P5Q PRO/E8400 arrived!!!

[fthy]

Hi all, i'm back .
Ordered my parts from newegg yesterday and is here already , took them less than 24 hr (good job newegg).

I very sure i'll run into a lot of problem and would appreciate if i could get some help along the way.

(It may seem like just another build to some of you but this is my very first and i'm really really excited)
Here is my spec (many thanks to all that help me out in getting my parts together).

ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131299
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115037
G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231144
ASUS EN9600GT TOP/HTDI/512M GeForce 9600 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121242
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148288
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129021
OCZ GameXStream OCZ600GXSSLI 600W ATX12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817341001

As much as i want to jump in and start the assembly, i have to wait till Tuesday for my OS(XP Pro) to arrive .
Started unpacking and reading thru the manual and here is my 1st of the many questions to come .....
Does my CPU comes with thermal paste (couldn't find any in the box)?

Oops, forgot i have to get a keyboard.
Can i start with a wireless keyboard?

I'm sorry i have to begin with such silly questions but i'm sure in the next few posts it will be some technical questions.

Thanks in advance.

[chuck4456]

Glad to hear that your parts arrived.
Be sure to read the out of case build stickies and assemble your basic hardware and test it before installing it in the case.
Not sure about the wireless keyboard part. Haven't used one.
Good luck.

[fthy]

Thanks chuck. Did that, the "short the 2 pin with screwdriver" stickies huh.

[shadowpr]

Your cpu comes with a heatsink. The thermal paste is on the heatsink. It's that gray stuff.

[fthy]

Thank you shadowpr. Got it!

[Studio2LH]

I have a good logitech mx5000 wireless keyboard, but in many cases its easier to have a wired one. For example, i can't get into bios 4/5 times because my wireless won't work completely till windows has started up. I have to go get a wired one.

[fthy]

Thanks Studio2LH. I got a cheap wired keyboard to start with.

More dumb questions....
1)There seem to be 9 holes (with soldering around it) that i presume is where i screw the mobo to the brass standoffs but my Antec 900 came with only 8 that fit the standoff. Can i get a matching one at my local store?
Here is a pic of the case, please refer to page 3
http://www.antec.com/pdf/manuals/900...al_revised.pdf
2)What is the purpose of the red washer that came with the case?
3)Mobo came with a eSATA+4 pin 1394 bracket. Where should i connect the red SATA cable to and what is the purpose of this bracket?

Thanks in advance.

[shadowpr]

You only have 8 standoffs?

They should have come with the motherboard I believe. There should be enough for all 9 motherboard holes.

I honestly don't remember a red washer with my case. So I'll say it's probably not necessary with your setup.

You will probably have to read the mb manual to see how to set up the bracket. I assume it will connect to a header on the motherboard, and then you would just install the bracket into an empty slot in the case. The red sata cable would then be an extra one for either a hard drive, or dvd drive.

[fthy]

Hi shadowpr.
Mobo doesn't come with standoff (copper screw).
This is what i got http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowIm...d%20-%20Retail

However, Antec 900 comes with 9 standoff and a bunch of screws but only 8(screw) fit the standoff. Not much of a problem if i can get a replace (screw) at a local hardware store. Can I?

As for the IEEE 1394 & eSATA Bracket that came with the mobo, it has two ports, 1394 port and a SATA port. I believe i know what the 1394 port (for video cam, etc) is for, but is the SATA port for connection to an external SATA device (eg. SATA external hard drive)?

About the 2 wires on the IEEE 1394 & eSATA Bracket, both are to be connected to the mobo?

With bracket installed on the back(like the video card) of the Antec 900, i would have 3 1394 ports(1 on the bracket, 1 that comes with the mobo and 1 up front on the case. Is that right? I would have to check if there is enough pin for 3 1394 connection on the mobo.

I just want to visualize what to expect before i physically start to assemble.

Appreciate all advise .

[not important]

I would suggest going to a local PC shop for the stand-off screws.............. hardware stores are unlikely to carry anything that size. A PC shop should have stand-off & screws pre-packaged.
As shadowpr suggested...you will need to read your MOBO manual for proper connection of cables to the MOBO.

[fthy]

Note taken.
Thanks. not important

[Hippo08]

Hey, just letting you know I almost have the exact same build you have, just built it about a month ago. Those red washers you are talking about are not needed and are just an extra precautionary step so that you do not short your motherboard (I chose not to use them as many people said they really are not necessary).

Also, you can use wikipedia to show you which screws are for your motherboard (because when you open up that antec 900, all of the screws start looking alike, haha).

By the way, the heatsink/fan for the e8400 is a tricky thing to put onto the processor after you have clamped it down into the motherboard. I seriously felt like I was going to break my new motherboard when pressing that thing down into the slots. Also, the Intel instruction manual is NOT very comprehensive when it comes to installing that heatsink/fan, so make sure it is lined up correctly before applying force and pressing those clip pins into place.

Another thing to mention is to get an anti static mat. I know a lot of people may poke fun at me, but I think it was a GREAT thing to have during my first build. I could actually lay a lot of parts out at once and take things step-by-step to finally assemble my computer. And I knew the parts would safe when I was fiddling with them too.



Hope this helps,

Hippo

[fthy]

Thanks for the heads up Hippo.
Going by to the local electronic store (Frys) to pick up the screws and some lan cable. Will look into the anti satic mat as well.

Any thoughts of the IEEE 1394 & eSATA Bracket?

Thanks.

[shadowpr]

I wouldn't spend my money on an extra screw. If you just have 8 instead of 9, then that will work.

And I never used a mat. Just use the cardboard box the motherboard comes in to lay the motherboard on.

[fthy]

And I never used a mat. Just use the cardboard box the motherboard comes in to lay the motherboard on.

Just remember to touch the inside of the case before handling parts .

As for the IEEE 1394 & eSATA Bracket that came with the mobo, it has two ports, 1394 port and a SATA port. I believe i know what the 1394 port (for video cam, etc) is for, but is the SATA port for connection to an external SATA device (eg. SATA external hard drive)?

Am i making sense?

Thanks.

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by fthy As for the IEEE 1394 & eSATA Bracket that came with the mobo, it has two ports, 1394 port and a SATA port. I believe i know what the 1394 port (for video cam, etc) is for, but is the SATA port for connection to an external SATA device (eg. SATA external hard drive)?

Yes. The eSATA port is for a external SATA HDD.

Originally Posted by fthy About the 2 wires on the IEEE 1394 & eSATA Bracket, both are to be connected to the mobo?

Yes. Read the motherboard manual. The eSATA cable from the dongle plugs into any available SATA port.

Originally Posted by fthy With bracket installed on the back(like the video card) of the Antec 900, i would have 3 1394 ports(1 on the bracket, 1 that comes with the mobo and 1 up front on the case. Is that right? I would have to check if there is enough pin for 3 1394 connection on the mobo.

You only need 2 IEEE1394 ports...one for the IEEE1394 connection up front and one for the IEEE1394 connection on the dongle. The one on the back of the motherboard doesn't require a port to connect to...it's already connected.

Cricket

[fthy]

Thank you Cricket .

My CD manual for my video card is not work , just need to find out beside connecting the card to the PCI slot, do i have to connect any power source to it?

Thanks.

Answer is: yes, connect 6 pin PCIe connetor from PSU .
Btw,both (mobo and bracket's) ports are different in size. Are they both IEEE1394 ports?

[fthy]

Question on PSU cable connection.

On the PSU, it comes with 2 SATA cable with 3 SATA connectors on each cable, do i use 1 cable to connect to the optical drive and the HDD or different cable?

Thank you.

[doubledragon5]

It doesn't matter, but I connect one cable to both my cd and dvd burner, and use the other for both of my hard drives. If you have only one cd/dvd and one hd, you can use one for both..

[fthy]

Thanks doubledragon5 for the prompt reply.

[fthy]

Hi all!

Installed parts outside case!
Everything seem ok.
This is what i get on my monitor.
"Reboot and Select proper Boot device
or insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key_"
I did connect the speaker but there is no sound. Is this normal?

Can i assemble in the case now?

Thanks.

[fthy]

Installed!!!
Few questions,

1) is it right to connect the case fan (x4) to the PSU?
I did it anyhow cos couldn't find 4 connectors on the mobo. Stop me if it is not right.

2)After connecting everything (including monitor, keyboard, speaker and mouse) and power up, it didn't go to BIOS. Anyway DVD drive working, so i insert OS CD in it, reboot and now is installing Windows. I seem to have missed the BIOS. What happened?

Thank you.

[Alaron]

1. Thats fine. Its best to connect case fans to directly to PSU.

2. If your system installed Windows, everything is working properly. There may be some option for your board that the setup screen doesn't show when you boot up, check the manual.

[fthy]

1. Thats fine. Its best to connect case fans to directly to PSU. 2. If your system installed Windows, everything is working properly. There may be some option for your board that the setup screen doesn't show when you boot up, check the manual.

Thank you Alaron.

Guess i'm the few luck one huh?
After reboot with Windows CD inserted, it went to installation of Windows and is all good now.
Will update.

Thank you.

[gearwhine]

For some reason PM's aren't working for me, so I'm bringing this back from the dead for my first post!

I'm questioning the 1394/firewire ports on the P5Q pro. Did the original poster ever get all the ports working? I just installed the P5Q pro yesterday, and I only know of 1 expansion 1394 slot on the motherboard, yielding only the front case port, or the rear bracket port working (in addition to the built in port). Is there a way to get both working?

Can some kind of daisy chain cable be used to at least have both useable....if only one is used at a time? thanks for the help! -Nick

[glc]

No, you will have to choose which one to connect and use. However, most Firewire devices can be externally daisychained. I personally would connect it to the front port for ease of use, unless you have a Firewire device that uses the mini 4 pin connector. That would be easier to connect to the bracket unless you have a 6 pin to 4 pin cable for the device.

[fthy]

i personally would connect it to the front port for ease of use,

+1

[gearwhine]

Thanks....all I needed to know! I appreciate it.