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the super duper "upgrade a crappy computer system
to a gaming beast" special
Gaming Illustrated & NextGen Electronics
is proud to present this written and video special!
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Special : Super Duper Upgrade
Video
Check out the video compliment
to this feature that is over 10 minutes of upgrading fun. You won't
want to miss this video, it's pretty hilarious.
Windows
Media 9 ::
Cable Modems : : : 56K (August
14, 2003) |
A SILENT PERFORMANCE
BY: DAN CULVER
There comes a time in the evolution of a gamer and his or
her computer that beckons for a serious upgrade of well … everything.
This is the story of one gamer that left the adequate and started toward
the extraordinary.
It started about a year ago when I purchased a new AMD system
from a mom and pop shop here in Southern California. At the time my AMD
1400 + system with a 32GB XFX video card 40 gig hard drive and 256k memory
laughed at any game out on the market. The first warm day I used the PC
however I quickly began to learn all about cooling and performance. The
system was in a small ATX mid tower and had no exhaust or intake fans
and the heatsink was the one provided by AMD right out of the box. The
fact that the chip ran at about 70-75C worried me since the side of the
computer felt like the surface of the sun and could heat the entire upstairs
of my condo in about 10 min. The techs at AMD who I spoke with advised
me that the chip wouldn’t fail until around 90C but I wasn’t
willing to let my house burn down if I left my computer on to go get some
lunch.
Flash forward to almost present day. After installing an
80mm intake and exhaust fan as well as a thermalright SK-6 heatsink with
a delta 60mm fan I got the operating CPU temperature down to about 55-60C.
Amazingly enough the same day I installed the previously mention devices
the decibel level in my house was damn near that of the deck of an aircraft
carrier. I would literally turn on my computer and it sounded like an
F-14 Tomcat screaming by the control tower. Children in the neighborhood
couldn’t listen to their Britney Spears CD’s and the Air Force
sent over some reconnaissance planes to verify we weren’t being
invaded. This sucker was loud, and I don’t mean Roseanne Bar loud,
I mean angry Oakland Raiders fans load. Maybe that’s why my girlfriend
and I broke up awhile back, I couldn’t ever hear what she was saying
because my ears buzzing with resonance from the fans!
Aside from the heat problems and obvious noise issues, it
was definitely time to upgrade. Thanks to our good friends at HighSpeedPC,
XFX (nForce2 motherboard), and ESG Technologies (thermal compound), my
visions of a quiet, high speed, and aesthetically pleasing (or kick-ass)
case soon came to life! Thanks to HighSpeedPC.com
for providing the best performing and kick ass case mod I have seen yet.
Complete with a 420w power supply, 4 led case fans, (two exhaust fans,
one intake, and one over the AGP slot), and clear side window, this case
stands out in any room. I purchased an AMD 2500+ CPU with a Barton Core
to up the processor power, while HighSpeedPC.com provided the Thermalright
ax-7 heatsink that actually fits an 80mm Panaflo low output fan! While
running the pc the heatsink itself is barely warm to the touch! One can
barely notice the system is on aside from some nominal background humming
XFX provided the nForce2 chipset and GeForce4 Ti4200 Platinum card featuring
128MB of RAM and 8X AGP. To top of the entire upgrade HighSpeedPC.com
provided us with a red cold cathode ray tube which lit up not only the
interior of the case, but my entire living room as well.
The end result you ask. We played NHL 2003, Warcraft 3,
and a host of other games on the highest video settings and the CPU didn’t
even flinch. Not to mention that you can barely hear the PC while it is
running, the large red glowing tower that now overshadows my living room
serves as a warning that the faint of heart should not look into the inner
workings of this gaming beast. From a newbie to the mod scene, and a semi-pro
gamer you have no choice but to submit to your materialistic urges and
upgrade your system today. Be sure to check out executive editor Sean
Gibson’s technical review of this system upgrade as well as the
step by step video progress of our journey. If he’s not a wuss he’ll
add in the blooper reel of our mistakes.
So what’s next for my new system. You guessed it!
Overclocking baby…. It’s time to see how fast this thing can
actually go. Did I mention the case KICKS ASS?!
upgrading tips and tricks
BY: SEAN GIBSON
I've probably upgraded over 50 computers in my life ...
maybe more, I really lost count years ago. Upgrading Dan's computer was
a real blast because he was complaining every time we got together about
how his computer ran too hot and ran too loud. We'd be playing an ice
hockey game and we'd both be sitting in the penalty box together (we're
goal scoring goons) asking me how he could reduce the temperature and
loudness of his system.
Well, finally in this day and age as opposed to 3 years
ago, there are companies out there that cater to these specific needs.
When upgrading your system, try to figure out before hand what you want
your computer to look like, feel like, and sound like. Do you not care
about sound, but care about overclocking? How about something lightweight
and portable? These are just some of the questions an informed consumer
should ask him/herself when upgrading.
I have to say the case we used from HighSpeedPC.com was
unbelievable. I love full towers for the sole reason that it's very easy
to navigate around. Mid-tower cases are rather small and putting in a
motherboard and other such devices inside of one can be a very hairy experience.
With this case, that worry went right out the window (along with the old
case).
I do suggest that you definitely mount the CPU and heatsink/fan
BEFORE putting in the motherboard inside the case, should you have the
opportunity. It'll go in a lot smoother and if you have to handle a tricky
heatsink that can be stubborn, then you'll have the room to negotiate
it in correctly without breaking the motherboard.
Also, keep a set of extras screws handy ... I can't tell
you how many times this has saved my life. I swear there's some screw
fairy that comes into my workspace and steals all my thumbscrews and other
such handy bolts and screws. Keeping extras handy saves the day.
With this system, the quality parts made all the difference.
Right out of the box we installed all the parts without much of a hitch
(save for me installing the hard drives in BACKWARDS cause I had too much
Jaggermeister ... see the video for more on that...), and as soon as we
turned on we were "live" into the BIOS, which is a lovely sight
to see. Definitely try to work in a dust and pet-free environment, you
don't want fur or dust collecting on parts inside your computer.
Also, check temperatures inside the BIOS and do not rely
on programs run in your operating system to tell you your systems' temperatures.
Those programs have shone to be erroneous and unreliable in the past.
So at this point I think I definitely will recommend you
watch the video, it has some great pointers and tips on upgrading that
the novices out there will eat up to death. You guys that do this for
a living will probably not find much technically to take from it, but
you'll get a good laugh at some of the gags we pulled during shooting.
Results:
- Case went from crappy mid-tower to brushed aluminum full
tower case
- The system temperature in the crappy case was typically
around 55 degrees C, and the CPU temperature around 62 degrees C ...
the new system temperature is around 48 degrees, and the CPU all the
way down to 50!
- With the new case on children outside would hit the ground
for fear that we were being attacked by stampede of charging rhinos
... with the new case and special fans and great new CPU cooler, the
system has whisper quiet sound while operating.
- With the new motherboard (nForce2 from XFX), the system
is running more efficiently, especially considering the support of 8X
AGP from both motherboard and video card (the old motherboard only supported
4X AGP).
- The new computer is a topic of conversation, especially
with the ladies... "Oh my ... your computer is so....BIG and bright!"
Wow. Special thanks again to HighSpeedPC, XFX, ESG Technologies,
and everyone who watches the video ;)
Story by: Dan Culver, Sean Gibson
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