Computer geeks delight!

[tradepeja]

Ok, so the extreme.outervision.com calculator was really compicated, but with the knowledge i had about my computer I tried to fill it in and got like 300 watts at least but I doubt that was accurate. The newegg calculator doesn't have an option for HD4850 video cards and much of the outcome depends on that so I can't really give you one for that, and same goes for the silent mods.com. From what I've gathered from all three it seems that I should be fine with my 460. If not, worse case scenerio is i notice problems and I go buy a new one, right? If everything looks good to you Warhawk I think I'm just about ready to purchase.

So far I've decided on the

Cpu/Processer - AMD Athlon X2 7850 Black Edition Kuma 2.8GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache 2MB L3 Cache Socket AM2+ 95W Dual-Core Processor - $70

Mother Board - GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - $110

You recommended a HD4850 graphics card over the 4830 that I presented and I think I'm going to go with your recomendation. I'm still undecided about which manufacturer I'm going to buy from. After I figure that out I might need you for one more thing... Installing the motherboard... I don't want to have to reinstall my OS or go through any blue screens of death to make this work because I've had to go through that crap before and it's not fun.

Again, I would suggest buying a brand new PSU. Don't be another victim of a common line of thought. Your 5 year old PSU will go out after a short period once you get your new computer up and running. I can almost guarantee it. Sure, you could just get a new one at that point, but many more complications can arise when a PSU dies while connected to an active computer. The volt lines will always be running low, and theres a possibility, albeit low, that certain parts of your computer can be damaged.

Sorry to bring out the scare tactics, but a PSU is a relatively cheap component of your PC, but an increasingly important one.

 

[Kingzrool]

Well, since you guys are dolling out advice, I have a question. I am going to start DJing. I need a Mac Laptop with a soundcard and two outputs, one for the main and one for the headphones. I know nothing about the new technology and would love some advice on exactly what to get and where to find the best price. I will not need to use it for anything else.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Emma]

Well, since you guys are dolling out advice, I have a question. I am going to start DJing. I need a Mac Laptop with a soundcard and two outputs, one for the main and one for the headphones. I know nothing about the new technology and would love some advice on exactly what to get and where to find the best price. I will not need to use it for anything else.

Thanks in advance.

Apple.com, they let you see all of the tech specs and view the model you wanna buy in 360 degree mode. If you can't get one with the 2 outputs you need you may be able to run a splitter from your computer, or the table you are using may have a headphone out.

A quick glance at the apple store just reveals technology that is overpriced, over designed, and under powered. They need to stop charging people for their brand name.

Better yet, just go ask one of their genius bar dudes at your favorite apple store.

 

[Warhawk]

Again, I would suggest buying a brand new PSU. Don't be another victim of a common line of thought. Your 5 year old PSU will go out after a short period once you get your new computer up and running. I can almost guarantee it. Sure, you could just get a new one at that point, but many more complications can arise when a PSU dies while connected to an active computer. The volt lines will always be running low, and theres a possibility, albeit low, that certain parts of your computer can be damaged.

Sorry to bring out the scare tactics, but a PSU is a relatively cheap component of your PC, but an increasingly important one.

I agree with you now that he has "a little extra $$$" available. A new PSU is a good idea if you can afford it. If he was scraping the bottom of the barrel just to upgrade the MB/proc/video card, I would try to use his old one.

And, I hate to say it, reinstalling the OS is an absolute must. No getting around it at this point, and I will tell you why:

Replacing the MB. The OS actually installs numerous drivers, etc., based on the MB at installation. I have heard of cases where they swap out the MB for the exact same model and still have problems. A new MB? Don't even try to use the same OS install. Start from scratch. You will be glad you did.

 

[Kingzrool]

Better yet, just go ask one of their genius bar dudes at your favorite apple store.

That is my plan. Thought it would be fun to go in armed with "info I got on the net", they just love that.

 

[VF21]

Why not check with our own resident Mac guy - Jeremy?

 

[Kings Faithful]

Ok, so i went out and bought the parts, installed them, closed the computer up and... now it will not turn on at all....... I'm starting to wonder if doing this was a bad idea and I'm freaking out right now. I'm pretty sure I installed everything correctly and also made sure that everything was plugged in, however I am human and could have missed something. Any ideas anyone!?!?!

 

[HighTopKicks]

Ok, so i went out and bought the parts, installed them, closed the computer up and... now it will not turn on at all....... I'm starting to wonder if doing this was a bad idea and I'm freaking out right now. I'm pretty sure I installed everything correctly and also made sure that everything was plugged in, however I am human and could have missed something. Any ideas anyone!?!?!

Rushing is a big mistake.

What OS are you running?

Unplug the power supply before working on the motherboard & components.
Remove all boards except the video card.
Unplug the power to all the drives except the floppy if you have one.
install only one memory stick.

Did you put thermal compound on the CPU before mounting the heat sink?
Does the cpu heat sink fan turn on?
Is the cpu fan plugged into the motherboard at the plug marked cpu?
what happens when you turn on the power?

 

[Kings Faithful]

Rushing is a big mistake.

What OS are you running?
what happens when you turn on the power?

XP service pack 2

and Nothing... nothing happens. Not a flicker of light or a inkling of sound...

 

[HighTopKicks]

XP service pack 2

and Nothing... nothing happens. Not a flicker of light or a inkling of sound...

You will have to do a Repair install to load all the drivers for the new motherboard. But, don't do it until you've backup you system.

Do you have the XP CD, and did it come with SP2 or did you upgrade to SP2 after the install? If you upgraded after install do you have access to the SP2 download file?

How did you backup your system? Did you do a FASTWiz save? What spare drives or flash drives do you have? What size?

 

[Kings Faithful]

You will have to do a Repair install to load all the drivers for the new motherboard. But, don't do it until you've backup you system.

Do you have the XP CD, and did it come with SP2 or did you upgrade to SP2 after the install? If you upgraded after install do you have access to the SP2 download file?

How did you backup your system? Did you do a FASTWiz save? What spare drives or flash drives do you have? What size?

I have the XP cd with SP2 on it. My system was backed up using a program that came with my extra 500 GB internal hard drive. I have yet to even get my comp to run so I really am not at the step to deal with windows xp at the moment...

 

[Kings Faithful]

Rushing is a big mistake.

What OS are you running?

Unplug the power supply before working on the motherboard & components.
Remove all boards except the video card.
Unplug the power to all the drives except the floppy if you have one.
install only one memory stick.

Did you put thermal compound on the CPU before mounting the heat sink?
Does the cpu heat sink fan turn on?
Is the cpu fan plugged into the motherboard at the plug marked cpu?
what happens when you turn on the power?

Nothing turns on. And yes the cpu fan is plugged into the "cpu fan" pin slot.

 

[HighTopKicks]

Nothing turns on. And yes the cpu fan is plugged into the "cpu fan" pin slot.

Does the fan on the PSU turn?

If you've reduced to the minimum parts that I suggested, go back and recheck that the case power, reset, hd led, & power led are in the correct positions.

Your motherboard requires 2 power plugs. One the typical 24 pin plug and an additional 4 or 8 pin plug. The boards website says 8, but usually it's 4. I'll download the manual an check for sure, if you aren't aware of what I'm talking about.

 

[Kings Faithful]

I'm suspecting that the little pluggins that say "Reset SW, Power LED, H.D.D. LED, ect.." may have been plugged in incorrectly... My owners manual for my PC doesn't say anything about that so I'm a little lost now.

 

[Kings Faithful]

Does the fan on the PSU turn?

If you've reduced to the minimum parts that I suggested, go back and recheck that the case power, reset, hd led, & power led are in the correct positions.

Your motherboard requires 2 power plugs. One the typical 24 pin plug and an additional 4 or 8 pin plug. The boards website says 8, but usually it's 4. I'll download the manual an check for sure, if you aren't aware of what I'm talking about.

PSU fan does not turn.
I have both the 24 pin and 4 pin plugged in.
I don't think case power, reset, hd led, & power led are connected right. I'm not sure how they go in. I know the general area they plug in, but I'm not sure EXACTLY which pin goes where... any hints to determine this?

 

[tradepeja]

I'm suspecting that the little pluggins that say "Reset SW, Power LED, H.D.D. LED, ect.." may have been plugged in incorrectly... My owners manual for my PC doesn't say anything about that so I'm a little lost now.

Its almost always this when someone builds a computer for their first time. They spend hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars, plug every power and data cord in absolutely correctly, and then get messed up by these tedious switch buttons. Some newer PSU/mobos come are made to where the whole switchpin board is just one easy to plug in block of pins (much like your 24-pin power line to your motherboard....imagine having to plug each of those seperate pins in to its proper place....) but the ones that don't require a good flashlight and a steady hand to get every little thing plugged in right.

Go get your mobo's manual out and use it as a reference on where each switch must go. Get a flashlight for looking at the printing on the PCB of the mobo itself, it will usually have a label next to each set of pins telling you what switch goes where.

 

[Kings Faithful]

Ok, i just noticed a slight "electrical" noise when I turn the power switch on... but after that nothing.

 

[HighTopKicks]

PSU fan does not turn.
I have both the 24 pin and 4 pin plugged in.
I don't think case power, reset, hd led, & power led are connected right. I'm not sure how they go in. I know the general area they plug in, but I'm not sure EXACTLY which pin goes where... any hints to determine this?

Yea, Page 24 of the manual. Item 11, Front panel header.

I'm not sure that 1 4pin 24v plug is enough. I'll go back and check the manual but I though it said that you need to install 2 4pin 24v connectors.

 

[Kings Faithful]

Its almost always this when someone builds a computer for their first time. They spend hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars, plug every power and data cord in absolutely correctly, and then get messed up by these tedious switch buttons. Some newer PSU/mobos come are made to where the whole switchpin board is just one easy to plug in block of pins (much like your 24-pin power line to your motherboard....imagine having to plug each of those seperate pins in to its proper place....) but the ones that don't require a good flashlight and a steady hand to get every little thing plugged in right.

Go get your mobo's manual out and use it as a reference on where each switch must go. Get a flashlight for looking at the printing on the PCB of the mobo itself, it will usually have a label next to each set of pins telling you what switch goes where.

Well luckily I didn't spend all to much. I really hope i can resolve this. Like you said this is my first time and its really confusing. The people at Frys make it seem so damn easy! LIARS!

 

[Kings Faithful]

Yea, Page 24 of the manual. Item 11, Front panel header.

I'm not sure that 1 4pin 24v plug is enough. I'll go back and check the manual but I though it said that you need to install 2 4pin 24v connectors.

I ended up buying a different MB, so that might be why. As far as that goes I'm pretty sure its plugged in right. I was WAY wrong on the F panel plug ins, so that could be the reason. How do you tell which side of the plug in is negative or positive?

 

[HighTopKicks]

Yea, Page 24 of the manual. Item 11, Front panel header.

I'm not sure that 1 4pin 24v plug is enough. I'll go back and check the manual but I though it said that you need to install 2 4pin 12v connectors.

Sorry, the header diagram is on pg 28. On page 24 it talks about the power connectors. And, I don't think one 4pin 12v connector is right. It is a little confusing because it say
(2x4 12V Power Connector and 2x12 Main Power Connector)

It also says:

The 12V power connector mainly supplies power to the CPU. If the 12V power connector is not​

connected, the computer will not start.

 

[HighTopKicks]

I ended up buying a different MB, so that might be why. As far as that goes I'm pretty sure its plugged in right. I was WAY wrong on the F panel plug ins, so that could be the reason. How do you tell which side of the plug in is negative or positive?

It doesn't make any difference on the switches. Probably not on the leds either. If you get the led's backwards they might not light up.

What board did you end up with then?

 

[Kings Faithful]

SUCCESS! It was definitely the F panel plugs. Thanks everyone for your help so far. Wouldn't know what to do without it. I still have a ways to go before I really get this thing up and running so...be prepared for more questions.

 

[Kings Faithful]

It doesn't make any difference on the switches. Probably not on the leds either. If you get the led's backwards they might not light up.

What board did you end up with then?

Its the same manufacturer, Gigabyte. At least I think its a different board...lol. I decided on a board while at home but I didn't remember which one it was so I just got one that would work while at Frys. Its the Gigabyte Ultra Durable 3 - GA-MA78GM-US2H

 

[Kings Faithful]

Ok, more questions!

I pressed DEL to get into the BIOS set up... is there anything important I need to do here?

 

[HighTopKicks]

Its the same manufacturer, Gigabyte. At least I think its a different board...lol. I decided on a board while at home but I didn't remember which one it was so I just got one that would work while at Frys. Its the Gigabyte Ultra Durable 3 - GA-MA78GM-US2H

Good, now I can go to bed.

Heres a Windows site for a program to test your new memory. Run it before you boot to windows. There a lot of very bad things that can happen to your windows installation otherwise. http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

If you haven't saved your files & settings using FASTWiz, stop.
If you don't have a complete clone of your hard drive, stop.
Do a search on the Windows site for swapping motherboards. Read it, slow down.
One thing it doesn't tell you to do because it's just for changing motherboards, is uninstall the video drivers for your old video card. Your changing both together.

Don't install all your components, go basic then after everything is up and running you can add hardware and let the system find it. Also, install SP3.

Goodnight, unless your really stoked, I'd continue in the morning when your head is clear. Take it slow.

 

[Kings Faithful]

Good, now I can go to bed.

Heres a Windows site for a program to test your new memory. Run it before you boot to windows. There a lot of very bad things that can happen to your windows installation otherwise. http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

If you haven't saved your files & settings using FASTWiz, stop.
If you don't have a complete clone of your hard drive, stop.
Do a search on the Windows site for swapping motherboards. Read it, slow down.
One thing it doesn't tell you to do because it's just for changing motherboards, is uninstall the video drivers for your old video card. Your changing both together.

Don't install all your components, go basic then after everything is up and running you can add hardware and let the system find it. Also, install SP3.

Goodnight, unless your really stoked, I'd continue in the morning when your head is clear. Take it slow.

K, thanks!

 

[VF21]

Glad to see another item added to the growing list of things you can find out at Kingsfans.com

I changed the name of the thread. Looks like this may become an ongoing discussion... I was lost after the second post.

 

[Dime Dropper]

Glad to see another item added to the growing list of things you can find out at Kingsfans.com

I changed the name of the thread. Looks like this may become an ongoing discussion... I was lost after the second post.

Thank goodness. I thought I was the only one who had no clue what was going on in this thread.

 

[SacKings7]

Thank goodness. I thought I was the only one who had no clue what was going on in this thread.

That makes 3 of us then.

And I actually thought I knew computers...I guess I'll start reading Computers for Dummies