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  1. J

    Quiet development/encoding/gaming build

    Hello, I'm putting together a new build for software development (Java, C/C++/C#, Delphi), video encoding (MS-DVR commercial removal, compression/re-encoding), and gaming. I'd like to keep the system powerful but quiet, and have been going through articles and posts here and at...
  2. J

    What's up with the search features?

    Is the forum search broken? It seems like it's been wonky for a while, mainly when looking for short strings and numbers, but now it seems worse. It's happening on all search levels (advanced, forum level, thread level)...
  3. J

    Best passively cooled, undervoltable C2D/C2Q mobo?

    Any suggestions for good C2D/C2Q mobos that passively cool the chipset (without big messy heatpipes if possible), and have BIOS support for vcore undervolting? High performance is good, but cool, quiet, and stable operation is more important. SLI/Crossfire isn't necessary, but firewire and a...
  4. J

    Please critique this proposed build

    I'm putting together an SFF PC to host some technology demos. It needs to look cool, run lots of small Java programs (all running in OSGi, so only one instance of the JVM is needed), and handle lots (100+) of network connections. No fancy video requirements, mostly 2D with maybe a little 3D (but...
  5. J

    Two 5.1-output computers to one set of speakers

    I have two computers: one is a quiet, low-power server that runs all the time, and holds my mp3s, videos, documents, and other files; the other is a fairly loud, higher-end machine for daily work and gaming. Both machines have 5.1 audio output, but right now only the gaming machine is connected...
  6. J

    Chenbro Granite

    THG recently posted a review of the new Chenbro Granite case: http://www4.tomshardware.com/howto/20040705/index.html It seems pretty nice (steel [better for a quiet machine], pretty aluminum front bezel, filter, 120mm rear and 92mm front fans). Sounds damn near perfect (wish it had front...
  7. J

    TV Cards, Linux, Java Interface

    Does anyone know of any TV card that has an available Java API and works under Linux (so not, for example, a Java wrapper around an OCX like Hauppauge WinTV)? A third-party Java wrapper around the Linux BTTV drivers might also work.
  8. J

    Mobility FireGL-T2 vs Mobility Radeon 9600

    I'm thinking of buying a ThinkPad R50, but I see that IBM offers the M-FireGL-T2 but not the MR9600. I do a fair amount of gaming on my current laptop, and would like to step up to some more current games. Does the Fire GL offer everything the MR9600 does and more, or does gaming suffer...
  9. J

    Any more info on new FIC SFF?

    Has anyone seen more information on that new FIC SFF mentioned in Anandtech's CES Day 1 report?
  10. J

    Any new info on Samsung 16ms LCDs?

    Last I heard, they would be available in May. Any recent news on these panels?
  11. J

    Changing HSF / Cleaning CPU?

    I just put together a P4 2.4B machine using the stock Intel HSF. Unfortunately, the fan gets REALLY noisy when the fan gets above 2500 RPM, which it does all the time now. I'm thinking of switching it out for an Alpha PAL8942 with a Panaflo. But do I have to do anything special to clean residue...
  12. J

    Best order for driver installation?

    I'm putting together a new machine next week: ASUS P4PE (Gigabit LAN, SATA, SoundMAX audio, Firewire, RAID) P4 2.4B ATI All-in-Wonder 9700 Pro Adaptec 29160 SCSI Adapter 18 GB 15K RPM Seagate Cheeta 180 GB IBM DeskStar 180GXP What would be the best order in which to install the various drivers?
  13. J

    Best memory for an ASUS P4PE?

    Given that I won't be overclocking, what'd be the best PC-2700 memory to get. Looking for a single 512MB stick. Does C2 vs C2.5 actually make a noticible performance difference? Do the different heat-spreaders on the Crucial sticks actually do anything?
  14. J

    Best quiet heatsink for 2.53GHz P4?

    I don't mod or overclock. Picking up a 2.53GHz P4 next week, and I'm looking for recommendations for an effective, but quiet, heatsink. Anyone have some suggestions?
  15. J

    Which hard drive?

    I need a nice big hard drive for general data storage. I currently have an 18GB, 15K RPM Cheetah for OS / applications. But I'm about to buy an AIW 9700, so I need big drive to store recorded video. Plus it's be nice to move archived junk like school projects off from my main drive. So, what do...
  16. J

    HD/System Performance Question

    Currently, I am running a 1.2 GHz Athlon, 512 MB SDR, GF4 Ti 4400 system. For hard drives I'm using two Ultra160 15K RPM 18.4GB Cheetahs. Sometime between now and Christmas, I'm going to put together a new system -- one of the Shuttle SSF SB51Gs. Either 2.8GHz or 3.06GHz P4, with either 512MB...
  17. J

    Best 21"+ CRT

    Can anyone recommend a top-notch CRT given the following requirements (from most important to least important): 1. 21" - 23" 2. Crystal-clear image. I'm programming for hours upon hours everyday, and the eye strain is really getting to be a problem. I'm also considering LCD, but I play a...
  18. J

    Canon i850

    Anyone had a chance to play with this new printer? Canon's website lists it under both "General Purpose" and "Photo Printer". It only uses four color tanks, unlike the six used in their pure photo printers like the S820. How much would that affect photo print quality?
  19. J

    Small ethernet switch w/ BNC input?

    I'm looking for a small (2- or 4-port) ethernet switch (hub would also be acceptable) with RJ45 output and BNC input. My roommate and I already have our apartment wired up with BNC, which works fine for our current systems. But I'm getting ready to buy one of those Shuttle SFF PCs, and want to...
  20. J

    High-quality photo inkjet recommendations?

    I'm looking for a real nice SOHO photo-quality inkjet. 15+ ppm black 10+ ppm basic color 1+ ppm photo Can handle envelopes, stiff papers (like for certificates), and business card printing. Perferable under $500. The main printer I'm looking at now is the Canon S9000. Anyone have other...
  21. J

    High Quality CDRW + DVD-ROM Combo

    Anyone know what options there are for high quality CDRW + DVD combo drives? After Anand's review, I'm seriously considering getting that Shuttle SFF. One of the issues, though, is the single external 5.25 bay. I make frequent use of the Pioneer DVD-ROM and Yamaha CDRW in my current machine, and...
  22. J

    New ViewSonic LCDs

    Has anyone heard when the new ViewSonic LCDs (the VG700 and VX2000, with 16 and 11 ms response times respectively) will be available. THW's 'Sexy LCD 17" Monitors' article from April 29 said that the VG700 will be available in June. I read somewhere else that the VX2000 would also be released in...
  23. J

    LCD & Feed Forward Driving

    Have there been any updates on Feed Forward Driving in LCD controllers since this ExtremeTech article? Mitsubishi predicted that FFD would hit the mass market Q1 2002, so has anyone heard about upcoming displays using this technology?
  24. J

    Nice guide for novice PC DIYers

    http://www.adequacy.org/?op=displaystory;sid=2001/8/5/172749/2140
  25. J

    Non-Black Lian Li PC-31?

    All the comments/reviews and online stores I've seen for the Lian Li mini-PC-31 have been for the black case. But the Lian-Li website: www.lian-li.com/english/p2-mini31.htm Shows a more standard color case for the PC31. I'd much rather have a case like that, as I don't want to hunt down black...
  26. J

    Lite-On FS020 v. Fong Kai FK-320

    I'm looking at putting together a high-end system, and am looking between two cases: the Lite-On FS020 and the Fong Kai FK-320. I *really* like the Fong Kai's style, but I'm wondering how its 92mm + 120mm measures up to the cooling power of three 120mm panaflos on punched grills of the modified...