Building a new computer for christmas/new years

[Gigantopithecus]

I just tried to post again....got the same "Thank you for posting! Your post will not be visible until a moderator has approved it for posting." but yet when I type this as a quick reply, it doesnt need to be approved..

Probably because you just registered and have a low post count.

And the build looks great - DS and mfenn know their shit.

 

[hawk710]

Yah I just tried the standard post reply and the quick replay and both are giving me the same..... some moderator is gonna be really pissed at me 🙁

Edit: Ok lets try this one more time 🙂
I got a normal post with the approval, and just edited the text
Sorry again if it's a repost....

I have ordered so far the:
CPU
RAM
CASE
HDD(from amazon per suggestion above)
Have monitor/keyboard/mouse already

I need to order the following:

Gigabyte GA-P55 USB3 + win7 OEM combo
​

is this the right win7 to get? I want a full install version, not upgrade from xp version.

Liteon DVD drive
OEM is fine right?

Coolmaster hyper 212

xfx radeon hd 6870 black edition
with $30 mail in rebate its cheaper than the sapphire I was going to get

Power supply.....no clue on this one


Am i missing anything else?

Thank you! 🙂

 

[Davidh373]

Liteon DVD drive
OEM is fine right?

The motherboard should come with 2 SATA cables. 1 for HDD and 1 for Optical.

 

[mfenn]

Yah I just tried the standard post reply and the quick replay and both are giving me the same..... some moderator is gonna be really pissed at me 🙁

Edit: Ok lets try this one more time 🙂
I got a normal post with the approval, and just edited the text
Sorry again if it's a repost....

I have ordered so far the:
CPU
RAM
CASE
HDD(from amazon per suggestion above)
Have monitor/keyboard/mouse already

I need to order the following:

Gigabyte GA-P55 USB3 + win7 OEM combo
​

is this the right win7 to get? I want a full install version, not upgrade from xp version.

Liteon DVD drive
OEM is fine right?

Coolmaster hyper 212

xfx radeon hd 6870 black edition
with $30 mail in rebate its cheaper than the sapphire I was going to get

Power supply.....no clue on this one


Am i missing anything else?

Thank you! 🙂

Yep, that is the right Windows 7. It's the OEM version, which only covers full installs (not upgrades).

The OEM Lite-On drive doesn't come with a SATA cable or a retail box, otherwise it is the same. Like David said, your motherboard comes with 2 SATA cables, so you will need an additional one because you are getting an SSD, HDD, and ODD.

The 6870 doesn't use very much power at all, so you will be fine with a quality 500W unit like the Antec Neo Eco.

 

[hawk710]

ok one last question.... sorry for being so indecisive. first computer that im building so a little nervous!! 🙂

I got a little more bonus from work that i wasnt expecting....so I am considering investing a little more into a better graphics card. So here's my question:

Is a 5870 better than a 6870? All of the benchmarks Ive been searching on the site only show 5870. Is a 5870 the best value at that price range? I'm not partial to Radeon/Geforce so I can get either. Is it that much better compared to a 6870 or 470? 470 seems to be faster on the benchmarks than the 5870.
I was looking at some of the 5870s and with rebates it's really not that much more than a 6870, but some of the reviews seem to indicate bad support drivers for the xfx, overheating for the gigabyte... help! 🙂

 

[mfenn]

ok one last question.... sorry for being so indecisive. first computer that im building so a little nervous!! 🙂

I got a little more bonus from work that i wasnt expecting....so I am considering investing a little more into a better graphics card. So here's my question:

Is a 5870 better than a 6870? All of the benchmarks Ive been searching on the site only show 5870. Is a 5870 the best value at that price range? I'm not partial to Radeon/Geforce so I can get either. Is it that much better compared to a 6870 or 470? 470 seems to be faster on the benchmarks than the 5870.
I was looking at some of the 5870s and with rebates it's really not that much more than a 6870, but some of the reviews seem to indicate bad support drivers for the xfx, overheating for the gigabyte... help! 🙂

Here's a link to the first page of some charts that have all of the relevant cards on them. In short, the 5870 is faster than the 6870, but stocks are drying up; so get one now if you want one.

Oh and don't worry too much about the Newegg reviews. Most are written by complete idiots.

 

[hawk710]

ok so 5870 it is 🙂

xfx the gigabyte or the sapphire? any preference or they are all about the same?

xfx has the lifetime warranty which is not bad...

 

[zi0n.]

I would jump on the XFX myself.

 

[mfenn]

I would get the Sapphire because it's the cheapest. For me a 2 year warranty is enough for a GPU, but of course YMMV.

 

[hawk710]

Thanks guys! I ordered all the parts yesterday and the day before....and i've gotten over half of parts already. Loving newegg!
I'm sure I will have plenty of questions once I start building it. But thank you so much for all your help so far. I couldn't have asked for a better forum for a first time builder!!

🙂

 

[mfenn]

Thanks guys! I ordered all the parts yesterday and the day before....and i've gotten over half of parts already. Loving newegg!
I'm sure I will have plenty of questions once I start building it. But thank you so much for all your help so far. I couldn't have asked for a better forum for a first time builder!!

🙂

You're very welcome and thanks! Be sure to update this thread if you run into problems or just want to post pics!

 

[hawk710]

all the parts that I ordered from newegg arrives within 1-2 days after.
the HDD that I ordered from amazon last week...still not here yet. go newegg 🙂

so i've put in my power supply, the mobo, the coolmaster 212(woo...now THAT was a challenge. but that cpu is definitely NOT moving anywhere after the mounting job).
for the 4 fans in the case....can I plug all 4 cascading into the same power plug from the power supply? cause each has a in/out so another can connect.....rather than taking up 4 different plugs. even though there's like 10 plugs so it's not a big deal.

🙂

 

[Davidh373]

the HDD that I ordered from amazon last week...still not here yet. go newegg

yeah, that is one thing about Amazon, Shipping is more inconsistent... but you saved $10

 

[mfenn]

all the parts that I ordered from newegg arrives within 1-2 days after.
the HDD that I ordered from amazon last week...still not here yet. go newegg 🙂

so i've put in my power supply, the mobo, the coolmaster 212(woo...now THAT was a challenge. but that cpu is definitely NOT moving anywhere after the mounting job).
for the 4 fans in the case....can I plug all 4 cascading into the same power plug from the power supply? cause each has a in/out so another can connect.....rather than taking up 4 different plugs. even though there's like 10 plugs so it's not a big deal.

🙂

Yeah, Amazon's super saver shipping kinda sucks. Prime is great though!

As for the fans, it should be fine to daisy chain them.

 

[hawk710]

The Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case was a great suggestion! So many fans 🙂

I'm a little confused though...the top part where the power/reset/and 2 usb ports has two wires coming out. One is labeled "USB" that I know where to plug into the motheboard. The other has" HDA" and "AC'97" and I have no clue where those go...

 

[Davidh373]

I'm a little confused though...the top part where the power/reset/and 2 usb ports has two wires coming out. One is labeled "USB" that I know where to plug into the motheboard. The other has" HDA" and "AC'97" and I have no clue where those go...

Them's probably the power and reset buttons from process of elimination. Cunsult your Motherboard manual.

 

[hawk710]

getting down to the last few parts before I can turn this baby on...and hopefully (fingers crossed) everything will work the first time!!

one more question.... the motherboard came with 3 cables. 2 SATA and 1 IDE? My SSD and HDD seems to both be using SATA since the IDE was too big to fit into any of their slots. My CD ROM drive seems to use SATA only. Does anything in my computer use IDE? Do I even need that cable?

 

[Davidh373]

Does anything in my computer use IDE? Do I even need that cable?

That is likely a no. I would hold onto it for charity just in case one of your friend's ancient computers needs a new or extra HDD or something. If you can't plug everything in, you'll need to get an extra SATA cable. I would guess they go for ~$7-$10

 

[hawk710]

and I should be plugging everything into the SATA slots and not the 2 GSATA slots on the mobo right? I was reading on another site that the SATA are intel based and is generaly better than the GSATA(gigabyte) version?

I'm a little confused though...the top part where the power/reset/and 2 usb ports has two wires coming out. One is labeled "USB" that I know where to plug into the motheboard. The other has" HDA" and "AC'97" and I have no clue where those go...

and I am reading the mobo manual and i think the HDA is the front panel audio, and AC'97 audio. But it seems to me I have to plug in one or the other and not both?

the power/hdd led/reset buttons were 2 connector and I think I found where all those went on the mobo(without + - labels....kinda guessed so those might be in the reverse positions)
just out of curiousity..what would happen if I put the - and + wrong? Would it short the whole board, or just not turn on?

 

[hawk710]

ok....first time powering on the computer....

everything turns on for like half a second, then goes off.....then automatically turns on again after a few seconds, then goes off....infact when I unplugged the power it even powered on for a split second.

is this a power supply issue? I didn't see a switch anywhere that I need to switch to 115 voltages..is there suppose to be one? or do you think I plugged something in wrong and it's shorting somewhere 🙁


EDIT: i'm not home so I can't verify this...but I just happen to read another post about that mobo needing a atx12v connection for the cpu in addition to the atx power....i'm pretty sure I didn't do that. Would THIS cause the computer to power on then immedicately off? Or would that not even allow the computer to power on at all?

 

[BoomerD]

I downloaded the manual for the Gigabyte motherboard you linked to above:

http://download.gigabyte.us/FileList/Manual/mb_manual_ga-p55-usb3_e.pdf

On page 7, at the top of the board, you'll see the ATX_12V_2X4 plug...(AKA 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V power connector)

On page 22, it says:

"1/2) ATX_12V_2X4/ATX (2x4 12V Power Connector and 2x12 Main Power Connector)
With the use of the power connector, the power supply can supply enough stable power to all the components on the motherboard. Before connecting the power connector, first make sure the power supply is turned off and all devices are properly installed. The power connector possesses a foolproof design. Connect the power supply cable to the power connector in the correct orientation. The 12V power connector mainly supplies power to the CPU. If the 12V power connector is not connected, the computer will not start.
• Use of a power supply providing a 2x4 12V power connector is recommended by the CPU manufacturer when using an Intel Extreme Edition CPU (130W)."

My understanding, (and I'm NOT very techy) is that you SHOULD still be able to POST without that plug, but it's recommended. Your PSU SHOULD have included it.

Your problem could be caused by several things...CPU not seated correctly, Memory not seated correctly, video card not seated correctly, bad sockets for CPU and/or RAM.

Unplug the box from the power source. Remove all your RAM, then install ONE stick of RAM in socket 3_1 or 3_3. Try to start the computer. If it starts, shut it down again, (unplug from the power source) and install the second stick in the other 3_ socket.
(see your manual for socket identification.) Try again.

If the computer doesn't start with ONE stick of RAM, I'd next check the CPU to make sure it's in the socket correctly.

I haven't built a computer in several years, so I'm more than a bit rusty in this...(but will be starting my own new build tomorrow or Sunday) Hopefully, one of the more experienced folks will read this and chime in with more suggestions.

 

[Davidh373]

lets all cross our fingers you didn't bend pins >_<...

 

[hawk710]

uh oh...what does that mean 🙁

 

[mfenn]

and I should be plugging everything into the SATA slots and not the 2 GSATA slots on the mobo right? I was reading on another site that the SATA are intel based and is generaly better than the GSATA(gigabyte) version?

Correct, use the Intel ports.

and I am reading the mobo manual and i think the HDA is the front panel audio, and AC'97 audio. But it seems to me I have to plug in one or the other and not both?

Correct. You should be using the HDA header. Consult your mobo manual for the location on them motherboard (usually labeled HD_AUDIO or FP_AUDIO, or something like that).

the power/hdd led/reset buttons were 2 connector and I think I found where all those went on the mobo(without + - labels....kinda guessed so those might be in the reverse positions)
just out of curiousity..what would happen if I put the - and + wrong? Would it short the whole board, or just not turn on?

Nothing bad would happen. For the switches, polarity doesn't even matter. For the LEDs, they just wouldn't light up until you had them in the correct orientation.

 

[mfenn]

ok....first time powering on the computer....

everything turns on for like half a second, then goes off.....then automatically turns on again after a few seconds, then goes off....infact when I unplugged the power it even powered on for a split second.

is this a power supply issue? I didn't see a switch anywhere that I need to switch to 115 voltages..is there suppose to be one? or do you think I plugged something in wrong and it's shorting somewhere 🙁


EDIT: i'm not home so I can't verify this...but I just happen to read another post about that mobo needing a atx12v connection for the cpu in addition to the atx power....i'm pretty sure I didn't do that. Would THIS cause the computer to power on then immedicately off? Or would that not even allow the computer to power on at all?

Yes, 95% of the time this problem is caused by not plugging in the ATX12V connector. Your PSU has one, so just plug it in!