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    Your experience with "upgrading" motherboards

    Hi guys, I'm thinking about "upgrading" my current Intel Classic mobo to an Asus P5Q. I would prefer to just switch the two and boot since I'd like to keep all my old files and settings. I am a bit leery this would corrupt my Vista Ultimate installation, however. What are your experiences...
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    My beef with Arctic Cooling Silencers

    I want to know who else has experienced similarly... I've had experience with 3 different AC Silencers and my complaint is their longevity. The ones I've used are Arctic Silencer Revision 2 (on ATI 9800 Pro), Arctic Silencer Revision 3 (again on 9800 Pro), and NV Silencer 5 (on nVidia...
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    ummm HELP!!...why don't these match? mobo 2-pin Power LED != case 3-pin connector

    I've built many computers and have noticed the same problem... The 9 pins on every mobo for case switches/leds always allocate 2 pins to the power LED. Yet the cases always seem to have their power LED connector fit THREE pins! What is up with this???? :|
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    Anybody use Arctic Silver Alumina Thermal Adhesive?

    I've been thinking about glueing my Zalman NB cooler to my mobo so I don't have to use the clip anymore. Besides, the current AS5 is good but the heatsink can still shift around a bit. Has anybody done this but later regretted it? What else is this adhesive good for?
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    Anyone else experience BUZZING Panaflos L1As???

    When I hook up my 80mm Panaflos to my fan controller, turning down the fan speed even a LITTLE causes an annoying buzzing noise. At very slow fan speeds, the fan blades just stop and emit a clicking noise. This phenomenon happens only with certain fan controllers, but also only with certain...
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    What is the 3D structure of the sulfate ion? tosylate?

    My gut instinct is that sulfate is naturally planar, especially when it's part of a tosylate, but am I wrong? Could it be tetrahedral? Sulfur has the ability to establish 6 bonds by having some of its electrons occupy the d orbital (but I have no idea what the d orbitals look like!). In case...
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    How cool does your Northbridge need to be?

    I have an ECS nForce4-A754 mobo running an Athlon 64 3000. The mobo came with a noisy as hell northbridge fan, so I bought this one to replace it. It's great that it's silent, but it gets really hot (too hot to touch). Is it OK that I leave it like this? Or should I find a way to...
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    Thinking about widescreen...2405fpw possibly?

    Currently have a 19" sony LCD. The X-Brite technology is lovely. At some point in the future, perhaps when the right deal comes along, I might spring for a widescreen monitor. It seems like the Dell 2005FPW and the 2405FPW are solid candidates. Is a 2005FPW really any better than a very...
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    I'm beginning to think that a 6800GT is overkill on my Athlon XP 2500+ system...

    I have an nForce2 mobo with an Athlon XP 2500+ Barton...thinking about upgrading my current 9800pro to a 6800 Nvidia. While the extra cash for the 6800GT AGP version isn't too big a deal, is it worth it on my current setup? Have to consider the performance gains of an unlockable 6800 NU too...
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    Are CD wallets really that bad?

    I have a ton of cds/dvds that I store in wallets. Now, I've been told that the best way to store discs is using either spindles, jewel cases, or Tyvek sleeves. Wallets supposedly warp your discs. Is this true and should I really switch away from wallets?
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    Whoa...is this fan too good to be true?

    OK I was looking to buy a fan off of SVC and noticed this one: http://svc.com/al9025-4ld2.html Now, if you've purchased several fans and actually cared about its specs, then the above mentioned should open your eyes. 12 dBa AND 38.4 CFM? Seems a bit too optimistic IMHO. Love to hear...
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    Best xbox mod chip?

    I got an xbox from Taiwan. Problem is, it doesn't play U.S. games. Looks like all the xbox mod chips out there get rid of this problem. There are a lot of different chips out there, so any recommendations from you xbox users?
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    GoGamer 48hr madness: BROTHERS IN ARMS for $20?! No way!!!

    Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 for only $19.90! Make sure to choose dirt cheap shipping. Pretty darned hot since its going for $40 or more at retail stores.
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    How to stop turbulent fan noise without cutting up my case...

    Here's the problem: I have two Panoflo L1As on the rear of my case. They generate a lot of whining because the air is forced through little holes on the in the case. It has been suggested I dremel out the back to allow for smoother airflow. But I neither have the equipment nor the will to do...
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    UPDATE:: Antec Neopower faulty? Keeps shutting off! Help!

    UPDATE: So now I have everything separated into three rails, but the PSU is still shutting off. The whole problem started a week ago when I added another case fan (now I have 4 instead of 3). Could it be that I have a faulty Antec Neopower??? ************** I have everything in my...
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    OK...Doom 3: RoE is a beast of a game...need better 9800pro cooling!!!

    The strange thing is, I can play Doom 3 original at pretty high framerates all the time. Certain places in Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil, my fps drops down to like 2. What is with this expansion? It seems to want to swallow my 9800 pro alive like Doom 3 original swallowed my 9600 pro (old...
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    For Ipod Users :: My mini review of 3 headphones (earbud style)!

    Before I start, here is the disclaimer: This is based on my personal experience as a result of wondering if it is truly worth upgrading from the stock Apple Ipod earbuds. Many people bash the stock earbuds as horrible pieces of crap (*cough Gurck *cough)...I personally am no audiophile but I...
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    Doom 3 Expansion $24 + VERY SHADY store policy at Best Buy

    Saw the original post, but I thought hell with that, mines has more content :P The hot deal: So Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil is on sale at Fry's Electronics for 23.99 (or 24.99 at Circuit City if you don't have a Fry's). The shadiness: Now, I couldn't make it to Fry's this afternoon and...
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    MX1000 --- I can't see the laser!!!

    Just got the MX1000, but despite staring directly into the lens...I can't see any laser!
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    My airflow setup, clean cable wiring, PICTURES too!! o_O

    Hey fellas, I know there's been several posts in the past about cable management but it's been awhile and it never hurts to start anew. Just finished cleaning up the so-called rat's nest inside my case. I believe the airflow has been optimized, the system runs nearly silent, and I did it...
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    EXPIRES AT 2PM PST! Antec Neopower 480W @CompUSA for $47.50 PM to Fry's!!!!

    Just came home from CompUSA...both my friend and I got an Antec NeoPower 480w PSU for 47.50 each after PM to Fry's ad. The catch is that they charge you $97.50 and give you a $50 gift card. I used my $50 gift card to buy another Neopower for my friend. He used his to buy ink toner for his...
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    It's "hip" to have an AT mod's comment/threat in your sig??

    Just wondering after browsing these forums and seeing several sigs including the bold writing used by Anandtech moderators when you do something dumb....is it cool to have this? Why can't I just fake an AT mod and add some bold writing to my sig? Yeah I know, I'm just thinking too much on...
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    Fry's: GQ 8x 50pk DVD-R's are Taiyo Yudens ---> $17.50

    look below, turns out a fellow ATer says that these GQ dvd-r's are fake TY's I bought the GQs a while ago and tried em out on DVDIdentifier today, and guess what, they're made in japan taiyo yudens. What a pleasant surprise plus it's cheaper than the Fujifilm one's over at Best Buy...
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    800dpi optical mouse shaped like a car!!!! $11.99 www.svc.com

    Gotta friend who's a motorhead but hasn't a clue about computers? Then this gift is the perfect addition to his brand spanking new Mac Mini!!! Different colors too!
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    Quickie: Dual channel RAM requires 2 sticks, but can it run with 3 sticks??

    If I added another 512MB stick to my mobo (MSI M7NCD Pro) for a total of 1.5GB, will I still have the dual channel benefits?
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    Proview 19" LCD 16ms for $214 at Microcenter

    Microcenter has the PL193s 19" LCD monitor on sale for 359 with 2 $30 rebates. Specs are: 450:1 Contrast Ratio 16ms response time Analog interface 250cd brightness Normally you can get this for $299AR, but I found one of these monitors on clearance for 324. Clearance items are normally...
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    HOT?? xerox 19" LCD w/ DVI -- $294 AR

    I've seen this at best buy and it looks like a pretty slick monitor. Only a $50 MIR to mess with... 700:1 Contrast DVI and RGB Xshield glass 25ms response link Opinions?
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    Envision 19" LCD DVI $335 NO REBATES

    I would have liked to post this yesterday, but being as how I have no internet at home... Fry's Friday ad advertised this LCD for $349 with NO REBATES. Some highlights include DVI, 600:1 contrast, and a nice adjustable stand with cupholders :P Response is 25ms but honestly I cannot tell...
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    Half Life 2 impossible to play in offline mode!!!

    My DSL modem bit the dust a couple of weeks ago and now I'm at a cafe typing this on my laptop.... When starting Steam, the window just says "Updating Steam..." and stops there! I can't play this game offline!! I saved all the info on my computer like the little card in the box said to...
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    Next $400 upgrade: Next-gen video card...or nice LCD monitor??

    From purely a hypothetical standpoint at this time, my next upgrade will be in the $400 range. I've been wanting a nice LCD monitor for quite awhile now. But then I thought, for $400 I can buy a rockin' video cards like a 6800GT or an X800XT. I like to play the newer games like Doom 3 and...
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    Best 5.1 digital speakers for <$100?

    I'm looking for a surround sound setup that has digital-in capability. I want to make sure it can be hooked up to the D-out on my DVD player as well as give me sound for PC games. And NO, I'm not looking to spend $300 on those crazy Klipsch's or Logitechs. For that kind of money, I can...
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    Netflix actually offers further discounts to cancelling members?

    With the Netflix turnaround time increasing for me as of late (Bay Area) I've been considering cancelling my account. However, I recall reading on these forums that Netflix actually offers a lower rate to those who are deciding to cancel. Anybody know how this works/details?
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    Firewire for file transfer betw PC and laptop doesn't work!!

    I've tried setting the 1394 connection in network settings on WinXP so that the IPs are only one digit away (i.e. 192.168.254.50 and 192.168.254.49) and having the subnet mask be 255.255.255.0 but it still doesn't work. In fact, I'm not even sure what to expect when it does work. Will the...
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    Averatec 3200 series testimonials please!!!!

    I'm considering buying one of the Averatec 3200-somethings because they look nice, they're light, and they're cheap :) I would love to hear anybody's experience with this laptop! I saw it once at Circuit City and my only gripe is that the keyboard felt a bit shoddy. Your thoughts???
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    HOT at Fry's!! Daewoo 17" LCD for $199AR!

    This wasn't advertised in the SJ Mercury paper today, but I heard it on the radio :) Daewoo L710 17" LCD Monitor with 16ms response for $329-rebates = $199 final price No DVI, but as hot as most of the Black Friday LCD deals IMO. Staring at mine right now :D
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    Quick! Dell 700m or Averatec 4pounder?

    Both these laptops have similar setups, one is athlon and the other is centrino. Both have about the same price (sub$1K) My requirements are that it is light and have a good display (no games needed). A lot of different inputs/outputs are a plus. Let me know what you guys think.
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    RAM Heat Spreaders....Are they even worth it?

    The recent clearance event at SVC got me to thinking.... Can the aluminum/copper RAM heat spreaders actually be detrimental to your system RAM? Since cooling of RAM mainly depends on airflow in the case, I would think adding heat spreaders would trap hot air over the actual chips. Also...
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    >>HEADS UP!!! >>Fry's Bay Area is having Re-Grand Opening Sale starting Friday!!!

    Just heard this on the radio.... Starting Friday morning, all Fry's in Bay Area, CA will be having a "Re-Grand Opening Sale." Now I know that Fry's does a handful of SUPER SALES maybe 2 or 3 times a year, and this is probably one of them. (Black Friday is another) Anyhow, grab the...
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    Doom 3 killed my card *no kidding*

    I've been reading in various forums about how people claim Doom 3 is destroying their Radeons...like most people, I thought these claims were ludicrous...until it happened to me. I've been running a Sapphire 9600 Pro for about 5 months. I recently purchased the Arctic Cooling VGA Silencer Rev...