Project Karma

[Luke122]

I've decided to use a Buddhism theme for this build, as I've recently started to study/practice. The idea for the build was something relaxing and peaceful in appearance, but with great power within. I'd like to incorporate some buddhist images into the build also, so I'm working on some sketches.

I'm trying for a very quiet PC, which was my primary reason for the Antec case. Also, the freezer 7 pro cooler is a bit noisier than I'd like, so i'll be adding a fan controller to silence it a bit. This pc is actually in the same room where I meditate, so being as quiet as possible is a necessity. But then again, I'm into racing games like GT Legends, so I need some horsepower.

I wont be overclocking at this time, but it's always possible in the future. I'm interested in suggestions for CPU upgrades also...

Anyways, here's what I've got so far for hardware.

Antec P180B case http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/p180b.jpg
MSI P965 Platinum mobo http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/msi-p965p.jpg
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/arctic7pro.gif
ATI x1950 Prohttp://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/x1950pro.jpg
(though I may still use my 6800 instead.. I have both here..hmm)
P4 Prescott 3.2 HT
1gb pc4200
80gb sata
120gb ide
dvdrw and dvdrom

Power supply is on order, OCZ 700w GameXStream and should be here late this week.

CPU, ram, opticals and hdds were all salvaged from my Dell Dimension 8400. (I can feel the hate already.. which is why I scrapped the dell to build this) :)

I've got the unit test assembled and running atm, with a junker 500w MIOS power supply. Yeah.. dont bother buying one.. noisy and ugly. Cheap though... I guess you do get what you pay for.

Having never built a system of this type before, I'm open to any suggestions or comments that anyone may have in regards to my choices in hardware.

My budget is really small (baby on the way), but I have loads of spare time, so if I can make something cheaper than buying it, I'll give it a go.

[Luke122]

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/maitriya.gif

Here's one of the inspiration images for this project. Also, I've engraved this image into a 5x7" piece of plexi, and hope to do similar etchings for this project.

There is currently no window in the case, and I'm reluctant to cut one in myself. Does anyone know if I can order a replacement side panel with the window already cut? It would probably be pricey.. and I'm sorta.. poor. Well, cheap actually..

One thing i did think about though was adding an edge lit etch onto the front door of the case.. thoughts anyone?

[Airbozo]

You could incorporate your "shrine" into the front, complete with a mini Buddha and bells and a place to burn the incense... Press a button and it could slide out ready for a meditation period.


EDIT: BTW if you have the skills to carve that picture into plexi, you have the skills to cut a window... It is not hard if you have a skill saw and a file.

[Luke122]

I was actually thinking about doing something similar.. :) Not necessarily having something that slides out, but having a little shrine with a small statue in there, and a clear front so that it's always visible. Maybe even use some led's for lighting too..

Wife has bad asthma, so incense is out I'm afraid.. which is a shame, cause I've been playing a little with LED's and light beams through smoke.. looks hella cool.

I've even started playing with windowblinds to skin winxp to sort of follow the external theme of the case.

[armadilloben]

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/maitriya.gif

Here's one of the inspiration images for this project. Also, I've engraved this image into a 5x7" piece of plexi, and hope to do similar etchings for this project.

There is currently no window in the case, and I'm reluctant to cut one in myself. Does anyone know if I can order a replacement side panel with the window already cut? It would probably be pricey.. and I'm sorta.. poor. Well, cheap actually..

One thing i did think about though was adding an edge lit etch onto the front door of the case.. thoughts anyone?

you could put like 2 high intensity white leds on a angle like this \ / so it looks like its shining on him that might look cool

[armadilloben]

I was actually thinking about doing something similar.. :) Not necessarily having something that slides out, but having a little shrine with a small statue in there, and a clear front so that it's always visible. Maybe even use some led's for lighting too..

Wife has bad asthma, so incense is out I'm afraid.. which is a shame, cause I've been playing a little with LED's and light beams through smoke.. looks hella cool.

I've even started playing with windowblinds to skin winxp to sort of follow the external theme of the case.

my friends dad burns incense in his office when which is in the basement (were we hang out for the most part) and personally i find that it smells quite bad) are there like any problems w/ the ingredients of incense with pc componnets? would it slow down the fans or defeat the purpose of the incense intererly because the fans would blow it away i find that it could be problematic

[luciusad2004]

Idk if you guys are talking about incense inside of a pc but that is probably a bad idea. I think that the oils that burn off would most likely build up on the components and that could possibly be pretty bad. Even if they were just around the PC the smoke would probably get sucked in and cling to stuff.

[nil8]

Incense is mostly sawdust and essential oils. Since there is such little smoke compared to tobacco products or burning dried plants, it really shouldn't do much if anything to a computer case.
Still, it's out anyway.

Cutting a window isn't that hard. Measure twice, cut once. It will keep you from possibly making a mistake.

Maybe an idea would be to take a specific symbol and do the window cut on that with the plex image being the background? It would be much neater and more unique than just a boxed window.

[OvRiDe]

The window idea is great, but you might want to consider something first. You were saying you went with the Antec case because you are wanting a quiet pc. You may compromise that by cutting a window in it. I believe that case has a dual layer side panel with some sound isolating padding to minimize sound. I'm not 100% on that so you might want to do a little research. I would hate for you to spend the extra on a case like that for its sound dampening and then negate it. The graphic is looks great. I have a couple of suggestions, that might not be as cool as an actual window, but would still look nice and distinctive. A custom cut vinyl applied to the side, although again it doesn't have the wow factor a lit up window does. The other idea is to etch a piece of acrylic and attach it to the side. Build a frame around it that has LED's embedded in it to illuminate the etching. This would all be integrated to the side panel. Just my 2cents, hope it helps.

[Arden]

i own the case, my advise is that it is a very good case but if it is your first build (it was for my) do NOT by it. it is complicated and often hard to use, but performance is good.

[Luke122]

The window idea is great, but you might want to consider something first. You were saying you went with the Antec case because you are wanting a quiet pc. You may compromise that by cutting a window in it. I believe that case has a dual layer side panel with some sound isolating padding to minimize sound. I'm not 100% on that so you might want to do a little research. I would hate for you to spend the extra on a case like that for its sound dampening and then negate it. The graphic is looks great. I have a couple of suggestions, that might not be as cool as an actual window, but would still look nice and distinctive. A custom cut vinyl applied to the side, although again it doesn't have the wow factor a lit up window does. The other idea is to etch a piece of acrylic and attach it to the side. Build a frame around it that has LED's embedded in it to illuminate the etching. This would all be integrated to the side panel. Just my 2cents, hope it helps.



That's exactly the reason I'm hesitant to cut the side panel myself. I've actually chopped up a few old cases for practice already, but with the multi-layered sides, I'm really worried about making it look good enough, and still keep some of the sound dampening quality.

The idea about attaching an etched piece to the side panel is pretty good.. I think I might do something like that to the front.

I've already etched that design into a piece of plexi, in this thread. http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3719

[Luke122]

Here it is..

http://static.flickr.com/144/319865755_d6c8e82775_d.jpg

[OvRiDe]

That looks friggin awsome.. Great job! You definately have the etching skills, I am confident that whatever you do it will look great!

[b4i7]

ive started my own p180 project before....the window is a bit tricky to do.....ESPECIALLY keeping the outside sheet of metal from seperating from the middle plastic...though it is somethin easily fixed with some glue...

how do you plan on mounting your window? with screws? or some H channel rubber?...if you plan on screws...there are 2 ways i can see it being done...

1 if your window is small enough to fit in the top "half" of the case...you can simply cut out the shape of your window...drill your holes...then around the inner edge of where your window is.... you can place a nice thin layer of bondo to make it look all one piece....then you have a clean looking window...but offset inward about 1/8 inch

2 you can cutout the shape you want your window...but leave space for your screws then go back and cut a notch out around the whole inside of your window....so that it leaves the outside metal...and your window will be just about flush with the outside.....but if you do it this way...put a strip of the rubber material, like on the power supply mount...thingy...., around the edge of the metal on the window..so that you achieve the near silent window...

the second way is the way i had to do it....because i was noobtastic...and didnt think when i made my cuts....so i was forced to do an inset window

however you do it good luck! ill be watching this....

[Luke122]

I'm thinking also that I'm going to do a couple quick mods to the inside of the case for cable routing, and I'll be painting the whole interior black.. probably not a matte or flat black, but not too glossy either.

I've got a crazy idea for the front.. once I figure out how to pull the front door off the case, I'll be taking it down to the local glass shop for some measurements. :)

Now the question is, "do I etch, or laser engrave?" Etching is free, but my idea would look really good with some depth in the design.. I'll post more tomorrow.

Gnight all.. back to stress testing the assembly hardware. :)

[simon275]

Your etching skills are amazing you must have a job of an artist or something as the design is very complicated.

[Luke122]

It's not really that hard to do.. in essence you are just tracing a design through the plexi with an engraver. Print a mirror of the image you want, tape it to backside of the plexi, and then trace it out. Easy stuff.. just takes patience.

Yes, I did try a dremel.. it was tough. In fact, the bottom 1/3 of that buddha was done with dremel in hand.. no flex shaft or extension, or whatever it's called. I got to the point where my whole hand was numb, and vibrating, and thought "there must be an easier way". I found that the easiest method was using a small electric engraver. I picked it up for $13 at the local hardware store, and it's nice and light to use.

It's much easier on the hand than the dremel, and easier to control. The only catch is the noise.. something like a tattoo gun. Some people dont mind it, some people cant stand it. Ear protection is a must in my opinion.. you'll spend hours with it.

That buddha design wasnt too bad actually.. it's all linework, so no shading. The time spent on that design was about 2.5 hrs. I actually made another etching for an xmas present to the brother in law.. he's a big WOW geek, so I etched a night elf chick splashing out of the water for him, and used 4 - 3mm superbright LED's to edge light it from the bottom. Powered the whole thing off of a USB port, and used a metal base that I found from somewhere.

I'll try to get him to take a pic of it so I can post, as I never did. :( He's just got a camera phone, so the quality might be a bit ****e-ish.

[Luke122]

Oh also, just put the old dell 350w power supply back on it, and pulled the MIOS 500w (sure, as if) power supply out.

Ran aquamark at 1024x768, scored a 76,000. Yeah, with the dell power supply. The MIOS one wouldnt pass 73k.

Prescott 3.2ht, clocked at 3.75ghz
1gb pc4200 ram
x1950pro 256 @ 5% under maximum overclock settings
MSI P965 platinum

It seems to be choking up on the first test, so I'm thinking ram is an issue. After that, it's pretty smooth throughout.

Anyone here got similar hardware, or similar numbers in Aquamark? I cant help but think that I should be scoring higher. Any thoughts?

[Luke122]

Just got back from my local glass shop.. it pays to know the owner. Picked up a bunch of scrap plexi for ultra cheap, so I've got some stuff to play with now for creating. Too bad they dont have any 1/2" stuff in stock, just 1/4".

So what I'm thinking now, is that I'll overlay a piece of plexiglass on top of the side panels and the front, rather than cut the case up. (I may end up doing that down the road.. this project will never stop evolving.)

So the images will be etched into the plexi, and edge lit. U-channel material will cover the edges on the sides, to ensure only the etching is lit, but the front panel will ideally be 1/2" thick, with rounded and polished edges. (Defyant inspired me with his drive covers).

The LED's on the front will mounted to the front of the case, behind the door, and protrude into the door when it's closed to light the etch. This way, when the door is open, the LED's will provide some light down the front of the case to make for easier swapping of cd's/dvd's in lower light situations.

Here's a couple quick concept ideas for placement of images.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/concept-side.jpg
and
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/concept-front.jpg

I'm still a little unsure on the side image, but I'm pretty sure I'll stick with the wheel theme. I have a waaaay more complex wheel image at home that I could use on the side.. but it'll take DAYS of etching by hand to finish it.. might have to look into laser etching. *sigh*... so much for the budget.

Also, I'm open to suggestions for the colors of the LED's.. blue and red look good, but seem to be really overdone. I'm actually considering clear/white, or yellow if I can get a rich enough "gold" look from them.

[Luke122]

Since I dont have access to cutting tools of my own (table saw, etc), I'm getting the front door piece cut today by a friend of mine. I'll post pics when I get it back.

I should have it back this afternoon, so in the meantime I'm working on the polishing to make sure that it looks 100%. I'm off to research polishing techniques, and to do some testing of my own. :)

[Luke122]

New powersupply just arrived... OCZ 700w GameXstream. (extreme? who comes up with these names...)

I'll be installing it when I get home, and taking some more pics of the work in progress.

[slytherock]

Good choice, really nice PSU. The Blue leds are not brght enugh, but the PSU is nice and reliable

Have fun!!!

[Luke122]

Well, the case wont be open (or windowed at this time) anyways, so the LED's are really not a concern for me. :)

After some initial testing of the rough build, I'm finding that this case is still pretty noisy for me.. "noise nazi" is what the wife calls me. :P Since I'm not going fanless, I guess I'll have to find some more ways to dampen the sound without overheating.

[JRSCAcura]

hye man you mentioned possibly using the same paint I did the inside of my case with for yours. I see your in Canada, so it shouldn't be to hard to go to Canadian tire and hit them up for some, like $10. Really excited to see your case come together, looks great so far. I like the idea of the budda in the window with it light from the edges of the window with leds.

[LiTHiUM0XiD3]

first i must state CANNUCKS RULE!!!!
OUR BEER AINT WATERY!!!!
ima go ride my polar bear into the village to get some....
heh
awsome job on the etchin dude
major props

[Luke122]

Well, the first two attempts at cutting out the front door piece failed. The first one.. well.. dont use a jigsaw.

Second one.. 1/2" plex is a bitch to work with. Managed to get the shape right, but during the "clean up the edges" process (aka: too lazy to use a file, so I used a power sander) I managed to make a nice gouge in the edge, and totally ruin it.

*sigh*

Today = take 3.

[dexaroni]

Dont use plexi. Use lexan. It is still clear, and comes in sheets, you should find it right next to the plexi. It is a few bucks more, but most of it is rated at 16x stronger. I use a skillsaw to cut the big pieces, thats how durable this stuff is.

[Luke122]

Thanks for the tip, but I'll be sticking with the plex. (See thread: "I am the luckiest modder ever!")

Also, strength isnt an issue, as the plex will be overlaid on top of the existing door and side panels, and is only being used to help dampen the noise further, and to offer etchings for display purposes. :)

[Luke122]

Todays update:

Took another whack at cutting a piece for the door.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/front-overview.jpg

Played with a router to try and come up with a beveled edge for the front piece... sorry for the crap photo (rush, rush).
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/edge.jpg

Here's another pile from another location in the arena.. I'm slowly consolidating it all.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/anotherpile.jpg

And finally, this is why we practice on scrap, right Luke? :mad:
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/oops.jpg


So tonights projects include testing the new powersupply, working on cable management, test sanding/polishing, and hopefully deciding on a side panel image... I like this one.. thoughts? (big image.. click the link)

Click me to see it! (http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/jambhala_blue_kkt.jpg)

[JRSCAcura]

wow thats some serious plexy there man. I like the image your thinking of using for the window.

[Luke122]

Good choice, really nice PSU. The Blue leds are not brght enugh, but the PSU is nice and reliable

Have fun!!!

Something odd about this power supply.. the LED's start off really dim, but after about 20 mins, they are almost TOO bright for me. :) But then again, I do have the case wide open, and the ps sitting on the desk beside me.

It actually is really quiet though, and no stability problems since I put this one in, so I'd say it's money well spent. :D

I've also decided to scrap the 1/2" plexi for this project, as the weight is just too much (particulary for the hinge on the front door). I'll be using 1/4" instead, and will be cutting/etching it today or tomorrow. I will be using the same image I posted earlier in the thread for the front panel, with a few additional touches. All of my 1/2" stuff is now on standy, while I decide what to use it for.. furniture has been suggested, as well as sculpture and etch work. :)

For the side panel, I will be using the complex image that I linked earlier as well, the "Blue Jambhala". All my etching work will be done by hand, and will be edge lit, though color is still up in the air. I may go with white, maybe blue..

I bought a 100 pack of LED's (25 each of white, blue, red, and green) from ebay, and shipping included came out to $14.50 CAD, and those should be here this week. Take that Radio Shack... $3 for one blue? I think not.

More to follow..

[Luke122]

Sorry for the lack of updates, I have a ton of excuses. :P

So anyways, the LED's arrived, and the packaging is a joke, but they are all here.. all 100 of them. I've done a couple quick rigs to see how bright they are, and what the color from them looks like.. I'm really satisfied with them.. $14 (CAD) well spent.

Pics to follow

[Luke122]

:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

Nothing like a chorus line of dancing bananas to express one's excitement.

Back to reality...

56K BEWARE....

Karma lives.. I know that it's been a long time between updates, but work is crazy, and +excuse, +excuse, etc.

Let's start with a scale shot. The Antec P180B case is BIG. Here we see it next to a 17" LCD.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/IMG_0024.jpg

..and here with a can of the best stuff on the planet. You may ask, "Where's the door Luke?" It's here.. just havent put it back on yet. Still using it as a template for the plexi front.. which is still not done. :dead:

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/IMG_0002.jpg



Ignore the rats nest inside.. I just wanted to build it (impatience) and play WoW. So now that I've got the new ram and CPU I'm starting the proper build, including the cable management, etc.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/IMG_0020.jpg

I know everyone loves pictures, so here's another. Yes, cable management is sorely lacking atm. Bear with me..

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/IMG_0021.jpg

I know that back in the beginning, I posted the component list etc, but used stock photos from other sites. So, heres the case, the mobo box, and gpu box. Whoop-de-doo.. but some people like to see.. so..

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/IMG_0017.jpg

OK, enough of that. New box of toys arrived today.. hooray! 5 new mobos, CPU's, ram, and cpu coolers.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/IMG_0004.jpg

For anyone who wondered about the Scythe Ninja coolers, friggin huge. I havent measured yet, but I'm thinking it *may not* fit into my case!

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/IMG_0006.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/IMG_0007.jpg

Here's the ram that arrived today also...
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/IMG_0010.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/IMG_0011.jpg

[.Maleficus.]

Is that 5 sticks??? IS THAT 5 GIGS??!?!


Nice setup man, glad to here that it's working with no DOAs. Great job so far, keep it up.

[Luke122]

So why did I order 5 of everything?

I'm technically upgrading 5 computers at once.. all old P4 1.6's. They just arent cutting it around here anymore, and are being replaced with D820's and 1gb ram. Woot.. may even overclock them (hence all the Scythe Ninjas).

That also means that I'll have 5 more p4's cluttering my build room. "What build room?"

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/IMG_0013.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/IMG_0014.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/IMG_0015.jpg

Ignore the mess.. I'm still moving into this room. Anyone need ten 17" CRT monitors? Most work.... How about seven P3 700's? :p

My office is much less cluttered.. but still in the process of moving also.. so I'm not settled yet.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/IMG_0012.jpg

[Luke122]

Next up, here's some screen shots, both using the Prescott cpu, and the ddr-3200 ram.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/sysprops.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/CPUz.jpg

After a bit of overclocking..
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/sysprops2.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/CPUz2.jpg

I'm tempted to throw in one of the 820's and 2gb of that pc-5300 ram and see what kinda overclocks I can hit.. mwuhhahaha. The Freezer 7 Pro I have on there right now is actually a pretty good cooler.. These Scythe Ninjas might not be much of an upgrade.. but we'll see.

[progbuddy]

Scythe Ninjas are big as hell... Here's the Scythe I'm getting :).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16835185041

[Luke122]

Solid as can be at that rate btw.

[Luke122]

Oh man.. that's not nearly as big as these buggers..

Quick review on them..
http://www.reviewdesk.com/ninjarevb/

I'm telling you.. BIIIIG doesnt begin to describe them. I'm a little worried about the stress on the mobo.
Might need extra support..

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/scaleshot1.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/scaleshot2.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/120mmfan.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/width.jpg

Yup.. I have to call it a night though, so I'll post some more details first thing in the am. Stupid birthday parties.. I'd rather be building my PC.

[progbuddy]

Oh man.. that's not nearly as big as these buggers..

Quick review on them..
http://www.reviewdesk.com/ninjarevb/

I'm telling you.. BIIIIG doesnt begin to describe them. I'm a little worried about the stress on the mobo.
Might need extra support..

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/scaleshot1.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/scaleshot2.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/120mmfan.jpg
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/width.jpg

Yup.. I have to call it a night though, so I'll post some more details first thing in the am. Stupid birthday parties.. I'd rather be building my PC.

Dude that heatsink is huge. Good thing I have an extra wide microATX case...

[Luke122]

Morning to all!

A while back, I mentioned that I bought all these LEDs from Ebay for dirt cheap, and the shipping/packaging was a joke. I also promised photos, but like so many other things, +excuse, +excuse.

Here's a photo.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/LEDs.jpg

Basically, they took 10 LEDs of each color and made a little bundle in bubble wrap, then dropped 10 bundles into a paper envelope with a piece of string tying it shut (not even tied shut properly) and shipped it from Hong Kong.

If I was working in customs, I would have instantly thought it was a package of drugs. Looked soooo dodgey.

Anyways, here's the plan for this morning...
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/NewBits.jpg

4gb Pc-5300 ram, and a Pentium D 820 proc.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/RamSys.jpg

Wtf... Only detects 3.25gb? This board (MSI P965 Platinum) should support 8gb.. ok, time to start pulling sticks out one by one. I want to sort out the ram issue before I drop in the processor.. which is why it still shows as a 3.2ghz in case y'all were wondering.

Back with an update in a few mins....

[Luke122]

Is that 5 sticks??? IS THAT 5 GIGS??!?!


Nice setup man, glad to here that it's working with no DOAs. Great job so far, keep it up.

Yessir.. 5 sticks. It's technically not all for one computer, but I am testing it all in this machine. There will only be 2gb into Karma, and the rest into other computers.

And I think that I've got my first DOA from the order.. one of the ram sticks only detects as 256mb. Swapped it out, and now Karma shows a full 4096mb. w000t! :D

[xRyokenx]

I have the Scythe Katana cooler, that thing is a pain in the you-know-where to put in... it's angled too, which doesn't really work considering the fins are rubbing against the PSU, and if I rotate it 180*, it doesn't do anything.

[Luke122]

Wtf... Only detects 3.25gb? This board (MSI P965 Platinum) should support 8gb.. ok, time to start pulling sticks out one by one. I want to sort out the ram issue before I drop in the processor.. which is why it still shows as a 3.2ghz in case y'all were wondering.

Back with an update in a few mins....

Umm.. just found this on another site:
"Is there a maximum memory limit in WinXP? I know a 32bit CPU has a max memory limit of 3gb, but does WinXP 32 bit version have the same limit? What would happen if you installed WinXP (non 64 bit version) on a PC with over 3gb of memory would it work?

32bit CPU can't address more than 3gb ram? I've NEVER heard of this before, but I suppose it's possible..

Installing the D 820 proc now..

[Luke122]

I have the Scythe Katana cooler, that thing is a pain in the you-know-where to put in... it's angled too, which doesn't really work considering the fins are rubbing against the PSU, and if I rotate it 180*, it doesn't do anything.


Yeah, this Freezer 7 pro is a pain also.. but at least I can get it installed without removing the board.

I'm going to have to pull the board to put on this ninja.

[Monsterbox]

32bit CPU can't address more than 3gb ram? I've NEVER heard of this before, but I suppose it's possible...
I don't know what the 32bit limit is, but I know that there definitely is one. It is certainly possible that it could be 3GB. Your only way to get around it is to pick up a 64 bit processor. However, make sure that your motherboard supports 64-bit before you drop coin on a new CPU. Otherwise, you might end up with a CPU that won't work until you upgrade your motherboard.

[xRyokenx]

Yeah, this Freezer 7 pro is a pain also.. but at least I can get it installed without removing the board.

I'm going to have to pull the board to put on this ninja.


I had thought installing it on a Socket A mobo was awful, but with my LGA 775, I had to pull up the mobo, install these stupid side rail things, build a lot of crap onto the heatsink, and then manage to get it set on there correctly and lined up right so I can use these two other screws to hold it in. Talk about a PitA.

[Luke122]

I don't know what the 32bit limit is, but I know that there definitely is one. It is certainly possible that it could be 3GB. Your only way to get around it is to pick up a 64 bit processor. However, make sure that your motherboard supports 64-bit before you drop coin on a new CPU. Otherwise, you might end up with a CPU that won't work until you upgrade your motherboard.

Well, i'm only going to be running 2gb in this system for now anyways, so it's not a big deal.

I've just installed the D-820, and testing now.

[Luke122]

Here we go... new processor installed, and starting small on the overclock.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/d820-210mhz.jpg

Not bad, not bad. What happens when we push the bus to 230?

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/d820-230mhz.jpg

Hmm.. If I overclock my x1950 using the catalyst tool.. and run aquamark...

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/aqua-83k.jpg

Holy crap.. that's a new record for me!

And I'm still gonna push the CPU harder too..

[nil8]

If I was working in customs, I would have instantly thought it was a package of drugs. Looked soooo dodgey.


Yea, it does. It looks a whole lot like drugs with the eye. I'm sure the xray machine reveals a different tale.

I'm pumped to see this mod continue. Great artwork, good overclocking, this has the makings for a fantastic mod. rep+

[Luke122]

Yea, it does. It looks a whole lot like drugs with the eye. I'm sure the xray machine reveals a different tale.

I'm pumped to see this mod continue. Great artwork, good overclocking, this has the makings for a fantastic mod. rep+

Thanks for the positive feedback!

I'm still pushing this overclock, and the best part is that I'm doing it at work right now! I love the fact that my boss lets me do stuff like this on company time. I told him that me playing with hardware helps me to keep my skills sharp, and lets me keep up with emerging technologies. This in turn lets me provide better service to the company. :D

..or something like that. :D

[Maz]

You freaking con artist!

+rep ;)

[Luke122]

OK, I wont bother to bore everyone with all the inbetween steps so far, but I've kept playing with the overclock this morning, and at this point, have this to show for it..

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/d820-265mhz.jpg
and....
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/aqua-90k.jpg
!!!!

Ok, that's the highest Aquamark score I've ever seen in RL. I've seen screenshots of people with watercooled sli rigs pushing over 100k, but for a single gpu and an air cooled overclock, I'm pretty happy so far.

I'm currently stress testing it to see what kind of cpu temps I can expect so I'll post those results later today, along with some actual modding. :D

Yes, this project is still alive.

[Maz]

good to hear it didnt blow up on you. Is it stable going that fast?

[progbuddy]

good to hear it didnt blow up on you. Is it stable going that fast?

Its the big ass heatsink...

[xRyokenx]

Is 40 to 50k on aquamark good with only slightly higher settings than you used? That's what my PC scored, although, I may OC my GPU...

[Luke122]

Is 40 to 50k on aquamark good with only slightly higher settings than you used? That's what my PC scored, although, I may OC my GPU...


I was previously scoring mid-high 60's with my Prescott 3.2, 256mb 6800(not even a gt), and a gig of ram. You should be scoring better than that!

I optimized a bit to hit that score though, closed all background processes, ran a defrag, and all that too. Myabe checked for spyware/malware also.. you might have something slowing you down. :)

[Luke122]

Its the big ass heatsink...

I ran it up to 275mhz this afternoon, and it locked on boot. Turned up the voltage a touch, and it worked, but wasnt stable. (ended up +0.0250v I think..I'll confirm this tomorrow morning) I think the problem now is the memory, because even after 2hrs ontime, and 30mins of WOW, it was only running at 48' C. (118'F)

PC-5300 ram doesnt seem to like the speed, and turning up the voltage on the ram didnt yield any gains (and it's risky). PC-6400 supposedly is stable, all the way to a final cpu speed of 4.25ghz. Wrap your mind around THAT. *drool*

Runs great at 270mhz FSB though... 3780mhz! Nearly a 1ghz gain (from 2.8), air cooled, AND CHEAP.

Now for the crazy part.. I havent put the Ninja on it yet. I'm still running my Freezer 7 Pro, and it's doin great. Ninja goes on tomorrow or the next day.. depending on when I get to the paint part.. if I paint the interior. I'm undecided on that, but I might do it later on. Cable management is needed also, and I will definitely get on that tomorrow.

I'm also considering redoing the partition, and doing a dual boot with Ubuntu. The driver for the x1950pro is flaky right now, but there's tons of greate audio software to play with, and I was inspired by this thread (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6764).

[Drew]

Overclocking.....mmmmmmmmmmmmm whizzy.

[Ironcat]

...almost...
Competition always gets the better of me.

So here is my rig
E6400 2.13 Core 2 Duo OC'd to 2.4
2Gb of slowass RAM
7950 GT

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/_ironcat_/cpu-z-1.jpg

and here is my aquamark

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/_ironcat_/aqua.jpg

When I bump it to 2.5 I can break 100

[Luke122]

Haha.. ok, IT's ON NOW BROTHER! Let the benchmark wars begin!

:D I'm thinking that my gpu is the bottleneck atm.. only has 256mb on it. Hmm.. perhaps I'll try out my brothers 7950. :D

[Luke122]

Quick update.. got the Ninja installed on the board.. holy carp is this thing huuuuge. I'll have to do some more planning on this, because it's hitting the ram on one side, blocking the boards 12v plug on the bottom, hits the lpt port on the other side, and hits the case on the top.

Might just have to run it passive.. :D I suppose it's possible with the 2- 120mm fans near it.. I love this case.

Anyways, now that the hardware config is pretty much finalized, I can actually get back to the modding. The original plans of overlaying plexi on the door with the etched/lit buddha image is still a go, though I've switched to 1/4" instead of 1/2" for weight savings.

Also, picked up some ram sinks today and some cool sleeving to clean up the wiring inside. More to follow this evening, with pics.

One last thing.. Antec sells a replacement panel for this case for $20 USD + shipping. I'm gonna cut a window into it, and if it looks like crap, I'll just replace it. :P

Now.. the window image..

[armadilloben]

i dont know if it is resolved or not but i think i know yourp rob w/ the mem issue i think your problem is that one of the sticks is bad and that i dont know what your running vid card wise but if it is a 256mb vid card it would make sense bc xp addresses all ram (including video card memory as one huge block) so 3 gig (i bad stick)+256mb of vid memory = 3.25 gig!

[Maz]

^that actually makes sense.
btw I hit 98k w/ small overclock (but i do have a 7900GT)

[armadilloben]

ty maz8)

[Luke122]

i dont know if it is resolved or not but i think i know yourp rob w/ the mem issue i think your problem is that one of the sticks is bad and that i dont know what your running vid card wise but if it is a 256mb vid card it would make sense bc xp addresses all ram (including video card memory as one huge block) so 3 gig (i bad stick)+256mb of vid memory = 3.25 gig!

Yes, actually I do have a 256mb gpu, which explains the 3.25gb. However, when I pulled all the ram, and tested it one stick at a time, it was all fine. Perhaps I have a bad slot? :mad: Which would suck, since the board is almost new.

I was really afraid that it was bad ram, and that was in fact my first thought. :)

Anyways, I was only planning on having 2gb in there at this time anyways, so it's not a big deal that it cant see 4. :P

[Luke122]

^that actually makes sense.
btw I hit 98k w/ small overclock (but i do have a 7900GT)

It seems to me that Aquamark either doesnt utilize the x1950pro fully, or the fact that it's only 256mb is hurting me. I did notice a pretty significant stutter on the first test when the little sub rises above the ridge, and the whole wide environment comes into view.

Just out of curiosity Maz, on the score screen for your benchmark, what was your GPU and CPU scores?

[Ironcat]

Sorry man...

Bumped it up to 2504.00 ( 313 x 8 )

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/_ironcat_/untitled.jpg


To be honest, I am 100% convinved that your video card plays a HUGE role in these sort of tests, whether it be futuremark, aquamark, sandra, or anything else... Pop in a 7950 or even better an 8800 and watch your scores pop!

[Luke122]

I totally agree with you.. my cpu score was 11,691 and yours was 10,915, but the decider is your 17k+ score (gpu) vs my 14k. :P

I dont have the budget to buy another gpu at this time though, so I suppose I'll just have to settle for 90+fps vs 100+..hehe.

Still trying to get my brothers 7950 to test!

More modding on this project will be posted today.. I PROMISE!

[Nick_Black]

I'm also considering redoing the partition, and doing a dual boot with Ubuntu. The driver for the x1950pro is flaky right now, but there's tons of greate audio software to play with, and I was inspired by this thread (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6764).


YAY! I feel special (considering this prodject was the first one I've been following on this site and got me in the mood to mod again....)

I better start on my new prodject... gonna sell my car for some starting cash. I'm flat out broke right now..

good luck with your prodject! and I hope your ninja fits :D

[LiTHiUM0XiD3]

i dont know if it is resolved or not but i think i know yourp rob w/ the mem issue i think your problem is that one of the sticks is bad and that i dont know what your running vid card wise but if it is a 256mb vid card it would make sense bc xp addresses all ram (including video card memory as one huge block) so 3 gig (i bad stick)+256mb of vid memory = 3.25 gig!






i rly hate to point this out... but xp dont handle ram in this such way.... i have a intel.... and a ati card..... 3.25 comes from the ram stick reading as a 256 stick.... ive got a 256Mb 9600pro.... have swapped back and forth with my 9250... never affected my 1Gb of ram...

[Luke122]

Well, all the ram tested out just fine, so I have no clue why it didnt recognize it all. Oh well.. 2gb is all i was going to run anyways. :D

*UPDATE FOR TODAY*

Work has me far too busy to play with my own computer today, so it'll have to wait for another day. :( It's killing me though.. I'm dying for some WOW.. might have to steal the wife's computer tonight.. but she'll probly be playing WOW too.. dammit.

[Luke122]

*sigh*

Still super busy... I'll get back on this soon. Just came into some cash, so I might pick up a scroll saw soon.. depends on what the CFO (wife) says.

[Airbozo]

RE: memory issues;

Windows does NOT count video card memory as system memory. "." (Unless it is an onboard video card, then when you allocate memory to the onboard card it is removed from the system memory that windows sees).

There is a 4gb limit that XP will see. That includes the page file. If you have a 2gb page file, and stick in 4 gb of ram, windows will only see 2gb of system ram + 2gb virtual memory for a total of 4gb. You could install 4gb of ram and turn off the page file and all the memory will be seen and used. I am not sure if the performance will suffer or not since I have not tried this yet.

EDIT: My gut instinct tells me that the system will perform better with 4gb of memory and no page file since memory access is faster than disk access (where the page file is), but knowing windows this may not be true. In the UNIX world paging to disk is a sign of not enough memory in a system. You never want unix to swap programs to disk since this IS a performance hit and being a sysadmin my job is to make sure all my systems perform well. If I see a system swap to disk, I will add more memory asap.

[Ticien]

I did a bit of research a while back and found the same thing Airbozo is pointing out. It is a windows issue. (Just FYI the 64 bit edition of XP Pro maxes at 8G if my memory serves me right)

PS. The only reason I thought to look this up is because my mobo can apparently handle 16GB RAM? Ive never seen a 4GB RAM chip...

[Luke122]

Memory issue resolved.. 4gb limit does include swap file. Thanks for the info guys! +rep to Airbozo :)

Anyways, I've left it at 2gb anyways.. the 4 sticks were just for testing.

The ninja does fit, but just barely. It took some fancy doing to get that 120mm cpu fan to fit on there as well, but I think it was worth it. With the 4 -120mm's in the case, it's barely audible. Wait.. 5 120's.. there's one in the psu also. Heh.. the loudest fan in the case is the one on the x1950pro.

The fsb is currently running @ 210mhz, which makes 2.9ghz from the D820, and under load it hits 44'C, which I'm really happy with considering how quiet it is. It also means I've got loads of headroom for overclocking in the future. :D

My wife's computer has 2 - 90mm fans in the case, plus the cpu fan (Zalman something or other.. I'll check it when I get home), and some no name cooler fan on the gpu (Radeon 9800). Hot and loud.. I hate it. Maybe that will be the next project. :D

I think I should finish this one first though.. haha. Pictures to follow..

[nil8]

Drop a Zalman lower end cooler in that 9800 with AS5 compound and you will be amazed how much cooler and how far you can push it.

[Luke122]

nil8: It's an aftermarket cooler of some sort.. cant remember the brand, but it's got the as5 on it already. :) Hell, i even do that on new Dell PC's. shh... dont tell anyone. ;)

OK.. The Scythe "HUGE FRIGGIN HEATSINK" Ninja. As promised, here are the pics of it in Karma.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/scythefit2.jpg
Ooops, over exposed.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/scythefit.jpg
Ooops, under exposed.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/cablemess.jpg

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/ignorethemess.jpg
Umm... ignore the cable mess... still in the works.

Needless to say, I've been busy lately.. it's been stressful around here.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/roughweek.jpg

[progbuddy]

nil8: It's an aftermarket cooler of some sort.. cant remember the brand, but it's got the as5 on it already. :) Hell, i even do that on new Dell PC's. shh... dont tell anyone. ;)

OK.. The Scythe "HUGE FRIGGIN HEATSINK" Ninja. As promised, here are the pics of it in Karma.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/scythefit2.jpg
Ooops, over exposed.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/scythefit.jpg
Ooops, under exposed.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/cablemess.jpg

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/ignorethemess.jpg
Umm... ignore the cable mess... still in the works.

Needless to say, I've been busy lately.. it's been stressful around here.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/roughweek.jpg

Thatsa huge-a heatsink!

No wonder the OC is so high...

I think you should try OCing that x1950 pro a little (I was able to run my MX 4000 from 275 MHz all the way to 320 MHz stable on stock cooling). It'll give your scores that bump you need.

Also, you might want to consider a SATA drive dedicated to a page file. Grab a SATA II Western Digital and you're set :). Setting the page file to one harddrive (storage, not used much) and running your main apps on another does improve performance (I did it, and it worked better in my old system; my new one has one harddrive :p).

[chaksq]

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/roughweek.jpg

Damn man, that is a lot of energy drink.

[xRyokenx]

What size case did you use for this rig? Would a Scythe Ninja fit in a Mid ATX tower? I have the Scythe Katana, and it does its job well, I'm just curious.

[Luke122]

Holy stalled thread batman!

I thought I should maybe make some sort of excuse about how I havent accomplished much on tis project for awhile.. but really.. I've been working and playing WoW too much.

Ryoken: It's an Antec P180B case.. as far as I know only available in one size.

[Luke122]

Damn man, that is a lot of energy drink.

You could say I'm a bit of an addict. I did some math.. *sigh*... I drank $250 worth of that stuff last month.

I'm cutting down though now.. one coffee a day right now.. and even though I'm not as amped as I was, I'm definitely feeling less stressed. There might be something to those claims of "caffeine has negative effects"... but I dont quite believe it yet.

:D

[Eclecticos]

Morning to all!

A while back, I mentioned that I bought all these LEDs from Ebay for dirt cheap.

Here's a photo.
http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p176/lukifer122/LEDs.jpg


Wow, you ordered almost all the exact same stuff I did. I ordered a Pentium D 940, 960, and Kingston 5300 677mhz RAM Sticks.

And I ordered my LEDs from the same person you did. Red, Blue, Green, Orange, White,
I got my Hundred for .99 and 10 Bucks to ship.

See my tutorial if you need help, those are the exact same LEDs. LED Tutorial (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7720)

[Luke122]

FINALLY! An UPDATE!!! WOOHOO!!

I ordered a new side panel from Antec on Sunday.. I've decided to bite the bullet and go ahead and cut a window in this beast.. and add some better ram... and do some more cable management.. and some lighting internally.. and... and...

I ordered a new panel in case I butcher the window... I figured for $20, it's a good way to cover my arse. (Not literally.. side panel wouldnt fit in my pants)

I've got a design picked out for the window cut-out, so I'll get it scanned and posted up here right away.

[goofazoid]

I was wondering if you tried the Scythe Ninja without its fan?
I also have a p180 case and was wondering, with the two 120mm fans right next to the heat sink, do I really need another fan on the heatsink? (I currently use the Intel cooler since I am not overclocking...yet)