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Build me a gaming PC for $600-800 plz

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kazaam said:
im hoping this sucker isnt too loud. i only have 2 fans installed (top and rear, came with case) and the CPU cooler is a 212+ so thats 120mm. I bet the loudest thing will be the 2gb 6950 but that is also considered quiet compared to others. if all goes well, i'll eventually probably add a silent fan or two at the front and switch the old ones out with a more quiet version.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think the GPU will be the loudest thing at load. None of the other parts are terribly loud.
 
mfenn said:
Nah you are fine, it is tougher than you think. I bet you couldn't snap it in half if you tried.
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man, i hope you're right. putting together the cooler was an absolute nightmare. i felt like i had to handle the mobo way too much, screwdrivers deflected, screws fell off, this and that, asjasdsajlkdasjdk. I'll be happy if it even runs.

it took so (SO, SO SO SO) long to put the cooler together (it wouldnt have taken long if i had decent instructions which i could find no where, or prior experience) that i'm gonna continue the rest in the morning.

i cant even figure out what screws the fucking SSD uses since none of the supplied ones from the case fit (despite having an SSD bay)!
 
kazaam said:
i cant even figure out what screws the fucking SSD uses since none of the supplied ones from the case fit (despite having an SSD bay)!
Click to expand...

It should use the same thread as the HDD, at least all of mine do. When in doubt, use Velcro! :awe:
 
DONE! And it even works! 😱 I freaked out when i got no picture...then i remembered i didn't plug in the 12v line into the mobo lol. This PSU was different than the others i am acquainted with.

So far i've done nothing but install windows updates and essential drivers. working on steam (portal, borderlands) for tomorrow.

Not a lot of initial impressions...its sooo responsive (thanks SSD!). Any programs you guys suggest i install to check it out? Any benchmarks i should run to see if everything is within spec?

Anything i should NOT do with an SSD (besides defrag)? I turned off hibernation (well, i followed the steps but im not really sure it did anything...ill have to check later).

Excited to play games. Its not too loud...i may get quieter fans later, or i may just put these fans on low or medium (maybe just use high for games?).

Thanks for getting me through this! Notable shoutout (well, 95% of my entire shoutout :awe🙂 goes to mfenn and lehtv. Im amazed you guys actually came back to this thread after dealing with me lol.
 
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Did you set your SATA in AHCI mode in the BIOS before installing the OS on the SSD? You should update firmware on the SSD, and make sure it's running in AHCI. If you did not set it in AHCI prior to installing the OS, you can still do so by editing the Windows registry, then setting it in AHCI in the BIOS. See here.
 
kazaam said:
DONE! And it even works! 😱 I freaked out when i got no picture...then i remembered i didn't plug in the 12v line into the mobo lol. This PSU was different than the others i am acquainted with.

So far i've done nothing but install windows updates and essential drivers. working on steam (portal, borderlands) for tomorrow.

Not a lot of initial impressions...its sooo responsive (thanks SSD!). Any programs you guys suggest i install to check it out? Any benchmarks i should run to see if everything is within spec?

Anything i should NOT do with an SSD (besides defrag)? I turned off hibernation (well, i followed the steps but im not really sure it did anything...ill have to check later).

Excited to play games. Its not too loud...i may get quieter fans later, or i may just put these fans on low or medium (maybe just use high for games?).

Thanks for getting me through this! Notable shoutout (well, 95% of my entire shoutout :awe🙂 goes to mfenn and lehtv. Im amazed you guys actually came back to this thread after dealing with me lol.
Click to expand...

Glad everything worked out! 🙂 Since you set AHCI, turned off defrag, and turned off hibernate, you've done 99% of the SSD tweaking that is necessary.

You can run Prime95 or LinX to confirm CPU stability and Furmark to confirm GPU stability. Other than that, you should be good to go.
 
Capture.jpg


Is that good?
 
yeahhh...did it and got a nice little boost:

Capture-1.jpg


1)how does this compare to an average HDD?

2)i've heard its bad to run the benchmark too many times since it tests the write of your ssd...true? do i have to be THAT anal?
 
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kazaam said:
man, i hope you're right. putting together the cooler was an absolute nightmare. i felt like i had to handle the mobo way too much, screwdrivers deflected, screws fell off, this and that, asjasdsajlkdasjdk. I'll be happy if it even runs.

it took so (SO, SO SO SO) long to put the cooler together (it wouldnt have taken long if i had decent instructions which i could find no where, or prior experience) that i'm gonna continue the rest in the morning.
Click to expand...

What method did you end up using to spread the thermal compound? I’ve been looking at videos and reading forums for the past hour and there doesn't seem to be a consensus. Many of the videos show the credit card spread method and others show the grain of rice, dot, line methods. Some people suggested that because the 212 Pro* has direct contact from the four heat pipes (the original 212 has a heat plate of sorts) the credit card spread method was best. The Official Cooler Master Hyper 212 Installation Video recommends the credit card spread method.

Also, did you use the thermal compound that came with the 212? I didn’t realize there was some in the box so I bought a tube of IC Diamond 7.
 
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I used Arctic Silver 5.

First, i filled in the gaps (not the outermost ones) with the paste with a credit card, wiped off the excess with a coffee filter. Then I just made the 3 small lines and put them together. I looked around and after a while it seemed the three line method is the most recommended (even though it really is a clusterfuck of recommendations for the 212+ like you said lol).

My temps are pretty damn low...i'll have to install another program and check and i'll report back later. Good luck man.
 
kazaam said:
I used Arctic Silver 5.

First, i filled in the gaps (not the outermost ones) with the paste with a credit card, wiped off the excess with a coffee filter. Then I just made the 3 small lines and put them together. I looked around and after a while it seemed the three line method is the most recommended (even though it really is a clusterfuck of recommendations for the 212+ like you said lol).

My temps are pretty damn low...i'll have to install another program and check and i'll report back later. Good luck man.
Click to expand...

Three small lines? I haven't heard of that one. Do you have a link to a video or thread?
 
Congrats on the start up, Kazaam. I remember that first time I built mine. All nervous and then when it booted up I was like a little kid that got everything he wanted on Christmas day. The giddyness was overwhelming. Happy Gaming! 🙂
 
man im kinda having second thoughts on this build. i may return/sell the parts individually...i just dont know. not sure if i need it, definitely need the money. i guess if i do itll be an expensive lesson learned. and i just bough skyrim today...so that would be $60 I can never get back lol.
 
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What?? Did Skyrim suck that bad, lol? But seruously, I'm curious what happend to make you wanna sell everything after all that time and research you put in.
 
I guess I just don't have any need for it. I think I just wanted to build it really bad just to build it since I remembered times of old. It was like a super expensive impulse purchase lol. Plus I don't really have space for it.

Skyrim is awesome, and WAY nicer than on ps3. Too bad I just bought it...it's the only game on my steam account and I can't return it.

I dunno...I had this feeling all along. The pc really is fucking awesome though. In gonna try using that SSD in my laptop.

The only thing I can't return is the CPU. I can sell that though pretty easy I hope.
 
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