Budget Gaming

[Binh]

ASUS A8N5X Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 ATX AMD Motherboard

NEC 16X DVD±R DVD Burner Silver IDE Model ND-3550A

Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 ST3808110AS 80GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

Crucial Technology Ballistix 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered System Memory Model BL2KIT6464Z402 (I won't overclock, but it looks so sweet with it's heat spreaders and it's the same price as Corsair's Value Select for me, so why not, right?)

Thermaltake TR2 W0070 ATX 430W Power Supply

AMD Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego 2000MHz HT Socket 939 Processor Model ADA3700BNBOX

eVGA 256-P2-N381 Geforce 6800XT 256MB DDR PCI Express x16 Video Card

All comes from newegg. Already have case. Hard drive is small because I back all non-game related data to physical disks. Ordering this upcoming Wednesday.

[Staren]

If the Ballistix ends up at the same price, I don't see why not. Having the heatspreaders can't hurt. Only thing I might suggest is look into a 7600GT over the 6800. Stick with eVGA though.

[Binh]

Okay, so I'm set on choosing parts. Now I have a few construction questions. I know that static electicity is a big killer, so what's the best way to stop it? I know you can touch the inside of your case to ground yourself, but my case is acrylic, so does that matter? Do I really need one of those anti static wrist bands? I heard that you can just plug you power supply in and touch that for a few seconds and that would be enough. Also, what are some common fatal mistakes that I should double check before turning it on?

[Staren]

Ok first thing that I'm going to say before geting into the anti-static procedures, is that there is still a good debate going and this is only my own view.

Some people do suggest plugging your power supply in and using the ground from that. I don't. Not because it doesn't work, but because it would be too easy to forget to make sure the power supply is off, and damage something. If you are going to go that way, you need to do two things. Plug the power supply into a power strip, and make sure both the strip AND the power supply are off before plugging into a wall socket. It's just better safe then sorry.

I use an anti-static band myself. If you arn't using a metal case, I would clip the band to the metal fan guard on the PSU, and then tap the metal case of the power supply after installing each part to make sure no electricity was picked up from unwrapping the last part you worked with. That's how I do it anyway.

As far as basic mistakes go. Here's a few I found out after building a few systems.

1. cut the box that your case came in down flat and use that as a work surfice.

2. Once a part is opened, lay it on card board, not on the anti-static bag it came in.

3. Make sure that the number of stand-offs on your case matches the holes in your motherboard. Quadruple check if need be. Better to take the time then short something.

4. The I/O Shield (metal part that covers the ports coming out of the motherboard) makes it near imposable for the motherboard to line right up with the stand-offs first time. Bend the smaller tabs back on the I/O shield back and make sure nothing is stopping the motherboard from going all the way back, and then don't be afraid to force it a little. Try not to touch the top or bottom of the motherboard too much, but the sides are fine, and you will have to fanagle it a bit to get the holes lined up. They don't just drop in.

5. You do NOT have to force the processor. If done correctly, it will drop right into the socket. If it doesn't, something is wrong.

5a. This does not apply to the heatsink. It will drop right on the processor, but locking it down does take some steady even force. Don't put your weight on it, but don't be scared of cracking the motherboard either. You will have to use some strength no matter what locking system the HSF has.

6. When inserting the RAM, pushing straght down is worthless. You'll just hurt your thumbs. Slip each stick in at about 45 degrees and get it sitting in the slot, then push down one side until it clicks and the white finger snaps down to hold it. Then do the other side.

7. When inserting the smaller wires (power switch, hard drive activity LED, front audio, ect), the names printed on the connector and those listed in the motherboard manual never match up quite right. Just use some common sense. "pwr swch" is the same as "Power On Switch", "harddrive activity light" is the same as "H.D.D. LED", ect. When trying to find what pin is + and what is -, the colored wire is usualy pos and white is usualy neg. You may need to use a flashlight or magnifying glass to see it, but there is usually a small raised triangle by either the postive pin, or pin 1 in a larger set. That will help you get them plugged in the right way the first time.

[blue60007]

Power supply isn't going to work. It's a bit weak for a PCI-E build. You need something with dual 12V rails or a more powerful single 12V rail.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817104954

Has twice as much 12V power.

One big mistake is not reading the manuals (look for those little cautions that you might see on the side margin) or not taking your time.

[Staren]

I wouldn't use the blanket statement

It's a bit weak for a PCI-E build

. I have that model powering a Athlon 64 3000+ / Radeon X1300 home theater PC just fine. Now a gaming PCI-E system, no it isn't ideal for, but there are some PCI-E set-ups a good lower wattage PSU is just fine for.

[Binh]

Wait, my power supply won't work with my build? Are you serious? Please Answer fast?!!!

[blue60007]

It may work, but I can't say for sure that it will be stable. A 6800 or 7600 are going to be fairly power hungry. It's not so much the wattage rating, it's the 12V rail amperage. It's got a single 18a rail. The one I linked to says it has two 12V rails at 18a each. I found a 7600GT that says you need at least 22A on the 12V rail(s), and I'm sure that 6800 is in the same neighborhood (if not higher). Staren's right, it might be OK for a non-gaming system, but it's going to be stretching it on a gaming rig.

[Binh]

Umm, I already ordered everything, is this a problem? What are the chances that everything will be okay? If there's not enough power, can I just one something down a little bit to make up for it?

[MakeYourslf2012]

It would be best to cancel the order and get a better unit. TT is a good brand, but its just not enough power. If you ever considered an upgrade in the future, your going to need to replace it.

Better to pay a little more now, than to buy a whole new unit to replace one that will not power a bigger graphics card.

[Staren]

I'd have to agree. Yes, I did kind of call blue on the way he phrased it, but the outcome is the same. That power supply will be pushing it for a higher end video card.

[Binh]

Oy, it's already supposed to arrive tomorrow. I know this little place by me that will let me trade in my power supply for a better one wif I pay the difference. I guess that's what I'll have to do. What should I look for in ym power supply?

[blue60007]

You could probably send it back (re-stocking fees though). Don't let the place sell you anything cheap. Stick with a good brand such as Antec, FSP (Forton Source), Sparkle, etc. There's a sticky at the top of the General Hardware forum with good brands listed.

Something in the 450W range, I'd say something with a total around 30a on the 12V rail(s). I looked at some quality 450W units and that seemed to be a good number.

Also, it will need to have a 24 pin main connector and PCI-E connector (should have if it's 24 pin). If you aren't sure just write some brand/model names down and bring them back here before doing anything...

[Binh]

What about the PCI-E power rail that this PSU has? If I were to upgrade later, wouldn't that help out? And if I were to use this PSU for gaming, exactly how far am I stretching it?

[Alaron]

I checked your video cards power requirements. eVGA's website says:

Requirements
Minimum of a 300 Watt power supply.
(Minimum recommended power supply with +12 Volt current rating of 18 Amp Amps.)
http://www.evga.com/products/moreinf...1-TX&family=17

And the specs for your Thermaltake power supply say: +12V@18A
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817153023

So technically you are ok, but it is the absolute minimum. It may work fine, but if you ever upgrade your card, you'll need a new power supply.

[Binh]

I don't know if this is really obvious or not, but I have a question about drivers. If I download a driver on one computer, can I just burn it to a disc and use it on another? (The computer that needs the driver can't go on the internet)

[786ARS]

yes, the driver is dloaded as an exe file, burn it or put ion a usb stick (much simpler) and then install it on the comp you need it on.

[glc]

Bottom line, that power supply is not ATX 2.0 specification, and is not recommended for *any* PCI-E builds. You can get a 400 watt Fortron ATX 2.0 unit for around the same price.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817104952

[Binh]

Does the A8n5x support dual 12v rails? I don't see the other connector if it does.

[glc]

That's not the issue. There will only be a 24 pin main connector and a 4 pin aux connector. Yes, the Thermaltake also has that, but it's only single rail.

[Binh]

And another problem occured. Everything was working okay when I accidently turned the refresh rate up to 240. Now the monitor can't handle it (i'm using an old one right now) and I can't see anything so I can't undo it. The setting is the same if I reboot. Any help?

[glc]

Boot to VGA or Safe mode and change it.

[NickPHPC]

You can't see anything on the screen?

Worst case Try clearing CMOS

[glc]

I don't think that's what he meant - I do believe he is referring to the refresh rate in Windows display properties.

A system restore back to a date and time before you changed the refresh rate should fix that too - just use safe mode to get to it.