Best website for pc build advice?

GrumPy

Hey, putting together my first custom built pc tomorrow. Can anyone recommend any good guides to get me started?

Have all the parts, but need advice in what order to install parts, howto make sure everything is done right so when I hit the switch it doesn't explode

I reckon installing processor, heatsink, and ram on the mobo first is the best thing to do. Then once it's secured in the case connect wires for power reset etc... Then install hard drives, graphics card etc?

When does the mobo driver disc come into play? before or after windows installation?

PogMoThoin

Install cpu, ram & cooler 1st. Attach power switch & speaker. You should get 3 beeps telling you that you got no gpu. Insert gpu next. Should get only 1 beep. Then everything else can be connected. Good luck.

Mobo disk isn't used untill you get in2 windows, unless your setting up a raid. Install drivers ifrom the disk in this order.
Direct x (my mobo stated that direct x should be installed 1st)
Chipset
Graphics
All others on driver disk.
Others for other added peripherals.

GrumPy

Speaker? And whats the story with SATA hard drives? two power connectors?

Anti

system speaker, its used to give bios beeps. Which will tell you if there are any problems, like dead ram or cpu and the likes.

For sata drives you will have to press f5 when installing windows ( you will be prompted ) As windows doesnt have native sata support.

For a good online guide for you to build your first pc have a look at this:

http://www.pcmech.com/byopc/

Any problems with the build ? just come back here and one of us shall help you through it

Creamy Goodness

depending on the case you may want to place the hard drives on their shelves first. good luck with it, building a pc is one of the more satisfying things you can do tbh

Ruu_Old

As long as you don't smell smoke in the first bootup then thumbs up! The word of the day is anti-static, use plenty of bags and keep the components in them until you are ready to install them. The Computers/Technology forum is the best website for advice of course, no seriously.

SeanW

Yes, try to avoid handling any chips directly as much as possible.

Other than that home assembly is like a hi-tech jigsaw puzzle. Connect X to Y, seeing how the pieces fit together etc. Read the manuals of all the parts to your assembly, that will make things easier.

GrumPy

Just opened my case in prep for tomorrow, noticed something that doesn't look to good.



Sorry for the bad quality, but that blue cable is bare, and I think it shouldn't be, It is attached to the EAR/MIC cables.
(from the front of the case)

Anti

You dont need it anyway, unless you plan to use the wound ports in the front, If your buying a soundcard you can connect it ti that, or your motherboard will probebly have onboard sound anyway. Bit of a pain reaching beind, but what harm

GrumPy

anti wrote:

You dont need it anyway, unless you plan to use the wound ports in the front, If your buying a soundcard you can connect it ti that, or your motherboard will probebly have onboard sound anyway. Bit of a pain reaching beind, but what harm

But will this blue cable that has no connector (pictured) stop me from using the mic/headphone ports on the front?? The mobo has a decent enough sound card for me, and I would like to be able to use the connections on the front!

WizZard

It depends. It;s an optional cable if your motherboard doesn't support the cables in the big block - you'd then have to plug all those little ones in separately. The connectors can be easily found in Maplins anyway.

Also try http://www.buildyourown.org.uk/

GrumPy

WizZard wrote:

It depends. It;s an optional cable if your motherboard doesn't support the cables in the big block - you'd then have to plug all those little ones in separately. The connectors can be easily found in Maplins anyway.

Also try http://www.buildyourown.org.uk/

Ok, no worries, thanks. Hopefully the mobo will work with the bigger block.

GrumPy

Got most of it put together this morning But left video card 40km away in a friends house :rolleyes:

Anyway, have most everything I can do done, but have a few questions:


1. Cant find a place on the mobo for the front audio connectors, had a look through the manual, but cant seem to find a spot on the mobo.

2. SATAII hard drive, has one sata, and one normal molex power connector? do I just use one, or both? and if I just need one power cable going to it, which is the better choice, or are they both equally powerful enough?

Anti

just use the sata one.

The audio connectors should be on the bottom side of the board. just right to the last pci slot, usually underneath your sata connectors. They just look like a group of pins stickng out. If you look closly it will say which groups of them do what. like pwr ( power ) rst ( reset ) hddled ( hard drive activity led ) ect ect ect. Your manual for yourmotherboard will not be very detailed, i would suggest you go online to the makes manual and download the .pdf of it.

GrumPy

SHE LIVES!!

Everything seems to be in order from what I can tell....

Cant test it till I get my bloody video card tomorrow, but power is getting to everything, all the fans are spinning, hdd and dvd drive are in working order also. Another good sign, no smoke

Pity the mobo hasn't got onboard vga so I could test the bloody thing, dunno HOW my mate forgot about the video card!

Alkers

You only connect one power connector. I would use the SATA one as it's a neater cable.

Creamy Goodness

Simona1986 wrote:

You only connect one power connector. I would use the SATA one as it's a neater cable.

too true and you also don't leave your fingers in shreds if you have to disconnect a sata power connector.

GrumPy

Right, sorted out the front audio connectors on the mobo EVERYTHING is working and ready to go, all I am missing is the gpu *shakes fist*


I will pick it up tomorrow when I am near my mates house in Dublin, I will let you guys know how the pc goes when I finally power it up with the graphics card installed!

EDIT: Iv'e deffo caught the bug guys, anyone need a pc built?

GrumPy

Hey again guys.

Just wondering, does 38.C seem high for a CPU temperature whilst just sitting in the bios?

System temp is 32.C also just sitting in the bios.

CPU is a socket 939 AMD

Anti

no thats normal. bit high if its anything but a reference cpu cooler, but if it is its normal, and fine.

GrumPy

Left it on for over an hour, just sitting in the bios.... It never went over 38.C.

The stock cooler is a bit pants though, any advice on replacement fan/heatsinks to reduce the temp some?

PogMoThoin

Zalman CNPS9500 comes highly recommended. I've got it & am very happy. Here: http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=312473

Congrats on your build, its prob a lot easier than you imagined. Its just expensive lego Good luck with it.

GrumPy

Thanks man

I managed it all by myself

*looks around for congrats*

-nobody here-

*pats self on back*

That cooler looks sweet, does it mean I can remove the crappy amd stock, and simply replace with that beast?

PogMoThoin

:rolleyes: Yep. easier 2 put on with mobo out of case tho (i had 2 do this with socket 775, dunno bout socket 939). Order some Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste when you order it (only an extra fiver or so). You only get crappy Zalman paste with it. Have you a window in your case, blue led looks cool?

GrumPy

My case does have a side window... looks a bit like the attached pic, same case but less blue cause I aint bought any led/cathodes YET.

PogMoThoin

Nice

With socket 775 the base for holding the cooler was bolted from the back of the mobo, so the mobo had to come out of the case to fit it. I have the instructions for the cooler here. I'll check out what it says for socket 939 & let you know.

Just checked:
You're in luck, it uses the existing retention plate on the mobo, so it can be fitted in the case.

Creamy Goodness

that's real nice gumpy, real clean looking congrats.

GrumPy

Its the same case, but instead of blue on rear and front, mine is only blue on front. Other than that, it looks exactly like the pic. Dont have a digicam atm.

But tbh, there is no difference other than less blueness.

SeanW

Irish GrumPy wrote:

Thanks man

I managed it all by myself

*looks around for congrats*

-nobody here-

*pats self on back*

That cooler looks sweet, does it mean I can remove the crappy amd stock, and simply replace with that beast?

*Gives Grumpyman a pat on the back*

Congratulations

GrumPy

First post with new rig w0ot!

Ram is ****ed though, 3 sticks of 512MB installed, only 512 being picked up. Two of the 512 sticks are old though, they musta died. Will order 2 fresh sticks off komplett tomorrow. Any chance windows and my bias are reading them wrong??

PogMoThoin

Add them singly & see if you post. Use memtest to test them. Maybe your mobo doesn't like them, some mobo's can be picky with ram.

GrumPy

Sorted it, mobo doesnt like one of the sticks. Regardless where I placed it I was only getting 512 out of 3 x sticks.

So took out the smelly one, now just two installed, but getting the full one GB

Alkers

You should be running two sticks in dual-chanel mode right?
Another thing, I would reccomend the same cpu-cooler as I have over the zalman, it's a lot cheaper but I think it's better as it blows the hot air from the cpu towards an exhaust fan, not just over it's heatsink and back into the case.

Ruu_Old

Nice case and congrats on your first build.

PogMoThoin

Simona1986 wrote:

You should be running two sticks in dual-chanel mode right?
Another thing, I would reccomend the same cpu-cooler as I have over the zalman, it's a lot cheaper but I think it's better as it blows the hot air from the cpu towards an exhaust fan, not just over it's heatsink and back into the case.

:rolleyes: That Zalman is the Aeroflower. Blows the air out the exhaust fan. You're obviously thinkin bout the wrong cooler. Supposed to be as good as some w/c kits.

Grumpy, You should be using slot 1 & 3 for your ram to work in dual channel with 2 sticks of ram.

Alkers

Oh sorry my mistake, that's a good cooler alright, €62 though!
http://www.arctic-cooling.com/cpu2.php?idx=80 - that's what I was reccomending, £14 or so on overclockers.co.uk

GrumPy

Ok, came across my first "new build" difficulty that I couldn't fix in 5 minutes....

Basically, keep getting the attached error, and my sound card stops working...
But when I restart on windows, the windows jingle can be heard right after I click the button, seconds after windows media player/any other media app/game fail to output sound

Tried updating sound card drivers, ran all the usual virus/anti-spyware software, but the problem still exists. Also, when I send the error report, MS reckon its a virus, or system attack of some sort, which it cant be, cause Iv'e gotten the error at least 5 times since I finished the build, and all the security scans come up clear.

GrumPy

No one any idea about this weird error?

TonyM.

Did you disable the on-board sound in the BIOS?

GrumPy

No.

TonyM.

You need to disable the on-board sound if you are using a sound card.

Anti

Some new motherboards will do this for you automaticially now if a soundcard is detected, but more then likely you will have to do what tonym said

GrumPy

I am using onboard sound, no other sound card.

TonyM.

Oh sorry my mistake, you said your "sound card" stops working ,it may be just the drivers try updating them I think the problem is Windaws Media Player.

GrumPy

Sorted it, updated to windows media player 10 (new windows install comes with 9 as you know)

Seems to be ok, I think the bios update had something to do with it also.

PogMoThoin

Nice. Good 2 see ya got it sorted man. Njoy ur new rig.

GrumPy

Took my pc apart already.... Had to remove mobo etc... to install the thermaltake blue orb cooler, goes great with my case, although my temps only dropped about 4.C degrees....

Prolly didnt use enough thermal compound, but it will fúcking do, I aint taking it apart again

Still getting that weird error though with the sound, thought I got it sorted, but it is still scumming me.

Anyone recommend an application to monitor temps? any time I wanna check, I have to do it in the bios.

PogMoThoin

Google for this: Core temp 0.9.0.91
Measures temps on cores. Lot of complaints bout all temp monitoring utilities being a few degree's off. Hard to know what to trust. Other utilities, some measure from the socket, try them all:
Speedfan
Everest
Right Mark Clock utility
Did a temp utility not come with your mobo?

By the way, i've re-seated my cooler about 10 times so far :eek:
If you do re-seat it check that your ihs is perfectly flat. Lot of complaints bout slightly curved ihs and therefore high temps. Also check the base of your cooler is flat.

What are your idle & max load temps?

GrumPy

PogMoThoin wrote:

Google for this: Core temp 0.9.0.91
Measures temps on cores. Lot of complaints bout all temp monitoring utilities being a few degree's off. Hard to know what to trust. Other utilities, some measure from the socket, try them all:
Speedfan
Everest
Right Mark Clock utility
Did a temp utility not come with your mobo?

By the way, i've re-seated my cooler about 10 times so far :eek:
If you do re-seat it check that your ihs is perfectly flat. Lot of complaints bout slightly curved ihs and therefore high temps. Also check the base of your cooler is flat.

What are your idle & max load temps?

Idle 35.C degrees on cpu, and only slightly less on "system temps"

The cooler is seated alright
(took me ages, and gave me a severe headache)
I just dont think I put enough paste on it.. **** it though, it's still lower than stock temps (stock around 38/39) It'll feckin do!

Thanks for the tips on the software.

EDIT: Just ran two of those apps, the readings deffo arn't good enough considering the cooler.

PogMoThoin

What temps do you get on max load? Run orthos for a few mins.

GrumPy

Edited my previous post to include a picture.

Couldn't find any app on google called orthos??