Personal computing discussed

Search found 99 matches

by paulsz28
Tue Jan 15, 2013 3:29 pm
Forum: Storage
Topic: SSD help
Replies: 12
Views: 3073

Re: SSD help

If you need a Windows disk, Microsoft Technet has a downloads page where you can download whatever build you like for a 90-day trial (Win7, XP, etc.) and then just burn that ISO to a DVD. You can then use this disk for system repairs and such without getting to the license key portion. If you want t...
by paulsz28
Fri Jun 29, 2012 8:45 pm
Forum: General Hardware
Topic: Electrical / Soldering Kit
Replies: 9
Views: 2924

Electrical / Soldering Kit

Hey everyone, So, I'm in need of a basic electircal kit (wires, connectors, shrink tubes, maybe just a few resistors/capacitors, etc.) and a soldering iron, but am really having trouble finding what I have in mind. Back in college, a lab partner had this wicked kit with all of that stuff in it. Mayb...
by paulsz28
Thu May 17, 2012 12:15 am
Forum: The Back Porch
Topic: Settle down or wait for somebody?
Replies: 22
Views: 6079

Re: Settle down or wait for somebody?

TLDR (my post below)??? I married just last June (1 year anniversary in a couple of weeks). We dated for 2.5 years before I proposed, then had a year engagement to plan a stupidly expensive wedding (seriously bro, jut get some coolers and brews, and rent a beach with your best friends and family - ...
by paulsz28
Wed Feb 01, 2012 4:03 pm
Forum: Storage
Topic: What is THE SSD today?
Replies: 21
Views: 6898

Re: What is THE SSD today?

FWIW I haven't had any issues with the latest Sandforce drives since the most recent firmware. ^THIS I have a Corsair Force GT 120GB that totally saturates my SATAII controller. I had to update the mobo SATA driver at first, but the latest SSD firmware was preloaded and hasn't given me any issues, ...
by paulsz28
Sun Dec 25, 2011 9:47 pm
Forum: Storage
Topic: Cloning HDD install to SSD - help beyond the basics
Replies: 4
Views: 1716

Re: Cloning HDD install to SSD - help beyond the basics

I had loads of problems with the factory Microsoft drivers. The drive would lock up and even ATTO wpuld freeze. Opening applicatiins was a pain and not even Windows Update would work right. Updating to the most recent AMD drivers on my 790x board helped me max out my Corsair Force GT on SATA II. No ...
by paulsz28
Wed Dec 07, 2011 1:48 pm
Forum: Storage
Topic: RAID 0 and SSD
Replies: 42
Views: 10889

Re: RAID 0 and SSD

Hmm, a 1TB, quad-SSD RAID-0 Photoshop box sounds interesting! I can see how continual Photoshop image processing/transferring could benefit from quick storage solutions. RAID is good for FREQUENT storage accesses, but not good for infrequent level loads and web browsing (my opinion). I recently look...
by paulsz28
Sat Dec 03, 2011 9:43 am
Forum: System Builders Anonymous
Topic: Upgrading System w/ Borked OS install
Replies: 13
Views: 2057

Re: Upgrading System w/ Borked OS install

you can probably overclock the i3 to the point where it's miles better than any AMD system mmmmm, thats false. No i3 models are unlocked "K" series so overclocking is not an option. Quite true, I'd forgotten about that... I suppose they probably would overclock nicely, if Intel allowed th...
by paulsz28
Mon Nov 14, 2011 8:45 pm
Forum: Storage
Topic: Mixing SSDs with same controller for RAID-0
Replies: 7
Views: 2624

Re: Mixing SSDs with same controller for RAID-0

LOTS OF GOOD STUFF All good points. I've looked at the Patriot Wildfires too. You're right, the 120GB version of these friggin blaze like a 240GB drive from other manufacturers, but the WFs sure are costly (ouch!). JustAnEngineer was getting at the synch/asynch point in his first post, but yours go...
by paulsz28
Mon Nov 14, 2011 8:24 pm
Forum: Storage
Topic: Swapping Hard drives from 1 PC to another
Replies: 2
Views: 2841

Re: Swapping Hard drives from 1 PC to another

Welcome to the forums! Swapping hard drives from one system to another usually isn't a 1-for-1 swap. Unfortunately, there are some specific things going on with hard drives and the computers they're in that make quick swaps a little tedious. What are the other specifications of the computers? -Sound...
by paulsz28
Mon Nov 14, 2011 5:44 pm
Forum: Storage
Topic: Mixing SSDs with same controller for RAID-0
Replies: 7
Views: 2624

Re: Mixing SSDs with same controller for RAID-0

So, after some digging on the router-connected-intranets, an obvious response regarding SSD firmware and RAID is "update the firmware before establishing the RAID array." Simple enough (duh), moving along. Sandforce says drives must be updated with OEM specific firmware . Sandforce does no...
by paulsz28
Sat Nov 12, 2011 7:06 pm
Forum: Storage
Topic: SSD / HD Advice
Replies: 4
Views: 1630

Re: SSD / HD Advice

Gary, Your post is hard to follow, and difficult to understand. We would like to help, but can't really tell what you're asking. Is English your first language? If so, slow down, and formulate your sentences better with subjects, verbs, and punctuation. We can't read your mind, and "text speech...
by paulsz28
Sat Nov 12, 2011 7:05 pm
Forum: Storage
Topic: Mixing SSDs with same controller for RAID-0
Replies: 7
Views: 2624

Re: Mixing SSDs with same controller for RAID-0

While the Force 3 and the Force GT use the same SandForce SF-2281 controller Are you sure? Newegg and Amazon report the SF-2200. The Corsair website doesn't offer an contradictory/amplifying information regarding the controller. the Force GT uses faster flash memory chips. Yeah, I read into that a ...
by paulsz28
Sat Nov 12, 2011 6:46 pm
Forum: Storage
Topic: Mixing SSDs with same controller for RAID-0
Replies: 7
Views: 2624

Mixing SSDs with same controller for RAID-0

Hmm, This week's deal of the week highlights two 60GB SSDs, the OCZ Agility 3 and Corsair Force 3 , which got me to thinking about mixing the drives for a RAID-0 setup. The drive are based on a common SandForce SF-2200 controller. I'm in the market for a new primary drive solution, in the form of a ...
by paulsz28
Thu Jun 30, 2011 11:59 pm
Forum: System Builders Anonymous
Topic: Just built new PC, something not right. HELP!
Replies: 36
Views: 4596

Re: Just built new PC, something not right. HELP!

So is it feasible to take the PSU out of one of my old PCs and use it in this one? What sort of specs should I be looking at to know if it's compatible? Answer: A BIG Maybe. You would need the check the Newegg Power Calculator to determine a general range of PSUs to use (note: this is NOT the be-al...
by paulsz28
Thu Jun 30, 2011 3:58 pm
Forum: System Builders Anonymous
Topic: Just built new PC, something not right. HELP!
Replies: 36
Views: 4596

Re: Just built new PC, something not right. HELP!

This looks like a heat issue... the machine is running okay, and then as it heats up you eventually run into issues. As some others have mentioned, check that you have your heat sink seated properly, that all of your fans are working, etc. ^^this is VERY LIKELY Ah, the joys of the first build . . ....
by paulsz28
Thu Mar 31, 2011 12:48 pm
Forum: Graphics
Topic: Investing in a better GPU for Photoshop CS5 on Win7-64?
Replies: 6
Views: 2078

Re: Investing in a better GPU for Photoshop CS5 on Win7-64?

My sister is a wedding photographer (http://www.projectduo.com/), and I've built all of her "professional" rigs. In researching components, I determined PS is not GPU bound (sorry, don't have references ready available). In fact, her current rig only has a Radeon 4650. Other components are...
by paulsz28
Mon Aug 30, 2010 8:45 pm
Forum: Windows
Topic: FULL VERSION Windows 7 for $29.99 for students
Replies: 161
Views: 40910

Re: FULL VERSION Windows 7 for $29.99 for students

Vista/7 install is pretty fast too with any halfway modern hardware the main thing you need is a decently fast disk drive - I did one Win 7 install on an ancient Seagate drive which was very slow - so taking an extra ~20 minutes for something you do rarely ought to be worth saving $70 to most peopl...
by paulsz28
Mon Aug 30, 2010 8:38 pm
Forum: Windows
Topic: FULL VERSION Windows 7 for $29.99 for students
Replies: 161
Views: 40910

Re: FULL VERSION Windows 7 for $29.99 for students

NOT THE FULL VERSION!!!!!! I told them I wanted the FULL VERSION, and they said yes, blah, blah, I made sure twice I said "full Version" . . . They then told me that there is NO STUDENT PRICE FOR THE FULL VERSION. * HOW DO I START THE DOWNLOAD? Visit your Purchase History page[3] to begin...
by paulsz28
Sat May 15, 2010 12:32 pm
Forum: Gaming
Topic: Portal is FREE through May 24
Replies: 6
Views: 1445

Re: Portal is FREE through May 24

Although I'm 2-3 years behind on gaming, I spend little on the software for the pastime: Portal - Free Batman: Arkham Asylum - 5.99 Grid/Dirt combo - 17.99 COD:MW2 - 24.99 MOD:MW - 19.99 Half-Life combo: $30? Stalker: Clear Sky - free (bundle) I think the only "new" game I've bought in rec...
by paulsz28
Fri May 14, 2010 1:46 pm
Forum: Gaming
Topic: Portal is FREE through May 24
Replies: 6
Views: 1445

Portal is FREE through May 24

This may have already been posted, but Steam has Portal for free through May 24. I think this in celebration of the Mac port for the game.

I've played the demo, and loved it. Getting the game for free, even better!

Maybe this is the deal of the week?
by paulsz28
Fri Apr 02, 2010 9:46 pm
Forum: Motherboards, Chipsets, & RAM
Topic: AMD 800 Series Chipset
Replies: 10
Views: 4840

Re: AMD 800 Series Chipset

Why do you say that? At the moment Intel is trouncing AMD in the disk I/O department, and the amount of AHCI issues I've seen with the AMD 790GX chipset are two points that will make me seriously consider going for Intel when I get around to replacing my ageing PC. AMD should also be embarrassed fo...
by paulsz28
Tue Nov 24, 2009 6:55 pm
Forum: Graphics
Topic: Blurry, hazy text
Replies: 9
Views: 1816

Re: Blurry, hazy text

Yay! It's fixed. Had to set "HDMI/DVI" to "DVI PC." Thanks to everyone for your posts, and especially crazybus for nailing it on the head!
by paulsz28
Tue Nov 24, 2009 10:34 am
Forum: Graphics
Topic: Blurry, hazy text
Replies: 9
Views: 1816

Re: Blurry, hazy text

Thanks for all the responses!!! Buried in the user manual for that monitor you'll find that the input name "HDMI1/DVI" needs to be set to "DVI PC" for computer input. This disables the overscan, sharpening, etc. effects that are on by default. I had a similar experience with a Sa...
by paulsz28
Mon Nov 23, 2009 7:17 pm
Forum: Graphics
Topic: Blurry, hazy text
Replies: 9
Views: 1816

Blurry, hazy text

I recently purchased a 4870, because I burned up the cooler on my previous card (didn't reconnect fan after some case diving). With an HDMI cable connected to my HDTV, text is blurry and hazy to the point it hurts my eyes. However, when I use a VGA cable, text is far more readable than when using th...
by paulsz28
Mon Nov 23, 2009 4:18 pm
Forum: Windows
Topic: FULL VERSION Windows 7 for $29.99 for students
Replies: 161
Views: 40910

Re: FULL VERSION Windows 7 for $29.99 for students

Well, this post may not belong in this thread, considering the path I took in acquring Win7 Pro full version (NO LONGER THE UPGRADE). So, as stated above, I didn't go the phone number route, but instead purchased the Win7 Pro 64-bit upgrade from Digital River, stirred those downloaded files a bit wi...
by paulsz28
Thu Nov 19, 2009 2:09 pm
Forum: Windows
Topic: FULL VERSION Windows 7 for $29.99 for students
Replies: 161
Views: 40910

Re: FULL VERSION Windows 7 for $29.99 for students

You may be the first, give it a run and let us know! I don't know if they'll take it, but it seems that their system is simply looking for a .edu address. Well, I called the number 17 times and got an American each time. I was wanting to reach one of the Indian call centers, but I guess it was the ...
by paulsz28
Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:26 pm
Forum: Motherboards, Chipsets, & RAM
Topic: SB800 and AM2+
Replies: 14
Views: 4256

Re: SB800 and AM2+

So, based on this article http://techreport.com/discussions.x/17948 , the answer to my question is "no, there will not be any SB800 mobos with DDR2." Still thinking of getting a high end PII X4 AM3 processor with an OK-ish AM2+ board and keeping my DDR2 . . . all to keep the cost down.
by paulsz28
Thu Nov 12, 2009 5:20 pm
Forum: Windows
Topic: FULL VERSION Windows 7 for $29.99 for students
Replies: 161
Views: 40910

Re: FULL VERSION Windows 7 for $29.99 for students

Has anyone tried with a @school.alumni.edu e-mail address? I'm wondering, because I graduated last year and my student account was deactivated in June (it took them a year to turn it off). Now, only my alumni e-mail has the ".edu" at the end.
by paulsz28
Tue Jun 23, 2009 3:31 pm
Forum: Motherboards, Chipsets, & RAM
Topic: SB800 and AM2+
Replies: 14
Views: 4256

Re: SB800 and AM2+

Coming from the M2R32-MVP in your sig, it is clear that it will not accept an AM3 CPU, so your hoping that an AM2+ with SB800 will come out. Well, it is probably possible to produce such a product, but it is definitely going to be a wait and see game, and I wouldn't get my hopes up. If you want to ...
by paulsz28
Tue Jun 23, 2009 12:42 pm
Forum: Motherboards, Chipsets, & RAM
Topic: SB800 and AM2+
Replies: 14
Views: 4256

Re: SB800 and AM2+

Honestly, your stated reason for wanting such a board does not stand to reason. If you have an AM2+, or even one of several AM2 boards, then you can put an AM3 CPU in it. So getting a new mobo just for that is just about pointless. If you have to get a new mobo, then you may as well get a DDR3 mobo...
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