Search results

  1. M

    Upgrade whole system or specific components?

    Life has been hectic since my last build. Other than general usage, I have not had time to game much. I will be doing some gaming now and trying to determine what I need to do. My system did OC great when I started it, but never needed it so I backed it down to stock for most of its life. As...
  2. M

    New build reassurance

    I am rebuilding neighbor's computer. They have fallen on hard times with the economy. Their next salvation is tax season. They need a stable system to be able to do accounting work. It is not something that requires major processing power. Much of the build is coming from my parts and a few...
  3. M

    Is 350W enough power?

    I am rebuilding a computer for a neighbor in tough times. I am using many of my own parts for their system. $40-$50 more for another PSU would be something I would have to pay for and prefer not to. I do not have the model of the PSU or many of the details. I do know it is connected to an...
  4. M

    Sapphire 5850 BIOS backup

    Trying to get some help backing up my BIOS. I have tried ATI Tool, RBE, and GPU-Z. None of them can backup the BIOS. I want to flash to the MSI or Asus bios so I can overclock it. GPU-Z: BIOS reading not supported on this device ATITool: Save VGA Bios to file ... is grayed out RBE...
  5. M

    ASRock P55 and i7 860

    I have been trying to OC this system for over a week. So far, it is unstable past 3.6GHz. I am sure if I ran at 3.6GHz, it would eventually fail the tests. Suggested settings from RS: Try: PLL: 1.860 up from 1.800 QPI/VTT: 1.39 up from 1.1 CPU voltage: 1.35V PCH voltage: 1.12 from...
  6. M

    What temp to stop stressing CPU oc?

    I am just starting to OC my i7 860. I have it stable at 3.7GHz. However, under Prime95 the temps are about 70^ with occasional spikes up to 73^. My question is at what temperature under stress do you call it quits and lower the OC?
  7. M

    ASRock P55 Deluxe, i7 860, and overclocks

    I just purchased this mobo for an i7 860. I have to say that I really like the quality. I am not an expert and will definitely not be in the running for world record breaking overclocks. The setup went very smoothly (when disregarding additional time of 3yo daughter helping), boots up like no...
  8. M

    PC Gaming vs Console Gaming...

    I'm just curious to see if console gaming will ever cause an end to PC gaming? The reason I am asking is the processing power in PS3 and XBox360 is extremely powerful. The next generation will only grow on that and improve the GPU. Is there any chance that the next gen will supplant PC...
  9. M

    Case recommendation needed urgently!?!?!?!?

    I have my new rig coming today. However, that plan changed due to a neighbor's computer dying for his son at college. He asked if I minded selling him my rig and get mine later. Minor inconvenience for me, but devastating for his son who does graphic design and other things. I will have...
  10. M

    Windows 7 Upgrade path

    I am building a new rig. My current rig has XP as the primary OS. I installed Win 7 RC1 32-bit on another drive in the rig. I also have Vista upgrade that I never used. My new rig has a brand new Intel G2 80GB drive for the Win 7 OS. I will be going to Win 7 Pro 64-bit. I would prefer...
  11. M

    Upgrading system...

    I am now able to upgrade my system by shifting some funds around. Please let me know if you have any recommended changes. My first thought was to go i7 920 D0, but I would not be able to upgrade my video card for some time. I can go i5 750 and upgrade to a 5850. Primary uses: HD video...
  12. M

    Intel X25-M SSD

    Are these the same drives, just on OEM and one Retail? OEM Retail
  13. M

    Phased upgrade...

    Rig: C2D E6300 (@ stock speeds with Tuniq Tower 120) Asus P5W DH Deluxe Corsair XMS DDR2 4GB (2x2GB) Radeon HD4850 P160 Case Seasonic 550W PSU Various SATA HDDs I am going to be doing a slow phased upgrade to a Core i7 build. I am looking to see what the best phased upgrade path will...
  14. M

    System Build question

    Bear with me for a second. I am in the process of possibly upgrading my computer now or in about 6 months. Primary reason is that video processing from my HV20 is extremely slow and backing up my DVDs. Until I get a NAS, all current sata drives will remain in the system primarily for storage...
  15. M

    Seasonic S12 SS-550HT Enough?

    I am thinking about upgrading to an i5 or i7 setup. I have looked at several calculators to see if my PSU is sufficient. Some say yes, others say no. Before I go and drop $400-$500 I would like to know if I need another ~$125 for new PSU. I am thinking of going with an i7 860/P55 setup. I...
  16. M

    All thes eprocessors and I am more confused now...

    I am definitely not an elite user and do not require super computer speeds out of my personal system. I have a Core 2 Duo E6300 Conroe 1.866GHz, Asus P5D DH Deluxe motherboard, 4GB DDR2 memory, and an HD4850 video card. I am not a heavy gamer, but enjoy the eye candy when I do. I do not...
  17. M

    New Build: Wait or order now?

    I am at my 4 year window for upgrading my PC. Due to a few physical issues, I had to get new speakers, new audio card, and new graphics card. I need to upgrade the CPU and Mobo now. I do not have to upgrade immediately and I am trying to coincide with Windows 7. Should I just upgrade to AMD...
  18. M

    DVD Archiving

    I have a Popcorn Hour A100 shipping next week. I have started to backup my DVD collection to HDD. I have been backing everything up using DVD Decrypter. After doing a little research, I read about containers, especially Matroska. I like the idea of having a single file to stream to the...
  19. M

    Stress Testing the video adapter

    I just installed an eVGA 8800GTS 640. I am using nTune or RivaTuner to try to OC it. When I raise the core and memory clocks, click Test, and it passes. I want to be able to run a stress test on it to insure stability. Does something exist for the video card?
  20. M

    3dmark06 Question

    I am new to taking performance measurements, so bear with me. I downloaded the demo version of 3dmark06. I ran the performance test and it completed. I have a few questions on the test: 1. Is there supposed to be sound when the videos are playing? 2. Is the CPU test supposed to run...
  21. M

    What brand warrants overclocking?

    I was looking at the key suppliers of video cards to see which ones warranty is not void if you overclock the card. XFX, BFG, eVGA all void the warranty if you overclock the video card. Is there a supplier that will warrant if you overclock? Is there a way for the suppliers to tell if you...
  22. M

    1680x1050 vs 1900x1200

    I am just trying to get an idea. I just upgraded from a 17" flat panel to a 22" (1680x1050) wide screen monitor (Samsung 224BW). Before my return policy ends, I want to know if there is a significant difference in video quality on high end games? The reason is I may not be able to get the...
  23. M

    P5W DH Deluxe + E6300 OC ?'s

    I just installed a Tuniq 120 in my system. I was not oc'ing until I got a good cooler. I have been able to OC to 375FSB with no errors. However, I am not sure what to do about temp readings. I have CoreTemp, SpeedFan running. The temp of both cores is 47C under full load (SuperPI and...
  24. M

    Video card for 1680x1050

    I will be doing some gaming, watching DVDs/HDTV, some video editing. I am trying to determine which video card to get. I was waiting for the R600's to come out to see some competition of what to buy. From the recent announcement, the R600 is not performing as well as the G80's (that is just...
  25. M

    Mixing Memory

    I have 2x1GB memory in my system (Mushkin DDR800). If I want to add more memory, should I stay with another set of the same memory or can I mix it with another set with similar, but not exact, timings?
  26. M

    Video Card for 32" LCD

    I am trying to find a good video card to get that is compatible for HDTV. I have a Samsung 32" LNS3251D. I want to run the computer through it to mess around with MythTV and a HTPC. I play some computer games, but that is not the purpose for the TV. I have an XBox 360 for gaming. I...
  27. M

    Hot Deal: Philips 32" LCD

    Link This TV is $999 at Best Buy. You can get the same version with a grey cabinet from BJ's Wholesale for $799. I compared several TVs at BB this weekend. This TV was better than LG, Sharp, HP, Panasonic, and Toshiba. Without a doubt, the Samsung and Sony are probably better, but for...
  28. M

    Memtest86+

    I have been running memtest86+ on my new system. I consistently have a failure on test #3 with one DIMM. I have removed both and tested them individually, in multiple slots. The same DIMM will fail about 33% of the time on test #3. The error shows "00000400" as the failure. I suspect it is...
  29. M

    10% Off @ Mushkin.com

    This may not be hot, but you can get 10% off at Mushkin.com by using [code deleted] in the VIP field. I purchased the following memory because I have had nothing but great experiences with Mushkin. http://www.mushkin.com/doc/products/memory_detail.asp?id=519 For $250, I thought this was a...
  30. M

    Memory: Kit or Two of a single stick?

    Is it better to buy memory in a kit (2x1GB) or buy two sticks of the same memory?
  31. M

    Single Video Solution

    I am currently using a borrowed video adapter in my new rig. I do not have to replace it any time soon (3-4 months down the road). I am trying to determine the best video solution to begin planning for. I have an Asus P5W DH Deluxe mobo. I can go with a 2 card Crossfire solution or go with a...
  32. M

    Asus P5WDH Not POSTing

    I just build my system last night. The system will not POST. I get the following result with everything plugged in and just the processor plugged in: Problem: turn system on, I get no video, all fans are running, HDD get power. I get 1 long beep and 2 short beeps. The beeps loop until I...
  33. M

    Decided on Build Options - any changes to save a little $

    I have read through as many posts as I possibly could to get the information I need. Since money is a little tight, I have to utilize some parts that I currently have and upgrade them over time. Below is the build. If anyone has any recommendations where I can save a little more, it is...
  34. M

    Core 2 Duo MoBo Option

    ***This question is also posted in the General Hardware forum*** I need to upgrade my system. After finding a lot of great info in the forums so far, I am stuck at the mobo decision. I believe I am getting the C2D E6300 processor. I need to find a mobo to go with it. My criteria is quiet...
  35. M

    System Build Help

    I know these are quire common posts. however, most of the replies I have seen are for overclocking purposes. Money is somewhat tight and I do have to stay within a reasonable budget (new baby). My budget is around $600 total for what I need. My criteria for a new system is quiet, stable...
  36. M

    Buying a Laptop for X-Mas. Which 1?

    I am buying a laptop for my wife for Christmas. All she will be using it for is accessing the internet, email, and typing Word documents. She does not play games, so that is not a factor. This is just a basic notebook for general use. Below are some of the deals that I have found online that...
  37. M

    XFX FX5900 Bad?

    I just received my XFX FX5900 adapter. The installation instructions were basic. Uninstall the current driver, shutdown and remove old card, install new adatper, and restart. I followed the instructions completely. Once I installed the new adater and attached the poswer plug to it, I plugged...
  38. M

    SATA Installation

    I just purchased a Seagate Sata 120GB drive. I installed it and the setup utility sees it. I can configure it with the Seagate DiscWizard. Then, when I go to install WinXP, it cannot see the drive. At post, I get the line that show no IDE HDDs. The RAID section shows that there is a 120GB...
  39. M

    SATA Drives

    I know I need to do some more researach, but I need a quick answer. In my rebuild of my system, it appears my HDDs have gone too. My 40G is completely gone and unrecoverable. My 80G drive is very flaky. Low level format has not gotten either working stablely. Now that I need to get new...
  40. M

    System Built - Thoughts

    Well, I got my core parts last night and rebuilt my system. Here are my observations from the start (lots of tweaking needs to be done): Chenming 301KE Leadtek NF2 400 Ultra Deluxe Limited AMD XP2500+ (speed locked :( ) 2x256MB PC3200 Mushkin Level II Black Dead Maxtor 80GB Drive (lost all...