Different power supply appears to have fixed it. Going to have to buy a new one cause I kind of yanked this one from another computer.

Lucky you.

Anyways, I think I've decided on the components. I'll need to replace several components to make up for various incompatibilities, but I should be able to maintain a decent budget for this.

MoBo: MSI P67A - GD65 -- ATX Form Factor, Intel P67 NB, USB 3.0, SATA 6Gb/sec

CPU: Intel Core i5 - 2500K @3.3GHz

RAM: Corsair XMS3 DDR3 SDRAM, 8Gb (4x 2Gb) @1600MHz

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium x64

Purchasing all those components, final cost (including shipping) if I DIY this one will be $603.00. However, that may change, because I'm trying to figure out if it is worth it to purchase the OEM version to save $90.00 off the Retail (I can't repair install off the disc and if this MoBo goes down, I have to buy Windows again).

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Jun 19 2011, 10:04 PM

KC and TK, sorry to hear of your computer problems.

My own Mr. Speedy had to go back to the Apple Hospital again. When I got it back, it was booting up fine, but I was having this intermittent but disabling screen flicker/flash. W7 was giving me messages that the NVIDIA driver had stopped communicating. The driver software was up to date. At first I thought it was loose connections on the video card (NVIDIA GeForce 8800), since in order to replace the logic board you have to remove the video card. Nope, all connections snug and tight. Problem persisted on both display ports, in both systems, though it would run fine for several hours then start up again. Finally a week later it failed to boot up again. Ugh. So back we went.

This time I told them of the video issues, and that I felt the graphics card was the original source of the problem and fried the logic board. They replaced the video card, ran the computer through some pretty rough testing (including rebooting every five minutes for several hours) and verified that the problem resolved before calling me back on Monday. I've had it up and running since Monday afternoon and no problems so far. Finally!

So after I finish my two finals this week (today and tomorrow) I plan to rescue the data off my failing laptop (out of warranty, at least $2K to fix - get a new one for that!) so I can keep writing and having fun with TES IV. I have a week off after finals before the next session starts July 4.

Hopefully that will end this rash of computer problems and everyone can get back to writing and playing and living!

Slight change of plans for me, I've decided to switch from four 2Gb sticks of RAM to two 4Gb sticks clocked to 1333MHz (which is more agreeable with the CPU I've decided on). This will leave two RAM slots open for upgrades should they become necessary, but most of all, doing this will shave $15.00 off the price tag for all the parts.

All that's left to do now is actually order the parts, but I've decided that can wait until my Stepdad finishes his annual inspection of his Cessna (yearly checkup on airworthiness).

So, that means I'll likely have the parts shipped this weekend.

In the meantime, I've taken to disassembling my computer to get ready for the rebuild, The only components left in the case are the MoBo and CPU, now.

While I'm at it, I would also like to take this time to reformat my hard drives to get rid of any junk that may be there, so that means I can likely look forward to a data retrieval session this weekend, as well. I'm probably going to need to do this anyway, since I'm not buying an upgrade package of Windows 7, so might as well get it out of the way.

That is excellent news! And- I am caught up on OHDH- now I just need to get my notes and highlights into Word. Maybe I can just download the Clippings file from the Kindle to the PC...? Hmmm

I think the video card overheating is what fried my previous rig- the one that COULD handle Oblivion. One day I will get a PCI-E card for the refurbished machine... When actual bills for things like food and whatnot become more manageable. Danged responsibilities....

My new PC parts have arrived.

WooHoo! How exciting. Is the new (rebuilt) puter going to have blue lights? I think that makes it fast. Although, I've heard that if it has red lights it is even faster. Does it have fans and lot of gigastickjuice and stuff? It sounds like it. And Seven seems good; my puter likes it.

Oh, and are you going to have to reinstall Oblivion, or do you know a spell so you don't have to do that?

This post has been edited by Acadian: Jun 30 2011, 09:31 PM

Well, let's see... my power LED is blue, which will match the blue-black-silver color scheme of the main board (which means my CPU heatsink will match, too). I do not think I have any red lights, but since they would clash with my current color scheme, they would do more harm than good.

Salvaged parts include my case, my GPUs, my hard drives, and my sound card. Everything else needed to be upgraded/replaced/removed due to incompatibilites.

It has 8Gb of Gigastickjuice, coming from two 4Gb GigaSticks of DDR3 set up for Dual Channel config.

I have four fans, one for the case, one for the CPU, and two for the GPUs (one each). That is actually one less than my previous build (bye bye Northbridge fan). I'm surprised my 'puter hasn't tried to go airborne so far.

I will need to reinstall Oblivion (the OS upgrade will necessitate a hard drive wipeout), BUT my patented Clone Disc spell will ensure that none of my mods or savegames will be lost. All I need to do is reinstall Oblivion as it is on the disc, then I can just plug in my other hard drive, copy the contents of my Oblivion and My Games folders over, delete the Oblivion.INI (more likely than not it will need reconfiguring), and voila! One revitalized install!

As an added benefit, I can also cast a special spell on the Oblivion.EXE that will allow it to use more RAM than before, because since I am using a 64bit OS now, I can do that. It's called Large Address Awareness, and it allows for 32bit programs to make use of up to 4Gb of RAM (as opposed to 2Gb) if the program is being run on 64bit architecture.

I did a lot of planning for this build. The CPU is much more powerful than before, I have now completely ditched IEDE and those gigantic ribbon cables, gone up to DDR3 RAM, and I now also have a grand total of four USB 3.0 slots available (as well as ten USB 2.0, two eSATA, two IEEE 1394, one LAN, and an onboard sound chipset that will likely never be used due to me owning a dedicated sound card).

I know a lot more about computer hardware now as a result of this build. All in preparation for a future career, most likely.

Here's a glance inside the box. As you can see, I have taken anti-static precautions (PC rests on a rubber mat, the floor is tile, and the grounding bracelet is in view). VERY IMPORTANT that you do that. One static discharge is enough to fry a PC component. Don't risk it, do not assemble on carpet.

And finally, the new specs:

MoBo: MSI P67A-GD65
>Intel P67 Northbridge
>SLI Ready
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K @ 3.3GHz
>Quad Core
Memory: 8Gb DDR3 @ 1333MHz (2X 4Gb)
>Dual Channel
GPU: nVidia GeForce 8800GT
>512Mb GDDR3 VRAM
>2 Way SLI
PSU: 700Watt
Audio: Creative SB X-Fi Titanium

I am back in line with modern tech now!

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Jun 30 2011, 10:16 PM

I just checked out some of the components you bought and you got and I'm pissed! A few months ago when I did my overhaul I got 2 2gig sticks of RAM for like $140! I might just order that RAM here. If so, then I'll need an OS upgrade as well (running 32 bit right now).

Your CPU determines if you can go 64bit. I believe every Sandy Bridge model processor is 64bit ready, so you shouldn't have a problem there.

I purchased this RAM package, in case you are wondering. Why? It was tested by MSI on my MoBo, for one. Second, I get 8Gb for 85 bucks (nyah nyah ) from a reputable manufacturer, and thirdly, you get that super-cool shark tooth heat dispersal unit.

TK, it sounds fabulous! I agree you can't (nor should you) abide clashing colors. I'm so glad you have a way to easily get Oblivion going again on it. It all sounds beautiful. Well, maybe not the picture with the poor thing's guts all hanging out and stuff. Congrats!

SHE LIVES!!!!

First boot was a success, Windows 7 has been installed, and the device drivers for my main board are now installed, as well.

Unfortunately, I have hit a brick wall here. To proceed any further, I need to connect my computer to the internet, and my previous wireless adapter will not work with Win7. I have a new one on the way, but it is shipping via USPS so I'm not sure when it will get here.

Oh, and Acadian, you and Buffy will also be pleased to hear that there are even more pretty blue LEDs mounted on the board, as well.

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Jul 1 2011, 02:53 AM

YEAH!

..Oh that sucks. Get a long line of cable and do it that way lol.

This post has been edited by King Coin: Jul 1 2011, 02:41 AM

Seriously I'd consider this, waaay less packet loss, faster, vastly more secure and less faffing around with poorly made wireless stuff. Just grab 30m of cat6 cable off ebay for a few quid (or more appropriatly bucks) and some cable pins and run it from router to computer.

Good to hear she lives. Colours sound rather more tasteful then my frankenstein of a machine too. Beige media drives in a (squashed and repaired) black box anyone?

What are you going to win7 from? I'd be interested to hear what you think of it as vista is rubbish and I've been thinking of upgrading (or getting another drive and dual-booting something else which works).

How can you do that? I have Oblivion running on 64-bit Win7. Any way to optimize the improved architecture would be great. Please share (or PM me if you prefer).

And don't wear anything polyester! Blue jeans and cotton T-shirts (without the caked-on designs that crackle in the wash) are de rigeur when repairing computers. Leave the Victoria's Secret stuff at home. And always ground yourself first before working with the delicate innards. Not much difference from veterinary surgery, if you ask me.

Olen, I'd say get Win7. Don't waste any more time. It comes in both 32 and 64-bit architecture, so it should run fine with your machine (as long as the CPU and memory are up to par). I've never personally used Vista, but have had friends who do. Only those who got Vista preinstalled on new boxes have been happy - those with older machines have been extremely unhappy with its memory hogginess and instability. I myself consider it a very poor imitator of Mac OS X. However, I've been quite happy with Win 7 on my machine. Except for a few minor details, it runs nearly as flawlessly as OS X on my Mac partition, and that's saying a LOT. But for $200, I consider it less a bargain than Mac OS X ($29 for the new upcoming Lion update).

I skipped Vista, and went straight to 7 from XP.

Also, rider, you can purchase a single-license OEM edition of Windows for only $100.00 if you need to maintain a budget. You will need to re-purchase Windows if you buy a new computer or your old one fails, but if you're on a tight budget, it's a great way to save money.

Anyways, yesterday's activities included:

- Assembling the rig
- Performing the first boot
- Installing Windows
- Installing main board drivers

One look at the RAM Windows is seeing (8Gb) is enough to tell me I am indeed running the 64bit version, and considering Windows was fully installed in a timeframe of roughly 15 minutes, I think that speaks a lot for my choice of CPU.

Today's activities will include:

- Installing and configuring AVG Antivirus
- Getting the computer networked (wireless or not)
- Installing Firefox
- Downloading and installing GPU drivers
- Downloading and installing SFX drivers
- Downloading and installing Creative ALchemy (due to Win7 no longer supporting hardware-accelerated audio)

I was looking at the OEM version, but decided against it due to the age of my desktop. In hindsight, it was just as well, as I needed a new logic board within a month. As I understand it, a new logic board is just like a 'hole 'nutha 'puter, and I would have had to buy another OEM Win7 anyway, so it worked out.

At long last, my disc clone backup is finally complete.

No more worrying about having to start over if things go south, now.

And that means I am now officially off on a clean slate on this machine. Every last trace of my Windows XP build is now gone.

I installed some new memory (the same stuff TK got actually at $70) and am now on 64 bit Win 7. I'm finishing up with installing software and making sure everything is up to date.