Switching to a new case...

[bbeberle]

Is it just me or does it feel daunting switching over to a new case. Sure I can install RAM and video cards and a mother board but the PSU has always worried me.

This is my main PC and being so inexperienced I am really considering now even making the switch as I will probably screw something up. Why am I afraid? I have no reason really, perhaps it's the fact I know I don't know exactly where everything goes and i'd rather not be down for several days as I also work on this computer a lot of the time.

I suppose the only way to learn is to do. I tried looking around the forum, are there any guides to building a PC from the ground up so I can have a reference to look at?

 

[JMer806]

Sure thing. It can be intimidating, but don't let that stop you! There's nothing like the feeling of powering on that new PC for the first time and thinking, holy crap I built that. It's not all that difficult. First off, basic advice is to get a good anti-static wristband and a small bottle of isopropyl alcohol in case you need it. Look in the build gallery at the top of this forum for some cable-management inspiration.

What are your specs and what new case do you want to move everything to? A good case makes a good build, and a bad case can be a royal pain when you're putting everything together.

Anyway, here's a few basic guides.

This one is the newest of these, although the basic steps in the older ones are still good. There are many, many of these guides on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTf8x-uFAuw

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/build_perfect_pc_stepbystep_illustrated_howto_guide
http://www.buildeasypc.com/
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/274745-31-step-step-guide-building

Feel free to PM me or ask on the forum if you have any specific questions

 

[bbeberle]

You are awesome JM! I will check those guides out tonight.

As far as my specs go, it's a 2 year old computer but the parts are more or less still relevant today (if thats a good way to put it).

CPU - AMD 1190T 6-Core (Corsair H70 liquid cooled)
MOBO - ASUS Crosshair IV Formula (Still a great Mobo, currently discontinued)
RAM - 4G Kingston 1600
HDD - I do not use a standard hard drive
SSD - Kingston HyperX 240G (Wonderful)
PSU - Antec 750

My current case is a NZXT Phantom. It's a great case I am just wanting a different look now. Thinking about going with the NZXT Switch 810. Really like the look and feel of that one. If you want to recommend a case I'd love to hear what you like.

My current GPU is a factory overclocked GTX 570 1.2G from EVGA. My new card (just ordered it today from NewEgg) will be an EVGA GTX 680 Classified 4G. Yes, I know since I game at 1080p on one single 55" LCD TV that it's total over kill but this is what I want, plain and simple. Although I do play modded games so it won't be totally used lol.

Perhaps I will try and get my backup comp working so atleast then I can watch movies or something in case something goes wrong on my main one. I dunno, I'm still in deciding mode lol.

 

[JMer806]

The Switch 810 is a good case from all I hear, plenty of room so you shouldn't run into any issues there. Big full-tower cases also make cable management a lot simpler since they've just got a lot more room. Make sure that your PSU's 8-pin MOBO cable (the smaller one that plugs into the top of your MOBO if you're unfamiliar) is long enough to reach around behind the MOBO tray to plug in. If not, no worries but you'll need to buy an extender. Not very expensive, and most likely not necessary.

I have a CoolerMaster HAF 912 as my current case, and I like it just fine, but it's definitely a budget case compared to the Switch 810.

That 680 is a great card. I have heard that some people don't like gaming on televisions (though I'm not sure I've heard an adequate explanation as to why, perhaps it doesn't have as high a response time as a monitor), but to each his/her own.

What's wrong with the backup comp? If you can get it running, you might be able to repurpose it as a NAS or HTPC or something (or just part it out to put into your new build).

Oh, one thing I would recommend is to add a mechanical drive to your system. They're not terribly pricey and keep your SSD from filling up with all of your random files. The great majority of games see no performance boost from being installed to an SSD compared to an HDD, and even in those cases (like BF3) it's all loading times and not FPS.

 

[bbeberle]

Well I ended up cleaning out my current case and re-routing alot of the cables and am now very happy and ready to introduce the monster 680 haha. The more I thought about it the more I figured, why upgrade and waste the money when you don't need to? So for now, I will stick with the NZXT Phantom, it's really done me well this far.

I used to game on smaller screens say...5 years ago or even 4. But I hate hate hate desks, they take up room and they are bulky as all hell. Plus, I can't get immersed on a 23inch screen. So currently I have my computer connected to my 55" 60hz TV. I sit on the couch about 8 feet away and the TV tilts down slightly. I can prop my feet up get a 1080p res and a MASSIVE screen to game on.

The fact it is a 60hz TV is fine with me, I am not a competitive gamer and I am not using 3D at the moment. Now, that may change here pretty soon. Now that I am getting this new card, I am wanting to start playing 3D games and movies. But as I said before, I am not a fan of smaller TVs. So I am doing research into selling this one and buying a 55" 3D TV.

Not sure how much you know about Nvidias 3D tech but from the research I've done, I got two options (yes i'm hijacking my own thread)...

1. Break down and roll out with the latest 27" from ASUS with the built in 3D Vision Emitter. This is probably the most... convenient choice seeing as how the glasses are "tuned" for that monitor, the emitter is built in and it has lightboost and is 120hz. It will work, no problem. 600 bucks and your 3d gaming by the time dinner is over. BUT it's a small screen, I'm used to gaming on 55"...not sure I can down grade like that.

2. Buy a quality 120hz 3D TV. Make sure it has a dual link DVI connection, and use Nvidias 3DTV Play software to play all the movies and games. On top of that, from what I've been reading, for example, LG's TruMotion 120hz TV's aren't really true 120z. So find a tried and true 120hz that is on Nvidias 3D Vision capable list will be a chore.

I need to do more research before I make a decision, if you got any input please sound off brother, I'd love to hear your personal opinion.

 

[JMer806]

Hmm, I don't know anything about 3D, sorry. I don't even watch 3D in the theater because it gives me a headache

However, if you're used to 55" at 8 feet, without a desk to sit closer even a 27" monitor isn't going to do it for you. So you're probably right about the new TV, but I imagine it'll be quite expensive compared to the other.

 

[bbeberle]

Who knows, the fact it's 3d may be enough for me lol. As far as the SSD goes, I do a pretty good weekly job of housecleaning on my rig. I cycle games often and usually always have around 100g of free space. Only downfall is I got it when it was double its current price haha. Still well worth the money though.