I'm not really sure where to post about this, so I'll post it here and move it if it's not where it belongs.
I'm fairly experienced with the building and maintaining of PCs, but I've encountered a rather pressing issue that is making my computer nearly unusable. Basically, it will lock up or force restart under any significant amount of load at all. I've been having this problem for about two days, and it's rapidly progressed from my computer being usable for a few hours at a time to it locking up instantly when I start up certain programs (Prime95 fails to begin, for example). Sometimes it happens so rapidly that it occurs while the computer is booting; this property has allowed me to verify pretty well that it's not a software problem.
All of my temperatures are normal, I am not receiving any abnormal errors from windows (it does not BSOD, and it only acknowledges that bad things are happening if it crashes during startup), and there are no artifacts. All of my components are (now) running stock, and I haven't changed any of them in about a month. All of my PSU voltages are low but within the ATX range, although I don't own a multimeter so I'm getting these numbers through HWmonitor, not directly from the PSU. Previously, my stability was rather good (my uptime has been in months), although every once in awhile the computer would crash in the same manner -- everything would lock up, and whatever sound was playing when it crashed would repeat until I turned the computer off or restarted.
I suspect that the problem is the PSU. However, I don't really have the means to test this, as I don't have access to a PSU that can support my configuration. I can't exactly isolate other components either, as attempts to stress test are brought to a grinding halt (see above). What do you guys think?
My config is...
i7 920
4870x2
4 HDD (1 IDE, 3 SATA)
6GB DDR3
Corsair 750W PSU
I'm a big fan of the NZXT Vulcan - I've got my HTPC/LAN party box in one. The only real downside (aside from the appearance, which is subjective) is that it limits you to micro ATX - if you want to mount a full ATX board, the Cooler Master Storm Scout is a solid pick.
It's a 4870x2. I can't test with one card. I can't test with zero either, as I have no onboard.Remove 2 video cards, test again.
If it passes prime 95, add 1 video card, test again.
If it passes, swap video cards. If it passes, but continues to fail with 2 then yes it's power.
Nope. The GPU is running normally.Is GPU fan or anything going haywire? I know when I had my 4870X2, that thing was a huge power hog and it overheats fast.
·feist·;33940357 said:Samsung 830. 64GB ~$110.
Good performance from one of the only companies whose reliability has been Intel-like, or better. Alternatively, where performance and reliability/customer service are concerned: Intel 510, Corsair Force GT, Intel 320. 320 is the slowest of the lot.
If you had more time, the Intel 520 should be high on that list, but they're still working out the kinks.
It crashed while I was looking at it and I didn't notice -- visually or audibly -- that anything had gone wrong until I tried to use it.Open your PC and try to see any sort of lights going on on your motherboard, gpu, etc when it locks up. That may be an indication of what could be wrong.
It's not a software problem, as the problem sometimes occurs before the system even boots. I'm considering leaving the computer running in the BIOS overnight to see if it crashes.Parts can wear out over time. You can try system restore to a time where you don't remember the problem occurring.
Hey guys,
I was thinking of getting this computer: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Lenovo+...mory/4272305.p?id=1218466823731&skuId=4272305
and then get a the best Nvidia graphics card available (Nvidia GTX 580) that I could add into it to use.
This computer will probably be used for browsing the web/streaming tv shows/checking mail/etc. Plus I might do some gaming on it too.
I like it but can't recommend it wholeheartedly knowing you can build it for less. I mean, if you're going to toss in a 580, that would put you in the 1k range as opposed to putting it together yourself. It's not a bad deal for sure and if you have the money to burn then you can.
If you "might do some gaming" I wouldn't recommend a $200+ card, unless you meant that sarcastically, and you'll obviously be doing a lot of gaming.
But that's beside the point, I can't recommend getting a prebuilt computer like that and trying to work with it at all, there are a number of problems you're going to run into. First of all, the interior of the case is likely going to be a disaster, very hard to work in. Second, the PSU is going to be intended for the parts that are already in it. Chances are anything that draws much more power (as a better GPU would) is going to overload the PSU.
If you're completely against building yourself, customize something based off the builds in the OP on Cyberpower or a similar site that lets you individually choose all your components and they build it for you.
Question, though. I've never done more that 2-card SLI/CF, but even then, when putting two cards right next to each other, they suffocated... a lot. So how do people get away with four cards next to each other like this?
I do most of gaming on my laptop now. I honestly won't be doing much gaming on it as I am not at home all the time... I might use it for creating 3D models for research. (you need very good graphic cards for it). I am currently using Geforce 9600M GS 512 MB for that work.
That is good point about PSU... How is the ATI Radeon HD 6450 compared to the GTX560?
·feist·;33942508 said:Cooler Master Cosmos 2
http://i.imgur.com/JyStD.jpg[/IMG]http://i.imgur.com/kOd38.jpg
[/QUOTE]
Holy crap, I do believe I've found my next case.
·feist·;33940357 said:The three above, and others like CyberPower, all have a healthy profit built into the final price, and often give you limited options. Retailers like Micro Center, and NCIX will assemble for you, for a low cost, based on whatever you choose from their inventory. Contact MC and NCIX US to see what your choices are locally.
Otherwise, pay the built in profit, or order your parts, and find a reputable builder (company, or individual) who's local, or will ship/travel inexpensively.
Hrmm. Well that's a bummer.Okay then, let me try and do this proper. I'm now building my PC again. It's time to stop being lazy:
Desktop I'm thinking of: "Excellent" Build from the OP, but I do have some questions.
1) For a case: I have a old Antec 900 that I have recently replaced all of the Fans in. Will this case work for that build? I don't want to get burned again with a motherboard that is larger then my case.
2) For all the parts listed: I did a search on NewEgg for the Graphics Card (GTX 560 Ti) and had multiple cards come up. I'm terrified of picking the wrong part. Once I get a list of all the parts I'm thinking of, with links, can I post it here to make sure I have everything right? Would you all mind?
3) How important is it to get a new monitor? I've been using the same flatpanel monitor for the last 10 or so years. I have no idea what resolution it is. What is the easiest way to check that to see if I need to upgrade? Should I even bother getting a new monitor if I plan on using a TV as a monitor in 6 months from now?
When I get back from work I'll look at what I currently have for part numbers and such. I'll report back then with more in depth information on parts I want to try keep (Optical Drive, Power Supply, Storage.
Do I need to enable something to get Dolby/dts output from my sapphire 6950? Receiver is just showing PCM.
The only time it worked properly was with the original HDD and the Vertex 2 SSD. Using those same (downloaded from dell) intel chipset drivers makes the M4 stutter. Installing the latest chipset drivers from intel on a fresh copy of windows causes even more stuttering than usual. I'll try it again after work today and not install the chipset drivers and see what happens. The SSD tweaks that I normally use
Enable Write Caching
Disable indexing
Disable defragmentation
Disable Superfetch
Disable Prefetch
Disable Hibernate
Make sure TRIM is enabled
none of those should cause any problems, correct?
Edit:
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Here's what it looks like after a fresh install. I did install all the drivers other than the intel chipset driver. I also haven't done any of the above SSD tweaks. I'm trying to isolate the problem :/
The Cosmos II looks nice. Which case was the one that had the back ports pointing forward? Wasn't it a Lian Li? Any reviews of that one yet or is it not out yet?
Well bad news. I still have stuttering after restoring to factory drivers on the M4 yet again. The stuttering is not as bad. The 30 days are up to return it to newegg (31-32 days fml). The last thing I haven't tried is the registry edit to manually turn off LPM. I will try that and if it doesn't work, I'll simply live with the stuttering until I can buy a larger SSD for the laptop and just raid this M4 with the one in my desktop.
No, it was a case that had the I/O backplane facing the front of the case.
No, it was a case that had the I/O backplane facing the front of the case.
Really, the answer to this is up to you and what you want *right now*. Prices will stabilize where they are at and *maybe* slightly drop throughout 2012. They're not expected to get back to where they were until possibly 2013.What are my options?
Are there any new developments that drive prices are going to drop back down soonish? Should I just buy a smaller HDD even though anything from 200gb to 500gb goes for a minimum of $80? Should I save my pennies and finally make the jump to a small cheap $100 SSD, just so I can get something useful out of it?
My ultimate priority now is just to get some old data back from my dieing/dead drive and then I will figure out what to do with my PC. I have a machine with $1000 worth of hardware and the only think I can do right now is run Ubuntu off my flashdrive.
So here I am again in this thread for the first time since last year when I built my first PC (thanks again for all of the help), but this time I am here without much excitement. When I built my PC I only ordered once HDD since I expected to upgrade to an SSD when the prices got much better. One thing led to another, prices never dropped, and I finished up the 2011 year with just the same HDD I started off with. Here is my problem: My Samsung Spinpoint F3 1 TB HDD died, or at least is dieing. I turned it on yesterday and I got to the desktop though it took a long time) but then everything froze so I turned it off and restarted. Ever since then it hasn't been working. The Windows 7 Installation disk and Ubuntu is telling me the drive is dead so in a last chance attempt to save some data I am using the old fashioned HDD-in-the-freezer-and-pray method that has worked for me before. However, I went on NewEgg and looked into buying a new drive but left absolutely shocked. I knew Thailand got hit hard by the storm but holy crap! My $60 drive is now going for $150! So gaf, here is my question. What are my options?
Are there any new developments that drive prices are going to drop back down soonish? Should I just buy a smaller HDD even though anything from 200gb to 500gb goes for a minimum of $80? Should I save my pennies and finally make the jump to a small cheap $100 SSD, just so I can get something useful out of it?
My ultimate priority now is just to get some old data back from my dieing/dead drive and then I will figure out what to do with my PC. I have a machine with $1000 worth of hardware and the only think I can do right now is run Ubuntu off my flashdrive.
Pretty sure it was a Lian Li. Interesting concept, but in the end with all the cables being routed out the front of the case I'm not sure how good of an idea it actually is. Seems like it might be okay if you keep your PC in a closet, but what's the real benefit over having the I/O ports on the back?
I'm less interested in how the cables are run, and more interested to see what the temperatures look like. Supposedly since the hot items are close to the cool air and get it directly it should be a cooler (and quieter) case.
All the cables are routed through the side panel to the back of the case. They don't stick out the front.Pretty sure it was a Lian Li. Interesting concept, but in the end with all the cables being routed out the front of the case I'm not sure how good of an idea it actually is. Seems like it might be okay if you keep your PC in a closet, but what's the real benefit over having the I/O ports on the back?
Well bad news. I still have stuttering after restoring to factory drivers on the M4 yet again. The stuttering is not as bad. The 30 days are up to return it to newegg (31-32 days fml). The last thing I haven't tried is the registry edit to manually turn off LPM. I will try that and if it doesn't work, I'll simply live with the stuttering until I can buy a larger SSD for the laptop and just raid this M4 with the one in my desktop.
RMA process is a mess for the same reasons that prices are ridiculously high. That's not really a short term option.It's still under manufacturers warranty. Try your last ditch software tweaks and then send it in if it's not working properly.
..System Spec:
Cosmos II (Liquid Edition)
EVGA SR-2 Motherboard
Intel X5650 CPU’s
EVGA Hydro Copper GTX 480 GPU’s
Memory – can’t mention that yet
Kingston 64GB V+ SSD’s Raid 0
Coolermaster 1200w Real Power Pro PSU
XSPC Raystorm CPU Blocks
XSPC EX 480 and 2x EX 240 Radiators
Phobya Nano-G Fans
MIPs Motherboard Block
Koolance RP-450x2
Laing D5 Pumps x2
Bitspower Black Fittings
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