The computer and electronics super geek thread

[light]

Asus's manuals--at least the one I got--are pretty vague about the memory slots (and bios settings). The manual gave the impression that one stick goes into A1 and the other in A2; different colored slots of course. Then I looked at the RAM compatibility list in the manual and read that DDR3 1600 and higher should go into the same colored slots... *shrugs* Okay, whatever.

My feelings: I don't think it matters what slots the RAM go in... unless explicitly written.

Anyway, I put the PC all back together a couple days ago already, I must've overtightened one of the screws on the motherboard since it runs great now . Memtest and Prime95 shows no problems. Took me a couple hours yesterday to figure out how to get the RAM back running at 1600 like it supposed to. Temperatures are at ~36 deg C at idle and ~50 deg C during Prime95. I may try overclocking the CPU a little to see how the temperatures work out, but I'll probably stick with stock since it's plenty fast at the moment.

It was a good experience, and I look forward to the next build (a long time in the future) but there are two things I didn't particularly like:

The I/O shieldplate suck... unless you paid premium.

I hate the 24-pin ATX power connector. An extreme pain to pull out, I wished they designed some sort of release lever to help get it out.

Our desks can't compare to Kensei's .

Great job, Pats you on the back;

For the ATX power connector, you can probably get a adaptor if you have a different type of power supply. Many times I would buy a uber power supply for SLI video cards and so forth, its good to have extra power you can sometimes see the difference.

I did not read what kind of kind of video cards you have, I know you probably have some good ones though. I have been out of the market some time but vpu cards are a good option.

I prefer radion cards.

[myk]

Yeah, the section about RAM placement was extremely vague in the Asus manual, which is why I didn't quite know what to do. Heck, when I first turned the system on I got a bunch of desperate beeps, as I had forgotten to put the RAM in, and quickly consulted the Asus manual to see what the beeps meant. Of course, when I tried to look up the "beep" table that defined the meaning of the beeps, the Asus manual had a BLANK PAGE, lol.

The final touch for my new setup will either be an EVGA 9800GT or an EVGA 250 GT(S?). As usual, any opinions are welcome...

[eugimon]

250GT, the difference in performance is well worth the money.

[Agent-GHQ]

I've been researching for a new computer and I was curious of everyone's opinions on this new Gateway FX6831-03.

http://www.gateway.com/systems/product/529668418.php

[shiroikaze]

I did not read what kind of kind of video cards you have, I know you probably have some good ones though. I have been out of the market some time but vpu cards are a good option.

None, running the onboard HD 4200 for now

It'll be awhile before I get the HD 5850.

Yeah, the section about RAM placement was extremely vague in the Asus manual, which is why I didn't quite know what to do. Heck, when I first turned the system on I got a bunch of desperate beeps, as I had forgotten to put the RAM in, and quickly consulted the Asus manual to see what the beeps meant. Of course, when I tried to look up the "beep" table that defined the meaning of the beeps, the Asus manual had a BLANK PAGE, lol.

My manual says nothing about beeps. I had to look up the generic manual that was bundled on the disc.

I've been researching for a new computer and I was curious of everyone's opinions on this new Gateway FX6831-03.

http://www.gateway.com/systems/product/529668418.php

Now that's an uber system, though I don't know much about Gateway's quality for their higher-end models. I think you can go a little cheaper though.

The good thing is that they're not skimping out on the PSU.

[areaseven]

[Roy Focker]

Small update finally got a replacement cable.

Tried it out and discovered that my worst fear has come true. When the first cable broke it did damaged the TV Tuner too.

[shiroikaze]

That must be some really cheap stuff.... Think you can show us the damage?

[myk]

250GT, the difference in performance is well worth the money.

Really? Well, I guess I'll have to go for the 250 then. I won't be upgrading for another 20 years anyway so I should get the best I can for now...

[eugimon]

Really? Well, I guess I'll have to go for the 250 then. I won't be upgrading for another 20 years anyway so I should get the best I can for now...

yeah, I've tried both, there's no comparison.

[azrael]

Now that's an uber system, though I don't know much about Gateway's quality for their higher-end models. I think you can go a little cheaper though.

The good thing is that they're not skimping out on the PSU.

You could probably do cheaper with a DIY but it's fine. It will definitely last you a long time.

[myk]

Looks like uber systems are getting cheaper-I would've expected that thing to be at least 2K.

Oh and DIY FTW...

Edited February 12, 2010 by myk

[mikeszekely]

I mentioned earlier in this thread that I was thinking about getting a laptop with decent gaming graphics capability. It doesn't have to hang with my desktop; I'll stand for medium settings on the laptop. It does have to be under $1000.

So what do you guys thing of this one? I'm thinking about ordering one when they get them back in stock. The price is ideal, and I love my Samsung monitor so I'm hoping that the display on the laptop will will be similarly good. The i5, 4GB of RAM, and 500GB HDD are perfectly fine. The hang up would be the graphics... what do you guys think about the GeForce GT 330M? Seems like the Mobility Radeon HD 4670 outperforms it by a fair bit, but on the other hand it looks like it can do F.E.A.R. 2 on high settings with an average frame rate around 31fps.

[azrael]

... The hang up would be the graphics... what do you guys think about the GeForce GT 330M? Seems like the Mobility Radeon HD 4670 outperforms it by a fair bit, but on the other hand it looks like it can do F.E.A.R. 2 on high settings with an average frame rate around 31fps.

Well, it's a re-badged, slightly tweaked, GT240 with the GT230's power usage. If you can get a 4670 you could probably go farther but a GT330 should be fine for dedicated graphics.

[Vince]

I've been researching for a new computer and I was curious of everyone's opinions on this new Gateway FX6831-03.

http://www.gateway.com/systems/product/529668418.php

I think it is pretty good system, price is a little high for all the oem parts, but you get to save the hour you would use to put it together, and all the support you would need as long as you don't like to talk to anyone on the phone. suggest going to newegg and compare prices for the individual parts.

personally I would buy retail parts online, probably save enough to get an extra 5850, trust me you'll want multiple video cards, my single 5850 1Gb can barely do crysis on all high at 1900x1200 with aa turn off, i need at least another 1Gb of video ram. also ati drivers is not as good as nvidia drivers.

[myk]

I think it is pretty good system, price is a little high for all the oem parts, but you get to save the hour you would use to put it together, and all the support you would need as long as you don't like to talk to anyone on the phone...

Once again, DIY FTW...

[Vince]

Yeah, the section about RAM placement was extremely vague in the Asus manual, which is why I didn't quite know what to do. Heck, when I first turned the system on I got a bunch of desperate beeps, as I had forgotten to put the RAM in, and quickly consulted the Asus manual to see what the beeps meant. Of course, when I tried to look up the "beep" table that defined the meaning of the beeps, the Asus manual had a BLANK PAGE, lol.

The final touch for my new setup will either be an EVGA 9800GT or an EVGA 250 GT(S?). As usual, any opinions are welcome...

250 definitly.

[Agent-GHQ]

personally I would buy retail parts online, probably save enough to get an extra 5850, trust me you'll want multiple video cards, my single 5850 1Gb can barely do crysis on all high at 1900x1200 with aa turn off, i need at least another 1Gb of video ram. also ati drivers is not as good as nvidia drivers.

Not sure if I understand you here. Are you saying this parcitular model can put two HD Radeon 5850 card on the motherboard?

[Vince]

Not sure if I understand you here. Are you saying this parcitular model can put two HD Radeon 5850 card on the motherboard?

I forgot about the gateway will have an oem mb in it (I bet is foxconn), that might have only one slot for video cards, and they don't tell you. I do not know if this particular model can use multiple video card. some high end mb's let you use up to 4 cards. like I said, check out the prices for the individual parts. the retail parts are usually better than the oem parts. seem like you're going performance, diy you should come out with a better system. at 2k you can probably build THAT system with a 975 in it.

[Agent-GHQ]

Yesh, Im going EXTREME performance that are pre-built. So far, the Gateway FX6831-03 catches my attention. However, at a reasonable price point of course.

So how is retail parts better than oem parts if they are from the same maker, brand, and model? What's a 975?

[shiroikaze]

Yesh, Im going EXTREME performance that are pre-built. So far, the Gateway FX6831-03 catches my attention. However, at a reasonable price point of course.

So how is retail parts better than oem parts if they are from the same maker, brand, and model? What's a 975?

By 975 he means the Intel Core i7 975. THE fastest CPU in the market.

As for retail being better than the parts in prebuilt PCs. It's mostly about having control of what parts go into the system (sometimes cheaper too). Sometimes--not always--the prebuilt system will have a different version of the same model and brand, specifically made for that particular company. So usually, something will be crippled or locked in some way.

For example, if you bought a retail motherboard, you will get what they advertised and what not. Which is usually multiple PCI-E 2.0 x16 slots for multiple graphics cards, 4 slots of RAM, being easily overclockable, etc. Not including accessories, software, and longer warranty.

If you get a motherboard from a prebuilt PC, you might not get these features since the company building the computer is not intending for you to upgrade or overclock the PC.

Edited February 13, 2010 by shiroikaze

[Vince]

By 975 he means the Intel Core i7 975. THE fastest CPU in the market.

As for retail being better than the parts in prebuilt PCs. It's mostly about having control of what parts go into the system (sometimes cheaper too). Sometimes--not always--the prebuilt system will have a different version of the same model and brand, specifically made for that particular company. So usually, something will be crippled or locked in some way.

For example, if you bought a retail motherboard, you will get what they advertised and what not. Which is usually multiple PCI-E 2.0 x16 slots for multiple graphics cards, 4 slots of RAM, being easily overclockable, etc. Not including accessories, software, and longer warranty.

If you get a motherboard from a prebuilt PC, you might not get these features since the company building the computer is not intending for you to upgrade or overclock the PC.

you're right on!!

extreme performance pre-built system, can't beat alienware, they only starts around 4k...

my buddy built a 975 base with 16Gb of DDR3, a GT2 295 + a 9800, the day 975 came out. All he did was pick the most expensive parts on newegg at the time, and it was just a bit over 2k. plus buy a copy of window 7 utimate 64. it was able to boot into windows in less than 5 seconds. it was his first build.

my point is, go diy and you will likely come out with more.

[Vince]

you're right on!!

extreme performance pre-built system, can't beat alienware, they only starts around 4k...

my buddy built a 975 base with 16Gb of DDR3, a GT2 295 + a 9800, the day 975 came out. All he did was pick the most expensive parts on newegg at the time, and it was just a bit over 2k. plus buy a copy of window 7 utimate 64. it was able to boot into windows in less than 5 seconds. it was his first build.

my point is, go diy and you will likely come out with more.

like this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleD...st=Combo.326245

too bad it out of stock, but you got the picture.

p.s. that 750w psu won't push 2 ati 5000 nor 2 gts anything.

Edited February 13, 2010 by Vince

[shiroikaze]

like this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleD...st=Combo.326245

too bad it out of stock, but you got the picture.

p.s. that 750w psu won't push 2 ati 5000 nor 2 gts anything.

Wait... I thought AMD/ATI recommended 600 watts for crossfire...

Also, that system is kinda tempting...

[mikeszekely]

PSU calculator.

OK guys, put yourselves in my shoes for a minute. What do you like better?

Choice A: Samsung 17.3", 1600x900 resolution, 2.26GHz Core i5 4GB DDR3, 500GB 5400rpm SATA II HDD, GeForce GT 330M, $799.99.

Choice B: Asus 16", 1366x768 resolution, 2.13GHz Core 2 Duo, 4BG DDR2, 320 GB 7200rpm SATA II HDD, GeForce GTX 260M, $899.99.

Both have webcams, wireless N, gigabit wired, dual-layer burners, HDMI-out, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, and both claim to be LED backlit. The Sammy has bluetooth. Primary use would be gaming.

For most stuff, the Sammy seems like a better deal... more hard drive, bluetooth, much faster processor, higher resolution, DDR3 RAM, a nicer chassis (it's black with red, like their touch of color), and cheaper to boot. But like I said, if I'm primarily gaming, is it worth downgrading everything and dropping an extra $100 for the clearly superior video card?

One other advantage: the Samsung is online only, and currently out of stock. The Asus is out of stock at my local Best Buy, but it's a model they carry. It's also available at a store not too far from me, or online.

[Vince]

Wait... I thought AMD/ATI recommended 600 watts for crossfire...

Also, that system is kinda tempting...

tried an antec tp 750 with 2 4850 and work with two hd, and the oem stuff pretty much won't hold up against the antec. 5800 take 2 set of power connectors each, so does GTS series. not saying the 750w wouldn't work, it has been tested with the pre-built system, but with two 5800 crossfire it is not going to have too much left for add on stuff. at worst it would kill off some of the components with under powered psu, done that too.. that why I have 2 brand new 4850 sitting around, lucky that didn't kill my mb.

[eugimon]

PSU calculator.

OK guys, put yourselves in my shoes for a minute. What do you like better?

Choice A: Samsung 17.3", 1600x900 resolution, 2.26GHz Core i5 4GB DDR3, 500GB 5400rpm SATA II HDD, GeForce GT 330M, $799.99.

Choice B: Asus 16", 1366x768 resolution, 2.13GHz Core 2 Duo, 4BG DDR2, 320 GB 7200rpm SATA II HDD, GeForce GTX 260M, $899.99.

Both have webcams, wireless N, gigabit wired, dual-layer burners, HDMI-out, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, and both claim to be LED backlit. The Sammy has bluetooth. Primary use would be gaming.

For most stuff, the Sammy seems like a better deal... more hard drive, bluetooth, much faster processor, higher resolution, DDR3 RAM, a nicer chassis (it's black with red, like their touch of color), and cheaper to boot. But like I said, if I'm primarily gaming, is it worth downgrading everything and dropping an extra $100 for the clearly superior video card?

One other advantage: the Samsung is online only, and currently out of stock. The Asus is out of stock at my local Best Buy, but it's a model they carry. It's also available at a store not too far from me, or online.

asus. I have an asus with the gtx 260m. If your focus is for gaming the better graphics card is going to get you a lot further than the CPU.

[azrael]

OK guys, put yourselves in my shoes for a minute. What do you like better?

Choice A: Samsung 17.3", 1600x900 resolution, 2.26GHz Core i5 4GB DDR3, 500GB 5400rpm SATA II HDD, GeForce GT 330M, $799.99.

Choice B: Asus 16", 1366x768 resolution, 2.13GHz Core 2 Duo, 4BG DDR2, 320 GB 7200rpm SATA II HDD, GeForce GTX 260M, $899.99.

Both have webcams, wireless N, gigabit wired, dual-layer burners, HDMI-out, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, and both claim to be LED backlit. The Sammy has bluetooth. Primary use would be gaming.

For most stuff, the Sammy seems like a better deal... more hard drive, bluetooth, much faster processor, higher resolution, DDR3 RAM, a nicer chassis (it's black with red, like their touch of color), and cheaper to boot. But like I said, if I'm primarily gaming, is it worth downgrading everything and dropping an extra $100 for the clearly superior video card?

One other advantage: the Samsung is online only, and currently out of stock. The Asus is out of stock at my local Best Buy, but it's a model they carry. It's also available at a store not too far from me, or online.

The Asus looks better performance-wise. The Samsung will probably keep you from upgrading for a while and will probably be cheaper in the long run.

If you only see gaming in the future, then yeah, go Asus.

[Chewie]

Asus. Two of my friends bought that system at my insistence(I work at BB) for Christmas. The systems are GREAT for gaming. Also, even though Asus will tell you otherwise, the system supports 8 gigs of ram. Just too bad it's near $200 each for the 4 gig sticks.

If you want an even bigger, and better system, the G72 is down to $999 because it's on "clearance." My only problem with this one is that it's HUGE and there is a lot of unused space around the keyboard. Would have been nice with even the little LED read out the G50s had.

Edited February 14, 2010 by Chewie

[eugimon]

oh, if you're talking about the G50, i have the G51. I love it.

[kensei]

Gaming wise you'd want the one with the GTX 260M. Its got great performance for games according to Notebookcheck.

That, or just get the best, the ASUS G73J-A1 I soooooooo want this laptop. Glad I didn't put the down payment on it, as the dollar took a bit of a dive and also there are shipping delays for Down Under.

I think that the G72 is down in price cause the G73 is the new kid on the block with a ATI Radeon 5870.

Edited February 14, 2010 by kensei

[Chewie]

Yep. My roomate has one. Between 10 of us, there are 5 Asus laptops ranging from the G51 to the G72.

[mikeszekely]

Oh, I'm well aware that the GTX 260M isn't just a better card, it's a much better card. I'm not sure how different the mobile version is, but the desktop card is better than the 9800 GTX+ I'm running in my desktop.

And that's just the thing. While I expect to use the laptop for gaming and websurfing when I travel (which is usually limited to a handful to trips in the spring and summer) or when the wife is getting needy and insisting that I sit with her on the couch, my desktop will still be my main computer. So I don't actually need the GTX 260M. I'm not saying it's not a good thing to have, but is it really worth it to me to pay an extra $100 and 180GB of hard drive?

Also, and maybe I'm just being dumb, but the Asus is ugly. I know Asus can make a pretty laptop... I used to sell a dark brown 14"-er that was pretty slick. This one, though (a G60 if I'm not mistaken) has a dull black matte area around the trackpad that clashes with the glossier black of the rest of the keyboard. And none of it seems to match the dark blue of the outer shell.

The Samsung, on the other hand, looks really nice. It's a glossy case (so yeah, fingerprints), and it's that red-tinged black that you've probably seen on their Touch of Color TVs and monitors. To me, it's a lot more pleasing aesthetically. I mean, yeah, I do have to demand a certain level of performance for the usage I plan for my laptop, but I've also got to look at the damn thing. I'd rather not have a laptop that's an eyesore, even if it's a gaming powerhouse.

So, I guess I'm not asking which one is definitively better as much as I'm asking if you guys think the Sammy's good enough.

EDIT: One other thing that I think might be relevant... I'm pretty much limited to Best Buy. They're the only store I have a credit card for, and I like to take advantage of their zero interest financing deals.

Edited February 14, 2010 by mikeszekely

[light]

If your on a budget but pretty knowledgable this laptop will stand out to you. Handles all kindz of gamez thrown at it. Video card is not bad at all; you can find it for around $350 or so. I believe it to be the best for the price range graphicz make you want to slap hands.

Acer Aspire 5517

The screen is very good (Amazing thats its a 720p HD led screen at $348 USD walmart. )

its upgradeable to 8gb of ram ( there are two slots used with 4gb ram and 2 empty per my test software CPUID)

General Specification

Model: AS5517-5671 Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit version

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 Single-Core Processor TF-20 (512KB L2 cache, 1.6GHz)

RAM: 3GB (2/1) DDR2 667 SDRAM

Hard Drive: 160GB

Optical Drive: integrated Super-Multi drive

Storage: 5-in-1 card reader

Screen: 15.6" (1366 x 768) TFT display

GPU: ATI Radeon Xpress 3200 graphics

Network: 802.11b/g WLAN, 10/100 LAN

Edited February 15, 2010 by light

[CoryHolmes]

I'm looking to turn my PC into a PVR when I get my high-def channels hooked up (tomorrow, yay!). I've got 300 unused gigs of HD space, so that's not an issue, but what sort of video card should I be looking at that'll accept an HD-in?