Nice cable managment. I took my cage out too for a bit but it just looked too bare. LOL.

Mine looks much better now. My picture was taken when I had just put the thing together and was making sure everything worked right and the liquid cooler ran fine so it was a bit messy. Unfortunately I can't do anything with the main cable because of where the plugin is on the board.

Funny how they call them a Mid Tower when it's about the same size as other full towers. Nice case to work with. I would recommend it to anyone that had the space for it. I was thinking my next build would be with the HAF X but maybe by then they will have one of these with a side window and I will match the cases. Oh well, that's not going to be until fall when I see what Intel and AMD do for thier next gen 6 or more cores and see which one draws me into thier net. LOL.

My pic was taken just after getting the case as well.

There is a side window for it.

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Transparent-Acrylic-RA-692-KWN1/dp/B003AVMRP2

These pictures make me want a new computer. Stop it!!!

Quote - Nice Rig!  And here I was exited I have screwless drive bays.  I have Zero swivel  :(

Asshats at MicroCenter are not very keen on sitting there selling you cases and they've got them all screwed shut so nobody steals parts or, God forbid, examine them for usefulness.

I've had better luck with Micro Center folks, but not all. I evesdrop to hear what specific sales folks are saying to other customers and if I hear one that knows his/her stuff, I'll then ask them. Found out a few months ago that they keep the really new good stuff in the store room, too (video cards, SSD, etc.). So keep that in mind. Best to go there after the normal lunch hour when the store is less mobbed, then they have more time to help you. The old Computer Builders Warehouse used to be more helpful and let me look in cases, but they were not busy at all. The cases I've bought from Micro Center have all been markdowns.

Quote - My pic was taken just after getting the case as well.

There is a side window for it.

Yes and by the time I pay duty and shipping it would be cheeper to get a another case. The Canadian store does not carry it. In fact even CM does not have it listed anymore in thier own store.

Well, I guess you can say I'm back on track.  Everything is running soothly (Knock on Wood) and Poser is up, my favorite character is basically restored, thank god I had my pz3's on another disk.  Sure, I've lost some custom texture modifications, but all-in-all she's still around and that makes me happy.  As for the tons of content...well, I'm just going to have to re grab it on a case-by-case basis.  Arbitrarily redowning and reinstalling I can't even fathom, reorganizing, etc.  Nightmare, and most of it goes unused anyway.

I've actually found some things about Windows 7 to love while trying to make everything look and act like Windows 95.  You know, I'm not ready to say this yet, but I may find myself glad, down the road, that this happened. 

On the other hand, I'm going to discover little things I've lost along the way that will probably bring me back down...things I can't even think about at the moment.  Oh well, life goes on.

Thanks for all the support, you guys and gals are the best.

it does sound like your cpu is not seated properly. Remove, put back,........ carefully... make sure you unplugged the power from the MB first.... before doing anything like removing ram and what not. Verify all connections twice, like power to all the little areas on you MB.

The Cpu is seated properly, of this I have no doubt.  It's the heatsink fan on top of it that is not latched on.  If I latch it on, no go.

I know it's weird but I've put the computer through the paces and no problems whatsoever.  Faster than ever too, it seems.

metal touching metal somewhere? Causing a short?

Hmmm, could be, didn't think of that.  Maybe the lever is touching a circuit on the MB? 

You never removed the MB, right? 'Cause I did that once, I had a screw holder that goes in the case in the wrong spot and it was causing a short.... but your issue is only when the heatsink is on, so yeah, check the leaver. I would think it's plastic, but the arm, is it touching anything? Don;t know!!?

Ok, this is from my husband, who does this for a living:

If your fan isn't working when connected, it sounds like the CPU isn't properly reinforced, and it's causing a contact underneath to be loosened.  And that being on your PC without the fan being properly mounted will burn out your core.  The offer to check it out for you still stands, let me know, and I'll sitemail you my cell #

it didnt sound like there was an issue with the fan Jenx... it sounds like when the heatsink is connected it wont boot, even to bios. When its not connected everything is fine, but then yes, you will kill the core.

How will it kill the core if it's not overheating?

Because it will overheat without a heatsink....... That's why they, um, all need one....

Okay, but it is technically right there and the fan is running.  It's just not clipped on. 

So, we're talking like 1.5 mm differential here.

It's the contact of the heatsink that draws the heat away from the cpu. The fan cools the heat sink.

Actually the heatsink with fan attached IS just clipped on, with a thin layer of heatsink paste or thermal paste on it to prevent that 1mm gap. Usually a new heatsink will come with that thin layer of grey putty on it, that's what it is.

Without it your cpu won;t make contact with it evenly, and you will kill your core. Too much or too little can cause damage too (of the paste or putty).

But that's not really the issue here................... You best make sure to look at the pins of the cpu and make sure one isn't broken off and sitting in the seat or simply bent. Any luck seeing if the lever has a metal part touching anything else?

Also make sure you are putting the heatsink on the correct way. Sometimes you might have it flipped 180degrees and you think it's just "hard" to put on, but in actuality it should be nice and easy, almost thinking it's a little loose when you've done it correctly ON SOME MOTHERBOARDS...... not all.

Well, an update for anyone who's bored enough to read it.

From the beginning, my effing evga 8400 video card and it's drivers ruining my life.

The nvidia drivers kept crashing more and more, and I finally replaced it with another Video Card (Nvidia again) and everything is fine and faster than ever...no video driver crashes.

My CPU is still not clamping down to the MB properly, but even on the hottest days it's been no problem at all.

I feel this will solve have of my ennui with Poser, since Poser won't be crashing all the time anymore.

I still have not bothered to try to rebuild my content, though. If the Poser Fairy sent me a hard drive with about everything on it, I think I'd get back in. But now, I stare at Nude, bald V4, poorly textured V4. (Not really, but just about.)

Sorry to read that you're having so many problems.  I used to build computers and I'm sure the principles are the same just haven't done it in a LONG time.  I bought a pre-built (HP) and basically have just replaced things as I saw fit (put in new video card, power supply, etc).

I can't really contribute anything that hasn't already been said or mused over but sorry you had lost everything, it's always an awful experience. :(

Oh and I'm a luddite too.  I always wind back up on XP and actually pleased about it.

William_the_Bloody why not get daz and rendero to send you all your stuff you've ever bought on CDs?

Love esther

PS Do consider mac computers one day for less grey hairs and frustration.

So, let me see here, the fan isn't latched on but it isn't falling off the CPU? Is it a horizontal or vertical mobo setup?

Quote - So, let me see here, the fan isn't latched on but it isn't falling off the CPU? Is it a horizontal or vertical mobo setup?

It's Vertical. It has a little catch thing on the top side, so it dangles from that and the bottom has the securing latch that makes it stop working if I latch it.

hmmm

What is the model of the cpu and mobo?

i can't think right now...it's a zt systems computer with a quad-core AMD processor. The motherboard it came on....yikes...