building a new DIY PC

  • Thread starter Thread starter attilathehun1
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attilathehun1

I'm fed up. Newegg.com sent me a new CPU chip, more than 30 days, or more
like 50 days, after the purchase. That's a positive thing now that has been
done. So, I have a mobo and a CPU chip that have both been sent back to
newegg.com and now I have replaced both of them. Anotherwords, there
shouldn't be a problem now with the CPU chip and motherboard. I'm thinking
about trashing it. I haven't even taken the CPU chip out of the box yet.
Ok, I'm going to get beyond this bad feeling and give it another shot. You
know, and I know we've been through this process a number of times already.
Alrighty, I'm going to give it another shot.
Ok, I just put the CPU chip in, and I'm thinking about keeping the Zalman
CPNS9700 LED cooler off until I know it's going to start up or fire up. Would
you agree with that procedure? I don't want to install it again, and then
have it not fire up.
Ok, I'm about to install the motherboard, but I'll wait for a response on
the cooler installation.
One more thing, I have the bottom plate and top plate in place already for
the CPU cooler, but I think the plate is in the wrong position. The cut out
should be where the lever arm comes up, when it's in the removable position.
When the lever are is up, not clipped in yet, and that's where the cut out
should be?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, attilathehun1
 
Another thing, I think the mobo and CPU were fine, even though I sent them
back to newegg.com and then were cool enough to honor the return even though
I was past due on returning them. The PC Tech at PC Club in Hawthorne said
everything was fine when he placed the mobo tester on the power supply. He
said it was the motherboard, which is what I told my brother and friend that
they always say, when you bring your PC that isn't working into a tech store.
Isn't that easy, sure, I'll replace your mobo and it will start working.
Ok, I think it's the tower that's the problem. Is there a way I can find
out if it's the tower? Like trying to fire it up without the front panel
start-up connector, maybe? How would I check that or how would I go about
finding out it's the tower that is the problem?
Thanks, attilathehun1
 
attilathehun1 said:
I'm fed up. Newegg.com sent me a new CPU chip, more than 30 days, or more
like 50 days, after the purchase. That's a positive thing now that has been
done. So, I have a mobo and a CPU chip that have both been sent back to
newegg.com and now I have replaced both of them. Anotherwords, there
shouldn't be a problem now with the CPU chip and motherboard. I'm thinking
about trashing it. I haven't even taken the CPU chip out of the box yet.
Ok, I'm going to get beyond this bad feeling and give it another shot. You
know, and I know we've been through this process a number of times already.
Alrighty, I'm going to give it another shot.
Ok, I just put the CPU chip in, and I'm thinking about keeping the Zalman
CPNS9700 LED cooler off until I know it's going to start up or fire up. Would
you agree with that procedure? I don't want to install it again, and then
have it not fire up.
Ok, I'm about to install the motherboard, but I'll wait for a response on
the cooler installation.
One more thing, I have the bottom plate and top plate in place already for
the CPU cooler, but I think the plate is in the wrong position. The cut out
should be where the lever arm comes up, when it's in the removable position.
When the lever are is up, not clipped in yet, and that's where the cut out
should be?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, attilathehun1
Click to expand...
Another thing, I think the mobo and CPU were fine, even though I sent them
back to newegg.com and then were cool enough to honor the return even though
I was past due on returning them. The PC Tech at PC Club in Hawthorne said
everything was fine when he placed the mobo tester on the power supply. He
said it was the motherboard, which is what I told my brother and friend that
they always say, when you bring your PC that isn't working into a tech store.
Isn't that easy, sure, I'll replace your mobo and it will start working.
Ok, I think it's the tower that's the problem. Is there a way I can find
out if it's the tower? Like trying to fire it up without the front panel
start-up connector, maybe? How would I check that or how would I go about
finding out it's the tower that is the problem?
Thanks, attilathehun1
Click to expand...

You should install a cooler on the CPU, even for a test. If you don't
put cooling on it, the whole computer will switch off in under five
seconds. You cannot do a lot of testing if the CPU overheats in
five seconds...

Regarding the retention frame for the CNPS9700, just fit it so that
the lever can move properly without binding. One orientation of that
piece, should work better than the others.

Part of the fun of a DIY build, is the satisfaction when it works.
The hair pulling part, is when a defective component prevents it
from working. In some cases, you'll need a good supply of spare
parts, in order to figure out what is defective. You also need
good reasoning powers, to run test cases, observe the results,
and reach the right conclusions.

Not all test results, are going to show the exactly busted component.
For example, I might be having a problem with RAM. I get some
BSODs on my screen. I run a memory test program, and sure enough,
it shows errors. But in terms of what affects the memory, it
could be a bad stick of RAM, or it could be a bad motherboard.
At that point, I'd need to do some component substitution
(a spare stick of RAM), to do another test. If the spare
stick works, then I know the original RAM is bad. If the spare
stick doesn't work, and I tested the spare stick before and it
is OK, then I've probably got a bad motherboard on my hands.
That is an example of where some spare parts come in handy.

When you refer to a "bad tower", the tower has only a few electrical
components in it. It has perhaps, a case speaker for beep codes.
It has a power switch, and a reset switch, and a few other bits and
pieces like that. It has the power supply as well. Of those,
the least reliable is the power supply, and depending on the
brand, a power supply bundled with a case can be junk. If you
bought a power supply separately, then you have more control of
what brand and quality level is used.

If I was having as much trouble as you are right now, I'd dig out
my spare (known working) power supply, connect that to the motherboard,
use my screwdriver tip to operate the two power switch pins on the
PANEL header, and attempt to switch the motherboard on. I'd install
the CPU, the heatsink/fan, and connect a computer case speaker.
(On my computer case, I can remove the speaker and just rest it
on the table. It snaps into place.) I can do some basic tests,
without the bother of screwing the motherboard down into the
computer case. If the tests are looking good, then I can
assemble the thing and do more tests. Since you've had poor luck
so far, I'd want to do enough testing, to get at least one positive
result, before wasting more time with the screwdriver.

In a previous posting, I made a list of test cases, and the components
I might use, for each test. The tests are "onion skin" style, meaning
each test builds on the success of the previous test. I like to do
the tests in order (and in that post I wrote, I didn't list all the
tests, just to keep the post to a reasonable length). By methodically
adding stuff, and noting the beep codes or other symptoms, you can
figure out whether the thing just added, is working or not.

Good luck,
Paul
 
....is this thread in response to posts from Attillathehun ? ...probably in
my killfile :-)
....if so, he seems to have access at all times to a working computer - and
as I posted on one of his threads a while ago, ...there are COUNTLESS
THOUSANDS of EXCELLENT web pages, (and some "not" so excellent ones), on how
to "build" your own PC !!!
....if he's so determined to master PC hardware assembly - why doesn't he
study some of these tutorials MUCH more than he obviously has done to date ?
....very suspicious - his persistant posts on all his problems regarding a PC
sysm box build !

regards, Richard
 
These guys are pretty good at supplying good hardware for low experience PC
builders. www.mwave.com
Options for buying tested mobo/cpu combinations may help you.
www.crucial.com sells firsts, not seconds of their own RAM. Never power-up
a motherboard and cpu combo without the cpu cooler in place.
 
Been following this guy's posts for a long time. He used to hang out at
win98.gen_discussion group. Before this guy appeared there, there was
another poster/different screen name with same motis operandi same
newsgroup. This person had many, many comprehension problems. Was a
consistent pest for long time there. Mysteriously, that poster's name
disappeared from any further posts. Very shortly afterwards, this guy's
screen name appeared instead with same apparent problems. He's transitioned
here since not taking on old, old hand-me-down PCs. I don't expect anything
to change.
 
I was just reading your response and I told my friend this person knows what
he's talking about and now I see it's you, so I said to my friend, oh yeah
it's this tech who knows exactly wtf he's doing.
Ok, lets get beyond patting ourselves on the back.
This PC DIY just won't fire up. I'm thinking about bringing it to the PC
Club and paying 25 bucks and seeing if they can get it to just fire up,
that's it. I don't want anything else installed or messed with. Just get the
darn thing to fire up.
I will install the Zalman CNPS9700 LED cooler now before bringing into the
PC Club. I'm not leaving it there though. Any work being done is going to be
done while I'm in the shop. I don't trust any PC tech with changing the CPU
chip or wtf.
Ok, one more rundown of wtf is installed.
I have a new power supply, a Thermaltake power supply that was bought
separately, and good thing I did buy a Thermaltake, because the other power
supply, an Antec 430 watt wouldn't fit right in the tower. That Antec is in
the living room PC.
An brief insert getting off the topic of this DIY PC is about the original
problem, which has been rectifed. Instead of the SATA drive, I installed the
original non-SATA drive and cleaned the OS to the factory OEM way.
Anotherwords, I installed Windows XP Home edition over the data and didn't
keep the data, so I guess it was formatted. That's done, finally! One more
thing, that's a DIY PC also. So, Andy go tell Opie, Aunt Bee, Goober, Floyd,
and your best buddy Barney to bring their PCs to a PC shop.
I can go buy a bunch of other parts so I could tell myself if it's the CPU
chip, motherboard, RAM sticks, which the RAM stick are brand new also,
etc..., to figure out what is the problem or troubleshoot it. I've gone
through the whole gamut. Well, not yet, I've not switched the RAM sticks to
see if newegg.com sent me bad RAM sticks. They are brand new, so I figure
that's low on the list of things that would be wrong.
Ok, this is getting long winded. Lets put it this way, the whole damn PC is
new parts. OK!
I"ve lifted out of the PC to make sure it's not a short. I've stuck a paper
clip between the points on the mobo to see if it's the tower. I don't think
it's the tower.
It's kinda worth it to bring the PC into the PC Club and for 25 bucks let
them fire it up, or tell me wtf is wrong with it.
Alrighty, over and out.
Thanks, attilathehun1
 
Should I put thermal grease on the CPU cooler, I'm taking it into a PC tech
store and I probably am going to take the cooler off again, for whatever
reason or so, why should I put the thermal grease on again and then take it
off again?
Do you see a problem with not putting the thermal paste on, even if they
fire it up for 2 minutes or so, as long as the cooler is in place?
Any fast response would be greatly appreciated, time is of the essence.
Thanks, attilathehun1
 
attilathehun1 said:
Should I put thermal grease on the CPU cooler, I'm taking it into a PC tech
store and I probably am going to take the cooler off again, for whatever
reason or so, why should I put the thermal grease on again and then take it
off again?
Do you see a problem with not putting the thermal paste on, even if they
fire it up for 2 minutes or so, as long as the cooler is in place?
Any fast response would be greatly appreciated, time is of the essence.
Thanks, attilathehun1
Click to expand...

Why don't you ask the tech, what state he prefers to receive the project in ?

Maybe he'll want to inspect the installation of the processor, such as looking
for bent pins in the LGA775 socket. They do get bent some times. Some get
crushed in transit from Newegg (as posted in some of the reviews on Newegg).

If you put it all together, and put paste on it, it is still not going to take
him that long to disassemble and inspect. And with paste, he could always just
slap it back together when he is done. After all, his main benefit, is to
identify any mistakes made - you didn't state he was building the entire
system for you, so you are still responsible for doing a neat job of
final assembly. He is just an extra set of eyes, looking for mistakes.

Paul
 
I didn't bring it in to the PC Club, they are open on Sundays, maybe I can do
it tomorrow. I went to Fries on Sepulveda in Manhattan Bch and bought a power
supply tester that has an LED read out. It costs 25 bucks, so it's not a
cheaper. In fact, it was the most expensive power supply tester available
there. It has a 24 pin mobo plug tester, a 4 plug molex tester, a 4 prong
floppy tester, an 8 pin tester, and finally a 6 pin connector.
I'm looking at it now, for the first time, and I see it's scratched up on
the bottom, this isn't new. Damn it, can't I buy something for 25 bucks
nowadays and get a new product? Ok, Fries is open on Sundays, maybe I should
bring it back and get a new one. What would you do, keep this one, or bring
it back and get a new one? You can tell just by looking at it, out of the
package, that it's not new.
Ok, What should I test to figure out what is wrong? What will or should
read out on the LED screen to tell me what's working and what's not? The PC
Club tech put one of these power supply testers on the 24 pin mobo connector
on the power supply and told me that it was the motherboard that was the
problem. Now was he just yanking my chang, or was he reading something that
could tell him really what was wrong with the PC, like the motherboard being
the problem, and not just telling me that to sell another motherboard? I
didn't buy another mobo, but I did send the mobo back to newegg.com. The
Wolfdale chip was brand new, the one that they replaced, because I could tell
by the cooler that came with it, was brand new, because I had messed up one
of the four motherboard pins that connects it to the mobo. It turns out, all
you have to do is turn the pin 45 degrees one way and it pops right off. I
was trying to take a screwdriver and needle nose pliers and get it back off
that way. After reading the instructions, I found out how to do it.
Ok, this could save me some bucks, like at least 30 bucks, by buying
testers at Fries. I'm going to bring this back to get a new one, so is there
any other tester that I should buy or device I should buy to rectify this
situation?
Alrighty, it's 11:15 pm and I'm getting to the end of my rope. Maybe I can
play a video game for once this week and take some stress off of my mind.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, attilathehun1
 
Ok genius, I want to see YOU build this thing and see if you can figure out
wtf is wrong with it. I bet it's some part of device that is defective.
I built or fixed the problem PC that started the domino effect. It running
right now, the problem was trying to put a SATA drive on this ECS Elitegroup
mobo, which got terrible reviews from newegg.com. Now, I know why it got
terrible reviews, because the mobo can't take DDR 400 RAM sticks, and that's
what's advertised on the box. The other problem is with ATI video cards,
which can be recified by downloading from their website. That living room PC
is running fine with Windows XP Home edition and a non-SATA drive in it right
now. Also it has a PCI-express video card in it, too.
Ok, I'm not such a non-bite as you think, but I'll not say I'm some
workhorse PC builder so no-one gives me advice. I'll humble myself and say
that someone else knows more than me, and have no problem in saying that.
Again, this DIY PC is brand new parts, and the CPU chip and motherboard
have been sent back and replaced by newegg.com., after the 30 day warranty.
They saw how many devices that I've bought from them and decided they didn't
want to lose my business. Right now I'm thinking if this is the motherboard,
after replacing it, I'm not going to do any more business for a long while
with newegg.com.
Now, I've bought a power supply tester from Fries in Manhattan Bch., and
it's not new. WTF is up with that!
Any more help, without unnecessary and hostile remarks, will be greatly
appreciated.
Thanks, attilathehun1
 
--
attilathehun1


Leythos said:
With all of your threads and posts you've show that you have NO, none,
not any, technical ability and that you can't read manuals or even
search google for installation instructions from vendors sites, you've
shown this in every one of your posts.

As for getting part that was used - yep, happens all the time in this
business, that's why you inspect it before you purchase it, and a power-
supply tester is a completely waste of time - you can buy a new power
supply for the same cost and you can keep it or return it....

The chance that all those parts you returned were actually bad is very
slim, in all my years of building computers and servers I've had exactly
1 bad CPU, and it came out of a computer that took a power hit that had
run for 4 years....

You are either the best troll I've seen in decades or you are just to
non-technical to actually build a PC - please return the parts and buy a
MAC or a cheap Dell.

--
- Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.
- Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a
drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"
(e-mail address removed) (remove 999 for proper email address)
Click to expand...
 
Ok, they didn't post my last reply, because I decided to say my greek buddy.
I usually get along great with greeks, but one bad apple doesn't spoil the
whole bunch.
Ok, I wanted to say in my last reply, that I brought the PC into a PC tech
and he put and I stress HE put the power supply tester onto the P1 24 pin
mobo connector on the power supply and then told me all the devices worked ok
except the motherboard. So, that's the analysis of the PC tech and I stress
again, the PC TECH!
What now, you want me to bring it back and have him put the tester on again
and tell me it's the motherboard? I already said, it's been replaced, at
least, and the CPU chip is new. I know the CPU chip that I returned had a bad
cooler plug and this one is new. In fact, the employee on the tele told me
that they take a new CPU chip package off the shelf and that's the way they
do it at newegg.com with returned CPU chips. The mobo, I think not, because
if it was new, it would've been sealed in plastic, which it wasn't. So, now
we are at a crossroads, your telling me that only once in your life have you
had a bad chip. This chip is new and been replaced with a new one, the mobo
had been replaced, now what? Replace the RAM? All the RAM is going to do is
not display anything up on the monitor. The PC should still fire up if the
RAM is bad. Yes or no? I think yes it will still fire up.
I ran through the whole gamut with the living room PC, which is now running
perfectly, and it turned out it was the mobo battery 2032 that needed to be
replaced. Ok, lets give you a run down of my experience. It wouldn't fire up
and then once it fired up, the monitor wouldn't display. I checked the power
plug first to see if it was plugged in right. Then I checked if it was
shorting out. I then changed the power supply, still wouldn't fire up. I
switched the power cable, still nothing. I ran through I can't remember every
damn thing and still nothing. Ok, I went to Home Depot and bought a battery
tester and decided to test out the battery tester on the Button Cell & Zinc
Air 1.3V - 1.5V option tester. I started testing all the orgainizer and
motherboard batteries in the house. It turns out, the 2032 mobo battery on
the living room PC wasn't working, Bingo! Ok, now it is firing up, but
nothing is coming or displaying on the monitor. Ok, now I reseat the RAM
sticks first, nothing, then I check the video card and it's settings and
change the video card, still nothing. I check the hard drive to make sure
it's working properly, nothing. I checked some other things, ok, switched
monitors, still nothing. I wtf. Ok, only when I changed the motherboard did I
finally get it to work.
Alrighty! WTF would you have done differently?
I'm asking questions here, because I want to learn as much as I can about
PCs and I can humble myself and ask questions even though I might or may know
the answer already. Maybe someone has a better way of doing it. I'd always
format my hard drives by taking them out and putting them into other PCs as
the slave, so I would be able to format it. By asking questions here, I found
out I could format my hard drive that has the primary OS on it, by using a
floppy disc. I still haven't done that yet, though. I'd like to format a hard
drive alot easier by using a floppy diskette, instead of taking it out and
installing it as a slave on another PC.
Alright, I'm getting tired and this is going nowhere.
One more thing, the reason I make new posts instead of going back to a
former post is because people lose track. I'm not even going to explain that
one.
I wanted to ask something here, but I'm already to my max output right now.
Any more help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, attilathehun1
 
If PC techs told the truth they would be out of business. For example, I
bring my PC into the PC Club and the PC tech tells me to unscrew the PCI card
plastic holder to get out the PC card that is stuck, he loses money. I say
thanks for the advise and leave. Instead he looked at it, and said that will
be $29.95 for me to get that card unstuck, I offered $20 bucks cash and he
said ok. Turns out I stuck it on the card because I didn't have my ATM card
on me and that would've costed 4 bucks anyways at an ATM machine, 2 bucks
for the vendor and 2 bucks charged from Washington Mutual for not using their
ATM machine. I did watch him do it, so the $30 bucks I spent was well spent.
Now I know how to get a PCI card unstuck.
The other deal, I bring my PC into the tech and instead of telling me it's
the mobo battery, he tells me the mobo is no good anymore, you need a new
motherboard. Had he told me the truth, or maybe he didn't even know the
truth, I would've said thanks and maybe I would've bought something for under
10 bucks or under 30 bucks or whatever and left. See, I'm no jew, if I get
service and the tech doesn't charge me, I buy something from the store to
show my gratitude. Sorry about the jew part, I'm not anti-semite, I'm just
using that as a metaphor.
So as far as taking it to a PC tech, there is only one PC tech I trust and
he's out right now with medical problems. The only reason I trust him, is
because he charged me $25 bucks to put service the PC, after I told him I'd
do it. I remember, I bought a motherboard that he said was bad, there we go
again, a bad motherboard, they always say that, that's the easy way out, and
he told me he would put it in for me and I told him I didn't want to pay the
25 dollar service charge and that I could do it, but he said don't worry.
When I saw the bill and I said wtf is this 25 dollar charge, he said oh
that's for putting in the mobo. I got so mad, after paying it, I flipped him
off while leaving. After that, he services my PCs for nothing and I buy
devices or items from the store after PC advice. So like I said, he's out on
medical leave.
Ok, that's what was in my other message that didn't make it thru their
telescopes.
Thanks, attilathehun1
 
You're spending a lot of time, producing lots of good advice, to someone you
already KNOW will not listen or even understand !
....i.e. save your breath !

regards, Richard
 
Look into the mirror and say it to yourself, you haven't given me any
constructive answers but to bring it to a rip off PC tech. I told you already
that a PC tech won't tell you the motherboard needs a battery, he wil tell
you your motherboard is shot, and to buy another motherboard, and hopefull he
will get you to leave the old one so he can sell it to some innocent PC owner
who gets duped. He won't tell you your PC card is stuck and the way to get it
out is to unscrew the PCI slot holders, he will tell you that will be $30
bucks and he can get your card out.
They are in the business not to tell you the truth, but only to make money.
If you want the truth, talk with someone here, NOT YOU, but someone with no
jealous bones in their bodies.
Ok, I want to go out and buy another motherboard and see if this mobo is
the problem. That's what YOUR PC TECH told me was wrong, after he put his
power supply tester on it. Maybe your in league with this PC tech, or you own
your own PC repair shop or you THINK your a PC tech. Why don't you give some
type of constructive advice so people will think you know something besides
needling someone. You think your a needle artist, buddy, you haven't seen a
needle artist. I don't even want to go there. I'm beyond that, I'm a grown
up, and I don't need to lower myself to your level. My father used to always
tell me, if you mess with shit, you wind up with shit. Alright, this is a
challenge, what is your diagnosis of why the PC won't fire up? You don't have
one, do you? Your a bunch of hot air. That's it!
Again, I want to go out and buy a new motherboard, and use that one, and
see if this thing will fire up. Well, before I do that, I want to use this
power supply tester and see for myself, instead of taking the advice of a PC
tech who wants to charge me for services.
Thanks, attilathehun1
 
This is the first time, I've had a problem this long building a PC. The other
times, it was some device that wasn't working that caused the problem. This
problem, which really isn't such a problem, isn't a biggie. Maybe the PC
tech, your buddy, is right and the motherboard is bad. That would explain
alot. Even though, newegg.com had replaced it now, I still think that's the
problem. No, I now think the PC tech bullshited me and it's the power supply.
I'm not sure. I haven't checked the power supply yet, and that's the next
thing I'm going to do with the power supply tester that you said was a waste.
If you really were a PC tech, you would've already given some constructive
advise and not always put up some bs line about bringing it into some PC
tech, who says it's the motherboard. That's a line that 99% of PC techs say
it is, how easy, oh yeah, it's the motherboard. I could tell you that and put
a new mobo in and yes it would work.
Thanks, attilathehun1
 
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