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    Computer failure: garbled screen

    As a picture is worth a thousand words, and thus a video must be worth millions, here is a video of my computer having its recent issue. During this video, the problem mysteriously clears up for no apparent reason and hasn't completely returned since...
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    Computer failure: garbled screen

    My computer two days ago very suddenly went totally haywire and I?m at a loss to figure out why. It started with some strange, vertical lines appearing when I was browsing the internet. Then weird lines ended up all over my screen and things started looking garbled and my computer BSOD?d and...
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    New system won't turn on

    Well, looks like that was it. I am so embarrassed. I could blame my case's crappy manual, but it's still my fault for not researching enough to know how to do it. :)
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    New system won't turn on

    :o OMG, I feel like such an idiot. I'll have to give this a try. I haven't broken anything by using the regular screws, have I?
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    New system won't turn on

    My technical ability is rather low. It consists of knowing what things to plug in and how to operate a screwdriver. :) Regarding the "PWR SW" and similar cables, my wife and I deduced from the "+ / - " wires which of the colored wires (one is colored, one is white) is supposed to go on which...
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    New system won't turn on

    Actually, I have some screw-like things that came with my case that look like that. I wasn't sure what they were for. Was I supposed to use those instead of regular screws to attach my motherboard to my case? :o I don't recall using such a thing on my last computer, but I was "recycling" my...
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    New system won't turn on

    "Standoffs?" I've been told it's also somewhat odd that absolutely nothing happens when I press the power button?that it seems as if it's unplugged for all the effect it has. FWIW.
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    New system won't turn on

    I just built myself a new system with the following parts from Newegg.com... GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail Intel Core 2 Duo E7300 Wolfdale 2.66GHz LGA 775 Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E7300 - Retail SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model...
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    Mobo for Brisbane A64X2?

    This is ultimately my wife's budget computer. My computer--whenever I can afford to make it--will be a Core 2 Duo E6750, a 9600GT, and Vista Home Premium (among other things). It will be a ground-up system. This is basically a band-aid for me until I can build myself a new computer. If I could...
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    Mobo for Brisbane A64X2?

    Yeah, I kinda wanted the Firewire. I've got a Firewire CompactFlash card reader I'd like to use without finding an old PCI Firewire card that my brother thinks I still have. :) Also, how is Biostar as a brand? Their Newegg ratings (FWIW) don't seem to be as good as ASUS or Gigabyte seem to get.
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    Mobo for Brisbane A64X2?

    I'm thinking of gutting my current computer because of some issues I'm having with it. I'm going to replace my processor, memory, video card, and (maybe) power supply. Eventually, I'm going to build myself a Core 2 Duo system and turn this one over to my wife to be her WoW computer (rather than...
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    Toshiba recovery discs? (For looping restart problem.)

    Here's the situation: my wife's laptop, a Toshiba Satellite M55-S3292, isn't able to boot into Windows XP. I think the XP install is toast since it won't stop rebooting when it tries to launch Windows, whether she tries to boot up normally, go into Safe Mode, or use Last Known Good...
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    Understanding memory usage (and Vista)

    So I'm not completely crazy. :)
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    Understanding memory usage (and Vista)

    In Vista the "PF usage" graph has been replaced by a memory usage one.
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    Understanding memory usage (and Vista)

    But would this not be considered "free" RAM by Vista? Actually, all memory management kinda confuses me. :) I don't know much about the "nuts and bolts" of how computers work beyond how it tends to affect things. (Games need video cards so the processor doesn't have to do that work. Computers...
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    Understanding memory usage (and Vista)

    Yes, I assumed SuperFetch was why the "free" memory was so low (and what the "cached" memory value was). But I also listed the "used" memory and the reading from the little performance gadget thing, which shows (as a percentage) CPU and memory usage. In both cases, this seems to be exclusing the...
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    Understanding memory usage (and Vista)

    I work at a place that sells computers, and I was looking over our various Vista systems and was rather surprised about something. No matter how much RAM they had (512MB, 1GB, or 2GB), the percentage of their physical memory used was pretty similar. I would assume that, at least, the 2GB systems...
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    Mid-range DX10 video cards?

    Why would buying an expensive DX9 card be an alternative to a mid-priced DX10 card? :) I'm interested in this because I'm planning on buying a new computer in the not too distant future, and I'd rather get a mid-range DX10 card than getting a mid-range DX9 card (like the 7600GT) and then...
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    Mid-range DX10 video cards?

    Right now it appears the only DX10 video cards being made are hugely expensive ultimate badasses, but will either nVidia or ATi be releasing anything DX10-compatible to replace things like the 7600GT any time soon? (IOW, video cards that retail for under $200.) Or is that a long way off still?
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    Upgrade a Toshiba M55's video card?

    So my fiancé has a Toshiba Satellite M55-S3292, and I'm pretty sure that it's not possible to upgrade its videocard. She plays WoW a lot, and even with 1GB of RAM, the framerates suck. So she asked me if it'd be possible to upgrade her video card and I had no definate answer for her. Even if...
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    +12V: how much is not enough?

    Like this? My power supply has been running at 11.52V (according to ASUS Probe and my BIOS) and I'm wondering if it has something to do with my system sucking for the past... ten months. :)
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    +12V: how much is not enough?

    Low voltage doesn't break things? I was told in physics way back in high school that lower voltage made the amperage go up which resulted in higher circuit friction and thus heat, burning out components.
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    +12V: how much is not enough?

    Simple question: on a power supply, what is the minimum voltage the +12V should be at to avoid damaging components? Thanks!
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    Random Freezing

    But two PSUs with the exact same problem? Just seems hard to believe to me...
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    Random Freezing

    Two hours after its installation, after I finished a BRD run in WoW, sitting in the inn in IF, my computer hardlocked. Is it the voltage? Is it the hard drive? The Windows install? I've now bought a power supply and a video card in an attempt to cure this and so far, neither worked. I'm...
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    Random Freezing

    I just installed my new video card (recommended via another thread), and while my computer hasn't crashed yet, my +12V is now reading 11.52 and has dipped a few times (to 11.48, I believe). Time to RMA the power supply? Or, perhaps, could this not be a problem somehow...?
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    Video card suggestion?

    Well, for better or worse, I went ahead and bought this card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814143056 Hopefully it'll work similarly to my 5900XT. Thanks for the help. It was a tough choice, though.
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    Video card suggestion?

    So you think a Newegg open box is most likely abused? Wouldn't that be a bit risky for them to sell abused video cards? My price range us under $100, and all those cards are over that. :) I'm getting a system with a DirectX 10 video card next year, so I don't see what the point is of...
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    Video card suggestion?

    I wish I could find benchmarks comparing all these cards. Closest I've found is this: http://www.tomshardware.com/2005/07/05/vga_charts_vii/page7.html ...and it's a year old. 5900XT's on there, 6600's on there (usually out-performed by my card), but no X1300 and no X1600 Pro. It's tough to...
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    Video card suggestion?

    Is that a decent brand, though? It's $20 cheaper than the same thing from eVGA, which worries me a touch.
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    Video card suggestion?

    So far, this is looking like my best bet for under $100: SAPPHIRE 100151L-RD Radeon X1300 256MB 128-bit GDDR2 AGP 4X/8X http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102687 Or this, if I go open box: Open Box: SAPPHIRE 100148 Radeon X1600PRO 256MB 128-bit GDDR2 AGP 4X/8X...
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    Random Freezing

    I downloaded Speedfan, and its voltages don't agree with ASUS Probe or my BIOS. Temperatures are the same, though. Right now, with nothing but IE6 windows open, my processor is at 39ºC and my motherboard's at 40º. ASUS Probe says my "+12V" is at 11.584, SpeedFan says my "+12V" is at 11.00V and...
  33. R

    Video card suggestion?

    Yeah, I don't overclock anything. I just want something to get me by until Vista comes out.
  34. R

    Video card suggestion?

    Hmm... the 6600GT was always the card I really wanted. Just figured it would cost too much to bother with. Is A-Open a decent brand? I'm just a bit wary of the fact that it's quite a bit cheaper than the equivilent eVGA card (when they sold it?the $150 6800XT appears to be its replacement)...
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    Video card suggestion?

    I have AGP, not PCI-E. Can't use either one.
  36. R

    Video card suggestion?

    My FX5900XT appears to be dying. I'll be getting a new computer in January when Vista comes out, so I don't want to sink too much money into my current system. But I've got a 19" monitor and I want to be able to continue playing WoW at 1280x1024. I've got 1GB of PC3200 RAM and an Athlon 64...
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    Random Freezing

    Okay, now I've replaced my power suppy and passed a MemTest. So it's looking like everything must be my video card's fault. ...Or my hard drive's. Is there any way it's my hard drive's fault? :)
  38. R

    6600GT not working right

    My brother bought an eMachines T6524 (click for specs) and an eVGA 6600GT PCI-E video card. It worked fine at first but now there's a bunch of weird crap all over his screen and sometimes it's like the video card just stops loading certain things in games. Here's an example...
  39. R

    Random Freezing

    Well, I replaced my power supply. I got this one: http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817153023 My 12V rail runs at 11.584 consistently. I unplugged my SATA hard drive and it remained 11.584. I plugged it back in and then tried my IDE hard drive with the same results...
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    Random Freezing

    Are there any good instructions on how a MemTest works exactly? I recall almost doing one once and I think I didn't because I didn't quite understand how I was supposed to do it. (Maybe not, though?maybe it was just going to take too long and I had to go to work and forgot about it. That's...