AaronJ89

I'm trying to keep it as simple as possible. I don't know how extensive his knowledge is with this sort of thing. Cloning a partition isn't exactly the easiest thing to do if you have no previous experience with it... Keep in mind, not everyone is a master class tech enthusiast.

You should be able to use whatever version of Windows you had previously installed, as long as you still have the disc and the CD Key that came on the case or a sticker on your case. But no, as long as you have the disc, it will work just fine.

The best option is to back up all your files and reinstall Windows. You will have to change your system volume, so there isn't a way to just transfer it over... You will also have to change your boot device in your bios, so there is really no other option than to just do a fresh install.

Just be sure and check the writing/labeling on the actual motherboard to identify which of the PCI slots is the 3.0x16, like I mentioned. With a close look and a bit of patience, you should easily be able to find the writing next to one of the longer slots, most likely the top one, that will be that slot. As long as you plug it in there, install drivers before-hand, and are sure to discharge yourself before handling the new GPU, you should be golden!

I see no issues with this, but try to find a manual or the labeling on the mobo to find which slot is the PCIe 3.0 x16, as this will most adequately fit the RX 470, as a current gen GPU. But, it should work just fine! I just checked the specs on it and it does have a single 3.0 x16 slot.

I have a Phantom and I freakin love it. Very roomy for a mid tower and plenty of room for expansion.

ThermalTake Poseidon backlit w/ Cherry MX Blue switches... I freakin love mine.

Testing is the main purpose of assembling on the box like that, so as to test if anything is dead on arrival from either shipping or factory. That way, you don't deal with the issue of finding something dead after assembling the entire system, just to have to take it all apart again.

Cuz from what I have seen of reviews for that mobo on newegg, a lot of people have gotten them dead on arrival. If I may, I'd recommend the ASUS M5A99FX Pro R2.0. I have that in my system and it's as solid as I've found for an AM3/AM3+ 950 chipset board.

Yes, but it's not optimal. Especially if working on a carpet or rug. Another person or the plugged in but turned off power supply are the best options. But an anti-static strap is the best insurance possible. Did you assemble the mobo, cpu and ram on the box before you installed it in the case to make sure it would display the post/bios screen?

Almost sounds like something died while you were changing hardware. Did you make sure to discharge yourself before handling any of the hardware, or wear an anti-static strap?

Put whatever GPU you last had working in, get it running again and go through and find the drivers and support on the manufacturer's website. Install, then shut down the system, install the new hardware and try and boot it up again.

Also, make sure that you have plugged in the 6 or 8 pin power ports on the GPU itself. When in doubt, check wiring first. Also, pre-installing drivers for the GPU may help ease some of the troubles. Plugging into the onboard graphics with your MOBO may help resolve some issue too.

Awesome, I feel much better about it then. Because anytime I am under a decent load (anything over 25% or standard gaming) the temps are solid as can be at temps that are regular or change very slightly, if at all. And any change there is mostly for load times, which are short as it is as the games I play most commonly are on my 850 EVO SSD. Any-hoo, thanks m8!

Yes, stable as when I first booted it and running strong. And I understand they are in a good comfort zone, even during gaming or anything else I throw at it, I can't get this CPU to break 45C, which I'm stoked about. I was just curious if it was a possible BIOS issue, driver out of date or a bad seating of the block. But I've checked it with a small level and the block is level as can be and none of the stock thermal paste has oozed out of the side. So, all things considered and with your assistance, I've decided to just let it be and keep monitoring to see if it exceeds the standards for what I've seen that may indicate a problem. The system only has a little over a month of lifetime on it, so it's still possibly burning in and getting used to it. Either way, thanks very much for your assistance! Makes me glad that I got on this forum and that I purchased the cooler that I did.