Hey guys, I need your Nerdy help!

[mresteve]

Stores
Micro Center & Fry's near my house.

What I have
Antec 900 Case

Hi guys. My number one priority is to have a computer that can handle HD Video Editing without having it being choppy in Adobe Premier. It would be nice to handle a game like SC2 and/or Diablo 3 without any issues. Not necessarily on ultra high settings, but just no running issues.

I don't know how to overclock, but I do have friends that do, and I also have the stamina to do my homework online to do it.

I wouldn't mind shelling out extra money for an SSD card.

Black Friday is around the corner, so multiple selections or comparisons for myself,and maybe others would be awesome! If I can find something similar to the product mention, or one of the two, that would be great.


Thanks!

[RickyTick]

Try something along these lines.

6 core cpu $229 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103849

mobo $140 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131631

8gb (2x4gb) ram $155 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

video card $200 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130567

[mresteve]

Thank you.

Are there any restrictions on Power Supply (750W, cable/wire issues OK?), or Hard Drives? I am looking to get a deal on those. Also, how big of an SSD do I need to handle Windows OS, Microsoft Office, and maybe Adobe Premier? Or just the ladder, only Windows OS.

Thanks again!

[RickyTick]

You can get an Intel X25M 80gb for less than $200. That will more than hold Win7, Office, and Adobe.

[mresteve]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?nm_mc=AFC-SlickDeals&cm_mmc=AFC-SlickDeals-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&Item=N82E16820231311&cm_re=8gb_ddr3-_-20-231-311-_-Product


Will that ram be compatible?, and what is the difference?

[RickyTick]

It's just a slightly different frequency. It should work just fine.

[mresteve]

Will a 750W power supply suffice? I did do a wattage check through the link given in the sticky thread, and my build came out to be 447W, but I just want to make sure.

With those parts listed here, and a 1TB caviar black HD, DVD/RW drive, ethernet PCI, multi card reader, and some few attached hard drives at most thats what I got.

So what do you think, personally?

[RickyTick]

750w is a lot of power. You should be just fine.

[mresteve]

Edit - Dumb Question =)

[mresteve]

I got everything ordered and sitting ready to go. I bought everything listed that was suggested except I went with an MSI Video Card equivalent, and an Intel 120GB SSD.

I have a 1TB WD Caviar Black HDD, and a standard DVD/CD-RW drive. Both do not have any cables. What type of cables do I need for these two items to work with the mobo(listed above)?

Is there anything else I should know before getting started? Should I buy a better heat-sink cpu cooler, what type of heat-sink paste should I buy, etc.

I have an Antec 900 and am going to drill a couple extra holes just so I can have cleaner looking guts.

Other than that, I think I am good to go. Although, I just might buy one more HDD.

[RickyTick]

There are usually SATA cables included with the motherboard.

[mresteve]

Didn't even bother to check in there. :o

I'll show you pictures when I am all done RickyTick. I am going to build an extension to my computer table. It's a nice table, real wood...about 13 years old, but solid. It has a clutch that sits on top of it for books, and DVD's etc. But what I am going to do is have two elbow joints attached to the right of the desk, and attach about a 1'-1/2" wood ledge. That will be where the desktop will sit. Along with other peripherals.

I hope nothing is DOA...

[RickyTick]

Cool, we like pictures. Maybe I'll clean up my desk and post a picture of my setup too.

[mresteve]

Alright guys. I need some major help. Before I went to post in any other spot, I thought I'd come here first.

My computer has blue-screening for almost 2 months now. I have had a friend, who is an IT guy for Kaiser, and is savvy with computer.

Here is my story:
PC ran fine for about 2.5 months...
It first began with blue screens/freezes. Then it went as far as my internet PCI port not responding. Simple, driver checks, updates, and what not did not solve my issues. So my friend came a long, we rebooted with clean install, went over some driver updates, BIOS updates, etc. and managed to fix the un-responsive network adapter.

Following that, my friend had suggested that because I had a 2.0 USB device in a 3.0 USB slot, AND because in my case the ASUS MOBO has the the Network PCI slot/USB3.0 in the same (I don't know how to say this, input/device/connection area) that this alone could have caused my computer to crash and lose my network ability. Please keep in mind that the network ability was reading enabled, and functioning through my PC driver/device specs, but no light (unresponsive) on the hardware.

Regardless, I thought I was in the clear and thought my PC was back to its hearty self. This was not the case. I later read, on Newegg.com "comment" section for my RAM that the MOBO instructions were wrong as to where to insert them. After removing them, in this case to the two slots furthest away from the CPU, I have found that my computer has crashed significantly less. Where it was up to a couple days ago crashing 5-8 times per use, now it has only crashed 3 times in the last two days. A huge improvement.


Now I am begging you for some input as to what I can do. I have been told to check for RAM compatibility, but I am 99.9% sure that my friend ran test. One in particular, where he uploaded a software (because my internet was unresponsive) to where this software picks up on any error and to check for compatibility issues.


Please let me know your thoughts.

[RickyTick]

Here are a few things to check.
Find out what BIOS version you have.
Go in the BIOS and verify that the ram voltage is set to 1.5 volts.
Try running just one stick of ram in DIMM slot A1. If using 2 sticks, they should be in DIMM slots of the same color.
Plug USB 2.0 devices in USB 2.0 slots. Just don't use the USB 3.0 slots for now.

[mresteve]

Checked everything except for removing a Ram out.


I have changed the RAM slots so that they are in the furthest two from the cpu, color same.

I was suggested running MeMtEST but am not sure hot it works. I already ran it once through BOOT but I think that might have froze on me as well.


What do you think it is. My computer was running fine at first, no problems, then started bluescreening on me. I think it is the RAM, but that is my only guess.

[mresteve]

My computer will no longer go to BIOS/BOOT screen.

[RickyTick]

Try booting with one stick of ram in the A1 slot. If no go, then try the other stick of ram in the same A1 slot.

[mresteve]

Try booting with one stick of ram in the A1 slot. If no go, then try the other stick of ram in the same A1 slot.

I will do that next RickyTick. I came home, and booted up my computer. After around 7 hours since my last failed attempts, in booted. I did have a MeMTest cd-rom in the drive, and it booted up with that.


It stopped and popped a lot of : Fffffee's on the screen. Trying to run it again to see if it pops up again.

[mresteve]

So I went out and bought a Kingston model RAM. 8GB, two 4GB sticks.

I am still bluescreening.


I thought I could get an easy fix from it, but I guess not. I have been bluescreening like crazy and just now have only 1-4GB stick in the A1 slot. This is with the new Kingston RAM. (I have 15 days to return for full refund, so not worried)


Let's see how this pans out. Now, RickyTicky, I noticed that the dongle-clip that snaps the Ram into place on the B1 slot is broken. It will not snap the Ram securely. Could this be a cause of bluescreen.


FYI - I have now had the 1-stick of ram only in it, and have not bluescreened when in the last half-hour I have bluescreened every time attempting to write a reply.

[mresteve]

Am I checking to see if it is my RAM-slots that are failing RickyTick?

[zburns]

Side comment on the RAM. When installing a stick of RAM, it should be pushed straight in with left and right thumbs at left and right top side of RAM stick. By doing it this way, the two side 'dongles' snap into place only when the Ram is fully seated. This does work but does require concentration. Also, when RAM is fully seated, you can use one eye and 'sight parallelism' by referencing the top of the newly installed stick to other ram slots or to the top of another installed stick - sort of a double check after the two dongles have clicked into place. Also, you can sight vertical parallelism by seeing the 'dongles' lined up vertically on the left and the right, thereby, telling you that all dongles are seated, therefore, all RAM sticks seated.

[mresteve]

Side comment on the RAM. When installing a stick of RAM, it should be pushed straight in with left and right thumbs at left and right top side of RAM stick. By doing it this way, the two side 'dongles' snap into place only when the Ram is fully seated. This does work but does require concentration. Also, when RAM is fully seated, you can use one eye and 'sight parallelism' by referencing the top of the newly installed stick to other ram slots or to the top of another installed stick - sort of a double check after the two dongles have clicked into place. Also, you can sight vertical parallelism by seeing the 'dongles' lined up vertically on the left and the right, thereby, telling you that all dongles are seated, therefore, all RAM sticks seated.

Yeah, Ram is something I have changed throughout the years. I honestly do not know how this broke. I use two fingers and make sure it is nice and secure. But I am clueless as to how this happened.

[zburns]

I suspect if you are trying to use the dongles to force the RAM down, that could put enough force on the 'joint' to cause breakage. But the reason I like the method I describe is that it has some double checks in it. For example, sighting parallel lines along the top of the 'just pushed in stick' referenced to the sockets or an already installed stick and having the dongles snap into place on their own -- these two things tell me the stick is installed ok.

Look at the plug in circuit board pins on a RAM stick. There is not even 1/64 inch ( 0.008") space between them, meaning any 'tilt' at all in the stick install, and a number of the pins are 'now shorted'. Putting power on the RAM under this condition may destroy the stick or cause some damage that shows up another way.

The other point is that the RAM stick is very hard to push down; while doing so, one gets the feeling 'one is pushing too hard' and something may break. So letting the 'dongles snap into place' sort of tells you to keep pushing until you hear that snap.

Anyway I hope you are now working fine.

[RickyTick]

Am I checking to see if it is my RAM-slots that are failing RickyTick?

Well sorta. More than anything you're checking the ram sticks to make sure they work properly and are compatible with your motherboard.

[zburns]

RAM is forced to go perfectly straight into the last portion of the socket. On the RAM sticks I have, the gold plated pins are apx 1/8 inch long -- and this is about the 'final push in distance the RAM travels' for 'final seating' in the connector.

So maybe this is what happened. Maybe the RAM stick in the socket with the busted 'dongle' was never seated fully at one end; you could have had a partial connection, meaning a good connection sometime but vibration could have caused some of connections on the 'loose' end to 'open up' causing a bluescreen to occur. If this is the case, there is a good chance your original RAM is ok, no damage. It is an explanation that seems to 'fit' (?)

Or the stick initially was seated but in the absence of the dongle, vibration allowed the stick to move at one end, maybe, causing an intermittent connection which caused the bluescreen.

[zburns]

This is a related comment to the above discussion, but an entirely different subject. Ie. When do you physically use the 'dongles' or the 'latches' at the two ends of each RAM stick? My opiniion is that you physically use your thumbs to push the RAM stick into the socket as evenly as possible and at the point where the RAM stick 'hooks' the side dongles (latches), further pushing not only seats the RAM stick (in the bottom of the socket) but causes the 'dongles' (latches) to 'snap' in place upright.

If you want to remove a RAM stick, you must use the 'dongles' (latches) on each side of the stick to force the RAM stick up and out of the bottom part of the RAM socket (only about 1/8" plus movement upward of the stick). This bottom part of the socket contains the precision electrical - spring loaded - contacts that pinch up against the gold plated contacts on the RAM stick. (there are so many inidvidual contacts along the bottom of the stick, that the mating spring loaded contacts put a large "additive" force against the stick, making it hard or difficult to get it loose in an upward direction -- this is one reason why the 'dongles' (latches) are there (other reason is to act as a 'lock' to hold the stick in place).

[RickyTick]

Are you able to boot into the BIOS screen?

[mresteve]

This is a related comment to the above discussion, but an entirely different subject. Ie. When do you physically use the 'dongles' or the 'latches' at the two ends of each RAM stick? My opiniion is that you physically use your thumbs to push the RAM stick into the socket as evenly as possible and at the point where the RAM stick 'hooks' the side dongles (latches), further pushing not only seats the RAM stick (in the bottom of the socket) but causes the 'dongles' (latches) to 'snap' in place upright.

If you want to remove a RAM stick, you must use the 'dongles' (latches) on each side of the stick to force the RAM stick up and out of the bottom part of the RAM socket (only about 1/8" plus movement upward of the stick). This bottom part of the socket contains the precision electrical - spring loaded - contacts that pinch up against the gold plated contacts on the RAM stick. (there are so many inidvidual contacts along the bottom of the stick, that the mating spring loaded contacts put a large "additive" force against the stick, making it hard or difficult to get it loose in an upward direction -- this is one reason why the 'dongles' (latches) are there (other reason is to act as a 'lock' to hold the stick in place).

I agree 100%


Are you able to boot into the BIOS screen?

Yes, I can get to BIOS screen.

*UPDATE*
So I ran my newer RAM bought from Fry's, and I received zero crashes from just one stick of RAM being inserted in the A1 of my ASUS mobo. Keep in mind that in my previous post I WAS bluescreaning with both RAM inserted. Because of return policies, and time crunch, I returned the newer Ram. I am now beginning the process of running my originally purchased G.Skill ram in each slot, and giving them each a few days to run, and memtest in both the A1, and B1 slots; each by themselves, one at a time.


I have the feeling that it is my MOBO, the dongle switch for the RAM, and/or the ram slots themselves when inserting two Rams at the same time that are causing the bluescreens.

Seeing that with the new Ram I purchased my PC was still crashing, I figure it has to be the MOBO (fingers crossed that I finally found the problem). I will come to the diagnosis by the end of next week once I get done testing the slots.

Thank's again, and as always, I will keep you all posted.

Sincerely, Steve.

[RickyTick]

Go into the BIOS and verify that the ram voltage is set properly to match the ram requirements.

[mresteve]

It was the MoBo. RMA'd it, and computer is a champ. Thank you RickyTick for the comp build specs. Worked out great.