new rig

[Red Devil]

rig is upgraded now: 2500K, Z68 MB, W7 64-bit, 6870 video card (not working), SSD (not working), unable to connect to gamesurge (or at least see the connection window) using Trillian, have to reinstall a bunch of apps now.

Lessons learned:

1. new boards don't have IDE connections, so you need to get a SATA DVD/CD drive in order to use the windows install CD... plus, you will need to have a way to connect the ide drives. fortunately, i had an old ide -> USB adapter kit around. also, you will need SATA power adapters.

2. the new MB's have 24 pins in the ATX power socket but the old power supplies use 20 pins and they 8 pins in the cpu connector, but the psu has only 4,- but that's not a problem...

3. SSD drives aren't formatable during windows install...

3. MB chipset drivers can't be installed before you install windows...

5. expect to download 86+ MS updates when you first install windows (an extra hour or so)

6. 2500K with 64-bit windows is *fast*

[HitchcockGreen]

1. new boards don't have IDE connections, so you need to get a SATA DVD/CD drive in order to use the windows install CD... plus, you will need to have a way to connect the ide drives. fortunately, i had an old ide -> USB adapter kit around. also, you will need SATA power adapters.

Or....Windows 7 USB Download Tool

3. SSD drives aren't formatable during windows install...

They absolutely are (I did so on my new rig) although you may have to make a few tweaks in your BIOS for the system to see it properly first.

6. 2500K with 64-bit windows is *fast*

You should see how fast it runs if you have the OS installed on the SSD....

Where are the pics?

[Red Devil]

was reading something that said i might have to change the type of SSD drive to AHCI or IDE. annoying...

also got a 2 tb drive (not hooked up yet) and a MS X4 kb. kb is a little smaller than my old one, but it's made well.

[Shane Ward]

I thought you got a new lorry... I must be out of it today!

[Zax]

was reading something that said i might have to change the type of SSD drive to AHCI or IDE. annoying...

also got a 2 tb drive (not hooked up yet) and a MS X4 kb. kb is a little smaller than my old one, but it's made well.

You want sata mode to be IDE always unless you are running RAID, which is a big no no with your setup.

[HitchcockGreen]

AHCI would likely be natively supported by any modern motherboard, but for the most part you would probably never use it's features.

You may have to configure the boot order or drive configuration in BIOS so that the SSD (if it were to house your OS) appears first. Most default settings will at least recognize the SSD but see it as separate from other HDs because it is flash memory. Basically seeing it as "removable storage."

If you intend to use the SSD to house the OS, I suggest you read this.

[Red Devil]

thanks for the tips and info, guys; much appreciated. i had changed the boot order in the BIOS so that the DVD was first, then tried to format/install onto the SSD, but it said it was not able to. going to try it again with it set to AHCI, then, if that doesn't work, i'll try setting it to IDE. i performed most of those steps in that link, so now i will try reinstalling windows to the SSD.

ugh

oh, ordered $50 worth of new sata, mofset -> sata power adapters, mofset -> 6-pin power, and mofset splitter cables.

still haven't tried playing any games yet.

oh, never start an upgrade during a holiday weekend

[Red Devil]

yay, got W7 pro installed to my SSD. it's fast.

once i get the PCI-e graphics card running later this week, this will improve:

Code: Select all

More details about my computer  (7.9 is highest)
 
Component Details Subscore Base score  6.2  Determined by lowest subscore 

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2500K CPU @ 3.30GHz 7.5 
Memory (RAM) 8.00 GB 7.8 
Graphics Intel(R) HD Graphics Family 6.2 
Gaming graphics 1696 MB Total available graphics memory 6.2 
Primary hard disk 34GB Free (60GB Total) 7.9 
Windows 7 Professional 
 

[Zax]

Why not 50$ on a power supply that has SATA on it, IE any power supply currently on the market?

[Red Devil]

i'll see if this works first. if not, i'll get a new one.

[HitchcockGreen]

You could probably get a cheap, modular power supply. Modular is great if you don't have room to hide all those unused cables in your case.

[Red Devil]

hard to find one that fits my old case and has the same power, plus this psu has led's on the fans

[HitchcockGreen]

Harder to find. Not impossibly hard.