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Author Topic: Quick [tech] Questions Thread  (Read 1186198 times)
Murgos
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Reply #525 on: March 02, 2009, 06:45:24 AM

Just the USB output on the card.

Again, there is no such thing.

USB headphones do work just fine though, there is no need to connect them directly to the card.

"You have all recieved youre last warning. I am in the process of currently tracking all of youre ips and pinging your home adressess. you should not have commencemed a war with me" - Aaron Rayburn
Strazos
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Reply #526 on: March 02, 2009, 06:54:11 AM

But you won't have that surround sound stuff, I'm guessing.

What I am wondering is how that thing works at all? Does it have all sorts of fancy drivers that work with the dongle, since use of the dongle means you don't need a dedicated sound card besides the integrated sound? Or, does it just fake the surround sound?

Fear the Backstab!
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Trippy
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Reply #527 on: March 02, 2009, 07:04:41 AM

Trippy - I'm not trying to run two different sound sources on the same card or from one card and one of the computers USB outputs or trying to run sound from the sound card to one of the computers/mobo's USB ports. 

Once more....

The headphones connect via a USB dongle thing (or rather, they have that option).  If I can connect to a sound card via the USB thing, awesome.  If not, not so awesome, but still doable.

What I *want* is a sound card that sends the 5.1 (6.1 or 7.1) signal via a USB output ON THE CARD ITSELF - NOT ANOTHER USB PORT ON THE COMPUTER/CASE.  No other ports on the card are going to be used.  Not any of the mini jacks, not the digital output, nothing.  [

b]Just the USB output on the card[/b].
Once again, no.

Though now I'm curious. What would you want to do with the USB output on the sound card (if such a thing existed which it doesn't) if you aren't trying to connect your USB dongle to it? Your headphones have regular stereo mini jack plugs when not plugged into the USB dongle. You said it's not necessary to use the dongle and yet you are insisting the sound card have it's own USB port. What you would be plugging into that USB port?
Trippy
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Reply #528 on: March 02, 2009, 07:12:00 AM

But you won't have that surround sound stuff, I'm guessing.

What I am wondering is how that thing works at all? Does it have all sorts of fancy drivers that work with the dongle, since use of the dongle means you don't need a dedicated sound card besides the integrated sound? Or, does it just fake the surround sound?
It uses Dolby Headphone technology to create surround sound.
SnakeCharmer
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Reply #529 on: March 02, 2009, 07:31:07 AM

Trippy - I'm not trying to run two different sound sources on the same card or from one card and one of the computers USB outputs or trying to run sound from the sound card to one of the computers/mobo's USB ports. 

Once more....

The headphones connect via a USB dongle thing (or rather, they have that option).  If I can connect to a sound card via the USB thing, awesome.  If not, not so awesome, but still doable.

What I *want* is a sound card that sends the 5.1 (6.1 or 7.1) signal via a USB output ON THE CARD ITSELF - NOT ANOTHER USB PORT ON THE COMPUTER/CASE.  No other ports on the card are going to be used.  Not any of the mini jacks, not the digital output, nothing.  [

b]Just the USB output on the card[/b].
Once again, no.

Though now I'm curious. What would you want to do with the USB output on the sound card (if such a thing existed which it doesn't) if you aren't trying to connect your USB dongle to it? Your headphones have regular stereo mini jack plugs when not plugged into the USB dongle. You said it's not necessary to use the dongle and yet you are insisting the sound card have it's own USB port. What you would be plugging into that USB port?


Because the 5.1 headphones won't be 5.1 without the USB dongle.   

Unless the soundcard can broadcast 5.1 from one minijack...
Trippy
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Reply #530 on: March 02, 2009, 07:35:20 AM

Okay so I was right, you are trying to pass the sound card output into the USB dongle.
Murgos
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Reply #531 on: March 02, 2009, 07:41:51 AM

Because the 5.1 headphones won't be 5.1 without the USB dongle.   

Unless the soundcard can broadcast 5.1 from one minijack...

But you don't need to connect the usb headphones to a sound card to get 5.1 sound so why do you want to do that?

"You have all recieved youre last warning. I am in the process of currently tracking all of youre ips and pinging your home adressess. you should not have commencemed a war with me" - Aaron Rayburn
rturja
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Reply #532 on: March 02, 2009, 07:51:33 AM

The whole 'plug these into a Dolby compatible USB soundcard' looks like to be a bad translation or badly written marketese. From the information I gathered at Dolby website and the earphone manufacturer, the headphones already have that USB Dolby 5.1 chip in them - and for getting the surround sound, you just have to plug them into any available USB-port in the machine.

No need getting a dedicated card, if you are happy with the headphones.
Venkman
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Reply #533 on: March 06, 2009, 01:37:03 PM

Ok so the RAM problem from a few weeks back persists. I think some of you were correct: will need Vista 64bit. Should I get it or survive on 3gb of RAM until Windows 7 comes along? And will Windows 7 support 4gb?
Rasix
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Reply #534 on: March 06, 2009, 02:02:32 PM

So uhh, what's the deal if one of my fans (pretty sure it's the GPU fan) all of the sudden revs up really fast for like a half a second and then goes back to normal and repeats the same behavior.  I had this happening in the Empire: Total War campaign map but it never happened during the battles or anywhere else (or on any other game). 


-Rasix
Engels
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Reply #535 on: March 06, 2009, 02:23:57 PM

what vid card is it? If its Nvidia, download nTune or Riva Tuner so you can manually set fan behavior. I'm not familiar enough with ATI to have advice

I should get back to nature, too.  You know, like going to a shop for groceries instead of the computer.  Maybe a condo in the woods that doesn't even have a health club or restaurant attached.  Buy a car with only two cup holders or something. -Signe

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Rasix
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Reply #536 on: March 06, 2009, 02:26:08 PM

what vid card is it? If its Nvidia, download nTune or Riva Tuner so you can manually set fan behavior. I'm not familiar enough with ATI to have advice

8800 GTS.  I have RivaTuner just because nTune liked to reset it's fan setting after reboots.  I think it might be that the version of RivaTuner I had wasn't yet updated to the version of nVidia drivers I was using.  I'll try tonight. 


-Rasix
rturja
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Reply #537 on: March 06, 2009, 02:29:02 PM

Ok so the RAM problem from a few weeks back persists. I think some of you were correct: will need Vista 64bit. Should I get it or survive on 3gb of RAM until Windows 7 comes along? And will Windows 7 support 4gb?

Just to reiterate one thing - have you upgraded the bios? For example broken ACPI can cause funnies when you have the exact amount of RAM which processor can address. Another question is your processor, does it support 64bit addressing mode (make/model)?

With 4 gigs I'd go for 64 bit OS, whether it's Vista or W7, unless you have hardware that doesn't have 64bit drivers, although Vista does better job with 4 gigs without running through the loops then WinXP in 32 bit mode. Our mediacenter has been very stable with 32 bit Vista and 4 gigs of ram.

Speedwise the worst option would be running in 3 stick configuration - most of the speed with ram these days is gained by 'striping' them as a pair, and having 3 stick would drop the whole memory bandwidth significantly. So if at all possible solving the issue somehow would be optimal.
Venkman
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Reply #538 on: March 06, 2009, 02:57:30 PM

Good questions smiley

Power Supply: NZXT PRC-550 550W Power Supply (SLI-Ready)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E6600 (2x 2.4GHz)
Motherboard:  Asus P5N32-E SLI nForceŽ 680i SLI Chipset
Memory: Corsair XMS2 Xtreme 2x1024mb RAM
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTS 640MB
Sound: Creative Lab Sound Blaster X-Fi
Hard Drive: 250gb SATA-II 7200rpm

Whenever I've google'd this, I see posts about 680i having the kind of problems that only Vista 64 seems to fix. I have not updated the bios. I bought this in April 2007.
rturja
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Reply #539 on: March 06, 2009, 03:29:09 PM

Okay, your processor is 64bit capable, so grabbing a copy of 64bit OS isn't a problem on that front.

I'd start by updating the bios first, in case it fixes the apparent addressing issue. I think the thing you are dealing with in there is the fact that basically a 32bit addressing mode can only see and use 4 gigs of memory, and that memory includes all the addresses needed for display and other peripherals. Something causes your MB to report some addresses wrong and later OS tries to access those as regular ram.

If bios upgrade doesn't help, then it's time to check the 64-bit readiness. Only a few programs have issues with it, but check in any case that everything you'll run can handle it. And check your hardware too, there are peripherals without 64-bit drivers.

At present I'm mildly sceptical in upgrading to 64bit Vista, because it seems that W7 is making a good progress out of the door and the reports I've heard have been mostly positive. I'm almost certain that you cannot just upgrade to W7 cheap, even if it is published soon. Of course there is always the option of downloading the beta and giving it a shot. Thus keeping Vista 32 for now, if at all possible, and upgrading to W7/64 later would for me seem like a better alternative.
Venkman
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Reply #540 on: March 06, 2009, 05:29:51 PM

Cool, thanks rturja. I'm going to start with the bios update. If that doesn't do it, then I'll wait for 7.

The first and only time I got my computer to boot with all four sticks, it registered in Task Manager that I had 3.2gb of RAM, which according to various places is typical of Vista 32 not being able to see all four gigs, and usually followed shortly thereafter by a bsod and inability to successfully launch back into Windows. Which then proceeded to happen to me smiley That seems in line with your addresses/OS access comment.

I'm in no rush. Not doing much more than playing Dawn of War II these days and that's already maxxed out.
rturja
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Reply #541 on: March 07, 2009, 02:04:23 AM

Yup, that 3.2 gigs is expected. Hopefully the bios upgrade sorts out the rest!
Sky
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Reply #542 on: March 08, 2009, 07:03:35 AM

I think I might be joining the 3.2GB bandwagon (XP32). To my bafflement, I think I've had the first stick of crucial RAM go tits-up ever. I guess it didn't like being pushed to its rated speed after a couple years of running at 800. Been getting all kinds of crashes, culminating in lots of bsod friday night and yesterday.

Last night I pulled a stick and didn't crash for a couple hours. Blah. Looking at crucial's site, I may as well drop the extra $20 on a 2x2GB setup.
rturja
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Reply #543 on: March 08, 2009, 07:35:52 AM

Sky, are you using the machine for music related things, like as a multitracker or sampler? Windows XP has a bit different memory allocation schema compared to Vista, giving only 2 gigs of ram for applications at most, unless tweaked a bit.
Sky
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Reply #544 on: March 08, 2009, 08:57:05 AM

2 gig allocated is better than 2 gig total  awesome, for real
Segoris
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Reply #545 on: March 12, 2009, 01:00:16 PM

So, it's finally time for me to pick up one of the current gen consoles, I didn't think bumping a 4 month old thread, derailing a ps3 thread, or starting a new one was worth it for these few questions. From what games I've seen and my type of play, it's clear that I want a PS3. I have a ps2, but one of the models with backwards compatibility would be nice. That said:

If I find one of the older ones that has backwards compatibility, will I lose out with lesser components in other areas on the old 60gb? I've been looking at the PS3 page in Wikipedia and see the 60gb had 4x usb and a flash card reader, whlie the newer 80/160gb versions only have 2 usb. Are the PS3 accessories taking advantage of the extra usb that would make me want that (I thought the sixaxis and Dual Shock 3 controllers were USB), and if so is it enough to pay the price of an old 60gb compared to buying a brand new and warrantied 80gb?
Since I'd drop one of my extra HDD in the system anyways, I don't think the flash card reader would be all that beneficial, but was there anything else that utilized that port? Any specific model number I should look for that would be better then another model for the backwards compatible and the non backwards compatible?

Or am I putting too much value in all these options the old 60gb version had, and I should just shut up and buy the current 80gb version as I won't really notice the difference and drop a new HDD in it?

Fake edit: Sorry, post is much longer then I thought it would be, bleh.
apocrypha
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Reply #546 on: March 13, 2009, 12:35:01 AM

You could always get a new PS3 and keep the PS2 for playing the PS2 games.

Personally I don't think you'll miss the extra USB port if you got an older one though - I only ever use 1 USB port at a time to charge up whichever controller needs charging. Everything else is either bluetooth or comes through the ethernet cable, but there are plenty of accessories you can get if you were so inclined.

One other thing about getting an older one is that it'll be older and therefore maybe have a shorter lifespan. At least if you get a new one and it fails then you'll have a warranty.

End of the day I'd say it depends on a) how much you'll actually play the PS2 games and if so then b) how much of a hassle would it be to keep the PS2 for that.

"Bourgeois society stands at the crossroads, either transition to socialism or regression into barbarism" - Rosa Luxemburg, 1915.
Segoris
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Reply #547 on: March 13, 2009, 06:32:32 AM

You could always get a new PS3 and keep the PS2 for playing the PS2 games.

Personally I don't think you'll miss the extra USB port if you got an older one though - I only ever use 1 USB port at a time to charge up whichever controller needs charging. Everything else is either bluetooth or comes through the ethernet cable, but there are plenty of accessories you can get if you were so inclined.

One other thing about getting an older one is that it'll be older and therefore maybe have a shorter lifespan. At least if you get a new one and it fails then you'll have a warranty.

End of the day I'd say it depends on a) how much you'll actually play the PS2 games and if so then b) how much of a hassle would it be to keep the PS2 for that.


Thanks, that definitely helps quite a bit.
schild
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Reply #548 on: March 13, 2009, 05:40:02 PM

If it makes you feel any better, I have 2 60GB Launch PS3s and neither has shown any sort of notion that it will stop working. No strange lockups (except those KNOWN in any game - Re: GTA4, Ar Tonelico 2, etc) or anything.
Segoris
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Reply #549 on: March 14, 2009, 11:07:39 AM

If it makes you feel any better, I have 2 60GB Launch PS3s and neither has shown any sort of notion that it will stop working. No strange lockups (except those KNOWN in any game - Re: GTA4, Ar Tonelico 2, etc) or anything.

Do you use, or find a lot of reason to use, the extra USB ports? I looked over the accessories for PS3 (which I should have done in the first place, durrr ><) and see there really are only a few devices I'd use besides two controllers unless I'm missing something. Head set and memory card adapter seem about the only things to really take use of the USB. Any other suggestions I should consider or that aren't on that site that I should look for? 
rattran
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Reply #550 on: March 14, 2009, 09:51:47 PM

I have a launch 20 gig, and I only use 3 ports as I'm too lazy to remove the GH3 and Rock Band dongles, and leave the drums plugged in. Though I can't remember the last time I used any of that crap, I have a charging base on my desk for the regular controller.
schild
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WWW
Reply #551 on: March 15, 2009, 02:04:20 AM

Can someone email me the Helvetica and HelveticaNeue TTFs?

For iPhone mockups.


That was fast, thanks.
« Last Edit: March 15, 2009, 02:07:30 AM by schild »
Soln
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the opportunity for evil is just delicious


Reply #552 on: March 16, 2009, 10:39:46 PM

what do people think of this spec?  I'm asking because I'm trying to understand current non-professional upper end and then what I can economize on. 

(hint: it's Valve future internal spec)

EVGA X58 3X SLI Intel Motherboard
Intel Corei7 940 2.93GHz Quad-Core Processor
12GB PC3-10600 DDR3 1333MHz ram (Crucial Ballistix, Kingston ValueRam)
1 x NVidia GTX285 1GB - OR - ATI 4870 1GB graphics card
1 x 250GB 7200RPM SATA HD (Seagate, Western Digital)
1 x 500GB 7200RPM SATA HD (Seagate, Western Digital) Lian Li P60-F Case
Intel CPU Cooler
850W Antec power supply
1 x Dell 3008FPW-HC 30" LCD - OR - 2 x Dell 2001FP 20.1" LCD monitors
Windows Vista 64bit
« Last Edit: March 16, 2009, 10:43:15 PM by Soln »
Trippy
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Reply #553 on: March 16, 2009, 11:02:53 PM

Strange setup.

The RAM I can sort of see but that still seems a bit high. If you have a level editor, a separate 3D package, Photoshop, and the game itself running all that once that might take up 6 - 8 GB of RAM so I guess if you have some other crap running plus the OS you might get close to 12 GB. However they've screwed themselves in terms of future RAM expansion by filling up all 6 RAM slots with 2 GB boards instead of going to, say, 16 GB but only filling up 4 slots. Math is hard.

The hard drive setup is pathetic for a dev machine. 10K drives in a RAID 0 or 0+1 (or 1+0) config would've been what I would've expected. Given the amount of money wasted when a dev is sitting around twiddling his thumbs waiting for stuff to compile/generate/etc. getting more/faster drives is a small price to pay.

A pair of 20" monitors is a joke compared to the 30" in terms of price. I would've offered a pair of 24" or the 30".

what do people think of this spec?  I'm asking because I'm trying to understand current non-professional upper end and then what I can economize on. 
Those are dev machine specs. I wouldn't presume that those are the requirements for future Valve games.
« Last Edit: March 16, 2009, 11:51:24 PM by Trippy »
Soln
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the opportunity for evil is just delicious


Reply #554 on: March 16, 2009, 11:07:03 PM

thanks. 

What of this?  Worth the investment?
Quote
EVGA X58 3X SLI Intel Motherboard
Intel Corei7 940 2.93GHz Quad-Core Processor
Trippy
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Reply #555 on: March 16, 2009, 11:09:38 PM

That CPU is kind of pricey still. The slower 920 is a better value, especially if you know how to overclock. The X58 is needed if you go with the i7s cause of the new socket/motherboard design (i.e. integrated memory controller and new bus design).

Lantyssa
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Reply #556 on: March 17, 2009, 10:51:51 AM

Those are pathetically small and slow drives given the rest of the machine.

Hahahaha!  I'm really good at this!
Salamok
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Reply #557 on: March 17, 2009, 10:58:15 AM

If I was building a monster system it would have at least 1 SSD for my OS drive and considering the cost of the rest of the system it certainly wouldn't be out of place.
apocrypha
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Reply #558 on: March 17, 2009, 12:06:12 PM

So I managed to put my new PC together today.

It boots, and Vista starts to install off the DVD, but it's sat doing nothing now (after I told it I was in the UK and to Install Now please) for a really long time. Like 10 minutes now saying "Please wait..." with an hourglass symbol.

How long should it take? Will I know right away if I've fucked up the CPU/heatsink bit or will it wait until it gets hot before exploding?

Hold me, I'm scared!  swamp poop

"Bourgeois society stands at the crossroads, either transition to socialism or regression into barbarism" - Rosa Luxemburg, 1915.
Reg
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Reply #559 on: March 17, 2009, 12:18:45 PM

That's scary. Is there mouse activity or isn't there supposed to be any at this stage of the install?
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