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    i7 and OC'ing--what am I missing?

    Slowly working towards speccing out a new build. I think I have misunderstood the overclocking capabilities of previous Intel procs, because before the i7, I thought you needed an "Extreme" version to OC (officially, I mean). For example, my current rig has a OX9650, which oddly is still selling...
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    Is buying a 1200W PCP&P just stupid?

    Slooowly moving into my next build--Core i7--940, or maybe 965 if I get the scratch together and I'm feeling crazy that day; will decide on GPU at the time, but pretty much a guarantee at least one double-wide, maybe two. If buying today, maybe two Radeon 4870X2's--will see what nVidia does...
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    Vista: Hardware profiles for gaming?

    Previously tried posting this in the OS forum and the Gaming forum, but no replies. Hoping someone here can give me some guidance. Rather than copy-pasting it yet again, here's the link to the post. So what do you think?
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    Vista: Hardware profiles for gaming?

    I previously posted a version of this on the OS forum, but didn't get any replies, so I thought I'd try my luck here. Pls take it easy on me--I'm an old hand at computing, but a n00b at gaming. I imagine this has been asked before. I did search before I posted this, both the MS KB, and...
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    Vista: Hardware profiles?

    I imagine this has been asked before. I did search before I posted this, both the MS KB, and Googled it. MS KB no help at all (big surprise), and the Google results were all 1-2 years old. The best anyone came up w/is going into Vista Services, and individually disabling a Service for a logon...
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    Vista chkdsk: where is the log file?

    Been trying to run full disk image backups using the built-in image backup utility in Vista Ultimate 64-bit. Haven't made one since May (which was successful)--I just back up data files as needed. BUt went to make a full disk-image backup last week, and Vista Backup went all the way thru to...
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    New 3870X2: Crossfire a no-show

    I just finished building my new rig: Intel DX38BT mobo QX9650 CPU 2GB x2 Crucial RAM Seagate 7200.11 750 GB SATA II Vista Ultimate 64-bit and a Radeon HD 3870 X2, from Visiontek. I downloaded and installed the new 8.2 Catalyst drivers from ATI, rather than using Visiontek's drivers...
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    Too many choices... please help me decide!

    Building new rig: Intel DX38BT mobo Intel QX9650 CPU Crucial RAM 4 GB DDR3 PC Power Silencer 750 Quad Vista Ultimate, 64-bit version Originally had the XFX 8800GT. Something blew up the PSU--not blaming the XFX, just don't know what happened--so starting from scratch. Since this mobo...
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    XFX 8800GT Alpha Dog owners, pls read!

    I purchased this exact XFX card to put in my new build. On the very first startup after assembly, something blew, and the system never started. I've already RMAed the PSU and mobo, and since no one is quite sure where the short came from--and we've gone over it to death in the "Computer Help"...
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    No POST, no... nothing. Please Help!

    I originally thought this was just a PSU problem, so I posted part of the following on the Power Supply forum. Then during my "involuntary work stoppage", I read several pages of threads on this forum, and think this might be the more appropriate place for troubleshooting the problem. I don't...
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    Need help! Threw the switch and... nothing

    Moved
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    Defective PSU? Please help!

    Here's the situation: I just finished assembling my build last night. I used a PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad. Motherboard is Intel DX38BT, CPU is Intel QX9650. Other components connected at the time were one SATA II Seagate 750 GB HD, and one Samsung SATA DVD burner. I connected up...
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    Whose nVidia driver to use?

    This is the card I'm putting in my new system: XFX I'll be running Vista Ultimate 64-bit in my new build, and I'm getting all the latest drivers together while I'm waiting for the components to ship. I went to XFX's site to get the latest driver for this card, which came as a ZIP file at 72...
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    Removing RAID from existing system--how?

    I think I know the process I should take, but I want to run it by you guys to make sure. Here's the situation: I have a 3-year-old XP Pro SP2 system that is going to be replaced by a new Vista Ultimate system I am building, as my primary system. I want to do two things to the old XP Pro...
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    If I don't need RAID...

    Will soon be building system w/Intel DX38BT motherboard, and Vista Ultimate 64-bit. I am not planning to set up my disks in a RAID array (SATA II is plenty fast for me). I know this seems like a dumb question (and probably is) but I should not install any of the RAID drivers that come on the...
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    DDR3 help, please!

    Like another poster here, I think my brain is going to explode. I'm speccing a new build, and at the moment am planning to use Intel DX38BT motherboard, w/a (probably) QX9650 proc. (I'll be running the 64-bit edition of Vista Ultimate.) The great guys over on the General Hardware forum have been...
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    DX38BT & front-panel "breakout" box?

    I'm getting ready to build a new rig using the Intel DX38BT mobo. My current build uses the Intel 925 board. When I bought the 925 three years ago, I got the retail box that came w/a front-panel "breakout" box. (I don't know what actual name to call it, and I'm sure "breakout" box is wrong; it's...
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    Installing Vista on Intel DX38BT, Seagate SATA--no floppy

    Okay, please be patient with me, for I am old and my brain is gnarled. I'm getting ready to order the parts for a new build, using the Intel DX38BT mobo, QX9650 CPU, and a 750 GB Seagate SATA II HD (the Barracuda ES ST3750640NS). I will install Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition as my OS. I'm...
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    Specc'ing new build--opinions pls?

    Originally (accidentally) posted this on the mobo forum, so sorry for the repost. Let me answer the required questions in the sticky first: 1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing. High-end performance for photo/video editing...
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    Starting new build specs--how's this sound?

    My current build is a 3-year old XP Pro system, getting long in the tooth, so I think it's time to jump on a new build. Decided to go all-out, kind of--I started speccing the basics tonight, and came up w/this so far: Mobo: Intel DX38BT CPU: QX9650 Memory: Crucial Ballistix (4GB kit...
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    Dell XPS "1730": When?

    I've been waiting on Dell to refresh their XPS laptop line, and was hopeful that, with the recent release of the XPS 1330, that the rest of the line would soon be updated. I'm specifically interested in the 17" model. (Presumably to be called the XPS 1730.) Of course, the phone rep at Dell...
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    Intel T7600 vs. T7600G: What's the difference?

    I'm considering a Dell XPS 1710 laptop, and in looking at the current processor choices, the 2 fastest ones available are called "Intel Core 2 Duo T7600" and "Intel Core 2 Duo T7600G". Besides the "G" variant costing an additional $275 over the plain "7600", what is the difference? I've been...
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    DVI cable: dual-link or single-link?

    As I mentioned in my post below, I just received a Dell 2407WFP monitor, my first flat panel, and an upgrade from a dying Viewsonic CRT. I wanted to make sure I had a cable here when it arrived. Since I didn't know if the monitor came w/cables when I ordered it (it does; both VGA and single-link...
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    Refresh rate for new Dell 2407WFP?

    I just got this monitor today, my first flat panel, and hooked it up to a new ATI X1950 Pro. In "Display Properties", on the "Monitor" tab, when I check the box that says "Hide modes this monitor cannot display", all I get is a 60 Hertz refresh rate choice. I am running the monitor at its...
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    Tuner card/device recommendation?

    As I mentioned in a previous post, I am replacing my old ATI All-in-Wonder X600 w/an ATI X1950, to be able to run the native resolution of 1920 x 1200 of a new Dell 2407WFP flatpanel I have on order (and to take advantage of the 1950's dual-link DVI). While I did not order the new monitor...
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    Help matching card to new monitor?

    My old reliable Viewsonic CRT is dying, and I need to get a new monitor posthaste. I'm eyeing the Dell 2407WFP, which requires a video card that supports WUXGA rez (1920 x 1200). My current card is a 2-year old ATI Radeon X600 in an All-in-Wonder card, 256 MB, and only goes up to 1600 x 1200...
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    XP Pro: How to undo a *device* association?

    I did a bonehead thing when I was troubleshooting a problem recently, w/my new Canon SD550 camera connecting to the Canon software in Windows. When I first connected the camera, I got the usual dialog box of all the various programs on my machine that could connect to the camera and download...
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    Once-a-month BSODs

    Thought I had them licked, but now I'm getting a whole new set of BSODS. A couple have happened a few days apart, but usually they come every 3-4 weeks. I'll be working, and all of a sudden I'll get the bluescreen "WinXP has been shut down to protect your computer" etc. etc. There's only a...
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    Need help tweaking WinXP "Limited" account

    I've been using XP since it came out, but I have to set up a system doing something I've never had to do before: create separate user accounts, and make all but one limited. Here's the deal: my kid always gets my old systems when I upgrade. Up till recently, it's always been Win9x OS's. But...
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    Good IDE card for ATAPI drives?

    I need to add more DVD burners to my system. I have an Intel 925XCV mobo. The 4 SATA ports are in use by hard drives, and will stay that way. This mobo only has a single IDE channel/port, so I can only have 2 ATAPI IDE DVD drives installed. I know I could go external w/an enclosure, but I'd...
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    Weird problem: XP hangs on shutdown..

    This is on a new system I built in January. Due to some other issues (not just the one in the title of this post), I have since reformatted and reinstalled, so I have a clean system. I'm using WinXP Pro SP2 on an Intel 925XCV mobo, w/2 GB RAM, and 400 GB of system drive space on a RAID 0 volume...
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    W/Intel 925XVC best IDE card to add?

    As you know, this mobo comes w/only one IDE channel. I'm trying to decide if it's worth adding a PCI or PCIe card, so I can add a couple more DVD burners. (Don't ask--it's an obsession.) SATA ports maxed out for HDDs. I've been reading horror stories on incompatibilities in IDE cards, as well...
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    Maybe prob w/Intel 925XCV onboard sound...

    Ever since I built this system back in January, I've had this weird problem: every once is a while I'll "lose" the onboard sound device. (I use it; I don't use an add-in sound card.) It's hard to predict when it will happen--but it usually gets "lost" after the system has been on for a few...
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    BIOS & Plug-and-play OS...

    I'm running WinXP Pro SP2 on Intel 925XCV. Currently BIOS is set to "No" on "Plug-and-play OS". I've been having some hard-to-isolate issues--should I change this BIOS setting to "Yes"? Can you tell me the pros and cons of each setting? I know these are newbie questions--I am a newbie...
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    BIOS & Plug-and-play OS...

    I'm running WinXP Pro SP2 on Intel 925XCV. Currently BIOS is set to "No" on "Plug-and-play OS". I've been having some hard-to-isolate issues--should I change this BIOS setting to "Yes"? Can you tell me the pros and cons of each setting? I know these are newbie questions--I am a newbie...
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    What is MEMTEST...

    Anyone?
  37. E

    Intel 925XCV board--> 2 IDE channels?

    I built my system w/this mobo in Jan. In Win XP Device manager, under "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers", this is what I see: Intel 82801FB/FBM Ultra ATA Storage Controllers-266F Primary IDE Channel Secondary IDE Channel I have two DVD burners hooked up to the Primary IDE Channel, and clicking...
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    Possible reason for this BSOD:

    I've just finished reformatting and reinstalling about 14 million programs on my Win XP SP2 system, because I kept getting the BSOD as listed in post title. (Big thanks to dclive for getting me started on the troubleshooting.) First let me say I'm nowhere near a system expert, and if this...
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    Unpredictable BSOD on XP Pro SP2--need help

    About two weeks after I built this system (been up and running for a couple months now), I would occasionally and unpredictably get a serious crash. Until recently, I kept forgetting to uncheck that setting in "Advanced System Properties", "Startup and Recovery", to automatically restart Windows...
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    What does WinXP do if you change the mobo?

    Having just finished my first build, it occurs to me: in 6-12 months I of course will not be satisfied anymore w/my current mobo and CPU, and will want to upgrade them. I know that WinXP Pro's activation scheme is based at least in part (if not wholly) on hardware config. If I change out the...