Building a Gaming Computer

[jimhelm]

Originally Posted by Flint

I wouldn't buy an after-market audio card unless you intend to use the PC as a recording rig, or amp simulator, etc.

Oooooh. I wonder what kind of cool recording/mixing I could get into if I got some funky kind of card.....

[Flint]

Get some onboard or external gadget that converts a quarter inch guitar jack into USB, and runs through an amp simulator.

That's what I would do.

Then you can do your recording on headphones.

[zippyt]

Jim may i suggest that you ditch the wireless net work card and go Hard wired instead , wireless is convenient , but slow compared to hard wired

[GunMaster357]

A little thing some people usually forget: if you go for more than 4 gigabytes of RAM, you'll need a 64 bits version of Windows. With the 32 bits version, the OS is unable to operate more than 4 gigabytes.

[jimhelm]

got 64 bit version, check.

[jimhelm]

youtube is a damned handy resource. It's one of those things that has not really been around all that long, but I can't think of what I used to do without it.

[jimhelm]

I installed the radiator side of the liquid cooling already... this video makes me think I should remove it and install the heat sink end on the MB first.

[zippyt]

One thing from the Old school , I know that some of the mounting screws are in Hard to reach places to reach , But NEVER NEVER use a Magnetic tipped screwdriver , magnets and hard drives dont get along verry well ,
This may not be so much of an issue any more , but it used to be

[tw]

Originally Posted by zippyt

But NEVER NEVER use a Magnetic tipped screwdriver , magnets and hard drives dont get along verry well ,

It was never an issue even when some disk drives used motor oil to move heads.

Where is the most powerful magnet in your house? Inside the disk drive. Used to move those heads. If anything magnetic would harm data, then it is the most powerful magnet already inside the drive.

[zippyt]

What Ever !!!

[jimhelm]

Tw, did I get a good power supply?!

[tw]

Originally Posted by jimhelm

Tw, did I get a good power supply?!

Corsair is a popular brand name. Without a few sheet of spec numbers, I cannot say anything more.

Nobody really needs an 800 watt supply. But a majority of comptuer builders say it is needed due to hype and spin. Will your computer output heat like a toaster? Of course not. View supplies from brand name computers. Rarely do they exceed 400 watts. Most of the time, a computer consumes 200 watts or less.

Now, is that supply really 800 watts? To say more (again) means spec numbers. For example the 250 watt supply in a Dell would also be hyped as maybe 400 watts in stores selling to computer assemlbers. They did not lie. They just play games with the numbers to cite a different wattage measurement. Why are so many told to install an 800 watt supply? Generally, just double what you really need. Then any one current (for each voltage) that might be insufficient is now more than enough.

The supply is probably fine. That is the best I can say. But appreciate games played with computer assemblers mostly because so many ignore or never really learn the numbers.

Once built, tests recommended using the multimeter (while multitasking to everything as described in that other thread) can better say whether that one unique supply is up to the task. One of two tests recommended here to avert future failures.

One chassis fan should be more than sufficient (not to be confused with completely different fans on heatsinks). Sometimes people install more fans to eliminate hot spots. Or so that air still flows because they expect one fan to fail. So one fan blows in while another fan blows out the other side.

Routing of ribbon cables and other 'airflow restrictive' items is important so that hotspots do not form. One 40 CFM (cubic feet per minute) chassis fan should be more than sufficient to move air when the room is at 100 degreee F. Moving too much air usually creates another problem - excessive dust.

Best time to learn how reliable a system is will be is on a warmest day. Try executing heavily in a 100 degree F room. Some hardware defects that might cause failures months or years later can sometimes be identified when the room is that warm. And before a warranty expires. 100 degrees F will never cause hardware damage. But may identify weaknesses that only get worse with age.

[jimhelm]

So thats a yes. I cannot tolerate a 100° room, so no danger of me computing frantically in that environ.
Thanks!

[zippyt]

I believe that was the Shortest Yes TW Has EVER Given !!!

[classicman]

chuckle @ zippy