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  1. K

    Best bang for the buck

    Old rig is AGP, but I'm planning on getting it a new motherboard at the same time as the new cards. I'd thought about just moving over the 7800GT, but it's not much of an upgrade from the X1650. I figured if I could get something better than the 7800GT for under $70, I might as well. If I...
  2. K

    Best bang for the buck

    Wow...that chart really puts my current cards in perspective... Edit: Another question, looking over some of these cards in Newegg, how big of a deal is manufacturer? I don't even recognize some of these names, are there any I should blatantly avoid?
  3. K

    Best bang for the buck

    I'm looking to upgrade the video cards in both my computers, but upon hitting up Newegg, I came to realize how far behind the times I am. The last time I did any research on vid cards was when I bought my current GeForce 7800GT, and it was pretty much brand new at the time. I'm looking now...
  4. K

    Is now a good time to upgrade?

    Thanks for the replies everyone! As much as I'd like to make the jump to PCI-Express (I'm still kicking myself for getting an AGP board last upgrade), I just don't think I'll be able to swing the cash for both a vid card and a new motherboard. Perhaps my best bet is to wait for Oblivion to...
  5. K

    Is now a good time to upgrade?

    Well, ESIV: Oblivion is looming ever closer on the horizon, and as I've never anticipated a release so much, I'm fearing my 128mb 9800Pro just won't be up to the task of running it adequately. Especially at 1280X1024 for my LCD monitor at any decent settings. So I'm really liking the idea of...
  6. K

    16ms ghosting!!

    Actually, I only did the Solitaire thing as an afterthought. The truth is, I prefer the LCD over my CRT for it's various benefits, but I can definately see the ghosting during normal play. I noticed it immediately the first time I fired up HL2, which is why I did the other tests. It's worse...
  7. K

    16ms ghosting!!

    I just got my first LCD, a ViewSonic VP171b-2. It's an 8ms monitor, and contrary to all the reports I had seen about no ghosting, I actually find the ghosting pretty noticeable. I'm coming to believe that the people who say they can't see ghosting on LCD's just don't know what to look for...
  8. K

    Viewsonic VP171B now available in 8ms model?

    Yeah, that made me a bit nervous too, but I got lucky. When I first turned mine on, it had one bright red pixel that wouldn't change, but by the next day it was gone. I think I'd have been pretty upset, though, if I'd had 7 dead pixels and they refused to give me a new one.
  9. K

    Using a 19" TV as a computer monitor

    I tried this once to see what would happen, and let me echo the opinions of the others here. The resolution was so bas that I couldn't read text, and everything looked grainy and poor. Even a cheap monitor will give you DRASTICALLY better performance than an expensive TV. I've heard that...
  10. K

    Viewsonic VP171B now available in 8ms model?

    Yeah, now that I look again, there is a sticker on my box that says 8ms. I'm definately seeing ghosting, however. I guess my question now is, what does everyone mean by "no ghosting"? I just tried a couple games on my brother's laptop, and his ghosting is far worse than mine, but it's still...
  11. K

    Viewsonic VP171B now available in 8ms model?

    Ok, I ordered a VP171B-2 from Newegg, and got it in today. My question is, should the model number on the monitor itself show the "-2" extension? I ask this because I've seen many reviews state that there's no ghosting with this monitor, but I notice quite a bit. I should add that this is my...
  12. K

    Semi-Random Rebooting...

    I need some advice. I'm having a strange rebooting problem, and I just can't seem to pin it down. The problem is sort of semi-random, as in it only seems to happen when I play games. And only in some games. Half-Life 2 always does it. Doom 3 never does it. Others do it sometimes but not always...
  13. K

    Bus Master IDE Controller...

    I just installed a new motherboard and processer, and upon booting it up, proceeded to install the various drivers from the CD. Of course, all the while Windows is bringing up the "Found new hardware" messages, but I ignored them, thinking they'd go away once all the drivers were installed...
  14. K

    Mixing RAM...

    It's a socket 939 A64 3200, and in both cases it's two sticks of RAM (2x256 of 2700 and 2x512 of 3200). Motherboard is an Asus A8V Deluxe.
  15. K

    Mixing RAM...

    The other day I ordered a new motherboard and processer (A64), and just today I ordered 1Gb of PC3200 RAM for it. I figured I could just install my existing 512mb of PC2700 untill the new RAM shows up, and then replace it with the PC3200. Then I thought, why not just leave it in? Is there any...
  16. K

    Installing A64 CPU/HSF

    The only processer I've ever installed is the AthlonXP and stock HSF in my current machine. But I've got a new motherboard and Athlon64 on the way, so I was wondering if the process to install the CPU and HSF is at all different from the AthlonXP? And does the stock HSF use a pre-installed...
  17. K

    CLOSED

    I agree with the others. For gaming, you won't see any real difference with 2Gb. Extra RAM will help if you're planning on doing hardcore 3D animation or video editing. If you're just gaming, spend the money on a video card upgrade, which is where the vast majority of your gaming performance...
  18. K

    Need advice before buying...

    Hmmm, I hadn't even considered Gigabyte. It looks like their comparable board uses the nForce3 chipset as opposed to the Via K8T800 Pro chipset...is this a significant factor to consider, or are they fairly similar?
  19. K

    Need advice before buying...

    Alright, so I guess I'll go with a 939. I'll probably go with the 3200, just because I feel like I'll regret it if I don't. But I just can't decide on a motherboard. I'm torn between the Abit AV8, the Asus A8V Deluxe, and the MSI K8T Neo-2F. Can anyone advise me on whether any of these...
  20. K

    Need advice before buying...

    I'm planning on upgrading my system, but I'm on a budget and would like to get the best bang for my buck. I've decided to get an Athlon 64, and the processer is where most of my indecision lies. I was originally planning on getting a 3200, but then I noticed that I could get a 3000 for about...
  21. K

    DVD Burning Questions

    As gf4200isdabest said, buffer underrun protection is good if you're doing other things with your comp while burning. Personally, I always leave my machine alone while it's burning just to be on the safe side, but it's really a personal preference. If you think you're going to want to do other...
  22. K

    Normal Temperature?

    To get into the BIOS, you have to press a specific key during the boot-up process. The key varies between motherboards, but during the initial post process it should say which key to press, or you can check your computer's documentation. On many motherboards it's F1 or F2 or Delete, but some...
  23. K

    DVD Burning Questions

    VCD is actually still .mpg, it's just MPEG-1 as opposed to MPEG-2. I've only heard of it being used on CD's, although I suppose a DVD could be burned as a VCD, but only specific players will read VCD's. You might find this site interesting. According to this, your player isn't compatible...
  24. K

    Normal Temperature?

    If those temps are correct, then you don't have to worry about overheating any time soon! :) Seriously though, that's suspiciously low. I've never personally seen a machine get temps that low, although I've heard tales of hardcore cooling setups getting temps like that. A google search for...
  25. K

    Will this work well?

    Well, I was looking at something similar to this, but I was concerned that changing the on-card fan or adding heat sinks could affect my warranty. Does anyone know if this is true?
  26. K

    DVD Burning Questions

    I edited my above post with some info about dual-layer. The standard video format used by DVD players is MPEG-2. My choice to convert to this is TMPGEnc. For audio, the standard format is AC3, which is a proprietary Dolby Digital format. Last time I checked, there was little in the way of...
  27. K

    DVD Burning Questions

    I have the NEC, and I haven't had any problems with it yet. Some random comments in regards to your above questions: When backing up, keep in mind that DVD+/-R's are 4.5gb whereas your video DVD's are 9gb. So you can't really make a perfect 1/1 copy. You have to use something like DVD...
  28. K

    Will this work well?

    I believe I'm having an overheating problem with my video card. I recently got a Sapphire Radeon 9800 Pro, and since I got it, I've noticed some strange video issues. At first I thought it was just driver problems, but recently the problem has gotten unbearable, specifically playing Doom 3...
  29. K

    Nvidia to ATI

    I've got a new Radeon 9800 Pro being delivered today, and I'm replacing a Geforce Ti4200. I remember reading somewhere that leftovers from the nVidia drivers can cause problems with the Catalyst drivers, and that simply uninstalling the nVidia drivers isn't enough to get rid of them completely...
  30. K

    Which 9800Pro?

    I'm planning on getting a Radeon 9800Pro to replace my Ti4200, but after looking at Newegg, I'm not sure which one to go with. I can't spend over $230, and there are several in this price range, but they all look nearly identical. There are 2 or 3 each from both Sapphire and PowerColor. Is...
  31. K

    Help with laptop

    Some progress: I tried running it with the battery out, and while doing this it allows me to boot up, and begins the setup process, but shuts down sometime during the setup. So it seems the battery is certainly shot, and possibly the AC adapter. Question: Is it possible the random shutdowns...
  32. K

    Help with laptop

    I'm actually running it off AC right now. I think the battery is dead anyway, since the machine powers off immediately if I unplug it. While it's plugged in, the power light does one of two things: it either cycles on and off, during which time I can start it booting, but it will shut off...
  33. K

    Help with laptop

    My aunt's laptop recently quit working, and instead of having it repaired, she decided to order a brand new one and give me the old one. However, it seems like it might be repairable, and it's only about a little over a year old (HP Pavillion ze1230), so I need some advice as to what might be...
  34. K

    Viewing tasks without task manager

    I've got some sort of trojan or virus which has disabled my task manager, as well as regedit, NAV, ZoneAlarm, and others. I've been searching my Windows folder for anything suspicious, but to no avail. I need some idea of what to look for, but I can't view the task manager to see what's...
  35. K

    NT Authority/System reboot?

    I've had a strange occurance a couple of times in the past couple days. I'm not sure if it's related, but it began after signing up for a new ISP, and it's never happened before. What happens is this: ZoneAlarm pops up a window asking if I want to allow "Trivial File Transfer Protocol" to...
  36. K

    Good review site?

    Thanks! These were quite helpful!
  37. K

    Good review site?

    I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this question, but it looked like about the closest thing. Anyway, could someone recommend a good review site for digital camcorders? I'm trying to research a couple, but all I can find on Google is page after page of online shopping sites, which...
  38. K

    Can't connect headphone jack...help?

    I have a question about my front headphone jack. Basically, I'd like to hook it up, as it's a pain to have to go around back and unplug my speakers, but I can't figure out how. Here's the problem: My mainboard is an MSI KT3 Ultra-2, and it has the headers for a front headphone jack, but they...
  39. K

    Computer randomly shuts off and/or restarts...

    Another thing to check: this was recently happening to me, and it turned out that I was overheating. My processer was idling at 75c, so I cleaned out the HSF, and haven't had a reboot since. As was suggested, first try to determine whether there's any sort of pattern or consistency to the...
  40. K

    Am I just missing something here?

    Ok, I've just got a quick question. I recently updated to nVidia's 45.23 drivers, and now I suddenly can't figure out how to use the TV Out on my vid card (MSI GeForce4 Ti4200). I used to just go under the nView tab under the properties, but now nView is seperate, and I can't find the tv out...