computers / components

[stryfe]

sexy...dual core, one of the first major cpu changes in the past few years.

but..i heard the intel 840 (EE, dual core + HT) currently outperforms the x2 in multitasking.

amd athlon x2 (http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/0,,30_118_9485,00.html)

Welcome to the world of TRUE multi-tasking.
Multi-tasking has become a way of life, but sometimes your PC just can’t keep up with everything you want to do on it at the same time. The AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 dual core processor enables true multitasking—taking computing to an all new level. Dual-core technology is like having two processors working together, each one taking care of different applications. So now you can simultaneously burn a CD, check e-mail, edit a digital photo, and run your virus protection – all without slowing down your computer.

[atomicscissors]

First reply on the second thread!

I feel better now.

[iconic]

isn't there something called SMP? not a new concept i suppose?

[BAOH]

yes, but HT is specialized for specific apps to run in parallel.....

[BAOH]

so yeh, i'm going to be in the market for a new laptop, and i can't make my mind up......i like the aesthetics of apples HW design, but i don't like being limited to X, i've already decided to scrap the search for a sexy/svelte unit, in favor of something with 17" monitor.

and!!!! i'm going to go the route of ebay, so that should tell you i'm gunning for sub 1200......

i just wanted to get all y'alls opinons......so yah......come! join the *dork* side, luke.

[slackerbot]

17" wide screen laptop? i haven't seen too many of those for under $1200. well, maybe a few, but they were celeron processors.

[herrokitty]

Originally posted by BAOH
so yeh, i'm going to be in the market for a new laptop, and i can't make my mind up......i like the aesthetics of apples HW design, but i don't like being limited to X, i've already decided to scrap the search for a sexy/svelte unit, in favor of something with 17" monitor.

and!!!! i'm going to go the route of ebay, so that should tell you i'm gunning for sub 1200......

i just wanted to get all y'alls opinons......so yah......come! join the *dork* side, luke.
yeah, i was this close to buying a toshiba portege 2000. 2.5 lbs, skinny as a spiral notebook. built in wifi /ethernet. 800 mhz, though. but I'm really in love / lust with the thought of a lightweight wireless notebook.
Looks like I have to get a new home system too, my old xp1800 died on me this week.

anybody have a spare sun video -> vga adapter, by any chance?

[stryfe]

if you're lucky you can get a dell inspiron 9300 w/ 17" screen for <$1200. if i find a deal i'll post it.

actually, i don't think it's too hard to find something with a 17" screen and under 1200, you have to keep your eyes open for a hot deal.

[BAOH]

Originally posted by herrokitty

anybody have a spare sun video -> vga adapter, by any chance?

you mean like a 13w3 to (male) vga?

[stryfe]

this is sorta hot (http://img.hexus.net/v2/rys/zmaxd2/zmaxd2mainboard_big.jpg). motherboard for the upcoming iwill zmaxd2 (http://forums.hexus.net/showthread.php?t=46060).

[BAOH]

Originally posted by stryfe
this is sorta hot (http://img.hexus.net/v2/rys/zmaxd2/zmaxd2mainboard_big.jpg). motherboard for the upcoming iwill zmaxd2 (http://forums.hexus.net/showthread.php?t=46060).

badass + spaceheater = badass spaceheater

[slackerbot]

no way! it's a warmer for your coffee mug. just be very careful and balance it between the two CPU's. :p

[slackerbot]

check out this thing..

http://files.bighosting.net/sc43886.jpg
http://files.bighosting.net/sc43886.jpg

[SDP]

Originally posted by slackerbot
check out this thing..

http://files.bighosting.net/sc43886.jpg
http://files.bighosting.net/sc43886.jpg

That can't be for fucking real...what case would it fit into?

[slackerbot]

the Hexus.net site got slashdotted. here's the mirror to the story..

http://mirrordot.org/stories/80e1adc0b3f888aa163321a46e95c776/index.html

[slackerbot]

i think this was mentioned before, but here are the pix for the Intel based "mini" computer..

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,67664,00.html?tw=rss.TOP

http://a1112.g.akamai.net/7/1112/492/2002091469/www.wired.com/news/images/manual/23_minipc_f.jpg

http://a1112.g.akamai.net/7/1112/492/2002091469/www.wired.com/news/images/manual/246_,minipc_f.jpg

[charlos3000]

hey guys, i've got a computer that i don't need anymore. i have no one to give it to though, and it's a total waste to throw the thing away.

anybody want it? the video card is good, i can't remember if it's a radeon of a GeForce, but the only problem is that it's loud as hell. it's also a p4 on a soyo or an abit i can't remember which.

comes with some generic 17" monitor, CD-Rom. soyo case, ATX, 300W power supply, 512MB of pc133 SDRAM

HD is 40gb or something like that.

to date, it's the best computer i ever built in terms of working right, and speed, the only problem was that damn video card. in fact, part of me wants to use it instead of this piece of shit compaq--it's just that i am nervous about formatting and repartitioning the factory loaded HD to install XPpro, and also, i've got a pirated copy of a program that i'm nervous won't work if i format.

ANYWAYZZZZ

[slackerbot]

wait. i don't get it.. why don't you want it? because of video card problems? or because it's loud?

it's a P4 and uses PC133 RAM? damn, that thing must be old. ;) i might be interested. i kinda want another box for testing and stuff. what's your location these days? maybe i can swing by this weekend and check it out. PM me if you want. :)

[Aaron]

That's faster than the machine I have right now. I still haven't entered the P4 era.

[Jook Sing Vegas]

Originally posted by slackerbot
check out this thing..

http://files.bighosting.net/sc43886.jpg
http://files.bighosting.net/sc43886.jpg

Yeah! its a new a/c unit for your car and the the chips in it :D

[slackerbot]

apparently, you need to daisy chain 5 power supplies to operate it.

[SDP]

Originally posted by Jook Sing Vegas


Yeah! its a new a/c unit for your car and the the chips in it :D

I think you're right - image this in place of the hood scoop on your muscle car. Badass!

[kamenriderv3]

Originally posted by slackerbot
check out this thing..

http://files.bighosting.net/sc43886.jpg
http://files.bighosting.net/sc43886.jpg

they should make em bigger...

[stryfe]

giga-bytes iram (http://www.itworld.com/Comp/4063/050602boot/) might be a reasonably priced ram drive option. $60 for the iram and ~$150 for 2.0 gb of memory.

Giga-byte's iRam is a PC add-in card with four DDR DRAM (double data rate dynamic RAM memory) slots that's designed to be used as a PC drive. Because the iRam uses DRAM rather than a hard-disk to store information, data can be retrieved from the drive up to 60 times faster than is possible with a hard drive, according to Giga-byte, which showed the board at the Computex exhibition in Taipei this week.

[BAOH]

this...and the zalman fan....err.......propeller, your system will be *flying*.....literally.

[Malosi]

i'm still on a p2...




i may have posted this already, but i'm thinking about basically rebuilding this computer.

i have an ate-up computer sitting over here, and i'm thinking about gutting it for the extra hard drive and maybe some other shit..


but i want to get a new motherboard and processor... and my knowledge of hardware is spotty, or at least of motherboards... how do i know what's compatible with what? as far as processors, ram, os, video card...?

i just need to know what shit of mine i can keep, dig?

[stryfe]

what's your budget like? can you give specific details about the hardware you want to port over?

[slackerbot]

i think you'll need a new power supply at least. the only other thing you can possibly re-use is the hard drive and optical drives.

[kamenriderv3]

usually you will have to get new memory chips...more so with really big upgrades like that.

[herrokitty]

new AMD64 box at work.
holla.

[herrokitty]

if you're getting new mobo / proc, you might as well refresh everyhting.
maybe keep the old video card / hd, if you're trying to pinch pennies.

just get a mac mini.

[Malosi]

Originally posted by stryfe
what's your budget like? can you give specific details about the hardware you want to port over?


well, i assume that all the drives will be alright.

i was wondering about the differences between types of ram, and whether or not it'd be alright to stay on win98, since i noticed that all the mobo's at the sto' said something about "built for windows xp"...

and my video card is a slightly outdated geforce. 4x i think.


the power supply is one of the main things i need, i think the fan is going bad in it... and i'm still on a 450 mhz p2 (although it runs faster than most (you know, normal, non-nerdy) people's brand new computers...

[slackerbot]

Win98 is a big piece of shit. but it's still ok to run on modern hardware. you can buy an academic upgrade for WinXP for cheap. or you can download pirated copies.

if you want to get a modern mobo, your current RAM and possibly your video card are obsolete. there are different types of CPU and RAM out there these days. all for different prices and performance. maybe if give us a budget, we can suggest a decent configuration. the Intel 6xx processors are trickling in, so the prices for the 5xx processors are dropping.

[stryfe]

Originally posted by Malosi
well, i assume that all the drives will be alright.

i was wondering about the differences between types of ram, and whether or not it'd be alright to stay on win98, since i noticed that all the mobo's at the sto' said something about "built for windows xp"...

and my video card is a slightly outdated geforce. 4x i think.


the power supply is one of the main things i need, i think the fan is going bad in it... and i'm still on a 450 mhz p2 (although it runs faster than most (you know, normal, non-nerdy) people's brand new computers...
stick with 98 for the pII.

what's your budget like?

[Malosi]

i just can't stand windows xp at all, so i'm still on 98. i have win2k on my other computer but i don't really like it either.


i'm not looking to spend a lot. i'm not a gamer. i just figure it's about time to at least get a GHz and some other more up-to-date hardware.... maybe i'll hold out for that dual-core business..

[slackerbot]

nah, if you're not a gamer don't bother with the dual core. you really should use XP or 2000. it's more stable than 98. and you can switch to "classic" mode in XP so that it looks like Windows 2000/98.

Intel LGA 775 Pentium 4 520 2.8 GHz, 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache, Hyper Threading -- $158

ASUS P5P800S motherboard -- $70

Corsair Value Select (Dual Pack) 184 Pin 512MBx2 DDR PC-3200 -- $80

case/power supply of your choice -- $??

http://www.newegg.com/

if you want to go cheaper, you can just get a processor with a slower front side bus.

[Malosi]

maybe i'm looking at the wrong people's computers, but i haven't seen anything stable about xp. at least when something goes wrong with win98 i can just ctrl+alt+del, kill it, and be done with it, rather than have it slow to a halt and have to turn it off and reboot but uh... anyway.

thanks for the recommendations though, i can afford all of that shit, and i'm impressed by it all.



i have 512 mb of ram, but i have no idea what kind. does it matter? is this a stupid question?

[kamenriderv3]

Originally posted by Malosi
maybe i'm looking at the wrong people's computers, but i haven't seen anything stable about xp. at least when something goes wrong with win98 i can just ctrl+alt+del, kill it, and be done with it, rather than have it slow to a halt and have to turn it off and reboot but uh... anyway.

you can do all that with winxp. they didn't take it away.

the ram would need to match the motherboard. you can get the board then follow whatever it specifies for ram and power supply.

[slackerbot]

your friends must be downloading junk to their machines or something. i think XP is probably the best version of Windows so far. except for all the stupid visual effects and the start menu. but you can disable all that shit anyways.

your current RAM will not work on the newer motherboards and CPU's. you will have to get new RAM. if you want to save a few bucks, you can just get 512 MB RAM instead of the 1GB i suggested earlier.

[stryfe]

how often do people see bsod's anymore?

you're most like running pc100. time to call it a day and move on.

if you want to do it on the cheap/efficient go with an amd sempron based system.

[stryfe]

The Brother Industries high speed inkjet printer in prototype form. Codenamed Cobra (http://redferret.net/?p=5291), this little puppy can spit out any size of print output at around 170 pages per minute. OK, you want me to back up and repeat that? Any size of printed inkjet paper output at 170 pages every sixty seconds. Demonstrated for the first time ever last week at a Brother press seminar. How are they doing it? Well….

So apparently the secret lies in the use of new Piezo Inkjet Line Head technology, which prints at 600×600 dpi, but doesn’t actually move at all. The ink is transferred at high speed as the paper passes underneath the static nozzles.

<cont'd (http://redferret.net/?p=5291)>

[Malosi]

Originally posted by kamenriderv3


you can do all that with winxp. they didn't take it away.


i know you can, it just usually fucks up beyond that point, in my experience. but yeah, most of these were also spyware infested so...

[kamenriderv3]

hmmm. how is your win2000 machine? no problems?

[Malosi]

uh, one of my other family members seems to have let it get horribly infected and it's going to need to be formatted whenever i get around to it.


other than that, it was... ok.

it was kind of fucked up when we first got it. my brother said (it was originally his) you used to have to tilt it to turn it on or something.

[kamenriderv3]

hmm. your computer experience doesn't seem to reflect the common technical occurences that i know of....

well good luck with whichever windows system you do finally choose.

[herrokitty]

from slickdeals :

http://cs.silverpop.com/amd/tech_tour/2005/registration_site1.htm

AMD has a tech tour where you can buy their desktop or server bundle for cheap. You must register and attend the show in select cities. Thanks redsolar.

Locations:

* June 16 Atlanta, Georgia
* June 21 Dallas, Texas
* June 23 Houston, Texas
* June 27 Irvine, California
* June 29 Burbank, California
* July 1 Sunnyvale, California
* July 12 Seattle, Washington
* July 14 Vancouver, Canada
* July 19 Boston, Massachusetts
* July 21 East Brunswick, New Jersey

Desktop Bundle $250

* AMD Athlon™ 64 3200+ 939 pin processor
* Asus A8N-E Socket 939 motherboard
* Microsoft® Windows® XP x64 Edition

Server Bundle $500

* 2 - AMD Opteron™ 246 CPUs
* Tyan Thunder K8SD Pro (S2882-D) motherboard
* Microsoft Server 2003 x64 Edition

[joetron2030]

Too bad neither bundle includes an SLi compatible mobo. But, at that price, it's not like there's much to complain about.

[tangent23]

i donj't know if this is real, if it is then :eek: :

keylogger in Dell laptop?
http://www.chromance.de/wtf/lol.htm

[slackerbot]

put your tin foil hat on now!!!111

[tangent23]

oop! fake:rolleyes:

http://engadget.com/entry/1234000317047049/#comments

[Malosi]

i think apple should look into that dual core thing also, because they don't seem to be very good at multi-tasking at all.

[slackerbot]

wow. Veritas and Symantec merge.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/sv/20050626/tc_siliconvalley/_www11985807;_ylt=Ar64s_7aufdVxHqEGOeVZOCs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3cjE0b2MwBHNlYwM3Mzg-

Symantec, Veritas merger gets OK

By John Boudreau, Mercury NewsSun Jun 26,11:01 AM ET

Symantec moved a giant step closer Friday to becoming the world's fourth-largest software company after shareholders approved its $10.5 billion acquisition of Veritas.

Shareholders of both Silicon Valley companies cast favorable votes at separate meetings, shrugging off Wall Street's concerns that merging two big technology companies will be difficult and embracing the belief that the combined company will drive growth and gird it from competition against Microsoft.

After more than 506 million shares of Symantec stock were cast in favor of the deal, Symantec Chief Executive John Thompson breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Twenty-eight million shares were cast in opposition to the merger.

[...]

[joetron2030]

Old news (at least in the storage industry). But, yeah, when I heard about it, I was pretty surprised too.

So, Symantec has bought up PowerQuest and now Veritas. Amazing. I wonder if this means we'll start seeing their bloated AV software built into Veritas' SAN and NAS products... Yuck.

[BAOH]

blech...no more linux support either. gay.

s'all good, that's why god made: PXE servers, netcat and dd.

bastards.

[stryfe]

this (http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news_9871.html) is pretty cool.

[slackerbot]

this is cooler..

http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news_9869.html

[BAOH]

anyone know where i can get "pigtail" for an orinoco wireless card?

on the cheap.

i'd prefer a physical store to roll into...but online's cool, too.

[slackerbot]

not really cheap, but they seem to have a good selection.

http://www.hyperlinktech.com/web/cable_radio_pigtails_list.php

http://img43.photobucket.com/albums/v133/CypherXero2/wardriver.jpg

[herrokitty]

Originally posted by BAOH
anyone know where i can get "pigtail" for an orinoco wireless card?

on the cheap.

i'd prefer a physical store to roll into...but online's cool, too.
i found out today that some of the old dell pcmcia wireles cards are rebadged orinoco cards, just pop the end off and you have a connector.

[stryfe]

not the best deal in the world, but not bad for a dual core system with a 20" widescreen flat panel.

dimension 9100 w/2005FPW (http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=04&kc=6W300&l=en&oc=2d91w13&s=bsd) for $899 after a $100 rebate.

[slackerbot]

ohh.. Silverstone has nice cases. too bad they're so expensive. :-/

http://www.silverstonetek.com/products-lc04.htm

http://www.silverstonetek.com/products-sg01.htm

http://www.silverstonetek.com/products-lc10m.htm

[joetron2030]

OK. That SilverStone SFF case is NICE. I like their towers, too.

Ooh. I'm getting the itch to (re)build my machine now. :D

If they're well-designed and quality, then the premium is probably worth it.

[slackerbot]

yeah, i haven't been too happy with some of the other cases out there.. too ugly/exotic or too cheap-o quality.

[joetron2030]

OK. I need some advice:

I am thinking about upgrading my machine. It's currently comprised of:

Shuttle AV49N mobo: socket 478, 400/533MHz FSB, up to PC3200 RAM support (3GB max.), 8x AGP
2.4 GHz P4.
1 GB PC2700 (2x 512MB)
Hercules 3D Prophet Radeon 9700 Pro 128MB


Now, due to lack of expenses, etc. I am not looking to dump this box. I am not going to replace the mobo, either.

At this point, the best I can do for a CPU upgrade is the 3.06 GHz Northwoods P4 (which also has HT enabled). That's good enough for me. And, since it's an older chip, I imagine I should be able to find it for a reasonable price.

I'll probably drop in at least another 1GB of RAM.

My big question is: what would be a good replacement video card? I definitely want good bang for the buck. While the 9700 Pro is no slouch, it's definitely starting to show its age. At this point, I'd go with either Nvidia or ATI. 256MB cards preferred. Thoughts?

[stryfe]

does the p4x400 chipset support hyper threading?

what's your video card budget? the 6600gt might be a nice upgrade for you.

[joetron2030]

According to Shuttle's website, that mobo should support HT (via a BIOS update which I already have loaded).

Card budget...? Hmm.. I think it depends. If I could get a guaranteed 2 years of improved video performance, I'd probably be willing to go into the $250s for a card.

The thing that got me thinking about this again is because I saw in the Best Buy (and CompUSA) fliers from yesterday that you can get a Radeon X800 256MB AGP card for $250 (after a couple $50 rebates).

I've read that the 6600GT provides lots of bang for my buck.

[joetron2030]

By the way, if anyone else is interested in seeing comparative performance info for AGP cards, I came across this great one at Tom's Hardware.

http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20050705/index.html

Very thorough.

[stryfe]

i'm partial to ati, and i think the 800xt will provide a little more 'oomph.' if that's not enough though, the 7800gt is only sale for ~500 at dell :)

[joetron2030]

The 7800GT is PCI-E only, though, right? I'm not interested in PCI-E cards because I have no intention of replacing my mobo.

[stryfe]

oh yeah...:D

[joetron2030]

Some day, I will make the leap to PCI-E!

Does anyone know if the BTX form factor will ever really take off?

[stryfe]

it's working for the oem market. i guess it depends on manufacturers releasing compatible products into the channel.

[slackerbot]

i'm sure it will. Intel and Aopen already has mBTX mobo's. Aopen and Coolermaster have mBTX cases.

i think it will hit the mainstream in the business/corporate market first since it's a smaller form factor and most business users don't need a huge tower.

http://www.coolermaster.com/index.php?LT=english&Language_s=2&url_place=product&p_serial=RC-B260&other_title=+RC-B260+CM%20Media%20BTX-B260

http://www.coolermaster.com/product_common_images/1b7d5f676b89bb1db6c5da11e6df41ae.jpg

[Malosi]

i think i'm really going to start building a new pc soon.


it's so hard to decide between buying what's good enough vs. trying to get something cutting edge to attempt to head off obsolescence. anything i should bother spending the extra dough/waiting for?

[slackerbot]

it's hard not to be obsolete when it comes to computers. if you want to semi future proof yourself, then get a Socket 775 motherboard and CPU. make sure the motherboard chipset can handle dual core Pentium CPU's in case you ever wanna go crazy and get something high speed.

[slackerbot]

this is a really nice looking barebones case/system. this looks like a cheaper HTPC solution for me. and it should fit nicely in my tv cabinet.

http://usa.asus.com/products/desktop/pundit-ph3/overview.htm

http://usa.asus.com/products/desktop/pundit-ph3/pundit-ph3_l.jpg

[herrokitty]

flopy drives are super useful.
my friend just put in rack rails for his HTPC setup, and mounted everything on there+ water cooling. He dropped alot of money into his setup, though. Re-did the drywall in that room to mount speakers and close over an existing window, too.

[Liver_on_a_Stick]

I'm pretty close to switching my computer case for a quieter one. The noise it's making is starting to really annoy me.

details:

Antec SOHO 1040b case with 5 80mm vantec stealth fans
Antec true power 430 PSU w/ 2 fans
Northwood P4 with retail HS/F
Ati Radeon x800xl

I was looking at Antec's P180 and Sonata II. Both uses 120mm fans and special HD enclosures which minimize "rattling".

I don't know which one to get after reading reviews. Both have their pros and cons. Do any loungers own on of these new cases?

Does someone have an alternative?

[stryfe]

the 120's in the sonata and p180 would be a better choice for a quieter case.

are you going to get a vga silencer for the x800?

is there a chipset fan? you may want to swap that out for a beefy heatsink and low rpm/db fan.

let me know how the retail hsf works out for you. i've always found them to be a bit loud for my tastes. the thermalright xp-120 seems nice and can use a 120mm fan.

iirc, either the sonata ii or p180 has a hsf duct built into the case door. that might get in the way of a beefy hsf.

[slackerbot]

i was planing on gettting the Cooler Master Cavalier tower. it has a 120mm fan in the back and an 80mm in the front. it's made of steel and it has a front cover. both features should help block out internal noises from CPU fans and HD noises.

http://www.coolermaster.com/index.php?LT=english&Language_s=2&url_place=product&p_serial=CAV-T03&other_title=+CAV-T03+Cavalier%203

but i think the Sonata II could be your best pick.

[kamenriderv3]

Originally posted by herrokitty
flopy drives are super useful.
my friend just put in rack rails for his HTPC setup, and mounted everything on there+ water cooling. He dropped alot of money into his setup, though. Re-did the drywall in that room to mount speakers and close over an existing window, too.

he should have planned better. he could have made his own HTPC setup with drywall computer case.

[stryfe]

it's coming to save the day.

the mighty mouse (http://www.apple.com/mightymouse/) from apple.

http://images.apple.com/mightymouse/images/indextop20050802.jpg

[HwaRang012]

So sweet.

[stryfe]

can't wait for this (http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/productdetails.aspx?pid=040) to come out.

giganto pic (http://www.activewin.com/articles/2005/images/hw1.gif).

i have a nagging feeling that this has been posted before.

[slackerbot]

i don't think it has. i think you and me have IM'd about it multiple times. :p

[Aaron]

It looks like a regular keyboard to me, what's so great about it? What am I missing?

I'm thinking about getting one of those IBM keyboards with a trackpoint on it like the laptops. Then I don't have to move my hands to the mouse. I gotta go check out ebay to find out how much those are.

[slackerbot]

it's an integrated remote/keyboard for Windows Media Center. it's wireless, and it's thin.

if you find a keyboard with a trackpoint built-in, post a link. i haven't seen any in a long time.

[Aaron]

Search for IBM Trackpoint II. They are all over, they just tend to be kinda pricey. I don't know if I want to spend $50 on a keyboard that I'm not sure if I'll like.

[slackerbot]

oh man, these are nice. but yeah.. they're expensive. i could use one of these, but in wireless.

http://www-6.ibm.com/jp/pc/option/obi/nob06/28l3644/28l3644a.html

http://www-6.ibm.com/jp/pc/option/obi/images/28l3644.gif

[slackerbot]

wow.. this one uses the laptop keyboard.

http://www-131.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=-840&storeId=10000001&langId=-1&dualCurrId=1000073&categoryId=2581898&productId=8717673

http://www.murauchi.com/MCJ/front/images/commodity/209/4968665425209.jpg

[joetron2030]

Ugh! I'd stay away from the trackpoints. One of the biggest complaints about the old Thinkpad 390E and 600s that I had.

I'm not sure if it depends on how much pressure you exert in using the trackpoint but eventually mine would start "drifting" and move the cursor around the screen on its own.

Your mileage may vary and all that jazz...

[Aaron]

I have a T41 right now and I like the trackpoint. I never use the touchpad, always the trackpoint. It has a tendency to drift by itself once in a while but it's rare and just a little touch and it stops. It almost seems like a software bug.

[kamenriderv3]

with some websites, the mouse cursor "drifts". this is with a regular mouse too.

[BAOH]

M$ Vista...or longhorn2, the redux

http://www.extremetech.com/slideshow/0,1206,l=&s=200&a=156757,00.asp


http://common.ziffdavisinternet.com/util_get_image/10/0,1425,sz=1&i=102813,00.jpg



i wouldn't mind playing around with this beta. but to be honest, with all the drama going on "laguna beach", i'm simply too busy.

are stephen and LC going to hook up, or fucking what?


gist: vista is going to be an OSX you can play games on.

[slackerbot]

i'm sure some people will have to get new video cards if they want to run Vista. lots of visual effects in this one. i hope there's a "classic" option like there is in XP.

[BAOH]

trudat.

i remember back in the days when i had a 200MHZ MMX machine, and i saw the req's for win2k.....i was floored. hehe.....500HMZ??!? 128MB of RAM?!? no fucking way.

suffice to say, i no longer react that way....even though i'm pretty sure vista req's are going to be insane.

[BAOH]

Originally posted by slackerbot
i hope there's a "classic" option like there is in XP.

agreed.

real UI's don't fuck with "dithering" and the like.

[Malosi]

my plans for upgrading my pc:


mobo: asus a8n sli or abit an8-sli fatal1ty.

i don't think i'll use the sli anyway because i'm not a gamer... but the fatal1ty comes with so much extra shit (fan monitor, front firewire, usb, & audio ports, onboard fans) that i think it's worth the 60 bucks or so....

cpu: athlon 64 3000+ probably.... and maybe in a couple years upgrade to dual core when the prices drop.

video: geforce 6600, gigabyte i think... i don't play games, but i guess if i did, i'd want them to work.

and i'll probably keep rockin the win 98 ;x or maybe dual boot with linux or the next windows if i feel like it.

sound like a good plan?

p.s. regarding vista, i think i hate pretty things on computers. speed > pretty.

[herrokitty]

why are you going to spend that much on a computer and run windows 98 on it?

[slackerbot]

exactly.

serious, Win98 sucks. install Win00 at the very least. it's more stable. and i can honestly say that i like XP Pro also. i just switch to Classic mode and all the annoying eye candy goes away.

[joetron2030]

From initial reports, it sounds like the Vista 3D GUI will require at least a DX9-capable GPU and probably at least a mid-range version of that card.

[BAOH]

Originally posted by slackerbot
exactly.

serious, Win98 sucks. install Win00 at the very least. it's more stable. and i can honestly say that i like XP Pro also. i just switch to Classic mode and all the annoying eye candy goes away.

98 isn't all that bad....sure it's a POS, but it ain't all that bad. but yeh, in some cases it won't know what to do with that new HW, so you effectively have a ferrari engine limited to the (le car) performance of the OS.

go with XP......

[BAOH]

Originally posted by jskang
From initial reports, it sounds like the Vista 3D GUI will require at least a DX9-capable GPU and probably at least a mid-range version of that card.



B-L-O-A-T

[joetron2030]

Yup, most definitely.

Anyone else see this anodized aluminum workstation desk/PC case thing from Lian Li? The review is from Anandtech.

http://www.anandtech.com/casecooling/showdoc.aspx?i=2491

Only downside is the approx. $3,000 pricetag for the whole deal.

[slackerbot]

$3000.. you can buy a used car for that much! :p

[BAOH]

Originally posted by slackerbot
$3000.. you can buy a used car for that much! :p

a shitty car...or a dope motorcyle.

either way.....i can't justify that much on computer, especially since the last one i built was from shit a mobo and processor and shit i had laying around...........sub $300.

and it does me fine.

[joetron2030]

Yeah, it's definitely way pricey.

I'm not sure what market they could possibly be going after. The fact that the desk comes WITH a PC case means you're buying a new desk AND building a new computer.

Are there Lian Li fanboys out there who are THAT fanatical?

[slackerbot]

fuck it, you don't need a case. just toss all the components in a desk drawer. ;)

[BAOH]

trudat..

how hard could it be to cut out the formfactor out of some partical wood.

.....

[joetron2030]

True. Ha!

Though going forward, I may try to avoid desks comprised primarily of particle board (fiber board and pressboard too) for use as a computer desk. My wife's desktop has a noticeable sag in it from the 17" CRT that she has.

What's really annoying is that this wasn't just some dirt cheap desk we bought out of desparation for under $20. We paid a pretty decent price for it and I had expected it to be much sturdier than it's proven to be.

[slackerbot]

one case mod i want to do is ammo can. seems practical for people that move around a lot. i've seen it done for an ITX board.

http://mini-itx.com/projects/ammobox/

[BAOH]

heh...try taking that on a plane with you.

"dude....it's my carry on."

[Malosi]

trying to decide between nForce 4 motherboards...


asus a8n-sli premium: http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813131540

abit fatal1ty an8-sli:
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813127206


i'm going for top-of-the-line in case i want to put in an athlon x2 in a few years. they aren't much different, which is what is making this decision hard.

[slackerbot]

flip a coin.

the Asus board seems loaded. dual NIC, firewire, digital audio. go for it!

[BAOH]

yep. can't lose either way.

[slackerbot]

damn. i like this case, but i'm not so sure about the reverse orientation of the mobo mounts.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119087

[herrokitty]

I'm thinking about a mini-itx type form factor for my next machine...

[Malosi]

Originally posted by slackerbot
damn. i like this case, but i'm not so sure about the reverse orientation of the mobo mounts.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119087

from what i've read, don't get a motherboard with a heatpipe, because they don't work upside down. otherwise, it ain't no thang.


i think they've been out for a while, but i'm intrigued by the lian-li pc-60 series because of the sliding motherboard tray: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811112022 ...not that i'd even be sliding the thing in and out too often, i just think it's cool.

i might get one... can't decide between black and silver... and i'm going to want to get one with audio jacks in the front if i decide against the 'fatal1ty' mobo.


i was also considering building one out of driftwood because i think that would be hilarious. especially if i ever decided to watercool it.

[Malosi]

random google forum quote:

ripken204 03-10-2005, 05:06 PM
im looking to get a mobo with that has dual lan, what exactly is the point of it and if i hook both of them up to my router ill i be able to have an internet 2x as fast?

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

zephead 03-10-2005, 08:10 PM
getting 2 lan connection to your router is unnessesary and will not make internet access any faster. dual lan is used mostly for network bridging or related tasks.

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

ripken204 03-10-2005, 08:16 PM
k, thx, alot of the new asus boards come with dual lan and ive just never heard of it b4

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

zephead 03-11-2005, 04:07 PM
them asians like to throw extra crap onto boards

[slackerbot]

dual NIC is handy if you ever want to do some experiments with networking.. router, proxy server, firewall, and so on.

[herrokitty]

dual nic is not useful for the general consumer market, though.

[Malosi]

i'm kind of frightened of the fanless motherboard... apparently the heatpipe sends heat from the north bridge to the cpu area... which affects cpu temperature, if only marginally.. that's kind of weird. it might not really be enough to matter, but still weird.


are heatpipes/heatsinks like this on a chipset really comparable to fans?


i guess i could just point another fan at it.

[kamenriderv3]

Originally posted by herrokitty
dual nic is not useful for the general consumer market, though.

dual nic can be a nuisance at work too. i hate the extra dialog box to confirm that i want to save my settings because of the extra nic hardware.

[slackerbot]

Originally posted by Malosi
i'm kind of frightened of the fanless motherboard... apparently the heatpipe sends heat from the north bridge to the cpu area... which affects cpu temperature, if only marginally.. that's kind of weird. it might not really be enough to matter, but still weird.


are heatpipes/heatsinks like this on a chipset really comparable to fans?


i guess i could just point another fan at it.
yeah i noticed that and was kinda puzzled at the design. i guess they're assuming you're going to mount one of those tricl CPU fans. or install 10 case fans or something.

[joetron2030]

Dual NIC for a Windows XP box is retarded.

Windows XP setup has enough problems with notebooks that have both wired and wireless NIC. The last couple notebooks I set up at work defaulted to using the wireless LAN as the default interface without any obvious prompting that it was doing so.

[Malosi]

Originally posted by slackerbot

yeah i noticed that and was kinda puzzled at the design. i guess they're assuming you're going to mount one of those tricl CPU fans. or install 10 case fans or something.

it says it's "comparable" to a chipset fan, but that's a vague word. it just kind of bothers me that the pipe goes directly towards the cpu. i don't care about noise.

[slackerbot]

you should get one of those mega sized Zalman fans.

[slackerbot]

http://files.bighosting.net/sc43886.jpg

[BAOH]

looks like something they'd use on pimp my ride.....




correction: looks like something that they should attach to something they'd use on pimp my ride.http://www.lightav.com/ces/mtxjack1.jpg

[650lex]

Originally posted by slackerbot
http://files.bighosting.net/sc43886.jpg


wait...
hold up - what's with the Marlboro Menthols?

[BAOH]

^i think it's pretty obvious, girl.

audiophiles pussy-out on *lights*....

might as well be a pack of benson & hedges.

[Malosi]

Originally posted by BAOH
looks like something they'd use on pimp my ride.....

dork my box?

[slackerbot]

Originally posted by 650lex



wait...
hold up - what's with the Marlboro Menthols?
it's just to give perspective on the size of the fan.

or maybe some geeks are ghetto style.

[slackerbot]

Originally posted by BAOH
looks like something they'd use on pimp my ride.....


correction: looks like something that they should attach to something they'd use on pimp my ride.http://www.lightav.com/ces/mtxjack1.jpg
i can't believe they shoe horned that thing into a Buick Century. i think that guy is gonna be deaf in a few months.

http://img359.imageshack.us/img359/5716/jackhammer6bv.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[slackerbot]

which of the AMD CPU/mobo sets do not require a 4-pin CPU power connection?

[stryfe]

Originally posted by slackerbot
which of the AMD CPU/mobo sets do not require a 4-pin CPU power connection?
i think socket a boards.

[stryfe]

dell deals for system components. use your imagination. mix n' match and have fun with the disoucnt combinations.

dell 720 printer (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?sku=720STD&c=us&l=en&cs=19&category_id=2999&page=external) $49. excellent filler for purchases over $100. D8P68ZLCGJ3S93 $45 off a $100 printer purchase.

3ZVQRMFPFPCHV? $20 off a $150 purchase
GV377LSW212XB4 $35 off a $300 purchase
JQWFN3RR7NJ?F5 $60 off a $500 purchase

examples for htpc buyers.
1)
ati hdtv wonder (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/ProductDetail.aspx?sku=A0384632&c=us&l=en&cs=19&category_id=6172&first=true&page=productlisting.aspx) (mce compatible w/analog tuner) - $149.99 -%20 off desktop accessories
+ filler dell 720 (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?sku=720STD&c=us&l=en&cs=19&category_id=2999&page=external) - $49
149.99 + 49 - $20 (20 off 150) - $45 (45 off of 100 printer purchase) - 30 (desktop accs. %20 off discount)
= 103.99 + tax

2)
ati elite wonder (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/ProductDetail.aspx?sku=A0446117&c=us&l=en&cs=19&category_id=6172&first=true&page=productlisting.aspx) - $149.95 -%20 off desktop accessories
+ filler dell 720 (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?sku=720STD&c=us&l=en&cs=19&category_id=2999&page=external) - $49
149.95 + 49 - $20 (20 off 150) - $45 (45 off of 100 printer purchase) - 29.99 (desktop accs. %20 off discount)
= 103.99 + tax

3)
ati hdtv wonder (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/ProductDetail.aspx?sku=A0384632&c=us&l=en&cs=19&category_id=6172&first=true&page=productlisting.aspx) (mce compatible w/analog tuner) - $149.99 - %20 off desktop accessories
+hauppauge pvr-500mce (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?sku=A0419330&c=us&l=en&cs=19&category_id=2999&page=external) $164.95 - %20 off desktop accessories
$149.99 + $164.95 - $30 off $300 purchase - $62.99 desktop accs. discount = $221.95

[slackerbot]

i -heart- typos. i picked up a P4 2.26 CPU and mobo combo for $80 at CompUSA. it was supposed to be selling for $150.

w00t!

[Malosi]

yeah i just got a 200gb hd at compusa for $80 that was also supposed to be selling for $150 i think... i asked about it, they said the price had just dropped, and i went back, and the $80 label had been removed. maybe it was just a sale, but i'm not asking any more questions.

---

would i probably be better off buying two 512 mb ddr ram instead of a single 1gb stick? i kind of want the 1gb just so i won't have wasted anything if i ever end up maxing out all four slots, but, you know, dual channel and all.

[slackerbot]

yeah, i was thinking the same thing too. but prices are somewhat cheaper for 512MB sticks. so it's really a matter of cost now or upgradability in the future.

[Malosi]

ok, here is what i'm probably going to order first.

http://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/WishList/WishDetail.asp?position=HISTORY&ID=1632118&WishListTitle=next+order


i'm a little worried about heat because i'm going to save $ by using an old case... my next order will probably be a lian-li pc60 case w/ fans and some ramsinks... and after that probably more ram, a dvd burner, fan controller, lighted fans and all that crap, another hd to match an old one for raid, etc, etc.

[slackerbot]

pimp my computer.

[Malosi]

i hate spending that much on a video card when i don't really play games, but if i ever decide to, i want something sli capable, and i'm really attracted to the passive cooling... aside from the fact that it may be too big to fit other shit in there.

[slackerbot]

i try not to spend more than $100 for a video card. as long as it has DVI/RGB/S-Video, it's cool. hardware mpeg decode is nice to have also. it really takes the load off the CPU.

[Malosi]

yeah, if the motherboard was agp, i wouldn't have bought one at all, and stuck with one of my really old geforce cards.

[makingofnothing]

I have a 2 year old Dell Inspiron 2200, and it's already starting to test my patience..

I use Adobe Photoshop/Indesign and AutoCAD all the time and sometimes it leaves my computer gasping for breath.

I don't know much about computers, so not sure if I could just get an upgrade or something, but are there any recommendations of laptops that can cope with the demands of these programs? Or just what I should be looking for in terms of specs?

I have a 50GB hard drive and it's a Intel Pentium M processor, 1.60 GHz, 504 MB of RAM.

I do have a lot of files on my computer, but I back my work up to an external hard drive and only really keep what I need on my hard drive (which is still quite a lot).

I would be tempted to look into one of those G4 17" Macbooks, but I don't think Autodesk (AutoCAD) or Bentley (Microstation) support Macs, so it's kind of out of the question. Damn them.

[kamenriderv3]

504mb is too low for that kind of work. that's the minimum requirement just for everyday stuff.

quadruple that to 2gb.

[stryfe]

RAM would be the first upgrade. Your system only has one slot for memory expansion. So the maximum memory you can install is an additional 1.0 GB PC2700 DDR SDRAM SODIMM for a total of 1.25 GB (256 MB (non-removable) + 1.0 GB). I believe these have come down quite a bit in price (~80?).

Do you notice a lot of hard drive thrashing? If so, a 7200 rpm hard drive might help with disk access issues.

If those two upgrades don't help, look for a new system with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, at least 1.0 GB of RAM (preferably 2.0 GB), 7200 rpm hard drive, a dedicated GPU AutoCAD supports.

How about a Dell Precision Series notebook? They have OpenGL compatible NVIDIA Quadra GPUs and are around 1400-1800.

[joetron2030]

Also, keep the HDD defragged.

The 7200 RPM HDD is a good suggestion. Though, if you use this laptop on battery power on a regular basis, a faster HDD may reduce your battery life.

[atomicscissors]

What are the read speeds on a solid state drive like?

[makingofnothing]

cheers for the advice!

i defragged my hard drive last week; probably the second time since i've had this laptop..

had a quick look on some memory online retailer - 1GB is around 60 quid, so probably worth giving a try anyway before splashing out on a new one.

[slackerbot]

neat project with mineral oil..

http://www.pugetsystems.com/submerged.php

[atomicscissors]

Originally posted by slackerbot
neat project with mineral oil..

http://www.pugetsystems.com/submerged.php

Yeah, that is freaking cool! Wish I could build a gaming monster/media center like that.

But I have neither the money or the know-how. :p

[CaptainPajamaShark]

can anyone recommend an inexpensive notebook for under $500? know any good online retailers that have a decent selection of notebooks?

[stryfe]

I haven't noticed too many sub-600 notebook deals lately.

There's a very basic Dell Inspiron 1501 for $499 (http://www.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/hot_offers_nb?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd&~ck=SVfrag) not including taxes and shipping. You may want to throw in an extra 100 for a more feature rich system.

[slackerbot]

for under $500, i'd rather get a used or refurbished IBM ThinkPad. you can pick up a T30 within your price range.

http://www.thinkpaddepot.com/

[CaptainPajamaShark]

I've been using Macs for the past 10 yrs so I don't know what's good in the PC world. is Dell any good?

[joetron2030]

I've had generally good experiences with Toshibas (we bought my wife a new one over Xmas). Can't go wrong with IBM ThinkPads.

I've heard mixed things on Dells, HPs, and Compaqs.

I've been told to avoid Gateway at all costs.

[herrokitty]

Originally posted by slackerbot
for under $500, i'd rather get a used or refurbished IBM ThinkPad. you can pick up a T30 within your price range.

http://www.thinkpaddepot.com/
listen to this man. nobody ever went wrong buying a thinkpad, and that's what I would spend my money on. a thinkpad or an apple...
probably get a used t40 for a bit more.

I've got an old old toshiba that's okay. I've heard some of the newish ones had overheating issues. And I've handled quite a few dells. My mom's xps is okay, I bought it for light duty and it's fine for that. It rarely, if ever, leaves the kitchen tables. the d620s i've used were okay, if you're down with disposable laptops (which is pretty much what any new 5-600 dollar laptop is). BUT, they have a super fucking irritating design flaw in which the case around the touchpad will sometimes apply pressure to the touchpad during the course of normal typing. So while you're writing an email or typing a paper, your cursor is flying all over the goddamn screen clicking on random things. If I were to do it over again, that would have been a deal breaker for me. occasional random freezes, usb wiredness on resume, yadda yadda. I bitch about the d620 because it's my gf's and the laptop i use the most. But that touchpad thing is mind boggling. Did nobody actually use this laptop beore they put it into production? It's not just me, either. Several people i've spoken to have complained about this same issue.