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-   -   The Desktop Computer & Configuration Thread (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadgets-computers-software/1620-desktop-computer-configuration-thread-107.html)

lol:

On a serious note, it's a sikh religious symbol rather than a 'symbol of the north'.

stupid:I know it is one of the 5 K's, but a lot of non Sikhs sport it in Delhi. In fact I spied quite a number of golden ones here. If I recollect it is supposed to be made of wrought iron, to give traces of iron to the body, preventing anemia.

Good. Only thing is don't wear the bangle on the left hand. In the worst case scenario, where you contact a 'live' terminal with your right hand and your left hand is earthed - you will get the mains potential - 240 V - across your heart which may result in a cardiac arrest. Wear the earthing bracket, bangle or Kada on your right hand and handle things with your right hand.

Now you make me jealous. You live in an independent house in Madras ? :)

In that case, your ground resistance will be low enough to discharge the static electricity.

I prefer a wristwatch. :)

Hmm. Good point. Thanks.

Hi everyone. Right now I'm running a Pentium 4 PC that's almost in its last stages of existence. Rather than upgrading and repairing it to the point of making it operational, I've decided to dispose it off, and spend a bit extra in getting a new PC. I've just started to browse for a suitable configuration, and have the following items marked:

CPU: Intel Core i5-660
GPU: ATI Radeon HD5770 1GB GDDR5 / ATI RADEON HD 4870 1GB GDDR5 (no directx 11 support?)
RAM: Corsair 2GB DDR3 @ 1.6GHz
HDD: 1TB Western Digital
MotherBoard: (?)
Monitor: (?)
Cabinet: an iBall variant
Keyboard/Mouse: Logitech

I don't have a motherboard and a monitor nailed as of now. My budget is ~40k. I hope I get about 10k for my current PC as a trade-in, so that'll leave me with about 30k to spend. My objective is that pretty much any game after 2006 should be playable, and I won't be upgrading this system for atleast another year or so.

Pour in with your suggestions please :)

I really doubt whether you would get 10 k for your Pentium 4 system - you may get if you have some high end components installed. I was offered Rs.1500 for my old system when I wanted to upgrade to Pentium 4 in 2004. So, I gave the old system free to someone rather than selling it for peanuts.

Good choice for gaming. If you're strictly a gamer who upgrades frequently, this is indeed a good choice.

The 5770 should cost somewhere around Rs. 7,000. Another good choice. The 4870 is a lot superior to the 5770 in terms of processing power, but lacks the next-gen features.

Try getting a triple-channel board with 3x1GB RAM kit.

Choose a budget, and the features you want, look up manufacturers, choose a model, google it, check some forums for reviews, call up the local shop for availability.

You do need to get a quality PSU. A Corsair 450W, I'd say. Or Antec or CoolerMaster. Or Xigmatek. Or any other good PSU.


I really doubt that.

single-storey one, yes.

Which, with the Buckingham canal one street away worries us every monsoon. It is in an exceedingly unposh area [just outside the current corporation boundary] of Chennai. But... One day... (we hope)...

Very well earthed, though. As long as the rats and the ants haven't, by now, created a hollow space under our floor!

Speaking of being earthed: I never realised just how much voltage there is in a telephone wire until I remade a connection bare-foot!

Whenever dealing with mains voltage, apart from the usual care, I always wear rubber soled shoes and even stand on a rubber mat. Especially as I don't trust the electricians who re-wired our house. Unfortunately, I only found afterwards that I shouldn't be trusting them.

A new washing machine now comes before the PC, but I'm not being put off: I'm in spending mood, and I'm going to have my new PC!

Yes. Unfortunately most of the electricians don't follow any standard operating procedure. They hardly adhere to color codes when they draw the mains cable in a conduit.

Most house owners don't want to spend for ELCB - Residual Current Circuit breaker which will protect them against any fatal shock hazard.

Do write about your new PC when it is set. :)

OT:

in Chennai? :Shockked:

yep, happened to me when i was kid (1989). had moved into our rented house and i was fixing the telephone line. tried to peel the copper wire sleeve with my teeth. it was a nice tingly feeling! i think the telephone line can have up to 50volts (i think).

on another occasion, it was raining heavily and i had been to the roof of our house to fix the 13 element antenna (before cable came to India). since it was dark, i couldn't see anything and so got a bulb, but i couldn't find the socket. felt my way around until i got zapped! i didn't realize that the socket was "always live" one! that day i realized how good a conductor of electricity water is!
stupid:

i've been wanting to upgrade my 19" Sony monitor to a 24" Dell UltraSharp since before my marriage. its been more than 4yrs now and HQ hasn't approved the request!!


and pictures too!

OT again:

scratch that! just checked the voltage on our Airtel line and it showed 112.6v!! :Shockked:

Pictures!

I don't think it will be much to look at. Maybe I'll get the cat to sit on it and post it in the pets thread ;)

Actually, having checked out the case, it is going to be a bit big. But unless I change my spec and go for a micro board, I'll have to live with that, and it is under a table anyway.

I measured 400 volts across the two earth wires when I separated them. Didn't feel it though; no current to mention. Since then I test every wire before touching, even if it is green. Actually, they never connected the earth; we only put in the rod.

agree:I keep getting bulk SMS offering P4 complete for 4K. These are obsolete pieces picked up abroad in bulk!

Donate the system as you will not get more than 1k. You can retain the HDD, if it is IDE then you have two ports one for DVD and another for HDD, if SATA then you will have 4 or 6 ports, enough to plug in all your old HDD.

ok, lemme help you out with a demo of PC build pictures!

processor:


motherboard with the processor:


motherboard with the processor inside the cabinet:


psu (notice the racing stripes):


RAM modules with heat spreaders:


HDD stack (collective 1.75TB):


HD4870 1GB (replacing the HD3870 512MB):


200mm exhaust:


sponsors (not really):


side panel of Antec 900:


CPU side view:


CPU front view:


the last three pictures were taken when i had opened the case to put a Belkin Wireless G Desktop card few days back.

Goodness!

OK, I'll photo-document the build :)

On another note, I see that my processor temperatures seem to be rising steadily, which is probably an indicator of how long since I cleared the dust out.