New budget build - comments

[floppybootstomp]

Nice to here you are up and running. Just don't install any software and it will keep on sprinting away.

Well, oddly enough, I was about to post something along the lines of 'Never a truer word said' but that would appear not to be the case.

I think I've hit upon one of those combos that works really well

The Asus motherboard and memory listed in the first post of this thread and the AMD AM2 5050e CPU.

This machine is flying, it's lively, stable and responsive.

I'm running Win XP/SP3 and so far have installed all this software and am unlikely to install much else, this is purelya media machine.

When I eventually get a TV to go with it, I may add a few games but nothing more demanding than CoD2.

So here's what's on it:

Microsoft Office 2003: Word; Excel; Publisher; Access; Powerpoint; Visio; Front Page;
One Note; Outlook; Infopath; Office Tools; Office Project
Adobe Photoshop Seven
Nero 6 OEM with Video add-on
WS_FTP V9.0
Winamp, latest, plus lottsa skins
Real Time Alternative
Quick Time Alternative
Grabbit V2.5
Foxit V3.0
Acronis True Image V10.00
Asus Power Probe & Instant update
Audacity
dbPoweramp
Everest Home Edition
Diskeeper V7.0
MRU Blaster
Imtoo DVD Ripper Platinum V4.0
Imtoo mpeg encoder
Quickzip 4
Superantispyware
Antivir AV
XP Anti-Spy
Windows Media Player Ten
Hauppage TV Card software
Partition Magic V8.0


And it's still running as fast as when just the OS was installed on it's own.

Quite incredible, actually, if anybody's considering a budget build you could do worse than this combination

 

[Abarbarian]

Phew thats a lot of stuff

Did you see muck's thread for Ashampoo lighter than Nero but it might not have the video thingy.

https://www.pcreview.co.uk/forums/thread-3743686.php

 

[floppybootstomp]

I did see Mucks' thread, I have Nero 6 which doesn't need online activation, on the machine above, Nero 8 full version on another machine and Nero 8 OEM Essentials on the final machine.

Therefore I really don't need any more burning software.

And yes, you're right, Ashampoo does not have the same video capabilities as Nero.

Nero actually has so much stuff I sometimes feel I've only just scratched the surface as to what it can do.

And therein may lie it's weakness.

Too much, too expensive, agressive sales policy, that's Nero. It is, though, mostly good.

But I probably only use about 30% of what it has to offer.

I did download Ashampoo but I reckon if ever the time came for me to use it, the free offer (which is actually, really, a demo for you to pay eight quid for a full version) will probably have expired

And what I have installed is not a lot of stuff to be installed

Look at all the stuff that comes with a Linux DVD distro, more than that.

I'd say my install's a lite version

 

[guest_9323wk]

Cool glad to hear you get it all up and running did you go for the lower timings memory in the end?


Cheers,

Wiz

 

[floppybootstomp]

Cool glad to hear you get it all up and running did you go for the lower timings memory in the end?


Cheers,

Wiz

Yes I did.

This is exactly what the build comprises of:

Asus M2N68 Motherboard

2 x 1Gb Corsair XMS2 DDR2 PC6400 Memory CAS-4-4-4-12

AMD AM2 Athlon 64 5050e CPU, dual core, 2.6Ghz

Which came to around £130.00

Also ordered this hdmi/DVI lead for future use:

That'll be twenty quid to you

I used the stock cooler but next time I have to order some bits from somebody I'll get a better cooler.

Not from Scan though, their range of CPU coolers is not very good at all.

 

[floppybootstomp]

An update on the AMD stock cooler.

The fan is dying I think. On start it's very noisy and 'groans' a lot. The motherboard sometimes stops the boot as the fan is only rotating at about 400rpm. So I hit F1 and when I get to the XP desktop I start Asus probe software.

This tells me that by now the stock CPU cooler fan is rotating at a little over 600rpm, and 600rpm is the software's threshold for minimum fan speed before giving a loud warning. The CPU temp is around 54C at that stage.

After about five minutes the groaning noise from the fan receeds and it settles down to 3700rpm and the CPU temp drops to 43C.

This is obviously unaaceptable, I fear the fan dying completely and frying my CPU. I do have another AMD stock cooler but I'm not impressed with them at all so what I'm asking is if anybody can recommend a good cheap AMD2 cooler? Preferably less than £20.00 and also preferably from Scan as I get free postage with them.

Scan's CPU CPU cooler range isn't all that impressive however and in the past I've used coolers mainly from Zalman & Noctua and Thermalright on a couple of occasions. But they all weigh in around £35.00 to £50.00 and as this machine won't be under heavy CPU use I'll settle for something in a lower budget range.

Other than that, this machine is really quite superb

Fast and smooth is how I'd describe it, it's certainly as lively as the system in my sig, but there again that system is 'handicapped' by Vista, lol

So, cheapo AMD2 cooler recommendations from Scan anyone?

 

[guest_9323wk]

Hi Flops,

Found this one which looks pretty good.


Out of interest how come you get free postage with Scan.co.uk? This is the only downside in my opinion with scan.co.uk their postage costs can be high sometimes, but there products are usually well priced.


Glad to hear everything else works ok




Regards

 

[floppybootstomp]

Hi Flops,

Found this one which looks pretty good.


Out of interest how come you get free postage with Scan.co.uk? This is the only downside in my opinion with scan.co.uk their postage costs can be high sometimes, but there products are usually well priced.


Glad to hear everything else works ok




Regards

Aye, I've heard good reports about that cooler, may well be an option unless some more options come up.

You can get free postage at Scan after you've had a set number of posts or have been with Hexus forums as a member for a set amount of time, can't remember which.

I've been a member there for 7 or 8 years I think.

And thanks

 

[Me__2001]

i have one of thos arctic coolers on my main rig and one in my media centre/ server, haven't had any problems with it plus its pretty quite and seems to be quite efficient as well

 

[Abarbarian]

I still got that Zallman but would it be powerful enough ?

 

[floppybootstomp]

I still got that Zallman but would it be powerful enough ?

Which Zalman?

Sorry, I no got a photographic memory

I have an AGP grafix card as it goes but it's a bit low spec.

It's a Winfast Geforce 2 MX MAX with 64Mb of memory and passive cooling.

If you're interested in a swap/px maybe we could arrange something?

I do have to hang on to the card for a few days though as I have to check out my mate's computer where I suspect his AGP card has failed.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Do you mean This one?

Which is this one here?

If so, yes, I'll buy it off you.

Assuming it does fit an AMD2 CPU - is this so?

 

[Abarbarian]

Do you mean This one?

Which is this one here?

If so, yes, I'll buy it off you.

Ta fer the offer of the card , but I'm looking for something a little further up the scale.

Yep thats the baby . If I remember I dropped the price to £10 plus postage. I can throw in some free sata cables if you need any. PM me.

 

[Abarbarian]

http://www.quietpc.com/gb-en-gbp/products/intelcooling/cnps7000b

CNPS7000B-ALCU is the one .

 

[floppybootstomp]

After some extensive searching I'm convinced the Zalman 7000C cannot be fitted to a Socket AMD2 CPU which is a damn shame cos I like Zalman coolers and that is a nice price Abarb

So I got to thinking, I have a Gigabyte Rocket cooler sitting idle, it was once used with a Socket A CPU but I recall it fitted lots of other types as well.

So I looked at it and also found a clip-down type of bracket that fits AMD2 CPU sockets.

And I fitted it, and it worked

So I now have a computer that is fairly quiet (the Rocket fan is running full speed and it can be heard) and no longer have to put up with that groany noise or wonder whether my CPU will fry.

Downside is that it's not keeping the CPU very cool at all, it's settled down to a steady 47C idle which is a bit crap. Motherboard is also hotter at 38C. I think this is because the clip tension holding the cooler down to the CPU isn't very strong as it wasn't really designed for this setup.

Still, at least I can run the machine and not fret and the noise is barely noticeable, especially when the machine is playing music or movies, which it was made for.

And I near out of Arctic Silver thermal compound now, them AMD2's have a big surface area. In the days of Socket A's one tube of Arctic Silver lasted me forever.

So, I've decided to eventually buy one of those Arctic coolers that Wiz & ME recommended and I suppose I'll have to buy another tube of Arctic Silver. But I shall wait until I need something else, to make staying in for a delivery worthwhile.

Here's some Pix:

Coupla shots of the offending article, now totally useless as the fan is integrated and cannot be replaced without some serious surgery:

The last of my Arctic Silver and I think this pic shows why the Zalman fan cannot be fitted.

And finally the Gigabyte Rocket cooler in place, I had to bend the case supporting strut a little to accomodate it (not shown in this pic).

 

[Abarbarian]

Shame the Zalman would not do as it still had a tube of the original paste included

Does look rather tight inside your case there. Well done with the Rocket bodge.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Shame the Zalman would not do as it still had a tube of the original paste included

Does look rather tight inside your case there. Well done with the Rocket bodge.

Thanks for the comment

I've actually got loads of thermal compound but after trying all different types I came back to Arctic Silver, imo it really is the best and it's all I ever use now.

Apart from all those little tubes you get with CPU coolers I have a 6" hypo full of white compound that I use to mount semiconductors, mostly transistors and voltage regulators, but I don't use it very often.

As a standard paste it's every bit as good as the stuff that comes with most coolers.

 

[Abarbarian]

I only used AS as it was highly recommended here on site. I ran out and was putting in an order but the site I was using did not sell AS so I read up on and ordered some MX-2 which is a little easier to apply with no burn in time and seems to do the job just aswell

 

[floppybootstomp]

Finally bought and fitted the cooler wizkid recommended Arctic Cooling 64 Pro

I let the machine run for 30 minutes with the Gigabyte Rocket cooler then noted the following figures using Asus' temp probe software:

CPU Temp: 41C
MB Temp: 35C
CPU Fan speed: 4115

I bought a new tube of Arctic Silver thermal compound but noticed the cooler had a thermal pad on it so in a rare moment of laziness I cleaned off the CPU surface with isopropyl alcohol and left the thermal pad on the cooler.

Fitted it, it's quite large for it's size and I had to leave the case top support strut out, it wouldn't fit with the new Arctic Cooler.

Let it run for a good hour to let the thermal pad dissolve and bed in and here's the readings I got:

CPU temp: 40C
Case temp: 31C
CPU Fan speed: 2472

So, not a great deal of difference but oh- what a treat for my ears

The Gigabyte rocket cooler sounded like, well, a rocket, lol And the original AMD stock cooler was even noisier.

The new Arctic cooler noise is barely noticeable. You can see from the figures that the fan on the new cooler runs at almost half the speed of the old one.

The case design is also rather cramped and it only has 3 x 60mm fans in it, one at the front and two at the rear exhausting. So that may contribute to the relatively poor cooling.

The Arctic 64 is no Noctua or Zalman (the other two I use) but it's very good, runs quiet and sells for a very good price at £16.66. I'd certainly recommend it for budget builds

So, all in all, I consider this build finished, I'm satisfied with the temps and it's running nice & quiet now

 

[V_R]

good result considering its limited by the 60mm fans mate, and gotta be good if its quieter.