Gaming Rig Build

ro_chez

Hey guys,

I'm about to order parts for a build which I would like to use for gaming, photo editing, blu-ray etc.

I havent built a pc in a long time, so I'm a bit out of touch, but I have done a bit of research as to what I might get and I have come up with the following parts.

I just really want to know if there would be any compatibility issues that I am not aware of with any of these components before I part with me dosh.

Also, would there be any cooling issues or would I be ok with Thor's Hammer CPU cooler & 120mm fan?

• Intel Core™ i7 Quad Processor i7-920 4,8GT/sec, 8MB, Boxed
• Antec Twelve Hundred Gaming Case
• Corsair Dominator DHX+ DDR3 1866MHz 6GB Kit w/3x 2GB XMS3 modules, CL9-9-9-24, Fan, for Core i7
• Corsair Powersupply TX 850W 140mm fan, 4x PCI-E 8-pin
• Gainward GeForce GTX 295 1792MB PhysX PCI-Express 2.0, 2xDVI, HDCP, HDMI, Core 240x2, Graphics Plus, CUDA, 55nm
• Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD4P, X58, Socket-1366 SLI&CrossFireX, DDR3, ATX, GbLAN, Firewire, 3xPCI-Ex(2.0)x16
• AKASA Amber Series Ultra quiet Fan 120mm Twin ball bearing, 18 db(A)
• LG DVD±RW burner, GGC-H20L, Blu-Ray& HD-DVD Reader, Retail
• OCZ Freeze Extreme Thermal Compound, 3 gram
• Samsung SpinPoint F1 1TB SATA2 32MB 7200RPM
• Xigmatek Thor's Hammer CPU Cooler S126384, Socket 1366/775/AM2/939/940, no fan

Thanks in advance.

Solitaire

DAMN that's too rich for my tastes!!! :eek:

2*stock GTX275 = heavily OCd GTX295. And the former is cheaper. Do the math...

And exactly what speed are you going to OC to with that thing?! I usually advise upper-mid-range builds to combine i7-920 with S1283 and a HAF922 for case. Unless you want to push well past 3.5GHz that case and cooler is overkill.

And if you do want to try and break a few 3DMark records without the benefit of LN2 then make sure to beg for a D0-stepping CPU!

ro_chez

Solitaire wrote: »

DAMN that's too rich for my tastes!!! :eek:

2*stock GTX275 = heavily OCd GTX295. And the former is cheaper. Do the math...

And exactly what speed are you going to OC to with that thing?! I usually advise upper-mid-range builds to combine i7-920 with S1283 and a HAF922 for case. Unless you want to push well past 3.5GHz that case and cooler is overkill.

And if you do want to try and break a few 3DMark records without the benefit of LN2 then make sure to beg for a D0-stepping CPU!

I aint an expert at overclocking by any stretch of the imagination but I would possible like to test the limits of the cpu after researching it a bit more of course.

Also, I cant seem to find any info on retailers sites about whether cpu's are D0 stepping or not. Is there a way to find this out and what would the performance increase be like between C0 and D0?

polishpaddy

Very nice build.
How much is it going to set you back?

requiem1

I have that power supply and the one thing that annoys me about it is that it isn't modular, so my advise would be to get the HX850 that just came out. Also for the GTX295 get the EVGA one that is compatible with the back plate, it looks better but also the warranty with them is better for e.g not voided if you water cool.

Other than that its a nice rig you got going there

ro_chez

So, I ended up building this thing but I've run into a bit of a snag.

When I turn it on it springs to life, fans spinning, leds shining, but I cannot see any picture on my monitor.

The mobo does not have onboard video an I only have a hdmi cable so I have hdmi going from the monitor to the gtx295 but I'm not getting anything up on the screen.

Am i right in thinking that I will need to install drivers for the gtx295 but how can I with no OS installed and I cant even see the POST screen to get into the BIOS? Or should the hdmi be plug and play?

There is 2 DVI connections and 1 hdmi connection on the GTX295. Would I
be better off using the dvi?
I have checked all the connection several times so I'm a bit stumped.

marco_polo

I am sure you would have mentioned if there was, but are there any sequences beeps or anything?

I suppose the easiest step one would be to reset the CMOS see if that helps (Probably not if it has never booted before, but worth a go ).

Solitaire

Check the GTX295 is firmly planted in its slot and same for both ends of the HDMI cable. Don't you have a DVI cable to test with?

ro_chez

Thanks for your replies.

Theres no beeps on startup.

The card seems to be connected securely and the fan on the card is spinning

I have plugged the hdmi into an xbox360 and it works perfectly, I've also tried a vga to dvi converter but this doesnt work either. I'll pick up a dvi cable tomorrow and try that.

Solitaire

Can you try another graphics card in there? An old one that you know for sure actually works?

ro_chez

Hey guys, sorry for the late reply, i was away for past cople of weeks and only managed to look into this again now.

I took the thing apart and started again from scratch, forked out for a new DVI cable and its now getting into the BIOS but shutting down after approx 10 seconds.

More than likely the cpu's overheating as I took off the heatsink and put it back on without replacing the thermal paste. Also those bloody pins which keep the heatsink on are a nightmare to get on properly (I'm using the fan which came with the cpu, not the Thors hammer).

Now to find some isropyl alcohol and we should be in business.

Thanks alot for all your help

ro_chez

Ok guys, I've got into the BIOS and the CPU temp stabilises at 82c.

I'm presuming here that this is extremely high and even more so just sitting in the BIOS.

I've replaced the stock heatsink that came with the i7 three times, each time cleaning the cpu and heatsink with isopropyl and applying the recommended grain of rice of OCZ Freeze Extreme but its still at 82c.

This is with all case fans on high. Case temp maxes at 30c

Could this be a thermal paste issue or is it more likely to be that the heatsick is not on fully. I try for ages to get the pins on the heatsink screwed on, theres a lot of clicking and they seem to be holding it in place!

StopNotWorking

Lots of clicking when you screw it in? The screws could be skipping threads leaving the heatsink loose. Can you move the heatsink with your hand after its locked down tight?

ro_chez

StopNotWorking wrote: »

Lots of clicking when you screw it in? The screws could be skipping threads leaving the heatsink loose. Can you move the heatsink with your hand after its locked down tight?

theres lots of clicking from all four screws and when i try to lift up the heatsink one corner seems to lift up by about a mm, but all 4 screws seem to sit down into the holes.