Quick [tech] Questions Thread

[Ingmar]

The G5 replacement is the G500 right? The positioning of the thumb buttons looks different on that compared to the 518/400s.

[Trippy]

Yes the thumb buttons are different. I don't like them cause my thumb hits the lower middle thumb button.

[Stormwaltz]

After three days, my new PC stopped working in pretty much the same way my old one finally did - the monitor doesn't receive any signal from the video card. Judging by sound, it boots fine otherwise.

The monitor works perfectly fine with my PS3. The only old parts in the new machine are drives (1x BD-ROM, 2x HD) and the PSU I bought just two months ago. Is it reasonable to guess that the PSU isn't sending enough power to the card? I can't imagine what else would cause the same problem in two entirely different systems. I think it's putting out more than I need (650w), but if I'm wrong, or it's faulty...

[Trippy]

What CPU does the new one have? If it has an integrated GPU (like an Intel HD Graphics 4600) you could try pulling out the dedicated card and trying the integrated GPU.

Other things to try/check:

* Can you hear the fan(s) on the GPU start up?

* Is the card well seated in the slot? Sadly even in this day and age most motherboard / PCI-e card / case combinations result in GPU cards that don't quite sit properly in the PCI-e slots (usually one end or the other is not all the way seated).

* Did you try a different PCI-e slot?

Edit: or

[Stormwaltz]

There's no integrated GPU, but there is another PCIe slot I can try if reseating does nothing.

I definitely hear the fans. It's a Radeon R9 270X, if that's useful.

EDIT: CPU is an i5-4670 Haswell. The Radeon's power req is listed (rather vaguely) as "500W or greater"

[Trippy]

What's your power supply model? Are both 6-pin power inputs connected on the card?

Also is your PC hooked up to an UPS that has an Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR)? If not you might want to consider getting one.

[Stormwaltz]

PSU is a Corsair RM650. I bought it as a replacement in May, so there shouldn't be too much degradation yet. EDIT: I should probably note that the PSU fan is only supposed to turn on when it's under "medium to high load." I've never seen it turn on.

I'm using both inputs. I don't have a UPS.

[Trippy]

Okay that PS puts out plenty of power on the +12V lines so that wouldn't be the issue (unless the PS is bad), especially since you aren't getting video when the GPU isn't even loaded.

[Hawkbit]

The G5 replacement is the G500 right? The positioning of the thumb buttons looks different on that compared to the 518/400s.

I believe the current version is the G500s.  Thing is damn busy looking though.

[Stormwaltz]

I don't know if it was reseating the card or swapping the power cable to a different outlet on the PSU, but it's working for now. :)

[Ingmar]

Ended up going with the 400s. Hopefully it will pass the test.

[Rendakor]

Let me know; my MX518 is still holding up well but it can't last forever.

[apocrypha]

I've just had to replace a G500 because it only lasted just over a year. It seemed to develop a stutter, as if it was losing tracking, or as if the DPI was changing randomly. I don't consider one year an acceptable lifespan for a mouse advertised and priced as a premium gaming mouse.

I've replaced it with a Razor Deathadder, which is lovely to use.

[Yegolev]

Is there some quality guide on analyzing BSODs?  Not finding what I want via google.

[Lantyssa]

Usually a BSOD is either corrupt/shitty drivers or failing hardware.

[Yegolev]

I'd like to find out which one, if I can.  I'm hoping that a page fault in a non-paged area is a software issue.

[Lantyssa]

What's the non-stack dump portion say?

[Ingmar]

Let me know; my MX518 is still holding up well but it can't last forever.

Thus far it's been fine use-wise. I'm a bit concerned about the cable; it's thinner than the 518's, which makes it more vulnerable to our wire-biting cat, and I saw some reviews complaining that the spot where it attaches to the mouse can sometimes wear out fairly quickly.

[Yegolev]

What's the non-stack dump portion say?

the what now

The dump has not yet completed.  I moved it to another hard disk, so I might have one if it does it again.

[Lantyssa]

The portion in yellow.  The bit in red probably won't tell you much.  Unless you have the tools to analyze the full stack dump, there's not much need to get the full thing.

[Yegolev]

PAGE FAULT IN NONPAGED AREA

[Lantyssa]

Potentially bad or failing RAM, but like all 'useful' Windows errors it could be a dozen other things, too.

[Chimpy]

If you can, reseat the RAM and see if that helps. Running the diagnostics from the bios boot screen should put you into the memory test if the machine has that option as well.

[Yegolev]

I ran the W7 memory test, so I'll see if there is a BIOS variant.  I'll also reseat the RAM... eventually.  Ram sticks that unseat themselves are why I leave my rig running all the time.

[Yegolev]

Different computer.  Symptom: on first power-on, the CPU fan spins and immediately stops.  Subsequent presses of the mode-control will not power on the fan.  Unplug/plug in the PSU and I can get the fan to spin once more but not again.

I replaced the mobo but since the symptom is the same, that can't be it.  I removed all the other parts, so it has to be CPU or RAM.  Looking for opinions before I buy a new one of either.

Probably the fucking AMD CPU.

[Trippy]

Different computer.  Symptom: on first power-on, the CPU fan spins and immediately stops.  Subsequent presses of the mode-control will not power on the fan.  Unplug/plug in the PSU and I can get the fan to spin once more but not again.

I replaced the mobo but since the symptom is the same, that can't be it.  I removed all the other parts, so it has to be CPU or RAM.  Looking for opinions before I buy a new one of either.

Probably the fucking AMD CPU.

Take the motherboard out of the case and try powering it on that way. You may be shorting something. Otherwise it does sound like the CPU.

[Yegolev]

I did that with the previous mobo, since I did that in the past, but I'll try it with the new one before ordering another CPU (if that's what they are still called in the x86 arch).

[Trippy]

AMD calls their CPUs with integrated GPUs "APUs" now.

[Lantyssa]

You tried a different PSU, too?  I'd lean towards CPU otherwise.  Bad memory just tends to have it lock, but not power off.

[Yegolev]

I didn't try another PSU but I consider it "known working" since it was just dandy with the prior boards.  I may not have another PSU which will work.

EDIT for contemplation of the difference in a "core" and a "CPU/APU" and a "processor board/card".  This is a terminological minefield, I expect, which would require me to have a relatively deep understanding of x86 architecture to be able to use the right words.  I have a pretty OK picture in my head of how Power7 and Power8 work in this regard, not sure what is going on with Intel/AMD chips.  But that's actually why I'm building this (or trying to build it).

[Merusk]

Anyone have print tracking software that works on both Mac and PC they'd recommend?  I'm getting sick of our print services company and looking at firing them and their shitty software.

[Yegolev]

MS Word 2013: The scroll bar goes to sleep after 1-2 seconds and I have to move the pointer to be able to scroll up or down.  Internet search didn't show me anything about disabling this feature.

[Chimpy]

Office 2013 is fucking terrible, full stop. It is a bunch of stupid user interface changes that make things less functional than before. I don't think there is a single change in 2013 that I have seen so far that makes it more user friendly for any task.

[Rendakor]

I need a good webcam capture program. The stock Logitech program won't record audio from a different mic, nor in acceptable resolution/framerate/file type.

Edit: I downloaded Debut, which records well. However, the videos won't playback in either VLC or MPC. Sony Vegas reads them fine so I guess it will work, but I like previewing my stuff first. Pic of the error below. Seems to be a codec issue, except I recorded it in Lagarith which I've been using for forever.

[ezrast]

FFSplit or OBS? What do you use to stream?