Hardware Yep, getting a custom-built desktop

[Originality]

Aesthetically the Corsair graphite looks the best. The Thermaltake looks the worst. On the other hand, that says nothing about how well they cool.

 

[the_randomizer]

Aesthetically the Corsair graphite looks the best. The Thermaltake looks the worst. On the other hand, that says nothing about how well they cool.

Yep, it looks pretty well built but only has two fans, but I'll keep looking and see what I find

 

[trumpet-205]

When buying a case, you are looking for,

* Does it have a cut hole that allows me to mount CPU cooler backplate?
* Can I fit my cooler in? (Mid-ATX usually allows up to 120 mm height of cooler)
* Does it have enough space for me to tuck cables at the back?
* Do I like the fan configuration?
* Do I like the exterior?

 

[the_randomizer]

When buying a case, you are looking for,

* Does it have a cut hole that allows me to mount CPU cooler backplate?
* Can I fit my cooler in? (Mid-ATX usually allows up to 120 mm height of cooler)
* Does it have enough space for me to tuck cables at the back?
* Do I like the fan configuration?
* Do I like the exterior?

All are excellent questions, the motherboard I have only supports three chassis fans, so this would fit that requirement just fine
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119240&Tpk=CM Storm Enforcer

As for the fan configuration, I have bad luck matching the no of available fan connectors on the motherboard with the no. of fans in any the chassis I've listed; some have 4-pin and 3-pin connectors, they're inconsistent and I've yet to find a good match. I can't seem to find any good matches of motherboard with right no of fan plugs with the towers. Bollocks. The only solution is to try to find a motherboard that supports three or four fans. Unless the PSU I chose supports it.

 

[trumpet-205]

Don't use motherboard to control case fan. Instead use a fan controller, this is the one I used,

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811995075

 

[the_randomizer]

Don't use motherboard to control case fan. Instead use a fan controller, this is the one I used,

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811995075

Whoa, didn't know about those! Never mind then You plug those into the fans and then the power comes from the PSU? I don't see the plug for the PSU....?

 

[trumpet-205]

It uses a molex plug.

Fan > Controller > PSU via Molex

 

[the_randomizer]

It uses a molex plug.

Fan > Controller > PSU via Molex

I assume that would be under the "peripheral" plug? Here's a list of the connections that come with the modular PSU, I also need two molex connectors for the GPU, hopefully I'll have for both the GPU and fan controller.

1 x 24pin Main Connector
1 x EPS12V CPU Connector
2 x PCI-E
8 x SATA
8 x Peripheral
2 x Floppy

 

[trumpet-205]

Your GPU will use PCI-E plug, not molex.

Yes molex is peripheral plug.

 

[the_randomizer]

Your GPU will use PCI-E plug, not molex.

Yes molex is peripheral plug.

Okay, thanks for clearing up that confusion. Again, there wasn't a lot I knew about the quirks of building, but now I know.

 

[the_randomizer]

Out of curiosity, can I use the 3-pin connectors on the fan controller even if the fans themselves have four-pin inputs on the back? Because I don't know if the chassis fans are three or four pin.

 

[Originality]

Chassis fans have 3 pins. CPU fans have 4 pins.

 

[the_randomizer]

Chassis fans have 3 pins. CPU fans have 4 pins.

That would explain why that controller had only three-pin connectors then. That Zantec or Antec CPU cooler (forgot its brand) will be four-pin, and will connect to the motherboard. Ugh, totally derped back there, whoops. Oh, well.

Chassis fan(s) - three pins, either plugged in via motherboard or fan controller
CPU coolers - four pins, plugged in motherboard

Got it.

 

[trumpet-205]

CPU is meant to be controlled by the motherboard. The 4th pin carries PWM signal and allows motherboard to adjust fan speed without dropping/adding voltage.

As for case fan, it is controlled in old fashion way involving adjusting voltage. It is best to use fan controller to adjust it, simply because they draw more wattage.

 

[the_randomizer]

CPU is meant to be controlled by the motherboard. The 4th pin carries PWM signal and allows motherboard to adjust fan speed without dropping/adding voltage.

As for case fan, it is controlled in old fashion way involving adjusting voltage. It is best to use fan controller to adjust it, simply because they draw more wattage.

Thanks for the explanation . Now onto the next section regarding on how often it should be used/turned off. Let's say I'm using the desktop for a while and I have to go to school/work, now I'd probably best not leave the machine on 24/7 with fans spinning all the time. Would I get better longevity by completely shutting it down, keeping in hibernate mode or putting in sleep (low-power state for quick resumption)? Also with the fans, I'd assume 50/60% speed would be enough with the controller when in use.

 

[Rydian]

Well to be technical the biggest strain on electronics is when they're first turned on. Ever notice how lights almost always burn out when you try to turn them on, opposed to burning out while already on? There have been bulbs that lasted mostly-on for 50 years years because they didn't have to go through the physical stress of being turned on over and over.

That said, some of us still have machines from the Windows 98 days (or earlier) that power up and down fine, so it's a minor note, and these days most people only bother restarting every few days to clear out processes and let Windows do it's updates and such. For years I've just been shutting the screen off, since modern PCs can go into power-saving modes after periods of inactivity.

 

[the_randomizer]

Well to be technical the biggest strain on electronics is when they're first turned on. Ever notice how lights almost always burn out when you try to turn them on, opposed to burning out while already on? There have been bulbs that lasted mostly-on for 50 years years because they didn't have to go through the physical stress of being turned on over and over.

That said, some of us still have machines from the Windows 98 days (or earlier) that power up and down fine, so it's a minor note, and these days most people only bother restarting every few days to clear out processes and let Windows do it's updates and such. For years I've just been shutting the screen off, since modern PCs can go into power-saving modes after periods of inactivity.

So, you're saying it won't be that much of a detriment if I keep it on a power-saving mode when not in use as opposed to shutting down each time? If that, then that's a relief; I'm not a big fan of having to turn the power off and on multiple times per week. What about turning if off, should it be done once or twice per week or is it better not to shut it down at all since it puts extra strain on electronics? The reason I'm asking is my last build (from early 2008) died late last year as part of the motherboard somehow got fried, but I keep it on all the time except shutting it down once a week. Perhaps I shouldn't have done that. Guess I need to find a balance.

Ugh, I don't know what the deuce I'm talking about anymore.

 

[Originality]

If you're worried about power cycles, then just use the sleep or hibernate features. I personally just turn it on/off, since boot times are around 25 seconds for me (from an SSD). Never had any problems.

Really, there's little need to think about power cycles. Just work out what is easiest/best for you. For me, my parents are always commenting on how me and my brother use too much electricity. Well, not so much me as my brother, who has a multi-GPU system and often forgets to turn it off at night, leaving it idle for the better part of 10 hours.

 

[the_randomizer]

If you're worried about power cycles, then just use the sleep or hibernate features. I personally just turn it on/off, since boot times are around 25 seconds for me (from an SSD). Never had any problems.

Really, there's little need to think about power cycles. Just work out what is easiest/best for you. For me, my parents are always commenting on how me and my brother use too much electricity. Well, not so much me as my brother, who has a multi-GPU system and often forgets to turn it off at night, leaving it idle for the better part of 10 hours.

I've used the sleep function on my laptop and it seemed no worse for wear, so I'd imagine it would be just fine with a desktop. Oh, and on the topic of too much power, my parents and sisters would attribute the computer being too slow to me having "too many games" on there. I honestly don't know how much components are affected by power cycling and how fast it deteriorates with normal use and shutting down (HDD spinning up and down several times a day when resuming probably wouldn't be a detriment either), so as a result, I'll stick with the sleep mode. Man, even I admit I'm too damn paranoid about normal usage.

 

[Originality]

Friction and heat are two of the three most deadly forces to electronics. The third is electricity (surges, static, shorts, etc). The fourth is liquids (shorts and rust) but who would be silly enough to let liquids get anywhere near their PC?

For the record, my CPU is liquid cooled and my friend recently spilled tea down the top of his computer (RV02 case, which means it went down the top fan and right into the VRMs and graphics card vents). I still stand by the above statement.