Question about RAM, is there a difference in quality with this stuff? I see price ranges all over the place and most people recommend the cheap stuff but I often have problems while my bro, who bought a pair of sticks for 150 bucks, never had a problem even once.
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Official "I need a new PC!!" 2009 Edition
- Thread starter VictimOfGrief
- Start date
Zaraki_Kenpachi
Member
Teetris said:
What size and such for the sticks? You can spend $150 for sticks depending on what you're getting.... The most important thing is to get a reputable brand, besides that there isn't any real difference.
NIN90 said:Yay, I think I broke my motherboard by fucking up the BIOS flash.
My PC won't boot and one of the fans (I think it's the PSU fan, it's definitely not the CPU fan) is spinning like mad unless I cut the power off. And there's a red light inside the case.
Is there anything else I can do except buying a new motherboard?
What did you do that you fucked up the flashing?
RAM speed plays an extremely negligible role in performance (Also high speeds require more latency, so it is offset).
Buy the cheapest reputable brand at the speed you need. (Only reason to buy higher speed RAM is for overclocking linked CPU/NB)
For example Core2Duo's, but even then 800Mhz RAM will be enough for a 3.2Ghz overclock (8x multiplier), plus you can overclock the RAM itself.
Buy the cheapest reputable brand at the speed you need. (Only reason to buy higher speed RAM is for overclocking linked CPU/NB)
For example Core2Duo's, but even then 800Mhz RAM will be enough for a 3.2Ghz overclock (8x multiplier), plus you can overclock the RAM itself.
Posted this on the ATI forums but figured Id try it here as well. This is killing me:
A little back story.
I put a new PC together and started using it on Oct 22nd (fresh Win7 64bit install) and everything has been working perfectly. This past Tuesday rolls around and I stumbled onto ATIs website and saw the ATI Catalyst Suite for Win7 64bit here: http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_catalyst.aspx?p=win7/windows-7-64bit . I was running driver 8.651 and saw this had 8.661.
I download and run that, everything seems to go through ok. I reboot and start web surfing, about 10 mins later I notice my mouse cursor was huge. After some searching, I end up on the ATI forums and find that its an issue with some Gigabyte motherboards and that the most recent BIOS revision seemed to fix it. I did all that and the mouse cursor issue seems to be fixed.
This is where the problems started.
I now periodically get random "dwm.exe has stopped working" errors on startup. This disables the Aero theme. Usually, restarting fixes this and I could go for hours fine.
Another issue thats been confusing me is that everything will vanish from the screen and itll get filled with a different color depending on what programs I have open. For instance, if the error occurs when I have Steam open, the screens fills with that green color that Steam is. If I have the control panel open, it fills with that greyish blue. The only way to fix this is to shut down by holding my power button and resetting the whole system.
Last but not least, all flash videos were running very choppy this morning. This only occurred once and was fixed after reboot. However, after the reboot, I got the dwm.exe error followed shortly after by the screen being filled with color. At this point, I reboot in safe mode and rolled back the video drivers to 8.651. Reboot and again I got the dwm.exe error. For the last time, I reboot and everything started up fine. Now Im at work so I cant tinker with it until I get home.
This is what Im running with:
Gigabyte GA-P55-UD4P motherboard (BIOS f4t)
Intel Core i5 750 processor
Radeon HD5850 (Sapphire)
G.Skill Ripjaws 4GB (2x 2GB)
Antec EA 650 Power Supply
Windows 7 64bit
I regret ever updating the drivers and BIOS because that seems to be what started this whole thing. Its quite frustrating.
Any ideas? Could there be something else in that Catalyst Suite package other than the video drivers thats causing an issue?
A little back story.
I put a new PC together and started using it on Oct 22nd (fresh Win7 64bit install) and everything has been working perfectly. This past Tuesday rolls around and I stumbled onto ATIs website and saw the ATI Catalyst Suite for Win7 64bit here: http://game.amd.com/us-en/drivers_catalyst.aspx?p=win7/windows-7-64bit . I was running driver 8.651 and saw this had 8.661.
I download and run that, everything seems to go through ok. I reboot and start web surfing, about 10 mins later I notice my mouse cursor was huge. After some searching, I end up on the ATI forums and find that its an issue with some Gigabyte motherboards and that the most recent BIOS revision seemed to fix it. I did all that and the mouse cursor issue seems to be fixed.
This is where the problems started.
I now periodically get random "dwm.exe has stopped working" errors on startup. This disables the Aero theme. Usually, restarting fixes this and I could go for hours fine.
Another issue thats been confusing me is that everything will vanish from the screen and itll get filled with a different color depending on what programs I have open. For instance, if the error occurs when I have Steam open, the screens fills with that green color that Steam is. If I have the control panel open, it fills with that greyish blue. The only way to fix this is to shut down by holding my power button and resetting the whole system.
Last but not least, all flash videos were running very choppy this morning. This only occurred once and was fixed after reboot. However, after the reboot, I got the dwm.exe error followed shortly after by the screen being filled with color. At this point, I reboot in safe mode and rolled back the video drivers to 8.651. Reboot and again I got the dwm.exe error. For the last time, I reboot and everything started up fine. Now Im at work so I cant tinker with it until I get home.
This is what Im running with:
Gigabyte GA-P55-UD4P motherboard (BIOS f4t)
Intel Core i5 750 processor
Radeon HD5850 (Sapphire)
G.Skill Ripjaws 4GB (2x 2GB)
Antec EA 650 Power Supply
Windows 7 64bit
I regret ever updating the drivers and BIOS because that seems to be what started this whole thing. Its quite frustrating.
Any ideas? Could there be something else in that Catalyst Suite package other than the video drivers thats causing an issue?
Hazaro said:Unless you feel like paying more for an average 0.5%-1% gain.
I really couldn't recommend expensive RAM to anyone.
@Salaadin - I'd try going back to your old drivers. I'm personally hesitant about updating my display drivers unless I need to.
I bumped back to the old drivers this morning but still got the "dwm.exe stopped working" error immediately after reboot. I didnt have time to tinker further than that to see if the other problems would pop up.
alisdair said:
Idle temps were low 30s. Prime 95 for 25 mins brought them up to 65ish.
Memtest86 was run last week before any of the problems started. I only had it go thru a single pass, though. No errors there. Ill try letting it run for a few passes tonight and see what comes out of it.
Sorry, didn't catch that line.Salaadin said:
Not really sure what else to do besides deleting the file and running a Windows repair (would that work?)
Just bouncing off ideas here.
Maybe turn off Aero, shut down, and then start up and enable Aero and see if that helps.
PopcornMegaphone
Banned
By calling MS directly at 1.877.696.7786 (option 1) I was able to get Windows 7 Professional FULL for less than 40 dollars shipped using the student discount. According to slickdeals.net the offer can depend on the operator you get. Some just refer you to the website, which only offers the upgrade version. You may have to call several times, but I got it on my first try.
Good luck!
edit - I got a receipt email from MS, which confirms it's full, not the upgrade version.
Good luck!
edit - I got a receipt email from MS, which confirms it's full, not the upgrade version.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...38-DB71-4C1B-BC6A-9B6652CD92A3&displaylang=enSalaadin said:
Use this to download the newest version of DirectX, see if that helps.
Dead Prince
Banned
Okay. i'm at work but my package should be here later today and will start tonight.
About Reapplying Thermal paste. I take out the chip and wipe off the old paste? I read you use Rubbing alcohol. is that correct? or is there another product or way to do so.
The fan that brain_stew recommended has paste included. is that a good one to use? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004
About Reapplying Thermal paste. I take out the chip and wipe off the old paste? I read you use Rubbing alcohol. is that correct? or is there another product or way to do so.
The fan that brain_stew recommended has paste included. is that a good one to use? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004
MWS Natural
Member
Is there an updated PC build thread somewhere? A friend of a friend wants me to put together a PC for them and I was looking for some ideas. Any PC builders in here, what do you guys usually charge? $200?
DMPrince said:
I picked this up on amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007TOR08/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Comes with paste and cleaner.
brain_stew
Member
brain_stew
Member
Teetris said:
Buy froma decent brand and you'll be fine, the super fast, low latency stuff is only relevant for hardcore OCers.
Corsair, Crucial, Mushkin, G. Skill and OCZ are all good.
Dead Prince
Banned
are DDR2 Dual Channel Ram better than Single?
I have 2x 1GB DDR2 Dual Channel Ram in my PC and 2x 1GB DDR2 Ram.
I have 2x 1GB DDR2 Dual Channel Ram in my PC and 2x 1GB DDR2 Ram.
Minsc
Gold Member
TheKurgan said:
LGA1156 = Core i5 750 ($200)/i7 860 ($290)/i7 870 ($550). No upgrade path. You do get a downgrade path in the future to the 32nm Clarkdales (2 core, integrated graphics).
Pros: Turbo mode boosts CPU when not all 4 cores are used (on all CPUs). Also uses less power when idle.
Cons: i750 only has 4 threads, not hyper threaded. Still pretty expensive compared to Phenom IIs for not much more gaming performance.
LGA1366 = Core i7 920 ($290)/i7 960 ($590)/i7 975 ($1000). Will later see the 32nm Core i9 line (6 cores/12 threads) "Gulftown." Likely to retail for ~$1000
Pros: All chips are hyper-threaded, workstation class hardware.
Cons: Much more expensive. i7s lack aggressive turbo mode (i9s should remedy that).
Edit: Also, the Core i7 920 is/will soon be EOL'd (discontinued). So entry price to the platform will be ~$600, making it almost completely out of the question.
are there any entry-level p55 motherboards that for-certain don't have the foxconn sockets? i know lots of folk think it isn't an issue unless you're really cranking the overclocking, but i'd prefer to have more flawless construction in general.
also: are the differences between different onboard audio worth noting if you're not doing recording? i have relatively good headphones and (two) speakers.
also: are the differences between different onboard audio worth noting if you're not doing recording? i have relatively good headphones and (two) speakers.
I'm guessing Team Group INC isn't included in there? I actually only bought it because it had neat packaging. :lol Anyway, one of them is preventing the PC from starting, just gets a black screen. Going to memtest the other 3.brain_stew said:
The 150 RAM was a pair of 1GB Corsair sticks that had something around the RAM.Zaraki_Kenpachi said:
Mine's the following: Team Group Elite. 4x 1GB DDRII800Mhz. CL= 5-5-5-15.
1 stick is now down, only 3 left. I shall just buy from Corsair next time.
Combichristoffersen
Combovers don't work when there is no hair
Say, do stock coolers for newer CPUs come with thermal paste, and if so, is it already applied to the cooler? If it does come with thermal paste applied, should I just leave it be, or should I remove it and apply some other thermal paste/thermal grease?
Combichristoffersen
Combovers don't work when there is no hair
Teetris said:
Ah, thanks. Ordered a quad core Phenom II, so I assume there's thermal paste on its cooler then :lol
MWS Natural
Member
No $200 to charge someone to build a pc for them.Firestorm said:
TrAcEr_x90
Member
Got my 5770 today. After work Imma try to install it. God I hope it fits in the case.
lowlylowlycook
Member
Minsc said:
Which applications make the best use of hyperthreading?
Minsc
Gold Member
lowlylowlycook said:
There's some good charts here.
Like this one:
Really gives you a sense of how much faster the Intel CPUs are over the AMD Phenoms.
Mainly it's physics, and media (graphics/video) related software, as well as compression programs.
As you can see, for programs that use the threads, the improvement is pretty drastic vs a single thread... even on same speed CPUs. Compare the Core i5 740 (4 cores, 4 threads + turbo) against the similarly clocked, core i7 920 (4 cores, 8 threads, no turbo).
Note particularly how the core i5 beats the i7 at one threaded performance, but loses at multi-threaded to see the point driven home.
I ran memtest86 for a little while longer, testing each stick by itself so I could narrow down the problem if there was any. Stick 1 went thru 4 passes with no problems. Stick 2 got errors almost immediately after starting the test.
Anything I can do other than return it? Im assuming newegg would want both sticks back, leaving me PC less for a while? How fast are they at getting replacements out?
Its one month to the day today so hopefully they still let me return it.
Edit: turns out it is not eligible for return anymore but they said its still under manufacturers warranty. Time to contact GSKill I guess.
Anything I can do other than return it? Im assuming newegg would want both sticks back, leaving me PC less for a while? How fast are they at getting replacements out?
Its one month to the day today so hopefully they still let me return it.
Edit: turns out it is not eligible for return anymore but they said its still under manufacturers warranty. Time to contact GSKill I guess.
You'll need to send back both sticks. It's a 'kit'. But you can ask G.Skill since you don't have any other memory.Salaadin said:
My return with G.Skill was great, didn't even need proof of purchase.
Just sent them RAM in a box, and after it arrived, got it back in 2 days (I'm next to them in CA through), but a 1 day turnaround is great.
*Only 1 day past warranty? I'd call again and ask newegg really nicely :lol
Chris Remo
Member
Somewhat on impulse, last night I placed orders for enough parts to nearly build a new PC--i5 750 with corresponding motherboard and 4GB of RAM, and an OEM copy of Windows 7 Professional. I'm going to hang on to my existing 4870 video card, which means I'll be constrained in that department, but I think I'll be fine with it for a while.
I had already ordered a new modular PSU, and I figured since I would have to basically disconnect everything to install that anyway, I might as well just do the rest of my upgrade now rather than wait a few months as previously planned.
I'm also going to attempt to install Windows 7 onto a spare 32GB solid state drive I have lying around, then use the hard drives I have in my current PC for games and other applications. Has anyone tried anything like this before? I don't see any reason it wouldn't work.
I had already ordered a new modular PSU, and I figured since I would have to basically disconnect everything to install that anyway, I might as well just do the rest of my upgrade now rather than wait a few months as previously planned.
I'm also going to attempt to install Windows 7 onto a spare 32GB solid state drive I have lying around, then use the hard drives I have in my current PC for games and other applications. Has anyone tried anything like this before? I don't see any reason it wouldn't work.
I already emailed Gskill the form. I saw on there they say to list 1/2 or 1/3 if you arent sending back a completed kit so Im going to try that.
Its still ok to run Win7 64bit on 2GBs of ram right? Also, are the issues Im having typically RAM related? Is it safe to assume that the RAM is the problem and I dont have to troubleshoot something else?
Im going to try running on the 2GBs only right now and see if I can duplicate the issues.
Its still ok to run Win7 64bit on 2GBs of ram right? Also, are the issues Im having typically RAM related? Is it safe to assume that the RAM is the problem and I dont have to troubleshoot something else?
Im going to try running on the 2GBs only right now and see if I can duplicate the issues.
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
Your OS is generally going to feel a lot more responsive but your app load times might not see as much of an improvement. I would also look into an SSD with the new Windows 7 TRIM feature, otherwise you'll start to notice degraded performance over time.Chris Remo said:
Yeah, test and see if that gives you errors. 2gb ram is the minimum requirement for 64-bit win7 so you're fine. Though if it's yet another problem causing those errors I would think you were one unlucky SOB.Salaadin said:
I didn't know Gskill did that type of policy. Last time I had to send sticks in to them, it was about a week and a half turn around. Really quite easy and pleasant though.
Dead Prince
Banned
i want to throw my PC out the door :\
Got the CPU cooler but it's so hard to attach it to the retention bracket. there must be an easier way.
Got the CPU cooler but it's so hard to attach it to the retention bracket. there must be an easier way.
So, I'm following HardOCP's HP slimline thread and some people there managed to install the 9800GT LP into a slim HP case. :lol
Now that you've stopped laughing, I'm planning to do a similar project. However, they said that the 9800GT LP gets pretty hot, so I was wondering if there are 3rd party fans and heatsinks I can install for LP cards. Any ideas?
Now that you've stopped laughing, I'm planning to do a similar project. However, they said that the 9800GT LP gets pretty hot, so I was wondering if there are 3rd party fans and heatsinks I can install for LP cards. Any ideas?
MWS Natural
Member
Teetris said:
lol...no $200 to CHARGE TO BUILD IT for them, not for the cost of the PC.
I should be doing hw
Member
Can someone recommend a good keyboard and mouse combo? Or is just a Microsoft one good enough?