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Old 08-02-2010, 08:22 PM   #1 (permalink)
... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.
 
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Willravel Chronicles His First Computer Build

Background:
For those unaware, I'm a lifetime Mac user. All I've ever done was plug in the power, keyboard, mouse and monitor and just go. I'm like the Eloy from Time Machine: blissful, innocent, and a bit ignorant. So I got Star Craft 2 in the mail last week and quickly realized my Mac mini didn't have the video processing power necessary to run the game. I looked around for some deals on newer Mac minis and iMacs, but Apple hardware tends to keep its value a bit too well. I'd have to spend at least $600 on an Apple that could only run Star Craft 2 on its lowest settings. Frack that.

For a few years I've had the thought of having a separate Windows machine around for needs beyond the basic, and this was the perfect excuse to dive in and build a custom gaming rig. Thanks to Lasereth's legendary video card recommendation thread, I knew that powerful video cards could be had at bargain basement prices right now.

I posted a thread on Reddit and got immediate responses from experienced builders about what deals were out there. Within 24 hours, I had purchased all the hardware I needed off Newegg:

Case, mobo(motherboard), CPU/GPU (central processing unit/graphics processing unit)combo deal, optical drive (DVD burner), and a now-expired deal on a HDD (hard drive) and PSU (power supply unit)

It arrived this afternoon. I'm not ashamed to say I jumped up and down clapping my hands.

The first thing I did was open everything up and take a careful inventory. Newegg has never been anything but perfect, but you can't be too careful. Once I was sure everything I needed was here, I got my tools: a 3/16 x 3 phillips screwdriver (not magnetized), needle nosed pliers, flashlight, and a pair of anti-static gloves. It's probably overkill to use such gloves, but it removes any doubt, which in and of itself makes them feel like a good investment.

I opened up the case and located the area for the PSU, which in my case (hehe) is in the back on top. Most cases, by my understanding, have a similar location, though some have it on the back bottom. You can find it by looking for the pattern of screw holes in the case and a hole in the shape of the vent on the back of the PSU. I screwed the PSU in place and that was that. What I should have done at this point was look through the build and figure out exactly how many power wires I'd need and plug them in, but it didn't occur to me until later. As you build, space becomes less and less common until eventually you can be working in very cramped quarters.

Next, I put in the mobo. I put the plate in place on the back panel, which showed me where to line up the USB, serial, audio and ethernet connectors on the back. When I slid the mobo in place, though, I realized they weren't perfectly lining up. The solution was pegs or standoffs. The case came with screws that are meant to be screwed into the case first and then you screw the mobo into the standoffs with additional screws. This is in order to ground the mobo.

The CPU came next. You have to peel back a sticker that's in place over where the CPU is located and then carefully line up the CPU to the slot. There are arrows to show you which way is up, but in case that's not obvious enough there are patterns in the CPU that can also be matched. When the CPU was in place, I pulled back on a little silver lever, which prepares the processor to be locked in place. When you push the lever back down again, it's locked. The CPU came with a fan, which was fairly simple to install, but be careful; there's some sticky stuff on the bottom of the fan that connects to the CPU. It's meant to conduct temperature, I believe. The fan locks in place with a lever.

After that, I popped out a piece of plastic that is in the place of the optical drive on the front of the case and slid the optical drive into place. It was a bit cramped already because of the PSU, but I got it in there and four screws had it well in place.

The HDD was next, which went into a slot toward the front of the case below the optical drive. Like the optical drive, you slide it into place and then anchor it with 4 screws.

Finally, it was time to put in the GPU. I located a PCI slot that gave the GPU a little room to breathe. You have to pop out little metal pieces so that your connectors can pop out the back of the case. When you've got the GPU plugged in and sticking out the back, you simply screw the card into place. In my case, there's a piece on the back that can be opened so you can access the screws.

Hammer time. I plugged the largest power connector into the mobo and another one into the GPU, as I remembered someone once mentioning GPUs need their own power. I connected the optical drive and HDD to the mobo with SATA wires. What I didn't know was that these both needed their own power, something the manuals missed. Fortunately, the GPU came with more than enough cables and I figured it out later. I also connected the front USB, audio and power button, which were all labeled on the mobo, but were also pointed out in the sizable manual that came with the mobo.

Another thing I failed to realize, and that's a common mistake for first timers (like putting it in the butt), is the CPU also requires power.

Finally, everything was connected. I put my old XP Pro disc in the drive and got started only to be faced with "reboot and select proper boot device". What had I forgotten this time? The mobo came with a boot disc. I put the correct disc in the drive and everything since then has been smooth sailing.

I'll update as I finish up.
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Old 08-02-2010, 08:26 PM   #2 (permalink)
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I'll update as I finish up...

...the construction of Skynet.
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Old 08-02-2010, 08:51 PM   #3 (permalink)
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shall we play a game?
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Old 08-02-2010, 10:59 PM   #4 (permalink)
... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.
 
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I can't get BIOS to run.
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Old 08-03-2010, 05:31 AM   #5 (permalink)
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What do you need it for?

If the installation was successful, take out the disk and Windows should start.

It's generally either F2, DEL, or F10 to switch into BIOS interactive mode during POST.
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Old 08-03-2010, 05:47 AM   #6 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Willravel View Post
I can't get BIOS to run.
Be more specific: What does it do when you turn it on, and what are you trying to do to get into bios?
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Old 08-03-2010, 06:20 AM   #7 (permalink)
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You may have to update the bios, when my computer was built had to do that.
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Old 08-03-2010, 09:10 AM   #8 (permalink)
... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.
 
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When I turn on the PC, the first screen features to logo of the motherboard, and then it goes into a screen that says "reboot and select proper boot device". I figured that was fine, so I put in the XP CD. Nothing. Then I tried putting in the drivers that came with the motherboard. That helped me to new screens but none of them were BIOS. I popped the case back open and checked the connections to make sure everything was plugged in correctly. Everything seems fine.
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Old 08-03-2010, 09:24 AM   #9 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Willravel View Post
When I turn on the PC, the first screen features to logo of the motherboard, and then it goes into a screen that says "reboot and select proper boot device". I figured that was fine, so I put in the XP CD. Nothing. Then I tried putting in the drivers that came with the motherboard. That helped me to new screens but none of them were BIOS. I popped the case back open and checked the connections to make sure everything was plugged in correctly. Everything seems fine.
To get to the bios you likely have to press f2 or f6 or something. What I usually do is I turn on the machine and i hit multiple f-keys until the bios loads.

Then:

Go into your bios and make sure your hard drive and DVD drive are both detected. Then select the boot order and put the DVD drive first. Then put in your install disk and reboot the computer (make sure to save the bios changes).

---------- Post added at 05:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:23 PM ----------

Also I highly suggest you use windows 7 instead of xp.
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Old 08-03-2010, 10:03 AM   #10 (permalink)
... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.
 
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I'll give that a shot, thanks.

Edit: Same result, unfortunately. "reboot and select proper boot device" up until f11, and from then on there was no response.

---------- Post added at 11:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:50 AM ----------

Okay, I figured it out. Apparently one way to sort of reset things is to remove and put back in the watch battery. Not sure how or why, but everything seems to be working fine now.

Last edited by Willravel; 08-03-2010 at 10:08 AM..
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Old 08-03-2010, 10:31 AM   #11 (permalink)
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Most motherboards now have a jumper switch that will allow you to reset it, or in my case an actual button that you can just push. But yes the small battery will auto reset the bios since no power to keep it stored.
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Old 08-03-2010, 10:53 AM   #12 (permalink)
... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.
 
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I went ahead and set the boot sequence in BIOS and restarted with the XP Disc, but it doesn't seem to be working. I figured the ISO file on a disc would work the same as the real thing (I just want to get the thing working correctly before getting Windows 7), but now I'm not sure. Do I need something more than the ISO on the disc or could there be another problem?
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Old 08-03-2010, 11:44 AM   #13 (permalink)
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Wait. Did you just burn the iso file to the disk? That is, if you go in windows explorer (or whatever), does it just show "windowsXP.iso" as the file burnt on the disk? You have to use an image burning program to burn a disk from the ISO image.

If this is 'duh' I apologize, I can't tell from how you phrased the question.
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Old 08-03-2010, 12:11 PM   #14 (permalink)
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OH, I didn't realize that's how it works. Okay, I inserted a blank disc, opened Disk Utility, opened the image and I'm burning it. I'll let you know in a bit if it worked. Thanks for the help, telekinetic.

BTW, I'd love to have another debate some time. I had a blast before, even though you kicked my ass. haha.

Edit: WOOHOO!!! Windows XP Pro is being installed on my HDD as I type this (6% and climbing). After I get into XP and check everything, I'll burn Widows 7 and then upgrade to that, then I'll meet everyone on BNet.

Last edited by Willravel; 08-03-2010 at 12:36 PM..
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Old 08-03-2010, 01:39 PM   #15 (permalink)
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will don't upgrade XP to Win7. Reinstall Win7 from scratch. It's better that way especially since you're talking about a brand new computer.

---------- Post added at 05:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:37 PM ----------

oh yeah, and when you're done, used Hiren's CD to create an image of your HD and keep that in a safe place as a back up!

Hiren's BootCD 10.6 - www.hiren.info
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Old 08-03-2010, 02:38 PM   #16 (permalink)
... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.
 
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The reason I'm installing XP is so I can use the burner on the new rig. My Mac mini only reads DVDs, so I can't burn the ISO image of Win7 until I have a burner going (I was able to burn XP because it fits on a CD, which is convenient). I'll burn the win7 DVD and then, as you say, install Windows 7 from scratch.

I figured I'd use my external hard drive to back up my Windows computer. I use Time Machine and so far it's been great for having a contingency in case of a problem.
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Old 08-03-2010, 03:53 PM   #17 (permalink)
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Awesome thread!!!!!!!! Sounds like the normal kinks of a custom PC. Let us know how it runs!
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Old 08-03-2010, 09:10 PM   #18 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Willravel View Post
BTW, I'd love to have another debate some time. I had a blast before, even though you kicked my ass. haha.
You pick a topic, I'll pick a side--I'm down for kicking it off as soon as tomorrow! Glad I was able to help with your ISO issue, if you're not used to it the instructions can be confusing, and people who ARE used to it sometimes don't realize it.
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Old 08-04-2010, 01:09 AM   #19 (permalink)
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Nice job on that, most people aren't willing to take the plunge and Just Build It. It's also a respectable achievement to have figured it all out (including mobo standoffs) without killing anything, most people I teach wind up frying at least one part their first time or two.

Random commentary from my own knuckle-skinning exploits: You don't need anti-static gloves, all you need is an electrical path to ground, those anti-static computer bracelets etc are usually just a metal plate and wire connected to the computer case or something else grounded.

Good job on putting the PSU in first though because doing that and then plugging it into the wall will ground the entire metal computer chassis, and then touching that will ground you.

The standoffs don't ground your motherboard, that's what the power plugs in it do, they actually space the thing so it DOESNT have any unwanted electrical contact with the chassis.

Instead of a regular screwdriver get one like the one in this generic gimmick-toolkit. The computer toolkits themselves usually are a waste but a solid 1/4" hex bit screwdriver with three ratchet settings is a godsend when working on computers. Not only can you save your arms with the ratcheting and use any standard hex bit set with it, including shank extenders, but the actual hex socket on the end of the screwdriver by itself fits perfectly with the shape of most computer screws.

The sticky stuff was indeed thermalpaste, usually very bad thermalpaste compared to just about any of the popular brands like Arctic Silver 5, MX-2, or IC Diamond.

And lastly another common mistake is that some motherboards will have a power connector for the CPU that looks significantly similar to a different plug that's for the graphics card. Thankfully most respectable power supplies will have at least one labelled.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Willravel View Post
The reason I'm installing XP is so I can use the burner on the new rig. My Mac mini only reads DVDs, so I can't burn the ISO image of Win7 until I have a burner going (I was able to burn XP because it fits on a CD, which is convenient). I'll burn the win7 DVD and then, as you say, install Windows 7 from scratch.

I figured I'd use my external hard drive to back up my Windows computer. I use Time Machine and so far it's been great for having a contingency in case of a problem.
Fair warning there's a possibility that will cause you some problems. Maybe if you use a full disc instead of an upgrade it doesn't but I had a hell of a time making a proper bootable win7 installation media from winxp. You can also make a USB key if it's big enough, which is what I wound up using.
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Old 08-04-2010, 03:17 PM   #20 (permalink)
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I'm typing this on a computer I built myself. Fuck yeah.

I'm sticking with XP just for now because, frankly, Starcraft runs just fine on it. It's not as pretty or feature-packed as Win7, but I don't need any of that yet. If, after a time, I decide to phase out my Mac mini, then I'll upgrade. For now, I'm quite happy.

Next on the list will be a usb bluetooth plug, a wifi card (?), and basically reteaching myself XP, which I've not used for over two years and even then I didn't do much with it.
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Old 08-04-2010, 03:22 PM   #21 (permalink)
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excellent. good job. I'm going to upgrade my XP box to Win7 because Win7 just works so much better.

as far as the "plugged in the wall" for grounding... sounds like a short cut to getting electrocuted. Unplugged means that no power will trickle from that PSU at all, 100% of the time.

I swapped out a PSU in 15 minutes last night because a rail started to smell burnt and the PSU ran hot. No anti-static anything, just good common sense of touching metal before handling the board and not working on a carpet or during windy days.

The last board I fried due to static electricity was an Apple ][ 16k card. I've built hundreds of computers, and repaired thousands without ever frying parts.
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Old 08-04-2010, 04:19 PM   #22 (permalink)
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There's a switch on the back of most PSU's if your paranoid, but regardless you're extremely unlikely to get electrocuted that way. Plus if you DON'T do that then touching metal isn't going to do anything unless you touch metal that has a path to ground... in which case the same extroardinarily unlikely danger applies.

I'm with you on win7 though, especially with a quaddie it just seems to handle the extra cpu so much better than XP.
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Old 08-04-2010, 04:23 PM   #23 (permalink)
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The gloves worked perfectly. I know I could have just periodically grounded myself, but it's hard to pretend you're a brain surgeon, saving someone's life, if you're just touching the bathroom sink faucet.
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