last minute questions

starik

Baseband Member
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You guys helped me pick the parts for my first build. I ordered everything last night. Here they are:

Case: Corsair Obsidian 800D Full Tower
CPU: i5-3570K
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V PRO
Video Card: GIGABYTE GTX 670
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Low Profile 8 GB (2x4GB)
SSD: Crucial 128 GB m4
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
PSU: Cooler Master Silent Pro M - 1000W
DVD Burner: Asus 24xDVD-RW
Monitor: Asus VW246H 24-Inch LCD
Mouse: Logitech G9X
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit

I still have a few questions (mostly about the case) that I hope to get answered before my parts arrive.

First, cables. With this case, the front USB ports are not 3.0. Is this important? If it is, what kind of adapter(s) will I need? Also, on "Newegg TV: How To Build a Computer - Part 2 - The Build" (on youtube) around the 37:00 minute mark, Paul mentions needing a Molex to SATA adapter. Am I going to need one of those? And my monitor doesn't come with an HDMI cable. Will I be needing of of those, or should I use a DVI connection? Are there any other cables or adapters that I haven't mentioned that I will need to order?


Second, cooling. After reading some reviews of Corsair case, it sounds like it was meant more for water cooling, but I want to do it with fans for now. I'm willing to buy more fans and even replace all of the ones that come with the case, if it will help. How many and what sizes will I need? Should I connect them to the motherboard, the fan controller on the case, or directly to the PSU? Also, how should I orient them? I assume the air should go in through the front and PSU, and out the top and back.


Lastly, what security software should I get? Will Microsoft Security Essentials suffice? Do I need anti-virus and anti-malware?


I know that's more than a few questions. Thanks in advance to anyone who answers any of them and/or makes other suggestions.
 
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You guys helped me pick the parts for my first build. I ordered everything last night. Here they are:

Case: Corsair Obsidian 800D Full Tower
CPU: i5-3570K
Motherboard: ASUS P8Z77-V PRO
Video Card: GIGABYTE GTX 670
Memory: Corsair Vengeance Low Profile 8 GB (2x4GB)
SSD: Crucial 128 GB m4
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
PSU: Cooler Master Silent Pro M - 1000W
DVD Burner: Asus 24xDVD-RW
Monitor: Asus VW246H 24-Inch LCD
Mouse: Logitech G9X
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit

I still have a few questions (mostly about the case) that I hope to get answered before my parts arrive.

First, cables. With this case, the front USB ports are not 3.0. Is this important? If it is, what kind of adapter(s) will I need? Also, on "Newegg TV: How To Build a Computer - Part 2 - The Build" (on youtube) around the 37:00 minute mark, Paul mentions needing a Molex to SATA adapter. Am I going to need one of those? And my monitor doesn't come with an HDMI cable. Will I be needing of of those, or should I use a DVI connection? Are there any other cables or adapters that I haven't mentioned that I will need to order?


Second, cooling. After reading some reviews of Corsair case, it sounds like it was meant more for water cooling, but I want to do it with fans for now. I'm willing to buy more fans and even replace all of the ones that come with the case, if it will help. How many and what sizes will I need? Should I connect them to the motherboard, the fan controller on the case, or directly to the PSU? Also, how should I orient them? I assume the air should go in through the front and PSU, and out the top and back.


Lastly, what security software should I get? Will Microsoft Security Essentials suffice? Do I need anti-virus and anti-malware?


I know that's more than a few questions. Thanks in advance to anyone who answers any of them and/or makes other suggestions.

I'll get you started with a few answers here:

USB 3.0 is just faster, more efficient, and can read/write at the same time, etc., you don't need any sort of adapter to use your devices, USB 3.0 is backwards compatible to USB 2.0 devices, they just won't be as efficient plugged into a USB 2.0 port, so be sure to use USB 3.0 ports whenever possible.

So, no, it isn't important that your front ports aren't USB 3.0, just be aware when using them of what the difference is (plenty of articles online about what changed between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0).

DVI will be fine, just be aware that DVI can only carry video, not audio, so if you have speakers that are incorporated in your monitor, you will need an HDMI cable, or a DVI cable AND an audio cable. If you are using external speakers, there is no reason that I am aware of that you will need an HDMI cable.

For Anti-Virus, I suggest Avast!, it has a free version, can be set to update itself, and is very highly recommended. Be sure not to use multiple anti-virus programs at the same time, as they can conflict and cause your computer to have issues (not permanent damage, just won't work properly while 2 are active).

Airflow can be a tricky question so I'm going to steer clear of that one, however, you are correct, generally top/rear are exhaust, and front/side is intake.


If I'm mistaken about anything I've said I'm sure the pros will correct me shortly, just thought I'd get you started with a couple answers. Bear in mind everything in this post may be incorrect. My knowledge is limited to my experience & research, be sure to verify anything before making any purchases based on my advice.
 
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@ Starik,

Computear, has made some good observations, and properly explained that a USB 3.0 device will work just fine in a USB 2.0 port, only much slower that the USB 3.0 device was intended to operate.

Your USB 2.0 devices will work just fine in the USB 3.0 inputs in the rear I/O ports of your motherboard as well.

You'll have to check your temps after your build, and may have to add some additional fans, etc.

The case you purchased was designed for water loops, and is not very air flow friendly. I don't know why you chose it if you do not intend to water cool???

As far as fans are concerned that's a matter of experimentation. The size, speed, and placement of the fans you use, will depend on what needs cooling. ie: the cpu, northbridge chipset, vid card, memory, or perhaps all. The amount of noise you're willing to tolerate, the state of the cpu freq., in other words, do you intend to over clock anything, and to what extent? These things all factor into cooling. Your need for a fan controller will again depend on how many fans you decide to install, and what speeds are required.

So your question of "How many fans will I need, & what speed?" is much like someone who is buying a new car, asking you how much horsepower he needs.
 
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I picked the case for looks before doing enough research. It was a mistake.

So I bought 4 extra 120mm fans (Noctua NF-P12s). I won't overclock anything until I get a second video card and water cooling in a year or so.

Does that sound like it will work out?
 
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I'm sure your build will be fine, don't worry. As long as you're not over clocking anything, and you keep an eye on the temps, you'll be ok.
 
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