Search results

  1. M

    HTPC build...do you guys see any issues?

    I'm about to put together an living room HTPC to stream 1080p content and perhaps play some blu-ray media. Since I've traditionally used Intel parts for my builds, I'm not entirely comfortable that the mobo, CPU and RAM I've selected will play well together. I also wanted to make sure that the...
  2. M

    proposed system build..do you see any glaring problems?

    I'm about to put together an HTPC. Since I've traditionally used Intel parts for my builds, I'm not entirely comfortable that the mobo, CPU and RAM I've selected will play well together. Does this build list look compatible? GIGABYTE GA-880GMA-UD2H AM3 AMD 880G Patriot 4GB (2 x 2GB)...
  3. M

    which intel chipset for quad core compatibility

    I'm looking to build a core duo system. I don't do RAID or overclock, so all I really want from my mobo is stability and some measure of upgradability. Which chipset motherboard do you recommend for an E6300 rig? Thanks Edited to add that I'm looking for a chipset with at least one...
  4. M

    best SATA cables?

    My old SATA cables never did a great job of staying in their respective hard drives. Is there a newer cable design that does a better job of staying put? Thanks!
  5. M

    Intel 865PE SATA 3 compatible?

    My motherboard is about 3 years old and has several SATA connections. Would there be any problem putting a SATA 3.0Gb/s hard drive in there? Also, can SATA hard drives be daisy chained like IDE drives? Thanks and Happy Holidays!
  6. M

    how important is 64 bit?

    I was considering getting an X2 4400 (AM socket) but have been told the E6300 is the better value. Won't I be losing 64 bit support by switching to the Duo? and how important is that?
  7. M

    is there a gfx card buyers guide thread?

    I'm looking for the best vid card $300 can buy. I assume there is a sticky somewhere answering this question? Bueller?
  8. M

    Please validate my PC upgrade shopping list!!

    I'm finally going to upgrade my ancient P4 rig to an AM2. I'll be re-using my case, PSU, hard/optical drives, sound card, nic card. Everything else get's a refresh: GIGABYTE GA-M57SLI-Motherboard $132.99 BFG Tech GeForce 7950GT $269.99 Crucial Technology 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2...
  9. M

    GeForce 6800 GT high temps?

    I've had this Leadtek 6800 GT for over a year now and its been great. Recently, though my system has started to crash when playing 3D shooters (HL Episosde 1 is the main culprit, although there have been others). I've tried ratcheting down my AA, Anisotropic and resolution to no avail. According...
  10. M

    GeForce 6800 GT high temps?

    I've had this Leadtek 6800 GT for over a year now and its been great. Recently, though my system has started to crash when playing 3D shooters (HL Episosde 1 is the main culprit, although there have been others). I've tried ratcheting down my AA, Anisotropic and resolution to no avail. According...
  11. M

    which Dell laptop for media center

    A co-worker is looking to buy a dell laptop to use as a media center. I'm a PC gamer so all this laptop/media center stuff is greek to me... Anyway, he wants to use it to primarily to stream audio and as a DVR (to record digital cable TV onto the hard drive). He's looking at the either the...
  12. M

    MSI K8N-SLI or ABIT KN8 SLI

    I know everybody hates this "which mobo should I get threads", but my pansy ass needs some final validation before I click the Submit Order button. Whatever mobo I pick will be paired with an X2 3800+ and 1GB of DDR333. I plan on upgrading to 2GB of DDR400 in a few months when I have more...
  13. M

    home wiring

    Just moved into a brand new house. I want to wire each room with Cat5e cable which should not be a problem since I have access via an unfinished basement. I did notice that the cables that have been run to each phone jack use 5e cabling. This surprised me since 5e is rated for gigabit...
  14. M

    what speed DDR should I get?

    System is going to be a socket 939 based X2 3800+. What speed DDR do I need to get the maximum performance from this setup?
  15. M

    Buy now or wait for Socket AM-2

    I was about to pull to the trigger on an nForce SLI mobo and an X2 3800+ when I read that socket AM-2 is going to hit the street in Q2. I'm leaning towards waiting for the AM-2 version to come out. My reasoning is thus: I'd like the option to upgrade my CPU one more time without a mobo...
  16. M

    is this PSU socket 939 compatible?

    I have an 350W Antec SmartPower PSU that I'm using in a P4 Northwood system. Can this same PSU power a socket 939 based mobo? Thanks!
  17. M

    most stable socket 939 mobo?

    I'm not an overclocker and put a premium on system stability. I'm wondering what is the most stable SLI and non-SLI solutions for AMD are. Thanks much!
  18. M

    best value for a dual-core solution

    Hi gang. I'm looking at upgrading from a P4 2.66 GHz to a dual-core solution and am trying to get a feel for whether I should go with AMD or Intel. I do lots of gaming, and I understand that dual-core offers no gaming benefits at this time. However, I do lots of CGI, and a dual core chip...
  19. M

    most powerful 802.11B router

    I'm looking for a 802.11b router with lots of range. I'm gonna be setting up a wireless network for a friend who has a rather large 2 story house. Router will reside on the second floor. I have the D-Link 614+ (the one with a single antenna) and I am not impressed with its range. Can someone...
  20. M

    best option for increasing wireless signal strength?

    I have a d-link DI-614+ wireless router sitting in my finished basement. Signal strength on the ground floor is inconsistent. Its fine in the dining and living rooms but in my bedroom, depending on which direction I have the laptop situated, strength drops to 20%. Is this a case where...
  21. M

    Which brand NIC for DI-614+ wireless router?

    Just ordered a D-Link wireless router and was wondering if it is recommended I get a wireless NIC that is the same brand? Stability is a top issue, so should I stick with a D-Link NIC or can I get any NIC as long as it is also 802.11b? In either case, which wireless NIC do you guys recommend...
  22. M

    need to setup wireless LAN for parents-in-law

    The in-laws are finally going to dump AOL and are getting roadrunner cable. Now I have to set them up with a wireless/wired network. At least one PC will be hardwired into the router, and 2 more will be wireless (on a different floor in the house). So my questions are: 1) Do I want 802.11b...
  23. M

    Get Canon A70 or wait?

    The a70 appears to fit my specs for a DC quite well. 3.2 MP, mostly point and click, but some custom modes available too. The problem is its size. Its seems to hefty to me. I dont want to plunk down $400 for a an ultra-compact, so what am I to do? Is Canon coming out with something new...
  24. M

    Logitech Z-340 speakers $29.99 AR at BB

    Just picked these up from BB. They normally run $49.99 before rebate. Great sound quality, highly recommended for those looking for a 2.1 solution linkified
  25. M

    how does dual channel DDR work?

    According to the manual for my 865G mobo (Shuttle), both sticks of RAM must be the same size or dual channel will not run correctly. Does this sound right? Currently, I've got 2 sticks of crucial PC2700 in there, one is 512 the other is 256. Should I get rid of the 512 and replace it with a...
  26. M

    Shuttle XPC keeps rebooting

    I just bought my first Shuttle product, the SB61G2 which uses the 865G chipset. Anyway, I threw a 2.66/533 Ghz CPU, 1 stick of 512MB Crucial PC2700 (non-ECC) and an ATI Radeon 9000 in it. I'm using the onboard LAN and audio so my PCI slot is empty. HD is a Western Digital 20GB. In the 2 days...
  27. M

    Disable DDR dual channel?

    I didn't know I needed 2 sticks of DDR for the 865G chipset so I only ordered 1 stick of RAM. Is there anyway to temporarily have the mobo run with only one stick? I'm waiting for my second stick to ship from Crucial.
  28. M

    what DDR speed for P4?

    I'm a total noob when it comes to DDR speeds and how they jive with the FSB of the mobo. If I'm running a 2.66/533 P4, do I want 2700 or 3200 DDR? Thanks
  29. M

    which speed DDR for a P4 2.66 Ghz?

    I'm a total noob when it comes to DDR speeds and how they jive with the FSB of the mobo. If I'm running a 2.66/533 P4, do I want 2700 or 3200 DDR? Thanks!
  30. M

    when to buy ATI vid card?

    I want to buy a vid card to replace my Radeon 9000. I can only really afford the 9500 Pro right now but I'd rather get something faster to run DOOM III and HL II nice and fast. Is ATI gonna release any new cards soon so that existing prices will drop? My system is a P4 2.66 Ghz BTW. Thanks.
  31. M

    Realtek audio quality with Shuttle?

    I'm about to buy the shuttle SB61G2 which comes with onboard Realtek ALC650 six channel audio. I currently have an Audigy but would like to get rid of it if the Realtek audio is decent. I use headphones when I game so multiple channels is not super important to me. Does Realtek support EAX...
  32. M

    which intel chipset supports DDR400?

    Stupid question I'm sure, but there have been so many damn chipsets released in 2002, that I'm having a hard time figuring which ones support DDR400.
  33. M

    Overclockability of P4 2.4 and 2.53

    I've tried to find info on how overclockable these 2 chips are but no luck. They are both the 533 version. Could either one make it to 3 GHz with air-cooling alone? Thanks.
  34. M

    which P4 + mobo?

    I've been out of the game for a while and I need the experts on this forum to clue me in on what rig to build. I'm hoping to get a new P4, mobo and DDR RAM for $400-$600. I'm looking at the 2.53G and the 2.4BG but can't tell if one might be more overclocker friendly than the other. What does...
  35. M

    update on Amazon Kitchen GC promo

    Has anyone received their $30 GC for buying $50 worth of kitchen and housewares? This is not to be confused with Amazon's current "spend $99, get $20 GC" promotion. The sale I'm talking about was running approximately 5 weeks ago. I placed my order on August 27th, and have yet to receive my...