Recent content by Aepheme

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    Just bought a 7870 for $220 AR -- good option?

    Thanks for all the advice on this everyone... bought a new PSU: CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 600W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC from Newegg ($60 - $20 MIR = $40 AR). Returned the graphics card and about to pull the trigger on that 660 TI mentioned above (for $205). Looks...
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    Just bought a 7870 for $220 AR -- good option?

    Had a few parts laying around from an old system: ASRock X58 Extreme i7-930 6GB of PC3 12800 (3x2GB) An old 400W powersupply Wanted to build out a decent system at the lowest possible cost, so picked up a: Diamond HD7870 2GB ($239 w/ $20 MIR = $219 AR) 120GB Samsung 840 SSD ($99)...
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    Do you recognize this screw?

    It's from a brand new ASRock X58 Extreme motherboard (used to hold the heatsinks down). The one on the left is broken... (arggh!) It's kind of a flanged design where the flange catches on the back of the motherboard, and must be pinched together to remove. Anyone know where I could find a...
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    Can using an old / underpowered PSU cause damages?

    Just wondering... I'm about to put together a new build (i7 920, Radeon HD 5850, single hard drive, nothing else), and I think I'm just going to use my old Free-After-Rebate "500w" PSU: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/465/1/ Worst case scenario is: I get random crashes / instability when I...
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    Good Time to Build?

    Thanks for all the input! I ended up weighing some of the options and buying parts. :) Probably not the best idea (it's so easy to keep on justifying as you climb the budget -> premium ladder), but I'm looking forward to putting it all together when everything arrives in a few days...
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    Buying an i7 920... should I select a specific chip?

    Thanks for the info, everyone! Exactly what I needed to know... So, it's a loss leader for them? Wow. I'm surprised. For those who have been there recently, are there any HSFs they carry in-stock that are a good value? I guess I can just order on-line... they probably mark them up...
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    Buying an i7 920... should I select a specific chip?

    I was at my local Micro Center yesterday and saw they had a bunch of i7 920s in stock for $229. I'm unsure how a B&M is selling this processor for so much cheaper than all the online places, but it converted me over from my previous choice of the i5 750. Anyway, should I look for a certain UPC...
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    Good Time to Build?

    I never thought I'd admit this, but after building a new system almost every year until 2006, I've been on a bit of a hiatus... 100% satisfied with the speed of my 4yr old laptop. I can browse the web, use office apps, and stream media to my PS3. The rare time I have for gaming I've used...
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    How to Bridge Wireless Internet with Static Home Network?

    Adam -- great point! I just bought one off Amazon for $9. A way better solution than spending hours trying to figure this out. Thanks for bringing me back to reality. :)
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    How to Bridge Wireless Internet with Static Home Network?

    I recently bought a Brother MFC-440CN. I don't have any empty USB ports on my laptop, so I thought I'd connect it via LAN (on my old Dell 700m). I was able to setup the printer successfully: 1) Set the Wired LAN Connection to a static IP of 192.168.25.10 2) Set the printer to a static IP...
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    Must Push "On Button" Multiple Times to Start (!?!)

    I've got to push the power button multiple times for my computer to start up. Usually I just mash it furiously for about 10 seconds, and it'll eventually power up. No other problems. In one of my less impatient moods, it seemed like the lights / fans would come on VERY BRIEFLY after I hit the...
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    USB Power Surge Killing Dance Pads?

    I built my computer last Spring and haven't really paid much attention to it since then. It holds up fairly well: Geforce 7600 GS, Fortran 450W, 3700+, and EP-9NPA+ Ultra. Recently, I decided to try out some DDR (yes, late adopter, I know). I purchased these two pads from BNS. The major...
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    2007WFP gradient banding

    2007WFP Banding? That's my 2007WFP. The banding is most distinct in the gray, less so in the green. Negligible in blue and red. Honestly, though, I had to turn my brightness up to 100% (I usually keep it on 40%). And I had to close all the blinds in the room. And it still doesn't look...
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    Geforce 7600 GS Overclocking Results

    More like $200 performance for $100... I *wish* it was on par with a 7900. ;-) Anyone else with cards in a similar ($80-$120) price range? What type of performance are you seeing? What type of overclocks?
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    Geforce 7600 GS Overclocking Results

    Yeah, I was surprised at the low clock on the RAM. A firingsquad review complained about how they used GDDR2 instead of GDDR3, effectively halving the bandwidth. Anyone else out there with a comparable budget card? Share your benches!