# PC Build/Spec advice required



## CoBurN82 (Jun 15, 2009)

Hey dudes,
I'm a relative noob about to embark on his first build. I have been the happy owner of an XPS Gen 4 with X850XT for about the last 4-5yrs but wish start anew with something that's easier to upgrade (couldn't get an X1900 working coz i couldn't upgrade the PSU) in future. I've managed this as BF2 and CoH are my staples.

As this worked out pretty good for me throughout the years, it has reaffirmed my view that if your gonna do something, do it right the first time. So can anyone advise if this is a good/bad or indifferent set-up for the cash. I hadn't set a limit on spending as such but wouldn't hope to spend much more.

P.S. I'm from Ireland so shipping is a big issue for sourcing parts.

Really appreciate any help.


Order details
Antec Twelve Hundred
- Gaming Case(Without PSU) 1 €155.64 

Gigabyte GA-EX58-EXTREME, X58
- Socket-1366, DDR3, SLI&CrossFireX, ATX, 3xPCI-Ex(2.0)x16 1 286.50

Corsair Power supply 1000W Black
- ATX/EPS, 140mm fan, SLI 1 €204.99 

Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme
- CPU-Cooler, Socket 775/AM2/939/940 1 €55.23 

Intel Core™ i7 Quad Processor i7-920
- 4,8GT/sec, 8MB, Boxed 1 €249.00 

Corsair XMS3 DDR3 1600MHz 6GB CL7
- Kit w/3x 2GB XMS3 modules, CL7-7-7-20, 1T, for Core i7, 1.65v 1 €130.01 

WD Caviar® Black 1TB 3,5", SATA,
- 32MB Cache, Dual Processor, 7200RPM 1 €109.00 

Samsung DVD±RW burner, SH-S223Q, SATA,
- 22x, DVDRAM 12x, Black/Silver/Beige, Retail 1 €27.90 

Sapphire Radeon HD 4870X2 2GB GDDR5
- PCI-Express 2.0, 2xDVI, HDMI, HDCP, Full-Retail 1 €360.50 

BenQ 24" LCD G2411HD
- 1920x1080, 40000:1, 2ms, VGA/DVI/HDMI 1 €239.00 

Creative SB X-Fi XtremeGamer
- ,PCI, Retail 1 €76.99 

Logitech G9 Laser Mouse, USB
-  1 €49.90 

Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard, Refresh,
- LCD, USB, US Layout 1 €75.00 

TP-LINK TG-3269 32-bit PCI Gigabit
- Ethernet Adapter, Auto MDI/MDX 1 €9.95 

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
- SP1, English, Upg, DVD 1 €119.00 

Total: € 2,160.11 Of which VAT: € 331.53


www.komplett.ie


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## MoonPig (Jun 15, 2009)

Wheres that from?

You sure about going i7 and Buying an OS, when you can get Win7 for free


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## CoBurN82 (Jun 15, 2009)

I found the basic component set-up on "Sharkey Extreme", again i'll stress, I haven't got a clue.......


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## MoonPig (Jun 15, 2009)

Well, you could make that total ALOT less if you don't go i7. You don't need it. 

Core2quad + P45 + DDR2 = Good enough. 

And if your playing BF2 and CoH, you don't need a 4870x2.

Set yourself and budget, and give us a list of sites that post to/in Ireland.


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## human_error (Jun 15, 2009)

I'll paste my reply from the other thread:

The build seems good however there are a couple of things i'd change:

1. The cpu cooler you have listed will need a special bracket to make it compatible with a lga1366 board (intel core i7) - unless the company states that it comes with a bracket you'll have to get one seperately.

2. You won't need an ethernet controller - integrated ethernet controllers on motherboards (especially x58 based boards, which are on the upper end of the scale for good quality parts) will be more than sufficient - unless you need more than 2 gigabit ethernet ports.

3. Unless you plan on adding a second graphics card and a ton more hard drives 1000w is overkill for a PSU - a quality 750 will be more than enough for that setup with plenty of room for adding more hard drives and more power hungry graphics cards in the future. Just be sure to stick to a quality make (coarsair and enermax are the two brands i'd reccomend, though there are other brands people here will be able to reccomend as well).

4. Make sure the copy of vista you get is 64 bit - 32 is a waste and would only hold you back. If you're happy using an unreleased OS you can legally get a free copy of Windows 7 RC from microsoft which will last until next year (the OS is released to buy in october this year, so you can have "upgraded" to the full release when it comes out without needing a re-install, and it will have saved you buying vista then 7).

5. Some x58 boards come with an x-fi add-in board which enables the same features as a full-fledged x-fi card (the sound processing is done on the processor, but a core i7 will have so much free power that you'd never know it was running through the cpu). The drop-in cards come included with the motherboard and would save you having to get the extra sound card which will save you more money. The difference in sound quality will be so small you'll never hear the difference unless you are an extreme audiophile with a very expensive speaker setup. 

Having a core i7 myself i can say that it has more power than i need right now but it will last a looong time before needing to be replaced, for a future resistant setup which shouldn't need a new cpu for a long time i'd say that the i7 is the perfect choice.

The community here at TPU will be able to guide you and help you with any issues/questions you have with a build - have no fear, building computers is not as hard as you'd think once you're aware of the few mistakes first time builders make.


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## CoBurN82 (Jun 15, 2009)

Oh no no no, they are my staple because they are the only bleedin thing i could run, cant wait to get hold of Bioshock, Dead Space et all. Oh and replay Crysis and a bunch of others. 
And of course new games to come (AVP, Colonial Marines BF3! eventually) 
I dont really like upgrading so just want to get a (very) solid rig that will holdits own with minimal interference for a couple of years to come.


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## CoBurN82 (Jun 15, 2009)

Oh cheers, sorry about that. It seems to be closed now. Dammit, looked like i got a couple of useful replys too


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## erocker (Jun 15, 2009)

CoBurN82 said:


> Oh cheers, sorry about that. It seems to be closed now. Dammit, looked like i got a couple of useful replys too



You should still be able to read them.  One thread per topic please.


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## LittleLizard (Jun 15, 2009)

Looks good except for the fact that the gigabyte ex58 extreme is a rebadged ex58 ud5. If you are not going to watercool the nb, then get the ud5, is the same board.


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## richardbel (Jun 15, 2009)

looks cool to me... and i agree ^ with the person above me.. and use windows 7 lol...


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## _jM (Jun 15, 2009)

Personally.. I would look into the Giga ud5 as well... you dont need the extreme version. Also, ditch the 4870x2 and grab 1(or 2 ) 4890's.. you'll be fine with one though. Also you dont need the ethernet adapter either.. the board will have one or two built in. 

On a second note.. if you really want a good solid rig for years to come and save some cash.. If your not that set on i7, look into building an AM3 rig with the new AMD CPU thats coming out. You could build yourself one bad ass "AMD Dragon" rig with alot less of a price tag too. That way you could still get your self that 4870X2 you want.. and just get the CORSAIR HX850W.. Any ways.. good luck M8  And Welcome to TechPowerUp! (I might be in the states, but im 4th generation 100% Irish )


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## CoBurN82 (Jun 15, 2009)

Thanx for all the help guys, you's are the first site not to just put me off the idea (has happened at least 3 times over little more than a year) by saying shit like "oh, you should defo wait for this....thats crap(because i have an allegiance to some particular brand!) compared to....etc". 

So I've taken on board and replaced

*Corsair Powersupply TX 850W*
- 140mm fan, 4x PCI-E 8-pin 	1 	119.00 (SAVE €85)

AND ONLY A CHOICE OF THESE Giga M/Boards on komplett.ie (many other brands though?)

Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD4, X58, Socket-1366
- SLI&CrossFireX, DDR3, ATX, GbLAN, Firewire, 2xPCI-Ex(2.0)x16 1 225.01 

Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD4P, X58, Socket-1366
- SLI&CrossFireX, DDR3, ATX, GbLAN, Firewire, 3xPCI-Ex(2.0)x16 1 204.99 

Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R, X58, Socket-1366
- CrossFireX, DDR3, ATX, GbLAN, Firewire, 2xPCI-Ex(2.0)x16 183.00


Can anyone say if this site is any good price wise, I have searched some but the swinging factor has been that they have a pick-up point just up the road from me......

www.komplett.ie 

I challenge anybody to build a complete system from this site with a €2000ish kity to play with............ ah well you can't blame a guy for chancing his arm 


a couple of alternatives:
http://www.isell.ie/
http://www.elara.ie/index.asp


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## h3llb3nd4 (Jun 15, 2009)

Total:2,151.79


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## subhendu (Jun 15, 2009)

hey try coolermaster  haf 932


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## CoBurN82 (Jun 15, 2009)

Looks sweet, although i'm hardly the one to critique now. Can't wait to see what others think of it. I liked the look of that v/card but was kinda scared of home build + water = baaad times for a noob, no?


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## CoBurN82 (Jun 16, 2009)

h3llb3nd4 said:


> http://img.techpowerup.org/090615/price list.jpg
> http://img.techpowerup.org/090615/price list1.jpg
> Total:2,151.79



Hey h3llb3nd, what happened to this set-up? Did you remove it?......because it had me very interested. 
Thanx again man......

Nevermind, sorry i think its just my job's firewall blocking it. 

(Is it possible(how?) to delete a redundant post?)


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## h3llb3nd4 (Jun 16, 2009)

CoBurN82 said:


> Hey h3llb3nd, what happened to this set-up? Did you remove it?......because it had me very interested.
> Thanx again man......
> 
> Nevermind, sorry i think its just my job's firewall blocking it.
> ...



mOST LIKELY...
it's still there, I can see it...

(delete a post by clicking edit>deletepost)


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## JessicaD (Jun 16, 2009)

MoonPig,

You make an excellent point -- YOU CAN get Windows 7 RC for FREE!! Windows 7 offers so many great features and benefits such as advanced security, enhanced performance, increased speed, fantastic stability, low resource consumption and more! To learn more and for direct access to the download center, head on over to Microsoft Springboard.

http://tinyurl.com/832nco
Jessica
Microsoft Windows Client Team


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## CoBurN82 (Jun 16, 2009)

Windows 7? Is this an old OS or a Beta of something new (how/why is it free)? I hadn't heard of it before joining TPU. 
Is anyone here using this that can vouch? (I don't want to be pessimistic when this will could save me €120, but USUALLY if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. What would i be sacrificing from Vista Home Premium, say?


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## h3llb3nd4 (Jun 16, 2009)

CoBurN82 said:


> Windows 7? Is this an old OS or a Beta of something new (how/why is it free)? I hadn't heard of it before joining TPU.
> Is anyone here using this that can vouch? (I don't want to be pessimistic when this will could save me €120, but USUALLY if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. What would i be sacrificing from Vista Home Premium, say?



windows 7 > Vista
Win7 = new &fast
Vista = OLD &slow


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## CoBurN82 (Jun 26, 2009)

Hey, I just noticed a guy who lives not far from me selling this rig. He says he has a bid of €1,650 on it. Could anyone please give their opinion on the spec/price of this machine relative to the previous set-up on this thread? Is it overpriced/value like? I reckon he's looking at least €1800.

http://www.gumtree.ie/dublin/67/40478367.html

Cheers.....


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## Darren (Jun 27, 2009)

CoBurN82 said:


> Hey, I just noticed a guy who lives not far from me selling this rig. He says he has a bid of €1,650 on it. Could anyone please give their opinion on the spec/price of this machine relative to the previous set-up on this thread? Is it overpriced/value like? I reckon he's looking at least €1800.
> 
> http://www.gumtree.ie/dublin/67/40478367.html
> 
> Cheers.....





CoBurN82, build your own. You can build that rig for almost half the price as he is selling it.


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## CoBurN82 (Jun 27, 2009)

h3llb3nd4 said:


> http://img.techpowerup.org/090615/price list.jpg
> http://img.techpowerup.org/090615/price list1.jpg
> Total:2,151.79



So folks, I'm about to bite the bullet and begin ordering my components and signing my future social life away. But hey it's a recession, so what better time for it.

 Cheers h3llb3nd4 , i've decided to go with your machine selection as i havent heard anyone suggest any changes to any of it.  

So, go raibh mile maith agaibh.....wish me look


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## h3llb3nd4 (Jul 1, 2009)

CoBurN82 said:


> So folks, I'm about to bite the bullet and begin ordering my components and signing my future social life away. But hey it's a recession, so what better time for it.
> 
> Cheers h3llb3nd4 , i've decided to go with your machine selection as i havent heard anyone suggest any changes to any of it.
> 
> So, go raibh mile maith agaibh.....wish me look



G/L with your build man!


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## CoBurN82 (Jul 26, 2009)

h3llb3nd4 said:


> http://img.techpowerup.org/090615/price list.jpg
> http://img.techpowerup.org/090615/price list1.jpg
> Total:2,151.79



Hey guys, parts are mounting up (despite financial hiccups) and I was about to order the hard drives. But as i have no clue about their set up , could anyone give me an idea of whats involved with this set-up (basics)...cables...tools? Again my PC tech CV has upgraded RAM and GPU....PERIOD! 

Samsung SpinPoint F1 1TB SATA2 
- 32MB 7200RPM

OCZ Vertex Series SATAII 2.5" SSD 30GB 
- SATA2, read/write speed of up to 230MB/135MB sec, 64MB Cache, RAID


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## Darren (Jul 26, 2009)

CoBurN82 said:


> Hey guys, parts are mounting up (despite financial hiccups) and I was about to order the hard drives. But as i have no clue about their set up , could anyone give me an idea of whats involved with this set-up (basics)...cables...tools? Again my PC tech CV has upgraded RAM and GPU....PERIOD!
> 
> Samsung SpinPoint F1 1TB SATA2
> - 32MB 7200RPM
> ...



30 GB vs. a 1,000 GB hard disk drive - Its no contest, you know the answer.

SSD hard disks are not worth the extra premium at the moment, 30 GBs is the equivalent to installing 3 or 4 games, its tiny. File transfer wise I doubt it will make a substantial difference for your activities.


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## CoBurN82 (Jul 26, 2009)

Darren said:


> 30 GB vs a 1,000 GB hard disk drive - Its no contest, you know the answer.



I think they are meant to go together....? 
Thats what I'm wondering, how does "raid"(i think) work....physically...


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## Darren (Jul 26, 2009)

CoBurN82 said:


> I think they are meant to go together....?
> Thats what I'm wondering, how does "raid"(i think) work....physically...




Samsung SpinPoint and OCZ Vertex are two different hard disk drives. You can only RAID identical hard disk drives (model and capacity).

Looking at your first post, you come across as those guys that throw money at problems, that initial build was grossly overpriced. The entire idea of the custom build is to buy components that are cheap and perform well, the entire idea of RAID is swinging into a grossly overpriced custom build for little to no tangible benefit. At best your games will load 5 seconds faster.

There are many different types of RAID. This can explain it better than I ever could. Here


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## CoBurN82 (Jul 26, 2009)

Darren said:


> Samsung SpinPoint and OCZ Vertex are two different hard disk drives. You can only RAID identical hard disk drives (model and capacity).



These were recommended on this thread as part of a set up. 
I'm not "one of those guys who just throws money.....", I merely face the fact that i won't be able to keep up with tricks and tweeks that keep my system running sweet due to lack of effort and interest. 

Can anyone recommend a good harddrive/set-up?


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## Darren (Jul 27, 2009)

CoBurN82 said:


> These were recommended on this thread as part of a set up.
> I'm not "one of those guys who just throws money.....", I merely face the fact that i won't be able to keep up with tricks and tweeks that keep my system running sweet due to lack of effort and interest.
> 
> Can anyone recommend a good harddrive/set-up?



The Samsung SpinPoint F1 1TB is really good, its definitely recommended.

I'd also consider the Samsung SpinPoint F2 1TB EcoGreen, its slightly slower but its newer and quieter.


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## paulo7 (Jul 27, 2009)

'due to lack of effort and interest'

why are you building a custom build again?

Alot of the parts you state you want/desire would only be really made use of by someone with enough interest to to put in the effort to maximise their potential.

You could just order a pre built core 2 duo system and prob be none the wiser...


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## CoBurN82 (Jul 27, 2009)

odameyer said:


> Yeah the build is great Coburn *twitches from jealousy*



Cheers man, thanx for the encouragement which seems to be waning since i moved from spec'n to buying.



> Alot of the parts you state you want/desire would only be really made use of by someone with enough interest to to put in the effort to maximise their potential.



....such as? What part/s do you think this is the case with? are they not good enough to not need "the maximum potential", which is what i admitted i need to get me through the next few years with my meager know how. 



> You could just order a pre built core 2 duo system and prob be none the wiser..



...example, again what in particular will be wasted in the hands of a non-techi gamer? 
I say, Let the scientists design and produce the BFG...... I'll brandish that mo'fo' as good as the next grunt, i dont need to know how it works to point it in the right direction lol 

Well Paulo, if you look at the post you will see that i also looked at this option but was encouraged to attempt (and learn in the process) a build by the good peeps in here. 


Listen dudes, t'is my money to use/waste however I please. I thank you all for any help with my endeavor but now that i have spec'd my system AND BEGAN BUYING! i don't need people questioning my "frivolous" waste of my hard earned (and it is hard) dough. Believe me, I've had a torrid time as it is justifying this to the other half and have now moved beyond (after years of deliberation and substandard gaming) to a bright future of esports (I hope!). 

I now need encouragement and plenty of it as starring at the red figures in my bank statement is depressing enough .


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## paulo7 (Jul 27, 2009)

im not discouraging you from building in fact I hope it gets you interested and hooked! My only point was that the price point of a core 2 duo is a lot lower then nehalem - and you may not notice the difference.. and my only point was that it may last you longer having nehalem but u never know whats around the corner. My main point was that you stated you just want to build a pc then forget about it which is why I thought that having the latest socket for nehalem might not be too crucial for you, as by time you want more performance prob be on a different socket alltogether. 

For example atm the gpu you want is top of the range - make use of it now through having a 24inch plus monitor as in 6 months or less there could be another gpu which smashes it performance wise - that why although thinking about the future longevity is important so is catering for what you need and will make use of atm,


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## CoBurN82 (Aug 18, 2009)

Well my rig has been constructed and everything seems cool......within the case at least! But my new monitor wont detect any signal . My bloody card, 4870x2, came with minimal instructions and I'm not sure about the power connections.....

There are 2 PCI-E cables from my PSU, both have a 6-pin with an optional 2-pin to make them 8-pin when combined if necessary. The card has a 6-pin and an 8-pin socket and this is the configuration i choose. My monitor is a BenQ E2400HD. It only came with a DVI lead (despite being HDMI ready), so I used the converter that came with the GPU. Is this cool???

All help would be greatly appreciated folks.

So close......yet so damn far


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## mikek75 (Aug 18, 2009)

The monitor has a DVI input, yes? If so just connect the dvi cable directly, you shouldn't need the converter. The only advantage HDMI has is that it will carry audio really (I'm assuming you have a speaker set to connect to your soundcard/mobo audio)

EDIT: yes, the power is correctly connected. However, in the product description for the PSU it mentions 4 PCIe cables. Did you get the Corsair 850HX ?

EDIT 2: have a look at the back of the graphics card when you start the rig, are there any red LEDs continuously lit?


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## CoBurN82 (Aug 18, 2009)

mikek75 said:


> just connect the dvi cable directly, you shouldn't need the converter.



Cheers for the quick reply mate, I was mistaken, The monitor came with a VGA cable which i have to convert to DVI to fit the card? Does this change things any?

Yep there are 3 continuous RED!!! lights on the GPU....


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## mikek75 (Aug 18, 2009)

This is copied from the Sapphire support site, although this is for the standard 4870x2, not the Atomic...

*
HD4870X2 LEDs


D14 (R753) 6 Pin power unplugged

D13 (R724) 8 Pin power unplugged

D15 (R819) Overheating (Thermal issue)

D5 (R323) GPU-1 (Master) No power

D7 (R570) GPU-2 (Slave) No power


At BOOT/POST, the card's fan will spin @ 100% for a short while, the LEDs will light up for a brief period and then go out. This is NORMAL behaviour as the card is performing it's own type of POST test.

*

There should be very small writing next to the LEDs which corresponds to those numbers, this should identify the fault (as long as the PCB matches your card). Continuous lit Red LEDs aren't a good sign but could indicate a fault with the PSU instead.

Do you have another PCIe card you could try just to rule out anything else?

Keep yer chin up, problems are just a learning experience, LOL!

BTW, if the VGA cable is all you have then it sounds like that is right, you'll get a much clearer picture with DVI though. Something else for the shopping list!!


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## CoBurN82 (Aug 18, 2009)

mikek75 said:


> This is copied from the Sapphire support site, although this is for the standard 4870x2, not the Atomic...
> 
> *
> HD4870X2 LEDs
> ...


*

Thanks again man, these are the 3 lights i'm getting (above). Is there a cable thats supposed to go from the card to the mobo, some other threads seem to mention such a connection?

The power plugs seem to be plugged in, both 6/8-pin

The fan on the GPU spins as i think it should and its in a Coolermaster Cosmos S case with  4 fans all working, so with regard to the "overheating" red light 

This is my PSU  http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.aspx?sku=415884

I'll try get my brother to loan me his GPU later...

Can anyone find an installation guide for the 4870x2, the one in the box was utterly useless.....all 2 pages of it!*


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## mikek75 (Aug 18, 2009)

No problem bud.Hmmm, nice PSU! That should certainly be ample, assuming its working OK. Turn it all off (at the switch on the PSU) and leave it for 30 secs, ground yourself and remove and re-seat the card. Re-check all connections. Read the mobo manual and reset the CMOS (Just in case). Give it another go.

Failing that then yeah, try your brothers card. If that works then I'd send the card back and try again.

No, theres no cable from the mobo to the card.

Agreed, the installation instructions leave a lot to be desired. Still, thats half the fun. Once its all working you feel like Columbo!


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## CoBurN82 (Aug 18, 2009)

mikek75 said:


> Turn it all off (at the switch on the PSU) and leave it for 30 secs, ground yourself and remove and re-seat the card. Re-check all connections. Read the mobo manual and reset the CMOS (Just in case). Give it another go.



Thank you kindly sir, the 3 red lights are now dead! But still no signal I even ran out and bought the DVI cable. 


Their was a difference this time in that, after about 30secs  i was getting what i can only describe as a siren or smoke alarm! di-di-di-di-di-di....etc until i powered her down. Oh please say i haven't fried my baby!?!

P.S. What is the NB fan, i read somewhere previously that this board has it built in to save the PCi-e slot? http://forum.corsair.com/v3/showthread.php?t=66702


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## CoBurN82 (Aug 18, 2009)

Eh, I think cleared the cmos (clear cmos switch which can be accessed externally in the rear) and I now see a power swith and RESET SWITCH on the mobo!?!?! 

What did i do, what do i do!

Edit: but on further investigation i may have not...... Does the system need to be powered up to CLEAR the cmos as its external? And does this mean you RESET with the interior on board switch when powered down or is it the same???


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## pantherx12 (Aug 18, 2009)

I had the same problem when building my rig, turned out one of the ram sticks was fault.

only put one in at a time and power on, see if it works, shut down if it does and try another.

If it doesnt work, take that ram put it aside and try another.


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## mikek75 (Aug 18, 2009)

Right, calm down for starters. Go and grab some air, its easy to get desparate and that won't help, LOL. Make sure the RAM is properly in place, check everything. Start her up again and count exactly how many beeps (long and short and in what order). 

Oh yeah, double check the case wires, easy to get them mixed up. Some boards have power and reset switches on the mobo to help with troubleshooting with the mobo out of the case (on a non-conductive surface of course!!


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## mikek75 (Aug 18, 2009)

CoBurN82 said:


> Eh, I think cleared the cmos (clear cmos switch which can be accessed externally in the rear) and I now see a power swith and RESET SWITCH on the mobo!?!?!
> 
> What did i do, what do i do!
> 
> Edit: but on further investigation i may have not...... Does the system need to be powered up to clear the cmos as its external? And does this mean you RESET with the interior on board switch when powered down or is it the same???



NO! Don't press the CMOS clear button when the rig is powered up, in fact make sure the psu is switched off at the back. (This is why I asked you to read the manual for the clear CMOS procedure)

The reset button does just that, when the rig is powered up it immeadiately restarts it. 


*Hang about, what mobo did you go for in the end? I read that you were going with the selection that h3llb3nd3 chose...Fill in your system specs so I don't get confused*
According to the manual for the ASUS Rampage II extreme, the only repeated beep code is one long followed by two short beeps, pause, then repeat. This one means no memory detected, so remove and re-seat the sticks carefully but firmly in the slots

The CMOS is where you're BIOS settings are stored.


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## CoBurN82 (Aug 18, 2009)

mikek75 said:


> NO! Don't press the CMOS clear button when the rig is powered up, in fact make sure the psu is switched off at the back. (This is why I asked you to read the manual for the clear CMOS procedure)
> 
> The reset button does just that, when the rig is powered up it immeadiately restarts it.
> 
> ...



I've read the manual (again with this in mind specifically) and not to worry i merely pressed the button on the back while powered off...without the jumper cap (i dont have one, but the manual says a screwdriver will do). 

Anyway, the "continuous short beeps" means "power error". This does not happen immediately, in which time the monitor has already said "no signal detected"?


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## CoBurN82 (Aug 18, 2009)

mikek75 said:


> *Hang about, what mobo did you go for in the end? I read that you were going with the selection that h3llb3nd3 chose...Fill in your system specs so I don't get confused*



So sorry man, a few changes due to stock issues




Intel Core? i7 Quad Processor i7-920
4,8GT/sec, 8MB, Boxed

Corsair Powersupply TX 850W
140mm fan, 4x PCI-E 8-pin

BenQ 24" LCD E2400HD TCO03
1920x1080, 1000:1, 2ms, VGA/DVI/HDMI

Logitech G9 Laser Mouse, USB

Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5, X58
Socket-1366, SLI&CrossFireX, DDR3, ATX, 3xPCI-Ex(2

Samsung SpinPoint F1 1TB SATA2
32MB 7200RPM

Sony NEC Optiarc DVD±RW burner AD-7243S
LabelFlash, Multirecorder(Ram), DVDRW 24x, SATA, B

Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 CPU Cooler
Socket 1366, 19,8 dBA

Corsair XMS3 DDR3 1600MHz 6GB CL7
Kit w/3x 2GB XMS3 modules, CL7-7-7-20, 1T, for Cor

Cooler Master Cosmos Type S


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## pantherx12 (Aug 18, 2009)

Ha ha man , that is quite the upgrade you've gone for.

Did you recently win a lot of money from nowhere?

XD


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## CoBurN82 (Aug 18, 2009)

pantherx12 said:


> Ha ha man , that is quite the upgrade you've gone for.
> 
> Did you recently win a lot of money from nowhere?
> 
> XD



Nope, ha ha, its just a big ass loan that's hanging over my head (might explain the anxiety)


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## mikek75 (Aug 18, 2009)

Are you sure you have both the 24pin ATX and 8pin CPU power connectors plugged in? Maybe the PSU is duff, thats what its looking like if the former checks out. Unusual for Corsair but things happen....

EDIT: I suppose it could be mobo power circuitry (stretching here). Any chance you could persuade your brother to not only lend you his card but also try the PSU out on his rig? After all, what are families for...


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## CoBurN82 (Aug 18, 2009)

mikek75 said:


> Are you sure you have both the 24pin ATX and 8pin CPU power connectors plugged in?


  This was the cause of the 3 red GPU lights. But as it banished them, it created the new problem of "power error" as per continuous short beeb code

I think i'll just have to go over everything again tomorrow. There is a very good chance this is human error.


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## mikek75 (Aug 19, 2009)

Heres hoping bud. Did you remember to use the brass standoffs between mobo and case?


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## CoBurN82 (Aug 20, 2009)

Its alive......ALIIIVE!!!!  Windows is installing and fingers crossed i have managed to set the BIOS correctly. Oh me oh my, the suspense is killing me 

Thank you all so much you good folk! 


........so this is what creating a wee lil life feels like.

_* Heres to "Betsy"........ *_

Intel Core? i7 Quad Processor i7-920
4,8GT/sec, 8MB, Boxed

Corsair Powersupply TX 850W
140mm fan, 4x PCI-E 8-pin

BenQ 24" LCD E2400HD TCO03
1920x1080, 1000:1, 2ms, VGA/DVI/HDMI

Logitech G9 Laser Mouse, USB

Logitech G15 Keyboard

Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5, X58
Socket-1366, SLI&CrossFireX, DDR3, ATX, 3xPCI-Ex(2

Samsung SpinPoint F1 1TB SATA2
32MB 7200RPM

Sony NEC Optiarc DVD±RW burner AD-7243S
LabelFlash, Multirecorder(Ram), DVDRW 24x, SATA, B

Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 CPU Cooler
Socket 1366, 19,8 dBA

Sapphire Radeon 4870x2 

XP Home (Untill my vista 64-bit arrives)

Corsair XMS3 DDR3 1600MHz 6GB CL7
Kit w/3x 2GB XMS3 modules, CL7-7-7-20, 1T, for Cor

Cooler Master Cosmos Type S

Custom Built Work/GameStation

*born: 20th August 2009*


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## CoBurN82 (Aug 20, 2009)

pantherx12 said:


> I had the same problem when building my rig, turned out one of the ram sticks was fault.
> 
> only put one in at a time and power on, see if it works, shut down if it does and try another.
> 
> If it doesnt work, take that ram put it aside and try another.




The ram seems to have been the problem, I merely reseated them and gave her a boot and whe-hey, power! Thanx dudes, I thought i was in over my head there for a while..... though I'm sure i'm not quite out of the woods yet, and so I will prob's be pestering yee for a while yet

Big up to the techpowerup possé, thanks for all the guidance and support


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## pantherx12 (Aug 20, 2009)

Always check ram first, its most likely the problem and easiest to fix  ( other then not plugging it in he he)

Sorry my last post was so terrible grammatically.

have random brain slowdowns


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## Asylum (Aug 20, 2009)

Glad to see your up and running.


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## mikek75 (Aug 21, 2009)

Hallehlujah! Nice one, easy to overlook something like ram, it often feels like youre using too much force and it'll break. Enjoy


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## CoBurN82 (Aug 21, 2009)

mikek75 said:


> Hallehlujah! Nice one, easy to overlook something like ram, it often feels like youre using too much force and it'll break. Enjoy



Amen to that good bud! I am fresh(well, probably not the most appropriate word after 6hrs sleep!) from my first night of hardcore gaming with a new game in over 2yrs! I shunned consoles completely after xbox1 due to the lame joypad FPS experience. 

My new baby....or should I say beast! runs FEAR2 on maximum EVERYTHING with autodetect settings and not a jump or jitter in game play or FMV, I done near creamed my pants I tells ye!!!

Now to get out and find (I don't have a credit card) Total War: Empires, L4D, Modern Warfare, C.McCiRT, Bioshock (has anyone heard you can legally download this for free now?), GOW....hell even GTA IV (oh-oh, excitement overload) as well as replay IL2, Crysis + warhead and the Orange Box without running around ,EVEN ON MINIMUM settings, like an epileptic with a gun .... 

Anything else I've missed over the years? please do share

And to all you potential builders out there who fear their first build.....DON'T! Oh so worth it (for the sense of accomplishment alone!) and all thats required is patience, patience, patience, money, more patience (read ALOT) and a lil help from our friends here at TPU


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## mikek75 (Aug 21, 2009)

Have a look at the Steam store, they accept PayPal so no credit card required, just a bank account. Lots of great games on there. GRID is a great arcade racer with very pretty graphics, your rig will absolutely chew it up on Ultra settings, I know mine does.

IL2 takes a bit of work to install on Vista/W7, have a google for instructions. If you're into helicopter sims check out DCS Black Shark, but be warned, its VERY detailed and is a bugger to play, LOL.

Oh the possibilities!


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