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"I need a new PC!" 2010 Edition

NorrenRadd said:
Yes, and I have managed to start installation. I get BSOD at several times, seemingly randomly.

Before I get to the 'Install windows' button
After I tell it to install but while it waits to 'preparing setup'
After I format the drive I want to install to and it begins 'copying files'

Also, the install is INCREDIBLY slow. Takes 5 mins to load the 'install windows' splash screen, then 5 mins to 'preparing setup'.

I get different STOP error codes all the time.


My Specs:

i5 750
Gigabyte P55A-UD3
Hyper 212+
XFX 5770
Antec True550W (with adapter for PCI-E power) link
Corsair 2x2gb DDR3 link
An old IDE DVD-ROM drive (still got BSOD when I didn't use this)
3x old 250 GB caviar SATA drives (the ones referenced here) (got BSOD using each of these (only 1 plugged in at a time))
1x old 40gb IDE drive (Seagate) (got BSOD when just using this)

I can POST and get into the BIOS easy. If I don't plug in my bootable thumbdrive, the screen says something like 'Loading OS' even though there is nothing to load.
Click to expand...


Just tried to install via DVD. It was slower than the thumb drive and still gave me the same errors. Running memtest now to see if I have bad ram.

Do I need to somehow install 5770 video drivers before running windows 7?

Will Windows 7 install on my old hard drives? SATA WD2500JD or a very old Seagate 40gb IDE drive?

I have case mounted USB/audio ports connected to my MB, maybe I need to pull those out for the install?

I'm lost :(



NEW UPDATE: I unplugged the front usb/audio connections to my case and I no longer have the stupid long wait times running off of my thumb drive.

Now I have a problem installing to my old hard drives. i previously used them in a Raid0 format and I never removed that, will that cause I problem? I am getting disk errors it seems.
 
NorrenRadd said:
Just tried to install via DVD. It was slower than the thumb drive and still gave me the same errors. Running memtest now to see if I have bad ram.

Do I need to somehow install 5770 video drivers before running windows 7?

Will Windows 7 install on my old hard drives? SATA WD2500JD or a very old Seagate 40gb IDE drive?

I have case mounted USB/audio ports connected to my MB, maybe I need to pull those out for the install?

I'm lost :(
Click to expand...
No. Whatever's happening, it's the fault of the hardware. Something's going screwy. I would guess, RAM. Have you tried running a few passes of memtest?
 
NorrenRadd said:
Just tried to install via DVD. It was slower than the thumb drive and still gave me the same errors. Running memtest now to see if I have bad ram.
Click to expand...

RAM definitely feels like the culprit; see what errors (if any) you get and then swap sticks or pare down to one and see what happens.

If there are problems beyond that, just pare your system down to the bare minimum. If you have onboard video, take out the video card too. You need to narrow down what's wrong somehow, and that means as few parts as possible.
 
Running Memtest now. Will post results when it finishes the first pass.

18% through and no errors. back in a bit.

Update: 3 passes, 0 errors.
 
Attention Canadian PC-Gamer GAF!

I'm doing a complete system upgrade and after years of being lazy/constrained by finances, I'm bucking my recent PC buying history (just buying a cheap brand-name OEM and adding a GPU) and going back to the custom build.

I'd like to have assembly included, so I was thinking of going through NCIX - does anyone have anything good/bad to say about the quality of their builds? Or does anyone know of a quality & trusted PC builder in GTA with online component configuration? I've been burned a couple of times by sloppy assembly jobs in the past (albeit a decade ago).

Finally, DIY assembly isn't really an option - farsighted eyesight issues...
 
So happy! Have my CM 690 II Adv. case, OCZ Gladiator Max CPU heatsink and 5830 all setup and running cool as a cucumber. Idles at around 35C and under load from Prime gets to about 45, still quiet as a mouse.

Squeeee!
 
rohlfinator said:
Newegg has the OCZ Vertex 30GB SSD for $80 after rebate. I'm really tempted to jump on this -- anyone have any opinions of it?
Click to expand...
Hrm, after looking a bit more it seems that they have the 60GB Agility for their Shell Shocker deal today:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227461
I might go for that instead; based on the reviews it seems to perform a bit slower than the Vertex, but it still has the Indilinx controller and TRIM support, and the extra capacity should give me a bit more breathing room.
 
Hey guys, I'm having a weird problem with my new NCIX built i5. Sometimes when I'm watching a video or playing a game the computer will freeze up, then go to a black screen, then Windows will show up again, but all the windows will be black and messed up looking. And it keeps flashing until I manually restart. I uploaded a video of it to YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE49byIK8Q0

I'm thinking my video card is bad? I have no idea. Anyone here ever have this sort of thing happen? Any advice is appreciated.
 
Dear my beloved PC-uber gaffers:

Years ago i bought a super cheap USB adapter to plug my PS1 dualshock into my pc and use it. It worked then, and it may have had drivers that came with the adapter, if they they were I will probably never find them again. So I ask is there a way to get my Dualshock 1 working on my PC. Windows 7 if that would make a difference.

I know this is kinda off-topic, but this seemed the best place for it to go.
 
Alright, that OCZ Agility will be mine! I just couldn't pass up that + the MX518 deal -- that's a great price for that mouse.

EricDiesel said:
Hey guys, I'm having a weird problem with my new NCIX built i5. Sometimes when I'm watching a video or playing a game the computer will freeze up, then go to a black screen, then Windows will show up again, but all the windows will be black and messed up looking. And it keeps flashing until I manually restart. I uploaded a video of it to YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE49byIK8Q0

I'm thinking my video card is bad? I have no idea. Anyone here ever have this sort of thing happen? Any advice is appreciated.
Click to expand...
Does it ever happen when you're doing anything besides games and videos? If not, it definitely sounds like a video card problem. Either it's overheating or you have some bad video memory would be my guess.
 
rohlfinator said:
Does it ever happen when you're doing anything besides games and videos? If not, it definitely sounds like a video card problem. Either it's overheating or you have some bad video memory would be my guess.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty sure. I go for hours with no problems, but after an hour or so watching a video it just craps out. Well, thanks.
 
MattyGrovesOrMe said:
Attention Canadian PC-Gamer GAF!

I'm doing a complete system upgrade and after years of being lazy/constrained by finances, I'm bucking my recent PC buying history (just buying a cheap brand-name OEM and adding a GPU) and going back to the custom build.

I'd like to have assembly included, so I was thinking of going through NCIX - does anyone have anything good/bad to say about the quality of their builds? Or does anyone know of a quality & trusted PC builder in GTA with online component configuration? I've been burned a couple of times by sloppy assembly jobs in the past (albeit a decade ago).

Finally, DIY assembly isn't really an option - farsighted eyesight issues...
Click to expand...
I've used NCIX almost exclusively for close to 6 to 7 years now and I've never had an issue with service/pricing, etc. I believe they charge $45 to $50 for the assembly but they do good work from what I hear. Cable management is neat & tidy and of course they test for stability before shipping it out.

Make sure you use sites like shopbot or pricecanada to pricematch other retailers prices and you'll save a good bundle, prolly around $80 on an average build. As long as it's within reason and a Canadian site, they almost always agree to match it. They occasionally have cheap or free shipping promos during their weekly sales, just keep an eye out for those.
 
EricDiesel said:
I'm pretty sure. I go for hours with no problems, but after an hour or so watching a video it just craps out. Well, thanks.
Click to expand...
It might be worth hunting down a cheap video card from a friend and see if it still crashes with that. At least that would help you narrow it down for sure.

There are programs out there that will let you monitor your GPU temps, so you might want to try something like that also.
 
NorrenRadd said:
Windows 7 Install: Pro-Tip

Even if memtest passes multiple times on all your memory modules, try installing with just one stick.
Click to expand...
Did it detect errors with just the one stick in?
 
Should I get the Sapphire Radeon HD 5670 512MB or 1GB?

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5642514&CatId=3670

or

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5642515&CatId=3669

The rest of my system looks like this:

Vista 32bit
Core 2 Duo E8400
4GB Ram
PSU 375W (I am assuming it's this because it came stock with my XPS420)

I want to be able to play games like Call of Duty 4 or max or near max settings. I'm not sure if the 1GB is worth the additional $30 bucks though.

EDIT: Or are there any better options? My budget is $160 max.
 
MattyGrovesOrMe said:
Attention Canadian PC-Gamer GAF!

I'm doing a complete system upgrade and after years of being lazy/constrained by finances, I'm bucking my recent PC buying history (just buying a cheap brand-name OEM and adding a GPU) and going back to the custom build.

I'd like to have assembly included, so I was thinking of going through NCIX - does anyone have anything good/bad to say about the quality of their builds? Or does anyone know of a quality & trusted PC builder in GTA with online component configuration? I've been burned a couple of times by sloppy assembly jobs in the past (albeit a decade ago).

Finally, DIY assembly isn't really an option - farsighted eyesight issues...
Click to expand...
I'll tell you in a week or so how my system turns out.
 
So I currently have a Q6600 and a crappy 680i SLI board.

I wanna get a new processor but don't really want to buy a new motherboard currently. Which processor will give me the best boost in the same socket class (LGA775)?

The Q9550 the best one? It looks like the 9450 is better than the 9550 and the 9650 is better than both? I don't want to spend a ton of money, but my Q6600 isn't acting properly.
 
Hieberrr said:
Should I get the Sapphire Radeon HD 5670 512MB or 1GB?

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5642514&CatId=3670

or

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5642515&CatId=3669

The rest of my system looks like this:

Vista 32bit
Core 2 Duo E8400
4GB Ram
PSU 375W (I am assuming it's this because it came stock with my XPS420)

I want to be able to play games like Call of Duty 4 or max or near max settings. I'm not sure if the 1GB is worth the additional $30 bucks though.

EDIT: Or are there any better options? My budget is $160 max.
Click to expand...

The 512MB version is fine, no reason you can't use NCIX:

http://ncix.com/products/?sku=49156&vpn=AX5670 512MD5-H&manufacture=PowerColor

You can actually get a 5770 for that much though so long as your PSU is upto it (and if Dell rate it at 375w then it definitely is). It'll say on the side what it can deliver have a look.
 
Just got all my parts in from Newegg today and spent the last 5 hours putting it all together. Hit the power button, it turned on!

Do I have to mess with the BIOS first or do I go straight to installing Windows 7?

Thanks :D

EDIT: I just started booting windows, it seems to be working.

2nd EDIT: Got windows to start installing but it doesn't want to install to my new SATA hard drive. Perhaps I have to enable this in the BIOS.

3rd EDIT: The BIOS is saying that the 640GB SATA drive I plugged into my motherboard is a slave drive. I'm guessing this is why Windows won't install to it. Anyone know how to have this HD recognized as a master? (For reference, I also have an old IDE HD installed which is being recognized as a master in Channel 0. The SATA drive I want to use is a slave in Channel 1)

Do I need to configure the SATA controller mode in my BIOS setup? Sorry for all the questions, I've never used a SATA HD and never built/setup a desktop all on my own.

Hopefully Final EDIT: I switched the port the SATA drive was plugged into on the motherboard; it is no longer a slave. (thinking aloud on GAF, yikes)
 
Hazaro said:
http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1930690

MX518 for $25 shipped after rebate
Click to expand...
gregor7777 said:
Awesome mouse. I'm very content with mine.
Click to expand...
brain_stew said:
Bargain. 100% recommended.
Click to expand...
Stuck said:
Thank you, kind sir. Just ordered mine via Amazon.
Click to expand...
:D

This is seriously a nice deal, wanted to go ahead and say if anyone is looking for a new mouse, or something better than standard this is fantastic. You'll be using it for probably at least 3 years.
 
my quest continues, I've managed to build in in theory an HTPC for my hi def requirements for 320 euro all in which is acceptable.

HOWEVER

I've just been given free a Dell GX280 with 2Gb of ram (FREE FREE)

now, I've done a test with this on board graphics card and see the following, it 'kind of' runs 720p content

however with monitoring it throws the Pentium 4 chip around 80% utilisation constantly. There is some stuttering and skipping. Which fails my requirements entirely. So my question is, can a cheap videocard resolve this issue?

specs for a dell GX280 are here

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/opgx280/en/ug/specs02.htm

and the video options are as below

integrated Intel Extreme Graphics or PCI Express x16 DVI video card

Can I in theory purchase a (low profile) video card that will handle the processing for video output and put it in this January 2005 machine and handle my video requirements? Or should I just give up this and go the HTPC build route? I have the cash, but if I can make something for 40 bucks as opposed to 327, then that's pretty awesome.

EDIT: OH DEAR. the slot I have availalbe is AGP. I realise this is bad. Not entirely sure how bad though, before AGP become extinct/endandered were cards of this type able to do 1080p goodness? If not, project stops here and I buy me the HTPC.
 
NorrenRadd said:
So where is the best place to get the best 5770 drivers? Catalyst?
Click to expand...

ATI Underground (official site)

ATI Homepage

I'd definitely go with the 10.3 drivers due out this week. I'm (and many others) are running the 10.3a drivers from the first link, if you're not actually installing for a couple more days the second link may be updated for you to download the final 10.3 drivers and not the 10.2 ones it has now.
 
Ogs said:
Im thinking of switching to a laptop for my PC needs, so ive been doing some digging around, and the best bang for buck ive found is this -

http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Acer_Aspire_5740G_Laptop_LX.PMB02.001/version.asp

It seems, at least to me, that this should happily run everything i throw at it (not maxed, but better than medium etc). What say you guys, know anything better for less ?

Edit - Or even this -

http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/prods/Laptops/Novatech/NNB-CLR42.html

Not as good i know, but much much cheaper.
Click to expand...

Any opinions on the above laptops then Gaf ?
 
catfish said:
EDIT: OH DEAR. the slot I have availalbe is AGP. I realise this is bad. Not entirely sure how bad though, before AGP become extinct/endandered were cards of this type able to do 1080p goodness? If not, project stops here and I buy me the HTPC.
Click to expand...
You could look at the 4650 card for AGP, expensive though. 3850 also?

Since I don't know if an AGP card + a pentium 4 will help you, also look at the AMD 790 motherboard + a cheapo AMD chip. You can just reuse the case and power supply right?
Ogs said:
Any opinions on the above laptops then Gaf ?
Click to expand...
I'd just go and look and ask a dedicated laptop forum. They field like 200 of these questions a day.
 
Hazaro said:
You could look at the 4650 card for AGP, expensive though. 3850 also?

Since I don't know if an AGP card + a pentium 4 will help you, also look at the AMD 790 motherboard + a cheapo AMD chip. You can just reuse the case and power supply right?
Click to expand...

nah not using anything from this machine if I can't make it work with what I have for free for cheap.

Otherwise I'm going the new PC route, but if I can get this box up and running with a new agp vid card for less than 50 euros, why not....

I need an agp videocard that will take load off the CPU basically.
 
Minsc said:
ATI Underground (official site)

ATI Homepage

I'd definitely go with the 10.3 drivers due out this week. I'm (and many others) are running the 10.3a drivers from the first link, if you're not actually installing for a couple more days the second link may be updated for you to download the final 10.3 drivers and not the 10.2 ones it has now.
Click to expand...


Thanks Minsc! Does the same apply for the 5870?
 
I want new ram. I have four one gig sticks from Gskill and for some reason If I have more than two plugged in it crashes my computer. I've done memtest on all sticks in separate slots and messed around with the voltage with no luck. My motherboard is this which doesn't do DDR3, so which ram sticks should I buy?
 
Minsc said:
ATI Underground (official site)

ATI Homepage

I'd definitely go with the 10.3 drivers due out this week. I'm (and many others) are running the 10.3a drivers from the first link, if you're not actually installing for a couple more days the second link may be updated for you to download the final 10.3 drivers and not the 10.2 ones it has now.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I got them up and running and it works great :)
 
looking into buying a new PC as I can finally afford one. I just checked out AVA Direct and I was pleasantly surprised. I am looking at getting one of the smaller case styles as I don't want a huge tower. I picked this one:

http://www.avadirect.com/product_print.asp?PRID=13913

Added 2 more gigs of ram and a monitor. Came out to $1,100.

I could use some input on if this is a solid deal or not. Thanks guys!
 
h0pper said:
looking into buying a new PC as I can finally afford one. I just checked out AVA Direct and I was pleasantly surprised. I am looking at getting one of the smaller case styles as I don't want a huge tower. I picked this one:

http://www.avadirect.com/product_print.asp?PRID=13913

Added 2 more gigs of ram and a monitor. Came out to $1,100.

I could use some input on if this is a solid deal or not. Thanks guys!
Click to expand...

Pretty awful, slow-ish CPU & GPU for that price.
 
Coldsnap said:
I want new ram. I have four one gig sticks from Gskill and for some reason If I have more than two plugged in it crashes my computer. I've done memtest on all sticks in separate slots and messed around with the voltage with no luck. My motherboard is this which doesn't do DDR3, so which ram sticks should I buy?
Click to expand...


Something like this, Dual Channel DDR2 1066 memory should fit your system nicely, also means you'd only need two RAM modules instead of your current four.
 
h0pper said:
alright then! shows what I know, haha.
Click to expand...

Here's a link to where you can build something in a smaller case (which again may suck, I don't know), someone smarter than me would have to pick the parts, but you can easily put in a quad-core CPU and much better GPU for the same price, it's just the rest of the stuff that I'd be a little unsure of, I'm not too familiar with the AMD side of things.

Most likely someone will just say to use ncix, pick the parts and have them put it together for $50. Maybe they'll even be so nice as to do it for you! :)
 
Minsc said:
Here's a link to where you can build something in a smaller case (which again may suck, I don't know), someone smarter than me would have to pick the parts, but you can easily put in a quad-core CPU and much better GPU for the same price, it's just the rest of the stuff that I'd be a little unsure of, I'm not too familiar with the AMD side of things.

Most likely someone will just say to use ncix, pick the parts and have them put it together for $50. Maybe they'll even be so nice as to do it for you! :)
Click to expand...

ok thanks, I'll take a look around there.
 
Well, I saw this on the first page. So, I figured I'll give this a shot and see if anyone is generous enough to respond.

Budget: $1,000-$1,500
Main Use(s): Gaming, Web Browsing
Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
Games: Starcraft II, HL2, Modern Warfare 2, Bad Company 2, Crysis (if at all possible)

as I mentioned, I'd like a compact case!
 
I just made the jump between xp pro 32-bit to Win7 pro 64bit. Am I supposed to be having a metric
fuck-
ton of errors?

I am getting a LOT of install errors with programs. Seems to be lots Installer's failing to uncompress/extract. Problems with Firefox, Chrome, adobe reader, just about anything non-windows that I try.

What am i doing wrong?

Update: I took out the same stick of RAM that I took out when I installed Windows. Everything is seems to be working 100% now.

How can I determine if this is bad RAM, bad socket, or what else could be my problem? Old hard drives? Help!
 
Alright GAF I need your help!

Budget: $500-600
Main Uses: Gaming and some video editing
Monitor Resolution: 1680x1050
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: I have a huge Steam backlog of stuff that I can't play like GTA IV, Red Faction, Saints Row 2, Crysis, Shattered Horizons, etc. Basically I'd like to be able to play most of the stuff that comes out within the next 2 years or so. Medium settings are usually fine for me.

Already have a case too

Thanks guys
 
h0pper said:
Well, I saw this on the first page. So, I figured I'll give this a shot and see if anyone is generous enough to respond.

Budget: $1,000-$1,500
Main Use(s): Gaming, Web Browsing
Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
Games: Starcraft II, HL2, Modern Warfare 2, Bad Company 2, Crysis (if at all possible)

as I mentioned, I'd like a compact case!
Click to expand...

I've been looking at Dell. They have some slim towers that look pretty nice. Try customizing either one of these, and see what the prices come out as:

http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/desktops/inspiron-580s/pd.aspx?refid=inspiron-580s&s=dhs&cs=19&~ck=mn

http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/desk...?refid=desktop-studio-slim&s=dhs&cs=19&~ck=mn

Also, could someone kindly tell me what the difference is between the Intel 'i' series processors, and the 'core' series? They're both marketed like they're the best thing ever, but nowhere can a simple explanation of what the differences are, and/or which is better.
 
So my NEC EA231WMI-BK arrived today.

Very noticeable difference over the 23inch TN acer panel I was using. Colors are extremely vibrant, contrast is excellent. Viewing angels are just so beyond the TN panel it's insane. No gradations with a solid color across the screen. There is some backlight bleed around the edges, but its very minor. The acer TN panel was much worse in this regard.

Tested it out with a few games, Crysis, GTAIV, etc. No ghosting that I could see even in SFIV running 60fps locked. No dead pixels, or any audible buzzing. The only con is a lack of an HDMI port, and it didn't come with a displayport cable. Very happy with it overall, my first IPS panel. Going to be hard to go back to TN's for work, etc now...
 
Extollere said:
I've been looking at Dell. They have some slim towers that look pretty nice. Try customizing either one of these, and see what the prices come out as:

http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/desktops/inspiron-580s/pd.aspx?refid=inspiron-580s&s=dhs&cs=19&~ck=mn

http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/desk...?refid=desktop-studio-slim&s=dhs&cs=19&~ck=mn

Also, could someone kindly tell me what the difference is between the Intel 'i' series processors, and the 'core' series? They're both marketed like they're the best thing ever, but nowhere can a simple explanation of what the differences are, and/or which is better.
Click to expand...

cool! I'll take a look. Although, I am a bit afraid of Dell ;/
 
Anyone know how best to deal with screen tearing on a HD 5770 and Windows 7? I can't find the option to force V-sync in the Catalyst control panel.

I get a lot of tearing in game movies, but less in stuff that uses the in-game engine.

thanks
 
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