PC Peripherals Multiple Problems with self assembled PC

[rkr]

Okay guys, thanks everybody for replying.
Here's my story. It's neither very short nor very interesting but I'll post it anyways...

I bought my PC on 24 December 2008 to replace my old Compaq SR1235IL desktop.
Specs:
Intel Core2Quad Q6600
MSI P35 Platinum Combo
XFX 8600GT
Transcend 2GB DDR 667
Zebronics Shivaji case
Zebronics 450W PSU
Dell SP2008WFP 20" monitor (1680 x 1050)
Seagate ST3500320AS 500GB (5 yrs warranty)
Logitech EX110 Wireless combo

I had bought all this for around 50k after researching for around 5 months. (Pretty ok for a 15 year old, I guess )
All stuff bought from Binary Infotech (now John Infotech), Nehru Place, Delhi.
This was supposed to be a big investment and last for 8-10 years. (With small upgrades like DDR3 RAM etc)

1. However, last year my Seagate drive failed and I got to know it was "NOT VALID INDIA DRIVE" when I sent it to Seagate Service Centre. I took it back to John Infotech and after fighting for months they gave me a replacement 2.5" HDD which wasn't as good as my previous drive.
And as of last month this new HDD has also started to give S.M.A.R.T. warning that it might fail soon.

2. Then by the end of 2011 my monitor started to have trouble. Shaky picture and lines on the screen. Calling up DELL they tell me they have replacement warranty upto 3 years and after that not even paid service from the company. I had to get it repaired from outside but my tech guy couldn't do that. I'm still using it the same.

3. A month ago I heard a loud sound from the PC while running only to find out the GPU capacitors had actually 'popped'. :scared14:

4. My logitech wireless keyboard also died away last year but maybe that was because it fell some times..

5. Last week I bought a Sapphire HD 7750 (Rs. 7k)and my system became very unstable. So I joined TE and posted here in the peripherals forum only to find out my Zebronics 450W PSU has to be replaced. Another Rs. 3k cost addition....


So after so many problems with my first self-assembled computer, I'm starting to think wouldn't it have been cheaper if I would've just straight away bought an OEM PC?
If not, then why are there so many problems with the PC? Did I not choose the config right?
Do others also have these problems?

Thanks for reading.
Awaiting sincere replies from the great people at TE.

 

[Emperor]

Don't blame assembled PC as most here on TE use same

All fault seems due to poor power supply Change PSU with Corsair or SeaSonic with high power.

HTH

 

[jinvidia]

This config is slightly overkill for a 15 yr old

Dont think these so called BRANDED PCs will do justice to your parent's hard earned money. You will end up paying much for an average or low configuration. Sometimes these PCs wont accept the memory modules or even HDDs bought from outside (i heard this once, but not very sure).

You chose the right graphic card and other components but a low grade PSU since you are using a graphic card. You spent 50k for the whole PC and hesitate to spend just 3k extra to protect the full 50k worth PC ?. Strange....

Beware, using a PSU like the ones which zebronics/intex make will render your system useless. Go for a reputed brand...

Get a Corsair or Seasonic PSU as others suggested or open a separate thread asking for PSU suggestion for your config. You will be guided with the best PSU for sure..


GoodLuck

 

[allrounder799]

I am not directly blaming, but I see two weak links
Firstly the PSU, it could be one the reason for the capacitor popping fault
Secondly, the case, again it is the zebronics one, usually such low cost cases don't have appropriate air flow design, so your HDD as well other components might be overheating
As for monitor, a faulty piece might a come to you

Even if you had bought a 50K OEM, the manufacturer wouldn't be much of a help after warranty had run out
When I built my PC, I too used a OEM case, but after only 1 week it started showing overheating problems, so I ordered a NZXT case and its running fine since then

Also looking at the time period, it can be considered little old, I know 50K is not a small amount, but I too don't expect my PC to run more than 3-4 years at max

 

[6pack]

your line of thought is wrong. even if you bought an oem pc, you would have faced some problem or the other down the line. people buying 40k+ laptops face problems 3-4 years down the line.

instead of mourning over whats happened, just buy a better cabinet and a trusted power supply. the way i see it, all the faults link to the power supply directly. my situation is same as yours. i had a zebronics psu and cabinet in 2007 too. lost 2 hdd's in same year. i wised up (asked the TE folks here) and bought a corsair psu and upgraded to a lancool cabinet. after that i lost nothing, except one hdd due to bad sectors. my monitor is on the verge of death too. so i'm just waiting for the right monitor to buy now.

also you cannot upgrade your ram to ddr3. you will have to upgrade your entire mobo and cpu to do that.

 

[ch@ts]

Your PC seems to be in pretty good shape, all things considered.


You got a bit unlucky with the monitor, if you'd have called Dell a few weeks before your 3 years was up, they'd have replaced it for free. But, you can still get it repaired elsewhere, just keep trying.
You were cheated a bit on the HDD. The time you bought your comp, HDD's came with a 5 year warranty, so if you'd have gotten a legit piece, it'd still be under warranty.

Your comp lasted 3 years without any trouble, and is still pretty modern.
The instability you faced recently was due to an unplanned upgrade, and you're solving that by buying a PSU with a 3/5 yr warranty.

Most of your systems components have a 3 yr warranty, (and your RAM, CPU and motherboard should last quite a while longer) whereas if you bought an OEM PC it'd have only a year warranty.

So, all in all, you're doing pretty well and you made the right choice by assembling it yourself. It's just that you've had a spate of hardware failures recently, and it's hurting.

Are you using a UPS/voltage stabilizer? It might be a good idea to get one if you don't have one already.

 

[rkr]

Don't blame assembled PC as most here on TE use same

All fault seems due to poor power supply Change PSU with Corsair or SeaSonic with high power.

HTH

Lol! Yeah...guess I'll have to change the PSU.

This config is slightly overkill for a 15 yr old

Dont think these so called BRANDED PCs will do justice to your parent's hard earned money. You will end up paying much for an average or low configuration. Sometimes these PCs wont accept the memory modules or even HDDs bought from outside (i heard this once, but not very sure).

You chose the right graphic card and other components but a low grade PSU since you are using a graphic card. You spent 50k for the whole PC and hesitate to spend just 3k extra to protect the full 50k worth PC ?. Strange....

Beware, using a PSU like the ones which zebronics/intex make will render your system useless. Go for a reputed brand...

Get a Corsair or Seasonic PSU as others suggested or open a separate thread asking for PSU suggestion for your config. You will be guided with the best PSU for sure..


GoodLuck

Yeah, I know it seems a bit overkill but I had plans of setting up all kinds of servers (samba/LAMP/ssh tunnel/proxy server etc) and playing the latest games apart from making it future proof. Hence, I thought of it as an investment.

I never bothered about the CPU and case. The 15 year old me thought I'd save most of the money for a better CPU/mobo. Who cares about how the case looks
But now I know better. I'll be careful next time

I am not directly blaming, but I see two weak links
Firstly the PSU, it could be one the reason for the capacitor popping fault
Secondly, the case, again it is the zebronics one, usually such low cost cases don't have appropriate air flow design, so your HDD as well other components might be overheating
As for monitor, a faulty piece might a come to you

Even if you had bought a 50K OEM, the manufacturer wouldn't be much of a help after warranty had run out
When I built my PC, I too used a OEM case, but after only 1 week it started showing overheating problems, so I ordered a NZXT case and its running fine since then

Also looking at the time period, it can be considered little old, I know 50K is not a small amount, but I too don't expect my PC to run more than 3-4 years at max

I kinda agree about PSU and capacitor popping being related.
So you mean to say that now I also need to replace the case? This(case+psu) cost me ~4.5 at that time. And if this is low cost then there's another blow coming up for the PC budget!

your line of thought is wrong. even if you bought an oem pc, you would have faced some problem or the other down the line. people buying 40k+ laptops face problems 3-4 years down the line.

instead of mourning over whats happened, just buy a better cabinet and a trusted power supply. the way i see it, all the faults link to the power supply directly. my situation is same as yours. i had a zebronics psu and cabinet in 2007 too. lost 2 hdd's in same year. i wised up (asked the TE folks here) and bought a corsair psu and upgraded to a lancool cabinet. after that i lost nothing, except one hdd due to bad sectors. my monitor is on the verge of death too. so i'm just waiting for the right monitor to buy now.

also you cannot upgrade your ram to ddr3. you will have to upgrade your entire mobo and cpu to do that.

I can upgrade to DDR3 as my mobo supports both. MSI Global - Computer, Laptop, Notebook, Desktop, Mainboard, Graphics and more

Your PC seems to be in pretty good shape, all things considered.


You got a bit unlucky with the monitor, if you'd have called Dell a few weeks before your 3 years was up, they'd have replaced it for free. But, you can still get it repaired elsewhere, just keep trying.
You were cheated a bit on the HDD. The time you bought your comp, HDD's came with a 5 year warranty, so if you'd have gotten a legit piece, it'd still be under warranty.

Your comp lasted 3 years without any trouble, and is still pretty modern.
The instability you faced recently was due to an unplanned upgrade, and you're solving that by buying a PSU with a 3/5 yr warranty.

Most of your systems components have a 3 yr warranty, (and your RAM, CPU and motherboard should last quite a while longer) whereas if you bought an OEM PC it'd have only a year warranty.

So, all in all, you're doing pretty well and you made the right choice by assembling it yourself. It's just that you've had a spate of hardware failures recently, and it's hurting.

Are you using a UPS/voltage stabilizer? It might be a good idea to get one if you don't have one already.

Yes I have a UPS. Microtek Heritage Gold. Should that also be replaced?
Can you suggest which shop should I get the monitor repaired in Nehru Place(Delhi)?

---------- Post added at 12:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:11 AM ----------

I was just googling and found these topics....
failure of MSI P35 Platinum Combo motherboard to boot with Corsair XMS3 DDR3 RAM
No Boot: P35 Platinum Combo with Corsair XMS3 4G (2x2)

Kinda distrubing..
What if the PSU I bought also didn't work?
How do I check?

 

[cranky]

8-10 years is a very ambitious target for a 15 year old too, considering that he would have been through three stages of manhood and be a proper adult by the end of that time. Needs evolve, and it would be foolish to expect any technology product to last so long. The Q6600 was long in the tooth two years ago, forget now.

I have replied on the self-help thread earlier, I might point out that since you're being badgered so hard about that PSU you will change it. I have a considerably positive diagnosis that your PSU has wrecked your hard disk and your GPU - it's not like it hasn't happened to me, it has, but that was before the good brands were even available in the country (hint, I'm over twice your age - not that it means anything except that I've seen a lot more of life, and have learnt that nothing lasts let alone PCs.

Now to your issues.

I don't think you will get lasting repair of the monitor. The WFP series is too rare for techs to know how to fix it, and it doesn't sound like a simple fix at first blush (is it on all inputs, also when no cable is connected?) I would suggest swallow the bitter pill and get a replacement. Depending on the power quality in your house, a good monitor will last forever. I have a Dell that is a fair bit older than yours, and apart from an ant in the panel (which was mistakenly thought to be a dead pixel cluster) a few years ago there have been no issues. I have it running on a good UPS and before that it was in Mumbai with its very good power quality. It's a pity because the 2008WFP is/was an absolutely fantastic monitor. You may be able to get some help from Dell USA in terms of parts, but then it'll probably be better to buy a cheap replacement till you can afford a really good monitor.

4.5k for case and PSU is achievable with a Corsair CX430 and a bargain-bin CM360/370 or similar. Ensure you have enough fans around the intakes and populate the exhaust with a good aftermarket fan, and you should be fine. Basically you got gypped, paying through the nose for a bog-standard PSU. Bet you didn't research that too much, did ya?

Most of your systems components have a 3 yr warranty, (and your RAM, CPU and motherboard should last quite a while longer) whereas if you bought an OEM PC it'd have only a year warranty.

QFT. You still got away cheap. Consider that I spent close to 75k on a gaming PC in 2008, which I managed to get only 23k for when I sold it last month. I basically lost the entire value of your PC in the same time period.

Get a new PSU, a new card, get your monitor fixed. Don't worry about DDR3, it adds nothing except a latency cycle and you don't really start benefiting unless you cross 1600MHz (which your mobo does not support). My primary gaming system till January this year was DDR2 and I hadn't any reason to complain.

 

[rkr]

8-10 years is a very ambitious target for a 15 year old too, considering that he would have been through three stages of manhood and be a proper adult by the end of that time.

Okay. I get it.

I don't think you will get lasting repair of the monitor. The WFP series is too rare for techs to know how to fix it, and it doesn't sound like a simple fix at first blush (is it on all inputs, also when no cable is connected?) I would suggest swallow the bitter pill and get a replacement. Depending on the power quality in your house, a good monitor will last forever. I have a Dell that is a fair bit older than yours, and apart from an ant in the panel (which was mistakenly thought to be a dead pixel cluster) a few years ago there have been no issues. I have it running on a good UPS and before that it was in Mumbai with its very good power quality. It's a pity because the 2008WFP is/was an absolutely fantastic monitor. You may be able to get some help from Dell USA in terms of parts, but then it'll probably be better to buy a cheap replacement till you can afford a really good monitor.

I'd read several reviews before going for SP2008WFP but alas!
I have relatives in USA whom I can ask to bring me parts but the question is "what needs to be replaced?".

Apart from that I was considering buying a Samsung S22B370 22" monitor right now. It's not got the design/webcam/USB hub that I have in my Dell but it's popular, easily available and has got an HDMI port which is essential for me right now as my Raspberry Pi will be reaching me in a month. So what do you say? Should I go for it?

4.5k for case and PSU is achievable with a Corsair CX430 and a bargain-bin CM360/370 or similar. Ensure you have enough fans around the intakes and populate the exhaust with a good aftermarket fan, and you should be fine. Basically you got gypped, paying through the nose for a bog-standard PSU. Bet you didn't research that too much, did ya?

Nope. As I said, I was all bothered about saving for the CPU, mobo and the monitor. Everything else was supposed to be make-do.
But I was thinking I'd just re-place one of the fans from the side panel to the back as suggested by somebody. Or else I could buy another fan for the back panel. Don't wanna buy another case, unless absolutely necessary. Will post more pics if you require. but please tell me if this can still do with another fan or not?

Get a new PSU, a new card, get your monitor fixed. Don't worry about DDR3, it adds nothing except a latency cycle and you don't really start benefiting unless you cross 1600MHz (which your mobo does not support). My primary gaming system till January this year was DDR2 and I hadn't any reason to complain.

Okay, I won't go for DDR3 as of yet but I have DDR2 667 not 800/1066. Doesn't that make a difference?

Thanks

 

[jinvidia]

No, the DDR2 800 is not gonna make a big difference. But i dont think 1066 is available in DDR2 currently as buyers usually go for DDR3 modules. At the most you can get the 800mhz module only. Anyway get it clarified from other members regarding its location and availability.

May be that 1066 might show some difference...

 

[Jarod]

You may not need to change the case.
Start with the PSU for now.
The capacitor popping is almost certainly because of the PSU, not the dust.

OEM systems have largely narrowed the price gap vs assembled systems, and also come with 3 yr warranties.
So overall they're not a bad choice if you're not sure.
BUT they tend to lack in flexibility of your component choices.
and because their PSUs are very tightly matched to the setup, they tend to be low power units without much headroom and so restrict upgradability.

Look at DDR3 only if you need more RAM, not for the performance but because it will be cheaper.
However these earlier P35 combo boards are usually limited to 4GB of DDR3.

It's a pity because the 2008WFP is/was an absolutely fantastic monitor.

Are you mixing this up with the 2007WFP?
Because this one is a plain jane TN panel.

 

[cranky]

Okay, I won't go for DDR3 as of yet but I have DDR2 667 not 800/1066. Doesn't that make a difference?

In a benchmark, yes. In real life, no.

Are you mixing this up with the 2007WFP?
Because this one is a plain jane TN panel.

Yes.:sign22:

*10char*

 

[kaneunderground]

I dont have time to read all of the things & come to conclusion just read your story .. The guy to blame is ONLY YOU yes its you sorry to say its you .. Mistake what you have done is with the PSU .. U sould have got corsair 450VX or CM 500 or something like that . Never buy local PSU . You have got a very good config which will do justice for another 2 years.. You need the right parts to get them working all together. Change you PSU asap .As per monitor get it fixed from DELL only if its still under warranty. Call up CC they will let you know whats needs to be done. I am using assembled PC from over 12 years ( had 2 PC for 12 years . Current rig is 5 years old & does a great job ).

 

[mehrotra.akash]

High end GPU + long term durability = is it a realistic goal?

 

[rkr]

You may not need to change the case.
Start with the PSU for now.
The capacitor popping is almost certainly because of the PSU, not the dust.

Look at DDR3 only if you need more RAM, not for the performance but because it will be cheaper.
However these earlier P35 combo boards are usually limited to 4GB of DDR3.

I'm replacing the PSU and re-positioning one of the fans on the side panel. Will report temperatures afterwords. Currently my Q6600 runs at 90 deg. C

I dont have time to read all of the things & come to conclusion just read your story .. The guy to blame is ONLY YOU yes its you sorry to say its you .. Mistake what you have done is with the PSU .. U sould have got corsair 450VX or CM 500 or something like that . Never buy local PSU . You have got a very good config which will do justice for another 2 years.. You need the right parts to get them working all together. Change you PSU asap .As per monitor get it fixed from DELL only if its still under warranty. Call up CC they will let you know whats needs to be done. I am using assembled PC from over 12 years ( had 2 PC for 12 years . Current rig is 5 years old & does a great job ).

Okay, okay I take the blame on my head.:5da69969:
But what do you expect from a 15 year old first timer who has had NO advice from experienced people whatsoever (except Digit magazine)?
I did the best future proofing I could. Just made the mistake of ignoring cabinet/PSU to save more for CPU/mobo...

Monitor not in warranty. Called them up and they say it could be replaced free within warranty but no service afterwords (not even paid service)
So I need to find a reliable repair shop in Delhi area. Any suggestions?


Thanks everyone!