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The Official PC building thread - 4th Edition
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16. September 2010 @ 15:49 |
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No, Misco. I did used to use Ebuyer and Amazon for (new) PC component purchases but as i can get VAT-free stuff off Misco i use them, i just wait until we're ordering work stuff hence how i don't pay shipping or VAT.
Main PC ~ Intel C2Q Q6600 (G0 Stepping)/Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3/2GB Crucial Ballistix PC2-8500/Zalman CNPS9700/Antec 900/Corsair HX 620W
Network ~ DD-WRT ~ 2node WDS-WPA2/AES ~ Buffalo WHR-G54S. 3node WPA2/AES ~ WRT54GS v6 (inc. WEP BSSID), WRT54G v2, WRT54G2 v1. *** Forum Rules *** |
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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16. September 2010 @ 15:50 |
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Yeah Misco seemed more of a business provider. I don't think I've used them as last time I tried they didn't accept any Debit cards except full Visa Debits. It's unusual for a store to not accept Electrons or not accept Maestros, but to not accept both is downright bizarre.
Thankfully I have a proper Visa Debit now.
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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16. September 2010 @ 17:23 |
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Ha ha! Best packing job I've seen yet! They packed it in bubble wrap, and cardboard, and in the center of all the packing foam. If the drive is damaged, it would have been during the original shipment, or during manufacturing.
I'm betting I have a beauty. Of course time will tell ;) I don't have enough time to install it right now unfortunately. Well...I do, but I want to watch the transfers, and format process. Essentially, I want to watch it like a hawk for the first few hours ;) I don't want to do a rush job either...
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16. September 2010 @ 21:55 |
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Originally posted by omegaman7:
Hey russ, have you tried wiping all of your cookies and temp files clean? I haven't had one bug with the new thread...
Oman7,
Already did that. The problem is probably this P.O.S. Oopstiplex 150 I'm using at the moment. It constantly runs out of memory, and bogs down horribly! It can only address 512MB of memory, so I'll have to find a better 1x-4x AGP card for the Precision 420, as a 4x-8x doesn't work in it. It addresses 2 GB of memory and doesn't experience any memory problems at all.
Russ
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
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bigwill68
Suspended permanently
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17. September 2010 @ 02:12 |
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Done out of Here!
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AfterDawn Addict
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17. September 2010 @ 03:09 |
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WD20EARS is connected, and formatting (4096 Allocation size). I'm allowing it to do the long format. Not sure how long that will be. But if it survives it, that's one more point in my favor, for having a reliable drive ;) If it isn't done by morning, I'll likely stop it, and do the quick format though :p
I'm still pretty new to a lot of stuff. Namely, the 4Kb sector size. I'm betting that windows 7 is automatically ready and able to handle this technology, without my intervention. Much like Solid State Disk. Please, if i'm mistaken don't hesitate to call me a fool LOL!
At the current rate of format, it should be done in 4 - 4.5hrs give or take :P I formatted in the GPT partition layout. I realize now that this was not necessary. GPT is for hard drives in excess of 2Tb - 9.4 Zettabytes. Ha ha! Windows can handle some serious bytes now!!! :D
To delete, or not to delete. THAT is the question! This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 17. September 2010 @ 03:09
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17. September 2010 @ 03:34 |
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@sammorris
Sam,
Is this the old 1x 4x AGP, or is it the 4x 8x? I need a 4x AGP card for the old Dell Precision Workstation. This Oopstiplex 150 is driving me crazy. I can't seem to find anything with more than 32 MB. The old matrox Dual head was 64 MB! I'm open to suggestions, but it has to be the old standard 4x, as a 4x-8x will not work!
Thanks,
Russ
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
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17. September 2010 @ 03:50 |
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Russ, just get hold of a Geforce4 MX400 or 440 series card (i think it was Sam who suggested that a few posts back actually), that's the card of choice i go for in most old machines, 32MB or 64MB, would the GPU RAM make any difference to your use of it ?. Come to think of it i have an MX4 series card in the Quad machine, driving the 3rd monitor. They are some of the best cards you can get on older machines, i recently spent ages researching the best card i could get for my Athlon 2800 machine, it was AGP, i forget if it was 4x or 8x slot now, but basically the PSU in that machine is only 192W, i was after something of a Nvidia flavour for the few games i have running under linux (Quake1&2, Doom1&2, with various OpenGL enhanced mods). I was running a 32MB MX400 but it was only single monitor capable. After much researching and experimenting with the loads of spare cards i have accumulated over the centuries i plumped for a (fanless) Geforce 6200 (i'd used one for 3 yrs in my Quad machine as the main/only card), this runs 2 monitors, one via DVI and the other VGA, works perfectly in linux (no small feat i can tell you).
Anyways, i'd found that a 6200 type card was approx the max card i could run off a 192W PSU, i forget now which was the max card you could fit on, say a 360W-ish PSU, which i'm guessing you have in the Precision ?. But again, i reckon an MX400/440 should do you fine ?, see what you can google on it re the 4x/8x AGP aspect as (as per usual) i've forgotten the specifics) :p
Main PC ~ Intel C2Q Q6600 (G0 Stepping)/Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3/2GB Crucial Ballistix PC2-8500/Zalman CNPS9700/Antec 900/Corsair HX 620W
Network ~ DD-WRT ~ 2node WDS-WPA2/AES ~ Buffalo WHR-G54S. 3node WPA2/AES ~ WRT54GS v6 (inc. WEP BSSID), WRT54G v2, WRT54G2 v1. *** Forum Rules ***
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 17. September 2010 @ 03:52
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AfterDawn Addict
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17. September 2010 @ 04:00 |
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I have an MX400, and I had a 6200. I won't part with the MX400 though. Its all I have left in AGP. And that system requires it. No onboard video...
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17. September 2010 @ 04:40 |
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Originally posted by creaky:
Russ, just get hold of a Geforce4 MX400 or 440 series card (i think it was Sam who suggested that a few posts back actually), that's the card of choice i go for in most old machines, 32MB or 64MB, would the GPU RAM make any difference to your use of it ?. Come to think of it i have an MX4 series card in the Quad machine, driving the 3rd monitor. They are some of the best cards you can get on older machines, i recently spent ages researching the best card i could get for my Athlon 2800 machine, it was AGP, i forget if it was 4x or 8x slot now, but basically the PSU in that machine is only 192W, i was after something of a Nvidia flavour for the few games i have running under linux (Quake1&2, Doom1&2, with various OpenGL enhanced mods). I was running a 32MB MX400 but it was only single monitor capable. After much researching and experimenting with the loads of spare cards i have accumulated over the centuries i plumped for a (fanless) Geforce 6200 (i'd used one for 3 yrs in my Quad machine as the main/only card), this runs 2 monitors, one via DVI and the other VGA, works perfectly in linux (no small feat i can tell you).
Anyways, i'd found that a 6200 type card was approx the max card i could run off a 192W PSU, i forget now which was the max card you could fit on, say a 360W-ish PSU, which i'm guessing you have in the Precision ?. But again, i reckon an MX400/440 should do you fine ?, see what you can google on it re the 4x/8x AGP aspect as (as per usual) i've forgotten the specifics) :p
Thanks Creaky. The problem is I have both the MX400 and the MX440, but they are not the old 4x standard and won't work in that machine, as they are 4x-8x. I have an Ati Rage Pro as well, but it is 4x-8x too and only 4MB of memory I'm pretty sure that the card I posted is the old standard, and it's only $10, but I wanted to be sure before I purchased it. I'm not happy about having to give up half of the video memory, but I can't find anything that will work with more memory. This Oopstiplex 150 is a piece of junk. One of Dells bigger mistakes! It can't address any more memory than 512MB, and it constantly runs out of memory, and works the HD to death, trying to keep up. The Precision 420 can address 2GB of much faster Rambus memory. I have 4x512MB in it now. Great computer, but I'm getting a little afraid because it's 9 going on 10 years old.
Best Regards,
Russ
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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17. September 2010 @ 04:57 |
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Yeah I saw an NZXT Phantom in the flesh. It seems like a solid case, though as is often the case with them lately, the styling isn't really to my tastes.
Russ:
AGP 1x, 2x: 3.3V
AGP 2 (4x): 1.5V
AGP 3 (8x): 0.8V
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Senior Member
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17. September 2010 @ 12:30 |
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Finally found the 4th ed. was wondering why the 3rd didn't work anymore.
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AfterDawn Addict
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17. September 2010 @ 12:35 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
Yeah I saw an NZXT Phantom in the flesh. It seems like a solid case, though as is often the case with them lately, the styling isn't really to my tastes.
Russ:
AGP 1x, 2x: 3.3V
AGP 2 (4x): 1.5V
AGP 3 (8x): 0.8V
Sam,
I know the standards, but it has to be a 2x-4x, not a 4x-8x. I bought an XFX Nvidia 5200 4x-8x AGP card for the 420, back in 04, after Newegg guaranteed that they would refund the purchase if it didn't work. I even faxed them a copy of the AGP spec page from the Service manual, and he said it would work. It smoked the card, and then they balked about giving me a refund, but I finally got it.
I think I've found the right one though!
http://dunifer.net/store/index.php?main_...1&products_id=4
Thanks for the info,
Russ
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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17. September 2010 @ 12:36 |
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Looks exactly like my card russ :p
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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17. September 2010 @ 12:37 |
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According to specification tables, there were numerous cards that supported all AGP speeds, from 1x at 3.3V up to 8x at 0.8V. I haven't owned one myself, as most AGP cards were only 4x/8x compatible (having two large sections instead of 3 small ones) but I'm sure they exist, and your card looks like one of them.
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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17. September 2010 @ 12:44 |
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She made it :D Format complete, and I'm gonna bench real soon ;)
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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17. September 2010 @ 12:48 |
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Lol at the PC name :)
Drives D,E,G and V had better all be virtual :P
Also, here's the rather dire situation for me with storage right now :D
Edit: just noticed most of the shares aren't activated so it doesn't show the numbers, brb I'll fix that :P
Ok fixed.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 17. September 2010 @ 12:51
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AfterDawn Addict
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17. September 2010 @ 12:57 |
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Drive V is virtual. I had to dissconnect My real BD drive, to free up a sata port for my beloved 2 Tb drive. Should probably get a sata card...
I get goofy with my PC names sometimes. My secondary was simply logical though. (BD machine).
WOW! You've got some serious Storage! Or rather lack there of ;)
To delete, or not to delete. THAT is the question! |
AfterDawn Addict
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17. September 2010 @ 14:20 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
According to specification tables, there were numerous cards that supported all AGP speeds, from 1x at 3.3V up to 8x at 0.8V. I haven't owned one myself, as most AGP cards were only 4x/8x compatible (having two large sections instead of 3 small ones) but I'm sure they exist, and your card looks like one of them.
Sam,
Did you happen to notice that it specifically says that the slot has to be a 2x-4x?Originally posted by sammorris:
According to specification tables, there were numerous cards that supported all AGP speeds, from 1x at 3.3V up to 8x at 0.8V. I haven't owned one myself, as most AGP cards were only 4x/8x compatible (having two large sections instead of 3 small ones) but I'm sure they exist, and your card looks like one of them.
Sam,
Therein, lies the problem! Motherboard slots with both 3.3 V and 1.5 V keys do not exist. The Dell 420 has a 3.3v slot, and is keyed for it. While some AGP cards can be installed that can cover all three voltages, putting an ordinary 4x-8x card in them, will smoke the card. There's about 10 different slots for AGP, and even a special PCI slot that ECS used to make, that would allow you to install an AGP card in them. It seems that when the AGP standards were set, some manufacturers did not adhere to them.
Apple computer was one of those, which forced customers to pay extra for an Apple compatible card, much like their serial printer ports. If it wasn't Apple compatible, it wouldn't work. That's why older Apple computers did not have a Parallel port! Video card and printer manufacturers had to pay apple in order to use their Patented ports! What's that old saying? There's no honor among thieves! LOL!! The same thing applied to a new mouse or keyboard. It had to be Apple compatible, or poof went your mouse or keyboard.
Even HP and Compaq had their own modems that would not work on other computers. Even today if you buy a Compaq Internet Keyboard, the software will not work on anything but a compatible Compaq computer. It used to be that if you needed a new modem, Keyboard mouse or Optical drive, it wouldn't install unless it was Compaq compatible, which meant that you had to buy it from them, as Compaq didn't license them. I've only come across one of them, and it gave me an error message that "AN COMPAQ COMPATIBLE OPTICAL DRIVE WAS NOT FOUND", when you tried to install one. On the first Compaq I ever saw, the first 486 to come out. all the components had to be purchased from Compaq. You couldn't even install a new HDD or Floppy disk, unless you bought it from Compaq! Thank God times have changed! LOL!!
Russ
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
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AfterDawn Addict
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17. September 2010 @ 15:23 |
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An ordinary 4x/8x card can't be used in a 1x/2x slot, so that would explain why the card went up in smoke.
First-generation AGP is virgin territory for me though, as when that was about, the system I used was only PCI and ISA. As soon as I got an AGP system it used an 8x slot. That was back when I could get one set of PC components to last me 5 years :P
As for the proprietary days, it sounds simpler, but a lot more expensive!
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AfterDawn Addict
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17. September 2010 @ 15:24 |
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Well, hopefully a six-pack of WD20EARS drives will be on its way in the near-future. Doesn't quite give me full redundancy, Horizon will still have to run solo, but everything else will be backed up nicely. Horizon's the newest, but also the most advanced drive. It is also the only modern era drive (Caviar Green instead of WD GreenPower) that has the load cycle issue. However given its youth, I'm hoping that presents no issues.
Aphelion, Corona, Frontier and Vector are the most recent acquisitions, but actually the oldest drive, with manufacture dates Nov-07 (x3) and Feb-08 (x1), and their previous owner ran them 24/7 since new with the load cycle bug, so they're at around 400,000+ load cycles, with a lifetime rating of 300,000, so those are the first to be backed up.
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 17. September 2010 @ 15:26
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AfterDawn Addict
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17. September 2010 @ 15:44 |
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6 pack eh. I can't see buying that many at this time, but one day, I can see owning that many. So far, the drive is rock solid.
Here's a quick little comparison. It should be noted that the Velociraptor is around 70% capacity, and would be lagging at least slightly on this test ;)
Here's the second test I did on the veloci, before it was nearly full to the keel LOL!
To delete, or not to delete. THAT is the question! This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 17. September 2010 @ 15:48
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AfterDawn Addict
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17. September 2010 @ 17:26 |
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Originally posted by sammorris:
An ordinary 4x/8x card can't be used in a 1x/2x slot, so that would explain why the card went up in smoke.
First-generation AGP is virgin territory for me though, as when that was about, the system I used was only PCI and ISA. As soon as I got an AGP system it used an 8x slot. That was back when I could get one set of PC components to last me 5 years :P
As for the proprietary days, it sounds simpler, but a lot more expensive!
Yup! When I bought my first Dot Matrix Printer, a Panasonic 24 Pin, the PC model retailed for $149. The Apple was $199. Serial cable for the Apple versions were 2 to 3 times as much for the Apple. Most of that stuff never went on sale either!
The AGP slot on the 420 was 4x, so it was 2x-4x. Like I said, there was about 10 different varieties of AGP slot depending on the brand, and most of them did not conform to the standard.
Hooray! Both my motherboards have been shipped. My old 790X was shipped back to Gigabyte TW for evaluation, as Gigabyte USA has never seen this problem before. It tests good electrically, but it doesn't work. They know that there's a short in the 2x4 pin ATX circuit, but they have no idea where or why. The CPU, Memory and PSU are all good. I've seen this problem before with other brand motherboards, but I always replaced the board, as all were several years old. I'm convinced that the Power problem had nothing to do with it, because the Main is always shut off when the computer is not in use. Just a habit that I've developed over the years.
The 785G had a blown VRM, something that can happen to any motherboard. They shipped a new one! Who knows, both may be here Monday.
Russ
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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18. September 2010 @ 16:38 |
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Something interesting everyone may like to hear. I was sitting at my mothers windows 7 machine last night, and noticed that her windows 7 machine was acknowledging her XP machines printer. See, they both share the network switch. Now while XP does not even KNOW what homegroup is, it seems to be acknowledging some rudimentary information. E.g. shared folders, and shared printers. I have not installed the network printer driver yet, but since file sharing seems to be enabled(where I thought that was impossible), printer sharing may indeed be possible. Perhaps I missed the point where microsoft relinquished their grasp on this? Have I been misinformed and this has always been possible?
In any case, this is good news for mother! :D
To delete, or not to delete. THAT is the question! This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 18. September 2010 @ 16:39
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AfterDawn Addict
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18. September 2010 @ 16:39 |
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Shared printers work across all platforms without anything needing to be enabled, I think.
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