Random Technology Questions

[fireguy109]

Just tried it again and now I've got these results.

 

 

My provider says 10 on their website but I just watched a TV ad for my package and it said I get up to 30. What the hell?

[OverTheBelow]

 

Just tried it again and now I've got these results.

 

 

My provider says 10 on their website but I just watched a TV ad for my package and it said I get up to 30. What the hell?

Even if their service advertises up to 30mbit on tv etc, it always depends on your local line quality when it comes to deciding how much speed they can offer you. They can't give you internet at fibre-optic speeds if you only have an outdated copper internet line leading to your house (i.e. not fibre optic).

Edited August 14, 2011 by OverTheBelow

[Suction Testicle Man]

@Suction Testicle Man

That sounds like a cable ISP and yeah that will happen with them. You don't normally get that with phone line/DSL/FIOS type ISPs

Unfortunately this is with DSL - cable isn't as common in the UK as I believe it is in the US.

[Mak]

Take 2 at the recording tests ,i need your opinion and help on improving the quality and stuff.

 

 

[Wolf68k]

Now I think you'd be better off either creating a new topic and asking for help there.

I don't think this is something that can answered quickly.

 

 

@Suction Testicle Man

Ouch. Then yeah that really sucks.

[Pat]

I've got two HDDs, my primary is a 500GB (with all of my files currently on it) and I've also got a 1TB with nothing on it right now. I was wondering if anyone knew of a guide to transfer everything over to the 1TB drive? I'm sure it's relatively simple, but this is the first time I've ever had to do it.

 

I was also interested in setting up the 500GB as a slave for Fraps afterwords (I believe that's the correct term, but if not, my goal is to use it exclusively for Fraps to record to). Is there an easy way to do this? Is it even possible?

[Wolf68k]

If there is no real performance difference between the 2 drives then I would suggest leaving things as they are and use the 1TB for Fraps.

 

However if you're running XP it's easy to get software to clone the drive. The only issue that might come up is a BSOD at first but a quick use of chkdsk ran from the other drive on the other after the cloning should fix that.

If you're running Vista or 7 then it might be more of a headache.

[Pat]

I'm running 7. I was interested in using the 500GB because if I remember correctly it's rated at a higher RPM. I wouldn't mind using the 1TB, though, I just want to record to a separate hard-drive. I've been told that usually does a lot to help with the framerate issues that are common with Fraps.

[Mister Pink]

Anyone recommend a decent site for themes for Vista? I'd like to find me a sort of futuristic one. Thanks

[xI Jakk Ix]

Anyone recommend a decent site for themes for Vista? I'd like to find me a sort of futuristic one. Thanks

Have you tried WindowBlinds? I used to use it until a virus found its way onto my laptop and ever since it was fixed I could never use WB again. The themes were awesome though.

[Slamman]

Why must the theme be exclusive to Vista OS? I use Vista as well, more then one version now, since Ultimate install discs allow you to format any version of Vista as long as a COA is available! (which I love) ... I just bought a 2.66Ghz /533Mhz bus 478 socket, it's for this Toshiba laptop I bought rather cheaply, It POSTED when I bought it, but since doing a repair to the AC jack which was wobbly, it stopped powering up other then various lights. The S255 Sat model

 

Now the new CPU should be the correct bus speed, and if this doesn't work, what prey-tell, do I look at next while troubleshooting? I'm not sure it could relate back to the power fix because it simply DOES POWER ON, so that kind of says the repair there worked.

[yoječ]

Anyone recommend a decent site for themes for Vista? I'd like to find me a sort of futuristic one. Thanks

Deviantart

http://browse.deviantart.com/customization...util/visstyles/

[Wolf68k]

I'm running 7. I was interested in using the 500GB because if I remember correctly it's rated at a higher RPM. I wouldn't mind using the 1TB, though, I just want to record to a separate hard-drive. I've been told that usually does a lot to help with the framerate issues that are common with Fraps.

Well you'd want the best performing drive as your OS drive.

If you know the model numbers of each drive that would help to get the specs for them. You can use something like SIW or Speccy or HDTune to get the model numbers, and the first 2 can give you even more info about the drives as well.

 

As for cloning 7, that can be a bit tricky. 7 creates a hidden 100MB partition that's used for the boot loader and some other things. Most cloning software will only clone the OS partition. Now it's plausible that the software that Seagate and I think WD includes with their retail drives that's on a bootable CD will clone the drive including the partitions to another drive, but don't quote me on that as I've never tried it.

[Sombra]

 

I heard you have to share your down by 8 (megabit/byte or something) which comes out at 800kbps. sh*tty UK ISP

 

@Pat why not just record to the 1TB...

[Pat]

@Pat why not just record to the 1TB...

Because my 500GB is almost full at this point. If I record to the smaller drive, I can compress the files, then delete them after uploading them. I don't need 1TB of space just for footage, the only way I can see that being feasible is if I had a reason to keep the raw files, and I don't.

[Slamman]

I'm dealing with captured video as well as "found" porn, shall we say "videos of an adult nature"?? And I pick up memory cards or USB here and there, but rather then the common External Data drive, I use the older PCs to store non-current stuff, or you can start burning it off on Recordable DVDs as well, which I plan to do.

 

Use RAID or store everything you want saved on a laptop SATA drive, removed from a system and safely stored away, they are all nice and small as such

Edited August 16, 2011 by Slamman

[OverTheBelow]

 

I heard you have to share your down by 8 (megabit/byte or something) which comes out at 800kbps. sh*tty UK ISP

1 megabit per second = 128 kilobytes per second.

[Fnorg]

Could someone suggest me a decent gaming card that would be an upgrade from my 4870 512 MB that (and here's the kicker) isn't very wide? I bought a 6870 DirectCU ASUS card and that monster physically wouldn't fit in there due to stupid mobo design. Of course, the best thing to do would be to rip that awful, awful mobo out, get a new set of everything and basically just re-use the case, but that would set me back way more than I'm comfortable with. I'll have to get around to that one day anyway, because my CPU is a piece of sh*t first gen quad, but I digress. My budget is around €165/$253, but the less the better. Thanks in advance.

[Ronnyboy]

I hate to say it, but good look man. I know of some slimline cards, but they have been known to be less powerful and over heat quicker. If I were you, I'd buy a new mobo and case, just so you can fit future upgrades. What are your specs so we can get a feel of what your lookin for?

[yoječ]

Please post the model of your mobo for the better understanding of the situation. Some pics would help too. From that description I don't really have an idea why HD6870 wouldn't fit. Or you meant the case is too thin or whatever? If that's the case look for low profile cards. I doubt you'll find anything better than HD4850 though.

[Fnorg]

The case is fine. I drew this little picture to hopefully help you help me (it's not to scale ).

 

 

OK, imagine that the white is my mobo, right? The yellow is RAM, and black dots represent RAM latch button things. Now, my 4870 (red) fits in the PCI-E slot (blue) with a small amount of space between its right side and the latch buttons. When I tried to put the giant ASUS DirectCU 6870 (green) in there, it went on top of the RAM latches and therefore wouldn't slide all the way down. Now it wasn't *too much* in over the RAM latches and I probably could've gotten away with filing them down but I wasn't sure so I sent the card back. It's a really stupid mobo design, but exchanging the mobo means changing my CPU (which also needs to be done somewhere down the line which means an inevitable mobo swap), changing my RAM, probably PSU - basically every except the case. Hell, the case would probably have to go too. I've got the money, I just don't want to spend that much on gaming after having done so two and a half years ago. I'm looking for something that isn't as ridiculously oversized as that particular 6870 I bought, not necessarily one of those petite slimline cards. Maybe a regular 6870 would fit, I dunno. I can't find size specs anywhere.

 

This is what I bought and returned btw:

 

[Ryan]

Surly your motherboard must have more than one PCI-E slot? That Asus card is a non reference design, so a normal card should work.

 

Actual pictures might help.

[Wolf68k]

@Pat why not just record to the 1TB...

Because my 500GB is almost full at this point. If I record to the smaller drive, I can compress the files, then delete them after uploading them. I don't need 1TB of space just for footage, the only way I can see that being feasible is if I had a reason to keep the raw files, and I don't.

Your 500GB is almost full? Geeez

Well you can move things from the 500 to the 1TB easily enough.

You could also start installing your games to there as well. Maybe even reinstall the ones you have already to there too.

I have a 120GB SSD and install most of my games to my 1TB internal storage drive.

 

@Fnorg

How about just taking a pic of what you have or tell exactly what mobo you have.

[Chewie]

My friends PC makes this noise when ever he plays any game, video, or music. His whole PC lags when it happens too. Before he was using AC'97 audio and it did it constantly, now that he switched to HDA, it only happened 4 times and it isn't as loud.

 

Could it be a mobo audio problem or RAM?

[Ryan]

Tried reinstalling the audio drivers?

[Chewie]

Yeah my friend got the main Nvidia drivers and it still made the noise. The weird thing is since he switched to HDA, it happened only 4 times and the sound wasn't so loud. There's an update for BIOS that he didn't install, should he do that?

[Ryan]

Hmm, weird. Could be a faulty audio chip I suppose. If the board is still under warranty, you may want to contact the manufacturer to see if they can provide any insight, and if applicable consider RMA'ing it.

[Chewie]

There's an update on MSI for his mobo that has improved memory compatibility but he's scared to update it because he thinks it will kill his PC.

[Slamman]

My friends PC makes this noise when ever he plays any game, video, or music. His whole PC lags when it happens too. Before he was using AC'97 audio and it did it constantly, now that he switched to HDA, it only happened 4 times and it isn't as loud.

 

Could it be a mobo audio problem or RAM?

I bought a USB plug and play 6 channel audio decoder, it works great on desktops and laptops, it uses mini headphone style output jacks for all the speakers required for Dolby Digital decoding, That's something that's REALLY handy and can be used to test audio anomalies

[The-King]

So yeah, curious, what would happen if one was to go from a large monitor to a noticeably smaller one and a program window happened to end up completely off-screen and inaccessible due to resolution limitations. I've been having this problem with Winamp as it decided to somehow end up finding it's way completely off my screen and I see no viable way of bringing it into a position where I can actually manipulate it. I've alternatively been using Songbird despite my preference for Winamp and Songbird has been getting progressively more buggy and crashing regularly as of late, not to mention being an all-around heavier program (resource usage wise).