[Macboatmaster]

Interesting point about overclocking, I was planning to do so immediately, thinking that it would make a noticeable difference- perhaps something to do in a year or so if it's needed.

There are far far more instances of computers being damaged by overclocking than ANY of people reporting fantastic noticeable gains.

and in any case your planned Graphics card from Asus is Supplied OVERCLOCKED

ASUS GTX 560 Ti DirectCU II TOP overclocked graphics card for superb 3D Vision™ gaming
All I can add is - DO NOT OVERCLOCK - you do not need to on that system.
The planned card is OK.

One final comment - you have noticed I presume that the case is supplied WITH two 120mm case fans fitted.

[Advertisements]

Well I'm kinda relieved, that's one thing less I have to worry about.

Yup, case comes with 120mm fans on the rear and on the side, the 140mm fans im getting are for the top, and a 120mm for the front. They're not that expensive and I'm guessing more airflow is better.

Edited by Locla, 11 December 2011 - 01:38 PM.

[Locla]

Well I'm kinda relieved, that's one thing less I have to worry about.

Yup, case comes with 120mm fans on the rear and on the side, the 140mm fans im getting are for the top, and a 120mm for the front. They're not that expensive and I'm guessing more airflow is better.

Edited by Locla, 11 December 2011 - 01:38 PM.

[Locla]

Sorry one more question,

This is the HDD i plan to recycle til the prices drop:

Seagate Barracuda 160GB Hard Drive (Seagate-ST3160021A)
http://www.seagate.c...reqPage=Legacy#

As far as I can tell it should be compatible; same sata 3gb connection as is on the Mboard I think. Does it look ok to you?

[Macboatmaster]

Do you have THAT drive in your possession NOW.

same sata 3gb connection as is on the Mboard

If you say it is SATA interface then I am looking at the wrong hard drive.

I will post further information when you confirm

SATA cable
http://www.google.co...ved=0CFIQ8gIwAQ

[Locla]

Apologies, I gave you info for the wrong drive. ( I'm taking apart two old computers, that one is even older)

This is the correct HDD that I would recycle:

WD Caviar sATA HDD, the model is WD1600JS- 75NCB1.

There is a date on it too- 31st Jan 2006.

I didn't find Western Digital's website to be very helpful, but on this link my model is the second from the bottom, on their list:
http://support.wdc.c...lang=en&print=y

The connection is sATA so I think it should be ok, what do you reckon?

Cheers, Dan

[Macboatmaster]

The drive is OK
on that link you gave me click the model number.

It tells you ALL and more than you could ever want to know.

Final comment unless of course you have something to raise.

1. Check the drive - for any errors before you use it.
Pointless in a build of that cost inserting a drive that has bad sectors.

2. Do not be annoyed or upset. This is only for the sake of giving you my BEST advice
The wrong drive posted - A very easy mistake to make.
SO are most of the assembly errors when building a computer - especially your FIRST build
You are spending a LOT of money - you should have a system, the envy of many and a GOOD ONE.

3. TAKE YOUR TIME - read, LOOK, read again and look again, before you EVEN put your first part in.

GOOD LUCK.

[Locla]

OK sweet, yea I had trouble recognising the relevant details on that page :S, I did check over it though, ty for confirmation.

Also- YAY! I stripped the computer down and then reassembled it, had a good look at the processor too. Was fun. The amount of dust... well it actually booted faster after I carefully vacuumed it, despite me being worried about not applying a fresh coat of heat-sink paste.
Thanks for the advice though, I'll be most careful and cautious when it comes to the new one.

Anyway, running a full error check on the HDD now. Actually, about the hard drive..

I've read about Darik's Boot and Nuke. Is this enough to make my old HDD into a 'like-new' one for the new build? Would hate to transfer a virus or a load of old data onto it.. eek.

Edited by Locla, 12 December 2011 - 06:00 PM.

[Macboatmaster]

despite me being worried about not applying a fresh coat of heat-sink paste.

WHICH COMPUTER - have you already obtained the cheap test dismantle build - if it one of those old ones you mention - but are still going to use - you must NOW clean off the thermal paste and apply fresh.

re hdd no need to use anything except the WD utility

[Locla]

The scrap metal one that I'm salvaging the HDD from
I read that, if you want to gamble, you can get away with not putting new paste on- this is true. It *seems* to run even cooler now, sans all the dust.

I'd never chance that with anything valuable, like the new build!

Deffo not going to re- use the old one, takes 1/2 hour to boot up effectively! And it sucks.

Hmm WD utility, is that this?

http://support.wdc.c...6&sid=3&lang=en

I'l order some arctic silver so I can run that utility I guess, I'll need it for the next one anyway.

[Macboatmaster]

Do not concern yourself too much with this formatting of the drive you are going to use.

Just do a complete format, not a quick format.

You presumably will have no concerns about any unauthorised person gaining access and accessing data that was on it before you installed it on the new computer with the new - presumably Windows7 installation.

Concern yourself more with checking the drive using the existing Windows chkdsk /r on the computer it is in now to check for disk errors as against file errors.
Although /r will check both.

Then to be doubly certain run the Western Digital disk check as well. In DOS mode.

Yes - you can if you are lucky get away without new thermal paste or any other type of thermal compound.
That said - if you are lucky you can build the new computer without reading the motherboard manual.

If the existing thermal paste has dried, when you remove the cooler from the top of the CPU, the purpose of the thermal paste, to fill the tiny imperfections, is lost, as the partially dried paste will not then spread.

You do not need to use the Western Digital Acronis for the purpose of the old drive, presuming you will NOT be transferring anything from it to the new drive - you would be well advised to download the manual for the Acronis and read it - there is a wealth of advice and many features to it.

You also need to give thought as to how you are going to partition your hard drive on the new computer, and EVEN if not with this 160Gb with the new one.
There are many benefits to keeping the O/S separate from the programs and indeed your personal data.

Of FAR FAR greater importance is your consideration of your backup and image medium - External drive for instance.

Unless you plan to install Win7 and whatever else on the new drive when you buy it and keep the ONE you are going to use for the present time as a second drive. THEN you will be into the area of an IMAGE and clone from old drive to new drive.

THAT requires careful reading.

YOU CAN DO IT - I am sure.
But the time to learn is NOT whilst you are attempting it.

[Locla]

I'm not sure if I've got this right;

So first I run chkdsk utility,
Then the WD utility,
But in DOS mode, as opposed to Windows mode(?),
And for both I do the full/ extended formats as opposed to quick ones?

RE WD Acronis: No, I certainly don't want a smidgeon of data to be passed on; I'd prefer to have a completely new drive, but I'm already spending enough and this re-formatting process should do the trick.

As for partitioning, I plan to do more research about this, because the benefits seem obvious. I'm currently using an imac partitioned with a 2002 Windows XP on the other side.

RE backup and having the new drive: When that time comes I will most likely be happy to reinstall everything on the new drive. I'm not certain about this because I haven't decided whether to get a SSD or stick with HDD. Either way the prices are fluctuating too much now for me to know what I will get in the future.

I would LIKE to get a SSD, put the OS and games on it, and keep the old HDD drive for media. I also have an old external hard drive for media, and to be honest I doubt there will be anything I'll wish to preserve from the old internal hard drive to the new internal one.
Otherwise, yes it will require careful reading, but I can do that

[Macboatmaster]

Do you think you are best waiting now, until you have all your parts and the build completed
Although you can of course post back at any time during the build for help.

Use this thread please.
There is no need to start another.
I will receive the notification when you post.

I think you may have misunderstood - a format will suffice.

Check with both chkdsk /r and the WD on extended test - to ensure the drive you are going to use has NO BAD SECTORS.

I really believe that any further advice is best left until you have a direct question relating to the build, either before you start or at any stage in the build.

As I presume YOU are not going to format the drive NOW - although you can check it NOW
Good luck

[Locla]

Hi again Macboatmaster,

I ran the chkdsk utility, it found and repaired some bad sectors.

I then ran wd utility in windows mode and it didnt report anything bad.

I couldn't run the wd utility in DOS mode as there is no floppy disk drive. Spent ages making a virtual FDD, then trying to create an ms-dos bootable virtual floppy; with the wd utility on it... I couldn't crack it though.

Substituted by using a bootup utility which tested the drive; it passed on all tests.

Now that its passed these tests, how would you recommend wiping it for use in the new system? Do I just 'write zeros' to it?

Many thanks, and Merry Christmas!

Edited by Locla, 21 December 2011 - 08:26 AM.

[Macboatmaster]

Why not just make the WD utility for DOS in a CD and run it on Extended or LONG test I cannot remember which it is called in WD version.

Also if chkdsk has found bad sectors then I can only repeat this from my post 21

Final comment unless of course you have something to raise.

1. Check the drive - for any errors before you use it.
Pointless in a build of that cost inserting a drive that has bad sectors.

and this from my post 27

Check with both chkdsk /r and the WD on extended test - to ensure the drive you are going to use has NO BAD SECTORS.

I could tell you WHY and indeed of course I will if you want me to.
HOWEVER you will learn far more if you read for yourself any article from Western Digital or Seagate or Microsoft indeed on BAD SECTORS.

Suffice it to say chkdsk has NOT repaired the bad sectors.

If you want the explanation you only have to ask.
MY advice at the risk of repeating myself, is do your research and THEN if you cannot find out why I will tell you.


My best regards.
When is the build to start.?

[Locla]

Why not just make the WD utility for DOS in a CD

I tried that but upon boot- up it couldn't find the license agreement, even though it was definitely in the file I burned to the CD.

Also if chkdsk has found bad sectors then I can only repeat this from my post 21

Quote
Final comment unless of course you have something to raise.

1. Check the drive - for any errors before you use it.
Pointless in a build of that cost inserting a drive that has bad sectors.

Ok- I think I got confused here. I've just run a read- only check on the hard drive and it says: 'Errors found. CHKDSK cannot continue in read-only mode.' (It also deleted a few 'index entries') Are these 'errors' definitely 'bad sectors?'

It's odd: Every test I've run (apart from command prompt-> chkdsk), including the boot-up chkdsk, has passed every type of test for the hard drive :S

Suffice it to say chkdsk has NOT repaired the bad sectors.

Yea, I did some research and I guess it can't repair them, just avoid them. Could I please have your explanation for bad sectors? The articles I found were rather brief and uninformative, and when I searched WD and Microsoft all I got were scan programs to use, no in-depth explanations.

Finally; the hard drive is pretty old now, and I imagine them micro- particles will probably have drifted, or whatever, and it's true that the old PC was shut down improperly MANY times (not by me!). Do you think I should just buy a new one? I'd rather that, than to have a defective one.

Thx, well I got an interview next week, so fingers crossed I can order all my parts in about 3 weeks. I guess hard drives will have come down by then... ^ ^