Rant Computer build from hell

[mikeymikec]

I've never had so many problems with a single computer build of mine, I'm just really fed up with this one.

Spec:
Core i5-11600K
Be Quiet! Pure Rock Slim 2 HSF
ASUS H570-PRO
2x Samsung 980 PRO 500GB NVMe in RAID1
SATA DVDRW
Be Quiet! Pure Power 11 PSU
BitFenix Nova gaming case

CPU & RAM were easy, nothing new there.

HSF:
To begin with, the HSF was a minor PITA. I've installed a stock Intel 10thgen HSF recently and they've done away with the old push-and-turn retention thingies and changed them to simply push-and-click. This HSF which is easy to install on AM4 has the classic problem on Intel being you have to do diagonal push-pins in order for them to hold properly, which I thought I did. More on this later.

M2:
I had three M2 slots to choose from, presumably the same. I use M2_1 (located near the CPU) and M2_2 (next to M2_3 at the bottom of the board) Ha ha ha, ho ho, he he. More on this later.
So the H570-PRO has these little metal blocks that go on top of the M2 cards, nice idea I thought (assuming they act like heatsinks). However, try screwing a screw into a screw hole when you can't see the hole, and the metal blocks have some kind of adhesive pads, so I was trying to line those up nicely with the SSD and try to line up with the screw hole and not mess with it too much because I want the M2 connector to stay sound. In the end, I removed the RAM so I could get the best angle to see where the screw was going. All in all, four attempts to get it right.

Installing board in case:
The back IO panel of the board has the backplate built in, so in theory all you need to do is plonk it on the motherboard spacer screw thingies. Not so with this case, as there's 1mm or less clearance between the back plate and the chassis fan. Fine, remove the chassis fan, then put the board in.

Plug PSU CPU power cable in to board:
The PSU is at the case of the case, and thankfully the cable does reach with reasonable ease. Hmm, why hasn't one of the CPU connectors clicked? I'm trying to get purchase enough to apply some pressure to make the connector click in, and a small amount of pressure from my knuckle is on the CPU HSF, which then pops out of the locked position. Joy.

HSF part 2:
I attempted to secure the HSF again, repeatedly. I consulted the instructions (just click each one in turn, honest!), checked out an official BQ YouTube video (no sound, natch), gave up on official help and tried again. Hmm, each clip clicks when it locks. Do the diagonal simultaneous job, after a few attempts I get three clicked but does the fourth one want to go? Does it FUCK. I can't remember what I did to finally get it to go, but I don't think it clicked but it seems as firm as the rest of them.

The rest of the hardware install went reasonably well, then I booted it for the first time (worked, always a plus), then tried to set up RAID and the best I could do was for it to show one device. I dug around the documentation and was trying to figure out what "PCH-attached slots" were, considering that they weren't labelled in the manual as being one or the other, then I control+F'd the manual and found 'PCH' labelled on the board diagram, legible at 420x zoom level.

M2 part 2:
Relocated the first SSD to M2_3, which went a damn sight better than the first time around but as the board was already installed in the case, I was still aiming blind.

BIOS updated, I got the BIOS to set up the RAID array after a bit of messing around.

Windows 10 setup, take 1:
My usual 1607 build memory stick wouldn't recognise any signed drivers on my memory stick.

Windows 10 setup, take 2:
I rustled up a 20H2 build memory stick, which would recognise the drivers but not believe that any qualifying hardware was connected.

Take 3, 4 and maybe 5:
Messing around with 1607/20H2 and the motherboard CD, drivers downloaded from ASUS, etc. Nada.

Just a bit of pain on the side:
The DVD drive I bought for this build doesn't work: The tray refuses to eject, and even if I use the pinhole to force-eject it, it still doesn't read discs.

Final attempt Win10:
Out of desperation I pulled out an 1803 build DVD, which recognised the drivers and hardware. Phew.

One other small issue is that despite enabling XMP, the RAM is only running at 2400MHz.

 

[Captante]

RTFM? (just sayin)


Seriously my first guess provided you did the above already would be a bad motherboard.

EDIT: After skimming the rest of your post I have another suggestion... pack everything up and return it, then go buy a pre-built.

 

[VirtualLarry]

EDIT: After skimming the rest of your thread I have another suggestion... pack everything up and return it, then go buy a pre-built.

Harsh...! But maybe you're on to something. OP, the "stock" Intel heatsink retainer clips, were NEVER "push and turn". They were push to click (and lock in), and if you needed to RELEASE them, you were supposed to turn them a quarter-turn, then pull them out gently. Then turn a quarter-turn back into place, to click back into place next time you re-installed the heatsink.

Are you somehow claiming that the new 11th-Gen Black anodized Rocket Lake heatsinks, don't have the "rotate to release" feature, that they are one-and-done and unremovable? I have an unopened i5-11500 here, but I highly DOUBT that's the case.

 

[Captante]

I highly DOUBT that's the case

You doubt correctly!


To be fair I've had a couple builds where it seemed the the computer parts were messing with my head!

BOTH times I returned the MB and got something different to fix it.

 

[mikeymikec]

Harsh...! But maybe you're on to something. OP, the "stock" Intel heatsink retainer clips, were NEVER "push and turn". They were push to click (and lock in), and if you needed to RELEASE them, you were supposed to turn them a quarter-turn, then pull them out gently. Then turn a quarter-turn back into place, to click back into place next time you re-installed the heatsink.

Are you somehow claiming that the new 11th-Gen Black anodized Rocket Lake heatsinks, don't have the "rotate to release" feature, that they are one-and-done and unremovable? I have an unopened i5-11500 here, but I highly DOUBT that's the case.

Old Intel HSFs - the first time I encountered this was with the s775 type. IIRC the official instructions were slightly wrong and it took me a while to figure how, that when the HSF was shipped, the pins were in the "I've just been unlocked" position, so trying to install the HSF as per the "just push them in" routine was never going to work. I think it more or less stayed the same until 10thgen, but my builds went from AMD Socket A to AM3, then to Intel until Ryzen-G, then back to Intel when Ryzen-G supplies dried up.

I meant to say I had installed a 10thgen HSF recently for a i3-10100 build. I was surprised when I went to do what I remembered to be my usual Intel HSF strategy (position HSF on board, prep pins for install, push pins in two diagonal opposites at a time) and it just clicked straight in before the turn.

@Captante I'm not sure why you're suggesting it's a bad board.

 

[Shmee]

A lot in this build doesn't make sense to me. Like why 500GB NVMe in RAID 1? Why an unlocked i5 on a H570 board? Why a SATA DVD drive? And the case sounds like a pain.

 

[mikeymikec]

@Shmee

Aside from the chassis fan, the case is OK IMO.

Yeah, it's a weird build. I started a thread when I was planning it:

Question - New computer build, mulling processor choice (strong ST performance needed)

The computer is going to be running a piece of Windows software called 'Exact' (running as a server for about 5 clients), some dental practice management software by a company called 'Software of Excellence'. The previous version had been reasonably happily running on a Core i5-2400, but the...

forums.anandtech.com

The NVMe RAID 1 was a last-minute addition (the previous revision of the server has SATA SSDs in RAID1), since a lot of the build was to throw as much raw performance at the software as possible, it occurred to me that even though I wouldn't normally use 980 PROs, their increased IOPS would probably be a good idea.

Early on I decided that a high clock and higher turbo stood the best chance with the software in question, and I think that i5 has one of the highest, plus there was the question of graphics supply as a card seemed like a complete waste in that server.

SATA DVD - they're like £10 and it's better to have one and not need it than to need one and not have it

 

[Shmee]

Ah a server. I guess RAID 1 makes sense then. Now, since it is a server, it seems to me to make even more sense just to use a USB DVD drive if/when needed. Of course this also allows for cleaner cable management. If all data is on the 2 m.2 drives, no SATA cables or SATA power would be needed.

 

[PingSpike]

I've always though that the stock Intel HSF design is pretty awful, not sure how much they've changed it over the years.

It might be better than the classic "stab motherboard with screwdriver to remove" designs of old though. I was glad when they started adding a simple lever for those.

 

[sdifox]

This is what happens when you try to use EU parts in UK.

 

[spacejamz]

been while since I built a PC, but I just got a AMD 5950x, Asus Tuf Gaming B550 Plus board with a Kraken X53 AIO and NZXT W510 case...hardest issue for me was the fans/radiator on the AIO....

It took about 45 minutes to put everything together...used my old memory (two 16 GB sticks of 2666 memory) and it booted up on the first try (much to my surprised LOL)...even running at 2666 speeds...

I was even able to find my previous windows key (wasn't sure I would be to use to it since it was a key that upgraded from a Windows 7/8 license but it took when I activated it)...

 

[sdifox]

been while since I built a PC, but I just got a AMD 5950x, Asus Tuf Gaming B550 Plus board with a Kraken X53 AIO and NZXT W510 case...hardest issue for me was the fans/radiator on the AIO....

It took about 45 minutes to put everything together...used my old memory (two 16 GB sticks of 2666 memory) and it booted up on the first try (much to my surprised LOL)...even running at 2666 speeds...

I was even able to find my previous windows key (wasn't sure I would be to use to it since it was a key that upgraded from a Windows 7/8 license but it took when I activated it)...

they don't really check that hard. I used an old win7 key off a dead Compaq machine.

 

[Captante]

Old Intel HSFs - the first time I encountered this was with the s775 type. IIRC the official instructions were slightly wrong and it took me a while to figure how, that when the HSF was shipped, the pins were in the "I've just been unlocked" position, so trying to install the HSF as per the "just push them in" routine was never going to work. I think it more or less stayed the same until 10thgen, but my builds went from AMD Socket A to AM3, then to Intel until Ryzen-G, then back to Intel when Ryzen-G supplies dried up.

I meant to say I had installed a 10thgen HSF recently for a i3-10100 build. I was surprised when I went to do what I remembered to be my usual Intel HSF strategy (position HSF on board, prep pins for install, push pins in two diagonal opposites at a time) and it just clicked straight in before the turn.

@Captante I'm not sure why you're suggesting it's a bad board.

Inexplicable random errors.... I had an Asus board once where the only indication of an issue was that it was literally impossible to make an ad-in sound-card function for example. The replacement had no problem.

And sorry to be harsh ... had a rough week. I do however feel the need to add that a big part of the reason for the "prebuilt" comment was also the fact that the configuration you picked appears to make very little sense.

It's your money and you can do what you want with it, but you could stomp on the machine your buildings performance for considerably less cash.

 

[AdamK47]

The M.2 slot situation was an easy one to avoid with just a little research before building.

It's well known that the top M.2 slot on Z590 directly connects to Rocket Lake CPUs.

There are messages about it in manuals, quick start guides, or even a sticker right on the slot. Read any Z590 review and I'm sure it mentions it.

 

[Iron Woode]

the one thing people should know is that aftermarket HSF, especially big ones, are a pain to install. Mine was fairly easy to install outside the case but for removal in the case, it was a pain:

 

[Muse]

the one thing people should know is that aftermarket HSF, especially big ones, are a pain to install. Mine was fairly easy to install outside the case but for removal in the case, it was a pain:

View attachment 44808

Dang! That's scary looking. Looks like something out of an Alien movie.

 

[mikeymikec]

the one thing people should know is that aftermarket HSF, especially big ones, are a pain to install. Mine was fairly easy to install outside the case but for removal in the case, it was a pain:

View attachment 44808

Yeah, I'm always wary of HSFs that have to be mounted on both sides of the board (weight being one issue, another being 'what if I want to remove the HSF temporarily'), but I think I should have gone with something heavier-duty for this build.

I found the BQ Pure Rock Slim to be absurdly easy to install on AM4 though, it goes on pretty much like any AMD 754 - AM3 stock cooler. Though having said that, I installed on in this server's predecessor on the i5-2400 and I don't recall having this much trouble.

 

[mikeymikec]

Inexplicable random errors.... I had an Asus board once where the only indication of an issue was that it was literally impossible to make an ad-in sound-card function for example. The replacement had no problem.

And sorry to be harsh ... had a rough week. I do however feel the need to add that a big part of the reason for the "prebuilt" comment was also the fact that the configuration you picked appears to make very little sense.

It's your money and you can do what you want with it, but you could stomp on the machine your buildings performance for considerably less cash.

See the link in post #7 to make more sense of it.

The problem with pre-builts is that you're either getting less quality for much less cash (I'd bet on DRAM-less SSDs, cheap-ass board/PSU/HSF), or the same amount of quality for much more cash, at least in my experience.

I'm not getting any random errors though, I honestly think that driver issue was just that. I got the driver from the Asus site, my next plan if 1803 didn't work was to download the latest RST driver from Intel.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

This is what happens when you try to use EU parts in UK.

There's a special place in heaven for people 'like you' and its called the basement.

 

[Iron Woode]

Yeah, I'm always wary of HSFs that have to be mounted on both sides of the board (weight being one issue, another being 'what if I want to remove the HSF temporarily'), but I think I should have gone with something heavier-duty for this build.

I found the BQ Pure Rock Slim to be absurdly easy to install on AM4 though, it goes on pretty much like any AMD 754 - AM3 stock cooler. Though having said that, I installed on in this server's predecessor on the i5-2400 and I don't recall having this much trouble.

the BQ Pure Rock Slim is not as good as the Pure Rock 4. My AC Freezer 34 Esports Duo does an excellent job of cooling my R5 3600.

 

[spacejamz]

the one thing people should know is that aftermarket HSF, especially big ones, are a pain to install. Mine was fairly easy to install outside the case but for removal in the case, it was a pain:

View attachment 44808

I think my Noctua D14 just said 'Hold my beer'....lol she is still running in my secondary PC...

 

[VirtualLarry]

The M.2 slot situation was an easy one to avoid with just a little research before building.

It's well known that the top M.2 slot on Z590 directly connects to Rocket Lake CPUs.

But why should that preclude an end-user from running RAID-0 between a CPU-connected NVMe and a PCH-connected NVMe?

Are (current) Intel platforms THAT prehistoric? You can do that on AM4.

 

[Captante]

See the link in post #7 to make more sense of it

Read the entire thread .... still not feeling it sorry. Unless a cheapo gaming rig is the purpose IMO this rig was not planned out well.

Also ... half of the issues you described in the OP could easily be explained by a MB problem.

If still returnable I would pull the ripcord and get something better.

(FWIW my suggestion would have been a Ryzen 3600/5600 on a mid-range B550 board with ONE fast 1tb gen 3x4 SSD like a Sabrent Rocket and a big spinner storing daily backups)

 

[mikeymikec]

The M.2 slot situation was an easy one to avoid with just a little research before building.

It's well known that the top M.2 slot on Z590 directly connects to Rocket Lake CPUs.

There are messages about it in manuals, quick start guides, or even a sticker right on the slot. Read any Z590 review and I'm sure it mentions it.

Here's the only place where the manual tells you which M2's are PCH-attached:



Bear in mind that I'm a little short-sighted yet at a glance I didn't even notice there was text in that box on the physical page. Without a magnifying glass I can't even begin to read what that text says.

The heatsink that covers the slots just says M2_2 and M2_3. M2_1's heatsink mentions it runs at PCIE 4.0.

With the PC hardware industry's obsession with style over function I can understand why they didn't label the heatsinks more explicitly, but considering the M2 sockets are hidden by the heatsink, why not colour-code them say red, then in the manual, mention that the M2 slots in question are red. After all, historically SATA ports with different capabilities (or connected to a different controller) were labelled in much the same manner.

At the end of the day it's not such a serious issue like say a compatibility one, all I'm saying is that Asus could have handled this better.