Athlon II X4 Build Named Kamtastic II *56K Warning*

KamuiRSX

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 5, 2008
Messages
207
Here's my current Build Log

Well I've been wanting to upgrade/replace my 6400+ Black Edition for awhile now but the power requirements on my OC'd Phenom II 940 made it more of an energy user than my 6400+ so I decided to go with an Athlon II X4 because they seem to do a lot better on power consumption tests than any others I've seen. Unfortunately, after reading some news, I found out that AMD is releasing a new C3 Stepping of the Athlon II X4 and a newer model called the 640 that will run at 3.0Ghz (200 x 15). If it gets released before I put my build together, I'm waiting as long as possible, then I'll sell the 630 and buy the 640. Here's my build log so far. I will update with links as I buy each piece.

CPU: Athlon II X4 630
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA790GP-UD4H
PSU: OCZ 700w GameXStream - I got for $15
Case: Thermaltake V9 Black Edition
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 750GB will arrive soon
GPU: I'll either throw in one of my 4850's or buy a 4890...leaning towards the 4890 :D
Sound: I'll move my X-Fi Xtreme Gamer from my Kamtastic build to this one
Optical: Still working on this one, I'm wanting one with Lightscribe...weird because i'll probably never use it but just in case :D Preferably IDE
HSF: Waiting on the 3RSystems Ice Age II currently. However, got the Kingwin XT-1264 for $15 shipped

Now, what I'll end up doing is moving all the HDD but 1 from my 6400+ to this one and then retiring my Athlon XP and just using the 6400+ BE for all my streaming and movie watching while using this new one as my 24/7 PC as it will use less power and lower my electric build. I'll still be using the same monitors and tv's.

Edit: Well I just sold that old case that's been taking up space so I'll probably buy the new case within the next couple of days.
 
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Okay Uploaded current pics so far:

Build so far:

It's hell...I used 2 rubber bands to mount a 2nd FAN on my HSF for push/pull. Unfortunately, my Optical drive isn't here yet so I can't install Windows yet to update the boards BIOS. So, I went ahead and try to do some form of cable management in the case only to discover that the 8 Pin CPU cable is too short and has to run straight across the motherboard. Also, the HSF is too tall and hits the side intake fan and I didn't want to take it off so I went to Lowes and got some washers and I've just got the fan mounted further down so it still blows in cool air. I've also discovered that majority of the cables (namely the USB2.0 for the front port and the front audio ports) were too short as well for proper management so they go across the motherboard.

I was hoping that I could do some better cable management and I will be able to finish it and tape some of the cables to back of the motherboard plate as I was able to squeeze the rear shut. Gotta love Thermaltake for trying to close off the back of the motherboard tray.

I put some spare RAM in it just for testing. I've got the 750GB Caviar Black HDD Mounted and I need to finish some cable management with it as well. Also, OCZ's sleeving sucks. Half of the wires are at different lengths but crammed into the sleeving namely the 20+4 pin ATX plug. It's impossible to pull them all together so some get really tight and the others just stay loose.

I also used AS5 the way that they recommend you put it on an HDT heatsink by applying it into the creases and it actually worked perfectly. However, Kingwin's directions are total crap. The only way I could get the stupid thing to latch down was to unscrew the plastic base from the motherboard and let it raise up so that I could latch the HSF to it and then press it back down and screw it in. That's a hell of a lot better than spending 15-20 minutes trying to apply enough pressure on that sucker to mash it down and to the left about an inch. I wore the nytrile gloves so that I didn't mess up anything and leave prints on them and then I just said screw it because my hands were getting sweaty :D

I'll be finishing the build on Thursday.
 
I think I'd find a better way to mount that fan than plain old rubber bands. They dry out after awhile (especially in the heat) and will fail causing a not so pleasant result.
Other than that it looks like an impressive build. Keep us posted on how it runs.
 
I would sell that ocz psu and get something better those ocz models are well known for their out of spec ripple when pushed. All of the ones I have listed here would have proper length cables enabling you to run them under the board as you hoped to do. Something like these would better suit that build,

Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W $74.99 + fs

Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W $84.99

Recertified: PC Power and Cooling Silencer 750 Quad Red 750W $89.99

Nice job on the pics!
Yeah I know but it will only be pushing 450w max on load for a 700w PSU which doesn't even make it ripple slightly :D Voltage check last night gives consistent 12v, 5v, and 3.29v for the 3.3v so it's doing pretty good :D Also, I only spent $15 on it brand new :D. I've got a Thermaltake Toughpower XT 750w W0229RU but I'm going to save that for my Phenom II 890FX Build or just wait and get Bulldozer when it comes out. I haven't decided yet. One thing is for sure though, I'm going with another case for cable management.

Thx :D

I wish I could find something better than rubber bands but Zip Ties wouldn't work as there's nothing to them them onto unless I just went and go really long Zip Ties and put them in the place of the rubber bands. Do you have any suggestions?
 
Yeah I know but it will only be pushing 450w max on load for a 700w PSU which doesn't even make it ripple slightly :D Voltage check last night gives consistent 12v, 5v, and 3.29v for the 3.3v so it's doing pretty good :D Also, I only spent $15 on it brand new :D. I've got a Thermaltake Toughpower XT 750w W0229RU but I'm going to save that for my Phenom II 890FX Build or just wait and get Bulldozer when it comes out. I haven't decided yet. One thing is for sure though, I'm going with another case for cable management.

Thx :D

I wish I could find something better than rubber bands but Zip Ties wouldn't work as there's nothing to them them onto unless I just went and go really long Zip Ties and put them in the place of the rubber bands. Do you have any suggestions?

yeah i have the TT TP 750w as well.. hate it with a passion though.. fans to slow and if you have it on a case that has the psu mounted on the bottom its a friggin case cooker.. i currently have it top mounted in a xclios windtunnel case.. tried it in my antec 300 case.. lol what a joke that was.. but if you dont care about heat and like a quiet psu.. its definitely quiet..


btw invest in zip ties.. they are your friends when it comes to mounting fans.. :p
 
Yeah I know but it will only be pushing 450w max on load for a 700w PSU which doesn't even make it ripple slightly :D Voltage check last night gives consistent 12v, 5v, and 3.29v for the 3.3v so it's doing pretty good :D Also, I only spent $15 on it brand new :D.
?

Don't push that PSU another 50W as that particularly PSU starts showing crazy ripple exactly above 50)W.

Also what are you using to monitor the voltages?
 
Don't push that PSU another 50W as that particularly PSU starts showing crazy ripple exactly above 50)W.

Also what are you using to monitor the voltages?
The check last night was just straight from BIOS as I won't have an optical drive until Thursday to put inside it. However, I'm taking the PSU to a friend of mine who works at a PSU testing institute to have him take it up to 700w to check the ripple tomorrow. Also, these PSU's, at least in most reviews that I've seen, don't start rippling until they are about 100w from their max continuous load and even then, they never ripple out of ATX spec so it won't be a problem at all. The problem with the Zip Ties is that the ones that have the length to go around the cooler and both fans are too fat and will restrict the air flow vs the rubber bands which aren't as thick.

Thx for the input though.
 
The check last night was just straight from BIOS as I won't have an optical drive until Thursday to put inside it. However, I'm taking the PSU to a friend of mine who works at a PSU testing institute to have him take it up to 700w to check the ripple tomorrow. Also, these PSU's, at least in most reviews that I've seen, don't start rippling until they are about 100w from their max continuous load and even then, they never ripple out of ATX spec so it won't be a problem at all.

BIOs PSU voltage readings are inaccurate. You need to use a digital multimeter.

Most of the reviews I've seen with that entire PSU design (FSP Epsilion) start having dangerously high ripple spikes above 500W. Not out of spec below 600W but still dangerously close. It's definitely out of spec above 600W though.

Just saying that you shouldn't expect 700W from that PSU safely. 500W at most. For $15, you still got a decent 500W PSU.
 
BIOs PSU voltage readings are inaccurate. You need to use a digital multimeter.

Most of the reviews I've seen with that entire PSU design (FSP Epsilion) start having dangerously high ripple spikes above 500W. Not out of spec below 600W but still dangerously close. It's definitely out of spec above 600W though.

Just saying that you shouldn't expect 700W from that PSU safely. 500W at most. For $15, you still got a decent 500W PSU.
Okay what reviews is everyone here referring. Here's some of the ones i've looked at

http://www.extremeoverclocking.com/reviews/cases/OCZ_GameXStream_700W_7.html
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/OCZ/GameXStream700W/5.html
http://techgage.com/article/ocz_gamexstream_700w/3
http://www.overclockercafe.com/Reviews/other_misc/OCZ_GameXStream/pg2.htm
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=333&type=expert&pid=4
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=502&num=4

These were just on the first page of all the reviews I read before buying it and they all say the same thing. It ripples a little but never out of ATX spec and goes up to the maximum 700w. No offense but if a PSU was really a bad terrible PSU, there would be a lot more negative reivews instead of positive ones. In fact, I only saw 1 negative review and it was from a UK site that didn't really go into detail about the negative
 
[FSP Epsilon Derived PSUs]

OCZ GameXStream 700W <== First Review Where the Ripple was Found.
FSP BlueStorm II 500W PSU @ HardOCP
FSP BlueStorm II 500W PSU @ jonnyGuru
FSP Everest 700W PSU @ HardOCP
FSP Everest 700W PSU @ jonnyGuru
FSP Everest 900W PSU
FSP Everest 1010W PSU
OCZ GameXStream 1010W
Sigma SP-700 700W PSU
Super Talent Atomic Juice PS-700 700W PSU
Antec Basiq 500W PSU

As you can see, the FSP Epsilon platform is good up till 500W. Higher than that and you start getting some pretty bad readings/voltages/performance/etc. More info on that platform:
http://www.jonnyguru.net/forums/showthread.php?t=442

As for the reviews you posted, here's a link describing what's wrong with most of those reviews:
http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1031488614&postcount=21

Just to reiterate again: That PSU will still have enough power for your planned setup despite the fact that its only a good 500W PSU. $15 for a decent 500W PSU isn't bad at all.
 
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[FSP Epsilon Derived PSUs]

OCZ GameXStream 700W <== First Review Where the Ripple was Found.
FSP BlueStorm II 500W PSU @ HardOCP
FSP BlueStorm II 500W PSU @ jonnyGuru
FSP Everest 700W PSU @ HardOCP
FSP Everest 700W PSU @ jonnyGuru
FSP Everest 900W PSU
FSP Everest 1010W PSU
OCZ GameXStream 1010W
Sigma SP-700 700W PSU
Super Talent Atomic Juice PS-700 700W PSU
Antec Basiq 500W PSU

As you can see, the FSP Epsilon platform is good up till 500W. Higher than that and you start getting some pretty bad readings/voltages/performance/etc. More info on that platform:
http://www.jonnyguru.net/forums/showthread.php?t=442

As for the reviews you posted, here's a link describing what's wrong with most of those reviews:
http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1031488614&postcount=21

Just to reiterate again: That PSU will still have enough power for your planned setup despite the fact that its only a good 500W PSU. $15 for a decent 500W PSU isn't bad at all.
Eh...not really a fan of jonnyguru reviews...for some odd reason, his reviews seem to say things are bad when they aren't. One of my old rig's PSU, according to that site wouldn't even take over 400w and he had 3 versions from the manufacturer to prove or something and sure enough, it did 600w just fine very stably and is still in my Socket 754 rig. I take his with a grain of salt and go for majority specific reviews over a bunch. So far, there's only 1 GameXStream you have listed and it's not even the same model # as mine. Not sure why they changed the model # or if it has a difference but who knows.

Update:

I'm playing around with my Athlon II X4 630 right now. Currently it's at 220 x 14 for 3080.03Mhz and I'm running OCCT for stability. I know it's stable but the point is to also get some good load temps with my new cooler. So far I'm super impressed. Idle temps are as low as 15-17c and load temps so far haven't gone over 35c. vCore is a bit high and I've left it on auto but for some reason this new Gigabyte BIOS seems to think that this CPU needs 1.4v to run at stock...it's still using stock vcore at 3Ghz though. I'll add validation once I get a good overclock. Also, I used AS5 for my TIM. I was trying to decide between IC7, AiT Cool Silver, and AS5 and the AS5 was almost empty so I used it to get rid of the tube.

Also for those that have been hating on my PSU, voltage is very stable. 3.31 on 3.3, 4.95 on 5v , 12.35 on 12v. The voltage hasn't dropped as of yet so good new so far but it's running a light load. Once my graphics cards get back from RMA, i'll move my other HDD's over into it and I can start the process of migrating all my data from my Athlon XP machine to 6400+ Machine.

Also, I took my PSU to a testing center today and they tested up to 710w continuous output load and the ripple never went out of ATX spec. The test was done in a 30+C ambient temp room and a 20c ambient temp room. In both rooms, the ripple never moved outside of ATX spec and was't that bad at all. I wanted a hotter test done but they didn't have specific rooms that were hotter than 86-90F. I don't think my room temp will get hotter than that during the summer anyway with the AC on 77.

So far, I'm quite pleased with everything except that my 2 x 4850's have to go back for RMA. 1 died while not being used and the other started artifacting on the desktop at 2d clocks.

Edit: after 15mins of OCCT, the temp finally hit 37C :D
 
nice rig, but as you may of noticed FLASH + close-up shots don't work well together
 
Eh...not really a fan of jonnyguru reviews...for some odd reason, his reviews seem to say things are bad when they aren't. One of my old rig's PSU, according to that site wouldn't even take over 400w and he had 3 versions from the manufacturer to prove or something and sure enough, it did 600w just fine very stably and is still in my Socket 754 rig. I take his with a grain of salt and go for majority specific reviews over a bunch. So far, there's only 1 GameXStream you have listed and it's not even the same model # as mine. Not sure why they changed the model # or if it has a difference but who knows.
Uh huh. How did you know your PSU actually did 600W just fine and stably? In fact, how did you know your system actually drew 600W of power?

JonnyGuru and HardOCP have far more reputable PSU testing that those sites you provided as I showed above. In addition, I listed several PSUs based on the same platform as the GameXStream. Also I did in fact link the same model # as your GameXStream: OCZGXS700. Same model number as the PSU you showed in your picture over at overclock.net. That was the review that showed the ripple in the first place. And if you checked the reviews I linked to, that entire platform has that issue.

Also for those that have been hating on my PSU, voltage is very stable. 3.31 on 3.3, 4.95 on 5v , 12.35 on 12v.
How are you measuring the voltage? Via software or BIOS? If so, those are inherently very inaccurate. You need to use Digital multi-meter to get accurate voltage readings.

Also, I took my PSU to a testing center today and they tested up to 710w continuous output load and the ripple never went out of ATX spec. The test was done in a 30+C ambient temp room and a 20c ambient temp room. In both rooms, the ripple never moved outside of ATX spec and was't that bad at all. I wanted a hotter test done but they didn't have specific rooms that were hotter than 86-90F. I don't think my room temp will get hotter than that during the summer anyway with the AC on 77.

PSU testing center? What equipment did they use to test? In addition, a PSU can get hotter internally than ambient temperature. Typical PSUs hit 45C internally.
 
Uh huh. How did you know your PSU actually did 600W just fine and stably? In fact, how did you know your system actually drew 600W of power?

JonnyGuru and HardOCP have far more reputable PSU testing that those sites you provided as I showed above. In addition, I listed several PSUs based on the same platform as the GameXStream. Also I did in fact link the same model # as your GameXStream: OCZGXS700. Same model number as the PSU you showed in your picture over at overclock.net. That was the review that showed the ripple in the first place. And if you checked the reviews I linked to, that entire platform has that issue.


How are you measuring the voltage? Via software or BIOS? If so, those are inherently very inaccurate. You need to use Digital multi-meter to get accurate voltage readings.



PSU testing center? What equipment did they use to test? In addition, a PSU can get hotter internally than ambient temperature. Typical PSUs hit 45C internally.
Not talking internal temperature but ambient temperature.

This testing center is called the EPRI Solutions Inc. A bud of mine works there so he let me come in while they were testing it. I can look up the internal temp of the PSU if you want but I only recorded down the ambient temperature because I was more concerned about performance in my house.

The voltage measurement came from their testing supplies. They do a lot of 80+ efficiency PSU tests for tons of Power Supplies.

Also, I know it did it fine because I had some help in measuring out the amount of voltage coming out of the PSU vs the amount going in...the efficiency was shit but the point was that it could do it :D I didn't really know about efficiency back then...I just bought for looks

Update about my build though:

Okay now running at 240 x 14 for 3360Mhz with HT Link and NB at 2400Mhz and RAM at 960Mhz. Stability testing being done via OCCT 3.1.0 and so far I'm quite happy...idle temp at 17c still and load temp has just hit 38c after 15 mins. I'll update again and post validation once this is completed. I'll see if I can hit 260 x 14 next for 3.6Ghz and if I can get it stable, going for 275 x 14 for 1 Ghz overclock Validation

Current Validtion: http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=1042051

Weird though, the voltage on my screen is still showing as 1.43v and on the validation it's 1.472...odd.

Edit: Update after 20 minutes of testing highest temperature still at 38c

Edit2: Okay 1 hour test finally complete. Highest load temperature hit was 38c. I'm quite impressed indeed. Okay going for 255 x 14 now.

nice rig, but as you may of noticed FLASH + close-up shots don't work well together

Thanks :D I did notice it but I was trying to get a shot of the IHS and ended up blinding myself so I said screw it :D
 
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Okay finally got home to try for 3.6Ghz. So far I'm up and running at 258 x 14 with idle temp lowest at 12c but hovering around 14c. Getting ready to fire up OCCT for a bit. Will post Validation if stable. If this is stable, it might be the highest stable I can get on stock volts. The reason the idle is lower now is because it's colder inside my room. I won't get an accurate idle temp until tomorrow afternoon once it warms up.

Overclock is now 29%. CPU-Z is reading stock volts now at 1.472 again. Who knows whether that's accurate or not.

http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=1042674

I'll update post with max load temp and whether it successfully performed the stress test.

Everything is still set to stock. NB is 2580Mhz, HT Link is 2580Mhz, RAM is now at 1032Mhz with 5-5-5-18 timings.
 
Damn not stable :( Reboot after about 30 minutes of Prime95 and 6 minutes of OCCT. So, time to play boost the voltage.

Okay voltage in BIOS now at 1.55 vCore with 1.225 CPU-NB volts and auto on everything else. So far seems to have given some measure of stability. Running stress test now.

http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=1042780

lol and before I even finished editing this post it failed.....error detected on Core 2. At least it switches around...sometimes it's core 0, 1, 2, and 3. I'm afraid to push the voltage higher and I'm not sure what's causing the instability.

I'll try and figure this out tomorrow...going back to 255 x 14 as it seems it's the highest I can get on stock.
 
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