Advice on new PC

[djstubbs]

This was taken from another thread but I'm wondering if I could get advice on both the compatibility of all of my parts, and also if those are the best parts for the system. Thanks guys:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103547 $527

Processor

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813127206 $215

Motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130234 $599

Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102178 $71

Sound Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822144160 $166

Hard Drive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820146890 $168

Memory

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104153 $199

---

As of right now I have a mid-tower ATX case and an Ultra X-Connect 500w PSU, that have worked fine (A few times a week my intel active monitor tells me my voltage on the PSU is high but nothing awkward occurs).

If I was going to buy a new PSU it would be either an OCZ Modstream 520w or Powerstream 600w depending on what I needed.

Thoughts on just about anything would be great.

[djstubbs]

Updated Specs:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103529 $473

Processor - AMD Athlon 64 4000+ San Diego

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813136152 $135

Motherboard - DFI LANPARTY UT nF4 Ultra-D Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130234 $574

Video Card - eVGA 256-P2-N528-AX Geforce 7800GTX 256MB

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102178 $71

Sound Card - CREATIVE Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822144160 $166

Hard Drive - Western Digital Raptor WD740GD 74GB 10,000 RPM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820146890 $168

Memory - OCZ EL Platinum Revision 2 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104153 $199

Power Supply - OCZ PowerStream OCZ600ADJ ATX12V 600W Power Supply

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[muddocktor]

Instead of that San Diego, why not this bad boy, (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103547) the Manchester X2 4200+ for $539.00? :D They are in the same price range and you can enjoy the sweetness of a dually on a single proc board.

[djstubbs]

Instead of that San Diego, why not this bad boy, (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103547) the Manchester X2 4200+ for $539.00? :D They are in the same price range and you can enjoy the sweetness of a dually on a single proc board.

Is that compatible with the DFI board and/ or worth it if it's only being used for gaming?

[sfleuriet]

i would suggest getting a PC Power and Cooling psu instead of OCZ, just my opinion though.

you can get that gtx card cheaper, as posted in the Depot, and save yourself $111 - http://www.short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?t=34748

[Preacher]

Is that compatible with the DFI board and/ or worth it if it's only being used for gaming?

If you are going to use the system for gaming, spending $70 more for dual-core will not help you. It will definitely benefit you for multithreaded applications, but for the foreseeable future, games will mostly be single-threaded.

Here's a good article by Anandtech showing a single core A64 3800+ besting a dual core A64 X2 4400+ in every single game...

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2397&p=18

[airbornflght]

like pilots wings said, go for the pc power and cooling psu, cause if your gonna be gaming you dont want a supply that cant handle the loads. PC Power and Cooling supplys are rated at their average output, not maximum output like so many others are, its like the difference between RMS and Peak power ratings on a speaker, one with a rating of 150 Watts peak will be blown away with one that has 100 watts RMS.

And I noticed you had one hard drive, the raptor, thats a good decission, but it will be made better with another drive, say a large capacity SATA drive 300 or so gigs, I dont know why, but when the operating system is installed on the raptor and games on the secondary drive, things seem to get moving a little quicker, and make sure if you get a second drive that it supports native command queing, I've read a lot about and have decide that the next drive I get will definately support it.

[muddocktor]

Like Preacher said, if you are going to be exclusively gaming, then the X2 wouldn't be your best choice. But if you multitask a lot, such as gaming while ripping dvd or burning, then the X2 would definitely be the better choice. I've owned some dually machines and while they aren't as blazing fast as a single proc machine, they are definitely a lot smoother when multitasking and even single threaded apps are prioritized by the os and handled by both procs, lowering the load on each individual proc.

AFAIK, the DFI board is fine running the X2, but you might drop in at the DFI-Street forums and look and ask around to make sure

[djstubbs]

like pilots wings said, go for the pc power and cooling psu, cause if your gonna be gaming you dont want a supply that cant handle the loads. PC Power and Cooling supplys are rated at their average output, not maximum output like so many others are, its like the difference between RMS and Peak power ratings on a speaker, one with a rating of 150 Watts peak will be blown away with one that has 100 watts RMS.

And I noticed you had one hard drive, the raptor, thats a good decission, but it will be made better with another drive, say a large capacity SATA drive 300 or so gigs, I dont know why, but when the operating system is installed on the raptor and games on the secondary drive, things seem to get moving a little quicker, and make sure if you get a second drive that it supports native command queing, I've read a lot about and have decide that the next drive I get will definately support it.

I will probably make a few partitions on the drive, one for the OS, one for gaming, and one for all of my other files. That's not a bad idea to get a large drive, but I really don't need the space at all.

Like Preacher said, if you are going to be exclusively gaming, then the X2 wouldn't be your best choice. But if you multitask a lot, such as gaming while ripping dvd or burning, then the X2 would definitely be the better choice. I've owned some dually machines and while they aren't as blazing fast as a single proc machine, they are definitely a lot smoother when multitasking and even single threaded apps are prioritized by the os and handled by both procs, lowering the load on each individual proc.

AFAIK, the DFI board is fine running the X2, but you might drop in at the DFI-Street forums and look and ask around to make sure

I will be using the computer exclusively for gaming, so I've changed my mind to a single core processor and am currently considering the 3700+, 3800+, and 4000+ if anyone has opinions on which to pick and why that would be great as well.

Also I'm not quite sure what you meant by (AFAIK), but I will drop by
the DFI forums to look for some answers.

-----

So, I really am looking for opinions on the high end AMD single core processors. 3700, 3800, 4000... which to pick?

[Preacher]

AFAIK = As Far As I Know

[djstubbs]

Revised PC Specs:

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=120209&Category_Code=AMD64 $453

Processor - AMD Athlon 64 4000+ San Diego

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=110630&Category_Code=AMD939 $172

Motherboard - DFI LANPARTY UT NF4 SLI-DR nForce4 SLI Athlon 64(FX)/Sempron Skt939 DDR Motherboard

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=190416&Category_Code=NA_4 $507

Video Card - eVGA 256-P2-N528-AX Geforce 7800GTX 256MB

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102178 $71

Sound Card - CREATIVE Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822144160 $166

Hard Drive - Western Digital Raptor WD740GD 74GB 10,000 RPM

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=140979&Category_Code=Unbuffered_OCZ $189

Memory - OCZ EL Platinum Revision 2 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200)

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=100162&Category_Code=ps-500 $94

Power Supply - OCZ ModStream OCZ52012U ATX 520W Power Supply

$1652 shipped

- $25 http://www.monarchcomputer.com/rebates/140979.pdf

- $20 http://www.monarchcomputer.com/rebates/100162.pdf

$1607 after rebates

----

Thoughts, anyone?

[sfleuriet]

that should be a darn good computer ;D

[Madball]

Looks good except I would add another hard drive for storage purposes, and maybe get two 1gb sticks. But that's just me. I tend to do a lot of editing, so both memory and storage are necessary.

[djstubbs]

Looks good except I would add another hard drive for storage purposes, and maybe get two 1gb sticks. But that's just me. I tend to do a lot of editing, so both memory and storage are necessary.

I plan on adding another raptor shortly after I get the computer together, although I'm running on an 80 gb hard drive right now and I still have 30 gb free (although i did uninstall most of my games besides bf2 and hl2).

I was looking for some advice on partitioning the drive, and also making sure I had the right wires to support the drive.

In terms of RAM, and getting 2GB, I'll take a look at that and get back to you guys.

Thanks for the input, more is definitely welcome.

Oh yeah I need advice on which case to get, I was thinking something along the lines of a lian li pc 65...

[sfleuriet]

pc65 is a good case.

i love my ttake tsunami though!!! ;D ;D

[muddocktor]

dj, I noticed you linked to the OCZ Gold PC4000 VX but then wrote that you were getting Platium Rev. 2 PC3200. Which one are you going to go for, the VX or Plat rev2?

If it's the plat rev 2, newegg has it for $171.78 delivered and monarch has it for $179 delivered. Either memory type would be a good choice, IMO.

As for 2 X 1 GB sticks, you won't find them with as tight a timings as the 512 MB sticks.

I found this Patriot ram (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820220045) that is rated 2-3-2-5 PC3200.

OCZ also has this Platinum 1 GB PC3200 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820227209) with the same timings.

Corsair also has some 1 GB PC3200 sticks, but they are rated 2-3-3-6 timings and are more expensive than the other 2.

[djstubbs]

dj, I noticed you linked to the OCZ Gold PC4000 VX but then wrote that you were getting Platium Rev. 2 PC3200. Which one are you going to go for, the VX or Plat rev2?

If it's the plat rev 2, newegg has it for $171.78 delivered and monarch has it for $179 delivered. Either memory type would be a good choice, IMO.

As for 2 X 1 GB sticks, you won't find them with as tight a timings as the 512 MB sticks.

I found this Patriot ram (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820220045) that is rated 2-3-2-5 PC3200.

OCZ also has this Platinum 1 GB PC3200 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820227209) with the same timings.

Corsair also has some 1 GB PC3200 sticks, but they are rated 2-3-3-6 timings and are more expensive than the other 2.

I will most likely be getting the 4000 vx memory, it runs a lot better than the platinum rev. 2 according to benchmarks.

[Madball]

I'm running that Patriot memory. I've had good luck with it. I don't overclock, so I don't know what it's limits are, but it runs at the listed timings at 2.5v with no problems.

[profdlp]

Just a comment on HDs, but one reason for going with two smaller drives as opposed to one mammoth drive is that if you have enough available connectors (PATA/SATA) you can see a performance boost by running the drives on different channels. That way it gives your data two "pipes" to run through instead of one. With your OS on one drives and your apps on another you ought to see a tidy speed increase.

This only applies to having drives on different channels, though. If they're hooked up as a Master/Slave combo they are still fighting over the bandwidth of one single channel.

[mmonnin]

The bandwidth thing applies to PATA only right? Doesnt SATA have their own 150/300 MB/s connection?

[profdlp]

The bandwidth thing applies to PATA only right? Doesnt SATA have their own 150/300 MB/s connection?
Yep. There's no Master/Slave business with SATA. One drive per channel is all you get.

[djstubbs]

I'm curious now about what heatsink to get and I can tell you that I'm getting the dfi sli nf4 board and was looking at the zalman 7700cu, but someone told me I might have trouble installing it or fitting it in my case, does anyone know if it will fit in the lian-li pc65 on the mobo i listed>?

[muddocktor]

From what I've read, the Zalman's perform pretty well, but they aren't in the same class of performance as the Thermalright XP90 and XP90-C (all copper version). I'm pretty well sold on Thermalright's products myself and try to use them as long as they have a model for my need at the time. They shouldn't have any clearance problems on the DFI board either.

After saying all this, I do plan on buying a Zalman for the new P-M system I will be putting together shortly. :D It's because the Zalman 7000 series and 7700 series can be easily modded to fit on the Asus board with the CT-479 adapter, plus they are pretty good hsf's too. ;)

[djstubbs]

So you think I should go with the thermalright? A friend of mine was saying go with the xp-120. But I'm curious as to how you would install a 120mm fan onto the heatsink.....

[Madball]

I have a Zalman 7700 on my 3400+. It cools it well and is really quiet. It is quite large though. It fits on my DFI NF4 board without much room to spare.

[djstubbs]

This is going to sound silly, but does it function as a heatsink and a fan or just as a fan?

[Preacher]

I have an XP-120 on that motherboard and it works very well. There are some things to consider though. More is in this old post:

http://www.short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32081&highlight=xp-120

[djstubbs]

Thanks for the info, soon I will post my FINAL system specs before buying. After reading a few more reviews I'm slightly distraught on which memory to get.

I'm stuck between the OCZ ddr 400 (2x 512mb) pc3200 platinum revision 2

and

OCZ ddr 400 (2 x 512 mb) pc4000 dual channel gold vx

The DFI motherboard is the only mobo to support the second memory I listed, but I'm distraught on it now that I'm seeing people pick between them.

[Mt_Goat]

Thanks for the info, soon I will post my FINAL system specs before buying. After reading a few more reviews I'm slightly distraught on which memory to get.

I'm stuck between the OCZ ddr 400 (2x 512mb) pc3200 platinum revision 2

and

OCZ ddr 400 (2 x 512 mb) pc4000 dual channel gold vx

The DFI motherboard is the only mobo to support the second memory I listed, but I'm distraught on it now that I'm seeing people pick between them.
Just get the G. Skill 4400 LE and be done with it. I don't think you can find better overclocking memory than that. Mine runs much better than any other TCCD I have had to date. I have had the XP90 on mine and while it cooled well I just oredered that XP120 and a Panaflow 20mm fan as it will be much quieter and cool like the wind.

[djstubbs]

Ordered video card, case, and cpu cooling.

About to order everything else, need to know which mobo and why?

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=110222

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=110630

it's the same mobo, just one comes with different things, if i was building from scratch would i need those things???

please let me know, i'm trying to order everything tonight.

[sfleuriet]

Yeah go ahead and get the first one - $190. It comes with all the cables and stuff that most new ones come with.

I suspect the 2nd cheaper one is OEM since it doesnt come with any cables.

[djstubbs]

thats what i did, here are the specs of the machine:

AMD 4000+ (San Diego)
DFI DR-SLI NF4
BFG 7800 GTX OC
SB Audigy 2Zs
WD Raptor 74
Lian Li PC65B
OCZ DDR 500 (PC4000) [512 x2]
Thermalright XP-120 w/ Thermaltake 120mm fan
OCZ Modstream 520W

[sfleuriet]

wow u lucky mofo ;D

edit: your current rig specs better be reeeally bad if you're getting that good of a system :p

[profdlp]

It looks like they are giving you extra front & rear panel connectors for audio, USB, and what looks like an extra SATA port for an external drive. Plus, a tote bag for lugging stuff around to a LAN party. :p

For $18 more, it looks like a fair enough deal. If it were me I would probably go ahead and get the super-duper package. If nothing else, it will make the resale value higher if you decide to sell it off after your next upgrade.

If there is only one extra component that you actually use you will probably be getting a good deal. Buying that sort of stuff a la carte will probably run you as much for one item as it would to get the whole works in one shot.

Looks like a sweet rig - I'm sure you're going to enjoy it. :D

EDIT: Sorry I took so long to reply. I think you made a wise choice. :thumbsup:

[djstubbs]

Thanks but profdlp please explain your post I'm confused by:

"If there is only one extra component that you actually use you will probably be getting a good deal. Buying that sort of stuff a la carte will probably run you as much for one item as it would to get the whole works in one shot."

No clue there....

Again thanks for ALL the help with all these threads, I'll get some benchmarks and pics up for you ASAP.

[sfleuriet]

lol he's saying its cheaper to pay $18 extra and get them all together, then buying the cheaper one and later deciding you want to buy those extras seperately (a la carte - mexican term. i would know. look at my location lol).

Yes its better to spend the extra $18.00 imo and get the extra goodies :D

[profdlp]

lol he's saying its cheaper to pay $18 extra and get them all together, than buying the cheaper one and later deciding you want to buy those extras seperately...
Precisely. :)

Suppose you had gotten the cheaper one now, then later on decided you wanted the external SATA bracket. You could easily pay $18 just for that (and the separate shipping charge).

Not to mention the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you are ready for any configuration you choose. Even if it's well down the road from now you will have the flexibility to use all of the features the board offers. :D

[djstubbs]

I guess I read it too fast, makes perfect sense know, and yes I know what a la carte is, lol.

[djstubbs]

Someone just told me that the onboard is better than the Audigy 2ZS, thoughts???

Ended up cancelling my order, If I find I need the soundcard, I'll re-order it. :thumbsup:

[Mt_Goat]

Someone just told me that the onboard is better than the Audigy 2ZS, thoughts???

Ended up cancelling my order, If I find I need the soundcard, I'll re-order it. :thumbsup:
I like the sound on mine a lot. Just remember not to use the "Realtek" drivers and just use the audio drivers included in the Nforce driver set.

[Preacher]

I second mtgoat. The onboard sound is good, but I don't know if it's better than an Audigy 2ZS.

[djstubbs]

Is there anything I should know before putting this thing together...

I've heard things being mentioned with the floppy and sata for the raptor, could someone detail that for me? :D

Also does anyone else have any thoughts on Audigy 2zs vs. nf4 onboard.

[djstubbs]

Any thoughts at all guys?

The post above this is what I'm curious about.

[mmonnin]

The floppy is most likely to be used for installing the SATA driver during XP install. Press F6 when prompted and the screen will come up later for driver install.

[Madball]

I would personally save the money and not get the Audigy. I've been using onboard sound for several years now and it suits me just fine.

[Preacher]

Try the onboard sound. If you don't like it, then you can always buy the Audigy later.

[profdlp]

Try the onboard sound. If you don't like it, then you can always buy the Audigy later.
That's the best idea. :thumbsup:

I used to avoid any MB with onboard sound, but the technology has come a long way in the past couple of years. My latest system has the "nothing fancy" onboard Realtek AC97 sound and it is surprisingly good. I had planned to upgrade to a fancy card at some point, but will now put the money toward something else.

[sfleuriet]

My latest system has the "nothing fancy" onboard Realtek AC97 sound and it is surprisingly good.
mine too! I have it hooked up to my 6-speaker Bose stereo system, and I think its perfect :cool:

[Mt_Goat]

The real cool thing about these boards is that if you don't want to use the onboard you can physically remove it from the board completely. It is a separate module that plugs into a socket on the board. And like Prof said to try it first then...... :thumbsup:

[djstubbs]

That's good advice that I plan to follow.

[djstubbs]

"First PCI-e slot blocked by heatpipes" (http://www.thermalright.com/a_page/main_support_faq_motherboard_xp120_k8.htm)

That's what my heatsink [Thermalright xp-120] does to my motherboard...

I'm wondering if I can use the other PCI-e slot that isn't blocked, or if I should send this unit back and get a different heatsink.

[sfleuriet]

hm is there any way you could safely bend it?

(would that be wise?) :scratch:

[djstubbs]

hm is there any way you could safely bend it?

(would that be wise?) :scratch:

Bend what??

I'm just wondering if you can use either one of the PCI-e slots...

[Preacher]

Check out the pictures on this link. It doesn't block either of my PCI-E slots. It does overlap 1 of the RAM slots, but I just installed my RAM before the XP-120. Plus extra airflow is an added bonus.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=50963&highlight=DFI+XP120 :) :)

[djstubbs]

Okay so basically put the heatsink the way he has it and the RAM in before I install the heatsink.

Which brings me to another question...

Which DIMMs do I Install my two 512 sticks into...

OCz ddr 500 Gold PC 4000vx (2 x 512mb)

Yes now I'm curious, as to which DIMMs I need to use for the best performance from my RAM and then we can go from there.

Thanks for the link btw..

Any thoughts?

----

I just saw that thread on BIOS....

So much confusion: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=57952

[Mt_Goat]

Use the orange slots.

I am moving up to the XP-120 on mine as we type and it is no problem as long as you don't have tall sticks. My G. Skill 4400LE TCCD fits very nicely under the XP-120 but have seen where some taller sticks (particularly with heatspreaders) will touch or even worse. I also tried my wife's Patriot 3200XLBK TCCD with heatspreaders and they fit a little tighter but still not touching. I agree that the excess airflow from the heatsink will cool the dimms very nicely! :D

Damn, getting to be time to change my sig again. :/

[djstubbs]

Rgr, may I ask why you're using the orange slots???

[Mt_Goat]

Rgr, may I ask why you're using the orange slots???
It has been proven that slots 2 and 4 (the orange slots) perform better. The slots are numbered from the farthest from the CPU socket first as 1, 2, 3 and 4 (which corresponds to "Orange".

The four DIMM slots support up to 4GB of up to DDR400 memory in a Dual-Channel memory configuration. Dual-Channel 1 is DIMMs 1 and 3, and Dual-Channel 2 is DIMMs 2 and 4. DFI specifies support for both ECC and non-ECC unbuffered memory. Contacts at DFI advise that best overclocking is achieved with the dual-channel DIMMs in Sockets 2 and 4.

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2337


http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/motherboards/dfi/nf4sliultra/4dimm.jpg

[djstubbs]

Perfect, that's exactly what I was looking for.

Now I'm curious DDR500 works riiight???

[Mt_Goat]

Perfect, that's exactly what I was looking for.

Now I'm curious DDR500 works riiight???
Look in my sig, I'm using DDR550. So why wouldn't DDR500 work??? :scratch: It will all work and be detected properly. All you need to do is run it how you want to with in it's limitations. TCCD has the widest range of any memory on the market and is why I use it and recomend it.

[sfleuriet]

thats very interesting about slots 2 and 4. Does something like that apply on the Ultra-D NF3 939 also?

[Mt_Goat]

thats very interesting about slots 2 and 4. Does something like that apply on the Ultra-D NF3 939 also?
I have not looked into it. You will have to look around and test it for yourself by swapping from sets of slots and benching.

[djstubbs]

It has been proven that slots 2 and 4 (the orange slots) perform better. The slots are numbered from the farthest from the CPU socket first as 1, 2, 3 and 4 (which corresponds to "Orange".



http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2337


http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/motherboards/dfi/nf4sliultra/4dimm.jpg

Interestingly enough I posted somewhat of a similar thread over at the DFI street threads where I asked similar questions: http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18710

This is what they said:

3. Which DIMMs should I use for best RAM performance?
High voltage = yellow slots but you will need BIOS 510 or above

[Preacher]

You could always start with the RAM in 2 and 4, then bench it. Switch to the RAM in 1 and 3, then bench it again. The other consideration besides performance and even more important on a daily use computer is stability. Everything I read says 2 and 4 are the best with TCCD RAM.

[djstubbs]

You could always start with the RAM in 2 and 4, then bench it. Switch to the RAM in 1 and 3, then bench it again. The other consideration besides performance and even more important on a daily use computer is stability. Everything I read says 2 and 4 are the best with TCCD RAM.

even if you're overclocking?

[sfleuriet]

well I have no idea what ICs are in my ram. Corsair refuses to tell people for some stupid reason.

[Mt_Goat]

even if you're overclocking?
I have my TCCD in 2 and 4 (orange slots) and have had my TCCD up to 305. My system is currently overclocked to 280 24/7!

[Preacher]

even if you're overclocking?
Yeppers!

[djstubbs]

Does it really matter what 120mm fan I use ontop of my xp-120?

I just got a thermaltake 120mm fan...

[Mt_Goat]

Does it really matter what 120mm fan I use ontop of my xp-120?

I just got a thermaltake 120mm fan...
Most of the difference between the XP-90 and the XP-120 is noise. I am using a low speed Panaflow and doing great. Using higher flow fans helps some but only goes so far due to back-wash and turbulence after that much air hits your motherboard.

[edcentric]

OK, lame question.
Do the NF4 bios use 0.5 step multipliers?
I have never seen a speed reported using them, but.....

4000+ is either 2.4 or 2.6 (too lazy to go look it up) 13x200.
This makes the closest to stock speed 300x8.5, but x9 or x9.5 are very slight OCs.

[djstubbs]

Installed my heatsink, waiting on my case and video card to arrive.

---

Case is here.

I need a walk through with what to install first and what not, so many questions i dont even know where to start!!!

[Mt_Goat]

OK, lame question.
Do the NF4 bios use 0.5 step multipliers?
I have never seen a speed reported using them, but.....

4000+ is either 2.4 or 2.6 (too lazy to go look it up) 13x200.
This makes the closest to stock speed 300x8.5, but x9 or x9.5 are very slight OCs.
Yes the DFI's have .5 muti's included.

(Venice core / 512KB cache)
3000 9 x 200 = 1.8
3200 10 x 200 = 2.0
3500 11 x 200 = 2.2
3800 12 x 200 = 2.4

(San Diego core / 1MB cache)
3700 11 x 200 = 2.2
4000 12 x 200 = 2.4
FX55 13 x 200 = 2.6
FX57 14 x 200 = 2.8

[djstubbs]

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showpost.php?p=186629&postcount=29

Need help with that plz!

[Preacher]

Have you tried going to the manufacturer's site for your case?

Those look like standard audio wires to connect a mic and an extra speaker out. My Coolermaster had something similar.

[sfleuriet]

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showpost.php?p=186629&postcount=29

Need help with that plz!
whats your question? The USB connection sometimes is all in one connector, so it fits right in without any trouble. Other times, you have to put each individual pin its it's right place on the USB plugs on the motherboard. Check the manuals for the case and motherboard, and you'll be able to figure it out.

[Preacher]

I have to admit I don't understand either. Are we talking about USB connectors or audio?

[sfleuriet]

well I've established that it is definitely USB connectors, due to the text he wrote in on the picture in the link (Ground, VCC, USB1+, USB2+, etc)

[Mt_Goat]

It looks like both in that pic.

[sfleuriet]

yeah the first pic shows Audio (I can see an R OUT) and USB, but the second is clearly USB connectors on the board.

shouldn't be hard to plug in if you rtfm

[Preacher]

Installed my heatsink, waiting on my case and video card to arrive.

---

Case is here.

I need a walk through with what to install first and what not, so many questions i dont even know where to start!!!

This thread may help as well...

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12960

[djstubbs]

Computer is up and running fine.

But it is on default bios and everything for the most part.

I'm typing to you from it right now so that is a sigh of relief.

I really would like to get maximum performance out of this....

I tried BF2 and was getting a great framerate with everything on high, but I was getting some kind of sound lag.... (connection maybe??)

Anyways if you have any tips for bios and whatnot that would be appreciated.

I'm running on the 77.50 nvidia drivers btw.

[djstubbs]

Also, very odd error...

When I try to disable the Windows sp2 firewall my computer gives me a blue screen that is reminiscent of the windows 98 days, and then it restarts.

It keeps restarting with the same error almost on a timer until I quickly did windows restore before it gave me an error.

Right now it's running fine but for my own reasons I'd like to disable the windows firewall..

looking for a solution to that.

[sfleuriet]

why disable the firewall? :scratch:

[Omega65]

why disable the firewall? :scratch:
I agree. Its a major security feature - That is if you don't already have a better Firewall (Zonealarm). In which case, install your firewall program and then disable the XP firewall.

[profdlp]

...When I try to disable the Windows sp2 firewall my computer gives me a blue screen that is reminiscent of the windows 98 days, and then it restarts...I'd like to disable the windows firewall...looking for a solution to that.
Knowing exactly what the error is might help. If it is rebooting before you have a chance to write it all down, try the following (as per MS):

To disable restarts when the system stops unexpectedly

1. In Control Panel, click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System.
2. Select the Advanced tab. In the Startup and Recovery box, click Settings.
3. Clear the Automatically reboot check box.

If you cannot start your system in normal mode, you can also perform the preceding steps in safe mode.

[djstubbs]

I agree. Its a major security feature - That is if you don't already have a better Firewall (Zonealarm). In which case, install your firewall program and then disable the XP firewall.

I ran my old rig from february until now on just AVG (after a reformat).

Prior to that reformat I used norton firewall / antivirus.

When I used norton and windows firewall I frequently had spyware, and an occasional virus.

Not once did I get a virus / or spyware when using AVG, but you should also keep in mind that I also only used firefox after that reformat.

The crashes I was getting (which are bound to come back), were all relative to the windows firewall, whenever i tried disabling it: boom crash, restart, crash, etc....

I am running okay for now, but I have a feeling I'll see a few more blue screens today.

[Omega65]

I ran my old rig from february until now on just AVG (after a reformat).

Prior to that reformat I used norton firewall / antivirus.

When I used norton and windows firewall I frequently had spyware, and an occasional virus.

Not once did I get a virus / or spyware when using AVG, but you should also keep in mind that I also only used firefox after that reformat.
A firewall wont stop you from getting spyware and viruses only a AV program and common sense will prevent that. A firewall prevent your PC from being hacked into and the good ones Stealth your PC so it cant be scanned and wont even be noticed on the web....

Shields UP! (https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2)

A great FREE Firewall is Zonelabs (www.zonelabs.com) Zonealarm - That is if you didn't already know about this.....

[Jonsey]

No, a great FREE firewall setup is a nice smoothwall & IPtables configuration, but I don't think that's overly helpful on a nice new shiny windows box. : )

[Omega65]

Go to the Shields up Site (It tests your firewall and computer security) and read what it says about Zonealarm (Shields up Main site is GRC (www.grc.com) - more security test and info here)

[sfleuriet]

edit: oook... post deleted :p

[djstubbs]

Do you guys reccomend the 77.72 drivers?

I'm running the 77.50s flawlessly, and remember reading some problems about the 77.72s but if anyone has any driver opinions for my card it would be good to hear.

[Preacher]

You could always set a system restore point. Install the new drivers. Bench and compare to the old. If they aren't up to par, just load the old restore point.

[djstubbs]

You could always set a system restore point. Install the new drivers. Bench and compare to the old. If they aren't up to par, just load the old restore point.

3dmark2005?

also: i'm kind of curious which audio drivers i'm running and if i need to update them...

[sfleuriet]

You could always set a system restore point. Install the new drivers. Bench and compare to the old. If they aren't up to par, just load the old restore point.
or just roll-back the driver

[Preacher]

3dmark2005?

also: i'm kind of curious which audio drivers i'm running and if i need to update them...

Which drivers did you load on install? There are the Nforce4 ones that come in the Forceware package and the Realtek ones. Just go into device manager and look which are there. I'm happy with the Nforce 4 personally.

3DMar2005 is a good benchmark, but you may want to add PCMark too.

[Mt_Goat]

Which drivers did you load on install? There are the Nforce4 ones that come in the Forceware package and the Realtek ones. Just go into device manager and look which are there. I'm happy with the Nforce 4 personally.

3DMar2005 is a good benchmark, but you may want to add PCMark too.
I am very happy with mine on the NF4 drivers also. I did try the Realtek drivers and they are a steaming pile by comparison.

[djstubbs]

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/4001/nvidiadriver7gv.jpg


sooo?

also is there any reason why my 3dmark 2003 would be crashing?

[Mt_Goat]

sooo?

also is there any reason why my 3dmark 2003 would be crashing?
That sounds more like improper settings or more likely bad or not enough voltage. Are you currently running stock or overclocked?

[djstubbs]

That sounds more like improper settings or more likely bad or not enough voltage. Are you currently running stock or overclocked?

Well I've run 3dmark 2005, 3dmark 2001, aquamark, pcmark2004, pcmark 2005.

none of those progams have crashed so it has to be with 3dmark 2003 itself.

[Mt_Goat]

Well I've run 3dmark 2005, 3dmark 2001, aquamark, pcmark2004, pcmark 2005.

none of those progams have crashed so it has to be with 3dmark 2003 itself.
Did you download he latest version?

[djstubbs]

Did you download he latest version?

3.4.0

[Mt_Goat]

There is a 3.6.0 currently out.

[djstubbs]

There is a 3.6.0 currently out.

Is that an update or a full install?

meh, i'll just check.

[djstubbs]

Okay downloaded and it worked, posted my score in the benchmark thread.

Anyways I've been looking for someone to explain amd 64 overclocking...

How it correlates with the memory, etc...

Anyone who knows a good deal, post here!

[profdlp]

...I've been looking for someone to explain amd 64 overclocking...

How it correlates with the memory, etc...
There is some great info in this thread. (http://www.short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?t=35660)

I've held off from OC'ing my A64 3500+ since I got it in January, but a new heatsink and the advice from the thread I mentioned above is what I'm going to start with. :)

[sfleuriet]

i just wanna know this: if I overclock my 3200+ Winny, knowing nothing about OC'ing memory, will it be overclocking my memory as well? How does that work?

[Enverex]

If you overclock by increasing the FSB then yes, you'll be overclocking most of the system, if you just increase the multiplier then only the processor will be overclocked.

[djstubbs]

If you overclock by increasing the FSB then yes, you'll be overclocking most of the system, if you just increase the multiplier then only the processor will be overclocked.

explain further plz. :thumbsup:

[Enverex]

The speed of the processor is worked out by multiplying the multiplier by the Front Side Bus (FSB) so if you have a 200Mhz FSB and a 2GHz processor, the multiplier for that would be 10 (10 x 200 = 2000). If you have the option to overclock by the Multiplier, it normally goes up in .5 steps so it can be quite steep jumps.

Changing the FSB changes a lot of things as it is basically when the rest of the system runs at, hence when you change it the AGP and PCI speed also go up (they are normally 66 and 33 respectively) which can be bad as that means you're basically overclocking everything in those slots too, and lots of things tend to crap out at some point or another (on the other hand you may have very tolerant devices that don't seem to mind). The FSB speed is also the speed that your RAM runs at so when you up the FSB, you're directly increasing the speed at which the RAM runs at (although certain boards give you RAM multipliers too that allow you to change it from say 400 to 333, 266, 200 etc which means you could up the FSB and drop the Multiplier down to the 333 option which after overclocking the FSB a large amount would bring the RAM back near to 400 anyway, i.e. if you wanted to overclock your FSB to 230 from 200 and your RAM was 400 by default, that would mean it would be 460 now, but if you dropped it back to 333 initially it would now actually be 382.95 (as the 333 option on a 200Mhz FSB machine would use a RAM multipler of 1.665)).

Managed to take any of that in? heh.

[Enverex]

Oh, one thing I forgot is that some boards lock the AGP/PCI multiplier so that when you overclock the FSB it doesn't effect them thus decreasing the chances of anything going wrong...

[djstubbs]

Makes sense, but are you referring to overclocking with cpuid or bios?

[Enverex]

Makes sense, but are you referring to overclocking with cpuid or bios?

Er, CPUid just tells you what hardware you have and what speeds things are running at.

[Preacher]

This link has some great info on A64 overclocking...
http://del.icio.us/nosferatu/amd64

[djstubbs]

Maybe I'm not seeing it, but I'm trying to configure motherboard monitor 5, and it lists DFI motherboards but I can't seem to find mine on there.

I'm curious, does it have a nickname, or is it just not supported?

[Mt_Goat]

Maybe I'm not seeing it, but I'm trying to configure motherboard monitor 5, and it lists DFI motherboards but I can't seem to find mine on there.

I'm curious, does it have a nickname, or is it just not supported?
Motherboard Monitor will only work on your board with customized support and settings.

[djstubbs]

Motherboard Monitor will only work on your board with customized support and settings.

Customized support and settings??? details??

Also, how do I plug a printer into my board, I just looked and realized there are no printer or serial ports.

[sfleuriet]

Usb

[djstubbs]

Usb

lol wow i can't believe i didn't think of that...

i guess the fact that my printer uses the other kind of wire just confused me.

thanks for the heads up.

[Preacher]

Customized support and settings??? details??

Also, how do I plug a printer into my board, I just looked and realized there are no printer or serial ports.

I used the info on this DFI Street thread for MBM 5. It has worked great.

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6798

[djstubbs]

My pc is running 34-36 idle, sometimes it will go a little bit higher...

Is this normal for a 4000+ with an xp-120...?

[Preacher]

What's the ambient temperature? For comparison my 3700+ San Diego runs 37-38 at idle and around 43-44 on load....same motherboard and heatsink.

[djstubbs]

Sorry I meant ambient temp, like running everything I normally run but nothing intense, like a game.

When it's at full load, it's temp goes to about 40-42.

[sfleuriet]

yeah thats about the same as my temps. idle is pretty constant 38-40, gaming probably just a few degrees higher.

[djstubbs]

Are either of you guys running a thermalright xp-120??

[Enverex]

My 64 3200+ runs ~39'c idle, ~47'c load I think. Probably due to my room being a furnace...

[sfleuriet]

what cpu cooler are you using?

[Preacher]

Are either of you guys running a thermalright xp-120??

I don't think I've ever quoted myself before, but yes I am running the "same motherboard and heatsink."

[sfleuriet]

lol ;D

[Mt_Goat]

dj

What is the temp of the room your system is in? I also think your vid card is adding to the case temp as you have what, 2x 80mm fans in and out (total of 4)? My room is 26C and my 3700 SD is cooled by an XP-120 and I am overclocked to 2.8 on my CPU with an idle of 37C and full load while folding @42C. But I have a vid card that runs much cooler and a high CFM 120mm fan and an 80mm fan going in and anothe high CFM 120mm fan and 2 80mm fans blowing out. I am probably moving around 135 CFM of air through my case.

[djstubbs]

dj

What is the temp of the room your system is in? I also think your vid card is adding to the case temp as you have what, 2x 80mm fans in and out (total of 4)? My room is 26C and my 3700 SD is cooled by an XP-120 and I am overclocked to 2.8 on my CPU with an idle of 37C and full load while folding @42C. But I have a vid card that runs much cooler and a high CFM 120mm fan and an 80mm fan going in and anothe high CFM 120mm fan and 2 80mm fans blowing out. I am probably moving around 135 CFM of air through my case.

It's around 70-74 in my house.

I have an 80 mm fan on the top of my case blowind down onto everything, in front of the psu, and the fan inside that. I also have a 120mm fan cooling my hard drives, and an 80 mm fan on the back. I leave the side of my case off and cool my entire case with a recreational house fan. But yes my GPU runs very hot, at some times it goes above 80 celcius.

[sfleuriet]

thats pretty hot... you should'nt have to leave the case open and use a house fan, but w/e works I guess ;)

[djstubbs]

thats pretty hot... you should'nt have to leave the case open and use a house fan, but w/e works I guess ;)

What's hot? My house or the GPU??

I assume you're talking about the video card because it does get pretty damn hot at times.

I'm considering a watercooling kit but I believe that voids the warrantee. :scratch:

[sfleuriet]

yeah ur GPU. thats crazy. if you dont do WC, you should get an Arctic Silencer.

How does it void the warranty if you put the stock stuff back on before sending it back for RMA? :p

[Enverex]

A Fan on the TOP blowing DOWN is bad as heat rises, so rather than the heat being able to rise to the top of the case it is just being forced back down again...

[Mt_Goat]

My suggestion and it is only an idea from old experience. Go conventional airflow with lower fron going in and all fans on the rear sucking out. Then put a 120mm fan on the side panel so it blows on both the vid card and the CPU areas and put another 120mm fan on the top blowing air out of the case. Then put the side panel on so you have a flow pattern inside. The addition of an arctic silencer type GPU cooler would possibly help a lot.

BTW
I agree with pilotswings about RMA and putting the stock cooler back if you have a problem.

[djstubbs]

yeah ur GPU. thats crazy. if you dont do WC, you should get an Arctic Silencer.

How does it void the warranty if you put the stock stuff back on before sending it back for RMA? :p

True, and ironically I have experience with those coolers, having installed one for my 6800. Have they released any for the 7800 GTX?

A Fan on the TOP blowing DOWN is bad as heat rises, so rather than the heat being able to rise to the top of the case it is just being forced back down again...

It came pre-installed on the case. :scratch:

My suggestion and it is only an idea from old experience. Go conventional airflow with lower fron going in and all fans on the rear sucking out. Then put a 120mm fan on the side panel so it blows on both the vid card and the CPU areas and put another 120mm fan on the top blowing air out of the case. Then put the side panel on so you have a flow pattern inside. The addition of an arctic silencer type GPU cooler would possibly help a lot.

BTW
I agree with pilotswings about RMA and putting the stock cooler back if you have a problem.

How should I install the fan to the side of my case, anyone have any pics of a similar install for a 120mm fan to the side of a Lian Li pc65b?

[sfleuriet]

True, and ironically I have experience with those coolers, having installed one for my 6800. Have they released any for the 7800 GTX?
It has some ideas here http://www.nforcershq.com/forum/alternate-cooler-for-7800gtx-vt61283.html?highlight=

It came pre-installed on the case. :scratch:
just flip the fan around so its blowing straight up then.

How should I install the fan to the side of my case, anyone have any pics of a similar install for a 120mm fan to the side of a Lian Li pc65b?
well... make a case mod project out of it :)

[djstubbs]

I might end up getting the Zalman, it looks great and also like it takes up less space.

I wouldn't want to get a heatsink that would prevent SLI, even though I probably won't ever get it. ;D

This is the one I was looking at.

http://www.zalmanusa.com/usa/product/view.asp?idx=163&code=013

Seems pretty simple to install.

When my video card is idle it stays around 47 celcius.

Load temps can go above 80 celcius at times.

Right now I'm considering a few upgrades, or add-ons.

-Another WD Raptor 74
-Creative X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS
-Zalman VF700cu LED
-2gb (2x 1gb) of RAM, and selling my current RAM

[Mt_Goat]

How should I install the fan to the side of my case, anyone have any pics of a similar install for a 120mm fan to the side of a Lian Li pc65b?
You would need a hole saw, a dremel and some creativity.