Help buying cheap gaming machine

This is fantastic but I'm almost too embarrassed to post this first part. On the Realtek Sound Manager there is a small folder which you can click (I didn't know it) and when you do it says, "Connector Settings." After fiddling with these the sound works through my headsets. The wierd part is that it doesn't matter what I select in either of the two check boxes, the top one is labeled "Disable front panel jack detection," and the other "Enable auto popup dialog when device has been plugged in," nothing changes. Sheesh, maybe I did something else I don't realize. Either way, plugging in the front jack still does not mute the rear speakers but now at least I can turn down the speakers and turn the headsets up for gameplay without waking the entire house.

Second, on a whim I tried re-connecting my build to the monitor using the dvi cable and VOILA! The dvi port didn't blow on the monitor after all. It must have been old/bad drivers. I am in hog heaven.

Thanks for your kind assistance and patience.
 
Glad to hear you're up and running (more or less) flawlessly now! The front panel detection thing in the Realtek drivers has always been a little... off, though I've noticed it getting better in the last few versions. They update drivers with mind-numbing regularity, so chances are in a couple of months that will magically start working too.
 
Appreciate knowing that after having spent the better part of what free time I have left this weekend trying to get that one last tiny piece of this build to work. Frustration was running high however it's always comforting to know that others have come before me.

There are so many people here who have helped me with this build, all of them really helpful. The experience level here is so high that I really didn't expect this much very timely timely help and advice to be honest and now that I'm almost there I'm wondering how I might best contribute to this board with my newfound miniscule knowledge. I would imagine just check in and browse new posts? Anyway, I need to go back and read some of the FAQ's even more thoroughly. This has been a real experience (my wife likes to call it Pee-Wee's Big Adventure) that I have enjoyed immensely, although I still need to consider how I'm going to implement that "blue light" inside my build.

Thanks again.
 
Blue light, as said before... LEDs and fans are probably your best bet. Cold cathods are nice because they aren't expensive and give a nice diffuse glow ($12-15 for a 2 tube kit isn't unheard-of) but they produce heat. LEDs don't, but if you don't get a lot of them you can get a "spotlight" effect. If you want to get a little more creative consider getting some fine (300-400) grit sandpaper and sanding the LEDs lightly, that gives a nice effect. If you just want some blue, replacing case fans with LED lit fans is also an option.
 
Thanks again. Leaning toward the fans at the moment only bec I don't know how to hook up cold cathodes yet. Case has limited space; I could probably fit something like a 4-6" tube up along each side (the PS blocks half of one side and the HD blocks half the other, but the remaining space would be prime), and I don't think I'm not sure I want to introduce much more heat in there. If the cathodes could be wired up fairly easy and somehow attached to the PS w/o any more wires coming out of the case I'd probably consider it. I'll Google cold cathode and see what pops up. Fans would add a little glow but nothing unique. Will give both a look. It's back to work tomorrow (almost off the crutches) so will have less time to futz (DANG!). Does your build use any lighting & if so do you have any pics?
 
OMG, I just Googled your computer case. It's huge! Very, very nice. I hadn't paid attention to the build stats on your replies. Wowzers, you could almost mount headlights and drive it to work.
 
Cold Cathodes (alteast in my experience) have a very small power supply that connects using a 4 pin connector to the computer's power supply.
 
I have about a 4" square space between the front of my mobo and the front of the case which might be just dandy. When you say 4 pin connector would I think molex, or maybe some other connector that might connect to one of the many remaining cables for my PS? I need to do some Googling on this one. Again, I don't need to light a room with it but since my case has windows, why not?

Appreciate your reply.
 
Update & thanks:

I have been so busy having so much fun with my new build you wouldn’t believe (well, yes, you of all people would). I have ordered a 4” cold cathode kit & hopefully the install will go well. Will post a pic after the install.

I don’t want too much more time to pass before I thank everyone on Hard Forum for all their help, especially:

xdivenx = the first member to reply to my initial post and help along the way
Danni Bui = a really, really big helping hand
enginurd = kept me on track with our choice of a sff
silent-circuit = for the many helpful tips
tirades = for the help and whose blueprint I pretty much copied for this build

You all gave the gift of encouragement, taught me a lot and provided a boat load of fun.
 
Greetings!

Addded a little blue light; a 4 in. Dual Blue Cold Cathode Kit, $6.99 @ xoxide.com, and an Antec 3 speed LED 120mm fan, $14.99 @ Fry's (makes a little more noise than the original Ultra, even at medium speed). Here are a couple pics, plus one of my new build beside my old system:

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Thanks again for all the support from this forum.
 
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