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Building a computer: I need some serious help


lonewolf_kai
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  • 4 months later...

Thanks Don! Yep it's pretty cool building one. I don't think I'll ever buy a pre-mader again.

The HDD faililng is really strange. Out of the blue the BIOS suddenly started losing the HDD and failing to detect it. After several restarts, it would finaly detect it and load WIndows7, but once shut down, the whole process started again. Eventually it would fail to load Windows7 and attempt scanning/fixing of bad sectors and would usually hang up in the middle. After that, the HDD finally wouldn't be detected at all after a lot of restarts. During this time, I opened the box up and checked all the connections, even replacing cables, but without success. I then reset the CMOS, and the HDD was finally detected, able to load Windows7 and checked the disk/replaced bad sectors. However, the manufacturer's HDD scanning tools failed and refuse to even recognize the drive.

After contacting them they believe the HDD is failling and now I have to pay $10 for shipping to get the replacement.
:(
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There are two types of harddrives in this world. Those that HAVE failed, and those that are ABOUT to fail. :D

Running two smaller drives is actually a better plan than just one big one. (for date integrity as well)

I run three, my O/S is on the smallest. (40gb) Games are on the fastest..... and the third is just for general storage.

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I know some people dont like Western Digital a whole lot, but i promise you, if you buy only WD Black models, you'll never have problems ever again. A little pricier than normal HDs but the quality is there. If you want more performance, look into the Velociraptors, ive been running one for eight years now, still kicking. Then you got SSDs. That an entire different beast.

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I'd love to get an SSD, at least for the OS, and maybe the current game I'm playing. Unfortunately, the funding in my wallet is at an all time record low. I'm talking negatives here! :cold:

I like your setup HY. IF (LOL!) my funding ever gets better, I might consider doing that. Two SSDs (OS and game) and the HDD for storage.

Thanks for the tip Meo. I'll have to look into that for the next HDD I get.

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Well I got the new HDD via UPS, installed it, and then installed the OS with two different partitions, one for the OS and the other for everything else. Started loading up the other various drives and then noticed:

Only one harddrive with only 100 gbs...... I apparently forgot to partition the other 900gbs for the second drive. :wallbash:

For some reason I thought when I designated the 100 gb for the OS that the other 900 would automatically be set and I didn't have to do anything. :doh:

Edited by lonewolf_kai
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  • 1 month later...

I'm having a problem with the computer now, which I've never had before.

I've been playing Guild Wars 2, with all the graphics turned up and have had no issues at all. However, there is one area in the game that's fairly graphic intense and player clogged and my CPU's temperature skyrockets so far up that it starts beeping a overheating warning to me until I shut it down. After that incident, I started monitoring the temperatures and noticed the computer stays between 50 to 60 degrees C, with the exception of that one area, while playing the game. There have been a few times where the temp has gone over 60C.

Keep a few things in mind:

1. I do not overclock the comptuer or graphics card. I keep the default settings.

2. I have not had a temperature problem before, even with graphic intense games such as The WItcher2.

3. My tower case has a 200 mm fan up top, a 230 mm fan in front (below the Dvd players/HDD), a 120 mm fan in the inside middle (for graphics card and some of the CPU area), a 200 mm fan on the side panel, and a rear 140 mm fan. I also have an external fan to direct the exhausted heated air away from the area.

4. I am using the stock fan that came with the CPU.

Here's a link to the specific case I have: http://www.coolermas...product_id=6653. You can see a chart of air flow about the middle of the page. (Keep in mind I only have one fan up top, not two, though I think I'm going to add that second one in. Also, I have the VGA fan moved up a little to catch some of the extra incoming air for the CPU.)

So, my question is, what can I do to improve this? The tower is pretty windy already, and I'd rather not use a liquid cooling solution. Should I change the stock fan on the CPU?

Edited by lonewolf_kai
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Hey there Kai...The first thing I had to do when I upped to the i7 was get a batter cooling solution . I asked around and went with the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus. Installs like a dream and dropped my idle temps (which were up to 90C) to between 30C - 40C, depending on ambient temps. I couldn`t beat the price for what I got either. :coolup:

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Wow, 90C!? That is high! But, here's what I don't understand on my computer: most of the time it stays low temps already. When Idle and just sitting at the desktop, it runs 23-25C. If I open something up, say like my internet browser, the temp MAY go up to like 30C. If I run Oblivion or The WItcher2, it'll go up to between 40 - 50C. This game, GW2, makes the system go up to 55-60C, and even higher in certain parts of the game world. I have my heat threshold set at default, which is 72C I think. It had to go near that point when the computer started its overheating alarm when I was playing in that intense area of teh game.

Vouire suggested the area I'm having this issue specifically is already graphics intense and the processor is trying to keep up with all of the players in the area, thus higher temps.

I don't see how changing the CPU fan will help this, especially if my temps are already low with everything else, but I may try it. I just don't want to install it and then find out that it didn't help at all and waste my money.

EDIT: After looking through the fans, I can see where that huge radiator that comes with them would make a difference. Now I'm just not sure about which fan/heatsink combo to get. I looked at the one you suggested, but what Arion said in your Buy/Build thread concerned me, that being the fan is a sleeve.

If I do install a different CPU fan, do I have to remove the silver stuff that came on the fan off the top of the processor before I put the new stuff on it? Does the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus come with a tube of that silver stuff or do I need to buy some separately?

Edited by lonewolf_kai
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If the thermal paste (silver stuff) on top of the CPU doesn't look worn are missing, I think you should be fine with leaving it but most CPU coolers have it on them already. A good tube costs about $12 USD and I highly recommend it in case you need it. I bought a tube of Arctic MX-4 that got good reviews.

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Hiya Kai, firstly, I did see Arion`s comment about the sleeve bearings. I decided that the package was good and the price was right. If I need to replace the fan with one with ball bearings I will but so far no problem. I also like that Cooler Master included the mounting hardware to add another fan (one pushing, one pulling) if desired.

Secondly, I use Arctic Alumina , and yes, the cooler plate has paste , I clean that off in favor of a known good product , and yes I cleaned the top of the CPU very well so no trace of residue remained. Cooler Master included a small tube of their paste which may be ok.

Here`s the thing....the i7 came with the same fan as my i3... :blink: ... How`s that a good thing?

Thirdly, I understand that this issue only occurs at certain high demand times. All I can do is offer my own rookie impression that it`s better to be safe whenever possible and remove areas of doubt.

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hiya Kai, Meo is right about the dust and all. The old paste shouldn`t be too hard to wipe off. I used a plastic card to carefully scrape off as much as I could from the cpu and the new fan ( I wanted to use my own paste) , then a clean old t-shirt rag wrapped around my finger to finish the job. A small bit of moisture on the rag might help. You want bright shiny clean surfaces. don`t use anything that might scratch the surfaces.

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I use a compressor to blow out the dust, but you can also use a can of compressed air as well. What ever you use, don't use your own breath and be careful to not damage any of the components on the motherboard or daughter cards (PCI/PCIe).

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Air compressor is HIGHLY effective..... I usually dial the pressure down to about 40PSI or so, so I don't simply blow components off my motherboard..... a good water separator is also a requirement there. :)

Hint: Don't use the air compressor at full pressure on a keyboard. Yes, it will get ALL the dust out.... but, you will also be chasing keys around the garage. (yeah, that's the voice of experience there....)

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