Computer-construction tips please!

[Xander]

J3,

Depending upon what kind of CPU cooler you buy they come with fans. The cooler itself is the heatsink. Some of them use fans as standard to cool your CPU others are designed as passive and have no fans of their own relying on the airflow through the case to cool them and then you have probably the best in the field which are passive but have room enough for one or more fans.

The 120s from Thermalright were the best in the field when I was looking.. however if you want some bling there's the V8 CPU cooler from coolermaster. Now that puppy is cool in a different way

Oh and check out Anandtech for comparisons of CPU coolers... though I personally think they're lying scoundrels when it comes to what temperatures they achieve as I don't think I got within 10 degrees celcius of their recorded temps. Hence why I'm watercooling... it's part frustration and part "oooo plumbing!!"

[JivinJeffJones]

I just made the mistake of doing a price-check on ebay.com (as opposed to the australian travesty that is ebay.com.au) and I am PISSED! I could order a custom-built, water-cooled, warranteed system better than the one I have planned for about $1000 less. If I lived in America. WTF???


Stuck in the fucking 90s over here.

[millerm277]

Originally Posted by JivinJeffJones

I just made the mistake of doing a price-check on ebay.com (as opposed to the australian travesty that is ebay.com.au) and I am PISSED! I could order a custom-built, water-cooled, warranteed system better than the one I have planned for about $1000 less. If I lived in America. WTF???

Australia sucks? You could try to find a seller willing to ship to australia, or someone willing to buy it for you and ship it to you. (Second option is risky, unless you've got friends in the USA). Shipping is definitely a lot less than $1k.

[JivinJeffJones]

Originally Posted by millerm277

Australia sucks? You could try to find a seller willing to ship to australia, or someone willing to buy it for you and ship it to you. (Second option is risky, unless you've got friends in the USA). Shipping is definitely a lot less than $1k.

Hmm, nice idea. I do indeed have trustworthy friends in the US. Something to consider.


Wondering about the PSU though. The outlets and voltage are different in this ludicrously overpriced continent.

[millerm277]

Originally Posted by JivinJeffJones

Wondering about the PSU though. The outlets and voltage are different in this ludicrously overpriced continent.

You'll need a power cable, for your outlet type, like this. If you already have/can find a computer around, the power cord it uses should be fine. Computer Power Cord Australia -- DataPro

Voltage is even easier. There is a 99% chance you need to do exactly nothing. Almost all modern power supplies will automatically adjust to the voltage they're given. In a rare few lower-end units (unlikely with the price of your machine), there may be a little red switch on the back of the PSU (right next to where you plug the power cable in) labeled 120/240, if it's there, move it into the 240V position. That's it. Here's an example of one. http://z.about.com/d/compreviews/1/5/G/2/DIY-PSU5.jpg

[Xander]

It is true that all the PSUs are the same. Some don't even have the switch..

Oh and as I've found out recently... you don't really need all that much power. With a quad core system with three hard drives, a DVD and a Radeon 3870x2 running in game my zalman monitor thingy says I use just a little over 300W! I'm wondering what people are running to use those monsterous 1200W PSUs...

[Dom]

Originally Posted by Xander

It is true that all the PSUs are the same. Some don't even have the switch..

Oh and as I've found out recently... you don't really need all that much power. With a quad core system with three hard drives, a DVD and a Radeon 3870x2 running in game my zalman monitor thingy says I use just a little over 300W! I'm wondering what people are running to use those monsterous 1200W PSUs...

Yours is water cooled!!! and running at very low temps... Omic resistance increases with temp, and air cooled system with all that stuff would probably be using far more energy, plus, i'm not sure how the monitor measures it, it could be missing a rail from the psu... just guessing... i think some sort of measure out side thebox would be best, actually measuirng what the psu is drawing in..

[Dom]

Originally Posted by JivinJeffJones

I just made the mistake of doing a price-check on ebay.com (as opposed to the australian travesty that is ebay.com.au) and I am PISSED! I could order a custom-built, water-cooled, warranteed system better than the one I have planned for about $1000 less. If I lived in America. WTF???


Stuck in the fucking 90s over here.

LOL... it's the same in the UK, if you can buy in america it's about half the price to the uk... (completed systems that is I haven't played with components much while here)

[Xander]

Originally Posted by Dom

Yours is water cooled!!! and running at very low temps... Omic resistance increases with temp, and air cooled system with all that stuff would probably be using far more energy, plus, i'm not sure how the monitor measures it, it could be missing a rail from the psu... just guessing... i think some sort of measure out side thebox would be best, actually measuirng what the psu is drawing in..

Dom, it's measuring it by intercepting the power cable before it's even connected to the PSU. It's inbetween the PSU and the plug on the wall.

You know it's quite a well known fact that most people buy a larger psu than they need but why not? Why stress the component which makes everything else run? All I'm advocating is not going too far in that quest. If you're at maximum load and not even scraping 50% of the max load of the PSU then it's probably not the most efficient use of your money (look who's talking eh ).

[Dom]

Originally Posted by Xander

It's inbetween the PSU and the plug on the wall.

That's where it should be, and it would still draw less as it's water cooled :P

I think it's the quality more than the wattage with regards to psus anyway, a cheap one simply does a cheap job...