Is the build ready to run?

[markc9]

Hey guys,
Sorry for the plethora of threads, forgot to ask these final questions before closing the last.

Just built this computer:
ASUS P8Z68-V Pro
i7-2600k
GTX 580
Intel 510 SSD
HAF 922
NZXT HALE90 1000W


Question 1:
Made a mistake here at first. What I have is a 3-prong connecter running into a Molex(?) wire right into the PSU. I don't have an external fan controller though. Would it make sense to disconnect the 3-prong connector and connect it to my mobo? This way I can control the fans with my OS

Question 2:
When I couldn't get my system to boot video through VGA, my PSU was occasionally restarting within 5 seconds of being turned on. It hasn't done it while testing through HDMI though, when there was no errors. Is there a problem with this PSU? It was literally turning off and back on :S

Question 3:
Cooler turned a few degrees after I put it down, then turned it back. Is it worthy of a re-apply? I used the spreading method, a pretty thin layer of that thick AS5

 

[Proximon]

Yes.

It wasn't your PSU restarting, it was your BIOS, or POST. The error is something found early in the POST. Probably looking for video. Were you plugging the monitor into your board when you already had a video card installed?

It's impossible to tell from your description how much paste you applied. If you followed the directions given for the paste you would have used an amount similar to a small or dried pea. Given two flat surfaces there is no need to spread the paste and a little rotating during the process would be recommended.

 

[markc9]

Hi,

Yep, I was plugging into VGA on the mobo with the video card already installed. Granted, it didn't always reset the PSU when it couldn't POST. Only sometimes. Either way I'll give a few a test runs and see how it goes.

In terms of the thermal paste, I applied a thin layer rather than blobbing it in the middle. AS5 is pretty thick so I wasn't super convinced it would spread itself out until the CPU actually got pretty hot... leaving it hot for a few minutes without any thermal paste there sounds like a bad idea. I spread a pretty thin layer across the CPU; little enough so if you looked close, you could see the bare CPU in some parts here and there. Since I couldn't get it to spread smooth there were lots (tons) of miniscule "hills" of thermal paste if you will (best way I can describe) that would make up for these bare areas once the heatsink was pressed down.

Would there be any harm in testing it out if I turned it a couple degrees left, then back right?

I'm also a little confused about grounding my computer. My mobo had 4 pins: Speaker, ground, ground, +5V. I connected the POST speaker however it covered the other 3 pins as-well. Not sure if this has anything to do with grounding my computer.

 

[Proximon]

What you need to avoid with thermal paste is trapping air. Allowing the pressure of the cooler to spread out the TIM from the center helps ensure no bubbles, and that's why that route is recommended by Arctic Silver.
Not that you have trapped air. You are probably OK, unless you end up with very uneven temps on your cores.

Instructions usually include a little cooler rotation just to be sure. Easier on some coolers than others because of the screws.

No, that's just a ground for your speaker.

A ground is not part of your electrical circuit, it's a safety precaution. Your computer is grounded at the outlet, as long as your outlet is properly grounded.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/264400-28-poor-electrical-ground#t1960163

 

[markc9]

Temps are quite even. Thanks for the answers

 

[markc9]

Best answer selected by MarkC9.