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I am planning on building a gaming PC with a budget of around $900, I have chosen the Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti graphics card and the Intel Core i5-2500K processor. I am now choosing a motherboard for the BUILD, I have narrowed it down to TWO motherboards I think are good, their links are below. The motherboard must be able to be PURCHASED on either www.mwave.com.au or www.techbuy.com.au

Here are the motherboards I MENTIONED earlier, which of them do you think is best (keeping price value in mind)?

http://www.mwave.com.au/sku-28023612-ASRock_Z68M_USB3_Motherboard_Intel_Socket_LGA1155_Intel_Z68_Chipset_2x_DDR3_2133

http://www.mwave.com.au/sku-28023460-MSI_P67A-GD55_%28B3%29_Motherboard_-_LGA1155_-_Dual_DDR3-2133%28OC%29_-_Intel_P67%28B3%29_ChUou should be pricing out ASUS or Gigabyte MBoards for your build...
Quote from: patio on January 06, 2012, 11:47:09 PM

Uou should be pricing out ASUS or Gigabyte MBoards for your build...

Since the MBoard is one of the key components...well they are all key if you want a nice build... i'd consider waiting a bit and saving more money...
No sense wasting a good CPU/system on a below average board.

anad both the fans are\n't working

ok i know but I now noticed non aren't workin

I just purchased a Intel Xeon W3550 3.06 GHz PROCESSOR


What would be the ideal MOTHER board for this processor.

I am planning on USING it for recording music. so i need a good amount of usb ports and at least 6 slots for ram.

Please help I am a novice and not sure where to go from here.I'd look at either ASUS or GIGABYTE MBoards...

I am planning on building a gaming PC with a budget of around $900, I have chosen the Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti graphics card, Intel Core i5-2500K processor and the MSI P67A-GD55 motherboard.

I am now choosing a power supply for the build, I was told I should get a 600 or 650w power supply. Do you think a Corsair GS-600 Gaming Series 600W power supply is a good choice for my build?A 450 watt supply will work.
Greetings James165

The GTX 560 Ti is an excellent choice for a graphics card, I myself have the EVGA GTX 560 Superclocked. If I were you I would stick with your original plan of getting a 600 or 650 watt because the minimum recommended power supply for that card is 500 watt. A 450 watt would under power your card but 600 watt should be plenty, also I would recommend looking into modular power supplies. These are nice because you can keep your CASE clean and only use cables that are needed, just a personal opinion though.Quote from: Geek-9pm on January 05, 2012, 12:31:25 PM

A 450 watt supply will work.

Note: If the PSU goes into shut down status, the PSU will return to
normal operation only after the fault has been removed and the
power switch has been cycled off/on for a minimum of 1 second;
or you may re-plug in the AC power from the PSU.

NVIDIA chose to optimize for both performance and power on the GTX 570/580, the GTX 560 Ti is almost EXCLUSIVELY optimized for performance

Hello.

I have a laptop.
CPU:Intel core i3 2310M (2.1Ghz)
GPU:Nvidia Geforce GT 520M (1Gb)
RAM:4Gb

I want to upgrade my laptop CPU and GPU.
I'm using laptop for gaming too.
Which CPU and GPU should i buy? I'm KINDA INTERESTED in Intel i5 or i7 CPU.
Good if you can give me full name of an item, and specifications, so i will not buy a *censored* one


Best WISHES..Not possible on most laptops...sorry.What u mean by not possible??With most laptops both the CPU and GPU chip are soldered to the MBoard and not designed to be swapped out...Quote from: wildjjbug on February 04, 2012, 09:02:25 AM

What u mean by not possible??

OH...
That kinda sucks...

System:

Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Version 2002/Service Pack 3



Computer:

Intel (R)

Celeron (R) CPU 2.66 GHz

2.67 GHz

248 MB of RAM

Physical Address Extension

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have uninstalled programs that I don't use or really need.

I changed the Primary IDE channel from PIO to (Ultra DMA 2) like I was referred to do.

http://forum.digital-digest.com/showthread.php?t=61905

(I didn't install the driver like it said at the bottom of the page. If I have to, please let me know.)

I TYPED (msconfig) and got rid of everything in my startup deal at the bottom-right of the screen. All I have is my anti-virus icon.

I turned off the updates for Java.

I use AVG antivirus. I don't have any other protection running.

I scanned with Malewarebytes several times, but nothing comes up.

I ran Ccleaner.

I don't have additional pics or videos on my computer.

I use Firefox.

Windows Task Manager:

Processes:36 Firefox runs around 126,244K

The computer runs fine for a while, then it takes a while load pages. Especially when I'm on You Tube, Facebook and Myspace.

I don't want to purchase more RAM for such an old computer. Is there anything else I could check for that could be SLOWING it down? Why would it work fine,but all of a sudden load pages slowly? Any help would be appreciated.Quote from: bravofan71 on May 28, 2010, 01:49:38 PM

Windows Task Manager:
Processes:36 Firefox runs around 126,244K
The computer runs fine for a while, then it takes a while load pages. Especially when I'm on You Tube, Facebook and Myspace...

Hi, I currently have an nvidia 7900 gt - video card, NFORCE 590 sli motherboard, 3 gigs of RAM, 700 watt power supply, with a relatively large case using windows xp service pack 3 I am looking for help with purchasing a new graphics card to PLAY star wars the old republic ONLINE at a higher FPS and my budget is 250 dollars. What should I buy and will it fit my motherboard/ power supply. Feel free to ask any more questions and I appreciate your response.

I have an HP Officejet 6500 Wireless printer that I do not use as a "wireless". It is connected to my Windows 7, 64 bit, computer with a USB connector and it works just fine. When I installed it I installed it according to the directions, installing it with the CD that came with it. My PROBLEM is that I want to use this printer with my Lenovo LAPTOP that is running Vista and when I tried to install it with the CD to the laptop it came up with the "Fatal Error" message. I went to HP's website and found the EXPLANATION for Fatal Error with Vista installation and the multitude of directions to rectify this problem are way above my pay grade and comprehension. My question is: Will I cause horrific DAMAGE to my computer or printer if I just ignore the installation CD and attempt to do a "plug & play" without using the CD? According to the directions for the printer it is Vista compatible. Thank you Fully un install it as anUSB device.
Re install it as a Wireless device that connects through your wireless router.
All PCs in your network should get it via the wireless rooter.
Do not use USB and Wildfires at the same time.
Read the documentation.

Well, my first attempt at building my own computer (outside of a college hardware class) isn't going quite as I had hoped...

Let's get the specs out of the way first:

MOBO: Asus Sabertooth 990FX AM3+
CPU: AMD FX-6100 Zambezi 3.3GHz Socket AM3+ 95W Six-Core
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3
PSU: Thermaltake TR2 W0070RUC 430W ATX12V V2.2
Video card: EVGA 01G-P3-1556-KR GeForce GTX 550 Ti
DVD Drive: PLEXTOR 24X Internal DVD Super Multi Drive
Monitor: Dell flat panel monitor, don't know the specific type or model number.
Case: XCLIO Black steel ATX Tower

I spent most of yesterday putting it together from scratch, hooked it up to the monitor and attempted to start it for the first time today. On starting it, I didn't hear even a SINGLE beep, and nothing came up on the monitor. I opened it back up, and initially thought it was only because I had forgotten to plug the power cable into the video card, but closing it and starting it a second time got no better results. I toyed with it a bit more, removing the keyboard and starting it again, then removing the RAM and starting it again, still without hearing even a single beep. I checked the internal speaker and tried it in various positions, but the initial one I had it in did appear to be the correct one. As near as I can tell, everything is hooked up correctly, the processor FAN spins for as long as it's on, the DVD drive operates properly, the hard drive seems to be functioning fine, and the graphics card is definitely in the right slot and properly hooked up now. Any thoughts or advice on what steps I should take to start eliminating POSSIBLE problems and get this thing working?Quote from: Fernin320 on January 06, 2012, 02:40:36 PM

nothing came up on the monitor.

I have an acer aspire 5741g that doesn't switch on . When I try to switch it on then the light that shows that it is on stays on for about 5 seconds and then it goes off and repeats this process . The screen doesn't come on.

I thought that it may be the battery as the one I had was only charging to 23% however it still restarts. I have unplugged everything except the power.

Help anyone ?First make sure the charger output voltage is what is specified on the charger itself. Use a volt meter to test it. It sounds like the motherboard INSIDE is getting power, but there is obviously a hardware issue going on somewhere.

The problem sounds very similar to some of the HP DVxxxx models that have the bunk cooling system causing the solder that bonds the north bridge/GPU to the motherboard to crack causing disruption of current/data flow, which requires reflowing the solder which bonds the chip/s to the motherboard... I've repaired a few of these myself. On the other hand, the solution could be SIMPLER than that, but you may have to disassemble the laptop. But start with some SIMPLE stuff like reseating the ram, hard drive...etc.. Try starting up with only one ram MODULE installed at a time, then try one ram module in each slot to rule out a possible funky slot... If you have no joy at that point your going to have to disassemble the laptop and do what some call a "bare bones" boot of the system, leaving everything disconnected except those things which are absolutely necessary for the laptop to boot, to isolate the problem. If you're not use to this kind of repair you'll have to bring it into a local tech and may be more expensive to fix than it's worth. Quote from: theblaze on January 05, 2012, 01:29:33 PM

I have an acer aspire 5741g that doesn't switch on . When I try to switch it on then the light that shows that it is on stays on for about 5 seconds and then it goes off and repeats this process . The screen doesn't come on.

I thought that it may be the battery as the one I had was only charging to 23% however it still restarts. I have unplugged everything except the power.

Help anyone ?

But start with some simple stuff like reseating the ram, hard drive...etc.. Try starting up with only one ram module installed at a time, then try one ram module in each slot to rule out a possible funky slot...

I regularly backup my two hard drives with Acronis for security PURPOSES. Today I find that my data drive had some important information missing.

Not to worry I thought, I'll just replace it with my backup - only 10 days old. However when I did so, Windows explorer didn't recognize the drive. The old one was a SEAGATE, the replacement is Western Digital. So I perused the internet looking for a driver. Failing to find one, I settled for having to install a NORTON-contaminated thing called Driver Manager.

Driver Manager tells me that everything is fine with this drive and that it doesn't NEED a driver. The Device Manager tells me that the drive is working fine but I still can't access the drive in Windows Explorer.

Can you help?

Windows XP sp3
2gb Ram
C drive 320 GB
data drive 750 GB

If you need any further info, LET me know. Thanks


HDD's do not require drivers...
Did you interrupt the Acronis restore process at anytime ? ? This will in fact make a drive "dissappear"...

I'd get rid of that Norton tool ASAP.I did remove the norton stuff. No, the Acronis process completed successfully.I like to share solutions. I ran diskmgmt.msc and discovered the drive was not assigned a letter. I did that and it worked fine - although my information was missing from that drive too.

Just in case this happens to anyone else.Then the Acronis backup was interrupted...It said it completed successfully. Who knows?

Strange thing was the missing info. Only one directory and its sub directories were purged of all files. It is the directory I use to download non-system data (i.e. stuff that doesn't pertain to PC operations or programs). They were empty. The other directories on the drive were fine.

I can think of nothing that caused this - I haven't referenced these directories in over a month. And the files I want are not found anywhere, so somehow something (I'm the only one using this computer) deleted them.

Antivirus produced nothing.

One ? - I use a free antivirus but was told that free antivirus packages are "passive" and was advised to pay for one that is "active". Is this true? I'm using AVG.

No lights anywhere on the printer come on when I power up my Canon mp780 printer. The only image that APPEARS in the display is a segment bar accross the bottom of the screen. Looking through a magnifier, each segment (20 off) look like small solar panels. Also not lit. Nothing else happens. Can do nothing from there.This sounds like a failure of the internal power supply unit which is KNOWN as a fault on this unit. Before anything else if i had access to another power cable i would try that (provided the power cable is NOT hardwired at the printer end.In the category of the "is the power cable plugged into the wall socket". There is usually an off/on switch on the REAR of the printer. Is it in the on POSITION? Bear in mind if you cannot get it going seldom is it economically PRACTICAL to have a printer repaired--replacement is usually cheaper. truenorthPardon me. The printer is not worth repair unless it is quick and easy.

On eBay the printer sell for under $50. With warranty.

Hi everyone,hope u all had a good christmas and new year.

I have had my computer for almost a year and a half and as far as im aware its out of warranty.
The other day i started my computer but there was an almighty sound coming from inside the computer. Thought it was going to explode. The noise then stopped and came back. I dont know much about hardware but i opened up my computer and and realised the noise was coming from a fan which i later googled and realised was the cpu fan. I again opened up my computer and CLEANED the fan with compressed air which i had bought. The gas accidentally got onto the mobo for a second as i was holding the can upside down.put side back on computer and RESTARTED,noise was still there but then went away.when i opened up the computer the cpu fan ran fine even though there was a noise. more googling and i realised the fans bearing system has probs run dry of oil.even though the noise is now gone i have ordered some sewing machine oil to get rid of any future noise. because i removed the heatsink from the cpu to clean it i have ordered some thermal paste to clean and reapply.

My big question is can someone tell me what type/model size etc of cpu cooling fan/heatsink i need to order if i want a new one.
P.s i phone acer up and asked to get that info and they refused to give me it. when i said ok i will just let you send it to me they said fine but will take 2-3 weeks even thought i explained i needed the machine fixed for next WK as i do all my college work on it at home.

the current specs of my machine are as follows:

System Information

serial number:
Motherboard
Manufacturer Acer
Model Aspire X3400 (CPU 1)
Chipset Vendor NVIDIA
Chipset Model nForce 720a
Chipset Revision A2
Southbridge Vendor NVIDIA
Southbridge Model ID075C
Southbridge Revision A2
System Temperature 52 °C
BIOS
Brand AMI
Version P01-B1
Date 04/02/2010
Voltage
CPU CORE 1.344 V
MEMORY CONTROLLER 3.024 V
+3.3V 3.056 V
+5V 5.053 V
+12V 13.440 V
-12V -4.608 V
-5V -12.032 V
+5V HIGH THRESHOLD 5.027 V
CMOS BATTERY 3.088 V
PCI Data
Slot PCI-E
Slot Type PCI-E
Slot Usage Available
Bus Width Unknown
Slot Designation PCIE
Slot Number 0
Slot PCI-E
Slot Type PCI-E
Slot Usage Available
Bus Width Unknown
Slot Designation PCIE
Slot Number 1
------------------
Time of this report: 1/1/2012, 23:28:46
Machine name: TF-PC
Operating System: Windows 7 Home PREMIUM 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.110622-1506)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Acer
System Model: Aspire X3400
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) II X2 215 Processor (2 CPUs), ~2.7GHz
Memory: 4096MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 3840MB RAM
Page File: 2026MB used, 5649MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode

thank you very much and i look forward to hearing from you soon.
TeddyTake the old fan to the shop or store with you and match it up...
They are mostly standard sizes.Quote from: tfab25 on January 05, 2012, 02:49:38 PM

Hi everyone,hope u all had a good christmas and new year.

I have had my computer for almost a year and a half and as far as im aware its out of warranty.
The other day i started my computer but there was an almighty sound coming from inside the computer. Thought it was going to explode. The noise then stopped and came back. I dont know much about hardware but i opened up my computer and and realised the noise was coming from a fan which i later googled and realised was the cpu fan. I again opened up my computer and cleaned the fan with compressed air which i had bought. The gas accidentally got onto the mobo for a second as i was holding the can upside down.put side back on computer and restarted,noise was still there but then went away.when i opened up the computer the cpu fan ran fine even though there was a noise. more googling and i realised the fans bearing system has probs run dry of oil.even though the noise is now gone i have ordered some sewing machine oil to get rid of any future noise. because i removed the heatsink from the cpu to clean it i have ordered some thermal paste to clean and reapply.

My big question is can someone tell me what type/model size etc of cpu cooling fan/heatsink i need to order if i want a new one.
P.s i phone acer up and asked to get that info and they refused to give me it. when i said ok i will just let you send it to me they said fine but will take 2-3 weeks even thought i explained i needed the machine fixed for next wk as i do all my college work on it at home.

the current specs of my machine are as follows:

System Information

Motherboard
Manufacturer Acer
Model Aspire X3400 (CPU 1)
Chipset Vendor NVIDIA
Chipset Model nForce 720a
Chipset Revision A2
Southbridge Vendor NVIDIA
Southbridge Model ID075C
Southbridge Revision A2
System Temperature 52 °C
BIOS
Brand AMI
Version P01-B1
Date 04/02/2010
Voltage
CPU CORE 1.344 V
MEMORY CONTROLLER 3.024 V
+3.3V 3.056 V
+5V 5.053 V
+12V 13.440 V
-12V -4.608 V
-5V -12.032 V
+5V HIGH THRESHOLD 5.027 V
CMOS BATTERY 3.088 V
PCI Data
Slot PCI-E
Slot Type PCI-E
Slot Usage Available
Bus Width Unknown
Slot Designation PCIE
Slot Number 0
Slot PCI-E
Slot Type PCI-E
Slot Usage Available
Bus Width Unknown
Slot Designation PCIE
Slot Number 1
------------------
Time of this report: 1/1/2012, 23:28:46
Machine name: TF-PC
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1 (7601.win7sp1_gdr.110622-1506)
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: Acer
System Model: Aspire X3400
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) II X2 215 Processor (2 CPUs), ~2.7GHz
Memory: 4096MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 3840MB RAM
Page File: 2026MB used, 5649MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode

thank you very much and i look forward to hearing from you soon.
Teddy

Take the old fan to the shop or store with you and match it up...
They are mostly standard sizes.

Hi !I just upgraded my newer computer CHANGING processor from dual core to QUAD core.I also have older (6 years old HP)for my son.Since i have relatively new dual core processor E 7300(if i remember correctly) i wonder if i can use it in older computer just by buying ANOTHER MOTHERBOARD with 775 connector tipe for this chip.But what about BIOS .Where it stored and by simply changing new motherboard with chip I have what do i need to do else?If the MBoard supports the chip all is needed is assembling it...
The BIOS info is stored on the new MBoard.
No tweaking should be neccessary...

Hi, im completely new to the world of computer building etc and i desperately need some help!
I have a COUSIN who has recommended some parts and this is the list that IVE got so far...
Motherboard http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-237-GI
Processor http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-259-AM
Memory http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-086-GL
Graphics Card http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-219-SP
Power Supply http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-117-AN&tool=3
Hard Drive http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-067-HI
Extra Cables http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CB-010-AK
Speakers http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SP-050-LG&tool=3
DVD drive http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CD-101-LG
Network card http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=NW-019-BE&tool=3
Case http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-002-XG&tool=3

I already have a monitor, it isnt widescreen but square in shape. It is FLATSCREEN though. I also have my own keyboard and mouse already. I can probably stretch my budget a maximum of £50 more to about £680 as this is my first one and i intend to upgrade as i get more money (im still in school). Are there any parts that will be completely awful? Also, I will be using Windows 7 64 bit and i intend to be running small animation programmes on it.
Thanks for your help To be quite honest I'm not sure I should reply to this thread as I do have somewhat of an involvement, so if anyone feels I'm out of line just let me know (I work for this company).

A few suggestions for you.
OEM version of the drive - saves some cash, and you only lose the retail box and a SATA cable.
Samsung F3 HDD - faster drive.
5770 graphics card - a lot better than the 5750.
Corsair RAM - more reliable.
Asus board - cheaper and better.

Other than that your build looks OK ALTHOUGH personally I'd buy or build an i3 system instead ... you may want to consider calling the sales line and seeing if they can tweak some of their prebuilt systems to match your budget though, often it's possible to get a better deal on a prebuilt machine than you can get from buying the parts, and you'd also get a full system warranty and peace of MIND. Not pushing you to go that route at all, just offering alternatives.

P.S. Welcoem to the forums!

My HUSBAND hand carried his Dell Vostro 220s to a new office. When I hooked it up and turned it on, it booted to a blue screen and instructed me that "if this is the first time you have seen this screen, reboot" and was performing a dump. So I powered it down and back up and displayed a blank screen with a blinking cursor. I had seen the blue screen some time ago but it always booted to the desktop but not this time. THINKING it happened last time after adding a Dell PRINTER, I removed all the peripherals and REBOOTED. This time the Dell splash screen came up and the progress bar only completed to the mid point. Things I have done: F12 into the CMOS screen. Changed the boot devices to cd/rom, hard drive, removable. F2 into system setup and ran diagnostics off the partition. Everything passed but for the hard drive hard drive DST short test...test results: not applicable". Booted to the CD-ROM and ran those diagnostics. Everything passed but did not see the hard drive. Reset the cmos jumper cable. Now if I leave the screen for a while, it posts to: cd-rom boot priority no medium (no disk is in drive) no boot device available. The hd drive light comes on and stays on until it displays the post screen. Removed the cables to the hard drive from the drive and MOTHER board and reseated. I'm out of ideas. Please help, my husband needs his files.

If trying to regain the files is your highest priority. Remove the HDD from the current computer. Attach it via the appropriate cables to another computer. It need not be actually installed in the computer just be careful that it is stable and won't fall. If appropriate set the cable select to "slave" and hopefully the other computer will detect the drive and give you access to the files thereon. If it doesn't work that could indicate a failed HDD.good luck,truenorth

I bought my computer one month ago and it's been working perfectly. It was delivered with the components assembled and everything, all I had to do was plug in and play. One day the computer just wouldn't SWITCH on. I didn't open the case or do anything to it prior to the problem.

The green LED on my motherboard is still on. When I press the switch, there is no SOUND, no fans running or lights flashing, it's just dead. I already checked the cables and CONNECTIONS and the power supply switch.

An email from the company told me to check the "POWER SW" cable that runs from the switch to the motherboard. It was plugged in very tightly so I doubt that's the problem.

I just thought I'd post here before resorting to the painful process of finding my warranty and dealing with a company located in another city.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Here's my comp:
Windows 7
Asus P8P67 LE Motherboard
Intel Core i7 2600K 3.4GHz Quad Core
2x 4GB DDR3-1600
ATI Radeon HD 6850 1GB
Coolmaster CM STORM Scout Case
Coolmaster 700W Power SupplyI wouldn't think twice - I'd return / exchange it.To add incentive to follow Allan's advice== if you start tinkering around inside the computer you may well provide the excuse to the warranty provider to void your warranty.truenorth

I am planning on building a gaming PC with a budget of around $900, I have chosen the Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti graphics card, Intel Core i5-2500K processor and the MSI P67A-GD55 motherboard. Now I'm just choosing which hard drive to get. Of the hard drives linked below, which one do you think is a better deal?

Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB
http://www.mwave.com.au/sku-22040460-Seagate_Barracuda_ST500DM002_500GB_7200_RPM_16MB_Cache_SATA_6_0Gb_s_3_5%22_In

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB
http://www.mwave.com.au/sku-22040425-Western_Digital_Caviar_Blue_WD5000AAKX_500GB_7200_RPM_16MB_Cache_SATA_6_0Gb_s_3_

SAMSUNG 1TB Spinpoint F1
http://www.digitan.com.au/product.php?productid=42354&cat=2145&page=7The last one. The Samsung. Buy it! Trust me. I was also thinking to get that one but I think it may be out of stock so which of the other two hard drives do you think I should get?

Quote from: Geek-9pm on January 07, 2012, 12:53:27 AM

The last one. The Samsung. Buy it! Trust me.

The other two drives are models that are being closed out by the makers.

Seagate acquired Samsung's hard drive business last year in a deal that was closed on 19 December.

Been TOLD on another FORUM to avoid boards with nVIDIA chipsets as many do not work well with LINUX Mint. Anyone know which nVIDIA northbridge/southbridge chipsets do (or don't) play nice with Linux?Don't know why Linux Mint should be different. The Nvidia drivers are part of the kernel and the distribution should not make a difference.

There is a Linux forum on the Nvidia site. And they have open source drivers.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/unix.htmlNever HEARD of this issue myself personally...Quote from: Geek-9pm on JANUARY 07, 2012, 07:09:24 PM

Don't know why Linux Mint should be different. The Nvidia drivers are part of the kernel and the distribution should not make a difference.

There is a Linux forum on the Nvidia site. And they have open source drivers.
http://www.nvidia.com/object/unix.html

I am PLANNING on building a gaming PC with a budget of around $900, I have chosen the Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 TI graphics card, Intel Core i5-2500K processor and probably the MSI P67A-GD55 motherboard. Of the CASES listed below, which would be the best for my system? Keep in mind value for money please, thanks.

http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/170082/CASINGS_MIDI-TOWER/Xigmatek/CPC-T45UE-U01.asp

http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/116708/CASINGS_MIDI-TOWER/Foxconn/TSAA-759.asp

http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/116614/CASINGS_MIDI-TOWER/Foxconn/TLA-570A.asp

http://www.mwave.com.au/sku-16010912-Gigabyte_GZ_X9_Mid_Tower_Case_SECC_Material_5_25%22_3_5%22_Drive_Bays_USB_

http://www.mwave.com.au/sku-16011413-Powercase_7521_Mid_Tower_Chassis_SECC_ATX_MicroATX_3x_5_25%22_&_4x_3_5&qu

http://www.mwave.com.au/sku-16011346-Widetech_PIONEER_502_Mid_Tower_PC_Case_With_500W_Power_Supply_%28CS502B_WT502B%29Nothing worse than having an ugly PC. Make sure you choose the one that looks best to you, and fits your big graphics card; the GTX 560 TI is very large.

But you can look up the size and the SPACE of each of these yourself, I'm not going to spoon-feed you, it's a Google job.I say forget looks. You need to choose a case that has plenty of space and plenty of ventilation. There is no use in getting a nice looking case if it is too small or doesn't vent well and you have problems with heat.Go Cooler Master or Thermal Take. they're built to LAST and they're all about good air-flow.Although this review i penned is 3 years old these are still on the market...i've since purchased quite a few of them for client's builds...and a 2nd one for myself.

Raidmax Smilodon...I would get the Xigmatek

Working on an xp machine with 3 hd's in a raid 5 CONFIG. I'm replacing the hd in slot 1 (there are four slots, the 4th ONE is empty). I thought all I had to do is remove the bad drive in slot 1, INSERT the new drive, and it would automatically configure. I can GET into the raid config window but not sure what to do. Does the new drive need to be formatted first? Any suggestions?Quote

I thought all I had to do is remove the bad drive in slot 1, insert the new drive, and it would automatically configure.

Hello, earlier today, I was trying to plug a charger cable into a USB port on my laptop (Asus), and the cord was having a hard time fitting into the port. Because of this, I decided to do the only logical thing and tried to force the cord into the port, and when I tried this seemingly bulletproof strategy, the entire computer promptly turned off and would not turn back on. A few hours and some tweezers later and I was able to get the black connector piece inside the port unjammed. The computer is working fine now but the little black piece inside is STILL very flimsy and loose, and I am worried that this will cause future problems. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to try and mitigate future damage to my computer? However, If you didn't figure it out from the story, I am not the most delicate PERSON on the planet. I know my way around the inside of a desktop OK but laptops are not quite as user friendly an experience so anything that involves me going inside the PC is PROBABLY not in my best interest. Thanks alot for reading and any wisdom you might share.

SileniusI'm afraid your only option at this point would be a laptop repair shop...
Best case scenario they can replace/solder a new port on...

Worst case scenario...you will be replacing the MBoard in that machine...Most computers including laptops provide more than one USB port. Assuming such is your situation. Throw up a CORDON around the damaged port and purchase a USB multiplier device and install it in an undamaged port. That should expand the available ports by 3 .There will be 4 on the device but of course the device will be using one to connect to the laptop HENCE 3 additional. I suggest a powered unit so as to maximize the utilization of the USB devices--particularly those that require more power. truenorth

The cd rom has gone bad NEED a different one. Just need to know newer drives are compatible. The one that's in it now is a PHILIPS cdd4851Just find one you like - it will work just fine.I believe your BROKEN drive has an IDE interface and so MAKE sure your new one has the same...unless or course your MB also has SATA capability in which case that's what I'd choose.

It's an HP 2000-299WM. Got it at Walmart for $298. I bought it specifically to run programming/diagnostic software I use for editing / writing high performance programs for automotive computers. A simple PC with limited speed, memory, ect. can be used for this so I bought just about the cheapest thing I could find. But the PC needs to be configured with no antivirus, firewall, automatic updates, screen saver, no viruses, ect (nothing that will interupt the actual removal and re-flashing of the program in the cars computer). If this process is interupted it can result in rendering the car computer un-usable (mega $ in some cases).
The software also has tremendous diagnostics functions I can use for automotive repair which I do a lot of when I'm not at my main job. So the laptop will pay for itself very quickly.
So this PC will be mainly used just for this purpose - no internet (can't afford the possibility of a virus), but I've got several other PC's for that.
Anyway, I'm really impressed with what $298 can buy these days. Here are the specs.
I feel like a happy camper. Did I do good?

You did fine. That's about the going price for that cpu/chipset combo (T3500/GM45) which was introduced about 16 months ago. The i3 Sandy Bridge series 2 has pretty MUCH superceded the "T" series. The primary difference is the Intel GMA vs the HDG-3000.

BTW, what is the software you are using? No problems running under Win7-64? You can always try running it on Microsoft Virtual PC 2007.

FYI:
http://ark.intel.com/products/42104/Intel-Celeron-Processor-T3500-(1M-Cache-2_10-GHz-800-MHz-FSB)

http://ark.intel.com/products/52220Quote from: Computer_Commando on January 06, 2012, 06:36:07 AM

You did fine.

BTW, what is the software you are using? No problems running under Win7-64? You can always try running it on Microsoft Virtual PC 2007.

FYI:
http://ark.intel.com/products/42104/Intel-Celeron-Processor-T3500-(1M-Cache-2_10-GHz-800-MHz-FSB)

http://ark.intel.com/products/52220

Ok so this started with Minecraft. i'm not posting this in the Games section cuz it has nothing to do with Minecraft anymore.
So I was playing Minecraft when all of a SUDDEN my computer froze. My mouse could still move for a few seconds but then it freezes and after 7 seconds it flashes and I'm back on my DESKTOP with a message saying that Minecraft.exe has stopped. So now every time I open Minecraft it freezes after the login SCREEN. After a few hours I realized that this was not Minecraft because other games like Roller coaster Tycoon were freezing. And now... my computer freezes once a week and flashes and then everything is ok BUT it freezez much more when I play games.

So I thought at first it was my graphics card so I uninstalled the driver and reinstalled. I also uninstalled Java and Microsoft C++ and ran a full virus scan with Norton Internet Security 2012.
(I now have Microsoft C++ 2010 and BOTH 64 bit and 32 bit Java but i tried them seperatly). Also, I'm not a huge downloader and my PC is TUNED to the max because I know how to do it cuz I'm pretty good with tech All I have on my PC is like 60 GB of pictures, 1 GB of music, 25 GB of videos, Google Chrome, OpenOffice.org and Norton.

So anyways now I have no idea what to do. Help!?


I would be keeping an eye on the clock because if this is a new computer given the win 7 O/S determine if a warranty is still in effect. There are a variety of things that can cause this type of problem IE: heat/failing ram/virus infection and more. truenorthExtra details: It's almost 5 years old Acer Aspire and the graphics card is an ATI Radeon 2600 HD Pro

Hi guys, I have a doubt.

I have 2 hard drives (SATA), and in one of them I have the XP and in the other one I have the UBUNTU.

I bought new computer parts, everything new (never used before), motherboard, RAM, processor. For storage I'll be using my old hard drives.

My question (kinda of a beginner's question) is can I just put my old hard drives in my new assembled machine without reinstalling the Operational Systems? Will everything WORK fine, or do I have to reinstall the XP and the UBUNTU on each drive again?

(I used UBUNTU'S GRUB to have linux and windows in the same machine with two hard drives).

Thank you all.There's a chance that it'll boot up but it won't be very stable. I'm not sure how Linux will react to a different motherboard but Windows XP will at the very least demand that you re-activate. Its device manager will also become a huge mess with GHOST DEVICES everywhere.

however, if you reinstall Windows XP, you'll end up breaking the Linux bootloader so you might be forced to reinstall Ubuntu as well.

Hello,

Just wondering if there is somewhere to find out what GRAPHICS card is in my computer. Its a acer Aspire SA10. Its what came in it.

I tried to do the serial search but it wouldnt work on the Acer website. THANK you.

Greg.DLoad install and RUN Everest HomeNot sure what operating SYSTEM you are using and so I'm assuming its a windows variant.
Navigate to 'control panel' and select 'system', open the 'hardware' tab and press the 'device manager' button. Extend the tree of 'display adaptor' by clicking on the '+' sign next to it and as long as the drivers are properly INSTALLED, you should see the description of your graphics adaptor.

I have an HP Pavillion a1230n series with Windows XP and 1 Gb of RAM which CAME with the computer (so it's about 7 years OLD). I purchased a 2x1GB RAM kit from patriot memory. Here are the specs:
http://www.patriotmemory.com/products/specs/psd1g400k.pdf

When I use their memory selector, it gives me this:
http://www.patriotmemory.com/products/specs/psd1g400.pdf

It isn't much different (2.5 vs. 3 CAS Latency and the K in the name). Will what I have work or do I need to get the kind they reccomend?

PS- Don't tell me to go to crucial's scan thing. Thanks!Yes, it looks to be the right TYPE. Don't get too caught up in the details. If it's the right type PC3200 and the comp supports that AMOUNT of it, then it should be fine.

I am not a newbie. I clicked the right button but it didn't show. I'm an intermediate user.
Dell Dimension 2400 XP Pro -
After flashing the BIOS my computer POSTS. I SEE the bios screen all details are correct and then when the computer tries to boot it doesn't go past the black screen with a white blinking cursor in the top left corner. No boot from any drive,no keyboard accessWhy did you flash the BIOS ? ?I lost one of my USB Hubs so I tried the firmware update.Ouch...

That was probably unneccessary and you may have bricked the PC...
Check the Dell site to see if there is a reversal method.Hi

Perhaps reset the cmos with the jumper on the motherboard. Make sure the date and time are correct. Check the harddrive is detected. And then check in the cmos the drive boot order is cd then HD, Remove any usb pendrives and see if it boots.

The BIOS flash was a last resort. Dell site pointed to MS and MS pointed to Dell. As far as what does happen when I hit the power button--I get past the Dell / Bios page to a black screen with a left corner blinking cursor. I have no capabilities of booting or any keys.
Stops Dead. I have tried all I know and that's why I'm here.
ThanxQuote from: JUSTBOBS on January 05, 2012, 03:38:22 PM

The BIOS flash was a last resort. Dell site pointed to MS and MS pointed to Dell. As far as what does happen when I hit the power button--I get past the Dell / Bios page to a black screen with a left corner blinking cursor. I have no capabilities of booting or any keys.
Stops Dead. I have tried all I know and that's why I'm here.
Thanx

I am not a newbie. I clicked the right button but it didn't show. I'm an intermediate user.
Dell Dimension 2400 XP Pro -
After flashing the BIOS my computer POSTS. I see the bios screen all details are correct and then when the computer tries to boot it doesn't go past the black screen with a white blinking cursor in the top left corner. No boot from any drive,no keyboard access

I have Realtek speakers-4+bass-but only 2 are working. (Vista) I used to CLICK on the speaker icon at the bottom and open controls to activate all the speakers but now I don't see that-only volume controls and nothing to select how many channels playback. Nothing in the control PANEL either. Help?Not familiar with Vista HOWEVER i assume that it will be similar to XP. Go into "control panel" and select "sound and audio devices". From within that you should be able to access the options to affect the changes you seek from your audio device. truenorthCorrect Vista drivers installed for the device ? ?Probably these: http://majorgeeks.com/Realtek_High_Definition_Audio_for_VistaWin_7_d5513.html
If you R-Click the speaker icon and don`t get access to the control-panel I THINK Com-Commando is right.
I have DriverMax installed.With this program it`s very EASY to update/install drivers.When you use the freeware version you can do 2 a day,when you pay...all you want...
I love the program,I hope I`ve been of some help.
Greetzzz from Amsterdam;Eric.

My laptop seems to be dead.

I recently bought an external hard drive directly from Toshiba, the maker of my main laptop. I spoke with a sales support technician before deciding which hard drive to buy. The laptop is about 7 years old.

The description of the external hard drive includes the following information:

Transfer your large media files at blazing fast speeds with USB 3.0
Backward compatible with USB 2.0

My laptop has USB 2.0 ports. Every time I plugged the hard drive in I would get a message saying it had exceeded the power limit of the port. At first I unplugged the hard drive right away, but seeing that nothing BAD seemed to be happening when the hard drive was plugged in I started using it.

I didn't make a backup of my laptop because I was in the middle of cleaning out programs and was searching out places on the laptop the program files were hidden or duplicated and didn't want to back up things I didn't want coming back onto the laptop.

I had previously tried having the hard drive in one port and a flash drive in another so I could transfer files directly from the flash to the external hard drive.

Today I put in the flash first, let it open, then put in the hard drive. After transferring files I turned off the flash and put in a different flash. I forgot to turn off the external hard drive first. I walked away while the flash was opening. When I came back I saw that the laptop was off. It was so off the power light that INDICATES the laptop is drawing AC power was off. The laptop was cool to the touch so I tried pressing the power button. There's almost no battery power left, but if the laptop was simply unplugged it would still turn on and stay on for about 20 minutes before giving me a message to switch to ac power. There was no response to the power button.

Do you think my laptop is well and TRULY dead?

If not, what would be involved in bringing it back to life?

Needless to say, all kinds of information that I use daily and is very important to me are on the laptop. I've already explained why, whether it makes sense or not, I didn't back them up. Among the files on the laptop is a file that is key to every secure aspect of my life. On other occasions when I took the laptop for repair I removed this file. If I have to leave the laptop with a technician who likes to poke around customers' files this information is readily accessible. Oh sh*t.








Most laptops don't last very long, 7 years is actually quite a long life for a modern laptop.
The whole external drive issue seems unrelated to me, despite the Windows warning.

Have you tried removing the battery? What type of Toshiba laptop was it?
Did the external drive you use come with its own power source or was it a 2.5" hard drive casing?

Your files are most likely safe, the laptop hard drive can be easily removed and data copied from it through the use of a PATA(IDE) to USB converter. Just take ESD precautions in mind before removing the hard drive or let someone with an ESD-free workstation do it.

Thanks. I took the battery out and put it back in. It's fine, thank you.

Ummm.... I think I'll go do a back up now.




The laptop is a Toshiba Satellite A60. The external hard drive is a Canvio 3.0, powered through the laptop. And yes, I'm sending this message from that laptop. Thanks again.

I have a friend who had talen a magnet to one of his HDD's. I am wondering if the HARD drive is still usable, not just the data, but the entire hard drive, does the magnet cause damage to the actual read-write HEAD or any of the sort?

Thankshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSJ0IlFhTioThat is a very good question. Everyone says that a magnet can damage a hard drive, but they never say if it just erases the data or actually busts the drive. My guess is it just corrupts the data, but the drive will still work.

EDIT: from the vid it looks like it broken.Quote from: Linux711 on January 31, 2012, 12:48:44 PM

Everyone says that a magnet can damage a hard drive

Hi
Not so long ago i tried installing windows 7 on my desktop PC
It SEEMED to install ok but then out of the blue the computer seemed to fail
now when i turn it on it just goes to a black screen which reads:

INTEL (R)Q33/Q35/G33 PCI Accelerated SVGA BIOS
Build Number: 1471 PC 14.27 (DATE)
DECOMPILATION OR DISASSEMBLY PROHIBITED

And that's it!
I can't seem to do anything else
I have checked all the connections, which all seem sound and i just replaced the CMOS battery so that is good

So any suggestions!!!
Any help is much appreciated

ThanksHave you checked your RAM? I have had a similar thing happen with a faulty STICK of RAM causing the BIOS to freeze mid-post.Hey Transfusion
All the Ram boards seem to be located correctly
How do i check if they are faulty
Should the system run up without the RAM installed?

Thanks in advance for your help!
Cheers
You will need a known WORKING computer to troubleshoot your RAM-download http://www.memtest.org/ and run it for 10 passes. It will indicate if there is a read/write error if your RAM is faulty.Try one stick of ram in the different slots (could be bad stick or a bad slot), i would also try a reinstall of the os.Follow the suggestion of mombodog http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/p/18701213/18824199.aspx

Hello gentlemen, and gals,

-TLDR-
I'm having a very rough time getting this older computer to boot to WINDOWS XP from a SATA drive. I've even gone as far as installing the OS, on the SATA drive, using a much newer computer, in which it booted with no problems, so I'm assuming the HDD is good. When I then inserted the drive into the older computer, it fails to boot. The farthest I get is to the screen that lets you choose safe mode. When i choose safe mode, it gets to a file NAMED "Mup.sys", and immediately reboots. No blue screen.

-specs-
Mobo - ASUS A8V - http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/AMD_Socket_939/A8V/
Ram - 2x 512MB sticks
PSU - Dynex 350W - http://www.shopping.com/Dynex-Dynex-350-Watt-ATX-CPU-Power-Supply-DX-PS350W/info?sb=1

SATA HDD being used is a western digital WD3200AAKS - http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?groupid=606&lang=en

-Details-
- System is at least 5 years old
- System worked just fine with windows xp on a IDE hard drive
- I wanted to upgrade to a larger SATA drive and use it as the boot drive
- Had difficulties installing windows xp on SATA drive.
- Yes I am loading the SATA driver at the beginning of the install with a Floppy drive disc
- Would blue screen after first restart when trying to boot from SATA to continue windows installation
- Performed many HDD checks with windows and western digital software and corrected bad sectors
- Keep in mind the drive does boot from a newer computer
- Tried installing Windows XP on the drive using my newer computer
- inserted drive into older computer after first reboot... same problem
- completed windows installation on newer computer... got to desktop while on newer computer
- transferred drive to older computer, got to windows boot option select screen... failed on both normal boot and safe mode
- no blue screen this time

- I've checked bios for better sata boot options
- made sure SATA is limited to 1.5Gb/s data rate with jumper
- Tried using Ubuntu installation... failed at recognizing hard drive... something about what platter type is being used. wouldn't continue.

Sorry for the long post. I've tried a lot of things. It just won't boot to the SATA. I'm thinking the motherboard is too old, but then again it has 2 SATA ports right on the MOBO.
If anyone has anything that I may have missed, please let me know. I've easily overlooked small things before.
If anyone has any wisdom to share, or other things to try let me know.
I'll be happy to provide more information if you would like.
Successfully installed Ubuntu
Booted right up
I'm not familar with Ubuntu or any Linux software really.
Likes to hang up here and there.
I'm going to run more in depth HDD tests on this drive later
Still no luck with windows xp thoughRan hitachi's DFT program. It gave me error code 0x70 on the advanced test which means that it found corrupt sectors on the drive.
since it's not a hitachi drive I cannot run the recommended "Erase Disc" utility.

I'll see if seatools or western digital software can help with that...Data LifeGuard is the Western Digital tools...If you ever notice any weird freeze/hang up with Ubuntu (or any other Linux Distribution), then it will most likely indicate a hardware fault.You can safely ignore that post. Linux flavors run into issues as well.Thank you for letting me know that about Ubuntu. It would hang and freeze randomly every once in awhile. Had to hold the power button to fix it sometimes.
Didn't get any error screens.

I ran Western Digital's Data LifeGuard last night using the old computer. My IDE drive still has a good copy of windows xp on it. Performed "WRITE zeros" to the disk, and it started running into errors about %40 of the way through. HIT a section of errors were it could not write zeros to. Since each ploblem sector required me to select ok, I canceled it.

Put it in my newer computer today. Did "write zeros" using the same program, Data LifeGuard, and it finished with no errors.

newer computer is running windows 7 64-bit BTW

I want to guess that there is something wrong with the SATA controller (whatever it's called) on the motherboard. Maybe trying to update bios would help?

I'd like to try installing a PCI SATA card and see if that works, but I don't have one available right now.

Tried installing windows xp on that SATA drive again using the Computer it will be going into.
Still have same problems.

Screen shot of blue screen below. this is what I get if I skip the raid driver that windows asks for just before putting windows files on the HDD for the first time.
When the computer reboots, I get this.
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/782/bs2011.jpg

I'm going to give up on this for now. Not really worth my time now. I could get a SATA controller card, but... yeah not feelin up to finding the problem anymore.
I'll just go back to booting windows on the slow PATA drive .Very early on in the setup process there is a bottom screen prompt "press F6 to install additional drivers"....
You have to then insert the MBoard driver CD and continue...
XP will not install if this step is skipped.This a legit copy of windows xp? Seen the pirated versions not work with some hardware sometimes, not sure why or what would even make it possible but its an idea.Quote from: viperx45 on December 19, 2011, 06:47:41 PM

Tried installing windows xp on that SATA drive again using the Computer it will be going into.
...Screen shot of blue screen below. this is what I get if I skip the raid driver that windows asks for just before putting windows files on the HDD for the first time...

Very early on in the setup process there is a bottom screen prompt "press F6 to install additional drivers"....
You have to then insert the MBoard driver CD and continue...
XP will not install if this step is skipped.

This a legit copy of windows xp? Seen the pirated versions not work with some hardware sometimes, not sure why or what would even make it possible but its an idea.

Many computers used SATA in a RAID configuration as the default. You do not want RAID. Look in BIOS for SATA compatibility mode, set it to IDE & no 3rd party drivers will be required. My P4 from 2005 works this way.
My BIOS has:
SATA Devices Configuration
On-Chip Serial ATA
Disable, Auto, Combined, Enhanced, SATA Only

Auto & Enhanced worked for me with no 3rd party drivers

This is my first post. First, I'll explain my exact situation...
I have 2 of the same label printers (METO MN-4) Both printers work great using the parallel port on my computer (Windows 7 64) but I want to be able to use both at the same time.
Well, the printers have a serial port also so I bought a serial cable to plug the other printer into my computer's serial port. I cannot get it to work. I installed a new printer using the same exact driver program, obviously choosing COM(3 or 4) instead of LPT1. The new printer is installed but does nothing.
These printers are rather old, but still in the $300 price range. Are there some serial port settings I might try changing? Maybe a change in CMOS or BIOS or something? Any help is appreciated.Hi JamesS85

I have been trying to find a manual for that printer but can't LOCATE one . So the following is NOT from technical information for your printers but are from experience. Normally printers with 2 interfaces needed to have the serial interface selected in the setup (of the printer) this is done thru a menu printed out and then the options selected with the 3 buttons on the printer. Not very easy to do without the manual. An easy way is to use a parallel printer switch or another parallel port in the computer this could need another pci card.Also the parallel port does not really need setting up, whereas a serial link needs configuring: start bit, stop bit, baud rate, parity etc. If these aren't right the printer won't respond.


Quote from: Techo on January 30, 2012, 12:40:10 PM

An easy way is to use a parallel printer switch or another parallel port in the computer this could need another pci card.

The parralel port works...he's asking about the serial port...

The parralel port works...he's asking about the serial port...

To connect the printer to the host’s serial (RS-232C) interface use an
acceptable cable configuration, as shown below (contact your reseller
for ordering information).

rx---tx, tx---rx

I managed to find a manual online. I matched up the baud rate, parity, stop bits etc.
...
In the manual, it mentions something about serial cables:Followed by a chart showing rx---tx, tx---rx, shielding----shielding, etc.
Am I correct in assuming I need a specially wired RS-232C?

here's my problem... i'm running out of space (seagate 40 GB IDE) so I need to upgrade my computer's HDD. my motherboard is Intel D845PESV. now here are my questions:

1. if I replace my current HDD with a new one will I lose my data? if I will lose my data then how to avoid losing it?
2. is it possible to add another HDD INSTEAD of replacing it so I can have TWO HDD? will is there any danger to data loss or OS disruption by adding another HDD?

sorry for my novice questions. my knowledge in computer is superbly limited, I searched on the net but I can not FIND user-level details regarding this, especially for Q#2. please advice me on this (detail me the process if you don't mind). your help is greatly appreciated.


thanks,
Glenn. Quote

1. if I replace my current HDD with a new one will I lose my data? if I will lose my data then how to avoid losing it?

2. is it possible to add another HDD instead of replacing it so I can have two HDD? will is there any danger to data loss or OS disruption by adding another HDD?

I have two Nvidia 8800GT cards. They are SET up in SLI formation inside the computer, but I do not get confirmation of that from the software.

The Device Manager LISTS only one card and there is no SLI option on the Nvidia Control Panel under 3D. PhysX configuration is all it has. I have loaded the latest drivers.

Could this be a hardware problem?

Your thoughts please...

SLI connector cable in place ? ?

Does this MBoard support SLI ? ?Another thought: Possibly one of the cards is under-powered? This is an ODD problem if you have both cards hooked up right. I used to have two 9600gt's in SLI, I recall having a similar problem and resolved it by simply re-seating the video cards.

Good luck!The bridging is down to drivers from what I remember. At some point, Nvidia made the bridge optional. Perhaps that only applies to certain cards, though.

You might have to enable SLI from the Nvidia control panel. It isn't turned on by default. At least it didn't use to be.

(I went ATI) The SLI bridge is used to reduce bandwidth constraints of your chipset by allowing data to be sent directly between the two cards. While it is possible to run two nVidia cards in SLI WITHOUT the bridge, it can cause severe performance decreases especially in HIGHER end cards. Your best bet is to use it.This system in the past did run SLI - but I don't recall exactly when. I think it was over a year ago.

There is no SLI option available in the nVidia control panel, only physx under the 3D heading.

I do have the SLI bridge attached and the cards are connected to the power supply. It is VERY dusty in there though.

I will try to switch the cards and see what happens.

Thanks

Do some housekeeping...

Hello EVERYONE!
I have a Dell Precision 370, a seagate HDD Cheetah 15K.5, 80GB. Connected on a scsi card via a Foxconn scsi cable.

The problem is when i go to BAIOS, installed devices i get the following info:
Onboard SATA Hard Disk Not Present
Onboard IDE Hard Disk not Present

But the seagate HDD appeaas as 03,39320 A:0 Seagate ST3734....
When i try to install Win XP Pro i get the following error "Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer. Make sure any hard disk drives are powered on and properly connected to your computer, and that any disk-related hardware configuration is correct. This may involve running a manufacturer-supplied DIAGNOSTIC or setup program. Setup cannot continue. To quit Setup, press F3."

Any help on this issue i have been on it for the past 4hrs.
Have you ever installed XP on a SCCSI before?
If not, search this forum for
XP scsi
and find how others have done it with trepidation.
U320 SCSI Controller
SCSI drives will not show in BIOS.Thanks for the posts,

I have made all possible search on google, and followed some ideas in to sorting out this issue, i even downloaded the drivers for the scsi card 39320, presed F6 and followed all steps i still get the same error.
Do i have to go into Baios and change anything? such as SATA RAID or Combination, if so what do i exactly change?
By the way its my FIRST time installing Win XP Pro on a scsi drive, if someone did prevoiusly i kindly beg for your input .

Please help! Download Seagate Seatools for DOS and create a boot CD for testing the hard drive.
http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287

You said: ..."seagate HDD appeaas as 03,39320 A:0 Seagate ST3734...."
When did you see this message?
Is this the original hard drive or a replacement?

If you haven't wiped the hard drive, you may have to use the Dell setup to reinstall.Thanks everyone for your post.

I finnaly managed to solve the problem, i read a post on google which suggested i must use a Dell CD with XP OS the ones that are distributed only with a new dell computer.

I had to look for one of these dell CDs and my problem was solved. But the question is: what is contained in this dell cd which is not included in other XP OS cds i was using previously?

Once again guys thanks so much for all the input. Quote from: lino124 on May 26, 2010, 12:29:03 PM

...I had to look for one of these dell CDs and my problem was solved. But the question is: what is contained in this dell cd which is not included in other XP OS cds i was using previously?...

I am planning on building a gaming PC with a budget of around $900, I have chosen the Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti graphics card, Intel Core i5-2500K processor and the MSI P67A-GD55 motherboard. I am almost ready to purchase the components, I just have to choose which MEMORY I am going to buy. Which of the below memory should I buy? Keeping in mind value for money and compatibility to the system I'm building, specifically the motherboard. I am quite confident all of the memory listed below is compatible with my motherboard but it would be helpful if you double checked. Thanks in advance.

G.Skill 4GB (2x 2GB) F3-10666CL7D-4GBRH
http://tinyurl.com/7hobrb3

G.Skill 4GB (2x 2GB) F3-10666CL8D-4GBECO
http://tinyurl.com/84n9see

G.Skill 4GB (2 x 2GB) F3-10666CL8D-4GBXM
http://tinyurl.com/87mel2q

Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x 4GB) CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B
http://tinyurl.com/7ud85bqIf you can justify your need for 8GB RAM (i.e. going to open multiple Photoshop windows, use a DAW with various VSTs, run a few VIRTUAL machines or two) then I would say go for the 8GB as 2 sets of 4 GB G.Skill RAM would already cost $69.7, but in this link ( http://www.mwave.com.au/sku-37140863-Corsair_Vengeance_8GB%282x_4GB%29_Dual_Channel_DDR3_Memory_Kit_PC3_12800_1600MHz_240 ) an 8GB set only costs $55. You wouldn't have to upgrade in the future anymore.
I wouldn't buy any of the "ECO" or LOW CL response time memory kits- a few nanoseconds or a fraction of a volt decrease will make virtually no difference in your computing.Well I probably wont need the 8GB so which of the other ones would you suggest?This one: http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/163332/MEMORY_MEMORY_DDR-3_RAM/G.Skill/F3-10666CL8D-4GBXM.asp
Quote from: Transfusion on January 09, 2012, 09:45:42 PM

I wouldn't buy any of the "Eco" or low CL response time memory kits- a few nanoseconds or a fraction of a volt decrease will make virtually no difference in your computing.

My son put a CD into his DVD drive to listen to a track, and the PC crashed. It then started to cycle through restart up to the Windows Logo, then a very brief BSOD, then restart. This it did constantly with the option to Start windows normally/Safe mode etc. I got into BIOS and had the option to 'Test Hard Drive' This resulted in a 'Fail'. I had a spare drive & installed it. This tested OK, but as it was a formatted drive, I now needed to reinstall Windows XP. I set the DVD drive as first boot and inserted the disc. I got the message 'Missing Boot Sector' ect. The DVD drive is not spinning up at all, but the light is flashing, so I am assuming this is faulty also. Could the one take the other out or is this just co-incidence? I have managed to locate a replacement DVD drive, but am waiting for it to arrive. Laptop HP Presario V4000 running XP Home. Regards to all AlexmaThis may be part of a conspiracy. Make sure you make clear notes of exactly what happened and when. Yes, it could be a coincidence.Maybe not.

Recently, many people are having their DVD drives fail on them and also having problems with the operating system. It sounds like some kind of virus. But we don't know for sure.

I had a Word Press blog up on my own site and I speculated about how the big companies were trying to destroy the DVD drives because they don't want people making copies of movies.

Sometime after I posted that, my website went down, and even the host provider went out of business. Must be just a coincidence?
But stay tuned. Maybe we'll get to the bottom of this yet!

If you click this link, Big Brother might see you.
http://www.info-mech.com/drm_flaws.html
Hey Geek, I think you nailed it!!! The CD in question I had just burnt for him using a well known P to P site (We'll call it 'Lemoncable' so as not to offend anyone) on my old desktop PC. I have just checked the drive on that PC and it appears to be OK. Anyway, that CD is now 'Coaster' & that 'Site' uninstalled, I have always had doubts about P2P sites. You have just confirmed this to me. Many many thanks. When the new (used) drive arrives I will post back with the outcome. Alexma. PS. Any thoughts on the HDD failure at the same time???Quote

PS. Any thoughts on the HDD failure at the same time???

Even well designed commercial programs may have defects that cause unexpected damage. A case in point is the Windows XP service pack 3. When a certain version of the Norton antivirus software is running it can interfere with the proper installation of Windows XP 3. This was documented by Microsoft. How many other things like that have happened we don't really know.

I set the DVD drive as first boot and inserted the disc. I got the message 'Missing Boot Sector' ect.

Is the Western Digital CAVIAR Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB a decent enough hard drive to USE as my boot drive? I will be using the PC for gaming, will this hard drive be good enough?Yes.
Stay away from the "Green" drives...

I have an HP Officejet 6500 wireless printer that was working fine for the past 2 years. I replaced the three color cartridges with 3 that I'd bought over the internet as "remanufactured" cartridges. They wouldn't work as the printer refused to recognize that they were even there. Sent an email to the company I'd bought them from and they informed me that they'd had problems with those cartridges and would be putting 3 new ones in the mail. Fine. Got the new ones about 4 days later, INSTALLED them, and then the black cartridge that had been OK, was no LONGER working. Put the printer through the cleaning cycle enumerable times and nothing helped. Even tried blowing the little filter screens out with COMPRESSED air and that didn't help, either. Installed a new black cartridge and the printer recognized it as a REFILLED HP cartridge, but it still wouldn't print. In the meantime, the color cartridges are getting more streaky every time I put it through the cleaning cycle. I am assuming that the print head is not a part of these particular cartridges. If that is the case, how do I get to the print heads to clean them? Thank youHave you tried aligning/calibrating them through the hp software?Yes, I have, and I also re-calibrated it back to the Default to see if that would work, and so far, nothing has worked. In desperation I dug up all of my info on the printer and found that I'd bought a $19.99 extra warranty that kicked in after the manufacturer warranty expired. Had totally forgotten about it. Called their 800 number and their techie walked me through a few things that didn't work so they will be sending out a new printer. Thank you for your time and interest.

Hi, I was on AMAZON and I was looking for a RAM upgrade and saw Corsair Vengeance 8gb RAM for £40 reduced from £111, is that too good to be true?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9-1600MHz-Vengeance-Memory/dp/B004CRSM4I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327774775&sr=8-1

I also saw Corsair Dominator 8gb RAM for £70 reduced from £320, too good to be true again?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corsair-CMP8GX3M2A1600C9-8GB-Dominator-Memory/dp/B003KWYI8K/ref=sr_1_3?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1327775424&sr=1-3

If not which one is better? The main use for them is gaming. Also another question about SSDs, apparently having your OS on the SSD massively increases performance of the OS, but when you INSTALL an OS onto a drive, doesn't that mean that everything you save on your computer goes to that drive?
Or do you have to change that once you have installed the OS onto your drive already?

Thank in advance.

-Inkin
As for the RAM, it looks fine as long as you know it is compatible with your motherboard. An SSD will definitely improve your systems' performance dramatically if used as your OS drive. When you save things to your computer they go where you tell the computer to put them...so if you don't want them on your SSD just tell it to put the file somewhere else. Also when installing programs the installer will usually give the the OPTION to install them to a DIFFERENT location(sometimes a bad idea).

So here's my problem! I just got a new case, put everything in. Turn it on, all the fans start spinning and the led fans come on, but a few seconds later the system turns off.

Also by the way, the PSU doesnt fit in perfectly and i manage to get two screws in (not all the way) its hard to plug in. And the computer isnt connected to a monitor or anything at the moment

Any help?

P.S by the way, my psu is brand new and i have been using it for a week and used it an hour before the case change.when you swapped mobo to second case , did you notice any small plastic washers in bottom of old case , these are used to insulate Mobo from stand offs .TRY removing mobo from case and try it on an insulated surface as proof this is troubles
Small plastic standoffs? I cant see any. Only metal things that sick out and have a place for screws to go in, which i am UNABLE to remove (for i am probably too weak...). also i DIDNT get to use every screw slot on the MOTHERBOARD because i didnt have enough 'metal things that stick out'. check the stand off are in the right position in new case or they can short out the board and stop it working, use a pair of pliers and use the ones from old case if necessary but DONT add any extraIts fixed! i believe the mobo connector wasnt plugged in properly or either the heatsink or something. Thanks for all the help guys!

I am looking for a new keyboard for my computer in the car. Here are the specs I need, I can't seem to find one on my own:

MINI USB
Wireless
Illuminated
Has a trackpad

Thanks guys, I know someone will figure it out for me Are you willing to pay ten times the price of a plain keyboard?

Wireless? In a automobile?

And What is Mini USB?
Mini USB and wireless? What is that supposed to mean?

This computer isn't being used from behind the wheel, is it?


http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&gbv=2&tbs=isch:1&sa=1&q=mini+keyboard&aq=f&aqi=g1g-m2&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=
http://s2.hubimg.com/u/1197313_f520.jpgHey Geek, the one in that first picture looks pretty good. Can I get a link to it? This is in my buddy's car. I usually use the computer while he DRIVES. Whatever he does on his own is his problem. Whatever stats he told me is what I typed in here.I go that photo from...
http://www.wetkeys.com/
The back-lite keyboard is here:
http://www.wetkeys.com/Hygienic-Backlit-Keyboard-w-Touchpad-EKB-97-TP-p/ekb-97-tp.htm
But at $196 it is rather pricey.
Here is a review of a lower price illuminated keyboard under $100.
Logitech Illuminated Keyboard
CNET also does reviews of other keyboards in the same article.
There some USB to mini USB adapters. Newegg has several and I'm sure others do to.

You could buy one of these and try a standard USB keyboard.

Mini USB connectors started showing up in cameras several years ago, but I don't think the mini's have ever been standardized. I remember one PC Magazine columnist complaining that even a major camera manufacturer didn't use the same mini connector on all of it's cameras.

Even if it doesn't work at least the adapters are under $10.

Are you sure that the mini USB port can be used for a keyboard, and it just isn't a link to the radio for an MP-3 player.

Hi,
I am sorry but I am away from my computer right now, but I will add more specs if it would help-- I searched the forums and found some similar POSTS but not specifically one with my problem (but if I missed it, I apologize).
I have a gateway desktop purchased around 2008 and running Vista; I know it has 1TB but do not remember the other specs off hand.
I left it on for an hour or so and returned to find it turned off -- (it is not set to hibernate or sleep). When I pushed the power button nothing happened - no light, no nothing.
I checked the power cord and found it in working order.
I opened up the computer and noticed that there is a green light in the MIDDLE that goes on when it is plugged in -- so I think that is an indicator that it is getting power.
My questions are: could there be a connection that came apart and if so what MIGHT me an obvious place to look? If something was "burned out" and needed to be replaced, what would the likely CULPRITS be? If I cannot "fix" the computer is there a way to recover the software on it by removing some of the insides?
As you can tell I have less than a rudimentary knowledge of computers, but I would like to try to fix this on my own if possible ... any help would be greatly appreciated and please let me know if you need more info -- I can also take some photos of the inside and post them as well if that might help.
Thanks!!!Some pics for additional info:


[year+ old attachment deleted by admin]could be several things, first thing i would do is check all the connections are good and any add on cards are seated correctly, then i would swap out the PSU for one you know is working.The pictures are pretty low-resolution but judging from the first one your CPU cooling system is completely caked with dust?

There's your problem right there ... Thanks- I noticed that one of the fans had fallen off when I opened it up. I am guessing that this caused something to overheat, but I am trying to figure out if there is one problem area more likely than another. I cannot see anything obvious and all the connections are intact. There is simply no response- no noise, no fans, nothing when I try to turn it on.
I opened up the power switch and it looked like a connection was a little loose, so I disconnected and re-connected it. The only difference is that now the blue power light stays on - but there is still nothing coming from the computer - no other "life" except the green light glowing in what I think is the motherboard.
I am guessing I will need to take out the HARD drive and transfer the files to a new computer but if there are any other ideas worth trying, please let me know.
Thanks!
PS- my computer is a Gateway GM5632E and I can post more photos- closer up if it might help.You opened up the power switch? What exactly does that mean?

Hi,

I like to buy a MINIPC, but I think the screen is to SMALL, and I CANT affort to buy a BIGGER external screen as well. Is it possible to SOMETIMES connect the miniPC to my other laptop, so I can use this screen instead?

Thanks

CromagnonSorry, no, not possible.

Thank you Salmon Trout. That is the right answer.
During assembly the switch was mounted upside down.
Later, it was wired correctly as seen from the inside of the PSU.

It would have taken me hours to find the diagrams. Or to take photos of how the switch looks when it is upside down. You would hardly notice the difference. As seen from the diagram. the switch just closes one circuit, not two. The PSU operates from 220 volts if the switch is not coded. Close the switch and you have a classic voltage doubler, used in TV sets MAY, many years ago when VACUUM tubes NEEDED voltages over 150 volts to perform economically.

The use of the simple analog voltage couple provides a simple way to switch from 220 to 110 operation. The 300 volt DC output GOES staring to the converter, where it becomes pules reacting near 1000 volts and drives the primary of a *high-frequency transformer that isolates the power from direct connection to the mains. Secondary windings provide the requires low-voltages needed by the motherboard and other devices.

* Actually low-frequency, but well above audio.

Some newer power supplies use a different technique.I STILL think you're wrong. Judging from the story the guy his machine was running fine with the switch set to 110V.
If it suddenly starts working only at 220V, that means there's a problem somewhere.

Too bad the OP pulled a hit 'n run so I guess we'll never get any clarification. Again if it were me i'd replace the PSU...

Doesn't matter if it works that way or not...

But that's just me.