Last Min ? Before Powering it Up !
Got my new parts in today. Got everything in the case and hooked up. Just have my DVD R and CDR on IDE 1 Master/Slave, and for now my main HD hooked up on IDE2 Master. Then obviously RAM, videocard, and all the fans hooked up.
I haven't built a comp in a LONG time so just had a few last minute questions before I powered up.
In regards to the new SATA drives. I noticed mine has a regular 4pin molex connector, then another connector. The other connector matches a plug off of my PS so I'm assuming it is an alternate power input? Just curious as to why it has a 4pin and this other apparent new connector. Am I suppose to just hook up this new power connector and NOT the molex? If so, what is the benefit/difference?
In regards to old school floppies. I have fried so many floppies in the past while putting together computers by putting the floppy cable on upside down onto the floppy. (why that fries it I have no idea) I have always been confused with floppies as to which side of the cable goes up and which side goes down. I know my floppy now has a slot on the bottom side of the board which matches a notch on the floppy cable and it fits in nice this way so I'm assuming that is the right way. BUT I remember in the past I had a floppy with the same deal, and it turned out that was WRONG, and I actually had to file off the notch on the cable and put it in the other way to get it to work. Any tips here?
Think thats it. My plan is to turn it on and make sure all fans and everything seems to work. Go into BIOS and set everything up. Then format HD with maxblast disk. Then start installing windows. Once window installed, install the drivers for SATA raid, drivers for IDE RAID, then run the BIOS updater thing and install the rest of the drivers off the CD. Once all is good there, start installing 3rd party drivers for sound, video card etc.
Sound about right?
I haven't built a comp in a LONG time so just had a few last minute questions before I powered up.
In regards to the new SATA drives. I noticed mine has a regular 4pin molex connector, then another connector. The other connector matches a plug off of my PS so I'm assuming it is an alternate power input? Just curious as to why it has a 4pin and this other apparent new connector. Am I suppose to just hook up this new power connector and NOT the molex? If so, what is the benefit/difference?
In regards to old school floppies. I have fried so many floppies in the past while putting together computers by putting the floppy cable on upside down onto the floppy. (why that fries it I have no idea) I have always been confused with floppies as to which side of the cable goes up and which side goes down. I know my floppy now has a slot on the bottom side of the board which matches a notch on the floppy cable and it fits in nice this way so I'm assuming that is the right way. BUT I remember in the past I had a floppy with the same deal, and it turned out that was WRONG, and I actually had to file off the notch on the cable and put it in the other way to get it to work. Any tips here?
Think thats it. My plan is to turn it on and make sure all fans and everything seems to work. Go into BIOS and set everything up. Then format HD with maxblast disk. Then start installing windows. Once window installed, install the drivers for SATA raid, drivers for IDE RAID, then run the BIOS updater thing and install the rest of the drivers off the CD. Once all is good there, start installing 3rd party drivers for sound, video card etc.
Sound about right?
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Just booted up with it in and ran Maxblast and it is only seeing my Windows drive on IDE 2.
Any ideas ?
So far this was the absolute EASIEST and most trouble free computer I have ever built. I have not had one problem with anything. Plugged everything in boom, turned on and booted up first time. Really happy so far, hope my luck holds out !
By the way just using the stupid stock heatsink, and I'm very pleased. Temp running 37C idle, and the fan is dead silent, I don't hear anything. I'm very pleased as my old system I had a copper heatsink with a fan that was LOUD, and I was still running 55C idle and approaching 70C load with my old Athlon 2400 XP. So I'm very happy so far.
I do have a bunch of BIOS questions as there is a bunch of new things that I've never seen before and don't really know what I should put, I will post those tomorrow when I'm more awake and can jott them all down.
FYI my new CPU is a 1meg cache Athlon 64 3400+. Is it correct that it is running at 2200 mhz, 200 mhz * 11.0 ? I assume thats right just want to check. Also this MSI board as a setting in the BIOS to enable high performance settings for everything, think I'd be ok doing that even with stock heatsink? I got 1 gig Crucial ram in there so I'm thinking I should be ok. Just want to check before I do it though.
Also, anyone have a good benchmark program for me to run and test some shit out? WOuld love to see how my new 6800 GT 256 meg card and the new Athlon 64 run stuff.
Edit: Just downloaded AquaMark and ran it, got a score of 64800 ish is that good ? 3dmark 2003 is still downloading so I'll run that when its done too. Hoping the 64800 is about right for what I have system wise. Not overclocking or anything on Athlon 64 3400+.
As for the floppy the ribbon should have a line on it to mark pin one on the mobo where the ribbon plugs in there'll be a pin 1 noted so match them up. On the floppy drive you may be lucky and it'll be notched so the ribbon can only go in one way. If it isn't however in all the floppies I can recal pin 1 is next to the power connector.