Need motherboard help!

[TB]

For the last few months my wife's laptop has progressively annoyed me more and more. Around Christmas my wife said that my present could be a new computer. I mentioned that I'd like to build one. She balked a bit but ultimately doesn't really care.

So the looking began. I've thrown together countless builds on pcpartspicker but all of the tend to sail to around $1,000USD (and that's without a video card or monitor...) when I'd really like to be more in the $800 range. Exhibit A.

For S's and G's, I built one using only Newegg as they typically have most of the parts I was spec'ing and shipping from one vendor would be simpler. Exhibit B.

As I was on Newegg's site, I started looking through their combo deals and came across this. Same processor, cheaper case but it will still do the trick, larger SSD makes me a bit more comfortable, etc.

And yes, I'm fully aware that the keyboard and mouse are almost assuredly crap. Especially to you mechanical types with your switches and colors.

I'm thinking it looks pretty damn good for what I'll be using it for. So I ask you. Is this the one I should pull the trigger on?

 

[Grayfox]

Membrane keyboards are fine.

I rather have a membrane than a Cherry MX Blue Type Writer.

 

[Sharky.]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HCzZ

Drop the video card to a 7850/GTX 660/whatever suits if necessary and save even more $$$

 

[TB]

Membrane keyboards are fine.

I rather have a membrane than a Cherry MX Blue Type Writer.

I know. I was more poking fun at the mechanical guys than putting down membranes. I'm sure if I ever tried one I'd be eating my words, but until then...

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/HCzZ

Drop the video card to a 7850/GTX 660/whatever suits if necessary and save even more $$$

Thanks for the suggestion, Sharky.. Tweaking your build to add an SSD, OS, BD drive, wireless adapter, and removing the video card* puts it at $830, so a really good starting point. 👍 I might do a bit more looking, and I've decided to not limit myself to only Newegg (prices elsewhere are too goo on some items). I'm also really liking this case for some reason. I think because it reminds me of a Stormtrooper.

* I'm justifying the removal of the video card because I'm not a big PC gamer (yet?) so for the time being the onboard will do. And it gives me an easy present suggestion for Christmas, birthday, etc.

 

[Sanji Himura]

You can also justify it further by saying that many of the on board video that comes on the motherboards now a days comes with an HDMI port.

 

[Coreyb]

That's awesome.

 

[Terronium-12]

On my tablet at the moment so I can't be of any extreme help right now, but instead of opting for a separate wireless card why not get a board with it built in?

 

[lbsf1]

Scrap getting Windows 8 and get Windows 7 instead.

 

[TB]

instead of opting for a separate wireless card why not get a board with it built in?

Probably because I didn't even know that was a thing.

Would I get better performance out of the USB variety due to being able to move it around?

Scrap getting Windows 8 and get Windows 7 instead.

Any reason in particular for that or is it simply personal preference?

 

[lbsf1]

Any reason in particular for that or is it simply personal preference?

I will admit that I only have experience personally of 7, however all of the people I have spoken to and all of the articles that I have read strongly prefer 7. In a magazine I was reading last week they were saying that 95% of high end pc's are still being shipped with windows 7.

The general impression I have gained is that windows 8 is dumbed down for touchscreen pc's and lacks alot of the really useful advanced features that 7 has. Thus advanced pc users will get seriously frustrated, and game producers will probably not throw their full support behind Windows 8 but instead carry on to prefer Windows 7 because windows 8 is such a different platform and one that isn't selling well atall.

 

[Joel]

Windows key + D. Problem solved. I'm going with win8 for my build because it's the newest, and I find the direction it's taking to be interesting. Also because I plan to buy a tablet running Win8 some time down the line and the same OS would be nice.

EDIT: Just realized my dad has a Win7 install I can use. So I guess I'm not paying $100 for an OS

 

[Terronium-12]

Probably because I didn't even know that was a thing.

Would I get better performance out of the USB variety due to being able to move it around?

You can opt for this and it comes with 8 gigs of RAM, so that's more money saved.

I'm not too sure what you mean by the question though. If you're asking whether the onboard solution would impede USB performance at all, then no, it wouldn't.

 

[dice1998]

Would I get better performance out of the USB variety due to being able to move it around?

If you mean wireless performance, I don't think it would make that much of a difference on where it's on the motherboard itself or in the USB Variety.

 

[TB]

I will admit that I only have experience personally of 7, however all of the people I have spoken to and all of the articles that I have read strongly prefer 7. In a magazine I was reading last week they were saying that 95% of high end pc's are still being shipped with windows 7.

Windows key + D. Problem solved. I'm going with win8 for my build because it's the newest

Going to have to side with Noob on this one, lbsf. When I first started looking into going with W7 or making the jump to W8, the new "tiles" thing had me uber-concerned. My mind was greatly put at ease while watching a video on Newegg when the mentioned the Win + D bit.

Little did I know that it works for showing the desktop in Vista, as well.

You can opt for this and it comes with 8 gigs of RAM, so that's more money saved.

Thanks for the heads up on the free RAM, T. 👍 See below for further explanation on why I don't want to go with that motherboard and see below below for which one I am going with. It, too, comes with 8GB free, but as it's a single stick, I threw in a second one.

I'm not too sure what you mean by the question though. If you're asking whether the onboard solution would impede USB performance at all, then no, it wouldn't.

I question the... adjustability (?) of a wireless adapter that is fixed in a case versus one that is on a 3' cable that can be moved around. Opting for the USB adapter is a comfort thing. How dare you question me.

If you mean wireless performance, I don't think it would make that much of a difference on where it's on the motherboard itself or in the USB Variety.

See above but instead of paying more on the build-in version and hoping it works well, I'll give the adapter a shot.

So...

After considering everyone's suggestions, this is the final build I'm going to run with. The order will likely be placed sometime in the next 12 hours (once I get the shipping address at work (don't need this stuff sitting in the snow/water at home )) so if anyone sees something that shouldn't be there, speak up!

Thanks for the assistance, guys!

 

[TB]

After some drama with a credit card not wanting to go through, all parts have been ordered.

Now the damn long wait until they arrive...

 

[Terronium-12]

Oh, that's what you meant. You and your choice of words.

You would have had comfort with either solution as the ASUS board came with a antennae you could freely move around to your heart's content; the Wi-Fi GO! card goes into one of the PCIE slots (x1 I believe), but either way is good. Glad you've come to a decision. 👍

 

[TB]

After having Windows and the 1TB drive show up IN ONE DAY, if everything stays on track, all the parts should show up tomorrow!

 

[Terronium-12]

Yeah you dance like Carlton.

 

[TB]

So I'm inclined to believe that my motherboard is dead. Well, partially, at least.

If my memory is left in the slots they were originally installed in, the board, fans and GPU power on but it never posts. No beep, nothing. If I move the memory to the other two slots, everything powers on but shuts off after a few seconds and repeats until you pull the power. Trying new memory changed nothing and using my memory in a different machine showed it worked fine.

So my questions are as follows.

1) Is there anything I should try before I break down and buy a new motherboard?
2) Assuming I do indeed need a new motherboard, I'm slightly jaded against the AsRock I had but it still looks like about the best one out there so which one should I opt for? Reminder, this is my build.

I NEED HELP, GUYS!

 

[Terronium-12]

There's a couple of things you can do.

- Clear CMOS and see if that makes a difference.
- Flash the BIOS
- Trying powering it up using only what's necessary

 

[TB]

Clear CMOS and see if that makes a difference.

Did that; no change.

Flash the BIOS

I'll attempt that tomorrow, after I hunt down a thumb drive and am not so tired.

Trying powering it up using only what's necessary

Did that; no change.

 

[Terronium-12]

Wait, doesn't that board display POST codes? I don't know if the codes are still the same as they were when debug LED's were just becoming widespread so I'm not even going to dare suggest what one combination means over the other, but that can should tell you all you need to know.

Still try flashing though as your problem sounds a lot like the one I had with my Sabertooth and I thought yet another ASUS board died on me.

 

[Grayfox]

If my memory is left in the slots they were originally installed in, the board, fans and GPU power on but it never posts. No beep, nothing. If I move the memory to the other two slots, everything powers on but shuts off after a few seconds and repeats until you pull the power.

That sort of thing is mainboard fault from what I have seen

1) Is there anything I should try before I break down and buy a new motherboard?
2) Assuming I do indeed need a new motherboard, I'm slightly jaded against the AsRock I had but it still looks like about the best one out there so which one should I opt for? Reminder, this is my build.

I NEED HELP, GUYS!

I would avoid Asrock, The Asus Sabertooth should have a 5 year warranty.
See if you can get it repaired.

 

[TB]

Still try flashing though as your problem sounds a lot like the one I had with my Sabertooth and I thought yet another ASUS board died on me.

I have the latest BIOS on a thumbdrive and attempted it tonight. Apparently the USBs aren't working, making it slightly difficult to read off of a thumbdrive. And hitting F8.

 

[Terronium-12]

Wow, late reply much? I'm talking about myself, not you.

Let's see, have you tried forcing the ports to boot by giving them priority? I would tell you to try one of the ports on the case but that wouldn't resolve the problem at all.

 

[TB]

have you tried forcing the ports to boot by giving them priority?

How would one go about doing this magical task?

 

[Terronium-12]

How would one go about doing this magical task?

Connect the drive and make it the first boot device. If that doesn't work then you could go about things the hard way and disconnect your hard drives so there's nothing to boot into and see if that works. If it doesn't work (try moving the drive around to different ports just to be certain there's an actual problem) then you may very well want to start considering a new board or RMA'ing the one you have, if possible.

 

[TB]

When I tried it, no drives were connected and neither the keyboard nor the thumbdrive lit up. Pretty sure she's dead. And yet it still powers all the fans.

 

[Grayfox]

When I tried it, no drives were connected and neither the keyboard nor the thumbdrive lit up. Pretty sure she's dead. And yet it still powers all the fans.

Supplying 12v to the fans is a basic task.
No blown caps or burnt chips.

As it may be dead.
If it is under any warranty use it.