Introduction/System Specs
Hi all,
I just set up my account, and wanted to say I'm glad to find this site and hope to learn everything I need to know for fixing issues with my computer.
I've grown up with them for most of my life. My father was a programmer for IBM, he started working for them back in the day when they were still using punchcards...
My first computer was a TRS-80.
I learned programming in Basic on a few comps as I grew up, as an IBM family we got them all PC, PCjr, XT... yada yada... Back when Zork and then King's Quest ruled the land I wanted to do more with programming than my knowledge in Basic could allow and my frustration led me to lose interest... teenage years led to other interests outside the house and video game consoles rolled in and I forgot about computers for awhile.
After getting sick of my Sony PS2, my return to the desktop started with a brand new (at the time) Dell Dimension 4400 Pentium 4 which came setup already from Dell, so there wasn't much to learn other than how to navigate windows and install new stuff.
When GuildWars came out, I discovered my first need for getting inside the machine. I needed a better GPU and consequently a new PSU to power it.
The G-force card it had was ok, but the ATI card that replaced it needed more power... and the power supply I bought was designed for ATX I'm assuming because to make it fit I had to install it facing fan down into the case instead of against the top of the case... this flipped the power plug position and I had to break out the tin snips to mod the back plate to uncover it... it worked and I felt a sense of accomplishment.
Not only had I learn some modding, but a valueable lesson in researching parts compatibility before purchasing.
A long time passed until my gaming interests brought me once again to upgrade. This time I had a knowledgeable friend help me order everything from TigerDirect and build a reasonable gaming rig for about $600 with slightly outdated tech.
An ASUS mobo AM2 socket, with Phenom cpu, ATI sapphire hd4770 gpu was enough for me to play TF2, L4D2, BFBC2, etc. with reasonable stability-- I'm not fanatical about super hi-res, I prefer a good fun game that runs smooth so I accepted the lower res settings to compromise.
After watching my buddy assemble and install everything on this rig, I was frustrated that I didn't know enough myself about it, to do it. In the past few years I've forum surfed and experimented here and there picking up a little knowledge along the way.
So that brings me to where I am now...
About 2 weeks ago, with the help of my friends/gaming community I put together a NewEgg order and got everything shipped here. When it arrived, I unpacked it and got to work reading all the manuals. With much care and attention to details I learned about everything as I went along with "hands-on". The build was a success and I was up and running.
For future reference in helping me solve issues (which I will post shortly in a new thread) here's my parts list:
Mobo :
Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-970A-UD3 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
GPU :
Newegg.com - XFX HD-679X-ZRFC Radeon HD 6790 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
RAM :
Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
OS :
Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - Operating Systems
CPU :
Newegg.com - AMD FX-4100 Zambezi 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor FD4100WMGUSBX
DVD :
Newegg.com - LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model iHAS424-98 LightScribe Support
PSU :
Newegg.com - Thermaltake TR2 RX 750W Bronze W0382RU ATX 12V v2.3 / EPS 12V v2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
HDD :
WD Caviar Green WD10EARS - hard drive - 1 TB - SATA-300 - WD10EARS - Hard Drives (Computer) - CDW.com (I think this is it, with a new model #)
Case :
Antec - Three Hundred Computer Case - 15300
I aoplogize for the links to other sites, but those are the EXACT pieces I have... In regards to the GPU it's the one that's black with SINGLE red fan and SINGLE 6pin power plug.
