Your self built pc's specs & pics

[ViolentJ]

Well we've seen Adam's water cooled beast and there always seems to be a post about building a pc on the go, so what have you got right now and what does it get used for? Any immediate upgrade or pimping plans? This only applies to home pc's, not what you might be running at work unless you work from home on it.

My current spec:

AMD AM3 Phenom II X3 (tri core) 720 Black Edition @ 3.4GHz
Scythe Shuriken Cooler
Gigabyte GA-MA770-DS3 AMD 770
4GB (2x 2GB) OCZ PC2 6400 Dual CH Gold Edition XTC
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB SATA-II 32MB Cache
Hitachi Deskstar 160GB SATA II 8MB Cache
ASUS 20x DVDRW SATA
Palit Geforce 8800GT 512MB
Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer 7.1
Xpower 480watt PSU
Antec Skeleton (1x 250mm fan + 1x 92mm HDD fan)
Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit

Used for gaming and general use (browsing, word processing etc). Shall probably be replacing the 8800 with a 4870 1GB in the next few weeks and I really need to do something with the wiring but in an open chassis case it's difficult to hide anything.

 

[H182]

mad looking case, never seen one like that before.

 

[matt|H]

Loved that case since I saw it on Engadget. Looks really nice and different.

I'll get some pics and proper specs later but I hardly use my PC now!

AMD Athlon X2 6000+ 3.0GHz
OCZ Platinum 4 x 1GB
Seagate Barracuda 120GB x 3 (RAID 5)
ATI Radeon x1950Pro 512MB
22" LG monitor x 2

On my 3rd case now, went for a horizontal one as I have plans for the future using this in a nice setup.

 

[David]

isn't it well noisy and gets really dusty>? looks cool. i'll post up mine eventually too

Intel Q6600 @ 3.2ghz
Zalman Flower Cooler
8gig Corsair dominator ram
asus p35 board
x2 500g samsung f1's RAID 0
x4 1.5 barracuda drives
x1 XFX 4870x2 AtI
Corsair 800 PSU
Antec 900 case
G15 key, G5 mouse
24" Dell Ultrasharp

 

[ViolentJ]

mad looking case, never seen one like that before.

Had it for a while now. It's one of those cases you either love or hate. http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/product.php?id=NzA0

isn't it well noisy and gets really dusty>?

Depends on what you call noisy really. The 250mm fan has 3 speed settings but even on the fastest it's not bad. The CPU fan is virtually silent when it's spinning so the only real noise comes from the graphics cooler but when I'm gaming I wear headphones so I don't hear that anyway.

Everyone assumes that dust is an issue but with it being totally open once that big fan starts spinning any dust gets blown away.

The only problem with it as such is that you can't hide the cables. I know some people braid them and I may end up doing that just to neaten things up.

Upgrades are great, you can do most things with the case as is. No need to remove anything and all the internally mounted drives have quick release mechanisms.

 

[Adam]

Haha that case is mad. Nice work

 

[Munson]

Asus P5NT Deluxe 780i (@ 1680FSB)
Intel QX9650 Extreme @ 3.8Ghz (420x9)
4GB DDR2 Geil Black Dragon @ 840 (1:1)
Evga Nvidia GTX295

Samsung T260 26" monitor (1920x1200)
G9 mouse
G25 wheel
Some s**tty keyboard with worn out WASD keys :evil:

 

[Alex H]

I built this December '07 (on a tight budget) as a Home/Office PC, photo-editing, some light gaming, watching Blurays, HD DVDS. Planning a graphics card update soon, probably a 4870 or similar. Otherwise I'm fairly happy with it for the use it gets.

Coolermaster Elite 460W Case/PSU Combo
ASUS P5KC iP35 Mobo
Q6600 2.40Ghz CPU
Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro Cooler
4GB Corsair DDR2 800Mhz Ram
X1950GT 256Mb DDR3 256bit GFX
LG BD/HDDVD DVDRW Combo
Samsung SpinPoint 500Gb HDD
22" Samsung 226BW 2ms 3000:1
Logitech Wireless Rechargeable Desktop
Creative 5.1 Speakers

 

[Andy.]

My next upgrade will be to an i7 processor, hopefully in the not too distant future. Just upgraded the graphics card so that should keep me going for a while.

Intel E6600 @ 3.2GHz
Arctic Freezer 7 PRO
Geil DDR2 4GB 800 DDR2 4-4-4-12
Asus P5B Deluxe
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320 GB Sata-2
2 x Samsung Spinpoint 500GB Sata-2
2 x Samsung Spinpoint F1 1000GB Sata-2
Saphire 4870 1GB Toxic
Enermax Liberty 500W ATX2
Antec Performance One P182
24" Samsung TFT & 19" Phillips TFT

 

[Munson]

I built this December '07 (on a tight budget) as a Home/Office PC, photo-editing, some light gaming, watching Blurays, HD DVDS. Planning a graphics card update soon, probably a 4870 or similar. Otherwise I'm fairly happy with it for the use it gets.

Coolermaster Elite 460W Case/PSU Combo
ASUS P5KC iP35 Mobo
Q6600 2.40Ghz CPU
Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro Cooler
4GB Corsair DDR2 800Mhz Ram
X1950GT 256Mb DDR3 256bit GFX
LG BD/HDDVD DVDRW Combo
Samsung SpinPoint 500Gb HDD
22" Samsung 226BW 2ms 3000:1
Logitech Wireless Rechargeable Desktop
Creative 5.1 Speakers

OC that CPU past 3Ghz, bang in a 4870, or a 4870x2. Good to go.

 

[Gareth]

Mainly used for surfing the internet, iTunes and gaming:

Intel Q6600 & Zalman Cooler
Zalman fan controller
EVGA n680i Motherboard
Coolermaster RealPower 620W Modular PSU - SLI Ready (after Corsair PSU packed up)
Coolermaster Stacker 830 Evolution Nvidia Special Edition Case
4GB 1066Mhz OCZ SLi-Ready Memory
XFX 768MB 8800GTX 1900Mhz
2 x Samsung 206BW 20" Monitors
2 x Western Digital Raptor X 150GB 10000RPM SATA 16MB Cache
Sony Floppy Drive
Samsung SH-S203P/BEBN 20x DVD±RW

I may upgrade to an i7 setup at somepoint but I can't help but feel the PC gaming industry has died somewhat with very few games coming out that interest me.

 

[Mark One]

Built a while ago, recently OCed

Asus P5KC Mobo
E6750 2.66 -> 3.2GHz
4Gig 800MHZ corsair XMS3 (wouldnt really recommend tbh)
PC power and cooling 610 Watt PSU (Highly recommended)
Cheap graphics 7800GT running Coolermaster passive cooler
quiet fans all round, it's really really quiet
2x DVDRW
Samsung 226BW as pictured above Want another !

 

[Evoss]

Mainly used for surfing the internet, iTunes and gaming:

I got that case

 

[Evoss]

I like this case

 

[seb]

introducing the Sloth...

from april 2007.

this was the rough spec:

had some teething troubles...

lol sorry for no updates!!!

quick summary for you:

the PC worked first time i powered it up.

installed XP - no issues at all.

Due to my version of XP being old it got some sort of virus and i had to do a reformat last night after speaking to Griff at length on the telephone.

I was too knackered to come back on here tbh.

Fuller update tonight!!!!

but so far it has been a success!!!

got some advice from some old skool users

havnt read all the replies but personally id give it one last reformat, once installed just go straight to windows update before you do anythin and run that, reboot, check for more upadte, reboot, check for more updates, until it says your up to date, then install everythin else.

eventually, with a lot of help from .griff. on the phone and others on the forum i got it solved...

well what ever the problem was it has been solved (for now...)

yes all this RAID business got me confused since i only have 1 HD.

Basically reformatted and put XP back on. Got SP2 downloaded and installed and restarted with baited breath.

it came back into windows with no blue screen!

I have now fully updated XP and have a different A/V installed.

ME and Griff seem to think that the only time i got this blue screen was after installing NOD32 and doing the restart. I could never go back to get rid due to the blue screen.

I now have Kaspersky A/V and it restarted fine.

Griff was of the opinion NOD32 may well do checks as the PC is loading up prior to windows so this may have caused some issues.

So i am posting this from my new computer!

However, my stomach still turns whenever i restart it at present, but it has doen about 6 restarts and no problems so i am kinda pleased.

Just got to sort out the drivers for the graphics card and i think i am there!

Cheers for everyone giving me advice, i really appreciate it.

Especially Griff who i have bene speaking to on the telephone pretty much constantly over the last few days. I expect my invoice from him soon!

I'll give another update soonish as i have work etc later.

I'll do somegeek tests to see what the PC is like performance wise andi may even post a picture of the magical black box for you all.

I'll also do a quick run though of my last few days for allthe peopel considering doing this build your own PC quest. Just give you my noob opinion on it all, what i found hard/easy/impossible.

At present i am very pleased.... this could however change... you know what PC's are like!

And my 3D Mark from back after the build and my thoughts...

UPDATE

Ok, ran 3Dmark06

my score is: 7649

Not too shabby really in my eyes.

So how did my build go then? Well it only took about 3 hours to unwrap it all, poke it, look at it, read the manuals and then peice it together. The actual build was relatively stress free. Only issue was the thermal paste! lol

It is quite confusing with all the cables but you can't go wrong if you read ther manuals and take heed of their advice. plain sailing really. The best bit of advice i had was to just take my time and i would whole heartedly agree with this.

Being a noob i was a bit clumsy with a few things. for example, trying to screw the mobo to the side of the PC was difficult but only took a few failed attempts and it was sorted.

The main problem i had was obviously well documentated within this thread. The dreaded blue screen. This caused me much stress outs as i was constantly thinking about how and what i could do to get around it. Luckily, i (well Griff and me... mainly Griff tbh..) managed to solve it after trying many different options.

I think the software area will always be a problem as bolting it together, imo, is quite easy. Having these issues has made me learn quite a lot as i have to fiddle about with various bits and peices in bios etc etc. I think it also shows, with a bit of help form some techno dudes, your trusty friend Google and geek forums, any wierd problem can be overcome!

Would i recommend doing a self build to a noob? Yeah i reckon i would. If you are a complete computer leper and have no idea how to even turn one on, i would stay away, as seeing all the bits and peices in front of you is very daunting. But if you have tinkered a bit (i had only previously added some ram, graphics card and done a format.) i am sure many would relish the challenge! just be prepared for a few 'issues'.

I don't think nowadays building your PC is that much cheaper, if at all, from buying a pre made one. It does however give you the choice of which components you want and you can be sure you have quality. It also ensures you don't get a load of crap add on software from the start. I have finally got rid of AOL for good! and that can only be a good thing!!!

Better go buy some cool games now - command and conquer here i come!

Only final thing i have to do is get some zip ties so i can tidy up the inside. Then i am done!

 

[DKoo2009]

I like this case

Offttt.. i made a mess .. prices anybody?

 

[Evoss]

introducing the Sloth...

Are you a coppa, or just like a bit of SM? Got the Cuffs I see

 

[Evoss]

Offttt.. i made a mess .. prices anybody?

I had a look, not been released yet. It was made by BMW

 

[seb]

i stole them. i like S&M tbh.

 

[Ali]

PC World FTW!

 

[Munson]

Roffle. The Sloth is awesome :approve:

 

[seb]

no spaces Roy

thesloth will hopefully be turned on in anger again when i sort my new place out. not been switched on in anger since December 2007!!! makes me sad...

 

[Brazo]

Nice to see you take your work home with you Seb

Where do I do this 3dbenchmark from!!

 

[Adam]

http://www.futuremark.com/

 

[J273]

Mine....Not updated in a while

ASUS P5KE mobo
Q6600 @ stock + Noctua HSF
8800GT
OCZ Gold Edition 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 PC2-8500C5
XFI PLATINUM
Hyper R-series 530W PSU
Dual 30" DELL 3007wfp's
160gig storage (Use a QNAP nas which is shared between the mac and PC)
Coolermaster ATC 201



Still using the coolermaster after about 5 years still one of the best cases imo.

 

[Brazo]

Cheers Adam, didn't realise you had to pay for it so won't bother lol!!

 

[Adam]

Cheers Adam, didn't realise you had to pay for it so won't bother lol!!

I think there is a free version but you can source the full one quite easily if you catch my drift .

 

[seb]

i didn't have to pay for it when i did it.

 

[ViolentJ]

PC World FTW!

Surely this deserves infraction points?

 

[Munson]

Straight up ban IIRC.

 

[Darren S]

Haven't changed mine in a long while, but it does the job for now

• AMD X2 6400+ Black Edition (stock 3.2Ghz clock)
• 4GB (4x 1GB) OCZ DDR2-800 Spec Ops memory
• Sapphire 4870 512MB
• SoundBlaster X-Fi Fatal1ty
• 2x 320GB RAID0 for Windows XP (32-bit)
• 2x 500GB RAID0 for Windows Vista Ultimate (64-bit)
• Iiyama 19" 1900S TFT
• Antec P180B case
• Logitech G15 keyboard
• Logitech MX518 mouse
• Logitech G25 wheel
• Microsoft Sidewinder FF stick

D.

 

[Cookie]

It's been so long since I actually gave a s**t about PC gaming I'm not entirely sure what the spec of my box is

Off the top of my head (because I'm not at home..)

Q6600 @ stock
2gb Corsair Dominator shizzle, f**k knows on the speed tbh
320mb 8800 GTS
2x 160gb Seagates
1x 400gb Seagate
1x 1TB MyBook for external shizzle

Monitor is a 26" Samsung HDTV

Mouse is an MX510 (a bloo one), keyboard is Logitech too..

I'm a slave to my 360 for gaming nowadays, so the latest game I've probably got on the PC is err FM09

 

[Snubbs]

I've always been a PC gamer since I got my first P4 Based machine back when I was 14 or so...

ATM, Spec is:
Core 2 Duo e8400 @ 3.4GHz (havent had time to OC it properly yet - exams etc)
Asus P5Q Pro
4GB XMS2 Corsair 800Mhz
430w Seasonic S12 PSU (soon to be upgraded to either OCZ 600w or Tagan 680w)
Antec 300 (soon to be upgraded to Antec 902)
nVidia 9600GT 512MB (very soon to be upgraded to GTX275 - its in the post)
ComproTV Analogue/Digital TV card
1TB Samsung F1
500GB Hitachi Deskstar
X-Fi GamerXtreme
And recently upgraded my mouse to a Logitech G9
LG 22" Monitor
Logitech Driving Force Pro

I'll post up some dismally boring pics if i get round to it (but I should be revising for my final exam on thursday!)

Cheers, James

 

[Darren S]

I've always been a PC gamer since I got my first P4 Based machine back when I was 14 or so...

ATM, Spec is:
Core 2 Duo e8400 @ 3.4GHz (havent had time to OC it properly yet - exams etc)
Asus P5Q Pro
4GB XMS2 Corsair 800Mhz
430w Seasonic S12 PSU (soon to be upgraded to either OCZ 600w or Tagan 680w)
Antec 300 (soon to be upgraded to Antec 902)
nVidia 9600GT 512MB (very soon to be upgraded to GTX275 - its in the post)
ComproTV Analogue/Digital TV card
1TB Samsung F1
500GB Hitachi Deskstar
X-Fi GamerXtreme
And recently upgraded my mouse to a Logitech G9
LG 22" Monitor
Logitech Driving Force Pro

I'll post up some dismally boring pics if i get round to it (but I should be revising for my final exam on thursday!)

Cheers, James

That's a good mobo, that.

D.

 

[Topgeartom]

Built a new system for the family a couple of weeks back. Only my 2nd build but went largely without a hitch apart from what turned out to be bad memory.

Havent had time to OC it yet due to being up at uniand some big deadlines round the corner.

AMD Phenom X4 9950 Black Edition Quad core
Sapphire PI-AM2RS780Vmobo
4GB Corsair XMS2 800Mhz
500GB Hitachi Deskstar
OCZ Vanquisher Cooler
A-Pod Case with 500W PSU

Will be going for a HD4850 when i return from uni in the summer.

 

[ViolentJ]

Look what just arrived

Was about to order a GTX260 the other day when I realised my el cheapo PSU might not be up to the task, so blew most of my GFX budget on this. Should be able to get the 260 in a few weeks though.

Wasn't expecting it to be so heavy!

Test Certificate

 

[cava83]

I want!

I like this case

more info

http://www.pcgameshardware.com/aid,678000/Thermaltake-Level-10-PC-case-with-BMW-concept/News/

Doesn't look too good on real life pics.

 

[Mark One]

PC power and cooling - THE best

 

[ViolentJ]

Updated

AMD AM3 Phenom II X3 (tri core) 720 Black Edition @ 3.6GHz (previously 3.4GHz)
Scythe Shuriken Cooler
Gigabyte GA-MA770-DS3 AMD 770
8GB (4x 2GB) OCZ Gold DDR2 (previously 4GB)
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB SATA II 32MB Cache
Hitachi Deskstar 160GB SATA II 8MB Cache
ASUS 20x DVDRW SATA
Palit Geforce 8800GT 512MB
Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer 7.1
PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750watt PSU (previously Xpower 480watt)
Antec Skeleton (1x 250mm fan + 1x 92mm HDD fan)
Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit

Just the graphics card left to upgrade now and I'm good for a while.

 

[Aluco]

AMD AM3 Quad core phenon Black Edition 955 3.2Ghz
4Gb of this shiny orange OCZ stuff I can't remember the specs
2 HDD's Don't remember what they are either
Geforce 9600 OC.. Let's the system down tbh.
Asus AM3 M4A79 Deluxe AMD 790FX PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard with built in WiFi.
600W Hyper PSU