Build Log - New i7 gaming setup.

Stevolution

Stevolution

Stevolution

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20 Aug 2012
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150
OK... Ordered my parts:

YOUR BASKET
1 x Intel Core i7-4770K 3.50GHz (Haswell) Socket LGA1150 Processor - Retail £269.99
1 x MSI HD 7950 Twin Frozr III Boost Edition 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card **NEW REVISION** £239.99
1 x Samsung 250GB SSD 840 SATA 6Gb/s Basic - (MZ-7TD250BW) £137.99
1 x Gigabyte Z87X-D3H Intel Z87 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard £131.99
1 x Cooler Master HAF X Gaming Tower Case - Black (RC-942) £129.95
1 x Patriot Viper "Black Mamba" Generation 3 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 PC3-17000C11 2133MHz Dual Channel Kit (PV316G213C1K) £119.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050) £83.99
1 x Akasa Venom 750w Modular '80 Plus' Power Supply £79.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) HDD £49.99
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 612S CPU Cooler (Socket 775 / 1150 / 1155 / 1156 / 1366 / AM2 / AM2+ / AM3 / FM1 / FM2) £32.99
1 x LG GH24NS95 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £19.99
1 x BitFenix Spectre 200mm Fan Red LED - black £11.99
Total : £1,332.95 (includes shipping : £20.10).

Half the order arrived today :rolleyes:
Apparently they put the case on the wrong delivery truck, so its spent the day banging around the back-end of a delivery van.
Hopefully arriving tomorrow.

2 bags of Haribo for >£1300.... disappointed to say the least

CPU cooler is awesome - and rather damn huge, I hope that fits the case OK.

A few questions if I may...

Is it best for me to assemble all the parts... graphics card, drives - the lot.
Then boot and dive straight into the Bios and make sure it has identified everything correctly (correct memory size, processor etc).

Then if all looks well, reboot and install Window 7, and supply the drivers as it asks.

I assume once in Windows, it will run on default graphics until I install the graphics card drivers disk (or will it ask during Win 7 install?)

Any pointers helpful as its been a while since I built a system, and it wasn't anywhere near as posh as this!
 
Stevolution said:
A few questions if I may...

Is it best for me to assemble all the parts... graphics card, drives - the lot.
Then boot and dive straight into the Bios and make sure it has identified everything correctly (correct memory size, processor etc).

Then if all looks well, reboot and install Window 7, and supply the drivers as it asks.

I assume once in Windows, it will run on default graphics until I install the graphics card drivers disk (or will it ask during Win 7 install?)

Any pointers helpful as its been a while since I built a system, and it wasn't anywhere near as posh as this!
Click to expand...

I connected almost everything with my last install and had no problems (only had my storage drive disconnected while installing onto the SSD, I don't see a storage drive on your list anyway).

You'll need to install the graphics drivers after booting into Windows, you can still have your display connected to the card pre-driver install though.

Edit: Looked at the list again and saw the 1TB drive.
 
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Thanks Jasseh - Just as I thought.
Really annoying having a pile of kit here... and no case! Want to get on with it.

I have a wealth of fans in this case. Not sure which way they will be set up, but I am thinking the top pair of 200mm fans sucking air into the case, and also the front 230mm sucking air in as well.
Then having the rear 140mm and the side 200mm as exhaust fans.
 
Ok... Done some research on the cooling fans.

Looks like the better option would be front 230mm as an intake, and then the two top 200mm fans as exhausts.
The rear 140mm as exhaust and the side 200mm as an intake, but running reasonably slowly so that it doesn't cause air flow disruption over the heatsinks.
 
Send it back? Its only just arrived!
They have apparently sorted out the fan issue. I will see how it goes.
Not starting to send things back before even trying them
 
Let the build commence

dlopvm.jpg
 
OK.. First stupid issue. Why the heck isn't there an arrow on the spare 200mm BitFenix
fan I bought? How the hell are you supposed to know which way it runs?
Oh ... and no screws with it either
 
Err.. plug it into what! No power supply to hand. I am assuming the fan sucks from the face with the logo.

Yep... first time at this and its just a case of going steady.
Little rubber grommets with a locating bit on the back that came with the CPU cooler just don't fit the motherboard holes at all.

Don't even really know which way the cooler should face. Only fits 2 different ways however
 
OK... coming along fine.

Can't find a socket for the 1394 on the motherboard - assuming there isn't one.

Question for the clever folk...

I can't find a power rating for the motherboard fan controllers anywhere in the book. Do you think I will be OK running 2x 200mm fans off one fan controller on the motherboard?

Also, a lead came with the motherboard for the fan led - but no indication of where the heck it fits. Its a simple 2 pin male to female thing. Probably not needed.

Does anyone ever fit the VGA bracket?

Thanks
 
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Stevolution said:
Err.. plug it into what! No power supply to hand. I am assuming the fan sucks from the face with the logo.

Yep... first time at this and its just a case of going steady.
Little rubber grommets with a locating bit on the back that came with the CPU cooler just don't fit the motherboard holes at all.

Don't even really know which way the cooler should face. Only fits 2 different ways however
Click to expand...

Yes. The fans logo will be the face which draws the air. The little rubber grommets thing you are referring too sounds like the back plate. It should only need to be changed if the stock one doesn't support the cooler. The cpu cooler should face the front if the case with the air being exhausted to the rear.

Stevolution said:
OK... coming along fine.

Can't find a socket for the 1394 on the motherboard - assuming there isn't one.

Question for the clever folk...

I can't find a power rating for the motherboard fan controllers anywhere in the book. Do you think I will be OK running 2x 200mm fans off one fan controller on the motherboard?

Also, a lead came with the motherboard for the fan led - but no indication of where the heck it fits. Its a simple 2 pin male to female thing. Probably not needed.

Does anyone ever fit the VGA bracket?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Check the mobo handbook for the FireWire header but if you don't have a FireWire device, it doesn't matter. The v-rating for the spectra iirc is either 7\12v and should be fine.

The 2pin lead which you mentioned sounds like the LED cable which can be connected to a bitfenix led controller to control the lights on the fans.
 
I`ve had my 612S since last October and there are only 3 fitting positions on the Intel brackets. Inner one is 1366, middle is 1155/56 and the outer is 775. Does it not fit using the middle one?

I don`t think Gigabyte have the 1394 port on their mobos, I know Asus do.
 
Thanks all.
Got the CPU cooler in place - correct direction.

The grommets were supposed to fit the motherboard holes, before the cooler is bolted through. The grommet 'protrusion' on the rear didn't fit the holes in the board.

The top of the cabinet has the factory 200mm fan, and I have added another. My question is can they both be put on the same CPU fan controller socket (using a splitter), or will that bugger up the speed sense connection?

I seem to remember reading somewhere that each fan output was 10w rated, but can't find it now.

Well there is a two pin lead coming from the 'led on/off' button on the front of the case, and it leads down to the factory fitted illuminated fan.
Not sure if that is a simple switch that turns that set of leds on, or if its actually +12v and ground that I can use for my other led fan.

Might have to wait until boot up and get the multimeter out.

Shame about the Firewire port, as my camcorder uses that.

Oh yes... the graphics card has a 6 pin and an 8 pin power input socket.... do I need to use both? I suppose it doesn't hurt to do so. Nothing in the manual.

Finding the supplied manuals pretty lacking in a lot of departments. Great if you do this stuff all the time, but if you don't... thank God for Google.
 
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yes plug both power connectors in otherwise the gpu wont work.

The specter fan should come with a small connector to join the 2pin connecter together so it illuminates,

I have specter pro fans and they came with the little connector to do that
 
Sorry all.. been away for a couple of days. Build going fine.

Ordered a couple of fan splitter cables on Ebay, so that should sort the 5x fans on 3x pins issue.

Wondered into Maplins yesterday and they were clearing out a PCI 1394 3+1 card for £9.99. Done... has an internal 1394 port on it so I can now get that front panel 1394 port connected nicely.

Two top 200mm fans extract, side 200mm fan intakes, front 230mm fan intakes and rear 140mm fan extracts.

If I get time tonight, going to make myself some red led internal illumination strips with the high brightness leds I got for a few quid of Ebay.

Also planning to mount the IR receiver for the wireless keyboard and mouse in the bottom removable front tray.

Cable management in this tower seems pretty good - bags of space.

1zczith.jpg


r0pb2w.jpg
 
Connected the front 230mm fan directly to the PSU tonight just to check the led connections (I wanted to know if the pre-wired front panel led switch was simply a push on/off switch, or if the cable actually supplied 12v to the fan leds).

These fans run really slowly don't they (or is mine a dud!) Quiet, but a lot slower than I thought they would be.
 
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