RAM to go with a M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 AM3 Motherboard and fan questions

[Name141]

The 760G ASUS wouldn't support my CPU (or not listed on the ASUS' website) So I refused it and shipped it back..

Deciding to go with http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131646 instead.


What's some good RAM in the 4 GB category (Cause it'll be running Windows XP for a while.. ) to go with it?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231425 is supposedly "Designed for i7" would it work ? :O

Or is there some other good RAM to go with it that'd be cheaper?

Also, is it possible to hook up 3 Fans to that motherboard ? It says CPU_FAN, "PWR_FAN", and CHA_FAN is listed. Can I hook up another case fan to the PWR_FAN ? Like this? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150007&cm_re=casefan-_-35-150-007-_-Product or this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999479&cm_re=casefan-_-11-999-479-_-Product ? Or is the case fan going to be good enough by itself ?

 

[jaquith]

1333 MHz RAM 2X2GB + Compatible ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3

Better Choice:
$47 G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBRM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231275
Info http://gskill.com/products.php?index=224
CAS 1333 MHz 8-8-8-24-2N @ 1.50v

Yes, the Ripjaws X 'should' work, the RAM linked above 'will' both work, tested on AMD, and in fact will outperform the Ripjaws X by having a lower CAS 8 rating - plus [strike]cheaper[/strike] about the same price.

Yes, you can hook-up the 3 fans to the MOBO, or use a Molex adapter, or purchase a Fan Controller. Check the manual to see which can be controlled - typically it's the CPU and Power Fan but require 4-pin fans.

 

[davcon]

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series
This kit is slightly cheaper and reported to work fine at advertised timings and speed on AMD boards with bios tweak.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231278

 

[Name141]

1333 MHz RAM 2X2GB + Compatible ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3

Better Choice:
$47 G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBRM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231275
Info http://gskill.com/products.php?index=224
CAS 1333 MHz 8-8-8-24-2N @ 1.50v

Yes, the Ripjaws X 'should' work, the RAM linked above 'will' both work, tested on AMD, and in fact will outperform the Ripjaws X by having a lower CAS 8 rating - plus [strike]cheaper[/strike] about the same price.

Yes, you can hook-up the 3 fans to the MOBO, or use a Molex adapter, or purchase a Fan Controller. Check the manual to see which can be controlled - typically it's the CPU and Power Fan but require 4-pin fans.

I think I will purchase http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231275 .

Will I be able to run this system pretty fair on Windows XP 32 bit for a month (money's starting to run lower.. don't want to run out this month.) before I can get Windows 7 64 bit OEM ?

Also, will I want to purchase a non-stock cooler later for the CPU ?

 

[jaquith]

Sure no problems with XP SP3. CPU Fan, the OEM can OC a little and at stock is perfectly fine, and after that it depends on the CPU you're looking to OC and the OC you're aiming to achieve.

IMO the best for the money CPU Fan is the Scythe SCMG-2100 @ $43 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185142 the overall cooling is on how many fans, and the noise level that becomes an annoyance.

 

[Name141]

Sure no problems with XP SP3. CPU Fan, the OEM can OC a little and at stock is perfectly fine, and after that it depends on the CPU you're looking to OC and the OC you're aiming to achieve.

IMO the best for the money CPU Fan is the Scythe SCMG-2100 @ $43 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185142 the overall cooling is on how many fans, and the noise level that becomes an annoyance.

The CPU is an AMD Athlon II X4 640.. I don't really see the need in overclocking to play games.

Just need a better power supply and graphics card later on after the OS.. that is, unless the CPU fan is gonna blow like wildman ?

 

[jaquith]

If your PSU is undersized it can and will limit the overall performance. I had a post a few weeks ago where the OP was underpowered and after properly sizing the PSU to the 'system' {CPU, GPU, etc including head room for peaks} went from 20's FPS to 40's FPS, but again it was an underpowered PSU.

Check the PSU size to your CPU + GPU + OC {Power Supply Finder} -> http://www.corsair.com/learn_n_explore/

If you're not OC the CPU and the OEM Fan is load then pull the side panel to see if 'poor' ventilation of the CASE is the root cause. In general, you want good airflow, duh, but also you want a 'slight negative' pressure in the case; more air out, slightly, to the air intake. Next, having ANY cooling fins full of dust isn't a good idea. If necessary pull the fan and clean it properly and use new thermal paste e.g. Arctic Silver 5. In the past I have completely disassembled the OEM and used a good cleaning agent, replaced the thermal paste and cut off 10C+.

Here's a nice post on 3.6GHz http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=656470

 

[Name141]

If your PSU is undersized it can and will limit the overall performance. I had a post a few weeks ago where the OP was underpowered and after properly sizing the PSU to the 'system' {CPU, GPU, etc including head room for peaks} went from 20's FPS to 40's FPS, but again it was an underpowered PSU.

Check the PSU size to your CPU + GPU + OC {Power Supply Finder} -> http://www.corsair.com/learn_n_explore/

If you're not OC the CPU and the OEM Fan is load then pull the side panel to see if 'poor' ventilation of the CASE is the root cause. In general, you want good airflow, duh, but also you want a 'slight negative' pressure in the case; more air out, slightly, to the air intake. Next, having ANY cooling fins full of dust isn't a good idea. If necessary pull the fan and clean it properly and use new thermal paste e.g. Arctic Silver 5. In the past I have completely disassembled the OEM and used a good cleaning agent, replaced the thermal paste and cut off 10C+.

Here's a nice post on 3.6GHz http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=656470
http://www.overclockers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=87190&stc=1&d=1287365114

I have a corsair 400 watt and only a 4670 right now.

I think I will upgrade the power supply before the video card, but I think I can get by from going to an E2160 (65 watt) to a 95 watt CPU easily ?

Edit: I have AS5 right now. The stock was used once to test that it worked on another machine before I kept the CPU so I scrubbed it off with alcohol pads.

 

[jaquith]

The 'TDP' is the wattage used by the CPU to Thermally Cool the CPU, and subsequently don't add 95W to a calculation. ??? the E2160 is an Intel CPU ???

WIKI TDP - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_design_power

Sorry, I was a little confused...so I'm posting a few options:

Example:
Phenom IIX4 95W {65W~140W} TDP + HD 6870 + OC {both} = 650W~750W PSU.

Athlon II X4 640 + HD 4670 = 450W

Athlon II X4 640 95W TDP + HD 6870 + OC {both} = 550W~650W PSU.

 

[Name141]

The 'TDP' is the wattage used by the CPU to Thermally Cool the CPU, and subsequently don't add 95W to a calculation. ??? the E2160 is an Intel CPU ???

WIKI TDP - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_design_power

Sorry, I was a little confused...so I'm posting a few options:

Example:
Phenom IIX4 95W {65W~140W} TDP + HD 6870 + OC {both} = 650W~750W PSU.

Athlon II X4 640 + HD 4670 = 450W

Athlon II X4 640 95W TDP + HD 6870 + OC {both} = 550W~650W PSU.

Come again?

HD 4670 + 95 watt CPU = 450 watts??? what!?

 

[jaquith]

You are confusing "95 watt CPU" TDP with consumed wattage, and any OC is going to consume more power.

TDP has NOTHING to do with CONSUMED power, and if you OC the power required can go up by 120~150% over non OC. In other words if your CPU is consuming 110W @ stock, 132W~165W is not out the question at peak power.

 

[Name141]

You are confusing "95 watt CPU" TDP with consumed wattage, and any OC is going to consume more power.

TDP has NOTHING to do with CONSUMED power, and if you OC the power required can go up by 120~150% over non OC. In other words if your CPU is consuming 110W @ stock, 132W~165W is not out the question at peak power.

So 165 watts for the whole system ?

 

[jaquith]

I guessed before, but when I calculated I got 162W OC just for the CPU 3.50GHz @ 1.44 vcore. http://www.thermaltake.outervision.com/Power

When sizing a PSU enter the data in correctly per all fields, then take the result and multiply by at least 1.30 to calculate the minimum PSU. I use 100 load and peak came up with ~370W X 1.30 = 481W ; using the defaults + OC 327W X 1.30 = 425W. Further, I assume OC of the GPU.

If you do NOT take in account capacitor aging then you're making a HUGE mistake, and your PSU will have a very limited lifespan. In my Workstations instead of 1.3 I use 1.5 or higher.

So I say to you, come again??

 

[jaquith]

Again, TDP has --- ZERO, ZIP, NULL, etc nothing to do with CPU power consumption -- period. See the link I provided above!

 

[Name141]

Again, TDP has --- ZERO, ZIP, NULL, etc nothing to do with CPU power consumption -- period. See the link I provided above!

The calculations come up to 302 Watts for me.

 

[jaquith]

Adjust the TDP and System load to 100%, add fans, add HDD/ODD/Etc, Overclocked CPU 3500, Vcore 1.4 or 1.5, RAM 2-4 DIMM DDR3, etc. BTW - the calcs don't allow for GPU OC.

If you came up with 302W X 1.3 = 393W.

I don't care, get a small PSU - your rig... 'My' PSU must NOT hinder peak, and if it does I know it's also retarding performance. You can get a 3000W PSU on a 400W system, w-a-y overkill but it's easier to have head room than throwing out an under sized PSU.

You're arguing a point that makes no sense to me. Q - what are you going to do if you add a NEW GPU?? Throw the old/good PSU in the garbage?

 

[Name141]

Adjust the TDP and System load to 100%, add fans, add HDD/ODD/Etc, Overclocked CPU 3500, Vcore 1.4 or 1.5, RAM 2-4 DIMM DDR3, etc. BTW - the calcs don't allow for GPU OC.

If you came up with 302W X 1.3 = 393W.

I don't care, get a small PSU - your rig... 'My' PSU must NOT hinder peak, and if it does I know it's also retarding performance. You can get a 3000W PSU on a 400W system, w-a-y overkill but it's easier to have head room than throwing out an under sized PSU.

You're arguing a point that makes no sense to me. Q - what are you going to do if you add a NEW GPU?? Throw the old/good PSU in the garbage?

what?

 

[jaquith]

I gave you my suggested sizes with various scenarios, and then for what ever reason - you decided to argue my suggestions. As I FIRST said use ===> Check the PSU size to your CPU + GPU + OC {Power Supply Finder} -> http://www.corsair.com/learn_n_explore/

It takes into account 'safe' assumptions and aging factors.

My concern is and has been you undersizing a PSU, and arguing CPU consumption vs TDP and worst over 50W is a waste of time. Further, I'm not pushing OC -- however it is something to factor in -- just in case you do. Like getting a proper sized PSU ===> "Just need a better power supply and graphics card later on" -- whatever "later on" means and whatever "graphics card" you choose. Think ahead.

What were you getting at with the following??

"Come again?

HD 4670 + 95 watt CPU = 450 watts??? what!?"

 

[Name141]

I gave you my suggested sizes with various scenarios, and then for what ever reason - you decided to argue my suggestions. As I FIRST said use ===> Check the PSU size to your CPU + GPU + OC {Power Supply Finder} -> http://www.corsair.com/learn_n_explore/

It takes into account 'safe' assumptions and aging factors.

My concern is and has been you undersizing a PSU, and arguing CPU consumption vs TDP and worst over 50W is a waste of time. Further, I'm not pushing OC -- however it is something to factor in -- just in case you do. Like getting a proper sized PSU ===> "Just need a better power supply and graphics card later on" -- whatever "later on" means and whatever "graphics card" you choose. Think ahead.

What were you getting at with the following??

"Come again?

HD 4670 + 95 watt CPU = 450 watts??? what!?"

The corsair finder comes up with the new power supply (430 watt builder series) as being one that'd work. So my 400 watt is only 30 watts less.

Later on would be 2 months or more for the power supply. Seeing as Windows7 64bit needs to be bought next month. (or should I prioritize a new power supply first? )

When and if I purchase a better video card, I think I'll get a GTX460 or 550ti. I kind of want to go back to nVidia unless they got a 5770 on sale at the time.

 

[jaquith]

When you do get a new GPU you'll need a new PSU, you can use Corsair's or anyone's PSU calculator.

The 400W you have 'now' falls within the aging factor; just remember PSU's loose over time capacity -- it 'is' what it is...

Good Luck!

 

[Name141]

When you do get a new GPU you'll need a new PSU, you can use Corsair's or anyone's PSU calculator.

The 400W you have 'now' falls within the aging factor; just remember PSU's loose over time capacity -- it 'is' what it is...

Good Luck!

Yeah I think I'll get a new power supply first. And that's what's in this dell right now is the Corsair 400 watt. I took out the Besktek 300 watt when I got the 4670 to be safe.

I think when I upgrade I'll go with this one. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005&cm_re=Corsair_650_watt-_-17-139-005-_-Product

by first I mean: before Windows 7 or the new graphic card.. Not before the RAM + MB.

 

[jaquith]

I like ALL Corsair PSUs: Japanese capacitors, Single Rail, and voltage protection.

Again, just use the PSU calculator and it's better to oversize than under size. Also, I've always received my rebates from Corsair with no problems -- just typical slow 6~8 weeks.

 

[Name141]

I like ALL Corsair PSUs: Japanese capacitors, Single Rail, and voltage protection.

Again, just use the PSU calculator and it's better to oversize than under size. Also, I've always received my rebates from Corsair with no problems -- just typical slow 6~8 weeks.

yeah it took me forever to get my check last time.

I ordered the MB and RAM about an hour ago.

 

[aaronstyle]

The 760G ASUS wouldn't support my CPU (or not listed on the ASUS' website) So I refused it and shipped it back..

Deciding to go with http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131646 instead.


What's some good RAM in the 4 GB category (Cause it'll be running Windows XP for a while.. ) to go with it?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231425 is supposedly "Designed for i7" would it work ? :O

Or is there some other good RAM to go with it that'd be cheaper?

Also, is it possible to hook up 3 Fans to that motherboard ? It says CPU_FAN, "PWR_FAN", and CHA_FAN is listed. Can I hook up another case fan to the PWR_FAN ? Like this? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150007&cm_re=casefan-_-35-150-007-_-Product or this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999479&cm_re=casefan-_-11-999-479-_-Product ? Or is the case fan going to be good enough by itself ?

I bought a set of G skill Sniper ddr3, 2x 4gb sticks and oc'd them to 1600 from 1333 mhz, I also use the same motherboard. I don't recall seeing another fant output, but I do have two hooked up to it, currently. 1 intake on the front and an exhaust in the back. I've had 0 problems my cpu idles around 40 c using a amd phenom II quad core 955t black edition Oc'd to 3.6( or 3.4) My motherboard hasn't gone over 37 celcius even after playing sc II on high-ultra settings for a long time.