New Build

[aux9o]

My best bud died a little over a year ago and he is the one that got me into this hobby so I decided to build a computer to crunch on in honor of him. He was always a fan of the space type programs so I am going to be running milky-way on it for now. But anyway here are the details on the machine.

Logisys Corp. 368 Cost was 33.99http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z288/performancesolutions/pc%20build/3e952d0b-e7d9-431f-a265-4101acbab7e0_zps33336dd5.jpg (http://s195.photobucket.com/user/performancesolutions/media/pc%20build/3e952d0b-e7d9-431f-a265-4101acbab7e0_zps33336dd5.jpg.html)

ASRock G41C-GS cost was 64.99.http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z288/performancesolutions/pc%20build/motherboard_zps939c4b69.jpg (http://s195.photobucket.com/user/performancesolutions/media/pc%20build/motherboard_zps939c4b69.jpg.html)

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz Cost was 20.00 http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z288/performancesolutions/pc%20build/cpu_zpsef37e957.jpg (http://s195.photobucket.com/user/performancesolutions/media/pc%20build/cpu_zpsef37e957.jpg.html)

Kingston ValueRAM 2GB 800MHz DDR2. Cost was 20.00http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z288/performancesolutions/pc%20build/ram_zpsd34bf27f.jpg (http://s195.photobucket.com/user/performancesolutions/media/pc%20build/ram_zpsd34bf27f.jpg.html)

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 - Cost was 22.00http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z288/performancesolutions/pc%20build/cooler_zpsbafe5f4c.jpg (http://s195.photobucket.com/user/performancesolutions/media/pc%20build/cooler_zpsbafe5f4c.jpg.html)

Antec 400w Power Supply Cost was FREEhttp://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z288/performancesolutions/pc%20build/17-371-023-TS_zpsbdb7ed38.jpg (http://s195.photobucket.com/user/performancesolutions/media/pc%20build/17-371-023-TS_zpsbdb7ed38.jpg.html)

Sapphire AMD Radeon HD 7970 3 GB GDDR5 Dual X Cost was 175.00 http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z288/performancesolutions/pc%20build/sapphire-radeon-7970-dual-x-oc_zps140d77ee.jpg (http://s195.photobucket.com/user/performancesolutions/media/pc%20build/sapphire-radeon-7970-dual-x-oc_zps140d77ee.jpg.html)

I had a hard drive so that was free also I am running Windows 7 on it.

Here it is all together as you can see I had to twist it to get the GPU in there it was a tight fit! I have to do some cable management and add some more fans but other then that it is on bonic running milkyway right now!
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z288/performancesolutions/pc%20build/IMG_1023_zpsccb49f1e.jpg (http://s195.photobucket.com/user/performancesolutions/media/pc%20build/IMG_1023_zpsccb49f1e.jpg.html)

[zombie67]

Nice GPU cruncher there!

[myshortpencil]

A very appropriate tribute. :)

[E-30]

looks nice man

[Fire$torm]

Very nice way to honor your friend. Thanks for sharing.

And not to be an @ss, but I think your going to have a power problem soon. The reason is your PSU will hold up to the strain of driving any older Intel CPU (Pre 2nd Gen. Core i3/5/7, as they are all very inefficient power hogs) and a high end GPU like that HD 7970. A good minimum recommendation would be a 620 Watt PSU like the Antec 620C (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371031).

One reason for this minimum: All PSUs lose output over time. Well made PSUs lose a LOT less over a longer period of time. Some as little as 10%~15% over their lifetime. Budget brands can, and quite often do, lose 20%~40% in the first 12 months of use.

Maybe if we ask JPM real nice like, he could find info on avg. life/output rate for some or many of the major brands out there.

So like JPM, can you? (With sugar on top)

F$

[E-30]

You need more ram in there get at least 8 gb


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

[aux9o]

I made a mistake on the power supply mine is a 500 watt antec I will run it until it starts giving me problems. I just ordered 8 gig of ram for my big computer so I will be installing my old 4 gig set into this computer. Im doing this on a budget got to stay off the radar of the wife! I am keeping a watch out for a good deal on a quad core 775 for it.

[E-30]

Look on ebay they have core 2 quads cheep I have a 9400 and a 6600 both run good

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

[aux9o]

Im running a oced q9400 in my main computer. They are still going for more then I thought a old processor would be on ebay! I am going to start getting things ready to move up to a i7 devils canyon I think on my main system. And will use old parts to upgrade this unit. I would like to be able to have something that can CPU crunch and make a dent. Ive always ran GPU's but never had a cpu machine. I just have not a clue where to start as there are so many options.

[E-30]

Yep my q 9400 is at 3.2 ghz now at 55c full load

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[aux9o]

mine is at 3.2 also but it always has ran hotter then other peoples. Under load it is 65 - 70 has been this way since ive had it I guess about 5 years now.

[E-30]

i have the h60 on it and its drop it to 52c instead of 63c

[aux9o]

got a h100i only to find out that it didn't come with stuff to mount to 775... So i had to order some kinda bracket kit for it.

[E-30]

that's sucks man my h60 fit right on there

[aux9o]

I am running my q9400 on water now! It is nice temp drop but I will know more when I reoverclock my cpu. I also put 8 gigs of ram from 4. Im going to have to take some time to get everything back oced and running right.

[E-30]

if you are running ddr 3 on that bord its easy to get it back up to 3.2ghz

[E-30]

I am at 50c full prime grid load

[E-30]

Have fun with it what watercolor do you have on it

[aux9o]

This is freaking awsome my cpu has ran at 65-70 under full load ever since i had it with a zalman cnps9000. The highest ive seen with the H100i is 53 so far!

So if you have a lga775 cpu and you want to use the H100i you will need to order a 15.00 bracket kit from corsair to make it fit.

[Sarge104]

This is freaking awsome my cpu has ran at 65-70 under full load ever since i had it with a zalman cnps9000. The highest ive seen with the H100i is 53 so far!

Great to hear you are having good luck with the H100I, I also run one on my fx8350 with very good results. I have to ask though, did you over clock it back up to 3.3GHZ or not?

[aux9o]

Ive got it at 3.2 I never have tried to go any higher. Wouldn't mind it I just don't know enough about it.

[E-30]

whats your clook at now i am at 3.2ghz and ddr2 at 1333 and a 650ti overclock

[aux9o]

its at 3.2gig. I haven't messed with the ram settings

[E-30]

Well tried higher but not stable

[E-30]

I try to keep ram at stock as much as I can count is at 3.2 and 50c video 650ti is on 138 mh on core and 28 mh ram running stable

[aux9o]

I found a good deal on a q9400 for this computer so it is running a quad core now. I have problems with the computer just being off when i get home from work. Most of the time I can just turn it back on and it fires up for a couple of days and then shuts down again. Yesterday I came home and the computer was off I pushed power button and nothing happened. I had to unplug it from the wall and wait a little while then plug it back up and it came right one and is still running. Does this sound like the power supply is crapping out?

[Maxwell]

Does this sound like the power supply is crapping out?
Does to me, and exactly where I'd start.

[aux9o]

Would this be good? I have a corsair in my computer and it has never gave me any problems but am open to suggestions.


http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Series-Modular-Bronze-ATX12V/dp/B00ALYOPSS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408558902&sr=8-1&keywords=CX600M

or

http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-SuperNOVA-ATX12V-Supply-110-B1-0750-VR/dp/B00K85X23O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1408559094&sr=8-2&keywords=EVGA+SuperNOVA+750

[Maxwell]

Would this be good? I have a corsair in my computer and it has never gave me any problems but am open to suggestions.


http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Series-Modular-Bronze-ATX12V/dp/B00ALYOPSS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408558902&sr=8-1&keywords=CX600M

or

http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-SuperNOVA-ATX12V-Supply-110-B1-0750-VR/dp/B00K85X23O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1408559094&sr=8-2&keywords=EVGA+SuperNOVA+750
What all are you trying to power with it? Is it the 7970? I know you have the q9400, but what else? Any other peripherals (SSD, multiple HDD, DVD, etc.)? I'm just worried the 600W may not be enough...

[aux9o]

Yup its for the 7970 with the q9400 with just a couple of hard drives. I would like get a little over kill incase i put more in it for future proof.

[Maxwell]

Yup its for the 7970 with the q9400 with just a couple of hard drives. I would like get a little over kill incase i put more in it for future proof.
Someone with more technical knowledge than I have will have to weigh in, but if you want to future proof it, go to the 800-1000W range. I have a 1000W PSU in my computer that has successfully run dual 5970s, CPU at full load, all the assundry fans attached to my case, a HDD and a DVD drive. That was my uber setup, and didn't have any room for expansion, so i was happy.

[FourOh]

Maybe JPM can jump in here - my understanding is that PSUs are most efficient in the 50%-80% load range, so if you oversize your PSU not only do you spend money on the front end unnecessarily, you may not be getting the most bang for your utility dollar. Single 7970 systems are recommended to have a minimum of 500W, dual 850W (but 700W is enough if they are quality watts). I think you are wise to spend your money on the best quality PSU with the highest 80-Plus rating you can afford. I think either of the ones you posted are a good choice, though I'm partial to the EVGA lineup.

I used to buy cheap PSUs and I was always fighting with stability issues (my personal issues aside). I finally learned that forking over some extra money on a high end PSU saves a lot of pain, grief, and money in the long run. Good luck!

[Maxwell]

Maybe JPM can jump in here - my understanding is that PSUs are most efficient in the 50%-80% load range, so if you oversize your PSU not only do you spend money on the front end unnecessarily, you may not be getting the most bang for your utility dollar. Single 7970 systems are recommended to have a minimum of 500W, dual 850W (but 700W is enough if they are quality watts). I think you are wise to spend your money on the best quality PSU with the highest 80-Plus rating you can afford. I think either of the ones you posted are a good choice, though I'm partial to the EVGA lineup.

I used to buy cheap PSUs and I was always fighting with stability issues (my personal issues aside). I finally learned that forking over some extra money on a high end PSU saves a lot of pain, grief, and money in the long run. Good luck!
That's largely my understanding, too. A 7970 will draw ~300W at full load, and a q9400 will draw 95W. Add in the overhead for fans, hard drives, etc., and it'll be close to 500W, right (or am I overestimating overhead)? A 1000W PSU would put you at ~50% as the system sits, and would let you shove another 7970 in there and still keep it around 80%.

Of course, that's my thought process. I do tend to overbuild, if left to my own devices... :p

[Slicker]

Also consider that the PSU output will decrease over time. So while it may put out 1000W today, 4-6 years later, it may be down 20%. I've also come to the conclusion that the cheap ones tend to decrease 100% over a short period. In other words, they stop working. There's nothing scarier than having a PSU spit out sparks right when it goes. You wonder about whether a fire would happen if you weren't right there to turn it off. I've decided the money saved on cheap PSUs isn't worth the peace of mind of having one you trust.

[Maxwell]

Also consider that the PSU output will decrease over time. So while it may put out 1000W today, 4-6 years later, it may be down 20%. I've also come to the conclusion that the cheap ones tend to decrease 100% over a short period. In other words, they stop working. There's nothing scarier than having a PSU spit out sparks right when it goes. You wonder about whether a fire would happen if you weren't right there to turn it off. I've decided the money saved on cheap PSUs isn't worth the peace of mind of having one you trust.
While I've been fortunate not to have sparks fly out of a PSU yet, I've always had problems with PSUs before any other part goes. It's why I usually try to have a spare one on hand to keep things running until I can buy something decent.

[Fire$torm]

Here are the "JPM Guides"

Power Supply Efficiency - 80 PLUS (Link (http://www.setiusa.us/showthread.php?5383-Power-Supply-Efficiency-80-PLUS))

Hardware RMA Rates (Link (http://www.setiusa.us/showthread.php?6013-New-RMA-Rates)) - Includes PSUs. I'm surprised to see Seasonic at the bottom as they have a great reputation for quality PSUs.

[aux9o]

Welp I was sitting here looking at power supplies when I heard it shut off again! I am going to have to order one soon as have a budget of 60.00. I am leaning towards EVGA because they have always taken great care of me on video cards at it looks like for 60.00 i can get a 600watt unit. I guess that will carry me until i get ready to put more cards in there.

[aux9o]

Ordered this paid to get it here on saturday.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K85X2AW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[John P. Myers]

Ordered this paid to get it here on saturday.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K85X2AW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

:-bd

I also ordered a new PSU which just showed up a few minutes ago http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817580007&cm_re=fractal_design_r3-_-17-580-007-_-Product

I haven't even installed it yet and i'm super impressed. This is my first Fractal Design PSU and i really wanted to see what they were all about. The thing that impresses me the most are the cables. Some of them aren't modular like the 20+4 pin motherboard plug, which is fine since it's not optional anyway. The 8-pin (4+4) EPS cable is also hard-wired, but again, gotta have it anyway, though there is an option to add a 2nd 8-pin EPS cable which is nice. There are also 4 6+2 pin PCIe plugs which aren't modular. This would annoy under normal circumstances since it's possible i might only use 2 of them, but the way these cables are designed, all 4 plugs only require 2 cables anyway, meaning if i install 1 7970 or 2 7970's, it doesn't matter. It's still only 2 cables to power them either way :D

For the modular cables, you have another pair of PCIe 6+2pins, sata, molex, floppy, etc. This also really impresses me because with most power supplies, you add a molex cable, but it has 5 or 6 molex plugs on it. Same with sata. To me that's always sucked when i only needed 2 or 3 of the plugs and now have to find some way to tuck the unused plugs into some inconspicuous cavity to keep the clutter at a minimum. With this Fractal Design, the modular molex cables only have 2 connectors and the sata cables only have 3. Also i get to choose what length i want (950mm, 800mm or 650mm) to further reduce clutter and improve airflow. It also has 80A of juice on a single rail :D

Again, i haven't installed it yet. Maybe the fan makes annoying clicking noises or something. But so far, this PSU is looking great.

[aux9o]

Looks like the new PSU fixed the problem!