Budget 2500K First Time Build

[SMed]

Sounds like your enjoying yourself I look forward to seeing the build!!

Thanks yeah.




So I got the R3 all done up, and the Antec 300 is sold. Took photos, but want to redo them as I made a few changes. Also got an active subwoofer to go with my Fostex monitors as they were definitely lacking for games and films. I need to tidy up my whole study and take new workspace photos. Also need to re-arrange the study a little as the sub is rattling the hell out of my old metal filing cabinet from 5ft away.

 

[SMed]

I was having really annoying computer noises coming from one of my speakers - horrible noises when moving the mouse, using mouse scroll wheel and moving windows around. I had to turn the volume on the back of each speaker right down so that I couldn't hear it. But then when I wanted to listen to music loudly, I had to turn the volume on the speakers up. Very irritating with a single knob on the back of each speaker. I tried all sorts to get rid of it, but nothing helped. It actually got worse when I got the R3 case.

So picked up a little cheap DAC that had an optical spdif input to RCA output. I'm running digital optical audio out of the PC now, and the buzzing/PC noises is completely gone. I have the volume on the speakers up to around 60% (which is plenty loud) and can now fully control the volume through windows using my keyboard. Very happy.

 

[SMed]

I know that feel bro.

Where's that desk from? I remember when I was looking for a big ass desk. In the end I got this one from ikea for like £120 that was a notch over 6ft long. Those two lamps are sick, where are they from? I have a feeling you've answered these questions but the thread is tank and I'm balls deep in pelvic floor anatomy atm.

Tempted to steal your desk layout only it'll be slightly different as my ikea desk isn't as deep.

Still waiting for BSc results.

I got it free from a commercial office. It was listed as a 180cm long for £5, but it turned out to be only 160cm so he just gave it for free and through in an identical 100cm version. I think it's either 80cm or 100cm deep? Lamps are from Ikea. They're like £8 each and clamp to the desk.

Keep an eye on ebay in the office supply/commercial office furniture section.

 

[SMed]

Oh, got results. Got a 2.1 which I'm very happy with!

Also just bought a Sapphire 7850 and will be upgrading my PSU too. And Virgin have now bumped my 10Mb broadband to 30Mb. Happy days.

 

[SMed]

COngratz, a mercedes isn't too far off now!

Haha thanks, but that's not for my medical degree, only an intercalated BSc my uni makes us do. Still 2 years off my medical degree, and I can assure you, I won't be able to afford a Mercedes for a long, long while.

 

[SMed]

Gatdayum. 7850 came next day.

 

[SMed]

Afterburner 720p went from 81fps with the 6850 OC'd at 950MHz to 106fps with the 7850 OC'd to 1150MHz. And it's cooler and quieter than the 6850 which I didn't think was possible. Haven't tried pushing a higher clock on my PSU. Very happy.

Now to get a 600W modular PSU to replace my little 430W one.

 

[SMed]

Finally got a halfway decent chair. Also finally got an under-desk chest of drawers as I had pretty much no storage space. Also got a big bookcase to get my stacks of expensive books off the floor. My study/workspace is really coming together.

 

[SMed]

I got mine from Ikea. It's not perfect, but it was cheap enough for me. It doesn't have a headrest but it tilts/swivels and a massive step above my previous piece of **** swivel/stool chair.

I'm waiting for arrival of a Coolermaster Silent Pro M 600watt modular PSU. And I've got a NesteQ MaxZero fan controller.

 

[SMed]

I got the Ikea Torkel swivel chair. Was only £36. To get a better chair, the price increase seemed disproportionate. I liked the arm rests because of how low they are toward the front, meaning the chair still goes nicely under my desk when I'm sitting in it.

 

[SMed]

For me, I couldn't feel a big enough improvement in chairs until they were around £200 ish. And I just don't have the money for that right now.

 

[SMed]

Finally got some much needed office furniture. Got a small chest of drawers for under the desk where I can finally throw in all my stationary and nerd junk. Also put up that bookcase today to get rid of the stacks of books and piles of stuff sitting on the floor in the corner.

Got the Virgin V+ HD box on top of the drawers under the desk to the right, connected to the monitor, with audio running through the PC's sound card.

It's mostly done now.

 

[SMed]

Thanks Phill! Yeah, I love it too. I think I'm done for a while now. I'll try to get through the next year without upgrading anything. lol

I got a fan controller too. I can basically get away with having all the case fans off completely and the CPU still idles around 35-37 degrees. And I can only now here a very slight hum from either the GPU, CPU or PSU fans. It's very slight though. I'm quite happy with that.

 

[SMed]

I'd love to get my rigs sorted but thats just not going to happen any time soon!! :lol:

I'm looking forward to getting my 2600k up and running. What did you upgrade from again?? I'm toying with the idea of just running a 2600k and two GPU's but I'm not sure just yet.. I'm giving both of my i7's away so I hope our boys will love the rigs

This is my first built PC. I upgraded from an old 1.6GHz laptop. lol

I think what you have done with the rig is nothing short of amazing. The layout of the room is awesome!! I'm dead jealous of the chair too!! :lol:

Personally I'd always have a bit of an air flow taking the hot air out of the case, I'm a little lucky in that sense that at the moment mine don't have their sides on at all! That'll change I'm sure

Yeah, I guess I should put the back exhaust fans on low, still pretty quiet even with those on.

I do like the matt as well on your desk. Where did you get that from? I can't even see the tower now!! :lol:

Overclockers sell it, it was less than a tenner I think. They're great.

This is the one I have, the XL, is 900mm wide: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=KB-000-BB&groupid=702&catid=32&subcat=

They do a bigger XXL one that is 1200mm wide: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GS-000-BB&groupid=702&catid=32&subcat=

 

[SMed]

Well then you'll have noticed a massive load of differences then!

It'll just keep the hot air out the case a little more. Since you have a fan controller you'll be able to keep the noise as low as you want

I do like the matt, it must be much nicer than having your arms resting on the desk all the time Did you get the Boogie Bug matt?

Yep, the 900mm XL one. When I got it, it was on offer for like £7 so it was rude not to.