Installing heatsink/fan combo over CPU

You know...with cables and things like that, you can always go to the local computer store, Circuit City, or Comp USA. I like to get cables at Comp USA. I get ultra ATA133/100/66/33 single device cables for about $3 and 2 device cables for about $5. These are not the ribbon cables either, these are the good ones. Great price and no wait.

 

I don't live near a computer store . . . I wish I did. CompUSA is about a 3 hour drive from where I live and I was there only 2 times about 10 years ago.

There's a little twist to all of this too. My daughter and son-in-law are in the Army Reserves and were called up for duty last May. They're in Iraq and I'm taking care of my 4-year old grandson until they come home in November. He's a very active child and it's very hard for me to do much because he needs a lot of attention with constant interruptions. I would rather wait 5 days for the cable than to take him on a 6 hour ride and, considering how much I would like to have that cable right now, that's saying a lot!

But thanks for the suggestion

 

I've been looking for a 4-port SATA card since I have a number of SATA external hdds. I Googled it but found very little. I saw this little gizmo but the site doesn't say how much it costs. Would you mind telling me what you think of it?

http://www.siliconimage.com/products/product.aspx?id=28

Denise

 

Similar picture.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-PORT-USB-2-...ameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

 

It can be good though. In the mean time it gives you a chance to read up on various components and things related to your board. Maybe take a hard look at the user manual and just get more familiar and comfortable with what you can. When I first started building I just remember reading so many books (DOS, processor technology, new developments), but I was around computers for a long time and gained most of my experience through doing. My first rig that I toyed with was an 8088XT IBM machine that was the start for me.

There is a lot out there for you to learn yet - cooling methods/fan theory, north bridge/ south bridge modern chip setups, overclocking, RAM timings, storage (SATA, PATA, RAID, ect), history of and evolution or processors and their various technologies, ect. So much out there, it really takes a long time to just come in and learn. These forums have some great stuff. Many of us grew with the technology and have valuable hands-on experience through the years that is invaluable. It's all out there, though.

 

This one seems more like it - Raid too

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-2-4-PORT-SA...ameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

 

Like Walter says, look at these things, but read up, and try to understand exactly what they do, and whether you really need them - certainly not yet.
Get things working, then gradually go another step, no good messing up all your hard work, by taking too big a step, until you really think you need to.

 

Also note that this stuff is addictive and there is no cure. Once you start building, you never stop. All of your free money goes to computers.

 

Hi,

Thanks for the information and suggestions.

I have a USB 2.0 5 Port (4 External + 1 Internal) PCI Controller Card (I don't know what the internal one is for though) that I can install on the new pc. On my present pc, I have the SATA ext hdds connected to USB 2.0 ports. I bought them because they were compatible with both USB 2.0 and SATA ports and planned on connecting them to SATA ports on the new pc. Can a SATA ext hdd be connected as SATA if it's not connected to a SATA port?

What can I do with the 2 internal ports for the "Channel: 4 Serial ATA channels (Internal x 2, External x 2)?"

On my present pc, I have HUBs to piggyback several ext hdds. Can ext SATA hdds be piggybacked using a HUB?

This one says that it's a SATA 4 Port PCI Adapter Card but further down in the description, it says "Supports Two Independent Serial ATA Ports." What happened to the other 2 ports?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4-Ports-SATA-...ryZ90715QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Unfortunately, some of these cards are available only to the United Kingdom.

 

I think that this is more of what I'm looking for . . .

"eSATA (External SATA) 4-Port RAID PCI Controller Card" because it has "Four shielded and durable eSATA external connectors." But it says that it "supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 0+1, RAID 1+S(Mirrored-Sparing)" so I'm not sure.

Things seem to connect differently to PATA than they do to SATA. Adding an additional drive to SATA calls for RAID but adding an additional drive to PATA calls for a HUB? Or am I completely off base here?

baklogic, you said that if I wanted to add an additional SATA internal drive, they would have to be identical and a RAID array would have to be set up. I don't want to do that now or for quite a while, but do they have to be identical as in twin sticks of RAM sold in one package or just the same make, model and the same size?

 

LOL Walter . . . all of my free money has gone into computers for the past 3 years, mostly in external hard drives. My computer is over 4 years old and has been used like a workhorse and has stood up admirably. I've added extra RAM and a couple IDE/firewire cards but I don't think it's worth putting more into it. I was going to reformat it when I got the other one up and running and network them, but I forgot to put on my anti-static wrist band yesterday when I looked for the IDE ribbon cable and as soon as I touched it, the computer crashed. Since then, the CD drive can't read DVD's and I no longer get the pop-up menu asking me what I want to do (open using Media Player, DVD Decrypter, Media Player Classic, Do Nothing, etc). I think a program or file was damaged, but I can't say that for sure either. But reformatting it may help that problem too.

 

Hey there. Well....there is certainly a lot to get to. Lets see. Check your manual (I haven't yet) as to what your mobo supports as far as RAID. I believe it supports RAID 0/1 up to 2 drives and probably JBOD. You don't need to have identical drives for RAID but why you should is because RAID is only as good as the weakest drive. For example, if you have a 120GB 7200rpm drive and a 80GB 7200rpm drive, your RAID array will be 80GB, so you lose 40GB from that 120. Similarly, you can use 2 80GB drives- 1 7200rpm and 1 5400rpm, but you will default the array to 5400rpm. Two brand new identical drives makes for the best array (take everything into account here). As far as the externals are concerned, USB 2.0 is slower than 1394 firewire connections and both are much slower than eSATA (there are also other slowdowns due to various host busses used and the rate of transfer of speed is less than SATA). So, yes, you will not use the eSATA drives at their full potential at other interfaces. They are also hot pluggable, as far as I know. I take it you know what RAID 0/1 are. Remember there is JBOD too which can, correct me if I am wrong, support up to 5 devices. JBOD (just a bunch of drives) is a RAID array (debatable whether or not it is actually RAID) where you can have up to 5 devices of any size that combine and are seen as one logical drive. For example, a 120GB and 80GB drive in JBOD gives you one drive at 200GB, no other performance advantages, however.

PATA drives require IDE controllers. A typical IDE controller supports up to 2 devices. If you have 2 IDE controllers, you can have up to 4 devices. By the way, RAID is an option in IDE as well. PATA, as you know, is a slower interface than SATA. EIDE cables and devices come in different data transfer rate speeds, depending on the technology. Older boards support ATA 33 or 66, 100 and 133 are faster. That's mb/s compared to SATA of 1.5gb/s or 3.0gb/s. As you can see, a big advantage.

Remember that SATA has 2 data transfer rates that you need to be mindful of. SATA 150 and 300, 1.5gb/s and 3.0gb/s, respectfully. You will not notice a difference unless you are using 10,000rpm raptors, though. You can open the pipeline as big as you want, but data is sent at a rate that isn't able to take full advantage for most drives (many people don't realize this, but get a sense of it when they notice no difference). If you have 1.5gb/s and you use 3.0/s device, it defaults to lower transfer rate, however.

As far as you zapping you computer, I highly doubt that. That is not something that happens as common as you think and your symptoms are otherwise. DVD drives are harder to zap than RAM or CPU's or even HDD's. Those are the most sensitive, especially RAM. You don't lose files due to a zap, you lose hardware. If you zap your board, goodbye board, your RAM, ect.

Whew, there must be some resources on SATA and RAID and such somewhere on this forum. You may want to read on that while you are waiting for that cable .

 

Good to see you are making progress!

E

 

Thanks for the info Walter.

I'm not looking to set up a RAID array, not for quite a while. My internal hdd is a Seagate SATA 300Gb, 3.0gb/s, 16Mb cache. I just want to add an eSATA 4 port card so that I can connect 4 of my SATA external hdds to it and, as you pointed out, I want them to connected for the fastest transfer rate possible.

I'm used to working with some PATA hardware but SATA is a new concept for me and I want to make sure that the eSATA 4 port card that I purchase will give me 4 external ports. Would that require a RAID array to be set up?

Some cards are named "4 Port External SATA Card Adaptor" when, in the description, it says that they have 2 eSATA ports and no mention is made of the other 2 ports.

My pc really did crash when I started to follow the ribbon that was connected to my floppy drive. Maybe I jogged something else but the weather is very cold and dry and static electricity is in abundance. I try not to touch my hair because, when I do, it stands up on end where it was touched, and I'm not exaggerating, and my CD ROM drive no longer reads DVDs.

One way or the other, I should have the pc up and running by the end of the week, and that's going to make me very happy.

In a previous post, I mentioned a card that I think is what I'm looking for but I'm not sure if it requires a RAID array:

Denise

 

True wisdom

keep it as simple as possible to start with

 

Hi Shanemail,

I need my external hard drives. They contain 99% of the files that I use. I know that a 4 port eSATA card can wait until the computer is up and running, but I'd like to order it now so I won't have to wait a second week for a part to come in that I'll need.

BTW, I just checked the label on my hdd. It's a Seagate Barracuda 7200.10, 320Gb, 3Gb/s.

Denise

 

You have to be aware of the precise terminology of certain components related to computers or you may get something different. I know when you are new it is difficult, but I try to read between the lines most of the time and figure out what it is you are asking. Sometimes it is hard for me to know exactly just how to answer. If you are referring to that card on ebay, it is not eSATA (external SATA). That is an internal PCI SATA controller for internal drives and it is SATA 150 (1.5GB/s). You want to be mindful to look for an eSATA PCI card for external SATA drives that is SATA 300 (aka SATA II) (3.0GB/s). Remember, SATA 150 controller will default a SATA 300 device to 150 speed (although if you read one of my comments above, you won't notice a difference, but why do it?)! Cards will act as non-RAID when BIOS is not configured RAID. You can configure to individual drives if you want to so, no, you don't have to have a RAID array when using SATA external devices. If you type in ebay eSATA PCI card, you will get some hits. You can start with that and make your choices accordingly. I prefer to shop on newegg.com. You do know you are using ebay UK right? They have an abundance of these components in the U.S. too and shipping will be less. Give newegg.com a try. You will find cheaper than ebay prices and the best customer support and shipping times around.

 

Ok, my choices stunk.

What I want to do is this . . .

I have 12 external hdds (its a long story and too expensive to switch to a different set-up now).

On my present computer, I believe that I have connected 4 USB 2.0 external ports for 4 USB 2.0/firewire ext hdds. I have 3 external firewire ports for 3 firewire ext hdds. I have several SATA ext hdds that are USB 2.0/SATA compliant (some are USB 2.0-piggybacked with HUBs). What I want is 4 SATA external ports for them.

Doing a search at eBay for "SATA II PCI external" brought up only 1 result:

1. Syba PCI Express to External SATA II Controller Card

http://cgi.ebay.com/Syba-PCI-Expres...oryZ3753QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The only problem with this card is that it will connect only 1 SATA ext hdd when I want one that will connect 4.

I have 2 PCI-Express Slots:

PCI-EX16:
- PCI Express 1.0a compliant
- Maximum Bandwidth is up to 4 Gb/s per direction

PCI-Ex1_1:
- PCI Express 1.0a compliant
- Maximum bandwidth is up to 250 Mb/s per direction

Am I getting warmer?

Denise

 

Ok. PCI-Ex16 is for a video card only, the other is the correct interface. I took the liberty of looking at your board again and you have 1x PCIx slot and 2x PCI slots. You can use either interface when choosing a card. You are getting warmer. To be very specific, the card can be PCI express or PCI, either will work just as long as you have an empty slot available. I typed in the ebay search box "eSATA PCI card." That gave me quite a few. The trick with ebay is to try different search combinations until you find something. You may have to go through more irrelevant stuff, but you will find more due to the unique way some people label items.

As far as compatibility, you will just have to check the specific items and look at the hardware you want to hook up. If all devices are SATA 300 then get that. If they are all 150 then that is fine (they are for the most part backwards compatible). Select based on other desired features that suit what you want (hot plugging, ect).

 

Hi there, being 8 hours in front of you,( U.K GMT) makes my input a little spasmodic, as I usually go off , at 11 to 12 midnight.

But I see you are getting there.
My links to ebay items, were just for examples, so that you could see a little
more about your item -
To be quite honest, the sites recommended through majorgeeks, that I passed on to you, will be very competetive, and ebay is good for comparison, but, you can pay more than you need on computer bits, there.
I have to be honest, and find Hong Kong can deliver a lot of stuff within 7 days to U.K so I tend to shop a lot , there.
U.S.A postal costs from , and to U.K ARE ATTROCIOUSLY HIGH.
Walter is well up on his SATA, and Raid, so sift carefully through his words, even copy them to notepad, and print them off.
It will come in handy later, when you plunge in deeper.

Your static problem-- Try uninstalling the driver, and letting Windows find it , again., on restart.Sometimes works.

If you do not need to use the pci-express slot, then it will be a faster slot for add in cards, if they are expressly made to work from them.

 

It seems that what I think is the right 4 Port SATA card turns out to not be right. The wording is confusing.

This is one card that I think will give me 4 SATA external ports:

2. This one looks right also (unless its solely a RAID card)

and that's about all I can find at eBay that will give me 4 external ports except for a $300.00 "4Ports with Port Multiplier support." A little to steep for my purse.

Denise

 

While you are looking, it gives you more idea of the item you need, and possible costs.
Don't rush, Rome was not built in a day.
Ebay is handy for ideas, but as I said previously, not always the cheapest, or, best.
Keep looking, it is the best way to find, at the right price.

 

Hi baklogic,

I understand the time difference, no problem.

Drivers are going to be a problem. I don't what a driver is and I don't know where to find them. My computer was made for me and the person who made it is no longer here, and I don't have a manual or a CD.

Right now, I'm not very worried that the CD ROM drive no longer works because I'll have the new pc up and running soon. Once I do, I'm not sure I'll the CD ROM drive. If I do, I'll work on getting it back in operation at that time. My brain is loaded with pc info right now and if I put another bit of information into it, a different piece leaks out, lol. I have to focus on what I'm doing with the new pc right now. I'm a work of art, aren't I. I've written it down, though, along with some of the info that Walter gave me.

I don't plan on adding anything except for cards that will give me more external ports. I don't do gaming, and the onboard video and audio cards will more than suffice. I can't think of anything else that I would want to plug into the PCI-Ex1_1 express slot, but I appreciate your looking ahead for me.

Denise

 

Will one of the cards that I mentioned above work for me . . . give me 4 external ports?

 

You can go back to all the pages that you have entered on this issue , OPEN NOTEPAD, and copy and paste the information you have gleaned from this site,
Then you can always print it out, at sometime, if you need it -Easier than writing notes.
Especially the Raid, or multiple disk information, that I know you will find hard to find.
Just leave Notepad open, and keep copying, it will take about 10 to 15 minutes.

 

I would think this one would be perfect, as Walter explained, it include sata 11, which will accomodate 300 speed.
"Serial ATA SATA II Int to Ext 4 Port Adapter +L-BKT NEW"

 

For the driver issue,:
Right click My Computer.
Left click Manage.
Open Device Manager and then open IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers,
Right click the first entry (the Controller) and select uninstall, click ok, then reboot. Windows should then find a new device and install the drivers.

 

There are several Microsft links , that might just help, but I do not want to overload the grey cells, all at once.

 

LOL, baklogic! Do I seem that pathetic! I must because this is like learning to speak a different language.

I do keep a running list of information that I receive. I named it HOW TO. I kept one for my present pc and I started one for this new one.

I never would have dared to remove a Controller in Device Manger! I figured it would be gone forever. That was great advice. I don't get the pop-up box that asks what you want to do but it plays DVDs again now. Thanks

 

Hi Walter,

No, sorry, but I'm going to look into RAID later, but thank you for the info.

 

I've attached a picture of the Serial ATA SATA II Int to Ext 4 Port Adapter +L-BKT NEW at eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...MEWA:IT&viewitem=&item=110009014280&rd=1&rd=1

I'm also attaching a picture of another one because the Serial ATA SATA II Int to Ext 4 Port Adapter +L-BKT is shaped differently than all the others (as in the second picture).

I don't understand how the shape of the Serial ATA SATA II Int to Ext 4 Port Adapter +L-BKT will fit into a pc.

 

I just read up on RAID arrays and I can say that I definitely do not want to do that. Duplication of information is unnecessary for my files and I wouldn't want to spread them out over several hdds.

http://www.ahinc.com/raid.htm

 

The second one is plugged straight into a PCI slot, and means simply taking one of the little backplates out.
The PCI slots, are next to the pci-e slots.
I am glad that little fix worked.
And - No , if you were the real dumb blode, you would never have got this far.-those that have given their best to help you do understand, but, occasionally, they can get frustrated, too.
It is not always easy to explain in an 'untechnical way'.
Stiil, if cd is working, and you want to download anything that you need for your new computer, it can be written to cd/dvd to put on the new computer when you need it.

 

I know it must be frustrating and I really am sorry, but I've learned an awful lot. . . not just how to follow directions but I know about the parts themselves . . . what they do, how to install them, why I shouldn't do some things (such as update drivers for the BenQ), why I don't want some things, a lot of tips and much more. If someone was standing here with me and said "put this part here and put this part there," I wouldn't have learned anything. I appreciate all the time you've given me as well . . . that's irreplaceable and invaluable.

​

 

The Serial ATA SATA II Int to Ext 4 Port Adapter +L-BKT NEW is $20.00 and the RAID 5 eSATA External SATA II 3GB/S 4-Port PCI-X Card is $85.00. I have the back plate for it removed and I've installed cards previously so I won't have a problem installing the RAID 5 eSATA External SATA II 3GB/S 4-Port PCI-X Card ($85.00), but the Serial ATA SATA II Int to Ext 4 Port Adapter +L-BKT ($20.00) has a shape that I've never seen before. I'd prefer to buy it because the cost is much less but not if it can't be connected to the pc.

I don't need anything except 4 ext SATA ports to connect my 4 SATA ext hdds. Will the Serial ATA SATA II Int to Ext 4 Port Adapter +L-BKT ($20.00) do that? Can it be plugged into one of my PCI slots?

 

Ok, that appears to be a internal to external 4 port adapter. What happens there is it plugs into one of your onboard SATA ports. It appears that it comes with a backplate with a square hole in it that the PCB SATA adapter screws into. So, it is all on a backplate that you would just put in like a regular backplate and not a card that would have its own controller. It uses the onboard controller.

Apparently the +L-BKT means plus "L" bracket. L bracket is a backplate that you would remove to add a card. This L bracket is special because it has a rectangular hole that the PCB SATA adapter screws into it (the whole mechanism will be on th eL bracket now). It should work.

 

The SATA ports are located near the internal hdd. Would I connect a SATA cable to the port on the motherboard and connect the other end to the adapter (which will be connected onto the rear of the case)?

 

If it does work this way, it will free up one of my PCI slots for another adapter/card. With the 12 ext hdds I have, an unallocated PCI port will certainly be welcome.

 

That's how it looks to me.

 

It looks like everything is coming together very well. The computer should be up and running by the end of the week, if not sooner.

My knees were practically knocking the day I decided it was finally time to start putting it together. I never, and I mean never, could have done it without you . . . baklogic, Walter, Matacumbie, ASUS, shanemail, Yargwell and Fred. You've all been wonderful! :grouphug

Denise

 

The first build is always scary. I am curious as to why you want to start adding stuff when the computer is not up. Possibly adding variables to the mix. My suggestion would be to get the computer up, use it, then add to it, but that is just my opinion. And we all know the quote about opinions.. LOL.

Good to see you are making progress and getting some confidence. Heck, next year, you may be walking someone through the same steps you are going through.

E

 

I have 12 external hard drives that contain 99% of my files. Without access to them, the computer would be almost useless, except for email and eBay. I don't do much else with it.

You've pointed out something important, though. I'll add the SATA adapter after the computer is up and running so as not to add something into the mix while I'm getting it set up. But I have purchased it and it'll be here to install once the computer is operating as it should and I won't have to wait to connect the adapter and my SATA ext hdds.

 

12 external drives!? Dang DeniseM, that is well, a lot of HD space! I thought I was running some crazy drive space with 2x300GB, a 250GB, and a little 20GB usb drive! Do you normally have all 12 hooked up? If you do, let me know how you use/manage that. I get confused having 3 drives! Good to see you have the important stuff backed up.

E

 

The first ext hdds I bought were Maxtors that had firewire or USB 2.0 connectors. I bought a firewire card and connected them to it.

I really have forgotten some of the other drives I have, whether they're USB 2.0, USB 2.0/firewire or USB 2.0/SATA. I have 4 USB 2.0 ports in the back of my computer. I connected 2 USB/firewire HUBS to them and run 4 devices off other of each HUB. My firewire connections wouldn't work on them and I don't know the reason. I think it may be because the upstream connection is USB 2.0.

Two of my drives were purchased at the same time. They're identical in appearance and size. I'm having a problem with these 2 drives because only one of them can be turned on at a time. If one is on and I turn the other one on, the first one will disconnect. When I turn on the disconnected hdd, the other will disconnect. I haven't found a solution for this problem. At one point, I disconnected all of the ext hdds, connected one of the problematic hdds, reformatted it and gave it a new drive letter. Then I disconnected that one and connected the other one and performed the same procedure as I did for the other one. I tried connecting one to my tower and one to a HUB, one to one HUB and one to another HUB, and both to 2 ports on my tower, but it didn't help either.

Other than that, the drives can all be on at the same time and recognized by My Computer. I mentioned in an earlier post that this pc is a workhorse and it truly is, but it's time for it to rest easy and used only occasionally.

Denise

 

I missed your question in my response though.

When I had about 5 or 6 hdds, I could remember what was on each one, but as I got more, I wound up looking in a couple before I found what I wanted. So I made an index on each hdd. The hdds contain both original and back-up copies. I made about 15 folders and the name of the folders contain the names of the files I have on each drive.

"Folder Icon" Law Library - Smith v Jones G Drive Back-up L Drive
"Folder Icon" Pending Items - Cases 50132 thru 77343 J Drive Back-up P Drive

Each of these folders are empty. Once I indexed all hdds, I copies the folders to each hdd and, since all the folders with the names of the documents are located on each hdd, no matter what drive is turned off, I can find it in the index on another drive and turn the drive on that I need.

The same thing can be done with a Notepad or Word document but I chose folders.

 

I like that. I think I will steal your idea. Got one tip for you, sometimes you can name the drive also. I have c, SeagageF, and WD250. Now those are just internal drives, but it makes it so much easier to clone, transfer or whatever. But that is a great idea with the drive index on each one.

E

 

I name my drives also but I have a number of different things on each drive so I use abbreviations. G drive is named or542 bu320 pe776 cl389. But the index tells me what names are included in or5421, bk3205, etc. "or" stands for originals, "bu" stands for back-ups "pe" stands for pending, "cl" stands for closed.

 

So is that computer up and running or what? If not, what is the problem(s)?

E

 

I don't have a cable to connect my DVD drive to the motherboard. It's on order and it should be in by the end of the week (hopefully).

 

You don't need DVD drive to POST though.