upgrade/sidegrade.

[mauii]

Hey there. My current build is acting very finicky, and I think it's either a motherboard or memory issue. in any case its like 5 years old, so its time for some fresh hardware and DDR3 memory.

My current specs are:
-Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
-GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3R
-nVidea GTX 260
-Cooler Master Cosmos 1000 Case


I'm looking to replace the case, motherboard, processor, and memory with this:
-Case: LIAN LI PC-9F Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
-Mother Board: GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68
-Processor: Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz
-Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series

I don't really game anymore, this will a workstation for web browsing, email, and some photoshop work. So I may sell the GTX 260 and just go with the on board graphics above.

Let me know if you can do better (with price or performance).

 

[Melon]

I used the exact hardware (8GB of RAM instead of 4) and it performed remarkably for what it cost. You'll have no problems doing PS and web browsing that hardware.

 

[Dangman]

It would help if you answered the stickied "ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FIRST!" so that we can help you better.

 

[mauii]

It would help if you answered the stickied "ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FIRST!" so that we can help you better.

Sorry, I figured my OP hit the high points.


1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Web browsing, photoshop, and development.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
~$300-$450 Shipped, less is better though

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
??
Pennsylvania

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
Motherboard, CPU, Case, HDD and Memory.

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
This is my current power supply. I'll be reusing it, along with my GTX260.

6) Will you be overclocking?
Nope.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
1920x1080 24 inch

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
The next week or so. I can wait if there is something worth waiting for.

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
USB3.0 and 6gb/s SATA

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Mhm, 64 bit Windows 7

 

[mauii]

So I built this exactly as described but have an issue. It posts fine and boots up into windows, but after a few minutes will shut down completely. I thought it may be over heating, but I checked in the BIOS and all the fans are running, and the system/cpu temperature idle at <35C. Any ideas?

 

[Dangman]

Test the RAM
Test the HDD

 

[mauii]

i attached another HDD that I know works, and it wont even post. It just turns on, then immediatly shuts off and continues cycling through that.

 

[Dangman]

Follow the stickied "Basic Troubleshooting Guide" on what to do when the PC does not POST.

 

[mauii]

Followed the guide.

-When I removed the memory I did get beeps, followed by restarts that I described.
-Tried every DIMM slot with both sticks of memory (one at a time). Same deal.
-Reseated the CPU. Same deal.
-Tested the PSU with a multimeter. It was fine.

Thanks.

 

[lightp2]

You can try the following

1. Boot with Fedora Linux Live USB
2. Boot with Fedora Linux Live CD or DVD
3. Let it run but do not do anything once booted.
3.1 If it shutdown automatically after a few minutes, then further analysis is needed.
3.2 If everything is fine for hours without problem, then it is probably your OS installation+updates.

4. If you do not want Linux, you can use your Windows OS Disc to start computer but do not do anything at the installation screen, just let it sit there and see if it shutdown automatically. If no, then hardware looks reasonable. If it does shutdown automatically under this scenario, remove all the external peripherals attached to the computer except the bare minimal. For some, even mouse/keyboards can be detached completely. Repeat the test.

5. Remember to patch the OS and update latest platform drivers

Cheers.

 

[mauii]

You can try the following

1. Boot with Fedora Linux Live USB
2. Boot with Fedora Linux Live CD or DVD
3. Let it run but do not do anything once booted.
3.1 If it shutdown automatically after a few minutes, then further analysis is needed.
3.2 If everything is fine for hours without problem, then it is probably your OS installation+updates.

4. If you do not want Linux, you can use your Windows OS Disc to start computer but do not do anything at the installation screen, just let it sit there and see if it shutdown automatically. If no, then hardware looks reasonable. If it does shutdown automatically under this scenario, remove all the external peripherals attached to the computer except the bare minimal. For some, even mouse/keyboards can be detached completely. Repeat the test.

5. Remember to patch the OS and update latest platform drivers

Cheers.

Thanks for your reply! I should have mentioned this earlier, but I thought about this and attempted to reinstall windows, and it shut down randomly in the setup portion (after the files copied via the disk).

Its important to note that at first it would post on boot into windows, but when I tried booting from another hdd it would not post. Now it will not post for either. Strange.