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Decided not to get a PS4 or Xbox1 but going to build a Gaming PC. Any advice


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Posted
Is it worth using ethanol or rubbing alcohol to clean the cpu ( top metal part ) , copper part of heatsink and the card that will be used to spread the TIM before doing this to ensure no oils / grime etc ??
Posted (edited)
Is it worth using ethanol or rubbing alcohol to clean the cpu, heatsink and the card that will be used to spread the TIM before doing this to ensure no oils / grime etc ??

I don't tend to bother with brand new CPUs and heatsinks, only second-hand ones. They shouldn't have oil and grime on them although it won't hurt if you did clean them.

Edited by Arthur
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Posted
Is it worth using ethanol or rubbing alcohol to clean the cpu ( top metal part ) , copper part of heatsink and the card that will be used to spread the TIM before doing this to ensure no oils / grime etc ??

 

Yes to cleaning cpu, yes to heatsink, no to the card.

Posted

Might not be the best advice but I just use a very dry/damp dish cloth to wipe off Thermal Paste. Never had a problem and been doing it for years, just ensure you only touch the top of the CPU when doing so.

 

Yes just use a pea sized blob nothing more.

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Posted
Might not be the best advice but I just use a very dry/damp dish cloth to wipe off Thermal Paste. Never had a problem and been doing it for years, just ensure you only touch the top of the CPU when doing so.

 

Yes just use a pea sized blob nothing more.

 

Will use this method ref pea size blob as can't be bothered using a card or something to spread the TIM, will check the manual on the Kelvin S36 but am sure this method is easier than mucking about trying to spread it out manually.

 

If I need to clean the CPU off, I have a bottle of ethanol which I believe is 90% ( will confirm what it is later ) and cotton pads ok or cotton buds ??

Posted
Might not be the best advice but I just use a very dry/damp dish cloth to wipe off Thermal Paste. Never had a problem and been doing it for years, just ensure you only touch the top of the CPU when doing so.

I just use kitchen roll (it's less prone to leaving little flecks lay around than toilet roll) and it works fine, but if you happen to have some ethanol cloths lay around it can't hurt.

Posted
Will use this method ref pea size blob as can't be bothered using a card or something to spread the TIM, will check the manual on the Kelvin S36 but am sure this method is easier than mucking about trying to spread it out manually.

 

If I need to clean the CPU off, I have a bottle of ethanol which I believe is 90% ( will confirm what it is later ) and cotton pads ok or cotton buds ??

 

The "pea sized blob" is just the amount you use, you still need to spread it. Yeah, OK, the heatsink will spread it itself under pressure, but do you really want to risk leaving part of the top uncovered (therefore vastly reducing the efficiency of the heatsink) just for the sake of taking a minute to spread it?

 

Don't risk it!

 

If you don't have a card handy, pop in to Subway/McCollins/Coop/etc. and ask for a membership card ;)

Posted
you still need to spread it. Yeah, OK, the heatsink will spread it itself under pressure, but do you really want to risk leaving part of the top uncovered (therefore vastly reducing the efficiency of the heatsink) just for the sake of taking a minute to spread it?

I agree. After spending > £1,000 to build a PC you might as well do it properly. :)

Posted
This is why i said @mac_shinobi to get IC diamond 24 carat.

 

Pea sized blob and it spreads better than anyone using a card or the single line method.

 

Sigh.... no one ever listens 

 

Been suggested that I use the TIM from the S36 or MX 4, IC Diamond was at least £10 and I've already spent more than I originally wanted to. Will check the manual on the S36 and use the TIM included with the S36 ......

 

I agree. After spending > £1,000 to build a PC you might as well do it properly. :)

 

ok Fine but use a new card to spread it near the corners or is there a good youtube video to show how to do this correctly etc

Posted
ok Fine but use a new card to spread it near the corners or is there a good youtube video to show how to do this correctly etc

 

It's highly debated 'how much' you should use or how much you should spread it or whether or not you should even spread it at all! there's not really a correct way of doing it, the incorrect way would be to do anything that would damage the CPU! if you're using a card, just gently scrape into one direction, then the other, then the other etc until all corners are done. Kind of like making a cocaine line. :hat:

Posted (edited)
It's highly debated 'how much' you should use or how much you should spread it or whether or not you should even spread it at all! there's not really a correct way of doing it, the incorrect way would be to do anything that would damage the CPU! if you're using a card, just gently scrape into one direction, then the other, then the other etc until all corners are done. Kind of like making a cocaine line. :hat:

 

As far as I'm concerned:

- you want as thin a layer as you can

- you want to spread it over the entire surface area (right up to the edges, then wipe the excess away that goes over the edge)

 

It's really, really simple @mac_shinobi. I think you're way overthinking it all; it's nigh on impossible to assemble a PC incorrectly if you have common sense these days, like @sonofsanta said, it's glorified lego!

 

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet but I have seen catch people out - check your mobo's manual to make sure you're using the correct RAM slots (assuming there are more slots than you have RAM). You want to make sure you're filling them in order and pairing properly, some mobos put pairs together, some "alternate" (so some would be A1, A2, B1, B2 whereas other might be A1, B1, A2, B2). Just check the manual, it's simpler than I make it sound :)

 

Of course with all the RAM you've bought, you may well fill all the slots anyway in which case this isn't a problem :)

 

By far the hardest part of assembling a modern PC is connecting all the power/LED wires from the case to the correct pins on the mobo - fiddly little things take me forever (but then I haven't got the steadiest hands in the world!). Why on Earth they haven't made a standard layout for these so that proper connectors can be made (like they have for every other common connection) I don't know!

Edited by LosOjos
Posted

By far the hardest part of assembling a modern PC is connecting all the power/LED wires from the case to the correct pins on the mobo - fiddly little things take me forever (but then I haven't got the steadiest hands in the world!). Why on Earth they haven't made a standard layout for these so that proper connectors can be made (like they have for every other common connection) I don't know!

 

Used to be a lot worse, remember when motherboards and/or the cables weren't labelled?!

Posted
Used to be a lot worse, remember when motherboards and/or the cables weren't labelled?!

 

I'm unbelievably thankful that I was not building PC's at this time.

F-Panel's are annoying, though. They're not difficult. Just fiddly and annoying.

Posted
As far as I'm concerned:

- you want as thin a layer as you can

- you want to spread it over the entire surface area (right up to the edges, then wipe the excess away that goes over the edge)

 

It's really, really simple @mac_shinobi. I think you're way overthinking it all; it's nigh on impossible to assemble a PC incorrectly if you have common sense these days, like @sonofsanta said, it's glorified lego!

 

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet but I have seen catch people out - check your mobo's manual to make sure you're using the correct RAM slots (assuming there are more slots than you have RAM). You want to make sure you're filling them in order and pairing properly, some mobos put pairs together, some "alternate" (so some would be A1, A2, B1, B2 whereas other might be A1, B1, A2, B2). Just check the manual, it's simpler than I make it sound :)

 

Of course with all the RAM you've bought, you may well fill all the slots anyway in which case this isn't a problem :)

 

By far the hardest part of assembling a modern PC is connecting all the power/LED wires from the case to the correct pins on the mobo - fiddly little things take me forever (but then I haven't got the steadiest hands in the world!). Why on Earth they haven't made a standard layout for these so that proper connectors can be made (like they have for every other common connection) I don't know!

 

I will try and find a youtube video ref Thermal Paste application and the motherboard I have only has 4 RAM Slots so don't think it matters which memory module I insert into which memory slot on the board ?

 

I would be very surprised if it does matter as have purchased the 32gb ram kit as one kit, so each of the ram modules should be exactly the same as the next one

Posted
I will try and find a youtube video ref Thermal Paste application and the motherboard I have only has 4 RAM Slots so don't think it matters which memory module I insert into which memory slot on the board ?

 

I would be very surprised if it does matter as have purchased the 32gb ram kit as one kit, so each of the ram modules should be exactly the same as the next one

 

If you're filling the RAM slots and they're all the same kind of RAM then you don't need to worry about order - only matters if you have some banks free :)

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Posted
If you're filling the RAM slots and they're all the same kind of RAM then you don't need to worry about order - only matters if you have some banks free :)

 

Motherboard : Motherboard - SABERTOOTH Z97 MARK 1 - ASUS

 

Graphics Card : Graphic Cards - GTX760-DC2OC-2GD5 - ASUS

 

Power Supply : AnandTech | Seasonic Platinum Series 860W - Platinum without the Fuss

 

Other components as per my list on a previous page ( which was a link to my build on UK PC Part Pickers )

Posted (edited)

@mac_shinobi.

 

Look. Ram slots are the least of your problems. As i said... the wc setup is the scariest thing.

 

Thermal paste can be applied with a blob up to half a cm... and then just left to spread itself.

 

It can aldo be placed as a single line down the center of the cpu and left to spread (this would be a thin line... about 1/4 of a cm).

 

Paste can be applied with a card... needing a very thin layer.

 

Stop worrying about the easy jobs.

 

In order....

 

Case - open all panels

Cpu placed on mobo outside case

Install mobo

Install psu

Connect cables to mobo

Install gpu

Install ram

Install extra fans

Install watercooler

Connect up remaining cables and tidy up.

 

Job done.

Edited by Sunnyknight
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Posted

This is my order.

 

- Open Motherboard out of the box and place it on the box using it as a anti static work bench

- Place CPU in socket and push down on the retention arm, the plastic cover should then pop off the socket as you push down on the retention arm

- Place CPU heatsink over the top making sure it's fitted securely

- Install all RAM and be sure to check the manual for the correct slots to put RAM into

- Install the brass legs that hold the motherboard away from the case inside the case

- Push in the IO Sheila

- Install the SSD or Hard Drive into the case

- Install the PSU into the case and route the cables through the back of the case cable management holes

- Install motherboard into the case ensuring the IO Shield is correctly lined up with the motherboard

- Use the middle screw hold to hold the case in place (only light screwing is necessary)

- Screw in all the screws for the motherboard and once done ensure to take the middle screw out (this doesn't matter but it gives you an extra screw to use later)

- Start your cable management here make sure the wires can reach and make you cable management tidy BEFORE you plug in the cables to the motherboard or any other component

- Start your PC up a voila.

 

Congratualtions, now play a game.

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