First PC Build since 2010... after doing my homework, how does this look?

JYeager11 said:
How much do I need to worry about static? I heard anti-static wristbands are a thing now. Should I go pick one up?
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Just remember, an anti static wristband has to plug into something to be effective, just wearing a livestrong bracelet won't cut it.
 
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It took 8 hours to build, because I insisted on doing most of it myself (under expert supervision, but someone unfamiliar with this case and mb, so we had to look up stuff along the way). The biggest question mark was whether or not to power the x570 Tomahawk with 8 pins only, or connect the additional 4 pins available. Of course when you Google the subject, everyone says "2x4 pins is fine, you don't need the other 4 pins" but nothing about whether or not it's better to plug in those last 4, because an extra power cable was needed to do it and I'm kind of a minimalist in that regard (I like a clean case). We ended up going 3x4, so all 12. If there is any downside to this choice whatsoever, please feel free to smarten me up. (I won't be a hard man to convince if it means one less cable.)

Otherwise, I can confirm pendragon1 knew what he was talking about : that Win 7 Pro OEM product key activated Win 10 Pro just fine, at least offline. I have yet to connect to the internet because I've been too busy to even take it back out of the box since returning from my buddy's place (where we built it), it's been a crazy weekend. But there's nothing quite like watching a PC boot in what felt like single-digit seconds, after fully installing Win 10 Pro 64 in what felt like a couple of minutes.

hititnquitit I (or rather, my buddy) got the machine to recognize the proper Ballistix specs, exactly as we targeted them (down to the timings). I'm still not 100% sure what the ideal placement on the board was, though. I know we skipped a slot between our 2 sticks, but can't remember if we did 1st and 3rd slot, or 2nd and 4th. Can you tell me what they *should* be, so that when I take this thing out soon, I can double-check?

Visually, the Tomahawk is a bit more blingy than I thought, with silver accents everywhere (more than I like, maybe the Unify would've been more my cup of tea appearance-wise) as well as multi-color backlighting (which I was not expecting at all, will look for a way to turn off, or at least, make a single color) while the P600S is even better-looking than I thought it would be. That NH-D15S heatsink is a monster, even with just one fan, I don't know how it doesn't just sag right off the board. Will take a while to get used to and stop worrying about.

PS: The CPU idled at 37C after 10 mins on (doing nothing, before we packed it back up to bring home).
 
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Good to hear you got it up and running with no problems!
Youll have to check your mb manuals quick start guide or the set up section for memory to see which 2 slots are the correct ones for dual channel. It sounds like your friend got it right tho. If not its usually a pita to get the timings and voltage set up right.
You can turn off or change the mb lights with msi dragon center. If you havent installed it yet go to the MSI website and find your mb and dl it from there.
Haha yeah man, the d15 is a biggun. No worries tho they build mbs with the monster heatsinks in mind so the sockets can take it.
Have fun getting to know the new rig!
 
hititnquitit pendragon1 A bit later tonight, I'll be turning on the new rig for the first time since bringing it home from where we built it on Saturday (I had no idea how draining the whole experience was until it was over, I've just been resting).

The reason I'm writing to both of you is to ask about email handling. I've been using MS Outlook for what feels like my whole life. I believe the version I was running on before everything went poof is 2016. If you're using POP3 (and I was) Outlook will save everything email-related (even attachments & contact lists) in a single .PST file, which is easy to back up or retrieve anytime... not to mention 'store locally' and not on a cloud; making these discussions a bit more secure from a privacy standpoint.

In other words, I've never once used the "Windows Mail" app that comes with Windows, despite using Windows my entire life.

First, because there was never a reason to with me so focused on getting Outlook back up and running after every rebuild; so I could always just plug my last working .PST file into it and pick up where I left off. And second, because I figured that if MS chose a new, universal location on my drive for emails to be stored -- in this case, C:\Users\[User Name]\AppData\Local\Comms\Unistore\data -- hackers could more easily find/snoop them... whereas I usually keep my .PST files in weird and remote areas on one of the non-Windows (ie, docs & stuff) drives. You can also password-protect them, although I've never taken it that far.

So here are my Encino Man-like questions about handling mail in 2021 :
  1. How much easier would my life be if I just switched to Windows Mail since I don't really use Outlook for much more than sending, receiving and archiving mail? (In other words, am I just being silly with my Outlook loyalty and fear of the unknown?)
  2. I know Outlook uses 1 giant file to store everything from emails to calendars to attachments (larger PST files can be double-digits GB in size), how does Windows Mail store emails? A similar single file for everything, or something more complex?
  3. It's pretty easy to back up Outlook mail, you just copy the .PST file. Is it more complicated with Windows Mail?
  4. If my PC gets compromised, are my conversations safer from snooping if they were downloaded via Outlook (POP3) or Windows Mail (POP3)?
  5. My friends have switched to IMAP for the convenience of having their mail accessible everywhere; I couldn't imagine myself keeping my convos on a cloud permanently, just waiting to be hacked into. Has the world gone mad trading privacy for convenience, or is cloud email hacking just not as big a thing as I think it is? Should I just surrender to the IMAP cloud, or are there still people (like me) using POP3?
Thanks!
 
i just use outlook online for the little i do personally and its what i used at work too, since it was easier to share. im not that worried about what i do and work seems to have faith in ms' security.
 
pendragon1 said:
i just use outlook online for the little i do personally and its what i used at work too, since it was easier to share. im not that worried about what i do and work seems to have faith in ms' security.
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I'm not sure what you mean by "just use outlook online"... are we talking POP3, IMAP, or logging in through a website? And when you talk about faith in MS' security, are you referring to the program or cloud service? Because when it comes to .PST files, anyone can find those on your computer if they know where to look.

This is why I numbered the questions (embarrassingly, I don't know enough to just have a casual conversation about this... but those 5 specific answers might do the trick)
 
JYeager11 said:
I'm not sure what you mean by "just use outlook online"... are we talking POP3, IMAP, or logging in through a website? And when you talk about faith in MS' security, are you referring to the program or cloud service? Because when it comes to .PST files, anyone can find those on your computer if they know where to look.

This is why I numbered the questions (embarrassingly, I don't know enough to just have a casual conversation about this... but those 5 specific answers might do the trick)
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yeah outlook.com, its online. i dont know the answers, 'cause thats all ive used for years.
 
The only things i use email for are...well, not much really. Getting shipping confirmations and blocking the few boneheads that find my email address interesting enough to send me junk mail (im an expert at blocking hehe). Im afraid im not much help.
 
hititnquitit Welp, this is embarrassing. (n) Finally had the room cleaned up and downloaded all the software I'll need (via the borrowed PC, on usb drive) and was ready to finally plug the new machine in... when I realized I misplaced the power cable. Found one in one of the accessories boxes (where I more than likely put it at the end of that long night of building) that I'm 90% sure is it, but I figured I'd turn tomy "crutch" one last time and seek confirmation, because I was specifically warned against using replacement cables for this PSU.

The PSU is a FOCUS-GX-1000, and the cable is a 13A 125v~ XBH-C13 with the word 'Xinbaihui' or 'Xinbalhul' (hard to read) embossed as well; I'm guessing it's the manufacturer of the cable. This page suggests it's the right cable, since it was paired with another Seasonic 1000w model; but Google results are surprisingly low on results like this. (It's the only one I found.) And here is the official product page for the PSU.
 
JYeager11 said:
hititnquitit Welp, this is embarrassing. (n) Finally had the room cleaned up and downloaded all the software I'll need (via the borrowed PC, on usb drive) and was ready to finally plug the new machine in... when I realized I misplaced the power cable. Found one in one of the accessories boxes (where I more than likely put it at the end of that long night of building) that I'm 90% sure is it, but I figured I'd turn tomy "crutch" one last time and seek confirmation, because I was specifically warned against using replacement cables for this PSU.

The PSU is a FOCUS-GX-1000, and the cable is a 13A 125v~ XBH-C13 with the word 'Xinbaihui' or 'Xinbalhul' (hard to read) embossed as well; I'm guessing it's the manufacturer of the cable. This page suggests it's the right cable, since it was paired with another Seasonic 1000w model; but Google results are surprisingly low on results like this. It's the only one I found.
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should work. you wont be pulling 1000w.
 
pendragon1 said:
should work. you wont be pulling 1000w.
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I was looking more for confirmation that this was the exact cable that shipped with the PSU, than re-assurance that "it should work" as long as I stay under a certain level :happy: but I'll take it, since I'm now 95% sure it's that exact cable. I now feel dumb for just packing it randomly in one of the accessories boxes after all the warnings I got about how you need to keep close track of these things with modular PSUs ;) Photos soon!
 
JYeager11 said:
I was looking more for confirmation that this was the exact cable that shipped with the PSU, than re-assurance that "it should work" as long as I stay under a certain level :happy: but I'll take it, since I'm now 95% sure it's that exact cable. I now feel dumb for just packing it randomly in one of the accessories boxes after all the warnings I got about how you need to keep close track of these things with modular PSUs ;) Photos soon!
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i might have misunderstood, thought you lost the original and found one you were checking if itd work...
 
pendragon1 said:
i might have misunderstood, thought you lost the original and found one you were checking if itd work...
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My bad for not being clearer. In the line : "Found one in one of the accessories boxes (where I more than likely put it at the end of that long night of building) that I'm 90% sure is it," the it in question is the power cable that shipped with the Seasonic. It looks like it, but I was seeking confirmation based on the codes on the cable... but I guess Seasonic doesn't brand their power cables, nothing about the codes suggest this shipped with the Seasonic specifically, other than the link I shared earlier of that 1 guy who confirmed his seasonic shipped with a cable with these same codes.
 
Unless youve got boxes full of spare power cables chances are its the one that came with your psu. Even if it isnt you shouldn't have any problems. Ill try to remember to look at the one that came with my px-850 and see if their are any descriptive markings on it.
The actual modular cables themselves are the ones to keep separated(i keep them in the box) to avoid mixing with others of the same type. Thats where you can can have issues with burnt connectors etc.
 
5 minutes ago, I finally turned the new rig on.

I was prepared for a number of things to go wrong. For example, pushing the start button and nothing happening... which is exactly what happened, until I realized the power supply wasn't turned on (oops). Heh.

So when I next turned it on (for real) I was still crouched underneath the desk, from turning on the PSU. I tried to regain my chair in time to see what this new loading screen looks like, except I was too late. Windows 10 Pro was already fully-loaded. I restart the machine again, specifically to time the initial loading wait. And the result, from the pre-BIOS black screen to the desktop, is 9 SECONDS

EDIT: Just idling there for 15 mins, the cpu core is 38C, motherboard is 33C. Around what idling temperatures should I start to worry and investigate?
 
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JYeager11 said:
I restart the machine again, specifically to time the initial loading wait. And the result, from the pre-BIOS black screen to the desktop, is 9 SECONDS

EDIT: Just idling there for 15 mins, the cpu core is 38C, motherboard is 33C. Around what idling temperatures should I start to worry and investigate?
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check the task manager startup tab to see the "from bios time"
depends on ambient. whats yours?
 
Yep ambient and how you have your fan curve set up are the two biggest things.
I dont worry too much about idle temps right off the bat unless the fans are getting loud and temps are creeping above 50c while browsing etc. If you see that you know its time to check your mount. With noctuas mounting system thats a rarity being that it allows for a very high level of accuracy with very little effort.
Once youve gotten used to what to expect from your cpu youll know when something is getting out of whack. As is, i would say 39c avg core temp is solid.

Im anal about my individual core temperatures, i try to keep them as close to each other as possible(Im in no way saying you should do this). Thats how i know ive managed to get a good water block mount. If im within 2-3c with my 990kf i know my mount is solid and i dont need to tweak it.

With my noctua u12s i rarely have to do a remount.

I aim for complete silence on the desktop doing ho hum stuff and once i get into benchmarks and games i try to adjust my fan curve for a solid balance between noise and temps.
This is where you get to tune your beast just the way you like it. Some people dont mind noisy fans some despise fan noise! This can become maddening so my advice is find your heatsink fan curve first while doing something stressful but common. Then tweak the rest of your case fans to best suit what your heatsink fan requires to stay the coolest possible.
 
Any way to check cpu and/or mb temps from within Windows?
How do you check them after a heavy task, for instance?
 
Which of the 3 CPU temp maximums is the one to keep an eye on? (CPU, CPU CCD1, or CPU CCD2)?

And what is the best way (ie, that will cause the fewest long-term headaches w/ Windows) for me to move the default document folder so that pictures, videos, music, etc. can be stored on the docs drive (which will be a 2.5" 870 Evo) instead of the default C:\Users\ location?

For example, should I use the "move" option under the "Location" tab of each folder's properties menu, or is "find target" less messy?
 
JYeager11 said:
Which of the 3 CPU temp maximums is the one to keep an eye on? (CPU, CPU CCD1, or CPU CCD2)?

And what is the best way (ie, that will cause the fewest long-term headaches w/ Windows) for me to move the default document folder so that pictures, videos, music, etc. can be stored on the docs drive (which will be a 2.5" 870 Evo) instead of the default C:\Users\ location?

For example, should I use the "move" option under the "Location" tab of each folder's properties menu, or is "find target" less messy?
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cpu is the average it think and all id really worry about.
yeah that move thing will let you point it to the location you want.
 
pendragon1 said:
cpu is the average it think and all id really worry about.
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I noticed under the 980 Pro SSD (M.2 nvme) drive that it has 47GB total host writes, and 39GB total host reads.
That seems like an excessive amount of write/reads for a drive that's only been running for 24h, mostly to surf web sites.
(Maybe giving me access to all these numbers I don't fully understand was a bad idea for my anxiety) ;-)
 
JYeager11 said:
I noticed under the 980 Pro SSD (M.2 nvme) drive that it has 47GB total host writes, and 39GB total host reads.
That seems like an excessive amount of write/reads for a drive that's only been running for 24h, mostly to surf web sites.
(Maybe giving me access to all these numbers I don't fully understand was a bad idea for my anxiety) ;-)
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brand new drive? maybe normal, i dont really pay attention to that.
 
pendragon1 said:
brand new drive? maybe normal, i dont really pay attention to that.
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Yup, brand new. Although it did install Windows 10 on it, as well as Firefox, and maybe a couple of similarly small apps; but the PC has only been running for 24h.

Also, small correction : it's the S.M.A.R.T. section of this SSD (in HWInfo) that has all those write/reads.
One section lower, the same SSD is listed WITHOUT the S.M.A.R.T. prefix, and states only 12,000MB (12GB) which is 4x less.
What exactly is S.M.A.R.T. and how could it already have 50GB writes?

PS: Chipset is idling at 46.6C (current ambient air is 26C) does this seem normal too? According to this, the chipset fan is completely off, but the maximum RPM is 2,242 so I will assume it turns on when it needs to. Average RPM since yesterday is 1 RPM, so I assume it just shot up to 2,242 RPM one time real fast, but not for long, given that average. Could this be an indication that there's something wrong with the chipset fan?
 
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JYeager11 said:
Yup, brand new. Although it did install Windows 10 on it, as well as Firefox, and maybe a couple of similarly small apps; but the PC has only been running for 24h.

Also, small correction : it's the S.M.A.R.T. section of this SSD (in HWInfo) that has all those write/reads.
One section lower, the same SSD is listed WITHOUT the S.M.A.R.T. prefix, and states only 12,000MB (12GB) which is 4x less.
What exactly is S.M.A.R.T. and how could it already have 50GB writes?

PS: Chipset is idling at 46.6C (current ambient air is 26C) does this seem normal too? According to this, the chipset fan is completely off, but the maximum RPM is 2,242 so I will assume it turns on when it needs to. Average RPM since yesterday is 1 RPM, so I assume it just shot up to 2,242 RPM one time real fast, but not for long, given that average. Could this be an indication that there's something wrong with the chipset fan?
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idk but i usually only listen to the oem tools when it come to drive info like smart and reads/writes. try samsungs tool.

what schro said, totally normal.
 
Since those of you that participated in this thread are already intimately familiar with my set-up, what backup utility would you pair with it? I'm still using a pretty old WD My Book Essential 1.5TB, which is becoming a little dated and slow by today's standards. I really only need the document drive backed up regularly, what modern-day affordable device would y'all recommend I look at? The size was fine, anything between 1 & 2TB.

PS: I don't trust cloud solutions from a privacy aspect ;)
 
grab a good rated/priced ext ssd and windows backup or something like reflect.
 
pendragon1 said:
grab a good rated/priced ext ssd and windows backup or something like reflect.
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Not sure I would trust SSD for backups, heard urban legends about how they can "forget" files if the drive is kept inactive too long.

What would the best and/or fastest, external, mechanical solution be in 2021?
 
JYeager11 said:
Not sure I would trust SSD for backups, heard urban legends about how they can "forget" files if the drive is kept inactive too long.

What would the best and/or fastest, external, mechanical solution be in 2021?
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ok not gonna argue. get whatever.
 
JYeager11 said:
I didn't mean to offend, are mechanical external solutions no longer a thing, or just not something you personally believe in?
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I havent used a hdd since replacing the 1tb wd blue i used for storage a couple of years ago. Everything ive used since has been replaced with m.2s or ssd drives. So im not much help in the hdd dept. Ive personally never had any issues with lost data on any of my ssd back up drives and all of them go months without being used. I dont use true external drives either i just keep a couple of spare crucial mx500s from 500gb to 1tb in a cubby on my desk with a sata cable. When i need to back up a drive i hook one up lol. Like i said i dont do back ups often, every 3 or 4 months. I dont make many changes once my rig is finalized and most of what i use and need is on my original install/save.
 
JYeager11 said:
I didn't mean to offend, are mechanical external solutions no longer a thing, or just not something you personally believe in?
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not offended, just no point if your against them for backup. great a good rated ext in a size you happy with, call it a day as their all basically the same thing now.
 
hititnquitit said:
I havent used a hdd since replacing the 1tb wd blue i used for storage a couple of years ago. Everything ive used since has been replaced with m.2s or ssd drives
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Let's say I decide to replace my old external My Book solution with one of those.
For long-term backup storage (exclusively), am I better off replacing it with :
A) a second M.2 nvme drive,
B) an internal 2.5" Sata SSD,
C) an external 2.5" Sata SSD,
D) an external WD My Passport Portable (4TB on sale near here)

I'm thinking of pairing an internal + external solution, for 2 backups of everything.
And right now, I'm leaning B + C (2.5" SSD + WD My Passport Portable)
In this scenario, the 4TB WD My Passport Portable would take over for the aging 1.5TB WD My Book Essential I've been using for most of the past decade, while adding a 1TB SSD as a redundant backup.
 
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