Buying a new Computer - Q&A

[Ruff_Hi]

just spoke to IPB tech support - they deliberatly install PUs upside down (when it is installed at the bottom as it is with my case) because they have had issues with people putting the PC on carpet.

The PU should pull fresh air from outside of the case and then blow it out the back. My current config pulls the air from inside the case and blows it out the back. I am going to turn it around / back up the right way.

GPU reseated ... installed and PC boots.

[NobleHelium]

Is it still slanted, or did they just install it poorly?

[spellman]

just spoke to IPB tech support - they deliberatly install PUs upside down (when it is installed at the bottom as it is with my case) because they have had issues with people putting the PC on carpet.

The PU should pull fresh air from outside of the case and then blow it out the back. My current config pulls the air from inside the case and blows it out the back. I am going to turn it around / back up the right way.

Interesting. My case doesn't have a port on the bottom, so it happily pumps air into the rest of the case and I leave it on the carpet.

[Ruff_Hi]

Is it still slanted, or did they just install it poorly?

Initially, it was slanted and showing a fair bit of strain. Now, after reseating it, it is still slanted but it looks fairly happy.

Been pulling out cables, feeding them out the back and reconnecting them. It is getting to the stage that all of the mess is out the back.

[sunrise089]

And I don't think I've ever seen a port be misaligned with the openings in the back of the case. That's really weird if that's the case...

This. I'm 0% surprised the GPU didn't work after seeing it was apparently installed at an angle. It's a bit alarming it's still at a (lesser) angle, but glad it's working for you Ruff.

[Ruff_Hi]

I'm back ... with some updated pics of my own rewiring as well as some close up pics of the stressed GPU.

I'm trying to post little pics that are linked to bigger versions ...









Some comments on the last one ...

• the yellow insert is a pic that I took when I first got the PC
  
• the purple blow out shows the end of the GPU against a thingo on the mobo
  
• the other picture of the GPU is from today - after I reseated it
  
• the green blow out shows the end of the GPU against the same thingo on the mobo
  

You can clearly see that the old GPU position was much higher than the new position ... 3, maybe 4 mm. And parallax error is actually working the other way ... the angle on the old picture would lower the apparent position of the GPU against the thingo ... so it is actually higher than it appears.

[antisocialmunky]

just spoke to IPB tech support - they deliberatly install PUs upside down (when it is installed at the bottom as it is with my case) because they have had issues with people putting the PC on carpet.

The PU should pull fresh air from outside of the case and then blow it out the back. My current config pulls the air from inside the case and blows it out the back. I am going to turn it around / back up the right way.

GPU reseated ... installed and PC boots.

TBH, its better if it exhausts out, keeps the temps lower. Just make sure you have vents. I think the negative air pressure solution is more popular these days.

[Ruff_Hi]

Now that I have answered my 'what to buy', 'who to buy it from', 'what do you think of this cabling' and other questions ... I get to move onto the following ...

• win7: should my standard login be an admin acct?
  
• win7: why do I keep getting asked for an admin password when I run a program?
  
• civ4: what is the best order to install civ4 ... is it ...
  • vanilla, warlords, BtS and then go back and patch them all?
    
  • Or vanilla, vanilla patch, warlords, warlords patch, BtS, BtS patch?
    

[Mardoc]

• civ4: what is the best order to install civ4 ... is it ...
  • vanilla, warlords, BtS and then go back and patch them all?
    
  • Or vanilla, vanilla patch, warlords, warlords patch, BtS, BtS patch?
    

Although I don't think it would damage anything to apply your patches midstream, I'm certain that warlords contains the most up to date vanilla patch and BtS will apply the warlords patch as part of its normal install. So you should only need vanilla, warlords, BtS, then the last BtS patch.

I also vaguely seem to remember hearing that BtS includes warlords entirely, but I'm not sure on this one, so wouldn't risk skipping warlords myself.

[Ruff_Hi]

I also vaguely seem to remember hearing that BtS includes warlords entirely, but I'm not sure on this one, so wouldn't risk skipping warlords myself.

For one - there are a couple of map options that are only available in BtS if you have installed warlords.