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    Time to build a new rig! It's been 5 years -- I'd love to get your advice.

    Hi guys, With the impending excitement of new games like Mechwarrior Online, Hawken, D3, etc., I'm thinking it's time for me to build a new rig. My last one was a Q6600 and it served me faithfully, but let it be known that after 5 years is time for one to retire. I'm a designer/developer so I...
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    Most affordable way to securely store 5+ TB?

    Hi guys, My friend is a photographer and needs to securely store at least 5 tb of data. He's not stuffed with money so I'm trying to think of a good way to store that (with backup) in the most reasonable budget possible. This machine doesn't have to always be on but I'm trying to think of...
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    How to determine which device is causing BSOD?

    Hi guys, I hope this isn't too annoying and typical of a question... but what's the best way of determining what device is causing you a BSOD? Does Windows 7 have any sort of error logger that tells you this kind of thing? I've always done this based on hunches and there has to be a better...
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    Windows 7 Taskbar Click Behavior?

    Hello, I never thought that I'd be posting on Anandtech about Windows... but here I am :) Anyway, is there any way to make the Windows 7 taskbar function like OSX's dock when you click on an icon? In practice, this would mean that if you click on your explorer window group, all of...
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    Windows 7 (64-bit) won't load w/ 8 gigs of RAM?

    Hi guys, I recently upgraded to Windows 7 (yay), and was inspired to bump up my RAM from from 4 gb to 8 gb since it was finally a possibility. I bought a second, identical pair of G-Skill DDR2-1066 2 gb modules and plugged them in... and the system POST's, starts to load Windows, then does...
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    Three Beeps, no POST... what to do?

    Greetings. So the latest thing on my list of computer dysfunctions... is that it doesn't turn on anymore. When I press the power button, my computer now beeps three times, then turns off... then 5 seconds later tries to turn back on again, beeps 3 times, etc. I've tried disconnecting the...
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    MOBO dead?

    Hey guys, I came home and my computer wouldn't turn on... no POST beep, nothing. The fans are still turning but that's it. Do you think it's mobo or cpu? I tried another power supply and that didn't do anything. And, if it's a mobo issue... what would you recommend as a replacement? I'm...
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    Corruption, Crashes, Stop Errors, Oh My!

    So... my home PC is going downhill. I'm getting stop errors, corruption errors, and program crashes, which are all recent. I'm hoping this is a driver issue, but I'd very much appreciate some feedback. Here's the history of any recent system changes, followed by system specs. 1)...
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    X-FI Gamer -- Can't control sound via windows?

    Hey guys, I just built a new rig and I'm running an X-Fi Gamer for my sound card. This is moving up from an Audigy 2 on my old computer, and I have some questions / annoyances. 1) When I switch to "game mode" or a game does it automatically, I can no longer control the volume via windows...
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    500 Watts enough for my system?

    I hate asking this now, but do you guys think that 500 watts is enough for my current system? I already bought it, which makes me feel kind of foolish for asking, but I did some numbers and I'm a worried that I'll be cutting it kind of close with this setup. I read that the Q6600 under full...
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    Q6600 build POST error w/ EVGA 8800 GTS 640 mb

    Hey guys, This is my third topic in regard to my new computer, which I finally got running this evening (hooray!). I haven't got to install any real software (photoshop, flash, etc) but from doing the necessary windows updates and some diagnostics and benchmarking (like HD Tune) I can already...
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    Just built a computer -- but I only get a BIOS beep code

    Hey guys, I just built a system tonight and unfortunately it's not working yet. I've built one system in the past (twice) and it's been ok, so I'm just partially a n00b at this. Here's the problem: when I power on, I get no display and just a BIOS beep code. It goes long-short-short (the last...
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    Q6600 Build -- Your quick thoughts?

    Hey guys, This build was based on an E6600 system that I was going to build until I heard about the upcoming price cuts. Could you please recommend any changes... or give it a thumbs up to purchase on the 22nd? The goal is to build a multimedia system for ~$1500. I am also going to do a...
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    Rate this wishlist?

    Hey guys, I hope this link works: https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.asp?ID=5206832 Otherwise, here's a somewhat annoying list. ------------------ COOLER MASTER Centurion 534 RC-534-KKN2-GP Black Aluminum & Mesh bezel / SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower...
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    Quick Stupid Question

    That's the only question :) Is Core2Duo 64-bit? I'm thinking about my future Vista-machine, and from the latest article here, it looks like the 64-bit Vista functioned a lot better. Plus I just assumed everything post Athlon-64 made the move by default. Yay? Nay? Thanks!
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    Upgrading to Core Duo on a budget

    Hey guys, I'm currently running a Northwood P4 2.8 with 2 gb of XMS DDR 3200 and RAID 0's seagates. I think I have a 480 watt power supply at the moment. Anyway, I'm thinking about upgrading to a Core Duo, and I have a few questions. First...
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    Samsung 215 TW at 65.4khz

    Hey guys, I have a Samsung 215TW, and for one reason or another it won't change from 60 to 75 hz even though the option is available (via Catalyst Control Center). Also, in the monitor menu it says that it's at 65.4 khz... does that sound right? My previous displays never mentioned khz so I'm...
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    Getting the most out of an E6600

    Hey guys, I plan to buy a Core 2 Duo system in the near future, and after a lot of research, the E6600 or E6400 seem like the best value. However, I am open to the idea of some very conservative, stable overclocking to make the best of these processors. Unless I'm mistaken, without additional...
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    Radeon 1900 XTX vs 1900 XT?

    Hey guys, Just curious -- is there any significant (or any difference period) between the performance of the XTX and XT? I've looked around for comparison benchmarks here, at xbit, and tom's hardware... no such luck. If anyone could provide me with a list of key differences... perhaps...
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    Some questions about upgrading RAM

    Hey Guys, I recently added another 1 Gb of memory to my system (Corsair XMS 3200 512x2), and it wasn't the life-changing upgrade that I expected it to be. I'm currently running a Northwood 2.8, 2 gb ram, w/ RAID0 SATA Seagate 160gb HDDs. I never see my system use more than 1 GB at once, and...
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    DVD Drive not reading... anything.

    Hey guys, A friend of mine recently returned from a trip to find that her optical drive no longer reads... well... anything! She's tried a bunch of stuff, but I'm thinking that the drive itself decided to crap out and die. Ideally, I'd like her to try it on someone else's PC to see for sure...
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    Laptop bombing my network with packets (pt2)

    Hey guys, I've had an unresolved issue for about five months now regarding my roommate's laptop. He seems to have a virus, worm, or something of the like that's been bombing out packets at an insane rate even after we reformatted the thing. After being plugged in for, oh, six hours, it's...
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    Best Laptop Manufacturers?

    Hey guys, I bought a laptop from ABSPC a while ago, but they stopped making a really wide range of systems... so, out of curiosity, what have you guys found to be the most diverse vendors for notebook PCs? I'm always interested in seeing what new models are being cranked out... and I'd like...
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    Will I have enough power for a 6600 GT?

    Hey guys, My friend's running a HP Pavillion a250n and it's only got a 250 watt power supply, but he's in desperate need for a new graphics card, and the XFX PVT43AND GeForce 6600 GT seems to be the best deal for the time being. So, the question is, do you think he'll be able to run this...
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    Getting the most out of Windows XP

    Hey there, I'd really like it if people could suggest free utitilies that I and the rest of mankind could use and cherish for our aging OS, Windows XP. I know that there is a stickied post for a similar topic, but I'm looking for smaller programs, such as desktop calendars, better power...
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    Laptop won't detect any hardware

    Hey guys, My friend's laptop has decided it does not want to acknowledge any hardware except for the CD drive, and I'm really curious as to its cause. The device manager will not display anything (at all), and devices such as the ethernet port will not function. She's on an Administrator...
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    Computer sending packets like a bastard

    Hey guys, My roommate's computer is sending packets like a racehorse... in a few minutes, he's already sent 300 million of them. We suspected a virus, but even after a reformat, an installation of norton, the newest windows XP updates, etc... it's still doing it. Do you guys have any ideas...
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    Formatting a RAID 0 partition?

    Hey guys and girls, I've had this computer for a year and a half, so I think it's due time for a reformatting. However, I tried my normal process of booting from the XP pro CD and going to the make/delete partition menu, but my harddrives aren't listed! I'm running a RAID 0 array with two 160...
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    Is it OK to leave notebooks running constantly?

    Hey guys (and girls), I received an ABS ZFORCE-F2 a few months ago, and I've been using it for just about everything, but I'm still paranoid about the concept of leaving the system plugged into an AC outlet for several days straight, with the computer running in a normal fashion (not in...
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    Sound problems

    Hello again, I built a computer a month or so ago for my brother, and from the get-go, its onboard sound didn't work. Here're the specs real quick: Athlon XP 3000+ Abit AN-7 Radeon 9600 pro 512 Kingston PC3200 Soundblaster Live! (yes, it's five years old) So anyway, shouldn't...
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    Hard drive has no letter?

    Hey guys, I installed a hard drive on my friend's computer a while ago, and it refuses to show up with a letter. Checking device manager, you can see that the hardware is connected, but no volume is assigned. Is there a way to format or assign this hard drive a letter, or did I get some...
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    Wireless connection cuts out every few minutes

    Hey there, I have a D-Link DI-514 802.11b router that prettymuch works as it should... except the connection dies every minute or so, then resets itself seconds later. This is, obviously, quite annoying, and my knowledge of networking hardware is somewhat limited. Is this a fixable problem, or...
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    Has anyone seen this PDA keyboard?

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=38336&item=3079658504#ebayphotohosting Hey, I'm getting a Palm Zire pretty soon (it was a free sort of dealy) and I'd like to have a keyboard to go with it. However, most name-brand keyboards are pretty expensive, and the old Palm models...
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    Making a secondary home network?

    Hey there, I'm trying to make a separate wireless network in my household (aside from our phoneline network) but I really have no idea what I'm doing. I bought a D-LINK 514 wireless router, and connected it to an ethernet port in my Ehterfast Cable/DSL Router (Linksys). Well, that didn't work...
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    IBM T20 Problem - Won't turn on at all :(

    Hey guys, My mom's IBM T20, one month after the extended parts and warranty ended, decided to completely die. You press the power, and the drive will "rev" up for about half a second, then the machine will just power off. You can't get to any sort of system response, the screen won't turn on...
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    Two RAID 0 hD's + One non-RAID ... Possible?

    Hey guys, I'm getting a computer in pretty soon that has two RAID 0 configured SATA hard drives, and I'm wondering if I'll be able to plug in my ATA Hd in to get my files off of it. Will there be any trouble, or should it work OK? Thanks, -Doodler
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    College Computer - Wait for Prescott (or Hammer), or buy now?

    Hey guys, I'm looking for my college computer, and I'm bummed out that Intel and AMD's new lines of chips arent coming out this summer. So, I'm wondering whether I should get a high-end (3.0 ghz p4 800 mhz fsb etc) desktop now, or get a cheap laptop and wait for the new systems to arrive. All...