Middle-range gaming rig, bit more pricey than anticipated

[Seismica]

Ouch.

Actually I just opened the box and it did come with some cables (Just not the main power cable). I don't know what else i'll need. This build may take several days and multiple trips to the local computer shop.

 

[nick09]

Hey you can take the power cable from your old computer! Of course a power cable does not cost much but you could be "Green" and reuse the old cable.

 

[Seismica]

Hey you can take the power cable from your old computer! Of course a power cable does not cost much but you could be "Green" and reuse the old cable.

I don't have an old computer All I have is my laptop and it's a different connector. I could've used the one from my TV... but I kinda need that, seen as i'll be using it as a monitor

So a trip into town, a power cable, screwdriver set, keyboard, anti-static wristband and one subway later (What? I was hungry) and now i'm back at my flat and ready to start building it. I should've really done my research on how to build it a little earlier, i'm clueless. But i'll get there, this is the fun part.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

There's a couple different ways. Just think a little ahead.

Screw the standoffs to the case in the right pattern. Place the CPU on the motherboard. Pop the I/O plate off the case and put the other one on. Then put the motherboard in. You could sort out the fans, hard drive and power supply before putting it in.


Judging by the site, you will probably need more cables since it says it doesn't have any modular cables. Finding those could be difficult.

 

[Seismica]

There's a couple different ways. Just think a little ahead.

Screw the standoffs to the case in the right pattern. Place the CPU on the motherboard. Pop the I/O plate off the case and put the other one on. Then put the motherboard in. You could sort out the fans, hard drive and power supply before putting it in.


Judging by the site, you will probably need more cables since it says it doesn't have any modular cables. Finding those could be difficult.

I'm following the case manual and an online guide at the same time. I think I have it figured out, just don't want to miss anything out.

I like how on the site the PSU says: "only required cables are included". I think the power supply cable on a power supply unit qualifies as a required cable

EDIT: Looking ahead (Haven't installed the motherboard yet) I'm thinking that the case will not accomodate the CPU cooler I got.

 

[nick09]

Well no, this power supply is advertised to not come with the power cable and the modular cables as Scan has said on the product page(interface sucks to use, I found it in the Product Overview tab). Antec has some modular cables you can buy separately on their website.

 

[Seismica]

Well no, this power supply is advertised to not come with the power cable and the modular cables as Scan has said on the product page(interface sucks to use, I found it in the Product Overview tab). Antec has some modular cables you can buy separately on their website.

I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. There are some connectors so I might be able to connect everything. I really should have read the product information more thoroughly

 

[nick09]

Yeah you bought the older Neo Eco series(The newer ones have a "C" after the watt model number, such as "620C" and don't feature modular design but have more cables). They are just either modular(older non-C version) or not modular(newer "C" version without the modular feature).

 

[Seismica]

Anyway, on with the build. Both my HDD and my DVD drive were OEM so I don't think I have cables for them either. I'll keep going until I'm in a situation where I know how many and what types of cables I need, then i'll stop.

My CPU cooler doesn't fit my motherboard back plate of the cooler is the right size, with the right holes and everything, it's just that there is something sticking up on the motherboard on the edge, so it can't fasten down D: I bet I wouldn't have had this problem with a higher end motherboard, that's where my budget is biting me in the arse. Standard Intel cooler it is then, i'm glad I got the retail version otherwise I would be stuck. Maybe I'll look into watercooling... Will have to return that other one though.

EDIT: I really should have spent more on a better motherboard and PSU. There isn't enough connectors for the front USB slots (Only 3 on the Mobo, 4 on the case, it'll be like the titanic and it's funnels, one is just there for show) and there isn't enough connectors on the PSU for my fans. I have 5, but it only has 2 connectors. I'm not sure but I don't think there is even enough modular cable sockets to accomodate everything

EDIT2: There is actually ports for them all, the USB connections are merged so there is only 2 connectors for 4 ports, and through some extra wires that came with the fans and some extra ports I discovered at random places on the motherboard, I've managed to connect all but one of the fans. (Last one has a small 4-pin connector, but all mine are 3-pin or a large 4-pin with the adaptor it came with, so can't use that one.).

 

[nick09]

You sure you can't rotate the heatsink in any other way to keep it from hitting something?

 

[Seismica]

You sure you can't rotate the heatsink in any other way to keep it from hitting something?

I've just made a big mistake... the instructions weren't very clear and I was trying to install the bit in question on the wrong side. You're supposed to install it on the back of the motherboard At least the stock one didn't require thermal paste otherwise I would have messed up a lot.

EDIT: Oh wait, it already had thermal paste applied to it (The heatsink) EPIC FAIL!

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

You better apologize to your motherboard. I hope you work out your PSU connector issues soon-ish.

 

[Seismica]

You better apologize to your motherboard. I hope you work out your PSU connector issues soon-ish.

Now I have to clean off my thermal paste. Hmm... what can I use to do that, wiped most of it off but don't have any stuff to get the residue off. Nearest thing I have would be an LCD screen cleaner.

The PSU connector issues were just me blowing things out of proportion. After about an hour I found a connection for everything (Apart from the side fan).

 

[nick09]

You use rubbing alcohol with a paper towel to clean it off. Just hook up a fan with a molex connector to molex and hook the last 4pin fan to the motherboard.

 

[Seismica]

You use rubbing alcohol with a paper towel to clean it off. Just hook up a fan with a molex connector to molex and hook the last 4pin fan to the motherboard.

I think the little 4-pin connector for the fan is the same as a 3-pin but with an extra one to control the speed (Like the CPU fan). So it might fit, but I think i'll buy an adaptor tomorrow in town if they're cheap.

 

[nick09]

I think the little 4-pin connector for the fan is the same as a 3-pin but with an extra one to control the speed (Like the CPU fan). So it might fit, but I think i'll buy an adaptor tomorrow in town if they're cheap.

Yes a four pin fan connector will work as a three pin if you put it into a three pin connector on the Motherboard. You just won't be able to control the fan speed via Bios or in a fan speed program such as SpeedFan.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Now I have to clean off my thermal paste. Hmm... what can I use to do that, wiped most of it off but don't have any stuff to get the residue off. Nearest thing I have would be an LCD screen cleaner.

Rubbing alcohol(the higher % the better) and q-tips. Don't apply too much paste.

The PSU connector issues were just me blowing things out of proportion. After about an hour I found a connection for everything (Apart from the side fan).

So you have a connector for the video card?

 

[Seismica]

Rubbing alcohol(the higher % the better) and q-tips. Don't apply too much paste.



So you have a connector for the video card?

Yes, the PSU came with one (6-pin). It's odd, I thought modular meant all the cables were removable. I still have a mess of power cables I can't remove and don't need

Either my case or my motherboard is upside down, because the front panel cables are right on the opposite side to the motherboard connectors, which crosses with all the fan cables which are strategically placed nowhere near where they need to be on the motherboard, plus the ones that came with the case which only had the large 4-pin cables which have to be connected to the PSU, which means more cables crossing over because they aren't long enough to go around the back. Ah well, enough for tonight, will finish it on sunday.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Yes, the PSU came with one (6-pin). It's odd, I thought modular meant all the cables were removable. I still have a mess of power cables I can't remove and don't need

A lot of companies have hybrid-modular supplies where the most important cables are permanent.

 

[Seismica]

Yes a four pin fan connector will work as a three pin if you put it into a three pin connector on the Motherboard. You just won't be able to control the fan speed via Bios or in a fan speed program such as SpeedFan.

The fan is a 3-pin and the motherboard connector is the 4-pin. Would it fit or would the edge of it damage the 4th pin? I'll try myself at some point. I'm not even sure I can fit a side fan due to the Coolermaster CPU cooler (Which will be almost touching the side of the case), but the fan is lower down so it might still fit, who knows.

 

[nick09]

It will fit. Notice the tabs that stick out in the connectors. They are made that way so a regular person won't mess it up. A 4pin fan header on the motherboard works with a three pin and vice versa.

 

[Seismica]

The side fan doesn't fit, but that's ok.

On first bootup it turned out I forgot to connect the CPU power cable (Which according to this, is the no. 1 mistake first builders make.) After I reconnected this and made sure other wires were firmly in, it worked

All i'm trying to do now is find out if everything works and then install the OS. It boots up fine and temperatures are ok. Got all my fans working (2 front in, 1 back out, 1 top out and 1 CPU fan.

I think the GPU works as I have the HDMI connection in it and it's working on my TV fine.

My problem now is Windows 7 setup doesn't recognise my mouse or keyboard. They both use USB and i've enabled anything relating to that in the BIOS. I've also tried using the keyboard with a ps/2 adaptor and it doesn't seem to work, any tips?

EDIT: I think I had them in the wrong USB ports (i.e. not the first and second one). It's odd because they would work in the BIOS but then not on OS install. Simply using a different USB port for both worked.

 

[Seismica]

Apologies for double post again.

Here is my build:

The huge box that it came in, it was so exciting finally having it in my room, and a little intimidating too as I knew what lay ahead.

All the components posing with eachother.

Case unboxed and new PSU installed.

Front of the case removed so I can install the drives and fans.

Front case removed with fans attached. Was trying to figure out which way they have to be to suck air into the case. Finally figured it out by comparing the blades with the existing fans on the case which I know blow air out.

Front panel back on, next step is to install the DVD drive.

A kind of sneak peak as to what it will look like when finished

Forgot to take images for a couple of steps, but here we have the Motherboard installed with the Graphics card and wireless adaptor installed too. I forgot to install the RAM before I put the motherboard in which I read online afterwards is advisable.

Memory installed, not a huge step but I took a picture anyway

CPU installed with stock cooler after I failed to figure out how to install the Coolermaster one

After I found out what I was doing wrong with the 212+, I decided to swap the cooler over. This image shows the remains of the thermal paste I wiped off. I had the get the rest off before I continued so this slowed my down by a couple of days whilst I got what I needed.

After many, many attempts I managed to get the 212+ attached. You will note that in this image, i've already attached the CPU power cable (Black and yellow heading to top left) so this is after my first boot attempt whereby it coughed into life for about half a second before cutting out. The cables are an epic mess, and I maybe installed the HDD in the wrong place, but it seems to work ok.

A picture of my setup after OS install. My phone camera doesn't like the monitor hence the poorer quality. I'm already regretting this keyboard purchase as the orange keys look very tacky.

The OS install took a while, but because I couldn't find my Vista recovery disk I had to do a double install of Windows 7 for it to accept my product key. At no point did it give me the opportunity to input my old Vista key, so i'm a little confused :S Surely you would have 2 keys, one for your old OS and one for your upgraded version, but it only asked for the upgrade key

A better image of my setup. There is a mess of cables at the back because this desk is drilled into the wall and there is no gaps for any cables. That's student accomodation for you. This desk makes a good mount for my G27 though

The pile of boxes left behind If I stacked them they would easily reach my ceiling. I need to keep some of these incase they break so I can return them under warranty. I have no idea where I am going to put them...

Well, that is my build. I wouldn't have been able to do it if it were not for some great advice given in this thread 👍 I like the sense of achievement that this build has given me. Before I powered it up I was convinced that I had damaged some or all of the parts, but I managed to pull it together somehow. There are some things I would have done differently (A different CPU cooler for a start, the 212+ was horrible to install) but overall I am happy with my build.

After installing various drivers, windows update and putting MS security essentials on my computer, i'm ready to start using it. I might overclock it before I install/play any games though.

 

[bergauk]

Where are the zipties?

 

[Seismica]

Where are the zipties?

They're not a necessity are they? Half the cables are kind of too short so they won't fit if I use those. At first I tried to keep it all tidy but it just wasn't going to work.

EDIT: Update

Played Borderlands last night on high settings. It's amazing being able to crank everything up to high and for it to still run smooth. Sure, Borderlands isn't the most demanding game but it's a game my laptop couldn't hope to run.

I do feel I need to sort the wires out, if anything just to improve airflow, though it will probably involve having to buy extension cables. And is it normal to have one core running 1-2 degrees higher than the others? This is what Coretemp is telling me, and it makes me think the thermal paste isn't as evenly spread as it should be. Though temperatures even for this core only range from 28 degrees to 42 degrees, as far as I can tell.

 

[Terronium-12]

They're not a necessity are they? Half the cables are kind of too short so they won't fit if I use those. At first I tried to keep it all tidy but it just wasn't going to work.

Get yourself some zip ties and anchors, buddy. Or, you can go for some cable clamps. Cable length is a non-issue with clamps or anchors.

EDIT: Update

Played Borderlands last night on high settings. It's amazing being able to crank everything up to high and for it to still run smooth. Sure, Borderlands isn't the most demanding game but it's a game my laptop couldn't hope to run.

I do feel I need to sort the wires out, if anything just to improve airflow, though it will probably involve having to buy extension cables. And is it normal to have one core running 1-2 degrees higher than the others? This is what Coretemp is telling me, and it makes me think the thermal paste isn't as evenly spread as it should be. Though temperatures even for this core only range from 28 degrees to 42 degrees, as far as I can tell.

Perfectly normal. If you want the temperatures to be even across all cores you'll have to lap the IHS. Not very time-consuming in itself, but you will have to remove the HSF, the CPU, clean off the thermal gunk, and start sanding away. If you ever do want to take a stab at it you can read this and be on your merry way: Lapping a CPU.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

And is it normal to have one core running 1-2 degrees higher than the others? This is what Coretemp is telling me, and it makes me think the thermal paste isn't as evenly spread as it should be. Though temperatures even for this core only range from 28 degrees to 42 degrees, as far as I can tell.

That's a very small spread. It could be just the core utilization.

 

[Seismica]

Get yourself some zip ties and anchors, buddy. Or, you can go for some cable clamps. Cable length is a non-issue with clamps or anchors.

Some cable ties did come with the case, I might give it a go but some of the cables are really stuck for length. I tried to move the harddrive further down to improve the airflow and get it out of the way of my GPU, but then the power cables wouldn't reach both that and the DVD drive (As there are 3 connectors, all on the same cable). I wish this PSU was fully modular, (As it implied on Scan, as it was listed under 'modular' PSUs - This is probably the only part I regret) as modular cables i'd imagine would be a lot easier to arrange within the case.

Perfectly normal. If you want the temperatures to be even across all cores you'll have to lap the IHS. Not very time-consuming in itself, but you will have to remove the HSF, the CPU, clean off the thermal gunk, and start sanding away. If you ever do want to take a stab at it you can read this and be on your merry way: Lapping a CPU.

If it's normal I think I will just leave it. All cores idle in the 32-35 degree range. It's only the minimum/maximum that usually have a difference.

Last night I tried to overclock my GPU, but using ATI overdrive. Maxed the settings out and the fan, it was about a minite before it stopped sending signals to my monitor It's back to regular settings now though. I haven't attempted overclocking my CPU yet. Mainly because I don't really need to. Might do before Skyrim is released though, just so I can play it at ~1080p (Or 1680/1050, as my monitor seems to work best at ingame, 1080p cuts of bits at the top and bottom of the screen)

 

[nick09]

Perfectly normal. If you want the temperatures to be even across all cores you'll have to lap the IHS. Not very time-consuming in itself, but you will have to remove the HSF, the CPU, clean off the thermal gunk, and start sanding away. If you ever do want to take a stab at it you can read this and be on your merry way:Lapping a CPU.

I don't agree with that guide. Getting it down to the copper would just expose the copper to the elements and let it corrode. I hardly think lapping is something someone would teach in a certified IT course. My HS class(certified to teach A+ certification) nor my College classes have never brought it up. I would say it's all about good thermal paste application and the temp lost that I've read online about is not even worth scratching up a $220 dollar processor. The small temp lost is not worth it and I don't believe the outrageous ones where they lost 20C.

 

[Terronium-12]

Some cable ties did come with the case, I might give it a go but some of the cables are really stuck for length. I tried to move the harddrive further down to improve the airflow and get it out of the way of my GPU, but then the power cables wouldn't reach both that and the DVD drive (As there are 3 connectors, all on the same cable). I wish this PSU was fully modular, (As it implied on Scan, as it was listed under 'modular' PSUs - This is probably the only part I regret) as modular cables i'd imagine would be a lot easier to arrange within the case.

That's what the anchors would be for. Just affix them to wherever you find best (cable management does require thought and planning, so don't just rush into unless you're a fairly tidy person to begin with) and tie 'em to the anchors.

If it's normal I think I will just leave it. All cores idle in the 32-35 degree range. It's only the minimum/maximum that usually have a difference.

Last night I tried to overclock my GPU, but using ATI overdrive. Maxed the settings out and the fan, it was about a minite before it stopped sending signals to my monitor It's back to regular settings now though. I haven't attempted overclocking my CPU yet. Mainly because I don't really need to. Might do before Skyrim is released though, just so I can play it at ~1080p (Or 1680/1050, as my monitor seems to work best at ingame, 1080p cuts of bits at the top and bottom of the screen)

Use MSi Afterburner next time. While Overdrive gets the job done, you won't be able to go far with it as you can't adjust voltage. Also, when you game be sure to turn Power Tune up to 20% so it won't throttle the clock speed. By the way, even if you don't want to tinker with GPU voltage Afterburner is still a more viable option.

Getting it down to the copper would just expose the copper to the elements and let it corrode.

I hardly think lapping is something someone would teach in a certified IT course.

They also wouldn't teach the fundamentals of overclocking. What's that supposed to prove?

My HS class(certified to teach A+ certification) nor my College classes have never brought it up.

Again, what's this supposed to prove?

I would say it's all about good thermal paste application and the temp lost that I've read online about is not even worth scratching up a $220 dollar processor.

You do understand the purpose of lapping the IHS, don't you?

The small temp lost is not worth it and I don't believe the outrageous ones where they lost 20C.

Well, that answers my question. The entire purpose of lapping is not only to keep the temperatures fairly even between all cores, it's to maintain constant contact between the base of the HSF or waterblock and the now revealed IHS as both are as flat as possible. The entire reason temperatures fluctuate in the first place is 1: The base of the HSF or waterblock isn't in direct contact with the IHS. 2. Because of the crevices in both the IHS and base of the HSF or waterblock (which are NOT flat) air gets trapped in the grooves and near optimal heat transfer is negated to some degree.

And you can very well choose what you want and what you don't want to believe, but I can tell you right now that a 20° C temperature gain isn't far-fetched whatsoever.