New Build $1300

[lehtv]

Well, you'll only be able to tell if a particular switch type is right or wrong for you by trying them all. I think it's good to start from a safer switch that doesn't require a lot of force compared to rubber domes, and that doesn't make a lot of noise that may be annoying to those who are unused to mechanical keyboards

 

[tg2708]

Well, you'll only be able to tell if a particular switch type is right or wrong for you by trying them all. I think it's good to start from a safer switch that doesn't require a lot of force compared to rubber domes, and that doesn't make a lot of noise that may be annoying to those who are unused to mechanical keyboards

Yea thanks but I'm talking about speakers for sound because currently I have none.

 

[lehtv]

My post was aimed at Mtt.

I don't have any recommendation for speakers, sorry. I only use headphones myself.

 

[tg2708]

My post was aimed at Mtt.

I don't have any recommendation for speakers, sorry. I only use headphones myself.

Ok which headphones do you recommend?

 

[lehtv]

With headphones/headsets I think it's a good idea to go to a store and try out different types so you know what suits you best. There are pretty big variations in what people find comfortable to wear.

There are also preferences with respect to the amount of bass, some headphones are more bassy than others.

A good starting point: Steelseries 5H v2 $100
- large circumaural design, should be easy to wear for almost anyone
- can use either the standard 3.5mm connector, or inbuilt 7.1 virtual surround via USB
- sound quality is OK, nothing spectacular but decent enough for gaming; if using 3.5mm you can tweak around with the sound driver's equalizer to find a sweet spot
- has microphone

If you can pay more: Sennheiser PC360 $180
- well rounded sound quality, but not too bassy; can be corrected with equalizer if needed
- excellent noise-cancelling microphone
- works wonderfully with Asus Xonar & Dolby Headphone (for my taste at least)
- I own the very similar PC350, they are super comfortable for me as I can wear them the whole day with zero issues

If you want to pay less: Steelseries Siberia V2 $67
- classic semi-budget gamer's headset

 

[tg2708]

I just got the i30 cooler today (waiting on ups to deliver the other parts) but it feels heavy. It seems as if it can break the mobo due to its weight and I'm not sure how sturdy the motherboard is.

 

[lehtv]

It can't break the motherboard because the motherboard is not actually carrying the weight - the case is. The motherboard is securely attached to the case frame with 9 screws; almost all of the strain imposed by the heat sink's weight is transferred to the surrounding case.

People have been using heavier (1+ kg) heatsinks on motherboards for a long time and I've never even heard of anyone's motherboard breaking because of it.

 

[tg2708]

It can't break the motherboard because the motherboard is not actually carrying the weight - the case is. The motherboard is securely attached to the case frame with 9 screws; almost all of the strain imposed by the heat sink's weight is transferred to the surrounding case.

People have been using heavier (1+ kg) heatsinks on motherboards for a long time and I've never even heard of anyone's motherboard breaking because of it.

Thanks for that explanation, was a bit worried because I was always under the impression that it was screwed onto the mobo and since its not cheap I did not want anything to happen that would void the warranty (break).

Side note: cooler came a day early which is extremely fast. Post office always delivers thing quickly but still..

Need to get that screwdriver (which size or does any work?). Have to wait though because ups can come anytime now.

 

[tg2708]

im in a dilemma i push down the stock fan to hard and now its and is not budging. The mobo is probably broken. and smudging is all under the board

 

[mfenn]

im in a dilemma i push down the stock fan to hard and now its and is not budging. The mobo is probably broken. and smudging is all under the board

It's not supposed to pop right off, that would kind of defeat the purpose of the mounting mechanism. Twist the pushpins in the direction of the arrow and they should disengage.

 

[tg2708]

It's not supposed to pop right off, that would kind of defeat the purpose of the mounting mechanism. Twist the pushpins in the direction of the arrow and they should disengage.

tried that and its stuck. oh boy everything is messing up

 

[mfenn]

tried that and its stuck. oh boy everything is messing up

The pushpins have a slot for a flatblade screwdriver, use that to get some more torque.

 

[tg2708]

The pushpins have a slot for a flatblade screwdriver, use that to get some more torque.

I was trying avoid that. the only thing that is showing life is the monitor. i tried all screws to get hdd screwed in and none is working.

the seasonic psu is confusing, any help?

 

[tg2708]

got everything to work after few hours sleep but he cpu is starting and stopping/ the fans are dong the same thing. no power to the monitor either. Making a whinning noice also.

 

[tg2708]

Can anyone diagnose this? The both the mainboard and the psu looses power for a something like a second and then starts back so I really can tell which is giving me the problem.

 

[mfenn]

How long does the machine run before it resets?

 

[tg2708]

How long does the machine run before it resets?

Its starting to work good now. How? I really don't know, but I guess a little patience paid off. Was almost ready to rma the mobo and psu. No major problems except for when i was installing a few intel drivers that came with mobo, the system blue screened but I was able to rectify it quickly s the problem has not persisted.

Do you guys have any tips that you can share to help me improve its performance? Can I leave the side panels off or it is best to put them on? only have two fans active the i30 and one on the front panel (took of the back one off and have problems re installing it but the i30 is blowing in the same direction), any recommendation on any other fans? looking to get this system as heat free as possible before I start overclocking.

 

[mfenn]

Before you get too worried about the temperature, it's good to collect some data. Download HWMonitor and post a screenshot here (idle and load).

 

[Torn Mind]

Heatsink installation is by far the most annoying part of assembly. Even the stock cooler can be tricky, as this thread shows.

 

[tg2708]

Heatsink installation is by far the most annoying part of assembly. Even the stock cooler can be tricky, as this thread shows.

Before you get too worried about the temperature, it's good to collect some data. Download HWMonitor and post a screenshot here (idle and load).

yes the heat sink was tricky but luckily i had an aftermarket cooler so I through it on. Im also amazed by how ell the intel chat specialist responded when I told him I had to break it (a latch came broke off) but he sent me a new heatsink. Was only concerned about it for warranty purposes.

Mfeen, its idle temperatures from hwmonitor when i last hooked it up was between 29 and 32 for the cpu cores and around 33 for the gpu. Under load in games seen that I max the graphic settings gpu temp was a 58% (tested metro last light, far cry 3 etc). Sometimes a weird noise comes from either the gpu, i30 or psu when the graphics is maxed. Also crysis 2 the high res texture pack addon (origin) seems to not be showing textures here and their). Will post a screenshot later as I will have to go to work in a few.

 

[mfenn]

~30 C idle is very good, that barely above ambient. 58C is also very chilly for a load temperature, nothing to be concerned about. I think you can put those side panels on.

 

[tg2708]

~30 C idle is very good, that barely above ambient. 58C is also very chilly for a load temperature, nothing to be concerned about. I think you can put those side panels on.

Wow thanks I thought the gpu temp was high. Also your input is much appreciated in reducing my paranoia. And yes I will put them back on .

 

[mfenn]

Wow thanks I thought the gpu temp was high. Also your input is much appreciated in reducing my paranoia. And yes I will put them back on .

No worries, it does take some getting used to thinking about temperatures in computer terms. Anything under 90C is fine for a GPU, under 80C for a CPU.

 

[tg2708]

I need help now. The pcie cables that comes from the psu has two of the same plugs (pcie joined) and due to that its so stiff that it cant be bent. the case panels cant be put on like that. Also the cable from the psu that gives the mobo power is touching the gpu and because of the fit and length their is no true way to prevent it from touching.

Also about overclocking how many more fps am i looking at and can the i30 and the from case fan handle it. I took the rear one out and can't put it back on.

 

[mfenn]

The cables are insulated, so there's no problem with them touching other components. You should be able to bend the PCIe power cables enough to get the side panel on. Either that or it will bow out slightly from the cables (not a big deal).

As for the fans, yes the i30 is enough to do some overclocking. I'm not sure what you mean when you say that you can't put the rear fan back on? It just screws in.