The computer and electronics super geek thread

[azrael]

Just wondering, would anyone like to share their experiences buying open boxed motherboards from Newegg?

I just bought one over the holidays and I haven't had a problem with it. No damage or missing accessories. However, you mileage may vary.

[shiroikaze]

Hmm, I guess I'm still kinda scared...

But woot! I finally got my paws on the Phenom quad-core combo. I'll probably sell off the bundled motherboard for $65 or so since I really have no need for a full ATX motherboard.

Though, before selling the bundled Biostar motherboard, I think I might test it out to see if there are no problems with it. But since I don't have an ATX case on hand, I was wondering what can I use to temporarily hold the motherboard?

[edit] After some snooping around, I guess a block of wood seems fine.

It seems like I'm going to buy the rest of the setup from Amazon opposed to Newegg.

The only problem now is that I'm just torn between the ASUS M4A785TD-M EVO and the MSI 785GM-E65.

I guess I should've bought either motherboard from Fry's while I was there to save some trouble...

[edit] I think I'll hold out until Gigabyte releases a new mATX. In the mean time, I'll buy the RAM and hard drive.

Also, a question about using RAID:

A hard drive and a RAID controller both have error correction, right? I've read that if you use a regular desktop hard drive and not a RAID/Enterprise class drive, that drive will drop out of the RAID because it will time out while performing error correction. What I'm wondering is that if it's just like ECC memory--If the computer is not on 24/7, it won't be a problem. Or will I run into it regardless?

Edited January 25, 2010 by shiroikaze

[myk]

But woot! I finally got my paws on the Phenom quad-core combo. I'll probably sell off the bundled motherboard for $65 or so since I really have no need for a full ATX motherboard.

What motherboard are you trying to get rid of?

Oh I see, the one you posted on the other page. Why don't you want it?

Edited January 24, 2010 by myk

[shiroikaze]

Yeah, it's a Biostar 790GX A3+. Chief reason being is because it's ATX, I need a micro ATX to fit in the mini P180 that I bought from Black Friday.

Yeah, I know I shouldn't have limited myself to a mATX, but I don't really regret it. After some pondering, I decided to go ahead with it.

I don't really need a slew of expansion cards and I don't necessarily need crossfire/sli either...

[Dangard Ace]

Huh. The new Apple tablet the "iPad" (stupid name. Should've been iSlate or something) has been announced today. Prices start at $499 and up.

http://live.gizmodo.com/

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/live-fr...creation-event/

Cheap enough I may get one to fool around on. I do like the idea of the app "Brushes" on a large touchscreen.

[EXO]

Huh. The new Apple tablet the "iPad" (stupid name. Should've been iSlate or something) has been announced today. Prices start at $499 and up.

http://live.gizmodo.com/

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/live-fr...creation-event/

Cheap enough I may get one to fool around on. I do like the idea of the app "Brushes" on a large touchscreen.

Doesnt look too good to me. No stylus? Means you have to put it down to write... Defeats the purpose of a pad. Also, no 3G and no Flash capabilities....

[Dangard Ace]

Doesnt look too good to me. No stylus? Means you have to put it down to write... Defeats the purpose of a pad. Also, no 3G and no Flash capabilities....

There's 3G you just pay an extra $120 for it.

Stylus or finger writing would have been nice. No demo of that so.....no app to take advantage of it or something that they'll ding us for later? (example no voice dial or camcorder for the 3G, only for the 3GS. Jailbroken 3G's have it.)

[shiroikaze]

Huh. The new Apple tablet the "iPad" (stupid name. Should've been iSlate or something) has been announced today. Prices start at $499 and up.

http://live.gizmodo.com/

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/live-fr...creation-event/

Cheap enough I may get one to fool around on. I do like the idea of the app "Brushes" on a large touchscreen.

So the iPad is basically just a scaled-up, beefed-up iPod Touch?

I'm kinda interested in it for illustration purposes. I guess, in a way, it's better than buying a Wacom Cintiq?

Edited January 27, 2010 by shiroikaze

[Dangard Ace]

So the iPad is basically just a scaled-up, beefed-up iPod Touch? Can be bought anywhere or is it exclusive with AT&T?

]

From what I get from the liveblogs it can be bought anywhere.

I'm kinda interested in it for illustration purposes. I guess, in a way, it's better than buying a Wacom Cintiq?

So am I. It's why I'm sorta willing to try one out with Brushes. No stylus so no idea how exact you can get though.

[azrael]

It's unlocked UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)/GSM/EDGE (850, 900,1800, 1900 MHz). So if your wireless carrier supports those frequencies and micro-SIM, then you should be fine.

[mikeszekely]

I'm really not impressed by the iPad. I mean, I like the idea of a scaled-up iPod touch moving in on Kindle territory, but for $200 less you can buy a decent netbook with more storage and a physical keyboard. I can live without the touchscreen for now.

[akt_m]

Is there any other good torrent client than utorrent??? i can't stand it anymore, don't know why it just mess with the sound at windows 7.

[David Hingtgen]

Stupid question I thought of. British pronunciation of "pad". Will iPad and iPod sound near-identical when spoken with a British accent?

[mikeszekely]

Is there any other good torrent client than utorrent??? i can't stand it anymore, don't know why it just mess with the sound at windows 7.

Are you using a current version? I have no issues with utorrent, and I've been running Windows 7 since August.

Regardless, you can always pick one from a Lifehacker Hive Five.

[eugimon]

I'm really not impressed by the iPad. I mean, I like the idea of a scaled-up iPod touch moving in on Kindle territory, but for $200 less you can buy a decent netbook with more storage and a physical keyboard. I can live without the touchscreen for now.

I find it hilarious Jobs is touting it as some ideal way to browse the web yet it doesn't support FLASH. Nearly all the streaming servies out there like Hulu and Youtube use flash as does almost nearly every web game out there.

On top of the numerous other bone head decisions, no USB port, no memory card slot, not even a built in way to just view the stupid thing without holding it... just an easy easy pass for me.

[Hiriyu]

I find it hilarious Jobs is touting it as some ideal way to browse the web yet it doesn't support FLASH. Nearly all the streaming servies out there like Hulu and Youtube use flash as does almost nearly every web game out there.

On top of the numerous other bone head decisions, no USB port, no memory card slot, not even a built in way to just view the stupid thing without holding it... just an easy easy pass for me.

+1 on this post. For a scant moment (once I had heard of the fairly inxepensive [for Apple] price point), I was mildly intrigued by the idea of the iPad. I caught myself thinking that so long as it had USB, it may actually work well. Three seconds later, as I came to my senses, I realized that software incompatibility for what I would want to use it for would be a deal-breaker anyway. Then, Eugimon mentions that there is not actually even any USB support. Brick.

[mikeszekely]

I find it hilarious Jobs is touting it as some ideal way to browse the web yet it doesn't support FLASH. Nearly all the streaming servies out there like Hulu and Youtube use flash as does almost nearly every web game out there.

On top of the numerous other bone head decisions, no USB port, no memory card slot, not even a built in way to just view the stupid thing without holding it... just an easy easy pass for me.

Exactly. I mean, I'm not the biggest Apple fan (only Apple product I own is a MacBook that I'd actually like to sell), but I'll admit they have a knack for changing the game. The iPod + iTunes defined what an mp3 player should be. And for all its flaws, the iPhone took smartphones from being chunky business devices with lots of buttons and made them mainstream appealing.

The idea that the iPad was going to be an over-sized iPod touch was considered, but I think people were still hoping for another game-changer. That maybe the iPad would be a thin Apple netbook/tablet PC-hybrid running OS X, or that it'd be the definitive ebook reader. And that, in either scenario, it would be priced competitively. But netbooks are more capable, and e-readers like Sony's, the Kindle, or the Nook have better battery life, can be read in more different types of lighting, and don't cause the same eyestrain. And the real kicker, either device averages around $200 less. Hell, an iPod touch is $200 less for the same specs (aside from a smaller screen), and I'd guess that after Apple releases an iPhone 3.2 update it'll do everything the iPad does.

[azrael]

e-readers like Sony's, the Kindle, or the Nook have better battery life, can be read in more different types of lighting,..

Keep in mind e-readers, like the Kindle and Nook use E-paper displays which barely use any power by design. The iPad is a straight LCD screen.

That maybe the iPad would be a thin Apple netbook/tablet PC-hybrid running OS X, or that it'd be the definitive ebook reader.

They did what I expected them to do which was make a e-reader/tablet hybrid.

While I'm still sore about no Flash-support in the iPhone OS 3.2, I'm starting to see the revitalization of the Flash vs. HTML5 argument.

And with all things Apple and me, I'll consider it when I'll actually have a use for it. And right now, I don't have a use for a e-reader or tablet.

[eugimon]

Keep in mind e-readers, like the Kindle and Nook use E-paper displays which barely use any power by design. The iPad is a straight LCD screen.

They did what I expected them to do which was make a e-reader/tablet hybrid.

While I'm still sore about no Flash-support in the iPhone OS 3.2, I'm starting to see the revitalization of the Flash vs. HTML5 argument.

And with all things Apple and me, I'll consider it when I'll actually have a use for it. And right now, I don't have a use for a e-reader or tablet.

I just don't trust apple and their battery usage estimates. MY 1st gen nano got around 3 hours brand new, this was without headphones attached and not using the face button at all. Apple then claimed it was because of my elevation and temperature... apparently batteries don't work well at sea level in a 70 F environment.

[Uxi]

Biggest disappointment for me is the lack of USB and an SD slot, as well as the funky aspect ratio. I was expecting 2:3 like the iPhone, but if they really want someone to watch movies on this thing, it should have been 16:9 (a nice compromise between the various widescreen AR).

[mikeszekely]

Keep in mind e-readers, like the Kindle and Nook use E-paper displays which barely use any power by design. The iPad is a straight LCD screen.

I understand that.

They did what I expected them to do which was make a e-reader/tablet hybrid.

And therein lies the problem. What kind of market is there for such a hybrid? A dedicated e-reader has better battery life, is easier on the eyes, and can be read in direct sunlight. A netbook has a hardware keyboard, your choice of browsers that support flash, have more storage, and you can upload your files on them without syncing them to another computer. You can have one of each for $100 more than an iPad, or if you're really concerned about consolidating devices, there is e-reader software available for just about every smartphone OS out there, including a Kindle app for the iPhone/iPod touch a lot of people already have. For that matter, there's plenty of e-reader software for netbooks.

I don't know, maybe if the iPad were cheaper, or if it ran Snow Leopard instead of iPhone OS, I'd feel differently. But for now, I just can't figure out what sort of audience Apple is going for on this one.

[akt_m]

Are you using a current version? I have no issues with utorrent, and I've been running Windows 7 since August.

Regardless, you can always pick one from a Lifehacker Hive Five.

Yep. version 1.85. Probably it is a specific issue with my sound card (audigy-se using P17X support pack). It doesn't affect the onboard sound, but the onboard sucks...

[mikeszekely]

Yep. version 1.85. Probably it is a specific issue with my sound card (audigy-se using P17X support pack). It doesn't affect the onboard sound, but the onboard sucks...

Maybe. I'm just using my computers onboard sound (which is a perfectly good 5.1 chipset). In any case, did you look at the link I included before? I took another look myself, and I think you might want to try Deluge. The basic look is modeled off of utorrrent and it has a lot of the same features, plus it supports a plugin system.

[Ghost Train]

I don't know, maybe if the iPad were cheaper, or if it ran Snow Leopard instead of iPhone OS, I'd feel differently. But for now, I just can't figure out what sort of audience Apple is going for on this one.

The mindless drones that rely on Steve Jobs/Apple to tell them what is hip and/or useful.

[azrael]

The mindless drones that rely on Steve Jobs/Apple to tell them what is hip and/or useful.

Well, we'll see. This reminds me of when the iPhone came out. Hell, I was bitching about it. Three years later, I have one.

[VT 1010]

A large part of what makes the iPhone so great is the App Store. Without all of the apps, the iPhone is just another smartphone. I was very skeptical of the iPhone when it first came out too; however, the new features of the 3GS as well as the apps won me over in the end. If the iPhone hadn't changed from launch, then my opinion of it wouldn't have changed either. The problem with the iPad though is that it is basically a large iPod Touch. There's really not much of a reason to get one over an iPod Touch or iPhone. They both do just about everything an iPad can do, but they do it cheaper.

Tablet PCs have been around since the GRiD days and Apple just now comes out with a tablet. The thing doesn't even have a stylus. I'll just stick with my Tablet PC for now--at least it has flash and supports open source software...

[eugimon]

Well, we'll see. This reminds me of when the iPhone came out. Hell, I was bitching about it. Three years later, I have one.

that's the thing, 3 generations in it's finally what it should have been when it was first released. Just like the imac, ipod and everything else Apple makes. NEVER buy 1st gen apple tech.

[Uxi]

I like my MBP but it's had alot of problems. There's the lingering rumors of nVidia GPU failure. Maybe it's nVidia's fault, maybe it's not, but I didn't buy an nVidia laptop, I bought an Apple. Their bumping up the warranty for what seems a design defect doesn't seem sufficient. Then there's the paint that came off of about a dozen of my keys. Had one battery replaced under Applecare, now the replacement is dying a year later (out of Applecare)...

[azrael]

I like my MBP but it's had alot of problems. There's the lingering rumors of nVidia GPU failure. Maybe it's nVidia's fault, maybe it's not, but I didn't buy an nVidia laptop, I bought an Apple. Their bumping up the warranty for what seems a design defect doesn't seem sufficient. Then there's the paint that came off of about a dozen of my keys. Had one battery replaced under Applecare, now the replacement is dying a year later (out of Applecare)...

Which MBP is it? IIRC, Nvidia did issue a recall for the 8400M/8600M graphics chip.

[myk]

UUUugghh...I hate spending money.

Anyway, I bought the minimum parts I needed for my upgrade. E6500 cpu, Asus P5ND motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...32&Tpk=p5nd, and 2, 1G sticks of Kingston DDR2-800 RAM. What do you guys think?

I'm going to save up for a new video card, but I'm not sure what. My studies over the last few weeks have shown me that SLI/crossfire is more of a gimmick than anything, so I'm going to go for a single Nvidia-based card instead of 2.

I was SO wanting to run twin GPU's though. It's like looking at a pair of carburetors, gun turrets, boobs....y 'know...

Edited February 1, 2010 by myk

[azrael]

I'm going to save up for a new video card, but I'm not sure what. My studies over the last few weeks have shown me that SLI/crossfire is more of a gimmick than anything, so I'm going to go for a single Nvidia-based card instead of 2.

Yeah, it's a gimmick, and really something that enthusiasts, or I should say, something that people with expendable incomes can enjoy. I say aim for a respectable card and you'll probably end up spending less and have acceptable to really good quality.

[emajnthis]

Yeah, it's a gimmick, and really something that enthusiasts, or I should say, something that people with expendable incomes can enjoy. I say aim for a respectable card and you'll probably end up spending less and have acceptable to really good quality.

that's not always true, there are plenty of cases where a middle of the road crossfire/sli combo will perform the same or better than a top of the line single card (it's subjective because there are some things that each setup does better) and save you money at the same time. Usually the trade off to that is having to spend money on a more expensive motherboard with two pci-e 16x slots, but sitting on slickdeals.net long enough will often times yield pleasant results.

[shiroikaze]

Hey, myk if you're still looking for parts, ewiz.com has a coupon code "CUPID14" for 14% off an order (max savings $15, one per account). They also have code "PLAY10" for video cards, I believe they're stackable and combinable with Bing Cash Back if you have it.

(Yes, slickdeals again.)

Edited February 2, 2010 by shiroikaze

[mikeszekely]

that's not always true, there are plenty of cases where a middle of the road crossfire/sli combo will perform the same or better than a top of the line single card (it's subjective because there are some things that each setup does better) and save you money at the same time. Usually the trade off to that is having to spend money on a more expensive motherboard with two pci-e 16x slots, but sitting on slickdeals.net long enough will often times yield pleasant results.

Over a year ago, I bought a DFI Lanparty Dark P35 motherboard for $80, and a GeForce 9800GTX+ for $200. Cheapest SLI-compatible mobo I could find at the time was at least $40 more, and while you could certainly find cheaper video cards, I don't think you'd have an easy time finding a pair of cards worth combining for less at the time. Now, this setup has done very well for me. To date, I can run 95% of the games being released at the absolute highest settings even now (like Mass Effect 2 and Star Trek Online). Usually games that I can't require me to limit dynamic lights or go from 16xAA to 8xAA. Crysis is still the only game I've played that actually forced me to drop texture quality. I'm thinking that by the time my single-card solution really starts to fail me, the whole box is going to get retired in favor of a new Core i7-centered build.

My long-winded point would be that, yes dual-card solutions aren't always that much more than single-card ones, but as long as single-PCIex16-packing mobos are cheaper than multiple, a clear dual-card price/performance advantage doesn't really exist.

[myk]

What the hell is it with Crysis anyway? This game came out like 4 years ago, but it still seems to be the "King Raoh" of pc games-untouchable no matter how trick your setup is. I need to give this game a try...

Hey, myk if you're still looking for parts, ewiz.com has a coupon code "CUPID14" for 14% off an order (max savings $15, one per account). They also have code "PLAY10" for video cards, I believe they're stackable and combinable with Bing Cash Back if you have it.

(Yes, slickdeals again.)

Wow thanks. Every little bit helps...

Edited February 2, 2010 by myk