Computer Parts On The Way

[NightHawkInLight]

Well I finally ordered what I need for my new machine the other day! According to UPS the parts should be here tomorrow.

 

Case: Broadway Com Corp 939PL-BLACK Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case Okia ATX 550W Power Supply

 

Processor: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ955FBGMBOX

 

Board: ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 AM3 AMD 890GX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard

 

Ram: (x2 for 4G) Rendition by Crucial 2GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model RM25664BA1339

 

PSU: Rosewill Stallion Series RD400-2-SB 400W ATX V2.2 Power Supply

 

After shipping and an extended warranty on the board (which had hit and miss reviews, but was just what I wanted regardless) the total was ~$497. I plan on using my old hard drive as well as my disc drives to save some money - both on the drives themselves as well as on the OS. The board has a pretty nice HD video card built in, but I'll have to do without dual monitors until I can afford a second card. Actually, I'm not too sure it will work, but the board is described as having a PCI slot in addition to the several PCI-e slots. I may be able to plug in my old PCI card and get a second monitor in that way in the meantime.

 

I'm pretty excited to ditch the tablet and chisel that is my current computer. Finally I can do some real video editing.

[Cookieman]

Nighthawk, thats a nice setup you have. Though I'm not to familiar with the AMD processors as I use intel. AMD and intel have been at each others throats for years trying to dominate the market. The quad core processor should make your computer super fast and your video editing a breeze. I have the ATI Radeon X1900 all in wonder graphics card so that I can watch TV on it and nobody fights about who wants to watch what. Install a good antivirus and spyware program to keep your machine running smooth.

[KruseMissile]

Nice! I just finished building mine too!!!

Specs:

PSU: OCZ Mod Xstream 700w(modular power supply)

Mobo: Asus M4n98to evo

CPU: AMD Phenom 2 x4 3.4ghz

GPU: PNY 9800gt

Case: Antec 900 Two "Mid Tower"

Memory: Corsair XMS3 DDR3 2x2g(4g total)

 

On black friday i plan on getting 2x EVGA gtx470 SC and running them in SLI. The GPU is really the only thing holding my pc back.

 

When you set it up do a 3d mark score test to see how your PC is running. GL

Brian

[NightHawkInLight]

Nighthawk, thats a nice setup you have. Though I'm not to familiar with the AMD processors as I use intel. AMD and intel have been at each others throats for years trying to dominate the market. The quad core processor should make your computer super fast and your video editing a breeze. I have the ATI Radeon X1900 all in wonder graphics card so that I can watch TV on it and nobody fights about who wants to watch what. Install a good antivirus and spyware program to keep your machine running smooth.

I checked a bunch of test comparisons for processors to see what would give me the best bang for my buck, and the Phenom tested nearly as fast as the i7 but at less than half the price. I have high hopes for it. It has 99%+ good feedback on newegg.

 

Alright, but now I am having a problem in prep for putting this thing together.

 

I am planning on using my current HD in the new machine with my current OS and all my old settings. I would like to also leave my old computer functional with all my settings also. I have two 80G HD's and am attempting to clone one onto the other to accomplish this purpose. So far I have attempted to use DriveImage to do so: http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm

 

Now, on the inside, both drives look exactly the same. All of the files are on the new drive, but when I take the old one out and leave only the new drive the computer will not boot. I have tried moving the pin on the drive into the master position and still the same error comes on screen on startup:

Primary hard disc drive 0 not found

Primary hard disc drive 1 not found

Strike F1 key to continue, F2 to run the setup utility

 

(After hitting F1:)

 

Strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility

 

I have tried playing with the setup utility to get something to work, but nothing has. At this point I have attempted to reinstall windows on the drive using the disc, which seems to progress fine until it finishes and says it will continue after restarting. Rather than continuing installation after restarting it starts the process all over again. I have even reformatted the hard drive during installation, which of course erased all the data moved over from the first drive, but I wanted to see if that would allow it to boot. No luck. It only takes about a half hour to clone the old drive again, but I don't want to try it until I have a solution to the problem.

 

Any thoughts?

[mike_au]

I am planning on using my current HD in the new machine with my current OS and all my old settings.

I know it sucks, but this tends to cause more problems than it solves. I would strongly suggest a clean install on the new hardware and transfer what you want over.

 

I have tried playing with the setup utility to get something to work, but nothing has. At this point I have attempted to reinstall windows on the drive using the disc, which seems to progress fine until it finishes and says it will continue after restarting. Rather than continuing installation after restarting it starts the process all over again. I have even reformatted the hard drive during installation, which of course erased all the data moved over from the first drive, but I wanted to see if that would allow it to boot. No luck. It only takes about a half hour to clone the old drive again, but I don't want to try it until I have a solution to the problem.

Does the motherboard have both IDE and SATA ports? Which one is your hard disk connected to? Are you loading Windows XP or something newer? Do you need to "Hit F6 to load device drivers" in order to get it to recognise your hard disk?

[Cookieman]

Your problem is that your computer does not recognize your hard drive. Your main drive must be formatted and usually the computer recognizes the main drive as "C". It will not boot the main drive if it has another letter. Also make sure you installed all your motherboard drivers and utilities, your main drive set up as master and connected to your motherboard. Another wire to your power supply.

[NightHawkInLight]

I know it sucks, but this tends to cause more problems than it solves. I would strongly suggest a clean install on the new hardware and transfer what you want over.

Well this will be the second time I've moved this HD with my current settings. I don't expect trouble there, but I'll deal with that when I come to it. Right now I just want to get the other HD operating as well, whether with my old settings or not. A clean install also did not work.

Does the motherboard have both IDE and SATA ports? Which one is your hard disk connected to? Are you loading Windows XP or something newer? Do you need to "Hit F6 to load device drivers" in order to get it to recognise your hard disk?

Yes, I'm using XP. I can't tell what type of ports the HD's are connected to. They are both HD's of the same year from Dell, though they are slightly different on the exterior. One of the HD's works just fine and they are both on the same cable. I unplug the one that isn't working and the first still works just fine, but if I switch the master/slave pins or remove the good HD it won't boot. Keep in mind that the data on the HD that won't boot is all accessible and functional when the PC is booted on the other drive.

 

The strange thing is, the HD that is not working is the one that came with the PC I'm attempting to fire it up on. It's plugged in exactly as it was when it first arrived from Dell. I moved the one that has all the settings I want into this machine earlier this year when my other computer was struck by lightning and fried. The good HD is the alien, the bad HD is the one that was meant to work with this particular machine.

[NightHawkInLight]

Your problem is that your computer does not recognize your hard drive. Your main drive must be formatted and usually the computer recognizes the main drive as "C". It will not boot the main drive if it has another letter. Also make sure you installed all your motherboard drivers and utilities, your main drive set up as master and connected to your motherboard. Another wire to your power supply.

I have reformatted the HD, set it up as the master drive, and the wires are in properly. I did not however install any drivers that weren't on the XP disc. I'll try that and get back to you. Thanks

[KruseMissile]

You installed all the software for the CPU and mother board?

[NightHawkInLight]

The driver disc that came with XP does nothing. I do not have any software for the processor or motherboard, but then again, I didn't need any when I moved my own HD into this computer. It simply plugged and played.

[KruseMissile]

With my PC that i just made, I had to install the software/drivers for them, which required a full system reformat and then installing the OS

[NightHawkInLight]

I figured it out. My problem was that I was using a cable select cable. All it took to get it working was to set the jumper on my drive to CS and move it to the end of the ribbon. Thanks for the help guys. I'll let you know how the new computer comes together. Maybe a little video. At the very least some pictures.

[Cookieman]

The driver disc that came with XP does nothing. I do not have any software for the processor or motherboard, but then again, I didn't need any when I moved my own HD into this computer. It simply plugged and played.

 

 

If this is a new motherboard, you need to install the software that should have come with it. You will not get the plug and play if you didn't install the software for the motherboard. Also check your bios setup for IDE or Sata. If you dont have software for the motherboard I suggest you go to the manufacture's website and download it and install it.

 

Edit, Sorry, you beat me to the post.

Edited September 17, 2010 by Cookieman

[optimus]

The board has a pretty nice HD video card built in, but I'll have to do without dual monitors until I can afford a second card.

 

Looks like your MB has two video outs:

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2504

 

http://www.pcstats.com/articleimages/201003/AsusM4A89GTDp_io.jpg

 

You'll probably want a half-decent graphics card if you're planning on doing video editing anyway though...

[NightHawkInLight]

Looks like your MB has two video outs:

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2504

 

http://www.pcstats.com/articleimages/201003/AsusM4A89GTDp_io.jpg

 

You'll probably want a half-decent graphics card if you're planning on doing video editing anyway though...

It does have two ports, but for now the monitors I am using predate the HD port. I'm doing all I can to save a buck on this right now. It's not exactly the easiest time for me to be spending more money right now.

[optimus]

DVI to VGA converter cables are extremely common. You can probably find someone who has a spare lying around... every company I've worked for has had a surplus sitting in a draw somewhere.

 

They come free with all apple computers (IIRC), most graphics cards and various other bits of hardware. Ask around, you might be surprised how easy they are to find.

 

Nice rig by the way - that's a real nice processor, I have the 3.4 version and it kicks ass in my new audio recording rig. Would've been a perfect setup if the damned RAM wasn't DOA

[OneEyeCharlie]

I may have a DVI to VGA adapter in the basement. If I find it and go to Lowell, I'll bring it with me. You can have it for free.

[Skycastlefish]

Man, I am glad there are people like you guys around. For the amount of time I spend on my computer, I don't know crap! Its all greek to me. I think I'm learning though, so the mother board gives orders to rest of the computer and makes them do chores and the fatherboard has sex with the motherboard? am I getting warmer? Edited September 18, 2010 by Skycastlefish

[NightHawkInLight]

I may have a DVI to VGA adapter in the basement. If I find it and go to Lowell, I'll bring it with me. You can have it for free.

I would appreciate that, though don't try too hard. I'll probably pick one up before then if a single monitor starts bothering me.

 

Right now I'm running into a bigger problem. The power supply I picked up only has one of the old style 4 pin power chords with two plugs on it. I have both my HD and my DVD drive that require that type of chord, as well as the fans and lights on the case. So, two outlets for three plugs. Right now I'm going to just run with the HD and DVD until I get the thing running, but I'll need to pick up a splitter tomorrow.

 

Other than that it's falling together nicely.

[mike_au]

I may have a DVI to VGA adapter in the basement. If I find it and go to Lowell, I'll bring it with me. You can have it for free.

 

DVI -> VGA adaptors only work with DVI-A or DVI-I plugs. The one in the picture is DVI-D (notice the absence of the four small pins around the long pin). To plug a VGA monitor into that you would need an active converter, I'm sure they exist, but I've never seen one, and they would be ridiculously expensive.

[NightHawkInLight]

DVI -> VGA adaptors only work with DVI-A or DVI-I plugs. The one in the picture is DVI-D (notice the absence of the four small pins around the long pin). To plug a VGA monitor into that you would need an active converter, I'm sure they exist, but I've never seen one, and they would be ridiculously expensive.

Ah, oh well. I'll want either another card or monitor soon enough anyway. For now, my computer is fully assembled and will boot running XP in safe mode off my old HD, but I can't install the drivers for the MB because I broke my DVD drive whilst being a numbnuts. That solves my power supply problem anyway, since any drive I get will undoubtedly be sata.

[dagabu]

Wouldn't this work?

 

LINK

[NightHawkInLight]

Well alright! After a nightmare properly arranging and formatting the drives, my computer is now up and running! So far I'm quite happy with it, but I haven't yet had a shot to put it through its paces. I'll have to borrow an HD camera and do some editing. I was just realizing that I really can't install any new games since the majority requires Vista or newer. Oh well. I know my computer could handle them, and that's all that matters

 

The only annoyance I have had so far with the hardware I have chosen is that the MB and PSU are not well equipped to work with my old drives. Too few old style 4 pin plugs on the PSU, and only one plug for a ribbon on the MB. I suppose it would be nicer to have a little more room in the case also, but who cares, it looks sexy and the fan is virtually silent. I'm quite pleased in every other aspect.

 

Do any of you happen to know how to reinstall a game if I have the entire program file copied right out of my previous HD? Many of my other programs work just fine that I moved from one HD to the other, but this game will not run. I have lost the instillation discs but I still have the running disc. I'm not sure if it needs to be reinstalled or what.

[Peret]

Do any of you happen to know how to reinstall a game if I have the entire program file copied right out of my previous HD? Many of my other programs work just fine that I moved from one HD to the other, but this game will not run. I have lost the instillation discs but I still have the running disc. I'm not sure if it needs to be reinstalled or what.

You almost certainly need to copy the registry entries from the old computer. These entries mainly consist of info about where the game and its files are located, and basically fill in what would be the command line if this were DOS. If the old computer isn't there any more, or you used that HD as the boot disk (C:) on the new one and it rebuilt the registry, you're SOL. Sometimes if you force the program to run by (start)(run)gamepath\game.exe it will recreate its own entries, but more often than not it doesn't.

 

IMHO, this is one of the most annoying things about Windows. The registry info for every installed program should be stored in that program's own directory, that way it doesn't get lost when you clone a drive or reinstall Windows. This is something you can do yourself, but it's complicated beyond what I can write in this forum.

[NightHawkInLight]

Thanks for the reply, all of that is good to know. I did solve my problem, albeit with somewhat less than legitimate resources.