Sprocket Resurfaces...

[j2k4]

Well, there'll certainly be a preparatory call vis a vis the RAID deal.

I will content myself to read all the manualage for a day or three (do some sub-assembly and trial fitting) to see if Newegg gets the HDD in that I need.

Peat's trick Vista x64 is coming in, too...

As an aside, the case looks kinda basic, but servicable.

Will the two fans (rear case and cooler) be sufficient to get it up and running?

[clocker]

"Basic, but seviceable"...well yeah, what did you expect for <$50?
At least it's not garbaged up with gee-gaws and frippery and the edges won't razor slice your hands to ribbons.

By "sub-assembly" I assume you mean the heatsink.
This is ideally installed outside the case to ensure that the horrendous push-pin system is fully engaged. It will be interesting to see how difficult installing the motherboard will be with the heatsink in place.
Also, pay close attention when inserting the RAM...on my board it took more force to seat it properly- even after the end clips had seemingly popped into position- than I am used to. This may be just my experience or may be endemic.

With the heatsink/RAM and vid card installed- motherboard sitting on it's box- connect the PSU, keyboard, mouse and monitor.
Jumper the ON header with a screwdriver and see if she'll POST.

If so, hit "Delete" to enter BIOS.
FIRST THING you need to do is set the memory voltage.
The Gigabyte default value is 1.8v and your memory requires 2.0-2.1v.
This weirdness may in fact keep you from POSTing with all four sticks installed.
If she won't start up, remove all but one memory module and try again.
That should do it.

Doesn't that case have a spot for a front 120mm fan?
I thought it did.
If so, it might be a good idea but only running the machine will tell you. It could always be added later, if necessary.

Fucking 28" monitor...

[j2k4]

"Basic, but seviceable"...well yeah, what did you expect for <$50?
At least it's not garbaged up with gee-gaws and frippery and the edges won't razor slice your hands to ribbons.

By "sub-assembly" I assume you mean the heatsink.
This is ideally installed outside the case to ensure that the horrendous push-pin system is fully engaged. It will be interesting to see how difficult installing the motherboard will be with the heatsink in place.
Also, pay close attention when inserting the RAM...on my board it took more force to seat it properly- even after the end clips had seemingly popped into position- than I am used to. This may be just my experience or may be endemic.

With the heatsink/RAM and vid card installed- motherboard sitting on it's box- connect the PSU, keyboard, mouse and monitor.
Jumper the ON header with a screwdriver and see if she'll POST.

If so, hit "Delete" to enter BIOS.
FIRST THING you need to do is set the memory voltage.
The Gigabyte default value is 1.8v and your memory requires 2.0-2.1v.
This weirdness may in fact keep you from POSTing with all four sticks installed.
If she won't start up, remove all but one memory module and try again.
That should do it.

Doesn't that case have a spot for a front 120mm fan?
I thought it did.
If so, it might be a good idea but only running the machine will tell you. It could always be added later, if necessary.

Fucking 28" monitor...

"Servicable" meant to be a compliment to the case; not disappointed at all, especially in light of the price.

Will commence with the other stuff after work tonight, probably.

[clocker]

Presumably you'll favor us with pictures.

The ravening hordes love visual stimulation.

If you can get a cat (or three) or even Kenna into a shot, bonus points accrue.

[j2k4]

That might be a bit rough, but not out of the question.

Since I've been interrupted already (Grandson visiting), I'll settle for this query:

I'm not gonna use the slime that came with the cooler, but I found a tip in other forums recommending laying the thermal paste in a line almost spanning the proc, which technique makes sense considering the construction of the chip, however the cooler is designed with the cooling tubes running perpendicular to the paste application, which would surely interfere with the even spread of the paste.

How did you do yours?

[clocker]

I just dabbed a few dots on the proc then stuck the heatsink on and rotated it to spread the paste.

[j2k4]

Done.

What a huge chore - getting all four feet of that bastard cooler to bite.

I'll try to power it up tomorrow, if people will leave me alone long enough.

[clocker]

Done.

What a huge chore - getting all four feet of that bastard cooler to bite.

I'll try to power it up tomorrow, if people will leave me alone long enough.

Yeah.
Imagine the fun if the motherboard was in the case and you tried that...

[clocker]

Sprocket had a playdate...


Here she's sharing the desk (and not terribly happy to be doing so) with the computer I just built for my Dad's friend.
One of the most oddly configured PCs I've ever constructed, this thing has 4.5TB of storage (3 x 1TB internal, 2 x 750GB external) and 8GB of RAM, yet I couldn't get him to pop for a quad core chip.

BTW, the storage and memory capacity were both specced by the customer- for reasons known only to him. His previous PC- a six year old eMachines- still had half of it's 120GB drive free. I transferred 42 GB of data from the eMachine to the new PC but this obviously made but a minor dent in his new drives.

He insisted I demonstrate the new PC with his monitor (just to confirm "it would work") and I spent a hellish 2 1/2 hours demonstrating the new features ("what new features?", you ask...a good question- the new PC runs XP Pro x 64 which for all intents and purposes is identical to the XP Home he is familiar with) and since Wednesday afternoon I have received 21 phone calls and emails- all prefaced with a variant of the phrase "I LOVE the new computer BUT....

I can already tell I'll regret this for a long time.*

Anyway, part of the proceeds from this build went towards the purchase of a Vantec external drive dock.


For some reason Microcenter had the white version priced cheaper than the black- by $10, no less!
It features USB and eSATA connectivity and works like a charm.

Now, instead of putting drives into external enclosures (I have three), I can just slot them into the dock, get what I want and be done. As easy as using a flash drive really.

Should prove quite handy, I think.

I have a new idea for the front upper panel on the Silverstone bezel...I've started on mockups but we'll see how it goes.

*Edit:
Boy o boy, how right I was.
Ever since Wednesday night one of- indeed, the main- problems has been Picasa.
"It doesn't work".

"Um, what exactly does that mean?"

"It doesn't work."

A phone call this morning reveals why Picasa "doesn't work".

It hadn't been installed.

He had downloaded it five times (!!??) and, per my instructions, had "saved file" (so it could be reinstalled later should the need arise) but somehow never actually run the executable. According to him "that's not how my Mac works"- how this is relevant, I have no idea.

Like the majority of people I've worked with, the first thing they assume is that the PC is malfunctioning, it never seems to occur to them that it is THEY who are screwing up and the machine is just valiantly attempting to obey their muddled commands.

I anticipate many more exchanges just like this in the near future.

*sigh*

[j2k4]

That dock is ta cool.

My project if underway, and was purring in pieces on the bench moments ago.

Thanks to Clocker, An unjaundiced eye was cast to it's future, which is reasonably bright.

Will commence with the build/pictures in another thread.

Soon.

Hopefully.

Geez, I sound like Bill Gates, don't I...