Need help with building budgeted gaming desktop (amateur)

[Kenny536]

Hello - I created this thread because I need guidance on building a gaming desktop. I don't have much experience with this - so far all my experience is replacing a video card and putting in some thermal paste.

My goal is to make a great GAMING PC for my little brother for about 600-800$ - i want to try to not go over 700 but i also want to get the most out of my money. I am using websites such as google, newegg( especially the reviews!), toms hardware, pricewatch, and tigerdirect. I won't get state of the art technology with that budget, but I still want it to last a good number of years with the latest games. I live in and will be buying from the USA.


Keep in mind that since i have never built a computer so I'm not really sure too sure what I'm doing. I figured that i would order all the parts and then just try to put it together.

So far, the parts that I think I need are:

Motherboard
Processor
Video Card
RAM
Monitor
Computer Case
Hard Drive
Keyboard
Mouse
Speakers
CD/DVD Burner

Please let me know if there is anything else I need. The fan comes with the motherboard right? Will I need some sort of external cooling also?


I have researched the priciest components so far (CPU, motherboard, video card). Please let me know what you think of my decisions and if you have recommendations. Is everything compatible with eachother? I'm trying to get the biggest bang for my buck. Based on my research, I have come to the conclusion that Intel > AMD at this current moment.


I haven't decided if I am going to overclock this (partly because I'm not sure how to). But let's just assume I will.

Processor - this is what I have researched the most so far and I am fairly confident in my choice - but let me know if you disagree.

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0Ghz 1333FSB 6MB L2

[L=http://www.futurepowerpc.com/s...E=CPIN-RE8400&REFID=PW]http://www.futurepowerpc.com/scripts/product.asp?PRDCODE=CPIN-RE8400&REFID=PW[/L]

Motherboard - I'm not very knowledgeable with the specs for motherboards, I have narrowed it down to the eight motherboards you see below (based on the reviews at newegg).

[L=http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813188026]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188026[/L]
[L=http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131295]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131295[/L]
[L=http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128347]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128347[/L]
[L=http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131232]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131232[/L]
[L=http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131299]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131299[/L]
[L=http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131344]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131344[/L]
[L=http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128359]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128359[/L]
[L=http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128358]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358[/L]

Keep in mind that I have not checked these motherboards on Pricewatch - so there may be a 5-10$ cheaper elsewhere.

As for CPU/Motherboard combos, I've looked for a good deal on one of those but what I am finding is that they offer a really great processor and a very crappy non-gaming motherboard.

Video Card - I have already purchased this one for 20$ (after rebate) and based on the reviews its pretty good for gaming - my reasoning was that since it is only 20$, worst case scenario is I will just get a better one later on incase this one isn't good enough.

EVGA 256-P2-N761-TR GeForce 8600 GTS 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

[L=http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814130394]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130394[/L]



RAM - Haven't researched this much yet - is there a certain minimum amount of RAM I need to make it compatible with my motherboard and processor? I don't want the minimum amount though - I want a good amount to ensure it is a great gaming desktop. What is the typical amount of RAM to accomplish this?

Hard Drive - Haven't researched this much yet - is there a certain minimum amount of hard drive space I need to make it compatible with my motherboard and processor? I don't want the minimum amount though - I want a good amount to ensure it is a great gaming desktop. What is the typical amount of HD space to accomplish this?

Monitor - Haven't researched this much yet.

The rest of things like the keyboard and speakers I don't think is that big of a deal, that I can do on my own but the main components is what I need help with.

Also - here a couple of combos from some users on Newegg. Haven't looked at these very carefully yet.


-EVGA 512-P3-N980-AR GeForce 9800 GT Hybrid
-GIGABYTE GA-EP43-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX Intel
-Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB
-G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
-LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model
-Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
-Rosewill RCX-Z300 92mm Ball CPU Cooler
-RAIDMAX SMILODON ATX-612WBP Black 1.0mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Foldout MB Computer Case With 500W Power **this box was not the best choice**
-Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit



1.This mobo Gigabyte EP45
2.Intel E8500 C2D...OCed@3.9Ghz/1644mhz FSB
3.GTX260(MSI)Oced 702/2406/1467 GPU(just 1)
4.DDR2 1000@822mhz 5-4-4-12 1:1 (gskill)2x2=4gb
5.X-Fi gamer's edition audio
6.(optional) Asus PhysiX card-takes load off GPU
7. 750watt 4x12v rail PS(Zalman)or better
8. Antec 300 or 900 (depending on your budget)case
9. 22"lcd or bigger with 2ms 10000:1 (LG)or samsung
10. any of the THX Logitec speakers are good! Z series


Let me know if I forgot to mention anything. I would appreciate it if you would please let me know what you think, thanks a lot.

[Kenny536]

Here is where I am at so far:

CPU - e8400 WolfDale

Motherboard - GIGABYTE UD3R

Video Card - researching


I was going to shop for desktop components one at a time and although the video card is still my main priority, I am reading these NewEgg emails and there are promotional discounts that expire on the 18th, and some on the 21st. Based on what I have bought so far (CPU and motherboard) and what I am trying to accomplish, please let me know what you think of these discounts and if you recommend any product.

Please don't get the idea that I am not researching or that I am being lazy - I am simply doing this because the promotions will expire before I get to researching the products. I realize this is a lot to ask all at once but if you could even just give feedback on one of the components I'll appreciate it. Also, feel free to suggest something that is not a promotion, I am not simply going to buy it because there is a discount, I still want to get the biggest bang for my buck.

I cannot link to the deal page because it's in my e-mail.

All the prices below are after promocode and rebate:


Video Cards:


EVGA GeForce 9800 GT PCI Express 2.0 x16 512MB GDDR3 Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...L5C-_-14130397

89.99

------------------

EVGA GeForce 9500 GT PCI Express 2.0 x16 512MB GDDR3 Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...L4C-_-14130383

44.99

-------------

ASUS EAH4830/HTDP/512MD3 Radeon HD 4830 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
640 Stream Processors ready

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...L2C-_-14121289

94.99

------------


MSI GeForce 8800 GTS PCI Express x16 320MB GDDR3 Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...L8B-_-14127328

79.99

------------------------------

Power Supply - I need at least 600W right? How much of a performance increase will I saw if I do more than 600W?


Thermaltake Purepower W0121RU 600W ATX12V V2.0 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...L1B-_-17153077

44.99

-----------------

Corsair 750 Watt ATX12V/ EPS12V Active PFC Power Supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...L6C-_-17139006

89.99

------------------

OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS 600W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...L1C-_-17341010

39.99

-----------------

Rosewill 630 Watt ATX12V v2.2 & EPS12V v2.91 Active PFC Power Supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...L4A-_-17182149

59.99

----------------

I definitely want to buy a power supply in the next couple days because there is a 20% sale right now for all PSUs in the following link: http://www.newegg.com/Store/Category...H-_-EB1A-_-PSU

Let me know which one you think is the best deal for me.


----------------------------



Monitors :

ASUS VW224U Black 22" 2ms(GTG) Widescreen LCD Monitor w/ HDCP Support 300 cd/m2 1000:1 (ASCR 5000:1) Built in Speakers - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...L0A-_-24236050


159.99

-----------------

Acer X193W+BD Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 2000:1 (ACM) - Retail
High resolution 19” monitor

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...L5B-_-24009127

129.99


------------------

SAMSUNG 2233bw High Glossy Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 DC 20000:1(1000:1) - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...10C-_-24001306

179.99


Basically each monitor is 10$ off with the promo code. I haven't researched monitors heavily yet but I just wanted to know if these were good deals since they will expire soon.

--------------------------


RAM

- for memory I need the 4GB RAM correct? Most of the promotions are only for 2GB RAM so I will not bother posting them.

G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...L3B-_-20231209

44.99

-----------------

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...L0D-_-20231166

49.99


---------------


Hard-Drives - I have no idea why the prices vary so much when the memory space is the same. The 1TB and 400 GB HDs are the same price - why is that?


Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...L0B-_-22148288

59.99

--------------

Seagate Momentus 5400.6 500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s Notebook Hard Drive OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...L1D-_-22148371

99.99

--------------

Western Digital Elements Portable 400GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...L8D-_-22136340

99.99

------------------

Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EACS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...L5D-_-22136151

99.99


--------------------


DVD Burners - I assume this includes CD drives inside them - right?


Lite-On IDE 22X DVD+/-R DVD Burner with LightScribe

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...L1B-_-27106269

24.99

----------

Sony NEC Optiarc IDE 20X DVD+/-R DVD Burner OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...L2D-_-27118011

19.99


-------------------

Cases

http://promotions.newegg.com/rosewil...B3A-_-Rosewill

There's a lot of cases there. The one on top looks cool.. I like the blue lights - but is it good for airflow?

Also, there are some case combo deals with CPUs here:

http://promotions.newegg.com/antec/1...C-_-IntelAntec

The first two on that link are the ones that apply to me since I am buying the e8400 CPU.

-------------------------


Thanks a lot.

[tomtoon]

Do you need an OS?
This one will do: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116488

[Kenny536]

Thanks for the response.

I don't need an OS - I can get it for free through a student organization that I am in. I was told that Vista 64 - bit is best for gaming.

Here is where I am at so far:

CPU - e8400 ( i am going to use this comboed with a case or RAM for a combo discount).

MOBO - UD3R

Video Card: 9800GT

PSU - OCZ StealthStream 600W

I have a question about the RAM you said though. You said that one is fine but the one below is overkill unless I am overclocking. The one below is only 5$ more and I may overclock so I should go with the more expensive one - right?

Also, there are some combo discounts when I come RAM with the e8400. See below:

OCZ Gold 8GB (4 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Quad kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2G8008GQ - Retail

Original price: $274.98
Discount: -$5.00
Combo Price: $269.98


OCZ Reaper HPC 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3RPR13332GK - Retail

Original price: $252.98
Discount: -$5.00
Combo Price: $247.98



There's a couple more combo discounts but the total price is at least 60$ more. From the two I just posted and the two I originally posted - which would be the best deal? Keep in mind that I can use the e8400 combo discount on a case as well, which I still need to buy.

Thanks for your help.

[Kenny536]

Alright – I’m done ordering everything (except the speakers). Let me know how I did!
Here is the final order:
CPU: e8400 WolfDale

Motherboard: GIGABYTE UD3R

Video Card: ASUS Radeon HD 4830 (I decided to change this from the 9800 GT – some people say they are the same, some say the 4830 is slightly better, so I went with the 4830).

RAM: G.Skill 4GB(2x2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 1066

Power Supply: OCZ StealthStream 600W

Monitor: SAMSUNG 2233bw High Glossy Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar 500 GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0 GB

DVD: LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe

Case: Antec 900 (great case, the blue looks sweet!)

Keyboard: Saitek Black USB Wired Standard Eclipse (this has illuminated blue keys – matches the case!).

Mouse: Logitech MX518 – I already had this.

OS: Vista 64-bit - I got this for free from a student organization that I am in.

The total for all this (minus the last two which I already had) turned out to be 830$ after all promo codes, discounts, and rebates.

Did I spend my money well? What do you guys think?

Thanks to everyone who has helped me – I’ve learned a lot! Now it’s time to build lol – this will not be fun.


Am I missing anything else? I don’t need a cooler unless I decide to overclock – right?
The only other thing I need that I can think of are speakers. Is there anything you guys recommend that isn’t too expensive? Here are the two that I was looking at:
Logitech X-240 25 Watts 2.1 Speaker – Retail
40.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836121010

or

LOGISYS Computer SP6000-BK 32Watts 2.1 SOHO MULTIMEDIA SPEAKER SYSTEM
23.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836157002


I don’t know which one I should get. The Logitech one is great because it’s Logitech… plus the black speakers will match my case… but its 40.99 … on the other hand the other one has great reviews and is supposed to great for gaming but it’s some weird company called LOGISYS.. and the speakers look nice but they are more silver than black and they won’t match my case at all… but they’re only 23.99.

The crappy part is that either speaker will cost me an extra 15$ for shipping … all the stuff I’ve bought so far conveniently had free shipping. Not sure what to do – any other alternatives? Or maybe I should just stick with the monitor speakers? And then maybe just use a headset from the monitor speakers when I game? Or is that not a good idea?

Thanks!

[Kenny536]

Wow I am really mad right now - I spent like 12 hours reading so many websites and manuals and stuff and I think I finally figured out where everything goes.. so I plug the power supply cord in to the wall and flip the switch and try to turn on the computer and what happens? nothing..


I think the PSU is defective or something... sometimes when I'm flipping the switch and I lean in real close I hear a slight hissing sound, not sure if its the PSU or the motherboard, but I'm guessing the PSU.

I dont know if its just because I am new at this.. but I really think I plugged in everything where it belongs.. this really sucks

[shadowpr]

try this: PROBLEMS with a NEW BUILD? Try This!!

Did you install the standoffs?

[Matt_Smi]

First off the build looks good, all the parts look compatible and if you subtract the monitor from the price it leaves you with $630, which is not too bad at all. Have you checked your front panel connections, esp the one to the power button? Is there a light on your motherboard that is lit green proving that it has power going to it? Did you make sure to connect the 4 or 8 pin CPU connector from your power supply? I have built quite a few PC's and still forget this sometimes.

[Kenny536]

Yes I did all that.

There is a hissing sound - I think it's the PSU.

The hissing sound only occurs when I have the system plugged in, it is flipped on, and I am holding the power button on the case.

[flanzig1]

To determine where the hissing sound is coming from, would disconnect all drives,case fans, CPU fan, pull the video card. Then start up the PC and listen for the sound. To eliminate the PSU fan, could hold the fan blades with a pencil then start up the PC and do another listen. If you still hear the hissing and seems to come from the PSU, the I would suspect the PSU going bad.
Do these tests with the PC on for a short time(30 seconds or less) to prevent overheating.

[Kenny536]

I think I may have found the problem - as I was taking everything out of my case - when I unplugged the MAIN power supply wire that goes from my PSU to my mobo (the 20+4) wire... the 4 wire was fine .. and so was 19 out of the 20 holes on the wire of my PSU - but one hole was empty ... do you think this is the reason for the lack of power??

The missing pin is #10 (+12V) ... that sounds important.


EDIT : Nvm, I wasn't looking at the pin alignment close enough and I had it backwards, the missing pin is #17 - which is GND - so that should not matter right?

[Kenny536]

Help!

I made some progress.

Here is what I did.

I followed this guide exactly - PROBLEMS with a NEW BUILD? Try This!!

and it didn't work - then I decided to follow the guide exactly AND plug the power switch from my case onto the MOBO - this lit up the mobo, i heard the fans spinning and everything was great! it stayed on for about 5 seconds, shut off, and then did it all over again a few seconds later.. it was a cycle. I'm not sure what this means but I think I have made some progress - what should I do from here?

[minsonngo]

Do you have another power supply you can swap in? It would give that a shot first.

[Kenny536]

Nope =[.

[minsonngo]

I would aquire one then.

The missing pin is important... otherwise PSUs wouldn't come with it normally.

[Kenny536]

I think the problem is something related with the CPU. I unplugged the PSU cables (CPU1 and CPU2) so that there is no power to the CPU and I also unplugged the CPU fan. I then turned on the computer and now the power stays on. I left it on for about 30 seconds on two separate occasions without any interruption in power. I did not leave it on for more than 30 seconds because I'm not sure if it is safe to do so without having power to the CPU and the CPU fan not being on. Is that safe? Does this mean that the problem is CPU-related?

Here is what the situation is:

I have the everything out of the case.. the mobo is on top of the box it came in .. I have the PSU connected to the mobo, I have the case power switch and the other front panel cords connected to the mobo, one of the case fans connected to the PSU.. the CPU is on the mobo with the heatsink installed. I also have one stick of RAM in there.

That's it.

[flanzig1]

would double check that the CPU is mounted correctly and that the CPU heatsink is fully locked down on all four corners.

[Kenny536]

I did that ... this is so frustrating!

[not important]

Pin #20 (which I believe you are counting as #17) is a blank hole..no pin.

http://www.freeimagehosting.net/imag...2c70c616e8.png

[Kenny536]

Well, regardless.. there is a pin missing but that is not the reason it's not working.

It still may be power supply because every time the power turns off the PSU still makes that hissing sound.. i have the PSU separated from the mobo now so I know for sure that hissing sound is the PSU. Maybe it just does not have enough power to stay on? Although I'm unsure why it stays on continuously when I unplug the CPU power. Maybe because it is defective it does not have enough juice to continually power the CPU and mobo? This would explain why I had absolutely no power when I had everything connected like the hard drive and the DVD drive. The PSU couldn't handle it all. So maybe it is the PSU. I already ordered a new, different PSU from NewEgg (Corsair), but it'll probably get here on Monday because of the holidays. They are going to refund me on this OCZ.

But if it's not the PSU then what? I tell NewEgg that the mobo may be defected as well? If that doesn't fix it I call NewEgg again and say the CPU is defective?

[not important]

Correct, the "missing" wire is not the problem as that is the norm for 24-pin connectors.
I believe the PSU is your problem and hopefully the new one will get you on your way.

[Kenny536]

Yeah - so it was the motherboard that was defected.

The new PSU came from newegg this afternoon - same result.

I drove to tigerdirect and bought a new motherboard, and now it's staying on! I'm glad that's over... hopefully I don't run into anymore problems. Thanks for your help.

I do have one more question though - the motherboard I bought from tiger direct was this one: Asus P5Q Green Motherboard - Intel P45, Socket 775, ATX, Audio, PCI Express 2.0, S/PDIF, Gigabit LAN, Firewire, USB 2.0, SATA, RAID

for 129.99 + 12$ tax... the P5Q-E was not in stock.

So my question is - is this motherboard fine? Because if it is not - what I could do is just use this one and tell Newegg to refund my defected motherboard and buy a new one from newegg and after it arrives in 2-3 days, I'll return this one to TigerDirect. Should I do that or this mobo fine? Here is the link to it.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...037&CatId=3790

Thanks.

[Kenny536]

I have another problem.

I hooked everything up and the computer runs fine - but the first thing I do is run BIOS right? I cannot get to it.

According to my mobo manual - I just power it up and hold DEL.

I don't know why I can't get to it, it can be for one of three reasons:

1. The USB function is not working on the motherboard - the keyboard I bought is an illuminated one, so it turns blue when it is powered, but when I plug it into the USB, it doesn't turn blue - when I plug it into my laptop, it works perfectly fine. However, on my new build, if I plug in the USB halfway, at just the right amount, then it will illuminate.

2. Am I setting up the monitor wrong? From what I understand, I do not plug in the analog cord right? Only the digital? The monitor seems fine, the light is on and on the top left corner it keeps saying "Digital" and then "Analog" and keeps cycling through like that.

I don't know if the problem is that I cannot access BIOS because of my keyboard.. OR that I actually AM entering BIOS but I cannot see it because I am doing something wrong with my monitor.

I have no idea how I access BIOS.. i tried holding down DEL but it did not work. I tried using a PS2 keyboard also (although I think it is broken because none of the lights turn on).

[Jaxbot]

From my experience, sometimes BIOS don't recongize USB devices, and they won't work until the OS loads. (Though, normally newer ones detect them just fine, so I'm not sure if this applies to your build, but worth a shot.)

A good way to test this is to go get a PS2 keyboard from a cheap store, I got one at walmart for $1.50.

But first, I would get the monitor working so you can see what it says.
Is it making a short beep shortly after you start it? Aka, is it POSTing?

Also, make sure the video card is in all the way, once I had a problem where mine was in *almost* all the way, but not quite.

Is there a VGA port on the motherboard? If so, try connecting a monitor to that and see if you get output.

Good luck.

[Kenny536]

I don't hear any beeps - I'm not sure it is posting - if it was then wouldn't it tell me to hold down the DEL key?

If my video card wasn't in on all the way would it still say "Test Good" on the monitor screen? I don't think it would.

VGA is the analog right? I tried using both.

[glc]

You don't hold the DEL key down - you press and release it.

Does it POST with a display if you follow the out of case procedure?

[Kenny536]

Well, I had initially had it out of case with the mobo, cpu, psu, and RAM, and it worked fine - but I didn't have the monitor hooked up then because I figured the BIOS wouldn't show until I hooked up everything - will it show? I'll try that if it does.

It clearly says in my Mobo manual.. hold down DEL key to access BIOS... but the thing is that the keyboard is not working.. at least I don't think it is.

As I said before, it will only light up if the USB cord is halfway in the USB Port.. but I don't believe that means it is working... I just went to wal-mart and bought a PS/2 keyboard.. I plugged that in and the keyboard still didnt light up.. however.. the PS/2 Keyboard lights (numlock, scrollock, etc.) stay on for a split second when I have the PS/2 plug HALF way in there.. just like the USB.. so whatever is wrong with the USB ports is also what is wrong with the PS/2 ports.

But I don't know if the USB/PS/2 ports are the problem... someone on another forum said "When your computer posts correctly, you will see text on your screen. It will tell you when to hold down the del key. "

[glc]

The out of case procedure addresses the use of a monitor - it's required. You also need a video card if the motherboard does not have onboard video.

[flanzig1]

The BIOS splash screen will show up with PSU/CPU/Mobo/ram/ video card are installed. Don't need any drives for the BIOS splash screen. As for the keyboard lites, they do blink off and on during POST. The way I do the access to the BIOS is as soon as I see the BIOS splash screen I start tapping the DEL key. I do it that way because Fast Boot may be a default setting in the BIOS.
If you didn't connect the monitor during the Out-Of-Case setup, you have no real way of knowing if everything actually works. You may need to start back at the out of case install with a monitor to make sure the base components are working.

[Kenny536]

It was the RAM - I replaced the RAM and now I am getting into the BIOS screen! Such a relief.

But of course, the problems do not end there. I figured since it was the RAM this whole time, I would go back to the old UD3R GIGABYTE motherboard.. so I did that and hooked it up to the the CPU, RAM, and video card.

The problem now is that it will stay on the BIOS screen from anywhere from 2 minutes to 5 minutes... and then I lose all picture.

I'm pretty sure this is not the motherboard's fault, rather it is the video card's fault. I say this because of a couple reasons:

1. The rest of the power remains, fans still running, all lights still on - the only thing is that I lose picture.

2. When I touch the video card after only being on a little bit.. it is BURNING hot.


So I figured maybe there's something wrong with the video card... I try the other one (EVGA 8600 GTS) and that one is staying on the BIOS screen.. but it is still VERY hot.

So I figured this either meant that it's supposed to be this hot.. or this motherboard is not very good at heating the video card... ( I initially had everything in the case where the case fans were also cooling the video card, but that didn't help I believe).

So what do you think? Is it the mobo or the video card? Should I try the ASUS mobo?