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Author Topic: Quick [tech] Questions Thread  (Read 1186480 times)
Strazos
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Reply #910 on: June 21, 2009, 08:17:24 AM

You can get perfectly respectable GTX 260-series cards for under $200. I have one from XFX, and it has easily defeated everything I have thrown at it so far.

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Dion
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Reply #911 on: June 21, 2009, 09:16:56 AM

The GeForce 260 is the Nvidia equivalent and it's a pretty good card. It also supports PhysX so if you enjoy games that feature that you might want to consider it. Just make sure you get the 216 version. But I've heard that the 260 handels large resolutions (1900x1200) worse than the ATI cards in the same pricerange.
« Last Edit: June 21, 2009, 09:19:09 AM by Dion »
Engels
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Reply #912 on: June 21, 2009, 09:29:19 AM

The GeForce 260 is the Nvidia equivalent and it's a pretty good card. It also supports PhysX so if you enjoy games that feature that you might want to consider it. Just make sure you get the 216 version. But I've heard that the 260 handels large resolutions (1900x1200) worse than the ATI cards in the same pricerange.

Is the 216 version something mentioned on the box?

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

I LIKE being bounced around by Tonkors. - Lantyssa

Babies shooting themselves in the head is the state bird of West Virginia. - schild
Venkman
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Reply #913 on: June 21, 2009, 09:42:27 AM

Newegg has 260s listed as both regular and 216 variety. I definitely want something that can handle 1920x1200 down the road, but right now I'm gaming at 1680x1050 anyway.

What's the difference between non-216 and 216? The latter is slightly more pricey but i'd go slightly over $200 if it's worth it.

I haven't played anything where I've noticed PhysX doing anything spectacular. But that could just be the game. Do we thing Modern Warfare 2 or Red Faction Guerilla will utilize it? Those are the next actiony titles on my radar.
rattran
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Unreasonable


Reply #914 on: June 21, 2009, 11:14:04 AM

The GTX 275 is the equivalent of the 4890, not the 260. Current(june2009)Comparison And the 4890 beats it on price. As far as drivers go, the ATI 9.6 drivers in Win7x64 work fine, no issues, fan control and overclocking work right and stay where you set them.
Dion
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Reply #915 on: June 21, 2009, 12:22:31 PM

Newegg has 260s listed as both regular and 216 variety. I definitely want something that can handle 1920x1200 down the road, but right now I'm gaming at 1680x1050 anyway.

What's the difference between non-216 and 216? The latter is slightly more pricey but i'd go slightly over $200 if it's worth it.

I haven't played anything where I've noticed PhysX doing anything spectacular. But that could just be the game. Do we thing Modern Warfare 2 or Red Faction Guerilla will utilize it? Those are the next actiony titles on my radar.

The 216 have 24 more Stream processors which makes the card slightly faster and it will probably last you longer. I'd go for, (but I'm no expert) and it doesn't cost more than 200$ if you order from Newegg. There are plenty of variantions on the card and I'm not sure which one you should get. Look at the options and read about it here. Oh, and the 260 is a pretty big card and draws plenty of power and generates heat so make sure your system can handle it.

The PhysX website mentions Dark Void, Mirror's Edge, Sacred 2, Cryostasis, Terminator and some other game. It's hard to know what future titles will feature the engine but it's certainly not something negative.

List of all games using PhysX.
« Last Edit: June 21, 2009, 12:27:13 PM by Dion »
Venkman
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Reply #916 on: June 21, 2009, 03:29:47 PM

Hunh, may have been the RAM after all. Memtest86+ came up with errors on the second chip. Now I just need to find where I stuck the other two sticks I had bought a few months ago. Then I'll be able to give it a real test.
Venkman
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Reply #917 on: June 21, 2009, 06:22:30 PM

Bah. Shit, nevermind. Looks like it was a bad stick and the videocard. Back to rattran's anandtech link (thanks man).
Trippy
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Reply #918 on: June 21, 2009, 06:49:23 PM

Bah. Shit, nevermind. Looks like it was a bad stick and the videocard. Back to rattran's anandtech link (thanks man).
Are you running off of an AVR UPS?
Venkman
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Reply #919 on: June 21, 2009, 07:46:15 PM

Nah, no UPS at all actually. Last one I had melted battery acid onto my hardwood floor smiley Why?
rattran
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Reply #920 on: June 21, 2009, 08:15:32 PM

Nah, no UPS at all actually. Last one I had melted battery acid onto my hardwood floor smiley Why?
ACK!
Umm, you should consider an avr ups. If your power is bad enough to crack a battery, think of what it's doing to your computer.
Trippy
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Reply #921 on: June 21, 2009, 09:41:48 PM

Nah, no UPS at all actually. Last one I had melted battery acid onto my hardwood floor smiley Why?
One reason why you might be having multiple hardware issues is that the power going to your components is "flaky". I.e. it's possible either your power supply is flaky or the power going into your power supply is flaky. If it's the power coming from the wall that's wonky a UPS that has a good Automatic Voltage Regulator/ion (AVR) will help mitigate that by adjusting the voltage coming out of its battery-enabled sockets so that the voltage is always within the normal range even if what's coming out of the wall socket isn't.
Venkman
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Reply #922 on: June 22, 2009, 04:55:23 AM

Hmm. The UPS I once had was in my old house, on which I never had any problems otherwise so assumed the battery just sucked. My current house I don't know well enough yet to know but my computer was running fine for about 11 months before all this started happening. And tbh I'm not quite sure if the powersupply ever did actually crap out. I replaced that first when things started happening, but that didn't fix any problems (unto itself anyway, I've never tested the currrent components with the original power).

But thanks to this suggestion, I'm going to test the voltage after work.

Edit:

Just occurred to me this started happening around the time the window air conditioner went in the same room. I'm going to pretend that timing is not the case though because otherwise that'll mean I could have saved a lot of money if I just checked to see if these outlets were on the same friggin circuit.

Edit 2:

I've been looking at UPSs and am a bit on the confused side. I need the AVR much more than I need the battery power. I never lose power while in the middle of something (storm coming means I shut down), but can imagine fluctuations. So is there a good model/company I should be focusing on? Spec:

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V
Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 (2.83 GHz/12M Cache/1333 MHz FSB)
Motherboard:  Asus P5N-T Deluxe, 780i 3-way SLI (Socket 775)
CPU and Case Fan
Memory: Corsair XMS2 Xtreme 2x1024mb RAM
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTS 640MB
Sound: Creative Lab Sound Blaster X-Fi
500gb SATA-II 7200rpm
« Last Edit: June 22, 2009, 07:08:53 AM by Darniaq »
Venkman
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Reply #923 on: June 22, 2009, 07:16:42 AM

(Decided editing the eighth time was overkill wink)

From what I could find, it seems these are the idle/load wattages for the three main power drawers:

  • Graphics: 64W idle, 144W load
  • CPU: 23W Idle, 60W load
  • Motherboard: 69W
  • Hard drive: 10W-15W (though this is pretty constant)
  • DVD-ROM: 5W Idle, 18W load
  • DVD-Writer: 5W Idle, 18W load

So it seems like I'd need a UPS that at least could handle 300W. But how much does the rated wattage of a UPS contribute to its ability to be an effective AVR? I've seen devices that just regulate voltage, and the comments imply they do that better than the hybrid UPS/AVR ones, so I'm currently leaning that way.
« Last Edit: June 22, 2009, 07:51:34 AM by Darniaq »
Trippy
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Reply #924 on: June 22, 2009, 07:45:19 AM

So it seems like I'd need a UPS that at least could handle 300W. But how much does the rated wattage of a UPS contribute to its ability to be an effective AVR?
It doesn't unless you regularly have bad browouts for extended periods of time. Up to a certain point AVR circuity can boost low-voltages back up to regular voltage levels without needing to use the battery for power.
Venkman
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Reply #925 on: June 22, 2009, 07:53:06 AM

Ah ok. I never have brownouts. Only one blackout in this house and that was due to the sort of storm you wouldn't want to be on the computer through anyway smiley

Looking at APC LE1200 at the moment. The price is right and the reviews seem good. I'm going to see if I can find it at retail though. I imagine shipping is going to be expensive.
Trippy
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Reply #926 on: June 22, 2009, 08:16:51 AM

Is there a reason why you don't want an UPS as well?
Venkman
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Reply #927 on: June 22, 2009, 08:36:52 AM

Price. I can do it right now if it's between $50-80 since UPS still to me is "nice to have", but anything over means I'm not gaming for another month or so. Is there a good AVR/UPS in that range? I keep seeing either AVRs or UPSes in that range, but to get both in one well-reviewed unit brings it over $100.

And at the moment, if I get this I pray it solves the problem and that it's not my vidcard (too).
Trippy
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Reply #928 on: June 22, 2009, 08:44:16 AM

Well at this point your hardware may already be toast. An AVR/UPS is more to prevent future problems.
Venkman
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Reply #929 on: June 22, 2009, 08:49:27 AM

Heh, well, at least the mobo, CPU and power supply are all new enough to be under warranty if they're busted smiley Do all UPSes include an AVR function?
rattran
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Reply #930 on: June 22, 2009, 11:37:11 AM

Many of them do, but it will be listed in the specs. If you just put a window air conditioner in the same room/circuit, you will be having brownouts whenever it kicks on. Huge draw for a moment is why avr is nice, it'll compensate and keep your power clean.

Venkman
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Reply #931 on: June 22, 2009, 12:08:25 PM

Ah ok thanks Rattran. If the card at this point is hosed, I'm thinking of the XFX Radeon HD 4870 1GB. The price is right if I need an AVR/UPS and awesome if I don't need one at all. Figure if I get it and the problem is still happening, return it and keep researching. I don't have another PCI-E card I can test, since every one of my RL friends bailed to consoles long ago smiley

Edit: wow, jeezus, didn't mean to ask that retarded question. Nevermind on the card, I am looking again for the right one.

This'd all be a lot easier if I hadn't just dropped $1,400 fixing our family car... wink
« Last Edit: June 22, 2009, 01:44:32 PM by Darniaq »
Engels
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Reply #932 on: June 22, 2009, 01:53:05 PM

You can use a cross-fire capable card in an sli-capable motherboard.

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

I LIKE being bounced around by Tonkors. - Lantyssa

Babies shooting themselves in the head is the state bird of West Virginia. - schild
Venkman
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Reply #933 on: June 22, 2009, 02:10:05 PM

Oh, wait, really? I thought that only could work if you hacked drivers? Or do you only need to try and hack it if you're going for an incompatible bridge? I like the 4870 a lot, but the GTX 260 (216) isn't a slouch either and seems to be in a comparable range.
Dion
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Reply #934 on: June 22, 2009, 02:41:20 PM

Both of the cards are very good. I'll point you towards some stuff to read so you can make the decision for yourself.

Oh, and the Nvidia drivers are usually better or so I've heard.
Venkman
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Reply #935 on: June 22, 2009, 03:13:55 PM

Thanks Dion. It was actually those articiles that lead me to the 4870. Great stuff and I appreciate you posting.

I just didn't realize that an Crossfire-capable card can work on an SLI board if I'm only using one card. Now I think I'll be re-ordering the 4870 I just asked Newegg to cancel  awesome, for real

The price, features and values all lined up perfectly. And I'd have enough left over for that AVR if I can't get on a different circle.
Dion
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Reply #936 on: June 23, 2009, 03:48:31 AM

Great choice, you are making me jealous  Oh ho ho ho. Reallllly?
Venkman
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Reply #937 on: June 24, 2009, 06:52:04 PM

Ok, so I ended up going with the PNY GTX 260 (core 216) instead. Got a slightly better deal and had enough left for the AVR. Only problem now is I'm still running with only 1gb of RAM while I try to track down the two I misplaced (or give up and order more). Talk about a bottleneck!

Thanks again for all the help all.
Sky
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Reply #938 on: June 25, 2009, 08:41:54 AM

Should just run a dedicated circuit for your computer! I'm a cable pulling mofo sumbitch!
Venkman
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Reply #939 on: June 25, 2009, 07:15:27 PM

Basically what I did without rewiring. Nothing else on this circuit. Getting the AVR anyway because I could smiley
ShenMolo
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Reply #940 on: July 02, 2009, 01:41:49 PM

Total noob question but anyways:

On Internet Explorer (8 maybe), I pressed a key recently which expanded the browser window so that the toolbar on top is covered and only pops up if I hover the mouse over it. I thought it must have been a function key I pressed but I pressed them all again and it hasn't fixed it.

How do I restore my browser so that it looks normal? Tried a lot of things short of re-installing the browser. Normally I use Firefox but will occasionally use IE so getting it back to "normal" would be helpful.
Lantyssa
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Reply #941 on: July 02, 2009, 02:28:31 PM

Try f11 again.

Hahahaha!  I'm really good at this!
ShenMolo
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Reply #942 on: July 02, 2009, 02:47:05 PM

SnakeCharmer
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Reply #943 on: July 03, 2009, 06:09:48 PM

Vague question of the day:  Why is my computer starting to progressively run worse?

I have: Updated drivers, defrag'd the HD, cleared cookies, cleared temp files, ensured the registry is without errors, have made sure it is completely viri/malware/spyware free (in as much as microtrends online virus scanner, avg free, windows defender, spy-bot, ad-aware will allow).  All stress tests do not indicate any problems other than progressively lower scores in benchmarks.  Memtest and prime95 do not yield any errors with RAM (have run stress tests for 12-14 hours at a pop).  I have updated my bios.  I have reverted to different bios versions.  I've tried older driver versions. 

Startup takes about 2 minutes from a power down state to desktop.  It takes 15 seconds for IE7 to come up, during which time the computer freezes up.

Vista prem 64
500GB 7200 HD SATAII (WD, I think)
8800GTS G92 in SLI (temps never higher than abt 60c during gaming/stress tests)
Q6600 oc'd at 3.2Ghz (temps never higher than 52c during gaming/stress tests)
8GB RAM
Asus 750i SLI mobo (P5N-D, I think)

Short of doing a fresh Vista install or upgrading to W7, what are my options?  If I didn't have 100GB plus of games to redownload, I'd do it in a heartbeat.  I don't know how to back up games on an external HD, then move to a new OS install - if that's even possible.  I've got a 1TB external HD collecting dust that I'd love to use, but backing up/then reinstalling games

I'm getting so fed up with it, I'm tempted to go to finallyfast.com or whatever the hell it is.  And I'm only halfway kidding.

Thanks for the help.
Salamok
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Reply #944 on: July 04, 2009, 12:47:10 AM

sounds like malware to me.  you might try disabling some msconfig/startup items or just killing all the unknowns in your task manager to try and narrow it down.  Alternatively if you can remember a date when it was running much better do a system restore to that time.
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