David Hingtgen

Had some issues the past 2 days, back now. To reply to multiple questions: GeForce 4 4800--thanks but no thanks. Plan to go with GeForce 6 7600GS. Servicing a computer: The one time I had a PC with a problem that even I couldn't fix--the manufacturer couldn't really fix it either. They replaced the entire motherboard and formatted the drive and reinstalled all programs. (thankfully under warranty). Yeah, that worked, since it was practically a new PC at that point... Net Speed: well, I actually am back to my original 2002-era Ethernet driver, instead of the 2005/2006 update. And now I'm getting 7-8Mbps tonight. Woo! Sometimes older IS better. I'm paying for 8Mbps, and I got 7.976 last check... Not going to mess with any settings or drivers with results like that! FYI: not only was I on dialup, but our phone lines are so bad (due to them being accidently chopped then spliced back together so many times due to construction, not age) I didn't ever even get 56k. I usually had around 24-26k. 30-32k on a good day. And yes, I downloaded the first ep of Macross Zero like that. Took days...

Finally found the Magnus/Skywarp two-pack--my first copy of each mold. Pretty nice, though I found that Magnus' large "arm armor" doesn't lock onto the grill well in truck mode. Just mine, or inherent to the mold? Also, does the roof fairing lock at all, or just lie there on top?

My question (going back to Yamato's VF-1)--is why have the fans molded there in the first place? It just really looks bad to have them RIGHT THERE when you look. If you can't have them way back inside (you know, where the engines actually) are---just don't have them at all. Mold nothing, or have it taper into blackness. "Blackness" looks just like the real blackness you see in real jet intakes. Trust me, 99% of the time, you can't see a fighter jet's fans by just looking. You pretty much have to literally stick your head up inside the intake, and use a flash (which I have done many times--I also like to yell to see how much the intake echoes).

I know there's a few places that sell them, but it was a long time ago that I read anything about them. (many of the places that sell them are the official suppliers, and military orders take precedence over civilian, so you may have to wait a while)

Well this afternoon I made the most important upgrade by far---from dial-up to broadband. Due to old wiring in the house, and it being the afternoon, I'm currently only getting about 30x faster than before, I want 100x faster!

I said 2 GB because that's what HP "recommends" for this PC as the max,(and they recommend actually doing that as 4x 512MB). 4GB is the physical max, not the "it'll actually use it" max AFAIK. But I know it'll accept 3200 1GB chips, it's been done. I swear I noticed a difference when I just swapped around mine to experiment--single channel took slightly longer to load XP. New BIOS for my board really doesn't update much--it just locks out even more controls/adjustments. I still run the original BIOS for that reason. (have the new one available if ever needed, but I can't go back to the original if its ever changed) Latest Googling seems to indicate that my 1.5GB plan *should* work--so long as each pair is identical within itself, it should work fine. All 4 need not be identical. (and that thread specifically mentioned black/blue RAM pairings---which is exactly how HP colors their dual-channel slots--though maybe others do as well, I know there's many other color combos out there but black/blue is usually found with HP) Now, it is possible to have, say, a matched pair, and then a 128 and a 256. The matched pair will operate in dual, but the other "pair" of course won't. That's dual/single. Dual/dual (what I want) just requires 2 matched pairs, not all four. (Otherwise it'd be quad-channel or something). From what I can tell, only PAIRS of memory slots can operate in dual-channel mode--hence the name, and they really won't care about what the other pairing is. If you had 6 slots, you could probably have 0, 1, 2, or 3 pairs operating in dual-channel. But you'd never need all 6 to match. (You could, you'd just have 3 separate pairs all in dual-channel, not one giant 6-channel RAM block) It seems the "all 4 same" theory might originate from HP boards of the same era with THREE slots. Where you have to have the odd slot equal the other 2 combined. So if you have two 256's in the pair, the odd one has to "balance" with a 512 chip. (As you can see, RAM for HP's isn't easy)

Thanks much for your post, answered a lot of questions. As for my 4 slots of RAM--hey, it only takes me 30 secs to change them, I can try plenty of configurations to try to get dual channel for all 4 of them--and if all else fails, I can get rid of the two 256's and live with it, or replace them with more copies of the new RAM. One thing I'm debating though--I was planning on going with 2x 512MB PC2700 RAM, as both the speed, latency, and timing match my current RAM, and I *should* get nice, matched, dual-channel RAM of 1.5GB across the board. But if the motherboard etc won't allow dual-channel that way, there's little point, and I should just ditch the original RAM and go with all-new PC3200. However, that would take it to the motherboard's max recommended total RAM, and I suspect that power-wise, it won't like 1GB chips nor especially the slightly higher voltage 3200 needs. (Which is part of why I want to go with 2x 2700 512's now--also it's half the price) (that is not a powersupply issue, but an "old motherboard" issue--which is NOT going to be replaced, that'd defeat the purpose of a cheap upgrade) My theory is that if I go with 2700, and it doesn't like the old 2700 chips--I can just buy another matched pair of new 2700, and still have paid almost exactly the same as if I went with 2GB of 3200 in the first place--but save a hundred bucks if I don't need to. PS--I just went to the garage to get my old PC, and removed the power supply just for practice. (And snagged its ethernet card for a spare--have there been any changes/revised standards for that?, it's some 7 years old now, but totally mint--hope it works if I need it)

Umm, I thought that WAS wireless girl (Hana).

::nevermind, ranting:: :editing to reply to a future post: JBO--I'm aware my GeForce "4" MX440 is really a GeForce2. Which is why I'd just like SOMETHING that won't require a massive powersupply unit--even cards 4 years old would be superior. Anything would be an upgrade.

Hurin--that exact one is very high on my list at the moment. Basically, the only thing I want is: Noticeably better frames rates and better anti-aliasing than my MX440. Even if it's only 1/10 as good as other current stuff and can't even run a lot of current games---if it'll be noticeably better than what I have now--I'll be happy. (So long as it's quiet and doesn't overheat)

I've found a few reports of people upgrading my PC, but most are from 2004 or 2005---several had changed power supplies, but never saw a problem. There are a LOT of HP's out there with weird powersupplies, but mine isn't one of them. And the motherboard, while "HP exclusive" is physically identical to another ASUS, it simply has many parts of the BIOS locked to prevent the average stupid HP owner from ruining the system. (many people have been able to overwrite the HP BIOS with ASUS's standard one) Ok, new question: Fans/noise/heat for graphics cards. Related to my last question about card brands. Nobody seems to agree---a guy will say card has a nigh-silent fan, another guy says its the loudest thing he's ever had. And there's so many people making nVidia (who I plan to go with) I have no idea where to look/what to buy. And newegg.com is like going to avsforums.com---according to the reviews, every product sucks and has a 50% failure rate the first day. I just want a card that's better than my GeForce4 MX440, and runs either cool enough to get by on passive cooling, or has a very quiet fan. (Way too many fanless cards seem to run way too hot for my tastes---I want a rock-solid super-stable system--I will not trade stability for performance) Mechafan---a new Nvidia DirectX 10 AGP card? I might just wait for that--though it all depends on how much they'll cost. I still want to stay around 100-125.

My comment about the high-end graphics card was just to illustrate that I plan to do a cheap upgrade, not get a whole new system (which would include a high-end graphics card) I originally planned to do memory only (hundred bucks) and maybe a cheap graphics card (hundred bucks or a bit more). But checking around, it seems that my PC is so close to maxing out its powersupply as-built, that doing almost anything requires a new power supply. But if I can get by with a Seasonic 330 or 380watt, then I can still do everything for well under 300 bucks.

Thanks much for all the info everyone. I noticed earlier that my CPU fan is a CoolerMaster, could be a factor as to why this PC is so quiet overall. Was looking at Seasonic lately for power, for sheer quality/noise. Ok, question: A lot of places say that graphics cards really only ask for 350+ watt power supplies due to the actual amperage on the 12v rails being higher on those power supplied. Any place to find out what specific cards REALLY need, and what power supply I actually need? I mean, getting 500 or 600 would be a waste of money if it's not needed, and would just be a possible source of heat/noise. The calculator at http://extreme.outervision.com seems the most specific, and is giving me from 237 to 264 needed for various combinations I'm considering. Which would make the most sense to me, as I'm only adding a bit of memory and a low/medium-end card. I shouldn't need to DOUBLE the powersupply wattage. Yes, while I will be getting new RAM and video card---they will be be fairly cheap. Being able to use 512MB memory chips and use all 4 slots instead of 1GB in 2 slots will basically pay for the new power supply. A high-end graphics card alone will cost more than I plan to spend for the whole upgrade.

Here's what may be a stupid question: People always seem to talk about the chips or a "generic" board, but never the actual specific company that sells them like you'd find in BestBuy. Example: GeForce 6600. There are a bunch of brands that sell GeForce 6600 cards but I rarely see any comments about the "final" brand---from what I can tell one of the few differences is the fan installed. And as you know, I'm looking for quiet. Who has good fans on their cards? Is there really that much difference whose GeForce card you buy, or will any GeForce 6600 be nigh-identical to another?

Ok, reading more----currently getting even a cheap modern graphics looks to be a problem due to their power requirements. So now I'm thinking about a new power supply. Then, I could get most any card I want, and any memory I want and not have to worry about over-taxing the system. And could do many future upgrades as well. And a new PS with my original plan of 1GB of new PC2700 memory, would probably be cheaper than 2GB of 3200 memory anyways. So, how does one change a power supply? Easy, hard, risk of frying the PC the first time I attempt it? That's one of the few things I've never dealt with at all in a PC. Also, I have found the OEM supplier of my PC's powersupply, and going from 250W to 300W seems almost pointless and not future-proof at all, but they have a 450W one as well. http://www.power-on.com/ea450p.html How are OEM ones in general? Because my current one (Their 250W) is quite quiet and reliable, after 4 years. I really want a QUIET one above all else. 99% of all Graphics cards want 300+ watts, and specify a certain amperage for the 12v rail. My current powersupply is well below both of those specs. Or would it be much more advisable to go with an aftermarket powersupply.

For RAM---I'm now thinking about going with 2, 1GB 3200 chips now, replacing the originals. Why? Because like all HP's, the power supply is barely large enough, and according to online power calculators, having all 4 RAM slots active would take it to the limit taking into account the rest of my PC, especially if I get a new graphics card. Also, then I could have all 3200 instead of 2700. I'm actually more concerned about power consumption and speed, than capacity at the moment. (I could get 2 512MB 3200's instead, but that'd only be doubling my current RAM---I do like to keep my graphic editing programs open with multiple pics at once, all while online with a massive "undo" history---while I don't do it often, I do do it) Still deciding, but it's pretty much narrowed down to getting 2 PC3200 chips to replace my 2 PC2700 chips--only question is will the new ones be 512 or 1G each. RAM question: my original PC2700 has a latency of only 2.5, but most all 3200 seems to have it at 3. I'd expect newer/better RAM to have a smaller latency, not greater. Would this be a factor at all really, if I plan to replace it all with 3 instead of adding more 2.5 to my original? Of course, this brings up the power thing again--but I doubt that 2.6v will really be that much of a strain compared to my (presumably) 2.5v original. Also---saw several people recommend Crucial for memory. Good? They also have Radeon cards of the right price range. Also found a specific mention of Crucial's 3200 1GB RAM working with my exact PC. Hopefully final RAM question: I like to have a LOT of files in particular folders on my PC (you can guess how many jet photos I have). One to two thousand. What (if anything) would increase the speed at which windows "loads" the folder to display them? (I've noticed it slows down notably past 1000 or so) RAM capacity/speed/latency? Processor? VF-19, about the link you posted-I'm wondering if there's a typo---the Radeon XT1650 Pro is listed for both the 175 and 120 category---but it seems to be priced at 175 at most retailers. For the 120 category, do they mean the 1050?

Ack, edited this post instead of posting new reply! Guess it's gone now.

I think I put more quarters into that, than any arcade game but SF 2.

I plan on keeping this PC for a few more years if possible (it's my most reliable one ever by far)---the graphics card upgrade is mainly just to get higher framerates on my existing games. I'd actually like "the best card I can get that doesn't have a massive cooling fan and power requirements" as I don't want to have to upgrade the power supply, and I have a surprisingly quiet rig currently. (noise is big with me, if you've ever seen my 360 rants) Or maybe I should put it this way: Would a $100-125 card be worth it at all? Taking into account that I don't play games much, and my standards aren't that high. (My monitor is a 15inch, and I run at 1024x768) But I mean, the card is some 4 years old now and it was cheap then--I'd figure even 40 or 50 buck cards now would be noticeably better.

While I'm in an upgrading mood: My motherboard can accomodate AGP8X graphics cards. Is it worth upgrading (and suggestions welcome) or is that so far behind the PCI-E cards now that I should just wait until I have a new motherboard/system? I currently have the GeForce 4 MX440 that it came with originally. It does OK for the few games I currently have (I'm 99% a console gamer) but with it only having 64MB while every one on the market now is 256 for well under a hundred bucks, I'm definitely thinking about upgrading.

I like that camo a lot. If it was US, it'd be Light Ghost Grey, Intermediate Blue, and either Neutral or Dark Gull grey.

I have the cable guy coming on Tuesday to hook up my broadband connection, so I'll let everyone know if/when I get my Live account set up.

Swapping around the chips confirmed that---I opened the case last night and experimented with different configurations and putting them in non-paired locations made CPU-ID report "single channel" operation---and I swear I noticed it being slower.

OK, CPU-Z says I have dual channel, but performance mode is disabled. What's "performance mode"? Is that when DDR is actually operating in dual channel? And now I know the factory chips have latency of 2.5ms, and the timing is 2.5-3-3-7. Manufacturer is "Smart Modular", and both chips carry build dates of the same week, so they're presumably from the same batch and all went straight into HP computers, probably nigh-sequentially. (that's one of the things I always hate about a new PC--hard to find out exactly what's inside unless you installed it yourself)

Ummm---no. The 727 is way too old and small, and UPS already has all they need. And any they could get now probably wouldn't be up to their specs--most are third or fourth-hand now. There is no such thing as a DC-11. If you meant the MD-11---they're all taken. (same with the DC-10) UPS and FedEx (and Gemini and any other cargo carrier) will pay almost anything for an MD-11 nowadays, but there's simply none out there. If there's one plane type you won't find "sitting out in the desert", it's an MD-11. I wouldn't be surprised if some day someone's desperate enough to fix up Delta's burned one. As for a max weight rejected takeoff test: Fill the plane up to its maximum takeoff weight. Wear the brakes down to less than 10% of the pads left. Take it up to V1, and stop it as hard as you can, without using reverse thrust. Always results in white-hot glowing brakes, and usually requires replacing the entire brake assembly and wheels. When it doesn't go well (747SP, A340-600) the tires and brakes really can't take it, and the landing gear starts to melt and stuff starts burning and exploding. The only way to really fail is to not stop in the alotted space, or to actually have debris penetrate the passenger cabin, or to somehow prevent evacuation of the aircraft. As for F-14 maintenance: About half of the F-14D's were upgraded from A's, and so were still 1970's vintage. New cockpit and engines, but all the other systems were decades old still.