My Workstation is being built as you read this

[Westcroft]

As you might've read from Wes's Career Paths blog on editing, I was working on making an in-house editing work station type dealio...

And I finally bought the heart of the set-up... my crazy computer!

Whoohoo!

I'm no longer going to be cramped up at the office trying to edit... instead I'll be cramped up at my home office and trying to edit. Sorry for the very silly thread, but I'm just so bloody excited!

It came out to be a little more money than I hoped... I guess my new follow focus will have to wait *single tear rolls down cheek*

Here's a list of the specs and parts:

Mobo
EVGA NForce 780i SLI

Ram
OCZ 4GB Reaper RAM Dual Channel kit x2 (=8gb in total)

CPU
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 (OEM)

Graphics card
BFG GTX 260 896mb (PCI-E)

System Drive (for OS and Programs)
Western Digital Raptor 74GB (SATA / 10K RPM / 16MB)

Media Drive x3 (2 - Raid 0 for files, 1 Scratch Drive)
Seagate 500GB (SATA / 7200RPM / 32MB)

Optical Drive
Pioneer Dual Layer DVD Burner (SATA)

Power
Antec Truepower Quattro (TPQ-1000) 1000W Power Supply

Case
ANTEC Nine-Hundred

OS
Windows Vista Premium 64BIT OEM

Some upgrades I'll be looking forward to in the near future are:

- a water cooling system, which apparently isn't hard to install with the specific case I bought... hurray

- 2 more video cards (this is just to future proof my system for down the road... once the specific video card I'm using goes down in price and begins to become rare, I'll pick up two)

Some programs I'm running range from Premiere Pro, AE Pro, Soundbooth and Photoshop (all CS3) to Reason 4, Sony Acid 6, and Final Draft.

I'm going to be getting a new color coded Premiere Pro oriented keyboard as well as a new HD monitor (I'll be running two monitors, hurray).

Unfortunately due to my now empty wallet and my girlfriend's evil glares as she passes by me in the hallway, I'll have to wait before I can put anymore cash into the system.

Cheers!

[Hunterr]

Nice....

That system is beast.

-Hunter

[happyhands man]

cool

[Westcroft]

I'll make sure to post pictures of it, you'll probably see me in the background with a huge grin hugging it

[Westcroft]

oh man, so I get the computer and I start setting everything up... I notice my screen glitches a bit so I update the video card driver... about an hour later it shuts down... the computer starts perfectly and I hear windows start up, but I can't see anything...

Any suggestions?

[ChristopherJ]

Man that sucks when you spend a load of cash on something and it doesn't work first time.

Does it keep doing it everytime you restart the PC? Have you connected everything properly inside the machine, making sure every connection is as secure as it could be?

I seem to remember that happening to me when i first installed my new graphics card, but i can't remember how to got around it... i think i downloaded a patch for it (when i was lucky enough for it to work for a few minutes that is)

[Skycarl]

Pull your vid card out and push it back in hard. Make sure there is nothing holding it up
so it can seat down completely. Also, it may be a bad card. Try it in another computer
if possible.

[bobaandy1]

Your monitor is ON and plugged in, yes?

[Westcroft]

I actually had the computer place build it for me, also it worked well for the first little while... it was after I updated the driver when it started going glitchy and then failed... I've actually put in the driver cd to try and reinstall it (used the website the first time to install the driver, because I didn't see the cd) and I blindly was able to get into set-up (I originally put it in my laptop and memorized the every key stroke...

For some reason it has an error halfway through loading (no idea why though). I'm definately going to call the computer place after my buddy who's a computer whiz has a look.

thanks again guys, if there are any more suggestions, keep em coming.

P.S.
It's not the monitor, I've tried two different monitors and using an hdmi cable to my tv.

[Todd]

lemme know how vista 64 is, esp with respect to application compatibility.

[EnipProductions]

Vista 64bit ultimate is good for me just make sure you uninstall all the extra crap and knock out unwanted proccess

[chainedflesh]

Wn you say you can't see anything, do you mean the screen is blank? Or do you mean that the graphics go all blocky with a lot of lines through it?

One thing to check, and it is a very simple thing to do. Start up your comp with the side open and look to see if the fan for the graphics card is running. It could be starting up and then cutting out due to overheating. I have had that problem numerous times.

If the fan isn't running check to see if the fan needs a separate connection to run. If not you might want to try exchanging it for a new card.

[DocHoliday8403]

Remove the graphics card and re-seat it and see if that works, when moving the computer around the tend to come loose.

I am fairly sure the problem lies with the graphics card. If the above doesn't work remove the graphics card and connect the monitor to the onboard card on the motherboard. If it works connected to the motherboard you have a definite problem with the card...

hope this helps

[Westcroft]

I will definately let you know... I'm going to be running Adobe Production Premium CS3, Reason 4, AspectHD, Final Draft (just to test), Microsoft Office, etc... I'll definately have a nice range of software to test... hopefully most, if not all, works.

[Westcroft]

Wn you say you can't see anything, do you mean the screen is blank? Or do you mean that the graphics go all blocky with a lot of lines through it?

One thing to check, and it is a very simple thing to do. Start up your comp with the side open and look to see if the fan for the graphics card is running. It could be starting up and then cutting out due to overheating. I have had that problem numerous times.

If the fan isn't running check to see if the fan needs a separate connection to run. If not you might want to try exchanging it for a new card.

At first I could see everything, but it was distorted... now it looks like this:

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/Scott_005/IMG_0469.jpg

and right when I reboot it does this:

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/Scott_005/IMG_0467.jpg
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/Scott_005/IMG_0468.jpg

then goes back to that first weird glitchy crap...

Remove the graphics card and re-seat it and see if that works, when moving the computer around the tend to come loose.

I am fairly sure the problem lies with the graphics card. If the above doesn't work remove the graphics card and connect the monitor to the onboard card on the motherboard. If it works connected to the motherboard you have a definite problem with the card...

hope this helps

I have moved the computer around a bit (crawling around connecting all the usb appliances in :P) I'll have to check this... I think it might be because of the driver update though... but I'll get my computer savvy friend to check into it (I don't have the gumption to attempt opening up a computer).

Also, the motherboard doesn't have a video card... just slots... for three.

[chainedflesh]

At first I could see everything, but it was distorted... now it looks like this:

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/Scott_005/IMG_0469.jpg

and right when I reboot it does this:

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/Scott_005/IMG_0467.jpg
http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n315/Scott_005/IMG_0468.jpg

then goes back to that first weird glitchy crap...



I have moved the computer around a bit (crawling around connecting all the usb appliances in :P) I'll have to check this... I think it might be because of the driver update though... but I'll get my computer savvy friend to check into it (I don't have the gumption to attempt opening up a computer).

Also, the motherboard doesn't have a video card... just slots... for three.


That is exactly what it looks like when your card overheats. Check the fan to see if you can get it working or replaced. Barring that as I send before, exchange for a different card.

[Westcroft]

shit, overheating? how sure are you?

[chainedflesh]

shit, overheating? how sure are you?


I am 150% positive that your graphics card is overheating.

[Westcroft]

before I even got your response I decided to call the place that built my computer... they told me to bring it in and that they close in 40 minutes... so I booked down there in my lovely rental van. I got there and the guy turned it on for about a second and saw the first image I posted and said "card's dead"...

He then asked "do you have the box"... of course I didn't... do now I'm driving back to get the box and only have 20 minutes. I get back he exchanges the card and I'm out in five minutes... and I'm back home at the regular time that they'd close.

Here come the questions... Does this happen to video cards a lot? Was this provoked? Did I do something to piss of the card to make it go terminator and implode? Did it have something to do about me going to a video card burial ground and desecrating an old NVIDIA? Can I prevent these problems? Was this a freak occurence? Does this only happen like once every 200 times? Why is the sky blue? Is it sad?

[Westcroft]

Vista 64bit ultimate is good for me just make sure you uninstall all the extra crap and knock out unwanted proccess

Although ultimate 64 bit can handle 100gb+ of RAM, I still think it's not worth it... it's mostly bells and whistles that, like you said, end up getting uninstalled.

Right now I'm running 8gb of Reaper Heat Pipe Conduit Ultra High Performance DDR2 Memory and it's working well... I might end up maxing it out to 16gb and getting two more video cards (as well as a larger power supply... 1000w won't cut it), but I think 64bit Vista is working out nicely.

Then of course I'll need to add a water cooling system as well as a hamster wheel

[KMProductions]

Awesome. Have fun with it.

[DocHoliday8403]

before I even got your response I decided to call the place that built my computer... they told me to bring it in and that they close in 40 minutes... so I booked down there in my lovely rental van. I got there and the guy turned it on for about a second and saw the first image I posted and said "card's dead"...

He then asked "do you have the box"... of course I didn't... do now I'm driving back to get the box and only have 20 minutes. I get back he exchanges the card and I'm out in five minutes... and I'm back home at the regular time that they'd close.

Here come the questions... Does this happen to video cards a lot? Was this provoked? Did I do something to piss of the card to make it go terminator and implode? Did it have something to do about me going to a video card burial ground and desecrating an old NVIDIA? Can I prevent these problems? Was this a freak occurence? Does this only happen like once every 200 times? Why is the sky blue? Is it sad?

The smallest thing can damage a video card, all the card has to do is overheat once for a component to become damaged or if it was dropped that can damage it and also static electricity can also damage the card.

That's why when working on a computer you should ground yourself so as to not create any static electricity. It's rare that it happens but it does happen, it's not your fault.

Glad you got it sorted out. Have fun with it.

[chainedflesh]

before I even got your response I decided to call the place that built my computer... they told me to bring it in and that they close in 40 minutes... so I booked down there in my lovely rental van. I got there and the guy turned it on for about a second and saw the first image I posted and said "card's dead"...

He then asked "do you have the box"... of course I didn't... do now I'm driving back to get the box and only have 20 minutes. I get back he exchanges the card and I'm out in five minutes... and I'm back home at the regular time that they'd close.

Here come the questions... Does this happen to video cards a lot? Was this provoked? Did I do something to piss of the card to make it go terminator and implode? Did it have something to do about me going to a video card burial ground and desecrating an old NVIDIA? Can I prevent these problems? Was this a freak occurence? Does this only happen like once every 200 times? Why is the sky blue? Is it sad?


I believe it has all been said in the post before mine except that sometimes, they come from the factory broken. Also someone might have had a broken video card of the same model, bought a new one, put the new one in their comp and returned the old one. The repacked card goes back on the shelf, and someone else has to suffer for it.

[Westcroft]

The smallest thing can damage a video card, all the card has to do is overheat once for a component to become damaged or if it was dropped that can damage it and also static electricity can also damage the card.

That's why when working on a computer you should ground yourself so as to not create any static electricity. It's rare that it happens but it does happen, it's not your fault.

Glad you got it sorted out. Have fun with it.

Thank you, sir... I shall indeed begin to enjoy my computer... except now I can't slide around my room in wool socks anymore :(

I believe it has all been said in the post before mine except that sometimes, they come from the factory broken. Also someone might have had a broken video card of the same model, bought a new one, put the new one in their comp and returned the old one. The repacked card goes back on the shelf, and someone else has to suffer for it.

It's funny because the clerk took my video card and put it back on the shelf... lovely.

Thanks to everyone who gave me advice, I was sweating it. So far so good! I'll make sure to take a picture of my computer and set-up soon!

Cheers!

[DocHoliday8403]

Thank you, sir... I shall indeed begin to enjoy my computer... except now I can't slide around my room in wool socks anymore :(


by all means slide around in wool socks all you want just don't open the computer and touch the components while you do this.:D

[Westcroft]

haha damn it, there goes my plans for friday