# New Build Advise / Opinions?



## joeyck (Jun 15, 2010)

Hi I just finished building a computer maybe 3 weeks ago, and I've checked many Tech Forums (I wont list them since I don't want to spam) and all of them say the same things, it is a very balanced building, the parts are not to old and are really powerful for the price I payed.

System Specs:

MSI K9N2 Sli Platinum
AMD PhenomII x4 9650 @ 2.3GHz L2 + L3 = 4MB Total
2 x 2 Geil Led RAM 800MHz DDR2 (Thinking of getting 4 more GB's 
PNY 9800GTX+ (I'm still contemplating going SLI) 
Hec X power 650 PSU Sli Ready
Antec 900v2 w/ 5 Fans 
750GB HDD 7200 RPM
and my Optical drive is just a long name for DVD burner / writer (back wards compatible of course) 
Acer 19" Wide Screen Monitor

And I got all of this for $758 exactly (I hate the fact that I had to buy a monitor -_- that put $109 more)


Games that I will / am playing and there FPS:

MW2 : 91 - 98FPS @ 88% GPU usage (the most I've seen it go to) (thanks to EVGA Precision)(I hope that doesn't mean my CPU is bottle necking me because I don't feel any lag or "bad things") and at 64 Degrees @ 42% fan speed

MW1 : 91FPS (locked) @ like... 60% GPU usage (if I don't lock the game it will go over 400 FPS causing my card to get REALLY!! hot) (again thanks to EVGA precision) and it never goes higher then 61 Degrees @ 35% fan speed (default) 

So yea what do you guys think of this computer build? Please criticize me or support me with your nice words or just tell me to F off


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## theonedub (Jun 15, 2010)

What is a PhenomII X4 9650? Do you mean its a Phenom x4 9650 (judging by clock speed and cache I'll assume it is). 

To be honest those Phenoms are so slow, I did not like my old one at all. You should up the fan speed on the GTX to ~62%, at that speed the card will not be louder than the case fans and you wont have to 'lock' your GPU to 60%. I have never heard of Hec X for PSUs so I wont comment there- 650 is a good fit though. 

I don't think $758 is a great deal for those parts. Did you buy second hand? I think $500 puts that at a decent deal in my opinion. Bottom line though, is that if it plays the games you like at a speed you can deal with its all good.


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## Kreij (Jun 16, 2010)

Welcome to TPU, Joey 

I think you built a decent system at a fair price.

Is this your first build? If so, your life has now changed for the worse. 
You will never again sleep without dreaming of upgrades.


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## joeyck (Jun 16, 2010)

My goodness Kreij you have no idea, I look at upgrades on new egg all the time and drool  (yes this is my first build) and theonedub I am very satisfied with my build, my GTX+ is blowing out all the game I PLAY, yea i no i will never be able to play crysis, but in all reality i would choose COD4 over crysis any day  (let the flame wars begin) 

my quad core is running perfectly, EXTREMELY cool, the stock heat sink is very cool, and shoot if i need to OC i will and i'll buy a new heatsink but at the moment i'm loving the computer. also the 9800GTX+ i got $84  it usually costs 150  the HDD i got 50ish? it costs 70 the OS i "borrowed" * cough * there would be a whole lot more for me to spend but i didn't i build a nice budget computer, i would love to see any one find a dell / HP thats worth 758 with my specs XD 

thank you for the replys you two, i've heard a lot of good things from TPU i'll be staying here for a while.


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## Kreij (Jun 16, 2010)

Joey said:
			
		

> i've heard a lot of good things from TPU i'll be staying here for a while



Welcome to our addiction


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## Helper (Jun 16, 2010)

It looks like guys on 'other tech forums' didn't pay attention or knew a lot on PCs...

Dude... that CPU is suck. It's the worst quad-core you can buy, or the slowest AM2+ CPU for single threaded gaming. It's based on A64s and is slow as hell. It'll also limit an SLI setup. You should have bought a P II ah.
If you're thinking about an upgrade, second hand Phenom 2 should be the first thing to buy. 965 or 940?

19 Inch wide LCD is too small IMO. What about a bigger monitor?

HEC PSUs are moderate. I don't know how it'll react to SLi even when you have enough power.

Rest of your components are GREAT! Mobo and GPU at first place. You won't need more then 4 GB of RAM. AMD's stock HS with heatpipes perform very good even thought it's "stock" But it can't touch tower type coolers. There you have an another upgrade!

I will also take COD MW "1" over Crysis anytime. Your system is good for what it is but needs some more oomph. You could make a beast out of it if you do those upgrades and go Tri-way SLI. =)


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## joeyck (Jun 16, 2010)

well since my motherboard is AM3 compatible i will be def. be upgrading my CPU i will also be adding another GTX+ and for monitor i think its pre decent i dont see any need in spending more for it ya no?


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## Fourstaff (Jun 16, 2010)

Can anyone come out with a better build than this for the same amount of money?


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## theonedub (Jun 16, 2010)

Fourstaff said:


> Can anyone come out with a better build than this for the same amount of money?



That's why I was asking if he bought the items second hand or new/retail. If it was second hand for the parts excluding the monitor then I think he overpaid. There are so many ridiculous deals on this forum alone that $758 could build a much better rig- I've done so 



joeyck said:


> my quad core is running perfectly, EXTREMELY cool, the stock heat sink is very cool, and shoot if i need to OC i will and i'll buy a new heatsink but at the moment i'm loving the computer. also the 9800GTX+ i got $84  it usually costs 150  the HDD i got 50ish? it costs 70 *the OS i "borrowed" * cough ** there would be a whole lot more for me to spend but i didn't i build a nice budget computer, i would love to see any one find a dell / HP thats worth 758 with my specs XD



We do not want to hear about your pirated OS.


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## Fourstaff (Jun 16, 2010)

Slightly more expensive but heaps better, and I am sure people will be able to improve on it: 

Totals to about $773


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## joeyck (Jun 16, 2010)

theonedub said:


> That's why I was asking if he bought the items second hand or new/retail. If it was second hand for the parts excluding the monitor then I think he overpaid. There are so many ridiculous deals on this forum alone that $758 could build a much better rig- I've done so
> 
> 
> 
> We do not want to hear about your pirated OS.



I bout them all from retail stores, such as Newegg and tigerdirect. i would of payed 109$ less had i not bought the monitor.


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## joeyck (Jun 16, 2010)

reply to fourstaffs message :

there is always bigger and better out there, one prices change daily... when i got my 9800GTX+ i only spent $84 now its around 130$ u cant keep an eye on all the prices, i'm confident when i say that i when i do go SLI and buy a newer CPU i will be able to keep up with a 5770 and if not then i'll be pretty close to it, 

at the moment another 9800GTX+ will cost me $89 roughly and the CPU (the 940, 965, or 955,) are in a price range of no higher then 200$ so i will also upgrade that.


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## Dent1 (Jun 16, 2010)

joeyck said:


> System Specs:
> 
> MSI K9N2 Sli Platinum
> AMD PhenomII x4 9650 @ 2.3GHz L2 + L3 = 4MB Total
> ...



The computer is "OK" but it isnt worth $758


Old AM2/+ Motherboard was used. AM3 motherboard costs about the same as AM2+
DDR2 memory costs the same as DDR3!
The 9800GTX+ is old, still capable but you could of bought a slightly faster DX11 video card for the same price.
The 9650 X4 is old (3years old), based on the slower Agena architecture and is clocked only @ 2.3GHz, they are hot too and do not overclock well.

There are definitely cheaper, newer and faster alternatives. Overall I would rate your rig  4/10 by today's standards


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## Helper (Jun 16, 2010)

His mobo is OK, DDR2 to DDR3 doesn't change Worlds. Yes, a HD 5850 is significantly better. HD 5770 is about 1/4 times better then his card but he can SLi, it'll be better then CF. 9800 GTX+ is good price / performance. CPU is horrendous yes. 

I'd rate his system a bit over 5 with upgrades. Although his parts are old, they look good. 



joeyck said:


> well since my motherboard is AM3 compatible i will be def. be upgrading my CPU i will also be adding another GTX+ and for monitor i think its pre decent i dont see any need in spending more for it ya no?



I hate using those screens. Display quality is mediocre and they're vertically too short. Get a good 24 inch when you save up some money. 



joeyck said:


> reply to fourstaffs message :
> 
> there is always bigger and better out there, one prices change daily... when i got my 9800GTX+ i only spent $84 now its around 130$ u cant keep an eye on all the prices, i'm confident when i say that i when i do go SLI and buy a newer CPU i will be able to keep up with a 5770 and if not then i'll be pretty close to it,
> 
> at the moment another 9800GTX+ will cost me $89 roughly and the CPU (the 940, 965, or 955,) are in a price range of no higher then 200$ so i will also upgrade that.



GTS 250 SLi will be %50 better then a HD 5770.  Yeah, new CPU is a must have.


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## Dent1 (Jun 16, 2010)

Whats done is done.

If your games run well and the rig does what its supposed to then thats all that matters I guess. I wouldnt drop any money on any more components (not even a CPU) if it performs to the OPs satisfactory.


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## Fourstaff (Jun 16, 2010)

Dent1 said:


> Whats done is done.
> 
> If your games run well and the rig does what its supposed to then thats all that matters I guess. I wouldnt drop any money on any more components (not even a CPU) if it performs to the OPs satisfactory.



Indeed, the bottom line is that you are happy with your build. People in TPU are a bit more tight with our money and is fast to criticise any build which is not satisfactory in our eyes. Sorry about that . Next time, please do a lot of consultation first before you sink money into anything, a lot of people might have seen better deals. Also, I see you have timed your purchases nicely to take advantage of the good deals.


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## joeyck (Jun 16, 2010)

Thing is though I am 100% understanding of where you guys are coming from, I know my CPU ain't the best I know my GPU will never handle Crysis, but the things is though, I BUILT this gaming computer for COD games and MAYBE Battle field bad company 2 (MAYBE) For COD4 I get 91FPS constant (on a 75Mhz screen I'm happy) (Everything maxed) (still happy) 

on MW2 I get 91 - 98ish FPS (all maxed) (still happy) 

and Now that I have tweaked my ingame settings a bit my GPU usage is at 60 - 98% (so that means my GPU didn't go to waste) and if I ever want I could do more to the computer, but when some COD game comes out that WILL NOT play on this rig I will be happy with my current stuff, if anything ever goes to crap "cuz its to old" who cares? I got 5 years warranty on EVERYTHING in my case (except optical drive) I've done all my research and needless to say I'm a very happy computer builder, this is my first and not my last  I love this system like its my child (I've had to troubleshoot a lot) but other then that you guys have been great, the criticism is pretty harsh but I will live  but yea thats that I'm also 100% sure COD6 will be more then happy with my current build (thats if I do get COD6) lol


oh and DDR3 and DDR2 is like comparing granny smith apples to golden delicious apples... there both apples just one (the ddr3) runs with less juice needed. *big woop* 


The cpus I have in mind of getting are : 

AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz - $159

or 

AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition Deneb 3.0GHz - $125


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## joeyck (Jun 16, 2010)

oh and DDR3 and DDR2 is like comparing granny smith apples to golden delicious apples... there both apples just one (the ddr3) runs with less juice needed. *big woop*


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## Dent1 (Jun 16, 2010)

joeyck said:


> oh and DDR3 and DDR2 is like comparing granny smith apples to golden delicious apples... there both apples just one (the ddr3) runs with less juice needed. *big woop*



Its not just power consumption (if that is what you meant by juice). Its DDR3 allows for more bandwidth, so stored data can be read faster.  DDR2 is fine and dandy, but the emphasis on the criticism is more directed on their similar pricing of DDR2 modules and DDR3 modules and the pricing of a DDR2 capable motherboard vs a DDR3 capable motherboard.


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## joeyck (Jun 17, 2010)

update : 

Sending back the 9650 getting a full refund and buying the 940BE for 24$ more.


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## theonedub (Jun 17, 2010)

Good move, you will see a big difference in performance.


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## joeyck (Jun 17, 2010)

thank you and i think that was my first rookie mistake, buying a decent GPU (for the price) and buying a horrible CPU, will never happen again. also i've asked already but will OC'ing void the warranty and will i have to buy a after market cooler? if u dont then its cool


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## theonedub (Jun 17, 2010)

The thing is Black Edition chips are offered with unlocked multiplier specifically for easy OCing. As long as you don't pour an unreasonable amount of voltage into the CPU the chip will never fail and if it does, AMD should not have a problem replacing it. 

Aftermarket cooler depends on your desired clocks. You said you did not like fan noise, the stock PhenomII cooler can get LOUD when it spins up to max RPM. I even thought it was annoying. AMD chips like to be run cool, so I would def look into a decent aftermarket cooler. Something like the Xig DK or equivalent would be great.


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## joeyck (Jun 17, 2010)

what if i'm not OCing? i dont plan to for a while, and for the noise i will live with it since i have surround sound system in my room lol so i wont even hear it anyways.


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## theonedub (Jun 17, 2010)

At stock the OE cooler works well. Replace the thermal compound with higher end stuff if you have it, but other than that its fine.


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## joeyck (Jun 17, 2010)

okay thanks a million man, sorry for being a "noob" i just F'ed up my first CPU purchase now i dont want to do it again ya no?


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## DannibusX (Jun 17, 2010)

Everybody's a noob at some point.  You're making an awesome upgrade to your CPU.  As was said before, the stock AMD cooler will be fine if you don't plan to overclock.

Just a tip, since it was mentioned you should remove the thermal paste on the stock cooler before you apply some better stuff.  Get some rubbing alcohol, as pure as you can find.  I use 90%, and it can be found in most supermarkets.  This will remove all traces of the thermal compound and prep the surfaces of the cooler and processor for thermal paste.  There are a lot of methods for applying thermal paste, I use what's sometimes called the "Pea Method".  You put a pea sized dab of thermal paste in the center of the processor, and place the heatsink on, lock it in place, plug in the fan and you're good to go.

If you're nervous about thermal grease, using the pre-applied compound on the stock heatsink is fine.  It's easier to practice applying thermal grease with the stock heatsink, since it's so easy to put on.

Oh, as you already know, if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask.  Pretty much everyone here will help you out.


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## Dent1 (Jun 17, 2010)

joeyck said:


> well its a cheap jump from 2.3 to 3.0 i think for $26 its worth it dont u?



Its more than a mere clock speed jump, you are getting a faster architecture that includes lower power consumption, 45nm manufacturing and more cache.

Yes its worth it, but you already have the X4 9650. Are you selling your current 9650 and using the difference to fund the 940?


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## Champ (Jun 17, 2010)

The best thing about the PSU mention, is that it's 80+ cert.  Mine wasn't and made so much heat, that it killed itself.


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## theonedub (Jun 17, 2010)

Dent1 said:


> Its more than a mere clock speed jump, you are getting a faster architecture that includes lower power consumption, 45nm manufacturing and more cache.
> 
> Yes its worth it, but you already have the X4 9650. Are you selling your current 9650 and using the difference to fund the 940?





joeyck said:


> update :
> 
> Sending back the 9650 getting a full refund and buying the 940BE for 24$ more.



Returning an opened CPU is a pretty nice deal, you can't argue that his plan is not the best idea


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## joeyck (Jun 17, 2010)

I'm returning it as onedub stated, full refund (will take a week or so to get my account money back into my card) 

and 2nite i will buy myself a new PSU and CPU the PSU talk got me scared XFX here i come...


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## Champ (Jun 17, 2010)

Good.  I looked at the specs and 52A is savage at that price.


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## joeyck (Jun 17, 2010)

Hopefully i can get my return in so I get a refund from the PSU as well if not i wont be happy camper, but i would rather spend 99$ instead of having to send back all my internal parts...


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## Dent1 (Jun 17, 2010)

joeyck said:


> I'm returning it as onedub stated, full refund (will take a week or so to get my account money back into my card)
> 
> and 2nite i will buy myself a new PSU and CPU the PSU talk got me scared XFX here i come...




You are wasting money again, you said that you bought a 9800 GTX+ which was near enough $90, to buy a second 9800 GTX+ is almost $180, a new power supply will cost you atleast $60-80 ontop of your current price of your current power supply. You'd be spending atleast $240-260!

That $260 can near enough buy a single 5850* which will consume less power than a SLI 9800 GTX+ and perform better. Just a thought.

Even if you can return your PSU, thats still atleast $180, gone. You'd better off keeping your single 9800 GTX+ its enough for your needs and worry about replacing it in a year or two, hopefully your next purchase will be faster than that SLI config and cheaper.




theonedub said:


> Returning an opened CPU is a pretty nice deal, you can't argue that his plan is not the best idea



Its a good deal performance wise, but you are gimping yourself for upgrades, the Phenom II 940 doesnt support AM3, so if you decide to upgrade motherboards to AM3 or upgrade to DDR3 memory modules in the future that CPU will not work. You will need either a Athlon II X4 series or Phenom II 9_25_, 9_45_, or 9_65_ to secure a upgrade path.


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## theonedub (Jun 17, 2010)

Dent, I am with you on the GPU option. That is what I had mentioned to him earlier  

I think that as it will stand the computer is set, and that the next upgrade shouldn't be to DDR3 or a Thuban, but to Bulldozer and on


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## joeyck (Jun 17, 2010)

nope... my 9800GTX will cost $89 my cpu of course is getting refunded, and i will be waking up 2moro at 5:45 so i can get a return authorization for my PSU, so 2moro so that wouldbe 44$ plus 99$ back and then the new PSU and CPU would cost : CPU : 125 PSU : 99$ ( i aint buying a 9800GTX+ just yet)


and Amps on the rails for PSU are on this site (for the XFX) 

http://xfxforce.com/en-us/products/psu/xxx/P1-650X-CAG9.aspx 

scroll down and its there.


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## Dent1 (Jun 17, 2010)

The amps on that PSU is fine, but @ $99 that XFX PSU just seems overpriced compared to the similarly spec'd Antec, Thermaltake and Corsair PSUs which are only $60+ on Newegg!


I am still not sure about investing money on the Phenom II X4 940 as it will mean that you will not be able to upgrade your motherboard to AM3 or DDR3 in the future. The Phenom II X4 925, 945 and 965 will work on your AM2+ and AM3 boards and can accept DDR2 and DDR3.


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## joeyck (Jun 17, 2010)

what about these : 

1) COOLER MASTER GX Series RS750-ACAAE3-US 750W ATX12...

2) Rosewill Green Series RG700-S12 700W Continuous @4...

3) COOLER MASTER GX Series RS650-ACAAE3-US 650W ATX12...

4) OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ700MXSP 700W ATX12V V2.2 / E...

the first one has a +12V at 60A but please take a look at all of them, both support SLI and equal or even stronger then the xfx...


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## Dent1 (Jun 17, 2010)

You only need a PSU with about 18A per 12v 



			
				joeyck said:
			
		

> which PSU were u talking about that less then the XFX?



Antec Basiq BP500U 500W Continuous Power $54
Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power upto 85% efficency $65
Antec earthwatts EA500 500W Continuous 80%+ efficiency $69
Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power 80%+ efficiency $75


Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2...

Antec Basiq BP500U 500W Continuous Power ATX12V Ve...
Antec earthwatts EA500 500W Continuous Power ATX12...

Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12...


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## joeyck (Jun 17, 2010)

for the ones u gave me i could just get one from my list for the same price and it would be better looking / bigger fan / more PSU power for future upgrades / and more A... idk but i got my RMA for my Hec X-pro and i took out my CPU, i'll have to decide what to get


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## Dent1 (Jun 17, 2010)

joeyck said:


> for the ones u gave me i could just get one from my list for the same price and it would be better looking / bigger fan / more PSU power for future upgrades / and more A... idk but i got my RMA for my Hec X-pro and i took out my CPU, i'll have to decide what to get



Better looking? - its inside your case, you will never see it.
Bigger fan? - 120mm is somewhat standard across most PSUs, you rarely get bigger
More PSU power? - The trend is that newer hardware requires less power, so if you upgrade the chances are the power consumption will not increase significantly and would more than likely decrease.

I would rather trust a cheaper Antec than a powerpriced XFX power supply, XFX is more known for their Nvidia video cards. 

Edit:

Do not let PSU companies trick you, you are looking at ampage per 12v and total amp, i.e. that Cooler Master GX Series RS750-ACAAE3 only has a single rail of 60A, some of the other PSUs I listed run at the same ampage or higher across multiple rails, like the Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power for $65 has 3 12 volt rails consisting of 12V1@22A, +12V2@22A, and +12V3@25A. That is 69A for Antec vs 60A for Cooler Master.


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## joeyck (Jun 17, 2010)

I'm not buying the XFX i think it is a waste... for 80$ i can get the same thing from cooler master. COOLER MASTER GX Series RS650-ACAAE3-US 650W ATX12...



or a 750Watt for 10$ more but the 750 comes with so many cables the management will b out of this world... i'm thinking bout buying the 650W cooler master.


So your saying this Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2...



is better then the Coolermaster PSU i listed above?


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## Dent1 (Jun 17, 2010)

Wattage does not make a huge difference, you do not have the hardware to require all that wattage, wattage is usually a con to get people like you to think its good but half the time it will not deliver the wattage rating for the small percentage of people that do have he appropriate hardware anyways, its the ampage per rail you want. Read my last post, including the edits.


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## brandonwh64 (Jun 17, 2010)

But this PSU and be done with it! its the one of the best out there

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply


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## Dent1 (Jun 17, 2010)

brandonwh64 said:


> But this PSU and be done with it! its the one of the best out there
> 
> CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply



^
Great PSU, but a bit overkill for his midrange system? we could all blow $100+ on a PSU when infact a branded, efficient $60 will suffice.



joeyck said:


> So your saying this Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2...
> 
> is better then the Coolermaster PSU i listed above?



Better is subjective, Antec tend to make better midrange and high end PSUs than Cooler Master and have a much better reputation for quality. On paper the Antec would be a better choice taking into consideration of both the specification and price.


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## joeyck (Jun 17, 2010)

Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12...


650Watt and one 9800GT runs of 12V at 9a i think my  GTX+ would run at a good 16the most


 +12V1@22A, +12V2@22A, +12V3@25A


is this a good buy?

i'll also do a rebate which will make it $60


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## Dent1 (Jun 17, 2010)

joeyck said:


> Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12...
> 
> 
> 650Watt and one 9800GT runs of 12V at 9a i think my  GTX+ would run at a good 16the most
> ...



Yes its a good buy.  Bear in mind the Antec BP550 Plus 550W is $50 after rebates. But yes the Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power is still a great buy and more importantly it after rebates works out $40 cheaper than the XFX 650W and $30 cheaper than the 750W Cooler Master for better or similar spec.

Edit:

Take a look at this review:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/2555/2
http://www.anandtech.com/show/2848/13

It says the 9800 GTX+, under load (constant stress) a single 9800 GTX+ needs 264 Watts or 387W for SLI. - Idle its a lot lower!

Bear in mind that a single 5850 which is faster than a SLI 9800 GTX+ only requires 315W under load, thats a 72W less, this reinforces that as cards get faster it generally uses less power, so you should be safe on a 650W branded PSU for a while even if you upgrade.


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## joeyck (Jun 17, 2010)

alright i'ma do a little more research to make sure the PSU's 12v rails are sufficient enough for my 9800GTX+ w/ 940BE (not over clocking for a while) and mabybe a scond 9800GTX+ my card is a single 6 pin connector so i dont think there should be any problems. and all te reviews / forums say nothing over 20 amps on the video card but none the less i will still look around


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## joeyck (Jun 17, 2010)

well from what i've come up so far the antec 650 will be more then enough for my rig... thank you dent1 ur awesome and the antec 650 u provided me with has 2 12v 22A rails, so it should be good and my card never completely peeks... if there is any problems with it which i hope wont there wont be i'll come back here, i hope that antec was a good buy


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## joeyck (Jun 17, 2010)

okay thank you, and i purchased the PSU now its processing and atm i'm going to be leaving to go to staaples and send back the old PSU and CPU


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## theonedub (Jun 17, 2010)

Dent1 said:


> Better looking? - its inside your case, you will never see it.
> Bigger fan? - 120mm is somewhat standard across most PSUs, you rarely get bigger
> More PSU power? - The trend is that newer hardware requires less power, so if you upgrade the chances are the power consumption will not increase significantly and would more than likely decrease.
> 
> ...



That is wrong. 

You do not add up the rails for combined power. If you look at the actual label for that BP550 PSU you will see that the maximum load for the *12v rails combined is 384w for a total of 32A*.


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## joeyck (Jun 17, 2010)

theonedub said:


> That is wrong.
> 
> You do not add up the rails for combined power. If you look at the actual label for that BP550 PSU you will see that the maximum load for the *12v rails combined is 384w for a total of 32A*.



Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12...


i just bought this.


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## theonedub (Jun 17, 2010)

joeyck said:


> Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12...
> 
> 
> i just bought this.



That will be fine for your build, the GTX has a TDP of 150w, so even with 2 peaked out 100% you only need 300w or 25A to run them. That leaves 20A left out of the combined 45A available on the 12v rails combined for your CPU and MB. Seeing as how you will rarely if ever max out both the CPU and GPU like that, you will be within the limits. 

Antec is a good brand and I trust their higher end PSUs. I use the True Power New 750 in my main rig and it is excellent.

Don't ever assume it is safe to just add up the amperage on multiple 12v rails like Dent said, if anyone tried to draw 69A from that 550 they would be in for an unpleasant surprise.


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## joeyck (Jun 17, 2010)

lol when it comes down to unpleasant surprises and computers i tend to try to stick away from them, but ur saying exactly what most other forums are saying "antec is a good brand" "150W max for ur gtx" so atleast i no the info every one is giving is correct cuz more then one is saying it. 

(no gaming for me until i get my parts which wont be till next week... fuck!!)


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## Dent1 (Jun 17, 2010)

theonedub said:


> That is wrong.
> 
> *12v rails combined is 384w for a total of 32A*.



Yes I just saw the picture now, I had to zoom into the picture 300% to read it, that wasnt listed on Neweggs specification.



theonedub said:


> That is wrong.
> 
> You do not add up the rails for combined power. If you look at the actual label for that BP550 PSU you will see that the maximum load for the *12v rails combined is 384w for a total of 32A*.





theonedub said:


> Don't ever assume it is safe to just add up the amperage on multiple 12v rails like Dent said, if anyone tried to draw 69A from that 550 they would be in for an unpleasant surprise.





I know that its not combined power, the rails should be treated separately, but reading back at my post it could be misconstrued. I was just pointing out the specification variations to look out for when comparing single rails vs a multi rails so an informed decision can be made.




			
				joeyck said:
			
		

> so is that antec a good buy for the single 9800gtx+?



Yes the Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W is more than capable.


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## joeyck (Jun 17, 2010)

I just spoke to an AMD support agent about OC'ing a my new 940 and he pretty much said OC'in will void warranty, so wtf is the point of unlocking the multiplier in the BE's? - - would be nice to OC but i dont want to void my warranty also is there a way to reset ur CPU just in case anything does happen so that the company doesn't know about it?


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## erocker (Jun 17, 2010)

joeyck said:


> I just spoke to an AMD support agent about OC'ing a my new 940 and he pretty much said OC'in will void warranty, so wtf is the point of unlocking the multiplier in the BE's? - - would be nice to OC but i dont want to void my warranty also is there a way to reset ur CPU just in case anything does happen so that the company doesn't know about it?



You should probably read a couple guides on overclocking. Yes, you can reverse an overclock the same way you put one on.


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## joeyck (Jun 17, 2010)

i'm not plnning on OC'ing just yet lol but is there a way for the manufacture to record ur clock speeds? or is it u OC, then u can jusr reset it to stocks?


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## erocker (Jun 18, 2010)

joeyck said:


> i'm not plnning on OC'ing just yet lol but is there a way for the manufacture to record ur clock speeds? or is it u OC, then u can jusr reset it to stocks?



Overclocking is done on the bios level of the motherboard. Say you overclocked your CPU to 4ghz then took it out and put it into another motherboard.. In the new motherboard it would run stock. No, the manufacturer cannot record clock speeds.


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## joeyck (Jun 18, 2010)

alright i new bout the motherboard prt but i thought the chip would save new clock speed alright good to no...


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## Dent1 (Jun 18, 2010)

joeyck said:


> I just spoke to an AMD support agent about OC'ing a my new 940 and he pretty much said OC'in will void warranty



Well AMD will say that, they are trying to protect their own interest and are not in the business of encouraging free performance. The BE is an exception and probably make only a small percentage of their sales which is the enthusiast market. The few people that buy BE probably are unaware of its unlocked multiplier as most people do not research their products on forums like these, the few that are aware of its unlocked multiplier are probably "afraid" to mess with the bios to apply these overclocks. They probably see the voltages settings and exit quickly.

Its very unlikely that you will need your AMD warranty anyways, you'll only be using this processor for about 3 years maximum and its very unlikely the CPU will get damaged within that time. Damaging a CPU via a overclock is very remote, it happens but its difficult to. Even so AMD will not be aware of the OC as the settings only apply your specific motherboard.


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## joeyck (Jun 18, 2010)

sounds good to me, i'm looking at aftermarket fans at the moment so when i do decide to OC this baby i will be ready to smack it with a new fan. will post the heatsink link soon when i come up with something.


oh and dent1 ty for the PSU recommendation. there r so many people who absolutely love this PSU newegg buyers r praising this bad boy. thanks a lot.


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## joeyck (Jun 19, 2010)

Pics of the inside and side panel + cable management!


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## Dent1 (Jun 19, 2010)

joeyck said:


> Pics of the inside and side panel + cable management!



Looks good


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