MARSHY needs a computor

[Marshy]

Ok i have one if you think anything is wrong with it please do comment,

Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™2 Duo E8400 (2 X 3.00GHz) 1333MHz FSB/6MB L2 Cache

Memory (RAM)
8GB CORSAIR XMS2 800MHz - LIFETIME WARRANTY! (4x2GB)

Motherboard
ASUS® P5QL: DDR2, SATAII, PCI-e x16, 3 PCI, 2 x PCI-e x1

Operating System
Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium 64-bit Edition + SP1, CD (£59)

USB Options
8 x USB 2.0 PORTS (6 REAR + 2 FRONT) AS STANDARD

Memory - 1st Hard Disk
250GB SERIAL ATA II HARD DRIVE WITH 8MB CACHE (7,200rpm)

2nd Hard Disk
NONE

1st CD/DVD Drive
16x DVD-ROM & 52x CD-ROM Drive

2nd CD/DVD Drive
NONE

Graphics Card
896MB GEFORCE GTX260 PCI Express + DVI

2nd Graphics Card
NONE

Sound Card
ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)

Modem
NONE, I WILL BE USING BROADBAND

Network Facilities
ONBOARD 10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT

Floppy Disk Drive
NONE

Memory Card Reader
NONE

Case
Stylish Silver/Black Trident case + 2 front USB

Power Supply & Case Cooling
450W Quiet Dual Rail PSU + 120mm Case Fan (£22)

Processor Cooling
SUPER QUIET 22dBA TRIPLE COPPER HEATPIPE CPU COOLER (£15)

Firewire & Video Editing
NONE

TV Card
NONE

Monitor
19 Inch Wide TFT Silver/Black 1440 x 900 5MS, D-Sub, DVI, Audio (£95)

2nd Monitor
NONE

DVI Cable
NONE

Keyboard & Mouse
NONE

Mouse
NONE

Speakers
NONE

Printer
NONE

Surge Protection
NONE

Webcam & VoIP
NONE

Anti-Virus
NORTON ANTI-VIRUS 2008 - 1 Year Licence for 1 PC (£15)

Office Software
NONE

External Hard Drive
NONE

Home Installation
NONE

Warranty
1 Year Return-to-Base incl 1st Month Free Collect & Return

Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)

Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 9 to 13 working days

Software
CD/DVD authoring software and Power DVD software is included with all DVD Writers.

Ports
Each computer comes with 1 x PS/2 keyboard port and either 1 x PS/2 mouse port or 2 extra USB ports.

Fans
Where necessary your computer will come with extra case fans fitted.

Memory
Our memory comes with a 100% tested lifetime warranty!

Bezels
All our drives come in either silver, black or beige and are all of a
high quality & matched brand.

Support
We offer lifetime hardware technical support during normal office hours.

Cables & Manuals
A power cable, all drivers, manuals, and a heatsink & fan are included with every order.

Service
Our computers come fully assembled & thoroughly tested. We are so confident in the quality of our computers that we offer a free collection and re-delivery service* should you ever have a problem with your computer.

Installation
If you order an operating system it will come fully installed with the CD and licence key.

Low Total Cost of Ownership
Taking into consideration our low cost telephone support, free collection warranty service* and our strive to use energy efficient components where possible, the total cost of owning a pcspecialist computer is reduced as much as possible.

£871 inc VAT and Delivery - they also build it for me also - 8gb of ram o.O

[Calneon]

Not a bad deal Chalex, if Marshy really didn't want to build one himself.

But considering you could have an faster dual core (better for gaming), a 4870 (better at 22" and above), the same motherboard, a better PSU, better memory, better HDD, if only you custom built. Why the massive phobia of self building? It's not hard, it teaches you about computers, and it's an accomplishment to play on a computer YOU built.

Get somebody round who knows what they're doing if you're THAT scared.

But anyway, if you really really really don't want to selfbuild, the option chalex suggested is decent enough.

[Marshy]

Right ok i think i will self build

[Calneon]

Good lad . It really isn't as hard as you might think. I mean, I could give you a brief rundown now:

1. Open all your new hardware and oggle in amazement at how uber and new and shiny it is.
2. Grab the motherboard (only touch the PCB) place it on somewhere that wont have any static (like the box it came on or on the anti-static plastic thing).
3. Insert the CPU (cant get it the wrong way round), and secure. Put a bit of thermal paste (dont forget to buy some Arctic Silver stuff), a small dot of the stuff, and then put on the heatsink (consult instructions, can be a bit tricky).
4. Push in RAM sticks, if you got 2x2Gb, put them in the same coloured slots.
5. Push in GFX card.
6. Grab case and take side off. Take out any packaging.
7. Put in the PSU, should fit nice and snug.
8. Put in any optical disks and hard drives (at the front, very easy).
9. Place the motherboard on the screw holes (might have to screw in the stand-on things), and screw it on where the holes fit.
10. Screw the GFX card onto the case (take the cover off first).
11. Consult the motherboard manual to see where all the power switches and LEDs plug into. Also plug in the massive power cable into the motherboard, along with another small one, and a 6-pin into your GFX card.
12. Connect your HDD and Optical drives to the motherboard.
13. Connect PSU to HDDs and optical drives.
14. Put side of case back on, plug the PSU into the wall, monitor into the GFX card, and inputs into the motherboard.
15. Turn it on and hope it works!

Couldn't be any simpler!

Disclaimer: Phantom takes no responsibility for any hardware faults and explosions causing harm to the user or hardware that occur through following this guide. This guide is not meant to be used, please refer to something that wasn't typed up in 2 minutes.

[Colonel Mitch]

Sounds about right to me - although i get teh motherboard moted before i put anything into it. the static thing isnt really a problem tbh its more overprotective - so long as you touch the case to discharge yourself before u start youll b fine and it wont matter where you touch teh motherboard or components really. just dont forget to put teh motherboard raisers into teh case if they arent fitted as standard lol or when you press on tehre will be a large bang XD - one of my friends has done that before:P

[ez64]

and take picture's so we can laugh at the 12" graphics card taped to the USB port

[Chalex4]

Nice guide Phantom, but I think you missed a few things.

• If you buy a quad core processor, you shouldn't just put a blob of thermal paste in the middle of its heatsink. It should be a thin line. See instructions here - http://www.arcticsilver.com/ins_rout...2intelas5.html.
• The screw holders may not be already in the correct places in your case to allow your mobo to fit, so be prepared to move them around with some pliers.
• Phantom handily forgot to tell you to plug in your HS fan to the mobo. That would be a bad thing to forget :eek:. Also remember the general case fans.
• When the PC starts up, make sure the vital fans all start up (e.g. gfx, cpu). If they don't pull out the power immediately and assess the situation.

Other than that, good luck.

[Colonel Mitch]

lol @ chalex's doom guide :P

1 of our pcs downstairs was running for over a year with teh fan not plugged in for the processor and the heatsync alone was enough to keep it from overheating :P - and if anything does overheat they all have a built in cutoff that will shut down your pc if they go over a certain temperature. also remember that the graphics fan may not spin after you first turn on teh pc as some dont spin when theres no load - and if you buy a retail processor you dont need to bother with thermal paste yourself as the heatsync will come wiht it pre applied.

[ez64]

Very untrue on modern and old processor's alike, the HSF fan is normally critical to the PC since they get EXTREMELY hot if theres nothing moving the air.

[Colonel Mitch]

I disagree with that statement!

Ive run my quad core without a heatsynce before when it was underclocked to 1.6ghz and when its used for normal use with no load it doesnt even need 1! and that gets hoptter than my new E8500 does - at i34 when my phase wasnt connected properly it was running coolerless for a few mins and i ddint even notice till i loaded core temp and it was at about 85 degrees.
(I know that sounds bad but its not hot enough to break it and the thernal cutofs not till over 100 degrees). My qx6700 is running with the HSF from my E8500 and now idles at about 60 degrees and has been known to go ver 100 degrees on load ( normally about 95-97 degrees), and Ive not had a problem with either ( it was my old motherboard not my processor that wasnt working for those of you who were about to say YES YOU DID! :P)

EDIT: I am not saying its reccomended but it wont really cause a problem :P

[VoX]

CPU Vaporisation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG0sGugsv28

[Colonel Mitch]

Erm... yeah.... erm... NAAAH..

;P

(they place qa small charge under the motherboard )

[VoX]

I know but still funny to make Marshy shit himself about getting the HSF on right . (No offence Marshy)

[Calneon]

Ok, first thoughts while at school (quick):

- 8GB RAM is not needed, stick with 4 and use the money to get faster memory.
- Get a bigger HDD, 250GB is a very poor ammount for a high spec PC like that, make it 500GB+
- You can get x20 or x22 speed DVD drives, obviously better than x16. Also, is it DVD-RW? Might as well get one of them.
- 450W CPU is cutting it very very fine and leaves NO room for updates in the future. I'm surprised they are supplying a PSU like that unless it's high quality like Corsair.
- I'd worry if a 19" monitor only cost £95. I'd much rather save up for a decent 22 " or 24".
- GTX260 is a good card and so is the E8400 CPU, so no problems there.

[Marshy]

Umm it's only my 16th birthday so i know im not getting much and i cannot really add much else :S :eek: