One final question about my £850 build

[holyroller]

Hey guys, thanks for all the help over the past few days in figuring everything out. I've got my parts list finally and I think it's a complete list. But I have one concern, will my ram fit my motherboard? It was recommended to me on this board and so I assume it will, but I also want to double check and i'm not sure exactly how to be sure. I know that the number f pins on the RAM have to match the pins on the motherboard but i'm not sure exactly where these specs are listed on the motherboard.

I think i've covered all bases with this computer. It's going to be a gaming computer on a 1920x1200 monitor but i'll also be using it for other work, but gaming will be the most intense activity i'll be doing on it. I plan to upgrade to 2x 5850 crossfired.

I'm re-using my hard drives from my old computer, and one concern I have is, will my OS just transfer over to the new build on the hard drive? (I realise this is something I should know, but i'm just concerned whether I need to buy another license for windows 7). I've googled this and the answer I found was that it should just boot fine once I set up the BIOS, but i figure it's best to ask here.

Also i'll be carrying out the build on a anti-static mat, do I also need an anti-static wrist band?

The parts i'll be getting are;

ASUS P7P55D-E PRO iP55 Socket 1156 8 Channel Audio USB3 ATX Motherboard
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/194854

Intel Core i5 750 2.66GHz Socket LGA1156 8MB L3 Cache
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/172755

G-Skill 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600MHz/PC3-12800 Ripjaw Memory Kit CL7(7-8-7-24) 1.65V
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/180490

Sapphire HD5850 1GB Graphics Card
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sapphire-HD5850-1GB-Graphics-Card/dp/B0036Z2F4U/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1277841559&sr=1-3-spell

Coolermaster CM690 II Advanced Mid Tower Case
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/191197

XFX 650W XXX Edition Single Rail Modular PSU - 13.5cm Fan 6x SATA 4x PCI-E
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/191826

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro rev 2 Socket 775, 1156, 1366, AM2, AM3 Heatpipe CPU Cooler
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/176157

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Thanks for all the advice guys. this is my first build so i'm a bit nervous i'll get things wrong, but i'm hoping it'll all go well. I'll be using mx-2 thermal paste and i'll be adding a couple of extra fans as well. Am i missing anything?

 

[MadAdmiral]

That RAM will certainly work with the board. It just might not default to the manufacturer's settings. If so, you should manually set the specs in the BIOS (read the board's manual for details).

The question of the ability to transfer the OS to a new HDD depends. If it's a retail version of the OS (i.e. not OEM), it will work just fine, but you'll likely need to reinstall the OS. If it's an OEM version (like those that come with prebuilt machines), it will not work. OEM versions are tied to a particular motherboard, so moving the HDD to a new one won't allow you to use the OS.

You don't need an anti-static wristband. Just make sure you're properly grounded before touching anything.

 

[holyroller]

ok, well I have my OS CD and it's not from a pre-installed OS, that is, i bought it by itself. Do I need to contact Microsoft if I need to re-install the OS on the hard-drive or can I just re-enter the product key?

How can I tell if the RAM has defaulted to the manufacturers settings?

Is there a good guide to going through the BIOS setup or should RTFM?

 

[holyroller]

Thank you for the advice on everything and I greatly appreciate it, i'll be ordering all my parts tomorrow and carrying out the build on Thursday I think

 

[MadAdmiral]

You can just enter the code, unless it's an OEM version. Just because you bought it yourself doesn't rule out the possibility, unless you bought it in a retail store.

The BIOS will say "manual" or "auto" or such under the RAM settings.

The BIOS varies from board to board, so many guides don't get that specific. Your best guide is the instruction booklet that comes with the board.