How does this look?

[DrivetheGreen66]

I'm getting ready to build another computer. Let me know how this looks together?

Thermaltake V3 Black Edition VL80001W2Z Black SECC / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811133094
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$5.00 Instant
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$49.99
$44.99


Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822148395
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
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$44.99


GIGABYTE GA-M68MT-S2P AM3 NVIDIA GeForce 7025/nForce 630a chipset Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813128469
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
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-$5.00 Instant
$54.99
$49.99


RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-530SS 530W ATX12V V2.2/ EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular LED Power Supply
Item #: N82E16817152028
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
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-$15.00 Instant
$54.98
$39.98


Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model CT2KIT25664BA1339
Item #: N82E16820148262
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
$40.99


AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor 3.0GHz Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor ADX250OCGMBOX
Item #: N82E16819103903
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy

Plus Windows 7.

[RickyTick]

Looks ok. Certainly not a powerhouse or gaming pc.

[DrivetheGreen66]

its for my grandma. I am just building one so she can play her facebook games and check email and browse the net.

I may decide to build me a gaming rig and i will need some instruction on where to go with that build.

[DrivetheGreen66]

I'm at the second boot stage and my ide channel 0 master is showing none, ide channel 1 master is none, ide channel 2 master is show HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GH22 (which is my DVD drive) and ide channel 4 is none.

My question is why is my hard drive not showing up? It should be in IDE channel 1 Master now but its not there.

P.S. I had changed SATA ports for the DVD and HDD to see if that could be the issue.

Please help, I have never had this problem before and am not sure what to do to correct the issue.

[zburns]

Go to: Page 36 of your manual, Section 2-4 Standard CMOS Features (I am looking at download of your manual with a date -the Standard CMOS screen) at the top of the monitor image of Wed, Nov 25,2009).
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This is a comment after I have written most of the items below. In the online manual, under BIOS setup, there is a statement that clearly says -- Do not alter BIOS from the default settings -- see page 29, last para, first page of 'BIOS SETUP'. Did you make any alterations other than boot order? If so what are they?
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Under the monitor screen image or Standard CMOS Features, the third item in the written dialogue is titled: IDE Channel 0 Master/Slave and the next listed item is IDE Channel 2, 3, 4, 5 Master.

No reference on the monitor screen or in the dialogue mentions Channel 1 so you and I may be looking at two slightly different BIOS versions. (I would think the online version would be the latest?)

You can see what I am looking at by pulling up your mobo manual online. Take a look at your printed manual and compare the 'online BIOS stuff to your manual'.

If the differences are minor, just a few items, go ahead and post them so I can in effect see what you are looking at.
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What you are saying is that the HD is not recognized. But your boot order is not the sequence it will be when you have finished the computer. So you might go ahead and make (a temporary) boot order change, HD first, CD Rom next, floppy, etc.. Do this just to see if it makes a difference, on the Standard BIOS screen.
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I apologize for jumping around like this but you have a very simple micro ATX mobo. A similar problem with Gigabyte mobos has shown up multiple times on the forum. You can look at a 'summary' of the original problem I am refering to by going to the 'Call Me Al' thread under First Boot Problem, post # 79 -- but this is a full size ATX mobo--more complicated than yours. But in this case the HD was not recognized (this was the central problem); solutions were in correcting 'Integrated Peripherals' BIOS settings. 'Call Me Al' had a very simple solution; I imagine yours is also.
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Last suggestion sounds like a poor one but it is the opposite. You can call gigabyte tech support for the US in california up to 8pm EST. If you call ask for 'Chang' (the gigabyte folks are courteous and helpful).
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EDIT 1:30pm est Rather than start a new post, EDIT instead. The online manual is REV # 1001. By chance is this the same as your printed manual that came with the mobo?

[zburns]

I have read thru the BIOS section of the online manual from page 29 thru 41, last item read is 'NV SATA 2 Secondary RAID'. I looked at all the recommended 'default settings' and I think you should be alright with all default settings. So I would think your HD should be recognized provided you left all default settings in the BIOS as default and you did not change anything.

If by chance you tried to 'translate from Rob's on line Int Peripherals BIOS settings', I think there is a conflict in doing that. I would use the default settings in the manual for BIOS thru the point I mentioned in the last sentence.

There are two routes to take from here. (1) If you did in fact leave all BIOS settings alone at the default settings, and the problem is occuring under these conditions, I need to reread the BIOS settings, just to verify the accuracy of my first two statements in this post. (2) If prior to your problem, you did in fact change some of the BIOS settings, particularly in the Integrated Peripherals section, I would go back to the default settings.
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Again, this problem still 'looms'. I am working with the on line manual and you have a version of a printed manual. If they are the same, that is great. If not, we have to deal with that someway! Okay, one last point, If your manual that came with the mobo, suggests that you leave BIOS settings alone at the factory default settings, you should do that. The online manual versus your manual should be approximately the same. I hope this helps!!

[DrivetheGreen66]

I think I may have a DOA hd. Nothing seems to be working.

I never changed anything in my BIOS.

[zburns]

When you say 'nothing seems to be working'. Are you saying the HD is not spinning? If its not spinning that can be a poor psu connection either at the psu or anywhere along the cable, or the sata plug for the hd is not fully seated into the hd plug. I do assume you have already checked the power cable both ends as well as the sata data cable, mobo to hd! Anyhow, if it is spinning, change the sata data cable from the hd back to the mobo making sure it is plugged in well at both ends.

If you are assuming you have a defective component, you cannot rule out the mobo. Just because you have BIOS does not mean 100% the mobo is ok. You can install the HD in your existing computer to prove it works or does not work -- but that gets into formating it, storing data on it, then removing the data. You could use Lifeguard utility to wipe the drive clean, assuming it checked out ok. Here is a link on installing a second hard drive: http://www.ehow.com/how_4826945_install-second-sata-hard-drive.html

Assuming the hd is spinning, then you can change the sata data cable if you have an extra one; I would be certain that the cables worked before changing out the drive. If your DVD drive is also a sata drive, then you definitely have a extra set of cables.

EDIT (right after the post): If your HD is spinning, I would not give up on it yet. If a hard drive is going to fail on you brand new, then I would think it would be the mechanical spindle, mechanical guts, etc.. The internal electronices should be fail safe. Questions: If the HD was packed in with the rest of the components, then it was well protected. How did it get damaged? Another question, did you purchase any of these items under an 'open box arrangement'? To me this means a 'returned item' someone else sent back, the distributor checked it out as being ok and resold it at a discount in 'its open box'. Not a good idea, my opinion only; I would never do it.

I'll help anyway I can; just let me know.

[zburns]

I have another suggestion. Your mobo is probably a different version from the online version, which means there is some difference between the manuals. Also, I am familiar with the problem in Integrated Peripherals settings that causes on full size gigabyte mobos, the problem you have. Give me the version number of your manual (somewhere on the first several pages) and serial # off your mobo box. I will call Gigabyte in CA tomorrow and see if I can find out that maybe there is a reason 'to make BIOS changes' as relates to this problem. Your mobo is an old design, I think, therefore, subject to IDE design for drives, yet you have both drives are SATA -- so maybe there is a reason to go into the BIOS.

Again, Version number of the manual and serial # of mobo -- get it off the mobo box.

[DrivetheGreen66]

Just a final update: The HD was the issue.

I appreciate all the help.