Computer Build Update 2.0

So the new system is up and running. Except for one problem that required a hot fix from Microsoft (will talk about a little later), everything has gone smoothly.

Earlier I mentioned there were some issues that still needed to be addressed. Those, along with the results, are listed below:

1. Attempt to get the second HD working,

Doh, turns out that the power cable was not connected. All is well now.


2. Attempt to see if I can get the CPU fan more secure,

Did my best, I think it’s in there to stay. If not, you’ll hear about it via a major rant.


3. Install the card reader that should arrive today,

The installation was easy. Well, except it took me a bit of trial and error to figure out how the case 3.5 slot adaptor worked. I finally found a diagram that showed the correct way…

“Me see pretty picture and make boxy thing fit good.”


4. Reattach the SATA drives to different ports (the OS HD is currently on SATA port 3, I want it on 1) … yeah, I know, very anal of me,

Yup, I actually did that. Both hard drives are now on SATA 1 and 2 (as it should be).


5. Do a little bit more cable management since some are too close to some fans for my comfort,

I was actually able to get more cables out of the way so it’s less messy in there now.


6. Re-clock my memory (factory settings are worse than what it's rated at),

This was surprisingly easy. The BIOS is very user friendly (well, at least to me).


7. Figure out if I can get Vista to see all 4GB of memory (don’t think so),

Never really looked into this.


8. Figure out exactly where I'm putting the case in my room,

The computer is exactly (to the nearest centimeter) where I want it. OK, just kidding about the centimeter; I’m not THAT anal!


9. Do external cable management for all the wires of the 3 PCs (time to pull out that old KVM until I get everything I want off of the oldest computer (it's a P3) so I can give it away),

Well, maybe I am THAT anal. I spent much of Saturday underneath the desk getting all the cables rolled, twisted, coiled, tied off, routed, wound, and installed so that they were all neat and tidy.


10. Install all the software and transfer files to the new machine,

I am still in the process of getting all the software installed.


11. Clean up the mess in the living room (I assembled it there and the place looks like a tornado hit).

Except for the coffee table, much of the living room is now clean.

Well, there you have it. The list is mostly complete.

As mentioned earlier, I had to get a hot fix from Microsoft. This was an issue with the way Vista manages memory. I’ll spare you the details but let’s just say that when I was running Everquest II (yup, I play games; isn’t that what life is all about?)… Anyway, I cranked the quality settings in the game up and ran around in game checking out how my system handled it. Around 20 minutes later, the game crashes and gives me an error stating “Application ran out of memory when requesting 2048592 (limit 2048)….” I was directed to the hot fix from the game’s tech support. Initial test seem to show that it works though I have not tested it for any length of time.

Computer Build Update

It took me awhile to install everything into the case last night. Unfortunately I started out trying to do "proper" cable management; what a pain. The GPU is so big that you really can't manage all of the cables well. However, the tangle that they are currently in has an artistic component so it does not bother me.

I am a little concerned about the CPU fan since I am not sure that it is properly seated but I didn't want to push too hard and crack the mobo. Two of the attachments are in, but the other side is where I am not sure. I think I can remove it and reseat it which I might try to do. I definitely do not want that thing coming loose and falling on the GPU; it'd pretty much be endgame at that point.

Other than that, the only other thing I had to guess on (the documentation SUCKED!) was where to attach the ground wire from the power supply. It said attach to the mobo and gave a tiny picture so I guessed, unscrewed one of the mobo attachment screws, and put the gound wire between the screw head and the washer. I think that is right.

Once everything was in, I hooked it up to the externals and it worked from the start (YEAH!). However, when installing Vista I got a BSoD (Blue Screen of Death) so I removed one of the memory modules and was able to install Vista with 2GB. Once that was done, I reinstalled the remaining card as well as connected the second HD.

Vista only recognizes 3.25GB memory (I think the 768Mb graphic card has sequestered the rest) and the second HD is not recognized in the BIOS.

So, tonight and this weekend I get to...

1. Attempt to get the second HD working,


2. Attempt to see if I can get the CPU fan more secure,


3. Install the card reader that should arrive today,


4. Reattach the SATA drives to different ports (the OS HD is currently on SATA port 3, I want it on 1) … yeah, I know, very anal of me,


5. Do a little bit more cable management since some are too close to some fans for my comfort,


6. Re-clock my memory (factory settings are worse than what it's rated at),


7. Figure out if I can get Vista to see all 4GB of memory (don’t think so),


8. Figure out exactly where I'm putting the case in my room,


9. Do external cable management for all the wires of the 3 PCs (time to pull out that old KVM until I get everything I want off of the oldest computer (it's a P3) so I can give it away),


10. Install all the software and transfer files to the new machine,


11. Clean up the mess in the living room (I assembled it there and the place looks like a tornado hit).

... and anything else that comes up.

Oh, and finally, I need to get some sleep.

Building a Computer

All of the parts for my new computer system have finally been ordered. I figured that if I spend a little bit more for a high(er) end system, it'd last me for many years to come and ultimately be more cost effective. Having said that, the total cost was still under $1,500 (after all the rebates are obtained). Note that a comparable system from Alienware or Dell would run in the $2,000's and up.

So, I placed the final order from Newegg last night and it should arrive next week. When that happens, I get to fun task of seeing if all of my research paid off and the parts all play nice together. I am looking forward to the experience though since I have never built an entire system from scratch. Unfortunately I will probably drive a couple of my friends crazy inundating them with computer building questions if the build does not go smoothly.

Now on to the important stuff; the final system specs are:

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
ABS Tagan BZ Series 700W Patent Piperock Modular Power Supply
ASUS P5N32-E SLI LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor
OCZ Vista Upgrade 4GB(2 x 2GB) SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model
eVGA GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card
ASUS 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe
(2x) Seagate Barracuda 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
Microsoft Vista Home Premium

Everything was ordered from Newegg.com except Vista and the hard drives. Shipping was free for most of it (only paid $11.32) and there was no tax. On top of that, I’ll be getting $145 back in rebates so overall, while it’s more than I’m used to spending in one shot, I think it’ll work out well. To put it into perspective, I do love to nickel and dime my money away; hell, Starbuck’s coffee will hit my budget harder than this computer system will over the same timeframe.

Finally, the cool thing is that I will still be working out so sitting in front of this new system will not have that big of a negative effect on my fat content.

"Boonowa tweepi, ha, ha."