 (but not anything more expensive unless you really need the extra features?). MicroATX is no problem unless you actually need the extra expansion slots. $5 or extra slots? Your choice.

BP550 is overpriced at $70 but okay. HCG520 is a little better but a bit overpriced at $65. Neo Eco 520C is the same as the HCG520 (same design and manufacturer) but with slightly cheaper capacitors etc., and so is $55. XFX Core Edition 550W is again the same design as the HCG520 so not worth that much.

EVGA -AR ones are good because you can register them for lifetime warranty. The EVGA hardware itself is not special; it's their customer support, and the lifetime warranty on -AR models.

If you're considering spending $60 on a PSU from newegg, I highly recommend the Rosewill Capstone 450W, which is on the same tier of quality as Seasonic X Series. It also has way more power than you'll need, but it's of higher quality.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182066
Shauni
Profile Blog Joined July 2004
4077 Posts
December 10 2011 18:27 GMT
#15936
ok so my motherboard has no such volt regulator option i assume. but is the best choice really to get a large chassis fan? Itll still be at 100% without buying hardware fan control and difficult to flimsily mount into the heatsink gap (I dont see how a 120mm will fit well). If its a slow rpm fan im not sure it can cool the gpu under load... Isnt it just better buying some VGA cooler and throw away the heatsink? Or somehow find a heatsink that fits the card, perhaps a big one that can cool passive? are there cha fan to pci pin adapters? Its a pretty shitty card though so i dont really want to waste too much money on cooling equipment...
I'm taking whatever coverage I can get, because frankly, I'm busy working on this million dollar deal at my job. Early retirement is a good thing brotha man. - MessengerASL
Shauni
Profile Blog Joined July 2004
4077 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-12-10 18:34:26
December 10 2011 18:32 GMT
#15937
ups double
I'm taking whatever coverage I can get, because frankly, I'm busy working on this million dollar deal at my job. Early retirement is a good thing brotha man. - MessengerASL
Myrmidon
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
United States9452 Posts
December 10 2011 18:45 GMT
#15938
Oh, well I just said a large chassis fan, in hopes you already had one (or could get one for cheap), since that would be the cheapest solution.

As long as you stay away from synthetic stress testing, I think the default cooling may be a little overkill anyway, hence maybe a lower-rpm chassis fan would be okay. It's really hard to comment without knowing the model you're looking at though. Maybe two 80mm fans? What would work?

Some models may have non-reference PCBs that may not fit any of the aftermarket coolers, which is something to consider.
Phyre
Profile Blog Joined December 2006
United States1288 Posts
December 10 2011 20:34 GMT
#15939
On December 11 2011 03:08 Myrmidon wrote:
@Phyre:

If you have money to spend, get the Intel H67 (but not anything more expensive unless you really need the extra features?). MicroATX is no problem unless you actually need the extra expansion slots. $5 or extra slots? Your choice.

BP550 is overpriced at $70 but okay. HCG520 is a little better but a bit overpriced at $65. Neo Eco 520C is the same as the HCG520 (same design and manufacturer) but with slightly cheaper capacitors etc., and so is $55. XFX Core Edition 550W is again the same design as the HCG520 so not worth that much.

EVGA -AR ones are good because you can register them for lifetime warranty. The EVGA hardware itself is not special; it's their customer support, and the lifetime warranty on -AR models.

If you're considering spending $60 on a PSU from newegg, I highly recommend the Rosewill Capstone 450W, which is on the same tier of quality as Seasonic X Series. It also has way more power than you'll need, but it's of higher quality.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182066

Are you sure about the 450W PSU being enough? A friend of mine directed me towards this wattage estimation tool:

http://www.extreme.outervision.com/PSUEngine

And after punching in my build it estimated 465W recommended. I'm told that this thing estimates a little bit higher than it really needs sometimes, but it still makes me paranoid.

Thanks for the rest of the info! You've helped settle all the rest of my part choices, really appreciate it!
"Oh no, I got you with your pants... on your face... That's not how you wear pants." - Nintu, catching 1 hatch lurks.
skyR
Profile Joined July 2009
Canada13817 Posts
December 10 2011 20:49 GMT
#15940
The wattage advertised on the label doesn't mean much. It's the 12v rail that matters and the Capstone provides 37a which is close to the same amount provided by many of the ~500w power supplies (~40a). A GTX 560 Ti uses like 13a under full load and an core i5 2400 uses like 5a, both under max load.

The power supply calculator recommends a wattage for the power supply you should purchase, not a load wattage. So 465w seems pretty reasonable and somewhat high for such a configuration like yours.

You can see load power consumption for the entire system here: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4135/nvidias-geforce-gtx-560-ti-upsetting-the-250-market/16 Note that this is for an entire system with an overclocked Bloomfield (which uses much more power than your Sandybridge) and is measured in AC, your power supply is DC.
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