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Suggest a good motherboard for my G.Skill Ripjaws

Discussion in 'Other Hardware' started by DrekSilver, Apr 25, 2011.

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Page 2 of 3

DrekSilver Newcomer, in training Posts: 33

I'm in Canada so unfortunately no, I don't have any Microcenters near my house. Also, I know next to nothing about building computers, my picks are based on suggestions from people in this community on a different thread I posted a long time ago. If you can link me what you (someone who knows what he's doing) think is a good case and a good motherboard, i'll agree with you. Because I don't really know what else to look for.

That being said, which of these two motherboards is better? I can look for "mid-tower cases" (I don't know the difference) on newegg and try to find the ones you suggested.

DrekSilver, Apr 26, 2011

#21
Leeky TS Special Forces Posts: 4,353 +68

captaincranky said: ↑

This came up in another thread recently. The Corsair "builder's series", such as you've chosen" are probably not the best they offer. People have been complaining about reduction in quality of their smaller 400 Watt PSUs also. "Allegedly" Corsair's "HX" series is still very good.

Correct.

As far as I am aware:

Corsair CX/TX series have changed manufacturer, and have suffered with a reduction in general quality and reliability.

Corsair AX/HX series are still made by the same manufacturer as previously used, and therefore the quality and reliability are still very good.

I'd much prefer this Seasonic PSU instead, at the same price. HardOCP.com have an excellent review on it here as well.

Leeky, Apr 26, 2011

#22
DrekSilver Newcomer, in training Posts: 33

So where we're at right now is that I need to pick between these two motherboards:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138298
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138296

And after that I can choose new RAM sticks based on that because these:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231429

Won't work with my new motherboard, but this is definetely the CPU I should get:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

And everything else I got which is in a previous post is OK? OK. So which of those two motherboards is better? I have no idea.

DrekSilver, Apr 26, 2011

#23
captaincranky TechSpot Addict Posts: 8,949 +355

OK, I'll make this easy. Buy this board: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138298 It doesn't close the door on Crossfire later and it won't look funny in a full tower case. Hey aesthetics are part of the whole here, are they not?

Since this is a P67 board, the original memory you chose would work fine. At this point, you are back where you started with the memory issue, having chosen P67.

I personally don't know if 16 GB is really all that necessary. But what the hay, it would give you a talking point about your machine.

If you want to take a look at the PSU that "Leeky" suggested, that wouldn't be a bad idea.

Leeky had a recent catastrophic failure with a Corsair HX PSU. (I think that's correct)? While this may be an isolated incident, it does give one pause to wonder if Corsair's build quality has suffered product wide

I do think the CPU you've settled on is your best possible choice at the moment! (Intel 2500K)

captaincranky, Apr 26, 2011

#24
Leeky TS Special Forces Posts: 4,353 +68

captaincranky said: ↑

I personally don't know if 16 GB is really all that necessary. But what the hay, it would give you a talking point about your machine.

If you want to take a look at the PSU that "Leeky" suggested, that wouldn't be a bad idea.

Leeky had a recent catastrophic failure with a Corsair HX PSU. (I think that's correct)? While this may be an isolated incident, it does give one pause to wonder if Corsair's build quality has suffered product wide

I do think the CPU you've settled on is your best possible choice at the moment! (Intel 2500K)

I agree with CPU, and with the RAM - 16GB is double what you need really, but if you have the money you might as well grab it while the price is low I guess.

Yeah, it turned into a fireball, wiping out everything except my new 2TB Samsung Spinpoint F4. I thought the LG Blue ray survived, but a mate that borrowed it is reporting its lack of reading discs.

The catastrophic failure was caused by faulty electrics in my house unfortunately. We've had specialists here the last couple of days, and they've done some major re-laying of cabling from the road to our house, and replaced the main electric panel and such.

I had the PSU inspected by a specialist at my previous employers (Builds and maintains PSU's for aerospace manufacturing equipment) and they said it suffered a considerable increase in voltage (e.g. a maaaaasive power surge). From what they have said its doubtful even the best PSU could survive it, or isolate against it in regards to other components in the computer.

So the Corsair HX750 was most likely absolutely fine - Put it this way... I would have another one tomorrow now I feel I know the full extent of what happened. I'll be going for a Seasonic next time, namely this PSU, the X-750 version, as I can get it for the same money in the UK, and the wiring suits my future plans better than Corsairs.

Leeky, Apr 26, 2011

#25

captaincranky TechSpot Addict Posts: 8,949 +355

Leeky said: ↑

I had the PSU inspected by a specialist at my previous employers (Builds and maintains PSU's for aerospace manufacturing equipment) and they said it suffered a considerable increase in voltage (e.g. a maaaaasive power surge). From what they have said its doubtful even the best PSU could survive it, or isolate against it in regards to other components in the computer.

So the Corsair HX750 was most likely absolutely fine - Put it this way... I would have another one tomorrow now I feel I know the full extent of what happened.

As a culprit, I would look toward the Electric company's power substation. That's the only place to attribute such a catastrophic voltage increase. Insufficient voltage would be more likely to be the side effect of too small feeders.("Brown outs", localized to your particular home). Maybe "The Queen's Power and Light" got hit with lightning themselves.

captaincranky, Apr 26, 2011

#26

Leeky TS Special Forces Posts: 4,353 +68

The impression I get from them is my house is the only one with issues... Well mine was certainly the only one with a huge digger ripping up my pavement to replace what they called a faulty cable.

To be honest I don't pretend to understand any of what they've said, and you could well be right - but I'd have thought a substation issue would show itself with other properties, and mines the only one being worked on.

Looking back we should have realised sooner really, we've been having bulbs (energy ones) failing left right and centre, and even had one explode. Donna's (my gf) PC's motherboard on her Dell has failed as well - that was left plugged into the surge protector and when turned on a week after being last used it won't even POST, just get nothing full stop and the fans stop after a couple of seconds. I just assumed the faulty bulbs were due to being all replaced at exactly the same time, from the same production run, so didn't think much of it.

I take it by too small feeders your referring to the wiring running from said sub-station to my house?

Leeky, Apr 26, 2011

#27
DrekSilver Newcomer, in training Posts: 33

Thanks for making it easier, but what about the tower? Which of these two should I pick:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...=Cooler_Master_HAF_922-_-11-119-224-_-Product

Also this video card should be fine to handle high end games alongside the rest of my computer?

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102908

DrekSilver, Apr 26, 2011

#28
captaincranky TechSpot Addict Posts: 8,949 +355

Personally, I would buy this tower; http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160 It's newer, it's got USB 3.0 and the blackout interior, which has become the first thing I look for in a new case.

I've even considered taking my Antec 900 machine apart, and gunning the interior black myself.

The video card you've picked will play almost all games on reasonable medium to high settings, into a single monitor @ 1680 X 1050 or possibly 1920 X 1080.

If you go all berserk, and/or obsessive, the board I told you buy, will allow you to install a second one of these cards, so you can't go too far of the reservation with you video card choice.

captaincranky, Apr 26, 2011

#29
DrekSilver Newcomer, in training Posts: 33

Wow that's awesome, ok i added the case you just suggested to my parts list so right now it looks like this:

Memory: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231429
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
PSU: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139011
Hard Disk: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148433
Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138298
Video Card: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102908
Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160
Card Reader: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produc...e=card_reader_internal-_-20-223-108-_-Product
Heat/Sink Fan: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103055
Optical Drive: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151192

DrekSilver, Apr 26, 2011

#30
Leeky TS Special Forces Posts: 4,353 +68

Why the 850w PSU? Are you planning running two HD6850s?

Leeky, Apr 26, 2011

#31
captaincranky TechSpot Addict Posts: 8,949 +355

Leeky said: ↑

I take it by too small feeders your referring to the wiring running from said sub-station to my house?

There are several steps in reducing voltage from a primary generation station, which could be producing electricity at 250,000 volts or more, until it hit's the customer's front door. In my locale, the power substation coverts the extreme high voltage down to about 10 kilo volts, then local transformers (quad by quad) or "block by block" in colony speak?)), step it down to our 110 volt house current. We have 220 VAC also, but you have to wire across two "hots" (at 110 each) to utilize it. You undoubtedly have a very similar delivery paradigm.

The idea that insufficient supply raises voltage runs empirically opposed to what I understand about electrical theory. Smaller wires drop voltage because they inherently have higher electrical resistance. If you have mechanisms and phenomena involved that are causing voltage increases, you have in fact, lost me....

With all that said, the responsibility for absolute control of voltage and frequency of the delivered power, resides with the electrical substation. In my archaic "hood", the houses used to have only 2 fuses. When more and more electrical devices appeared more and more fuses blew. So, everybody needed to get on board with "100 A", (ampere) house power, with more individual fuses and breakers being added inside the homes. Oddly, the only redeeming value my God forsaken location has to offer, is very consistent reliable electricity, and a great immunity to flooding!

captaincranky, Apr 26, 2011

#32
DrekSilver Newcomer, in training Posts: 33

Leeky said: ↑

Why the 850w PSU? Are you planning running two HD6850s?

I...don't know what that means. I want a good PSU, that's why I got a high end one. Oh god, is there something wrong with it as well?

DrekSilver, Apr 26, 2011

#33
captaincranky TechSpot Addict Posts: 8,949 +355

DrekSilver said: ↑

I...don't know what that means. I want a good PSU, that's why I got a high end one. Oh god, is there something wrong with it as well?

He means that the system you have picked, would easily fun on perhaps a quality 500 watt PSU.

The extra power wouldn't really be needed unless you were going to install two of the cards you are intending to purchase.

With that said, there are two schools of thought; save money and only buy the supply wattage you really need ATM, or just spend at the outset and be ready if you ever do decide to go with a "Crossfire" setup.

It doesn't hurt anything whatsoever, to have the larger supply installed at the jump, it's solely a question of initial investment and actual need.

captaincranky, Apr 26, 2011

#34
hellokitty[hk] I'm a TechSpot Evangelist Posts: 4,015 +33

It's just that you would have saved $120 CAD...no not really anything that won't work.

hellokitty[hk], Apr 26, 2011

#35
captaincranky TechSpot Addict Posts: 8,949 +355

hellokitty[hk] said: ↑

It's just that you would have saved $120 CAD...no not really anything that won't work.

I mentioned the savings aspect, I simply didn't quantify it.

captaincranky, Apr 26, 2011

#36
DrekSilver Newcomer, in training Posts: 33

So I can always upgrade with two video cards should I buy the power system I have now? Well that's good, because in the future I might just do that. So if everything I have is good that I guess i'm ready to order. Not pulling the trigger yet, so if there's anything that should be changed, say now

DrekSilver, Apr 26, 2011

#37
captaincranky TechSpot Addict Posts: 8,949 +355

Re-post your list, with the updated selections. That would be the best way to check.

captaincranky, Apr 26, 2011

#38
DrekSilver Newcomer, in training Posts: 33

Memory: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231429
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
PSU: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139011
Hard Disk: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148433
Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138298
Video Card: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102908
Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160
Card Reader: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produc...e=card_reader_internal-_-20-223-108-_-Product
Heat/Sink Fan: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103055
Optical Drive: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151192
Windows 7: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produc...cm_re=windows_7_64-bit-_-32-116-758-_-Product

DrekSilver, Apr 26, 2011

#39
captaincranky TechSpot Addict Posts: 8,949 +355

Looks like a great system to me! (But somewhat over budget).

If I were going to buy those exact same items, I'd sub out the Toshiba optical drive for this Sony; http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118039

I don't care for Toshiba drives. But granted, it is a personal thing. Others report success with them.

captaincranky, Apr 26, 2011

#40

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