New system build - advice please

Alien18

Alien18

Alien18

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Joined
2 Jan 2005
Posts
189
Hi All,

I'm having problem with my current PC (think I recently posted on here about it) anyway, I suspect that one part is malfunctioning but cant find out which bit. i suspect it's either the PSU/Mobo/CPU. But I have no way for checking. So what I'm thinking of doing is keeping the case but replacing everything else (I like me case its the best one I've had - it's an Antec, cant remember the model off the top of my head).

Anyway, I've put together the following spec I was wondering if anyone would adjust/change anything? Any help or advice would be appreciated.

GeCube ATI Radeon X1950 Pro FZ SuperCooled TURBO SILENT TEC/Heatpipe 512MB GDDR3 VIVO TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail = £173.89

Abit KN9 nForce Ultra (Socket AM2) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard = £51.69

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4200+ 2.20GHz (Socket AM2) - OEM = £91.64

OcUK 1GB (2x512MB) PC2-6400 800MHz DDR2 Dual Channel Kit = £71.66

Antec TruePower Trio 650W PSU = £88.11

Western Digital Caviar SE16 320GB 3200KS SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM = 61.09

Total Cost = £538.08
+£9.95 P&P

I don't really want to go much over that cost (unless I will really reap the benefits from it).

A couple of questions I have - I've never replaced a PSU in a case before, do I need to worry about the size too much? I'm going with Antec because I have an Antec case, so assume I'll have more luck with fitting it.

Also, I've never had/fitted a SATA drive before only ever fitted IDE, whats the difference?

Oh and one last thing - the Antec PSU above is currently out of stock with no ETA. I'm looking at buying this lot within the next 2-3 weeks. If the Antec isn't in stock by then does anyone have any other recommedations?

Any help will be appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.
 
Sorry to double post but, just also noticed this:

Akasa System Exhaust Blower = £3.47

Obviously it wont do any harm just wondered if it would do much good?

Thank you once again.
 
1. That PSU will probably fit just nicely if its made by th same brand. Most PSU's are made by size standards, so fitting ti won't be a problem. Unscrew current psu, re screw new psu.

2. They are the exact same except the connection they have to the mobo/psu. You PSU will have a SATA power connector and your mobo will come with a SATA cable that goes from a slot in the mobo to your drive, everything else is the exact same.

3. No way to tell, if your looking for another one go for one that is either made by antec or check the dimensions of it against your current psu.

/edit. If it will fit in your case then it will atleast help, but they'll be definetly no harm in it.
 
ATX PSU should fit fine into your case if its ATX. Not had any problems myself with a number of different cases.

An alternative spec based on using Intel Core 2 Duo and a 7950GT graphics which I think would give you better performance for your money: (see here and here )

OcUK GeForce 7950 GT 512MB GDDR3 TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail 162.14
Abit IB9 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard £70.49
E4300 115.14
OcUK 1GB (2x512MB) PC2-6400 800MHz DDR2 Dual Channel Kit = £71.66
Hiper 580W 64.61
Samsung SpinPoint T HD321KJ 320GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM £63.44
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro CPU Cooler (Socket 775) £16.44

Total 563.92 (including a decent CPU cooler in case you decide to overclock)
 
Hi,

Thanks for your advice. That system looks very tempting and nicely overclockable.

Does that motherboard support IDE drives as well as the 4 SATA drives though? It doesn't seem to state that on OCUK.

Many thanks.
 
Hi,

now I've got home and had a chance to look at the Abit website it doesn't seem to state on there that it will support IDE HDDs. Can anyone confirm or deny that this is the case?

Many thanks in advance.
 
Hi all,
Sorry to be persistant but I shall most likely be orderin the intel spec above,tonight. And really need to know if the mobo supports ide hdds because i hav a 120gb drive i really want 2 install in my new system. All i want is a point in the right direction pls. Like i say the abit site doesn't provide any help.

Many thanks.
 
Hi,

Thanks for your help - I still couldn't find anything bout the IDE HDDs though until I downloaded the manual from *** abit website and looked there.

Just ordered all the bits - 'll let you kno how it is once its together and working (and over clocked).

Many thanks, All.
 
Hi,

Well I got all my bits and pieces yesterday in the post and put it together last night. Even though OCUK forgot to pack my Arctic Ceramic stuff (I have yet to inform them).

Unfortunately, there are a couple of problems...

Firstly, the Ram (ordered OcUK 1GB (2x512MB) PC2-6400 800MHz DDR2 Dual Channel Kit) appears during start up as single channel and 533. I assume its 533Mhz it is displaying. Whereas it should obviously be 800 and dual channel. The system does seem a little sluggish (more than I would've thought for a new system build) and I THINK this is the reason why.

I don't think it is the Mobo BIOS because I updated that (and that update resolved a problem of an underclocking CPU). Could it be some BIOS settings or is it more likely that OCUK sent me the wrong RAM? (The ram I have doesn't look like the pic on the OCUK site, but I understand it's highly probably the pic used on OCUK is kinda like a DEMO pic).

My second problem - everytime my PC boots it stops to say something along the lines of "CPU unworkable or changed, check CPU soft menu". I've googled this quite extensively (it seems to happen to most people with Abit mobos) and i've tried everything that has worked for others at getting rid of this message, but none of them work for me. I can hit F1 and skip past it but obviously it's a little concerning and I am stuck for ideas now.

Oh I should mention I have the Abit IB9 mother board.

Also, once all this is finally sorted I'd like to over clock the CPU. Could anyone point me in the right direction for some tips/help/guide. There was a lovely guide for my previous AMD but I can't seem to find one for this Intel Core 2 Duo E4300.

Many thanks in advance for any help.
 
Hi,

Having just had another scout around the net I've got to thinking...

When I put in my RAM I assumed slots 1&2 and 3&4 were dual channels. Because they are physically paired together on the board (i.e. there is a gap between slots 2&3). But now I think about it I think the colour of 1 & 3 were the same and 2 & 4 were the same.

Is it possible, do you think. That slots 1&3 and 2&4 are the pair slots since they are the same colours?

Can't wait to get home and try it, if that works then thats one more of the listof things to "fix".

Many thanks again in advance for any help given.
 
I was reading your earlier post and thinking "He's put the RAM in slots 1 & 2 hasn't he"!

Yes, you need to put the RAM in 1 and 3. It makes sense (kinda) if you think of the two channels of RAM physically dividing into two slots each... The colour coding helps, but not by much.

Do you have some ceramic compound on your CPU? You should have something there!?! And have you ordered an aftermarket HSF (Tuniq tower, shythe Ninja) to cool your CPU?

Also, use the sticky in the overclocking and cooling section "basic guide to overclocking...", has everything you need.
 
I have the Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro CPU Cooler attached which had sum stuff on the bottom of it already, will that not do me until OCUK send me the Arctic Ceramic stuff they forgot to send me?

I've only ever used/installed Dual channel before and the pairs were next too each other (never thought about the colours then), so stupidly assumed that the RAM would be next to each other this time again.

Thansk for your help, I'll let you know how I get on when I get home (should be about 6pm!!!). Wish I didn't to work to be able to pay for this expensive things that I don't get time to use, lol.
 
Hi,

I'm home and have moved the RAM around so it's in slots 1 & 3. It's now working as dual channel but CPU-z still reports it as 300Mhz shouldn't this be 800Mhz (or 400 i think i read somewhere)?

Many thanks. I'm much happier now.

Oh and i sorted the CPU unworkable error out (by searching a little harder on these lovely forums).
 
After a bit of reading I think I need to increase the voltage for the memory to get it to clock to the 400Mhz it should be on (I read somewhere on these forums and 2.2V is the norm for DDR2). Can some please confirm that this si the right course of action to take please?

Also, if I should have started a new thread over in the Clocking & Cooling section I apologise. Please let me know and I'll start a topic over there.
 
OK, I'll double check the timings and voltage when I get home - I'm sure that the volatge was at 1.8. I don't really understand the timings so when I see 5-5-5-12 i don't know if thats good or bad. Either way i'll double check them - its probably got something to do with the BIOS being set to Auto or somethign daft like that no doubt?
 
I'm not at home right now (give me til about 6pm) but I'm pretty sure it said 300Mhz.

I am right in thinking that it should read 400Mhz for dual channel 800Mhz RAM aren't I? its just that CPU-z show's the per channel Mhz doesn't it? I did read it somewhere but it lost me a bit.
 
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