Help building my first PC, I’ve already started!!!

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Tue Jun 24, 2003 12:27 pm

Well, here I am, scared as a bird that doest not know how to fly being threatened by a cat… Yes, this is what I feel connecting strange cables pushing cards into the slots...

but... soooo exiting...

Here are the components:

Case:
Thermaltake Xaser II A5000A Plus , a really fantastic case. What a reliable great quality case this is! Here it is if you want to have a closer look at it: http://www.thermaltake.com/products/cases/5000a.htm

Motherboard:
P4PE FULL
Socket 478, Intel 845PE, DDRAM, software audio, BroadCom 10/100 LAN, ATA133, Multi-Language BIOS, S/PDIF out interface, CrashFree BIOS, EZ Plug, POST Reporter, Q-Fan technology, SATA, IEEE 1394

Power Supply:
Thermaltake Silent PurePower ATX 420W Dual Fan

Memory
2 sticks of Corsair 512MB DDR XMS3200

Processor:
Intel Pentium 2.4B Northwood 533MHz System Bus.

Video Card:
MSI FX5600, 128MB DDR, DVI-I, 9pin-VIVO with 9-SSCCR S/S cable, DVI-VGA adapter, remote controller.

Floppy Disc
Samsung Floppy Disc Drive.

CDRW
Asus 52X/ 24X/ 52X/ CD-ReWriter

CD drive
52X CD-ROM Drive

Primary HDD
Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 2MB buffer, 80GB

Secondary HDD for Audio only
Seagate Barracuda V SATA 80GB.
Please, any comment, recommendation, idea, LINKS you could pass me to get it done, it’s appreciated.

My first question is:

If I connect the Maxtor HDD to the Raid connexion to the Motherboard, can I use it as normal? I think it is better cos the Pri IDE connection gets only up to ATA 100, but the Raid IDE connection goes up to ATA 133, so it’s probably faster. Should I?

Remember it’s my very first system, I have nobody to help me here were I live, so anything that for you may sound obvious, it may not for me. Thanks you!

kensuguro · Post by **kensuguro** » Tue Jun 24, 2003 2:23 pm

I remember there are 2 ways to do RAID. One is where data is striped between 2 drives, so that if 1 drive dies, the data is not recoverable. This method is faster.

The other methos was to have 2 exact same copies on both the disks. This was is not as fast, but safer. Personally I think I like the idea of method 2.

But, I don't use RAID myself (machine at my lab does) so any experienced user input would be better.

Atleast I'm glad you've started building the system.. it's been quite a while since I've heard a tune from you!

snoopy4ever · Post by **snoopy4ever** » Tue Jun 24, 2003 2:42 pm

Congratulations!! Nestor!!

It's a great system you've got.

Sorry I write not to advice you but to ask you for advice, I've read your help request for configuring your system, now I'm kind of the same situation...

.. so could you tell me where did you buy that system (if you buy it on internet), and tell me how much that was?.

Cheers.

Immanuel · Post by **Immanuel** » Tue Jun 24, 2003 5:00 pm

Don't worry too much about ATA100 vs. ATA133. It is all about peak output - not sustained output. I believe, there is a reason why the other hard drive manufacturers did not jump on the 133 vagon long ago. I don't think you will feel any difference.

I would belive, that there is an option in BIOS to choose, if the RAID controller functions as RAID 0 or 1 or just as a normal ATA controller. Checked the manual?

And CONGRATULATIONS on finaly having the goods in your shaky hands. May it serve you well

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Tue Jun 24, 2003 5:59 pm

Thanks for your answers and congratulations guys…

I understand now… well, of course I have read the manual, I’m going for the third time now, and I’m going to read it many more times I want to know what I’m doing. In any case, the P4PE it’s an incredible powerful board, so full of features and expandability. I can tell this even if I have never boot up the system yet!

If you remember well, I wanted to go for PATA Western Digital Second Edition, but couldn’t find even one in the whole of Chile. I was surprised nevertheless they had a Seagate Barracuda V (!), so I have chosen this one instead.

There are three IDE possible connections in the board, the PRI IDE, the SEC IDE, and the RAID connexion. The PRI IDE is being used for the Maxtor DiamondMax, which is the primary drive, and the SEC IDE is being used for the CDRW and CD drive, being the first the Master and the CD drive the Slave. Am I doing it right? I think this is the right choice isn’t it? The Raid, as far as I understand the manual tells you, can be used as a connexion for another IDE HD as a Master, and do not support any kind of optic devices like CDROM drives.

What I’m having trouble with are all those very tiny connexions… I’m talking particularly about those called “speaker”, “power led”, “reset sw”, and quite a few others… most of them have just two pin connexion. And exactly the same is happening with a bunch of connections coming from the Thermaltake, I really don’t know what to do cos the manual of the case is very short and just explains the main features and that’s it. But all those cables and one pin connexions called: “VCC”, “SHIELD”, “GROUND 1”, “VCC 1”, “GROUND 2”, “DATA 2”, “DATA 1”, “DATA + 1”, “DATA + 2”… they are all one pin connexion tiny plugs. I have no the least of an idea what to do with them… Ho… yes… I should say they come from the front of the Thermaltake, they belong to the connexions coming from the right side of this picture, the USB and 1394…

Any ideas? Thank you!

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Tue Jun 24, 2003 6:03 pm

Snoopy, it was not easy to find everything listed above, not at all… Chile is still underdeveloped whatever you may hear in the news… It’s a beautiful country, but technologically in the stone age!

It was not cheap, I spend about 350 more dollars than expected, or perhaps some more cos of the travel itself, and I did not buy anything from the internet. Everything was bought directly from the shops. If you want I can pass you the addresses in Santiago, but I doubt they will serve you living in Costa Rica. You would be better served from USA, obviously.

Immanuel · Post by **Immanuel** » Tue Jun 24, 2003 6:07 pm

Your connections seem right. It can be done other ways too, but there is nothing realy wrong going on.

There should be somewhere in the manual for the mother board, where there is a desciption of, how the leds should be connected. If there came a metal ring with the tower, then take all the wires from the tower thru it twice, so the ring is locked in one position. The ring serves as high frequency shielding - like the one on your Pulsar cable.

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Tue Jun 24, 2003 6:19 pm

How ignorant I am… I was just playing games with my wife,

trying to use it as a ring, and asking ourselves what could it be for… cos the manual does not tell you anything about it… Nevertheless, which cables should I pass through it, cos it’s not as big as to pass all the cables coming from the power supply… least of all twice as you suggest. It think it’s for some of them, isn’t it?

[ This Message was edited by: nestor on 2003-06-24 19:21 ]

Immanuel · Post by **Immanuel** » Tue Jun 24, 2003 6:33 pm

Good to see you are having fun with your new "toy"

The ring is for the front panel cables: The power button, the hard drive led ...

Micha · Post by **Micha** » Wed Jun 25, 2003 4:46 am

Hi Nestor,
here some tips:
Asus P4PE handbook E1110 First Edition September 2002
Chapter 2.8
1. page 2-18
Hard disk activity LED
for the Maxtor
case: probably DATA1+GROUND1, don't know exactly.
10. page 2-24
Power supply thermal connector
is there a tiny 2 string cable coming out of the powersupply?
should go here.
18. page 2-29
that's the one. most of your cables from the case come here.
Forget SMI+Keyboard Lock.
Important: the two right of SMI: ATX Power+Reset, the "outside pins".
Inside: Power LED+Speaker.
->4 of your cables from the case should be here.
Don't forget the ring!

So you see: some of your cables of the case will be "homeless".
Good luck!
Edit:
Forgot to mention:
for 18.: The plugs usually have written their function at one side. This is the outside, so that you can read their fuction when they are plugged in.
And: between Reset and Power is 1 spare!!!

[ This Message was edited by: Micha on 2003-06-25 05:53 ]

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 12:24 am

Hi Micha! Thanks for the answer…

When you say:

“case: probably DATA1+GROUND1, don't know exactly.
10. page 2-24
Power supply thermal connector
is there a tiny 2 string cable coming out of the powersupply?
should go here.”

Effectively, I have a small connection, the only one it it’s type coming from the Thermaltake PurePower, it’s a small 3 pin connector with 2 cables. I mean, the connector has 3 pins but there are actually 2 of them active, the middle one is not connected cos there is no cable. In the motherboard there is a connection called: “P4PE Power Supply Thermal Connector”, this is a 2 pin male connector in the motherboard. But… the problem is… the connexion coming from the power supply has 3 pins while the motherboard one has just 2, and they do not match. Should I transform the connection in order for them to match?

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 12:35 am

I don't really understand what the ring is for... cos it's quite small and just a few cables are hardly going to pass through it... Of course, no 4 pin 12V power connection goes through it. Why is it so important and what is is exactly to close the high frequencies shielding them up? Please, clear my mind. Cheers...

Immanuel · Post by **Immanuel** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 6:47 am

The ring is only for the front panel connections - the leds, and maybe the power cable. If you do not pass these cable thru the ring, a cell (mobile) phone will be able to cause interence in your PC.

Micha · Post by **Micha** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 7:47 am

OK. Have a look right of the ATX Power Connector. There are two 3 pin males, right? One is CHA_FAN1, the other PWR_FAN1. Found em? Well then try if the 2 cable 3 female from the Thermaltake fits into the PWR_FAN1. If it does, well then you can see the speed of the fan of the Thermaltake in the BIOS under Power -> Power Fan Speed (page 4-33).

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 9:42 am

Thanks Immanuel and Micha for your answers.

Ready, I’ve ringed the cables, done.

Done Micha.
Now, there is another three pin “1 pin” connector (yellow cable only), female, coming out of thermaltake’s fan connexion we have just connected to the CHA_FAN1 and to the PWR_FAN1. There is no mention to it in the motherboard manual, nor in the thermaltake case, I have not the slightest idea what to do with it…

***

I know now why I didn’t find the IEEE 1394 male pins into the MOBO to connect the bunch of 1 pin female cables coming from the case, and it’s that the motherboard comes with a little card IEEE 1394 and I had already connected it, so obviously, there is no place for a second connexion, they are already occupied. This was my mistake.

Cheers…

Micha · Post by **Micha** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 11:36 am

hmm... a single yellow cable with a plug that fits into the CHA_FAN1? The plug btw is called Molex. Strange.
These Molex are easy: 1 for ground, 1 for speed and optionally 1 for control of speed. => 3 connections, 2 necessary for basic function (=monitoring).
So only 1, yellow, what is it? No idea.
Please email Thermaltake support, they should know this.

You have both Firewires (=IEEE 1394) connected with the card? So plug one out and put in the front panel females, if you like.
Page 2-27 can help you to figure out how to connect. I hope you can see the backside of the plug at the front panel of your case. To find out what color/cable should go to what pin of the board. Do they really have splitted up these 7 or 8 cables?

Nestor · Post by **Nestor** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 12:24 pm

Yes Micha, I guess I’ll have to contact them directly for this one pin cable…

No, I have chosen to connect, at least for the moment, the MOBO IEEE 1394, cos the one coming from the front panel of case it’s a bit short, and the connexion in the P4PE comes to be just at the end of the board, so it could bother the Pulsar card, not yet installed. At the same time I get read of all those “NINE” splitted one-pin-cables that are getting me mad. I don’t really care to have them on the back or in the front as long as they are present.

Thanks very much indeed for your valuable help guys. Nevertheless, I’m just starting asking… I think there will be a FEW MORE questions coming up when installing OS and so on… Ufff… this is all too new for me… Nevertheless, I’m going to read all the posts left by Subhuman in the tips and tricks to no how to, before asking questions already answered there.

Immanuel · Post by **Immanuel** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 3:57 pm

Keep it comming Nestor - I believe we all like to help you

snoopy4ever · Post by **snoopy4ever** » Thu Jun 26, 2003 6:02 pm

That's why this a great community!.., we all try to help each other on our projects.

Hello Nestor.. I just want to let you know that I've send you a private message with some ideas *not related with this thread* I'd like you to consider, Sorry I've had to use this thread guys but I don't see any email addres on Nestor's profile.

cheers

snoopy

[ This Message was edited by: snoopy4ever on 2003-06-26 19:02 ]

Micha · Post by **Micha** » Fri Jun 27, 2003 3:11 am

Correct, Immanuel