"I need a new PC!" 2010 Edition

I'm about to throw my computer through the window so I'm hoping someone can help me out.

Whenever I try to skip forward in a large video file (ballpark >1.2gig), my player will just lock up. GOM does the whole "this program stopped responding" thing and WMP will give me a "you're almost out of memory" error.

Well...

I just added another frickin' four gigs of ddr3 1600 to this thing (bringing it to 8) and it still does it. What the hell is going on? Does the hdd play any part in it?

i7 860
Asus P7P55D Pro
8gig Corsair XMS3
640gig WD Caviar Black
Sapphire 5850
 
Question about Steam, going to format my PC from vista 64 to windows 7 64 bit. Can I just copy my steamapps folder from my hard drive to an external drive and then copy it back once I'm done upgrading, so I don't have to re-download everything/patch/mod/shit?

Also I got I got a 5850 to replace my 4870 and I'm getting BOSD error "The drive has failed to reset/timeout" (which Is why i'm going to format and upgrade to windows 7) anyone else experienced these issues? I tried the 10.2 drivers and the 10.3 beta drivers same error. It takes like 4-5 reboots but once I get into windows I don't have any problems with playing games or artifacts, should I RMA card if this format doesn't work?

PC Specs:
Q6600 @ 3.6
Antec True Power Trio TP3-550 550W
Motherboard: P45 Neo3-FR
Sapphire 5850
 
Baker said:
I'm about to throw my computer through the window so I'm hoping someone can help me out.

Whenever I try to skip forward in a large video file (ballpark >1.2gig), my player will just lock up. GOM does the whole "this program stopped responding" thing and WMP will give me a "you're almost out of memory" error.

Well...

I just added another frickin' four gigs of ddr3 1600 to this thing (bringing it to 8) and it still does it. What the hell is going on? Does the hdd play any part in it?

i7 860
Asus P7P55D Pro
8gig Corsair XMS3
640gig WD Caviar Black
Sapphire 5850
Click to expand...




I got your solution. Stop using Windows Media Player. It's garbage. If you get that problem on other players, then I would be worried.
 
vocab said:
I got your solution. Stop using Windows Media Player. It's garbage. If you get that problem on other players, then I would be worried.
Click to expand...
I never use WMP. I only tried it as a last resort when GOM messed up first.
 
vocab said:
I got your solution. Stop using Windows Media Player. It's garbage. If you get that problem on other players, then I would be worried.
Click to expand...

VLC Media Player + Media Player Classic Home Cinema now. Both are free and both are at least 100x better, maybe more.
 
Baker said:
I'm about to throw my computer through the window so I'm hoping someone can help me out.

Whenever I try to skip forward in a large video file (ballpark >1.2gig), my player will just lock up. GOM does the whole "this program stopped responding" thing and WMP will give me a "you're almost out of memory" error.

Well...

I just added another frickin' four gigs of ddr3 1600 to this thing (bringing it to 8) and it still does it. What the hell is going on? Does the hdd play any part in it?

i7 860
Asus P7P55D Pro
8gig Corsair XMS3
640gig WD Caviar Black
Sapphire 5850
Click to expand...

Might be a dumb question, but have you checked to see if your system is recognizing all 8GB of RAM? My setup is nearly identical to yours, and I had some issues at first when it came to getting my P7P55D to see all my RAM (which is Corsair XMS).
 
HabDawg90 said:
I'll probably go that route and maybe have my friend teach me how to put a computer together (if he's willing). Thanks for all the help. It's appreciated.
Click to expand...
Depending on where you live, I'm sure you should be able to find a site that does assembly/tests before it ships the computer. I went that route, because I didn't want anything to arrive broken. But if you have a friend who is competent enough to do it, and teach you, it wouldn't hurt to learn.
 
Struct09 said:
Might be a dumb question, but have you checked to see if your system is recognizing all 8GB of RAM? My setup is nearly identical to yours, and I had some issues at first when it came to getting my P7P55D to see all my RAM (which is Corsair XMS).
Click to expand...
Yeah it is. I checked the BIOS and Windows System before I did anything.

Minsc said:
VLC Media Player + Media Player Classic Home Cinema now. Both are free and both are at least 100x better, maybe more.
Click to expand...
Looks like VLC will suffice for now, thanks. MPC did work, but it used over 4gigs of ram just to skip forward ten minutes and continue playing.
 
JudgeN said:
Question about Steam, going to format my PC from vista 64 to windows 7 64 bit. Can I just copy my steamapps folder from my hard drive to an external drive and then copy it back once I'm done upgrading, so I don't have to re-download everything/patch/mod/shit?
Click to expand...
I copy the entire Steam folder + entire My Documents, and everything transfers intact.
 
Flying_Phoenix said:
I'm planning on building a new PC, for gaming, this summer.

What's better the AMD Athlon II X4 or the Intel Core i7?
Click to expand...

Depends, what's your price limit? Performance needs? Etc etc



Lightning fast, anyway, i7 if you've got the money basically.
 
Flying_Phoenix said:
I'm planning on building a new PC, for gaming, this summer.

What's better the AMD Athlon II X4 or the Intel Core i7?
Click to expand...

i7 >> Athlon, But you're also paying about 1.5-2x per Ghz with Intel over AMD.
Why go with Athlon, anyway? I was under the impression that the Phenom series outperformed them. I've got myself a Phenom II x4 955 3.2Ghz and I absolutely love it. Best processor for the money, IMO.

Don't AMDs overclock better than Intels?

But if you've got the cash, the i7's generally perform the best.
Idk anything about the new 6-cores coming out, though
 
SundaySounds said:
i7 >> Athlon, But you're also paying about 1.5-2x per Ghz with Intel over AMD.
Why go with Athlon, anyway? I was under the impression that the Phenom series outperformed them. I've got myself a Phenom II x4 955 3.2Ghz and I absolutely love it. Best processor for the money, IMO.

Don't AMDs overclock better than Intels?

But if you've got the cash, the i7's generally perform the best.
Idk anything about the new 6-cores coming out, though
Click to expand...

Oops I meean the Phenom II X4.

This CPU.

I'll only be using it for gaming though and no media work (that's for my Macbook Pro). So when looking at it from a gaming only perspective are the i7's much better?

BravoSuperStar said:
the six-core CPU's might be out by then, just a heads up. At least AMD.
Click to expand...

I see. Well that may make me bite for a motherboard compatible with the six-core CPU's and the current quad core Phenoms.

I've already gotten bit on the ass by adopting quad-core too earlier (I got my Q6600 nearly 2 years ago. Would've been far better off buying a chepaer dual core processor to upgrade to a quad later down the road).
 
Flying_Phoenix said:
Oops I meean the Phenom II X4.

This CPU.

I'll only be using it for gaming though and no media work (that's for my Macbook Pro). So when looking at it from a gaming only perspective are the i7's much better?
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's the CPU I'm using. LOOOVIN IT. I'm not sure about gaming specifically. I was just under the impression the i7's outperformed the Phenoms in general, but like I said, they're waaay more expensive. Not worth it, imo.
 
Flying_Phoenix said:
I see. Well that may make me bite for a motherboard compatible with the six-core CPU's and the current quad core Phenoms.

I've already gotten bit on the ass by adopting quad-core too earlier (I got my Q6600 nearly 2 years ago. Would've been far better off buying a chepaer dual core processor to upgrade to a quad later down the road).
Click to expand...


Yeah if you are going AMD then any AM3 socket board should work with the upcoming hexa-core chips. (I just wanted an excuse to post the term "hexa-core")
 
Im thinking of picking up one of the Alienware M11x (Theres an offer for a Dell Mini 10 for $150 with the purchase of a laptop and I was planning on getting a Mini 10 as a present for my nephew, so I have an excuse for to get me something :lol ) but I just have one question.

I am planning to upgrade to a SSD in the future when they come down in price a little, but for now, will the 160gb 5400 RPM drive suffice? The space will be enough, but will I notice any slow down from a 7200 RPM drive?

edit: Actually, another question. Is it worth it to upgrade to the SU7300 over the SU4100? Theyre both able to be overclocked to 1.73ghz and the only difference I see it that the 7300 has 1mb more cache. Is that worth an extra $100 dollars?
 
BravoSuperStar said:
Yeah if you are going AMD then any AM3 socket board should work with the upcoming hexa-core chips. (I just wanted an excuse to post the term "hexa-core")
Click to expand...

Seems like a no brainer. PC Gaming requirements rarely go beyond Core 2 Duo and the next step is the i5. This should have me covered for a while.

Thanks guys. :D

I had a PC I built before but I sold it. I brought a Macbook Pro instead and I've been loving it but I've really been missing gaming. So I think I'm going to build a new beast. I'll use this as a HTPC and use my Mac for personal use and media work.
 
 
Flying_Phoenix said:
I never really cared to overclock. It may sound stupid but I'm always afraid that the CPU will overheat or be damaged.
Click to expand...

No need for paranoia. A properly OCed CPU can be both more stable and run cooler than something using the stock cooler/clocks.
 
brain_stew said:
No need for paranoia. A properly OCed CPU can be both more stable and run cooler than something using the stock cooler/clocks.
Click to expand...
Pretty much this. Grab a Hyper 212+ which is pretty much compatible with everything, and read up on overclocking methods for your CPU. It's essentially free performance and can extend or breathe new life into a build.
 
Odious Tea said:
Pretty much this. Grab a Hyper 212+ which is pretty much compatible with everything, and read up on overclocking methods for your CPU. It's essentially free performance and can extend or breathe new life into a build.
Click to expand...

Exactly, its just a case of doing your research and being sensible about it. The payoff is definitely worth it and you may even find the process rather enjoyable (I sure do! :D ).
 
'Nother quick question. I'm thinking about building a cheap PC, Athlon II x4, 5770 type thing. Is a $100 HTPC case alright for a budget gaming computer, or would I want to get a mid-size tower? It would be going in a dorm room, so a HTPC case that I could have on my desk by the monitor would be great to save some space, but if they're really loud and the better cooling of a tower is just far and away superior I'd rather do that.

HTPC cases just look way nicer too. I love the looks of this Silverstone case. If those aren't really a desirable option if a tower is possible, all of the really good cases like the Antec 900 are totally embarrassing looking.
 
brain_stew said:
No need for paranoia. A properly OCed CPU can be both more stable and run cooler than something using the stock cooler/clocks.
Click to expand...

It's a nice offer but I don't think OC is worth the $100+ price difference between the motherboard I'm getting unless it gives HUGE results.

I mean I rarely find any reason to upgrade the CPU. Only my GPU usually gets obsolete.

EDIT - In short by the time that CPU is outdated I'll be better off just buying a hexacore or whatever.
 
dr3upmushroom said:
'Nother quick question. I'm thinking about building a cheap PC, Athlon II x4, 5770 type thing. Is a $100 HTPC case alright for a budget gaming computer, or would I want to get a mid-size tower? It would be going in a dorm room, so a HTPC case that I could have on my desk by the monitor would be great to save some space, but if they're really loud and the better cooling of a tower is just far and away superior I'd rather do that.

HTPC cases just look way nicer too. I love the looks of this Silverstone case. If those aren't really a desirable option if a tower is possible, all of the really good cases like the Antec 900 are totally embarrassing looking.
Click to expand...

I don't know how big the 5770 is, but I know I would never even consider going from a mid-tower to anything smaller with my gaming PC. IT's not just about space, but about having good air flow. There's a ton of wires, and if there's nowhere to tie them away/create channels for air to flow, you could run into a heat problem very quickly.

I wish I'd gone with the full tower to be honest.
 
dr3upmushroom said:
'Nother quick question. I'm thinking about building a cheap PC, Athlon II x4, 5770 type thing. Is a $100 HTPC case alright for a budget gaming computer, or would I want to get a mid-size tower? It would be going in a dorm room, so a HTPC case that I could have on my desk by the monitor would be great to save some space, but if they're really loud and the better cooling of a tower is just far and away superior I'd rather do that.

HTPC cases just look way nicer too. I love the looks of this Silverstone case. If those aren't really a desirable option if a tower is possible, all of the really good cases like the Antec 900 are totally embarrassing looking.
Click to expand...

I'd say go with a Sliverstone Sugo an a Zotac H55 M-itx baord personally.if you're going small, might as well go tiny! :D
 
I'm putting a Phenom II X4, 5570, and 750W Power Supply in this case.

Is that alright?

Also is it smart to build during the summer or is dramatically new hardware coming along? (I.E. this is like me asking if it would be smart to start a build some months ago when the i5's and the like were right around the corner)?
 
brain_stew said:
I'd say go with a Sliverstone Sugo an a Zotac H55 M-itx baord personally.if you're going small, might as well go tiny! :D
Click to expand...
Would you recommend that over a mid-tower case? What's the general consensus about using HTPC's for a computer you have on your desk? It's really the noise that I'm most worried about, it seems to me like they would be manufactured to have the best air flow they can regardless of noise since most people use them for computers that they have across the room by their TV. I love the form factor and the overall design of the Silverstone cases, but I really don't want to be playing games with something that sounds like a 360 inches away from me.

Also, taking into account that as long as it fits on my desk I don't really care if it's a little bigger to accommodate better airflow and more room, are there any other cases you'd suggest stew, or are they pretty comparable? The Sugo does look pretty nice as well, but I hate to think I'm getting a worse-performing case for the sake of saving a few extra square inches of room... but if they're comparable anyway, like you say, why not go minuscule. :D

Not to be a nuisance, but if I do go tower, Antec 900 is pretty much universally regarded as best price/ performance, right?

Wow, just looked at the Lian-Li cases and Newegg and wish I hadn't. Pretty classy looking, but double the price of everything else.
 
Its all down to personal preferences and priorities really. I use a "budget" mid tower because it was cheap and offers excellent air flow, those were my two primary concerns, so that's how I ended up with my case.

For others size, noise levels and looks are going to be more important, some might want a good tool less design instead. There's pretty much something to cover all desires and its something that's based so much on personal preference that its impossible to give a "right" answer. It depends what suits you.

Antec 900s are pretty massive, if you're going with a more traditional tower, I think there's better compromise before that.

Lian -Li cases are more expensive, yes, but you get what you pay for. There are some companies that sell rebadged Lian Li's so they're a great option if you can find one as you'll save a stack of cash without compromising on quality. Rocketfish is one such brand they're sold under iirc. I think Best Buy were selling them, no idea if they still do. Hazaro is the man to ask about them, if you're interested.
 
Finally got my computer upgrade fund up and running, after selling off bunch of unused parts and some of my old consols (gba sp, Japanese PS2 set, NGC) etc. Order my 1st phase

So here's my 1st phase (out of 3 phases) of my computer upgrade project 2010

Wife's Vaio 5yr old Vaio P4 -> Replaced with Core2Duo Mac Book Pro.

Main Computer
CPU - Q6600 B3 -> Core i7 930 (I guess I'll be the first adapters of this new chip. Hope its good)
MB - Asus Maximus Formula -> Asus P6X58D Premium
Ram - Corsair Dominator DDR2-1066 2x2gb -> Corsiar Dominator DDR3-1600 3x2gb
Cooler - Zalman 9700CNP -> Corsair H50
..and Liteon SATA DVD burner, as my new MB doesn't seem to have IDE.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Now to conclude my 1st phase, I need to get some new 120mm fans for push/pull setup of Corsair H50, and replace all the fans in my Antec P182, which to me, seems to be pretty loud even in low setting... so I'm thinking of getting 4-5 Akasa Apache Black 120mm fans, along with PWM splitter. I'll probably try to sell off those remaining 5-6 120mm fans on ebay or so.

I won't be upgrading my 8800GTS 512 (g92) for another year, nor my PSU (Corsair 520hx Modular) This card has been a trooper so far, as I don't play much games on PC and the machine's main purpose is to do some 3ds max work for my wife, CPU is much more important than GPU. I'll probably ugrade GPU along with PSU sometime next year.. as I'm waiting and see the next gen cards from both nVidia and ATI.

I do, however want to install a wireless n card - but I'm not sure what's the most well regarded wireless n card and n router. I think I'll go with Asus PCI-e wireless n card, but as per router... I've got no clue. Currently running good ol' Linksys WRTGL (the blue one) with Tomato firmware - have no issues except HD streaming on networked drive is pretty unwatcheable. :(

I'm thinking of getting Apple Airport Extreme as I'll probably get some corporate discount from apple store, in the worst case scenario. So far, my experiences with my first Macbook Pro has been very smooth (besides the price) - so as long as there's no performance hit when I use airport network on Windows 7, it's a good possiblity - but if you have any recommendation for good wireless n routers/adaters - please advise.

My 2nd phase will start when I sell off my current main pc's left over components, along with all the parts and pieces (except HDD and maybe GPU) on my current HTPC.. a loud core2 duo machine, actually. I'm pretty certain that I'll go with:

SUGO 05b Case w/ 300W psu
Core i3 530 CPU with stock cooler (probably won't do any O'C to keep the cooler quite) - if anyone has any recommendation for low-profile, low noise i3/i5 cooler, I'd appreciate it.
Zotac H55 mini itx board. Looks pretty nice. I hear the turbo boost for i5 doesn't work at - but I'm relatively certain they'll probably fix that problem, perhaps. This probably will happen sometime late March to early April, so there might be better mini itx H55 chipset MBs then.
Slimeline Sony Optiarc IDE DVD burner (Sugo05b supposedly come with the SATA-ide converter, but you'd have to purchase the converter... and as slimline DVDs are not really too impressive in terms of burning performance, I might just go with combo drive, and do the file transfer over the wireless n network w/ shared external HDD.

I'll probably recycle my current wireless Logitec LX710 mouse/keyboard for this htpc use..... and use my old dell wired usb keyboard for now for main computer.

Phase III will be most expensive though - that with all the money that I've gatherd with left over parts and all, I'll probably get:

Filco Majestouch keyboard (non-click, Tactile, nkey roll over)
Logitec Levono (sp) Mini blue tooth keyboard (for HTPC)
Dell Ultrasharp 24" for the main computer (I have old Dell Ultrasharp 24", and current one will become 2ndary monitor)

I'm pretty certain that I'll have enough fund to buy first 2 keyboards - but not sure I'll be able to get Ultrasharp 24" though.. but we'll see how it goes.
 
brain_stew said:
Lian -Li cases are more expensive, yes, but you get what you pay for. There are some companies that sell rebadged Lian Li's so they're a great option if you can find one as you'll save a stack of cash without compromising on quality. Rocketfish is one such brand they're sold under iirc. I think Best Buy were selling them, no idea if they still do.
Click to expand...
Rocketfish it was.

Still have my case here. Problem is it is rather large, great for working in, but I don't tweak it as much as I used to and find myself wanting a smaller case (both for occasional carrying and foot room under the desk).
Product Dimensions - Length - 24.2", Height - 22.5" plus feet, Width - ~8.25".

They were on sale as low as $48 during clearance but that was a long time ago. If you would find them today at a BB (rare) it would probably be around $120. Still cheaper than a Lian-Li though. Even has Lian-Li fans in it.

http://www.overclock.net/attachment...22523-rocketfish-full-tower-case-img_2299.jpg
http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/6372/mydesktop2yz8.jpg
Size Comparison to a mid tower:
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g24/zepper0/relativeSize.jpg

*As for other cases I really like the CM690. A lot.
With cards getting larger it is hard to go with a Centurion 5 anymore.
 
PC update. Took the power supply to the local place where I bought it from. They couldn't get it to work. I'll have it back tomorrow after they make sure the supply didn't fry anything through testing.

Best case scenerio: Everything is A-ok, I get a new power supply and I have my new gaming rig up and running.

Worst case scenerio: Shit is fried. I honestly don't know if stuff like that is covered through warranties or RMA or whatever. No clue. Not even sure it would be worth the hassle. If they can't be replaced, I'll just say "fuck it" and hang up my master race card for awhile. :lol
 
I'm thinking about building another, but I have interesting requirements, I want a media center, so I would be looking for the least dollars to do the following

play blueray discs and the highest quality *.mkv files or any HD ripped source. I know that most decent computers and videocards will do this,

but what i want is the LOWEST possible spec that will do the above flawlessly. Reason I want a low spec is because I want to upgrade my lounge media center in my flatshare, essentially I'm looking to spend the least amount cause some grubber can always break that thing, but I don't want to sacrifice awesome quality like i'm currently doing. My room is kitted out and can handle all this stuff, but I want to play all my media over the network to the lounge so everyone can enjoy the films I watch (in the quality I watch them in)
 
Found a great price on an i7-930 and I'm curious as to which motherboard people might recommend at this point. My last board was an Abit, and I loved it, but dropped out of the market a while ago. Any thoughts?
 
dark10x said:
Found a great price on an i7-930 and I'm curious as to which motherboard people might recommend at this point. My last board was an Abit, and I loved it, but dropped out of the market a while ago. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Gigabyte seems to be the star right now. Lots of people with Asus boards who say they aren't going to get another, and don't see much talk about Abit here ever really.
 
catfish said:
I'm thinking about building another, but I have interesting requirements, I want a media center, so I would be looking for the least dollars to do the following

play blueray discs and the highest quality *.mkv files or any HD ripped source. I know that most decent computers and videocards will do this,

but what i want is the LOWEST possible spec that will do the above flawlessly. Reason I want a low spec is because I want to upgrade my lounge media center in my flatshare, essentially I'm looking to spend the least amount cause some grubber can always break that thing, but I don't want to sacrifice awesome quality like i'm currently doing. My room is kitted out and can handle all this stuff, but I want to play all my media over the network to the lounge so everyone can enjoy the films I watch (in the quality I watch them in)
Click to expand...

Any modern GPU (including all modern integrated solutions from ATI/AMD/Nvidia) will manage to do that with even a lowly single core CPU just fine. Just make sure you're using a program that supports DXVA (i.e. use MPC-HC).

A 785G board plus an Athlon ii X2 would seem like a good pick, don't think you can get much cheaper than that, and you'll be able to use a HDMI cable to handle both video and audio.


Heck, just add a 5450 to your current setup and that'd probably suffice even if the rest of the thing is a hunk 'a junk.
 
Minsc said:
Gigabyte seems to be the star right now. Lots of people with Asus boards who say they aren't going to get another, and don't see much talk about Abit here ever really.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I was looking at Gigabyte.

You don't see Abit talk because they're dead. :P RIP, Abit
 
My stack of components have now arrived (I'm waiting on the DVD-RW but I'll use my existing drives at the mo) and I'm contemplating the build.

My plan at the moment is to replace the stock fans on my P183, then insert and secure the modular PSU. After that I'll assemble the motherboard - CPU, heatsink, RAM etc. - and fit that, then mount my optical drives (leaving space for the DVD-RW) and my new HDD (leaving space for my old HDD). After that I think I'll mount the 5850, hook everything up to the PSU, connect the monitor and try a boot.

Does anyone with experience of the P183 have any tips on the order components should go in, or is that a reasonable plan?
 
After months of buying stuff, it looks like it is final (some of the prices have changed since I bought them, but I've tried to include what I could for reference for anyone looking to build):

i7 860 processor ($230 + tax at Microcenter)
GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD4P motherboard ($170 after rebate + tax at Microcenter)
Antec 300 Case ($30 after promo and rebate)
ASUS Xonar DX 7.1 sound card ($12 on clearance)
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V PSU ($70 after promo and rebate)
SAPPHIRE 100283L Radeon HD 5770 video card ($150 after MIR)
1TB Samsung Spinpoint F3 7200RPM Hard Drive w/ Thermaltake BlacX External 2.5/3.5" Serial ATA HDD USB Dock ($77 after combo promo at newegg)
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 ($105)
SAMSUNG DVD Burner SH-S223L ($26)

Total ~$870

I hope to have it built by this weekend, only things I'm currently waiting on are the DVD burner, video card and memory. I'll eventually add a blu-ray reader and later on down the line upgrade my video card and monitor but I think I'm good for now. Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has helped me in this thread (esp. Minsc), hopefully my first build will go pretty smooth. Wish me luck!
 
lachesis said:
Now to conclude my 1st phase, I need to get some new 120mm fans for push/pull setup of Corsair H50, and replace all the fans in my Antec P182, which to me, seems to be pretty loud even in low setting... so I'm thinking of getting 4-5 Akasa Apache Black 120mm fans, along with PWM splitter. I'll probably try to sell off those remaining 5-6 120mm fans on ebay or so.


if you have any recommendation for good wireless n routers/adaters - please advise.

f anyone has any recommendation for low-profile, low noise i3/i5 cooler, I'd appreciate it.
Filco Majestouch keyboard (non-click, Tactile, nkey roll over)
Logitec Levono (sp) Mini blue tooth keyboard (for HTPC)
Dell Ultrasharp 24" for the main computer (I have old Dell Ultrasharp 24", and current one will become 2ndary monitor)
Click to expand...

Try out scythe sflex 21F (1600rpm) or G (1900rpm) 120mm fans. they use sony liquid bearings, and are damn silent, only can hear the airflow. if your ambient is cooling, 21F should be the perfect for noise and cooling. They are very affordable for what they offers.

Dlink N routers are universally considered the best for consumers.

You can look for Scythe zipang 1 or zipang 2 for low noise, low profile cooler.
zipang 2 uses native i3/i5 mounting, while zipang 1 u need to get extra i3/i5 mounting.
imo zipang 1 is better designed and the fans are quieter.

Hooray for Filco mechanical keyboards!
 
Hey guys, not sure where else to post this...need some help.

A couple years ago (2007), I pieced together a machine for my dad--fairly good rig at the time. The other day he calls and says he got a message saying the Nvidia card wasn't getting enough power, and it kept shutting the machine down.

Somewhat tediously, over the phone, I had him open the computer, check the PSU to graphics card connection and it seemed like it got disconnected, somehow. I also had him clean the computer out, get rid of dust bunnies, etc. (he doesn't clean it too often).

Even after doing this, the computer shuts down after 20 minutes, though with no error message.

Is there any sort of diagnostic tool available to "test" the PSU? I am hundreds of miles from home: what would you do in this situation?
 
Just doing my first overclock. Using the AMD auto-clock right now, because I'm a novice and I don't want to fuck my computer up. :lol

My AMD Phenom ii X4 955 3.2ghz is currently running at 3.6ghz and still hasn't gone over 45 degrees celcius on 100% load. And this thing hasnt even finished testing up to the maximum yet.

so far so good. my awesome ninja heatsink is doing a good job
 
Quick Question: I have Windows 7 RC on my new PC at home, can I install Windows 7 Professional over it? ( I don't care if it erases everything, I just want to get it installed)
 
Askia47 said:
Quick Question: I have Windows 7 RC on my new PC at home, can I install Windows 7 Professional over it? ( I don't care if it erases everything, I just want to get it installed)
Click to expand...

I personally just shoved it in, booted from the disc, and selected upgrade when installing on my laptop.

it all worked fine.
 
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