Upgrade thread

[Hidde]

Instead of filling this new subforum with guides, I thought a thread where people can discuss things about upgrades and stuff would be useful. Here you can ask questions and advise about what you should buy for your next upgrade and where and from which brand etc. and post your experiences with that to help eachother get the best hardware for the price.

Myself I just ordered some new stuff, a new video card, a new case (because the video card doesnt fit in my current one) and some casefans.

the video card
http://content.hwigroup.net/images/news/MSI_Twin_Frozr_III_HD6950.jpg
MSI R6950 Twin Frozr III Power Edition OC (what a mouth full)
runs at 850/5200 instead of the usual 800/5000 and doesn't get as hot as the other 6950s, and has better overclocking possibilities. It will replace the club3d 5770 I have now.
more information (http://www.guru3d.com/article/msi-r6950-twin-frozr-iii-power-edition-oc-review/)

The case is a Cooler Master 690 II, not the Advanced edition but the basic, couldn't afford the advanced version :oops:
http://76.my/Malaysia/coolermaster-cm-690-ii-basic-side-panel-1101-31-cwchoo85@7.jpg
I like it a lot.
differences:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AubfqMN9XgE
(yeah the girl looks really interested)

the first casefan
http://shop.generalgroup.nl/12175-52217-large/Cooler-Master-SickleFlow-120-Blue-LED.jpg
A blue one (Cooler Master SickleFlow 120) because the case comes with a blue one too

the other casefan
http://www.alternate.nl/pix/prodpic/200x200/t/tl9y4e.jpg
Scythe Slip Stream 140 SM1425SL12M

order the things above yesterday, they should arrive monday :)


Also bought a new monitor about 1,5m ago, an iiyama prolite e2473hds-b1
http://content.hwigroup.net/images/products_larges/116209/1/iiyama-prolite-e2473hds-b1.jpg
24 inch, full hd, led

[Hidde]

oh and I had a little question, I've never built a pc before (had my current one prebuilt), this is not really a whole pc build but just switching the stuff from one case to another, but still. Do you really need an antistatic wrist strap thing? Googled it and some people say you really should use one, but others say that touching the case every now and then works fine too. Don't want to ruin my new hardware because of some static electricity causing a spark. It's not really clear for me, anyone got an explanation?

[Ossa]

Wear a diving suit and rubberboots.

[Caveman]

First of all great you throw your question here.

All the static electricity gloves and story's are kinda bullshit. I have build over a 1000 pc's for one of my vacationjob's and never used anything like that!

Just be really carefull with your screw driver and don't damage your hardware. And make sure your cablemanagement is done nicely so you have a empty case.
This will help the airflow a lot.

[st0mpy]

First of all great you throw your question here.

All the static electricity gloves and story's are kinda bullshit. I have build over a 1000 pc's for one of my vacationjob's and never used anything like that!



agreed, just by touching the case as you work you discharge any small buildup, if you think you are in a high static environment then just do this before you start. Â*The risk is real but the likelyhood of it hitting the wrong spot is incredibly low


@Hidde, nice 6950, it was one of the few id selected as maybes, but theyd just got a bunch of VXT in at my local shop this weekend, I couldnt resist...

Nice to see Iiyama Prolites still out there, the 17" Prolite E431S was my first 'gaming' TFT, cost me £325 in 2003...yup still going and in use daily

[Hidde]

Thanks for the help guys, thought I posted a thank you earlier but apparently not. Parts should arrive tomorrow, delivery's a little slow, oh well.

[Hidde]

Finished the PC yesterday, didn't have much time so it took a little longer, but now there's another problem, idle my CPU temp is between 45 and 50 degrees celsius, this is way too much right? Right now as I am typing this the temperature is 51 degrees! I don't know the reason for this, I got 1 casefan more than in my previous case and in that one my idle CPU temperature was always 40 degrees or just under that. Currently I have one fan in the top panel, its in the "slot" most to the front, 1 fan on the back and 1 on the front, wanted to build in two but my motherboard only has that much 3 pin slots, thought I would be able to connect the Scythe via molex -> 3 pin but I don't understand how that works, still, how can my CPU temperature be 10 degrees higher in a case with much better airflow and an extra casefan? I didn't take off the CPU or the CPU cooler when I moved the mobo from my old case to the new one. Anyone got a possible explanation for this?

And does somebody know how to connect a casefan via molex with one of these?:
http://ijk.com.au/branch/ijk/images/29.jpg

thanks in advance

[Gisse]

It is possible that CPU have higher default working temperature? Or your heat sink is not on correct place, not placed good?

So, one question by me. Does those cooling stuff on memory helps and how it helps?

[Vercetti]

Nice rig!

[Hidde]

@cooling problem, got myself a CM Hyper 612S, now my temps are really low (46 absolute max)

[Caveman]

Pic's or it didn't happen :lol:

[Hidde]

sure, lol, but tomorrow

cables could've been done better though, but not that much management space in the 690. It's not too bad, but darkvoo's and stanleh's cablemanagements eat mine for breakfast :|

[p1ngo]

dont get why ppl are buying non 120hz screens ... when you ppl are playing fps games.

[Hidde]

can't afford them ÂÂ*:P

[Hidde]

the pics:
http://i56.tinypic.com/2ufc6ev.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/11kfo8n.jpg
http://i56.tinypic.com/2lcxth3.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/w7zaya.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/9suuls.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/zyawzd.jpg

sorry for the bad camera :)
cables are more sloppy than they were, because I took the mobo out to attach the cpu cooler

[MI-six]

Nice build ÂÂ*:D ÂÂ*:D ÂÂ*:D

[Hidde]

and most importantly
http://www.roflsaurus.com/users/Hidde/alleen%20als%20ie%20ijs-%20en%20ijskoud%20is.png

where it was 43 before :)

[Caveman]

:wink: Nice