LemurHaloEcho
New Member
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2012
- Messages
- 30 (0.01/day)
System Name | AMD "Gaming Evolved" |
---|---|
Processor | AMD FX-6300 |
Motherboard | Asus M5A99X EVO R2.0 |
Cooling | CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO |
Memory | 2x4GB Patriot Viper 3 "Venom Red" 1600mhz |
Video Card(s) | Sapphire HD7850 1GB Dual-X |
Storage | 1TB Seagate Barracuda / 64GB Crucial M4 |
Display(s) | HP vs19 |
Case | Corsair Carbide 300R Windowed |
Power Supply | Corsair CX600M |
Software | Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit |
Hi all,
So, i've been contemplating building my own rig for a while now, and am finally getting my arse into gear about it! I'm not looking at anything expensive, or high-end (i5 / i7 builds), just a nice quad-core rig with tasteful power, potential for overclocking, and long-term fun really.
Just as a forenote: I live in the UK, so i deal in £'s not $'s, and as such am excluded from purchases on everyone's favorite website NewEgg AFAIK.
So far then, this is how the list looks:
CPU: AMD FX-4170 BE
Mobo: ASRock Extreme 3 970
GPU: Radeon 7850?
PSU: Corsair CX500M
RAM: [Unsure]
Case: Antec One (or better in the £40 - £50 range)
HDD: Seagate or WD 1TB 7,200rpm
So, there are a number of variables in the mix at the moment, however, i've got a few pressing questions for you all really, one of them being:
Question 1: With a Case such as the Antec One which only comes with 2 Exhaust Fans, will i need a Fan Controller on the front I/O to install the remaining 2 or 3? Should i look for extra connections on a motherboard for more fans to be compatible with these cases?
Best Answer to 1:
Question 2: Are there any recommended power supplies out there for my sort-of build? I've been looking between the OCZ ModXStream 600w and ZS550w, but sadly OCZ's reviews are highly mixed, and i'm just losing my confidence in my ability to choose & designate which one to definitely go for? Suggestions perhaps? (1 for the 7770 Vapor X, 1 for the 7850 of unknown brand)
Best Answer to Question 2:
Question 3: Motherboards! Motherboards everywhere! - I'm currently reading in here and elsewhere about the ASRock 970 EXTREME3 being a fairly good mobo for the money for that 4170 BE, and currently the best deal i've found is £70.68 for it, but out of curiosity, could i do better for that kind of money? I'd really rather not step up the money TOO much more as the budget is looking at about £550 max atm.
I know that as i think about this more, i'm going to have lots more questions, so please keep an eye on this first post as i'll just edit it each time a question is answered fully and put said answer in quotes
Thanks people!
So, i've been contemplating building my own rig for a while now, and am finally getting my arse into gear about it! I'm not looking at anything expensive, or high-end (i5 / i7 builds), just a nice quad-core rig with tasteful power, potential for overclocking, and long-term fun really.
Just as a forenote: I live in the UK, so i deal in £'s not $'s, and as such am excluded from purchases on everyone's favorite website NewEgg AFAIK.
So far then, this is how the list looks:
CPU: AMD FX-4170 BE
Mobo: ASRock Extreme 3 970
GPU: Radeon 7850?
PSU: Corsair CX500M
RAM: [Unsure]
Case: Antec One (or better in the £40 - £50 range)
HDD: Seagate or WD 1TB 7,200rpm
So, there are a number of variables in the mix at the moment, however, i've got a few pressing questions for you all really, one of them being:
Question 1: With a Case such as the Antec One which only comes with 2 Exhaust Fans, will i need a Fan Controller on the front I/O to install the remaining 2 or 3? Should i look for extra connections on a motherboard for more fans to be compatible with these cases?
Best Answer to 1:
This cable will run all of your fans and allow automatic speed adjustment off of the motherboard 4 pin connector:
http://www.evercool.com.tw/categories/global/cables/fancablesadapters/ec-df001/ec_df001.php
*Note- cables have plenty of length to reach just about any fan position... the black braiding is also very nice (I've used this on a build of my own)
Question 2: Are there any recommended power supplies out there for my sort-of build? I've been looking between the OCZ ModXStream 600w and ZS550w, but sadly OCZ's reviews are highly mixed, and i'm just losing my confidence in my ability to choose & designate which one to definitely go for? Suggestions perhaps? (1 for the 7770 Vapor X, 1 for the 7850 of unknown brand)
Best Answer to Question 2:
Hi, yes you are absolutely correct about the listed minimum requirement. When manufacturers list PSU requirements, they do it conservatively. They do not know what psu you are using and they are listing that rating to make sure that even a crappy psu will be enough to run the card. Many cheap PSU has high power ratings because they crank the amps on the 3V and 5V lines. Some has multiple 12V rails that does not even work well together. When looking for a PSU, look for the 12V rail amps rating. It will look something like "32A 12V". That means 32x12=384 watts. Now calculate what will be sucking juice from your 12 V rail. Most of it will come from your video card and cpu. Make sure you look at max draw or worst case scenario and still leave a 20% buffer so you don't ever overload your psu and burn it out.
Just read a few PSU reviews and you'll understand it. One website I like reading PSU reviews is johnnyguru or here at tpu.
For PSU, look for Seasonic as the gold standard. Corsair uses Seasonic platforms and rebrands them. There are other good brands but the prices are very high. For you I suggest you look into buying a CX430 or CX500. If you have money for modular then move to TX series or HX. Main difference between TX and HX is bronze or gold rating. These are all Corsair(do not buy Corsair HX650 as it has a faulty fan).
Question 3: Motherboards! Motherboards everywhere! - I'm currently reading in here and elsewhere about the ASRock 970 EXTREME3 being a fairly good mobo for the money for that 4170 BE, and currently the best deal i've found is £70.68 for it, but out of curiosity, could i do better for that kind of money? I'd really rather not step up the money TOO much more as the budget is looking at about £550 max atm.
I know that as i think about this more, i'm going to have lots more questions, so please keep an eye on this first post as i'll just edit it each time a question is answered fully and put said answer in quotes
Thanks people!
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