• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

"I Need a New PC!" 2015 Part 1. Read the OP and RISE ABOVE FORGED PRECISION SCIENCE

Status
Not open for further replies.
I started my first build tonight and it hasn't gone too badly, but now I'm stuck. The case I'm using is the Corsair 380T and after installing the liquid cooling I noticed that it takes up the only two fan ports on that motherboard and I have nowhere else to plug the front fan in the case. Any suggestions? Here's my build:


PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/bkQWCJ
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/bkQWCJ/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($226.69 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($98.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($101.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($59.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0 Video Card ($324.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 380T Mini ITX Tower Case ($114.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($83.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1128.58
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-04 00:11 EDT-0400
 

RGM79

Member
I started my first build tonight and it hasn't gone too badly, but now I'm stuck. The case I'm using is the Corsair 380T and after installing the liquid cooling I noticed that it takes up the two fan ports and I have nowhere else to plug the front fan in the case. Any suggestions? Here's my build:


PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/bkQWCJ
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/bkQWCJ/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($226.69 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($98.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($101.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: PNY 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($59.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0 Video Card ($324.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 380T Mini ITX Tower Case ($114.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 620W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($83.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1128.58
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-04 00:11 EDT-0400

The H100i's fans should plug into the adaptor cable that leads into the pump unit that rests on top of the PC. Then there is a cable going from the pump unit to CPU_FAN. You should be able to plug either of the 380T's two included case fans into the motherboard fan connector marked CHA_FAN1.

MGWdl3mm.jpg


According to this Corsair installation guide, it is possible for the H100i to control 4 fans, the cooler may or may not come with a second Y cable adaptor to allow you to plug in two more fans into the CPU pump block. You may also plug in your case fans there if you do have a second cable.

Edit: According to Hardware Secrets' review of the H100i, it does come with another fan cable to support 4 fans total. You should be fine then.
 
The H100i's fans should plug into the adaptor cable that leads into the pump unit that rests on top of the PC. Then there is a cable going from the pump unit to CPU_FAN. You should be able to plug either of the 380T's two included case fans into the motherboard fan connector marked CHA_FAN1.

MGWdl3mm.jpg


According to this Corsair installation guide, it is possible for the H100i to control 4 fans, the cooler may or may not come with a second Y cable adaptor to allow you to plug in two more fans into the CPU pump block. You may also plug in your case fans there if you do have a second cable.

Edit: According to Hardware Secrets' review of the H100i, it does come with another fan cable to support 4 fans total. You should be fine then.

Appreciate the response back, RGM79. Just plugged both fans into the adapter then directly into one of the two open ports behind the pump that sits on top of the intel chip. When I did this I wasn't getting any power. It would light up for a quick second, then shut down. Not sure what I'm doing wrong exactly.
 

RGM79

Member
Appreciate the response back, RGM79. Just plugged both fans into the adapter then directly into one of the two open ports behind the pump that sits on top of the intel chip. When I did this I wasn't getting any power. It would light up for a quick second, then shut down. Not sure what I'm doing wrong exactly.

Wait, is it just the pump that's not turning on, or is the entire PC not turning on? Make sure motherboard and CPU power cables are also plugged in. There should be one black cable going from the pump block to the CPU_FAN connector on the motherboard. You should also make sure the SATA power cable for the pump is plugged in and secured to SATApower cable from the power supply.

 

McBryBry

Member
Quick question on cleaning. Do you guys just take yours outside and blast out the dust? I'm doing mine tomorrow so figured I'd ask.
 

quesalupa

Member
Just put my build together. Plugged in the PSU, flipped the switch on, pressed on on the case, and nothing is happening. This is my first build and I feel like I did something wrong. What are some possible reasons why it's not turning on? Is there a way to tell if my mother board is fried? God.. this took forever...
 

RGM79

Member
Just put my build together. Plugged in the PSU, flipped the switch on, pressed on on the case, and nothing is happening. This is my first build and I feel like I did something wrong. What are some possible reasons why it's not turning on? Is there a way to tell if my mother board is fried? God.. this took forever...

Any motherboard LEDs active when the PSU switch is flipped? Motherboard power and CPU power cables both plugged in?
 
Quick question on cleaning. Do you guys just take yours outside and blast out the dust? I'm doing mine tomorrow so figured I'd ask.

I do it in a table in another room and then clean afterwards, there is still snow outside my house. but if there is a lot of dust, yeah you may want to take it outside or into the garage.
 

quesalupa

Member
Any motherboard LEDs active when the PSU switch is flipped? Motherboard power and CPU power cables both plugged in?
No LEDs and all the cables are plugged in. I'll be completely honest that I didn't wear a wristband but I grounded my hand a bunch before I touched anything a nothing got shocked. Will the board still fry if it never receives an actual shock?
 

Mohasus

Member
No LEDs and all the cables are plugged in. I'll be completely honest that I didn't wear a wristband but I grounded my hand a bunch before I touched anything a nothing got shocked. Will the board still fry if it never receives an actual shock?

I'd check the case cables and CPU power cable. Maybe try switching the power and reset button cables and try to turn on your PC pressing the reset button.
 
Wait, is it just the pump that's not turning on, or is the entire PC not turning on? Make sure motherboard and CPU power cables are also plugged in. There should be one black cable going from the pump block to the CPU_FAN connector on the motherboard. You should also make sure the SATA power cable for the pump is plugged in and secured to SATApower cable from the power supply.


Man, pretty stupid mistake on my part. Really had an issue confusing all the different cables/wires during this process, but I learned from it. THANK YOU so much for your help man & I can't wait to test this badboy out tomorrow! Here's a picture of it finished:

http://imgur.com/rRymw1S
 

RGM79

Member
Man, pretty stupid mistake on my part. Really had an issue confusing all the different cables/wires during this process, but I learned from it. THANK YOU so much for your help man & I can't wait to test this badboy out tomorrow! Here's a picture of it finished:

http://imgur.com/rRymw1S

No problem, enjoy your new PC. Glad to hear you solved the issue.

No LEDs and all the cables are plugged in. I'll be completely honest that I didn't wear a wristband but I grounded my hand a bunch before I touched anything a nothing got shocked. Will the board still fry if it never receives an actual shock?

Normally an unlit LED would be a bad thing, but upon double-checking ASRock H97M Pro4's manual, it apparently doesn't have a power status LED at all. Which is annoying, to say the least.. of all the things they decided to leave out to save money..

I wouldn't know about whether parts are fried or not, but I suppose it is possible. I've heard that it is best to take the utmost care when handling components, even slight static shocks that you may not even feel could do some harm or so I've been told, but that's really hard to figure out what part isn't working, we'll need to do some trial-and-error work.

Here's some things to try in order of least effort to most effort.

1. Try a different power cord.
2. Try a different AC outlet.
3. Unplug the 24 pin connector (big cable that plugs into the motherboard) and try the paper clip test to see if it turns on, at least. As long as the paper clip or wire is connecting the two pins, the power supply should stay on. If it keeps turning on and off every couple of seconds, that's the power supply not working properly.
4. Unplug all of the RAM and put in only one stick. Try each stick alone and in alternating slots to see if the PC will boot.
5. Unplug and replug every power supply connection, and do the same for the case's power and reset switches while you're at it. Wouldn't be a bad idea to unplug and replug the RAM sticks and graphics card as well. Yeah, this step is more or less rewiring and plugging in the entire PC.
6. Do a system rebuild. Make sure your standoffs and mounting points are properly aligned, etc. You can skip certain steps like removing and reinstalling the CPU if you're very certain you did it properly and don't want to deal with the thermal paste again.
7. Try another power supply.. or another motherboard. You may need to borrow parts from understanding and close friends' PCs or even submit an RMA to the store/manufacturer.
 
No LEDs and all the cables are plugged in. I'll be completely honest that I didn't wear a wristband but I grounded my hand a bunch before I touched anything a nothing got shocked. Will the board still fry if it never receives an actual shock?

You have something called system panel connectors (JFP1/2 on your motherboard). These connect the PC case's on/off button with the motherboard. Make sure this thin cable that comes from the case on/off button is plugged into the mobo correctly. How these pins are plugged in should be in your motherboard manual. If you do it wrong, you won't be able to power on your PC and no LEDs will light up.
 

kraspkibble

Permabanned.
i built my first gaming pc back late february but i've only just did the 3dmark benchmark now cause i thought i had to buy the software but realise it's free!. i have an i5-4590/290 with 8GB RAM. i can't seem to figure out how to compare it against other people. is this a good score?

http://www.3dmark.com/3dm/6505669
 

MetalDeer

Member
So pc is built. .........what now? Just download steam and play games or is there some software that I should download.

As long as you have all your drivers and updates, pretty much! It wouldn't hurt to download some hardware monitoring software like HWinfo to make sure nothing in your system is getting too hot, but aside from that, you should be set.
 

FourMyle

Member
In the market for a new monitor and would greatly appreciate some recommends.

I'm looking for a 60hz 1080p IPS panel with very low input lag. 21.5/22" for size.
 
This is probably a stupid question, but are there going to be any new releases on the LGA1150 socket? Or is the 4790k and 4690k the best there will be on it?
 

LilJoka

Member
This is probably a stupid question, but are there going to be any new releases on the LGA1150 socket? Or is the 4790k and 4690k the best there will be on it?

Broadwell chips in a few months will be LGA 1150. But don't bother waiting since it won't be much faster.
 
Broadwell chips in a few months will be LGA 1150. But don't bother waiting since it won't be much faster.

Ok, I wasn't sure about Broadwell. I'm not in a hurry or anything, but I bought a G3258 a few months ago with the intent to upgrade later. Can we make any assumptions about what prices of broadwell chips might be, and what their release will do to the prices of those current chips (are those Haswell-E?) I mentioned?
 

LilJoka

Member
Ok, I wasn't sure about Broadwell. I'm not in a hurry or anything, but I bought a G3258 a few months ago with the intent to upgrade later. Can we make any assumptions about what prices of broadwell chips might be, and what their release will do to the prices of those current chips (are those Haswell-E?) I mentioned?

Same prices as Haswell chips not Haswell E. No don't expect prices to dip on older parts as the performance will be very similar.
 

Devildoll

Member
i built my first gaming pc back late february but i've only just did the 3dmark benchmark now cause i thought i had to buy the software but realise it's free!. i have an i5-4590/290 with 8GB RAM. i can't seem to figure out how to compare it against other people. is this a good score?

http://www.3dmark.com/3dm/6505669

Seems normal.
Just hit "results" up to the right next to hall of fame, then go to advanced search and type in your cpu and gpu, and make sure to sort by 1 gpu results.

Ok, I wasn't sure about Broadwell. I'm not in a hurry or anything, but I bought a G3258 a few months ago with the intent to upgrade later. Can we make any assumptions about what prices of broadwell chips might be, and what their release will do to the prices of those current chips (are those Haswell-E?) I mentioned?

The current plans for broadwell seems like intel is just going to fart out a couple of odd broadwell chips, so they can say that they kept their promise of saying that 1150 motherboards will get broadwell support.


wrbMeOY.png


Even though they don't have the K moniker, they're supposedly going to be unlocked.
 

Wallach

Member
About to pull the trigger on a main rig refresh:

- i7-4790K
- ASUS Sabertooth Z97 Mark 2
- Corsair Vengeance 2x8GB PC12800
- Samsung 850 EVO 500GB (I have another 250GB 840 and some other drives for addt'l storage as needed)

Any objections or incompatibilities I might have missed before I pull the trigger?
 

LilJoka

Member
About to pull the trigger on a main rig refresh:

- i7-4790K
- ASUS Sabertooth Z97 Mark 2
- Corsair Vengeance 2x8GB PC12800
- Samsung 850 EVO 500GB (I have another 250GB 840 and some other drives for addt'l storage as needed)

Any objections or incompatibilities I might have missed before I pull the trigger?

Only thing to consider is Samsung 840 Evo debacle before continuing to purchase their SSDs.

What are all the current components you have?
 

kraspkibble

Permabanned.
Seems normal.
Just hit "results" up to the right next to hall of fame, then go to advanced search and type in your cpu and gpu, and make sure to sort by 1 gpu results.

The current plans for broadwell seems like intel is just going to fart out a couple of odd broadwell chips, so they can say that they kept their promise of saying that 1150 motherboards will get broadwell support.


wrbMeOY.png


Even though they don't have the K moniker, they're supposedly going to be unlocked.

i did that and put in amd 290 but nothing was coming up. not sure why.

can i jump in on the broadwell discussion. again i have an i5-4590 which i believe is a haswell refresh. is there any point in my buying a broadwell cpu when they come out. i think i might be tempted to get an i7 broadwell. i look to get 2-3 years out of my pc so is upgrading to i7 broadwell do you think a good idea. my 290 should be ok but probably will upgrade to an amd 300 series/nvidia 10** series after they get a price drop or something.
 

Devildoll

Member
i did that and put in amd 290 but nothing was coming up. not sure why.

can i jump in on the broadwell discussion. again i have an i5-4590 which i believe is a haswell refresh. is there any point in my buying a broadwell cpu when they come out. i think i might be tempted to get an i7 broadwell. i look to get 2-3 years out of my pc so is upgrading to i7 broadwell do you think a good idea. my 290 should be ok but probably will upgrade to an amd 300 series/nvidia 10** series after they get a price drop or something.

i got a bunch of cards when i typed in amd 290.
5tSVkzU.png


here's a premade link for you.
Just make sure to set the number of graphics cards to get relevant results.


I'd think you'd be able to get 2-3 years out of the 4590 you have now.
But it depends a bit on how threaded games get in that time, getting an i7 might make sense it that really takes off.
 

Wallach

Member
Only thing to consider is Samsung 840 Evo debacle before continuing to purchase their SSDs.

What are all the current components you have?

Yeah, it gave me pause considering I was one of the people affected, but truth is I love their Magician software. It's enough for me to give them a second chance, at least.

I'm mainly just looking for a CPU bump and motherboard move as I'm tired of dealing with this Killer NIC on my MSI Z77 chipset.

I swapped out the RAM for some PC3 15000 and went ahead and put the order in. My fight money...!
 

LilJoka

Member
Yeah, it gave me pause considering I was one of the people affected, but truth is I love their Magician software. It's enough for me to give them a second chance, at least.

I'm mainly just looking for a CPU bump and motherboard move as I'm tired of dealing with this Killer NIC on my MSI Z77 chipset.

I swapped out the RAM for some PC3 15000 and went ahead and put the order in. My fight money...!

Why use software with an SSD? Additional bloatware imo.
 

AYF 001

Member
RAM voltages are really a non-issue with i5 processors. Technically all RAM that runs above 1333MHz is overclocked, and overclocking further requires more voltage. Some models are able to attain higher speeds with less voltage, and others require more voltage. In any case ~1.65V is relatively safe but the choice is yours, $115 isn't that bad for 16GB of 2133MHz RAM I guess.

If you will be doing engineering and CAD work, then I also support you going for the i7 5820K build. That said, you could definitely go for a different choice of case. Nothing wrong with the Phanteks Enthoo Pro, it's very roomy and offers high end features and design. It is larger than most people will need, though, so a mid-tower case might be a better idea.

Any features you think you might want in a case? Color? Size? Case window? Emphasis on airflow or noise-reducing design? Simple/clean design or gamer aesthetic? In terms of brands, there's Antec, Bitfenix, Cooler Master, Corsair, Fractal, NZXT, Silverstone..

I originally had a mid tower, but got a compatibility warning for case size when I added the Phantek CPU cooler. I figured a Phantek case would guarantee compatibility, and when I saw the cooling performance for only $100, the size is an acceptable trade off.

If the power cable length becomes an issue, what kind of extension cord would I need to make it reach? Or would a different type of power supply have longer cables?
 

Lucinice

Neo Member
Samsung 840 Evo performance degredation.

A GPU upgrade would be good. Do you have a budget in mind?
What Power Supply do you have?
Consider overclocking the CPU too.

I was thinking 500 to 600 in budget.
I have a corsair cx600 power supply.

Anyway the question wasn't do I need to upgrade it was should I go for a card out on the market now or wait for the ones coming out this year.
 

RM8

Member
Guys, I'm about to buy my first monitor (my previous PCs have been all-in-one, I really dig that form factor to be honest, and I wasn't a PC gamer before). Anything I should have in mind? Lag shouldn't be a concern, right? Since PC monitors don't have those crappy TV effects that introduce input lag. Any brand I should avoid? I'm probably going to buy a cheap, small one, so I just want to be sure I don't buy a bad one :p
 

LilJoka

Member
I was thinking 500 to 600 in budget.
I have a corsair cx600 power supply.

Anyway the question wasn't do I need to upgrade it was should I go for a card out on the market now or wait for the ones coming out this year.

If that is USD, then wait for the next GPUs, unless there is a game tomorrow that you want to turn up the settings on.
 
N

NinjaFridge

Unconfirmed Member
Anyone have the dimensions of the XFX 650W XXX Edition Semi Modular 80+ Bronze PSU? Would it be a decent unit for a Prodigy M? I've seen that using a PSU that's too big in the Prodigy M can reduce the length of the GPU that can be used.
 

RGM79

Member
I originally had a mid tower, but got a compatibility warning for case size when I added the Phantek CPU cooler. I figured a Phantek case would guarantee compatibility, and when I saw the cooling performance for only $100, the size is an acceptable trade off.

If the power cable length becomes an issue, what kind of extension cord would I need to make it reach? Or would a different type of power supply have longer cables?

That I'm honestly not sure about. It depends on the cable management. I'm almost certainly sure you could have the cables reach all of the ports, but it might be messy, that's all. There are extensions you can buy from newegg for a few dollars if you want to do a nice cable management job and it turns out the cables just aren't long enough.

i did that and put in amd 290 but nothing was coming up. not sure why.

can i jump in on the broadwell discussion. again i have an i5-4590 which i believe is a haswell refresh. is there any point in my buying a broadwell cpu when they come out. i think i might be tempted to get an i7 broadwell. i look to get 2-3 years out of my pc so is upgrading to i7 broadwell do you think a good idea. my 290 should be ok but probably will upgrade to an amd 300 series/nvidia 10** series after they get a price drop or something.

I feel like the 4590 will last two to three years easily, even if it can't be overclocked.

Guys, I'm about to buy my first monitor (my previous PCs have been all-in-one, I really dig that form factor to be honest, and I wasn't a PC gamer before). Anything I should have in mind? Lag shouldn't be a concern, right? Since PC monitors don't have those crappy TV effects that introduce input lag. Any brand I should avoid? I'm probably going to buy a cheap, small one, so I just want to be sure I don't buy a bad one :p

Country? Budget? There aren't really any brands to avoid so much as you should research the models you're interested in to see if they do have input lag. This website on monitors with input lag should also help, although it's by no means complete and a monitor not being listed there doesn't mean it's bad, just unknown or untested.

In the market for a new monitor and would greatly appreciate some recommends.

I'm looking for a 60hz 1080p IPS panel with very low input lag. 21.5/22" for size.

Country? Budget?
 

RM8

Member
Country? Budget? There aren't really any brands to avoid so much as you should research the models you're interested in to see if they do have input lag.
Mexico, I'm not sure how much I'm willing to pay to be honest, since I've never bought a monitor before :p I'll check local stores first to compares models, prices, etc.
 

RGM79

Member
Mexico, I'm not sure how much I'm willing to pay to be honest, since I've never bought a monitor before :p I'll check local stores first to compares models, prices, etc.
If you see any deals or have any websites for local stores, feel free to post them, I wouldn't mind looking them over.

Anyone have the dimensions of the XFX 650W XXX Edition Semi Modular 80+ Bronze PSU? Would it be a decent unit for a Prodigy M? I've seen that using a PSU that's too big in the Prodigy M can reduce the length of the GPU that can be used.

XFX's website is a mess, but I believe it's 160mm long, according to this Hardware Secrets review. Be aware, the 160mm recommended maximum length doesn't take modular power supplies into account, as the modular plastic plugs will stick out further.

What graphics card were you going to put into the Prodigy M?
 
N

NinjaFridge

Unconfirmed Member
If you see any deals or have any websites for local stores, feel free to post them, I wouldn't mind looking them over.



XFX's website is a mess, but I believe it's 160mm long, according to this Hardware Secrets review. Be aware, the 160mm recommended maximum length doesn't take modular power supplies into account, as the modular plastic plugs will stick out further.

What graphics card were you going to put into the Prodigy M?

At the minute nothing. TBH I haven't even decided if i'm going to go ahead and build, I'm just doing some research. I won't be putting a GPU into it immediately, I just want to make sure I don't screw myself over when I do.

I found a guy on the BitFenix forums who installed a semi-modular power supply into the Prodigy M. It's the Cooler Master Thunder M 520w, which I think is 160mm. He has a gallery here where you can see his build. Think it has enough clearance?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom