Preparing Build for New Year [Archive]

ZL1Killa

10-13-2009, 05:26 PM

Alright ladies & gents, I'm attempting to put together a new desktop for myself into the new year. I would really like to try an Intel CPU & ATi graphics combo, however my first question,

With these new chipsets, do we have the capability of mating an Intel CPU & ATi graphics these days?

Wiggy McShades

10-13-2009, 05:41 PM

Yes, you can use any graphics card on any chipset for the most part.

ZL1Killa

10-13-2009, 07:03 PM

I will post up my planned system by this weekend. Thank you!

SoulsCollective

10-13-2009, 07:16 PM

zanzabar

10-13-2009, 07:39 PM

all chipsets with 2 pci-e 4x or greater will work with xfire unless the chipset has limitations to cut cross slot communications (like some of the NV chipsets have, but no1 would ever buy one now so its not a problem)

and stay away from any MB with an nf200

ZL1Killa

10-13-2009, 08:24 PM

Well, let's just clarify a little here.

You can use any single graphics card on any chipset that supports the requisite expansion slot - so here PCI-E. You've been able to do that ever since the dawn of expansion cards. Where limitations come in is with using multiple graphics cards in Crossfire or SLi setups. Are you asking about single or multi-GPU compatibility?

all chipsets with 2 pci-e 4x or greater will work with xfire unless the chipset has limitations to cut cross slot communications (like some of the NV chipsets have, but no1 would ever buy one now so its not a problem)

and stay away from any MB with an nf200

I understood the single graphics card.
I however plan to use 2x 5870x2 or 2x 5870 cards in my next setup.... so does that limit me to having to use a matched AMD/ATI setup these days?
Didn't some mobo manufacturer have this hydrid arrangement where you cold do either?

zanzabar

10-13-2009, 09:00 PM

hybrid is BS, its when u have a gpu and an IGP and they work together to save power but it saves like 10W and causes problems (also u will going i7 i assume so there are no igps).

for xfire u dont need matching gpus or the same clocks, u need the same instruction set but i would suggest just getting 2x5870, i would go for 16x16 (on the 1366) or 8x8 (on the 1156) if u want 2 cards if u want 3 or 4 then an 8x8x8 board. make sure that u get real pipes and virtual pipes from a controller like the nf200, ati cards are made to work with 8 and 16x unlike some NV cards that need 16 to work correctly so those pipes with no NB or cpu pipes wont help for ati gpus

SoulsCollective

10-13-2009, 11:45 PM

I understood the single graphics card.
I however plan to use 2x 5870x2 or 2x 5870 cards in my next setup.... so does that limit me to having to use a matched AMD/ATI setup these days?Ah, see, that's a different question from your OP:

With these new chipsets, do we have the capability of mating an Intel CPU & ATi graphics these days?
;)

The answer to the "does Crossfire work on Intel chipsets" question is yes. All Intel desktop chipsets from P965 onwards support Crossfire - although only their most recent X58/P55 chipsets support SLi as well.

JumpingJack

10-13-2009, 11:50 PM

I understood the single graphics card.
I however plan to use 2x 5870x2 or 2x 5870 cards in my next setup.... so does that limit me to having to use a matched AMD/ATI setup these days?
Didn't some mobo manufacturer have this hydrid arrangement where you cold do either?

X-fire works on all Intel chipsets that provide at least 2 PCIe slots with 4x or more lanes.

X38, X48 (old Core 2 line) both work fine (using 4870 X2's in xfire right now).

X58, P55 (new core i7/i5 line) both work fine (tried the 4870 X2's in xfire no issues) -- these, unlike the x38/x48, also will run SLI -- I have a x58 running 2 295 GTX's in SLI right now as well. The trick though is that for an X58/P55 MB to support SLI, the MB maker has to purchase a license from nVidia, so if you are interested in the universal MB, make sure you see SLI supported.

Check the MB specs for the MB you want, typically they will clearly state if they support xfire, sorta redundant really since most all MB fit the PCIe bill.

dan7777

10-14-2009, 03:00 AM

Well, let's just clarify a little here.

You can use any single graphics card on any chipset that supports the requisite expansion slot - so here PCI-E. You've been able to do that ever since the dawn of expansion cards. Where limitations come in is with using multiple graphics cards in Crossfire or SLi setups. Are you asking about single or multi-GPU compatibility? I begged to differ because im still useing a p35 chipset ip35-e and with NV card it works well soon has i got a 4890 the performance was awful and before you ask yes i did clean all the NV drivers out. Soon to change to i7 got everything apart from the i7 might post up some pics of stuff so far then i will give ati anthor go i reckon although i got a 295 what do you think ?

SoulsCollective

10-14-2009, 03:13 AM

I begged to differ because im still useing a p35 chipset ip35-e and with NV card it works well soon has i got a 4890 the performance was awful and before you ask yes i did clean all the NV drivers out. Soon to change to i7 got everything apart from the i7 might post up some pics of stuff so far then i will give ati anthor go i reckon although i got a 295 what do you think ?What? Soon has I got a 4890 what? Grammar and sentences might help here :p:

If you saw reduced performance using an ATi card on an Intel chipset compared to an nVidia card, assuming the cards were equally capable, then something else was the problem, not the chipset. There is no performance limitation or other restriction on using ATi cards on Intel chipsets - this would be in nobody's best interest, either Intel (as they lose the Crossfire market and have never been on good terms with nVidia) or AMD (for obvious reasons).

dan7777

10-14-2009, 03:43 AM

What? Soon has I got a 4890 what? Grammar and sentences might help here :p:

If you saw reduced performance using an ATi card on an Intel chipset compared to an nVidia card, assuming the cards were equally capable, then something else was the problem, not the chipset. There is no performance limitation or other restriction on using ATi cards on Intel chipsets - this would be in nobody's best interest, either Intel (as they lose the Crossfire market and have never been on good terms with nVidia) or AMD (for obvious reasons). sorry my grammer is bad. Intel like NV amd like ati cards ??? how true is all this ? to be honest mate i didnt go to school i got put into a home so i am sorry my spelling grammer is bad i am being very honest.

ZL1Killa

10-14-2009, 04:33 AM

So if I were to go out and buy an i7 and one of the HIGH end EVGA motherboards and then buy 2 x 5870 cards and run them in crossfire, it would work?

Here is the plan so far:
MOBO: EVGA E760 CLASSIFIED "Overclocker's Pick" 3-Way SLI + PhysX 1366 Intel X58 EATX
MEMORY: CORSAIR DOMINATOR-GT 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMG6GX3M3A1600C7 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145269)

CPU: Intel Core i7-975 Extreme Edition Bloomfield 3.33GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core

GPU: 2 x 5870 (or 2x5870x2)

-All watercooled

SoulsCollective

10-14-2009, 06:20 AM

So if I were to go out and buy an i7 and one of the HIGH end EVGA motherboards and then buy 2 x 5870 cards and run them in crossfire, it would work?Yep. I ran that exact same config myself, although only one 5870 atm.

Intel like NV amd like ati cards ??? how true is all this ?No truth to it at all. That's all just FUD and unsubstantiated anecdotes.

ZL1Killa

10-14-2009, 08:40 AM

So if I were to purchase all of the following:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188048

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115212

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145269

Along with 2 x 5870 cards

Install Windows 7 & go from there it would work with those cards in crossfire??

AND, is this a nice setup or is there a better one?

SoulsCollective

10-14-2009, 08:54 AM

Yep. CPU and RAM have never and will never affect the ability of the motherboard to run Crossfire or SLi :p: - what matters is the chipset. And the X58 chipset supports both Crossfire and SLi with no problems whatsoever.

As for a better setup for gaming and high-end, CPU-intensive but still relatively "normal" consumer applications, not at the moment, no - although I'd very much advise against getting the 975. The Extreme Editions are slightly easier to overclock, but they're in no way shape or form worth the money - far better to spend much less now and get a 920 and overclock that to ~4GHz (which should be relatively easy if watercooled and using the Classified, which is a beast of a motherboard), saving your cash for when Gulftown and i9 come out next year.

Also, if you're considering spending this much cash, I should point out that I'd also invest in quality sound (onboard sound, while not terrible these days, is worlds away from the quality of a decent soundcard), and that the Classified supports Tri-SLi and CrossfireX - so you could load it up with three HD5870s for even more graphics horsepower.

zanzabar

10-14-2009, 03:28 PM

unless u have a below ambient cooling system the EE isnt worth it as it wont let u oc higher, if u take one step down to the 950 or the xeon w3550 it saves ~$450 and u wont be core clock limited

ZL1Killa

10-14-2009, 06:24 PM

1st of all , what socket will the i9 be on? I have heard 1366. Intel is trying to be economical :) YAY.

REVISED:
2 x 5870 GPU
?? EVGA Mobo - 1366 OR 1156 ??
Corsair Dominator GT 3x2GB (CMG6GX3M3A1600C7)

CPU - TBD

I have looked and read some articles, along with the overclocking results on here. I see what you mean about he CPU. I want to invest in something that I could put i9 in for the future, so I want to get a mobo that will have that capability.

I see both a top of the line EVGA mobo for 1366 socket & for 1156, however there is a 50% price difference in them.

zanzabar

10-14-2009, 06:42 PM

1366 is high end, 1156 is mainstream. the 1366 will get the i9 (or atleast get it 1st it might end up on 1156 eventually)

and i would go with the e760 if u have the budget just not the extreme edition i7 (especially if u want an i9 since they are out in q1)

ZL1Killa

10-14-2009, 06:59 PM

ZL1Killa

10-17-2009, 05:59 PM

cardnut99668

10-17-2009, 07:05 PM

I would get a "cheaper" board and save some money if you're not going to be doing any benching.

H2O

10-17-2009, 07:49 PM

Ok, final plan:

CPU: i7 920 1366 socket
GPU: 2 x 5870 cards
MOBO: EVGA E760 Classified 3 way SLI PhysX 1366 x58
MEM: Corsair Dominator-GT 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 1600 PC3 12800
OS: Windows 7 64 Bit

all will be water cooled with setup in sig

Does this sound like a nice setup? any opinions/advice?

Nice setup! BTW, Microcenter (if you live near one) is running a special - $200 Core i7 920s. I know many people have found great OCing chips there - so you might want to take a look if you live near one.

I'll be watching, as I plan on upgrading to the same exact setup.:D

ZL1Killa

10-19-2009, 08:18 AM

as I'm going to be doing benching / game-ing and etc. I want all I can get on this one.

I will probably make a new thread about my build up and overclocking. New to this intel stuff, but hopefully some rough ideas will work the same as previously. I'm very hesitant on cheaping out on things at this point, as in the past I have tried to save some money by cheaping out, which ended me spending tons of hours for RMA & etc problems. Don't plan on repeating this again. (by all hopes and means)

ZL1Killa

10-19-2009, 06:57 PM

well durn, newegg is out of stock on the XFX 5870 boards, and I'm sure as hell not paying $10 more EACH + tax on it all at tiger direct.

frozen has not gotten or is out of stock on the X58 Classified FULL cover waterblock....

waiting on these two items to complete my parts order. I have already started tearing my old stuff down and re-arranging. Also working on my case.

I will probably just keep this thread and update it as I go. I'll add pictures probably Thursday of what I have done so far. This will end up being my DESKTOP PC pretty much turned on/off everyday or left on for several days at a time.

Haltech

10-20-2009, 01:33 AM

Doesnt matter anyhow.. Newegg jumped the price of all of the 5870s by $10 to make more money off demand. Screw Tiger Direct.. Cant beat eggs RMA

ZL1Killa

10-20-2009, 06:23 AM

Doesnt matter anyhow.. Newegg jumped the price of all of the 5870s by $10 to make more money off demand. Screw Tiger Direct.. Cant beat eggs RMA

I just refuse to pay tax...lol.

ZL1Killa

10-20-2009, 06:58 AM

are you freaking kidding me??!!

As it had a lifetime warranty I was going to purchase it... what in the world happend here?

ZL1Killa

10-20-2009, 08:17 AM

NOT TIGER DIRECT TOO!!!!

What in the sam hell!!!

Jowy Atreides

10-20-2009, 08:26 AM

Phased out for a new OC'd model or sold out I guess

SoulsCollective

10-20-2009, 08:47 AM

Re the Classified waterblock, don't forget you can order directly from Eddy - may as well pick up a 5870 waterblock in the same order.

Re availability, there does seem to be some issues in the North American market for XFX and a couple of other OEMs - lots of folks here noting they can't get one, there's even a thread in the XFX support forum here. You might want to widen your net a little, I'd recommend Sapphire as a viable alternative.

ZL1Killa

10-20-2009, 09:41 AM

DarthMurdicide

10-20-2009, 09:41 AM

Also, for your RAM, i stumbled on this, which has tighter latencies and really good reviews:

mushkin
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226050

I think I'm going with that for my build.

SoulsCollective

10-20-2009, 10:08 AM

Eddy?? directly from EK I assume?
Yep. http://ekwaterblocks.com/shop/

ZL1Killa

10-20-2009, 10:16 AM

Yep. http://ekwaterblocks.com/shop/

won't shipping be more expensive as its from europe?

ZL1Killa

10-20-2009, 10:25 AM

will the ASUS 5870 boards work with the EK OR DD waterblocks? I remember a while back that something didn't quite line up/work with an older video card...maybe it was just rumor...idk.

I reckon the question is did they follow the reference design...

SoulsCollective

10-20-2009, 10:34 AM

won't shipping be more expensive as its from europe?Possibly. But then, if you buy from a US shop, you're paying for part of the cost of shipping the bulk order from Slovenia to the US e-tailer, then the full cost of shipping from the e-tailer to you. It'll probably work out to be either the same or only slightly more expensive - and there's the obvious benefit that Eddy is unlikely to be out of stock :p:
will the ASUS 5870 boards work with the EK OR DD waterblocks? I remember a while back that something didn't quite line up/work with an older video card...maybe it was just rumor...idk.Right now there are no non-reference 5870s available, so everything will work on everything.

I reckon the question is did they follow the reference design...Exactly. OEMs are still in the process of fiddling atm, nothing's yet been released.

ZL1Killa

10-20-2009, 12:49 PM

that is truly nice to know. Well, at this point it seems as if I will be waiting for my video cards as newegg is out of stock, AGAIN. LOL, these things are selling like hotcakes.

ZL1Killa

10-20-2009, 01:05 PM

Possibly. But then, if you buy from a US shop, you're paying for part of the cost of shipping the bulk order from Slovenia to the US e-tailer, then the full cost of shipping from the e-tailer to you. It'll probably work out to be either the same or only slightly more expensive

uh...it is QUITE more expensive ATM to purchase outside of america. dollar to euro sucks. If i did my math right, $357 euros would be $534.28 US dollars as 1 dollar = 0.66 euro ATM.

so its wait & spend $365 for blocks, or order it now and spend $534 for overseas blocks.....

Honestly for a ~$170 difference, I think I will wait.

SoulsCollective

10-20-2009, 06:23 PM

That's interesting, it usually works out for me to be a much smaller price difference re getting things shipped to Australia as opposed to buying them locally. Sorry for the bum advice.

If you're after a block ASAP, I'd e-mail Gary at Sidewinder Computers - sales{at}sidewindercomputers.com - and explain what you're after. Sidewinder is fantastic, great customer service, fast shipping and turnaround time, extremely helpful even with products not listed on their website. Many times I've been after some specialty item, or some obscure part, and Gary's been happy to tack whatever it is on an order for some other stuff from the OEM at an extremely reasonable price. Your other option would be Petra's Tech Shop - again, great service and fast shipping, helpful with giving you ETAs etc. for products not listed on the website.

ZL1Killa

10-21-2009, 01:22 PM

and now they are ALL back at newegg, just out of stock.

went from 2 showing, to now 7.

ZL1Killa

10-27-2009, 05:51 PM

things are coming along. should have ASUS 5870 in stock by Saturday & the ek classified mobo waterblock.

SoulsCollective, thank you for the advice/help & support. I actually emailed Gary and he is working it out for me.

I will post updates. then pics...actually working on pictures now..

ZL1Killa

10-28-2009, 08:16 PM

Pics so far:

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g242/zl1killaws6/Computer/P1020612.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g242/zl1killaws6/Computer/P1020613.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g242/zl1killaws6/Computer/P1020614.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g242/zl1killaws6/Computer/P1020615.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g242/zl1killaws6/Computer/P1020621.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g242/zl1killaws6/Computer/P1020624.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g242/zl1killaws6/Computer/P1020629.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g242/zl1killaws6/Computer/P1020631.jpg

SoulsCollective

10-28-2009, 08:45 PM

That Corsair and eVGA combo really goes well together. Looking good so far :)

ZL1Killa

10-28-2009, 10:09 PM

Gary is going to get me the evga waterblock & the swiftech XT & i'm going to install the evga block with the red piece, then re-do some wiring & make it all neat, and hopefully by the time my order goes through for the waterblocks, i can place my order for my two 5870 asus cards, and get it all at once, then start installing ;)

SoulsCollective

10-29-2009, 03:09 AM

Get him to get you some 3mm LEDs as well - the red bridge bit for the Classy block looks sex when illuminated by red LEDs (it's got two sockets).

ZL1Killa

10-29-2009, 01:39 PM

Get him to get you some 3mm LEDs as well - the red bridge bit for the Classy block looks sex when illuminated by red LEDs (it's got two sockets).

awwww you had to say it.... now i have to do it!!!

ZL1Killa

11-11-2009, 12:55 PM

i tell ya, so far it looks like I won't even have my system running till after christmas due to the out of stock parts.... I should have waited to purchase everything and gotten the 59xx ati cards...

SoulsCollective

11-11-2009, 07:46 PM

While it must suck for you, I understand, it's still kind of funny to see Americans having trouble getting hardware after decades of us poor Aussies stuck on the bottom of the world having to wait for stuff to trickle down - no problems with availability down here :p:

ZL1Killa

11-25-2009, 04:48 AM

dude... it sucks. Still cannot get a hand on two 5870 cards......

I'm going to have to build my system with my old 3870X2 that I was planning on selling here shortly... oh twell. I kind of don't have a choice if I plan on running my system shortly to make sure everything works.

Maybe before christmas I can get the 5870 cards....

Vinas

11-25-2009, 05:39 AM

Ok, final plan:

CPU: i7 920 1366 socket
GPU: 2 x 5870 cards
MOBO: EVGA E760 Classified 3 way SLI PhysX 1366 x58
MEM: Corsair Dominator-GT 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 1600 PC3 12800
OS: Windows 7 64 Bit

all will be water cooled with setup in sig

Does this sound like a nice setup? any opinions/advice?
It sounds like a KILLER rig, but I have to ask. Do you need two 5870's right now? Because they are pretty expensive, and with the 5970 around the corner you might buy one of those instead. That way, say next year you could add another 5970 for quad crossfire.

In games NOTHING maxes out my 5870 now so until it does then I'll add another 5870 to my rig. I'd suggest waiting for the 5970 (days away) and buy one of those instead of two 5870's off the bat. :up:

SoulsCollective

11-25-2009, 06:36 AM

I'd disagree - from looking at the benches so far, two 5870s seem to be faster than a 5970, and given the heat and power issues inherent in having two cores on one board appear to overclock better as well. And Quad-anything has never scaled anywhere remotely near well.

I'll agree that a single 5870 should be sufficient for most games, but I've already run into situations where I've wanted the extra graphics oomph and wished I had the funds for another card - and the funds allocated for this build seem to be virtually limitless :p:

ZL1Killa

11-25-2009, 12:11 PM

from what I have been reading, the 5970 is fast for a single card setup, but using it in "quad" crossfire it doesn't scale as nicely.

I also would like to stick with 2 x 5870 cards for power usage & cooling capability. I won't have a problem playing games for a gooooood time to come; and i know with the cooling I have I will be able to overclock a very good bit.

and the funds allocated for this build seem to be virtually limitless :p:

waiting on these two cards and my funds are done....lol.

I still have to stop by home depot for misc parts.

ZL1Killa

11-28-2009, 02:26 PM

well, after long delay I have it pieced together. testing the watercooling kit for leaks, took all power off of it including the battery...had a few drips, figured it out, tightened em' up & problem solved. Doing testing now.

Hope to power & install basic things tomorrow. and yes the kink was fixed that is in the picture

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g242/zl1killaws6/Computer/P1020658.jpg

I actually have 2 pumps in series to pick up flow....when I turn the 2nd pump on a hose semi starts to "pucker" in from the suction but I still get great flow (over 1 pump).

ZL1Killa

12-05-2009, 11:48 AM

YES!!!! After waiting it out, i was able to grab my 2 5870 XFX cards !!! hopefully they haven't changed anything and the EK waterblocks I have will fit.

will post when I have it up & running. I have booted the board (mobo) & it works fine. no leaks also!! ;)

Question.

For cooling I have two thermochill PA120.3 rads ..... two pumps..... should I use the Swiftech MCR220 that I have or sell it? I would think that I have plenty of cooling with just the two thermochills...

ZL1Killa

12-10-2009, 05:39 PM

alright, I have never run two graphics cards.... so can I install & power both of them & just run 1 DVI cord (obviously) to my monitor from them and the crossfire part is enabled in software??

with running two cards, when I first turn my system on, do I need to have the CROSSFIRE cable connected? or do I juts leave it out until I enable crossfire??

metalop1g

12-10-2009, 08:29 PM

When you run crossfire for the first time (the first boot after you put the crossfire bridge in place), catalyst control center pops up after login to ask you if you do want to enable crossfire.

You do not have the obligation to plug the crossfire bridge. Not putting it will just allow you fo plug more screens on the second card, and of course will give you single card performance but in no way will prevent you from using the pc.

ZL1Killa

12-10-2009, 08:43 PM

thanks!

well...after having fitment issues & sorting things out & re-arranging... the damn crossfire bridge that came with the cards is not LONG enough. do they sell longer crossfire cables/bridges?

ZL1Killa

12-10-2009, 08:47 PM

I think I know where to get em' looking around

Would these from ASUS (100mm long) work with my 5870 cards????

is says it works with the 48xx series...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370304501156&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en

ZL1Killa

12-11-2009, 06:14 AM

Ok since I can answer my own questions... sorry for posting..it was a late night.

Got the entire computer up & running and I must say there is a noticeable speed difference between my old setup and this one, and I haven't even played a game yet.

sure, i went from 7200rpm drives raid 1 to 10k rpm drives raid 1 and to windows 7...but damn. (and 32bit to 64 bit).

Ordered longer Crossfire cables from smebay. Hope to have them sometime in the middle of this next week (poooeey)
I have all my drivers installed & have started to install my software and etc items.

Going to do a memtest to ensure all is ok & no errors at all factory settings I have (with slight increase in voltage due to it not picking up my voltage properly).

Windows 7 was a freaking breeze to install compared to fiddling with floppies & etc on windows xp

ZL1Killa

12-20-2009, 05:52 PM

Alrighty, just recently flashed to the most up to date bios, via CD. Worked great. Just now POSTED & booted with all defaults and it is working fine.

going to reboot now into BIOS, tweak a little to what I previously had, 3.77ghz, and then going to try and exceed it.

learning here mostly

nugzo

12-20-2009, 06:31 PM

and stay away from any MB with an nf200

make sure that u get real pipes and virtual pipes from a controller like the nf200, ati cards are made to work with 8 and 16x unlike some NV cards that need 16 to work correctly so those pipes with no NB or cpu pipes wont help for ati gpus

So are you saying get nf200 or no to nf200? The first quote clearly says stay away from nf200. Then i get kind of confused with the second quote, are you saying get one like the nf200 but not the nf200? whats the difference, dont quite understand... is nf200 no good for any gpu? or just no with ATI GPU.

ZL1Killa

12-21-2009, 06:04 AM

how the hell do you memtest with windows 7?

I tried to use the memtest iso image, burned it, then set boot device to CD, it allowed me to select CDROM to boot from, then said no bootable device found.

Is running LinX enough to determine stability memory & CPU wise? Or should I use LinX & Prim95?