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The Official PC building thread -3rd Edition
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Any Flaming Results in a Temp Ban or Worse. Your Choice!!!
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AfterDawn Addict
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8. December 2009 @ 22:25 |
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Originally posted by Red_Maw:
While I've only looked at full sized keyboards so far, one that matches my laptop would make things easier when going between the two. Price is pretty good too. Too bad Nexos products appear to be non-existent in the states (seems to be usual for a product rec by creaky :P). Thanks though; going to look at mini keyboards later tonight.
You gotta watch that CREAKY fella... he'll tease ye with these good deals and then you realize the little git is in the UK. hehehee. :p
I like those keyboards too!! I've only found something similar in Logitech around me little township. ;)
Linky to K300 Logitech keyboard
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AfterDawn Addict
15 product reviews
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8. December 2009 @ 23:41 |
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The Saitek Eclipse or Eclipse II are absolutely barebones QWERTY keyboards with only volume controls. Backlit in a variety of colors(depending on the board you buy), slim form factor, nice quality, and reasonable price. I have both the red and blue Eclipse Is and I have no intention of replacing them. Except maybe with Eclipse IIs which are the same but nicer :P
Not only that but ended up cheaper from Newegg WITH shipping than from Best Buy the next town over.
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T 4GHz(20 x 200) 1.5v 3000NB 2000HT, Corsair Hydro H110 w/ 4 x 140mm 1500RPM fans Push/Pull, Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5, 8GB(2 x 4GB) G.Skill RipJaws DDR3-1600 @ 1600MHz CL9 1.55v, Gigabyte GTX760 OC 4GB(1170/1700), Corsair 750HX
Detailed PC Specs: http://my.afterdawn.com/estuansis/blog_entry.cfm/11388This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 8. December 2009 @ 23:44
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Red_Maw
Senior Member
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9. December 2009 @ 00:55 |
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Thanks for the suggestions guys. One thing I did like about the Razer was that the back lighting came only through the key (or that's how it looked in the pictures), not sure I'd like having light seep through between keys like the eclipse I/II and K300 appear to. They are cheap though, and get good quiet and reliability reviews....going to have to think this over lol.
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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9. December 2009 @ 01:18 |
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Looking at new wireless mouse and keyboard myself. My brother needs one. Thought I might pick one up for christmas for him. His RF keyboard/mouse really sucks! Mine does AT LEAST 12 Feet without hitch. Where as his, doesn't like being more than 6-9Ft away. Looks like blue tooth is generally ok with 15-30Ft. But blue tooth is rather expensive. Unless you go used on amazon/ebay. Ahh convenience. It's always expensive, isn't it :P
Such a shame it's not easy to increase the gain on the Radio signal coming from the keyboard/Mouse. I'm sure the FCC would NOT approve LOL! But come on! 12-15Ft is a joke. What if your laying back on a couch 20Ft away darn it. We need a few more feet...
To delete, or not to delete. THAT is the question! This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 9. December 2009 @ 01:18
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AfterDawn Addict
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9. December 2009 @ 04:35 |
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Here's something I came across, that happened right under our noses and no one even noticed. It looks for all the world like M$ struck some sort of deal, with at least Toshiba to build laptops that can't be used with XP. I have a Satellite A205-S5847 that I installed a new HDD in and it will go through the XP install process until windows starts, and then can't see the HDD. The drive shows in the set-up!
I came across a bunch of suggestions on how to fix the problem, but so far, none of them work, including the latest XP-Pro/SP3. The Sata Drive controller has a custom driver, which you have to select "Other Controller" to even see, with Data Lifeguard!
Meanwhile, Toshiba is offering all these Win 7 Upgrades and drivers for the whole A205 series. This A205 is only 1 year old, and there's no drivers or support for XP at all! Only vista and Win 7! It just doesn't smell right! Toshiba was one of the companies suing M$!
You can go to the Global site and download 36 XP downloads for the A205, but I'm getting a little too old to try and figure out which file does what, and which one turns on the Sata controller at boot-up. I used to love hacking stuff like that years ago, but it takes so damn long, most times. I've seen some that were like Root-Tips, where the needed driver was a sum of their individual parts! No thanks, I'll leave that one to a younger generation! 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
4 product reviews
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9. December 2009 @ 09:41 |
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I used the Eclipse II keyboards before, I've had two of them, and I've had the Cyborg as well. The Eclipse II keyboards are alright, but they don't have the lasting quality of cheaper keyboards. A lot of the people I know who own them suffer certain keys not working properly, and as for the Cyborg, it literally started falling apart in my hands. Based on the quality of the Razer Tarantula by comparison, the Lycosa will probably be a better bet. I just hope with the Lycosa they fixed the double-hit key problem. Haallfff Mmyy sseenntencesssss looook like this someetimes (though nowhere near as bad as that)
Russ: Are you sure that's the explanation for it? I do know that Toshiba make drives that only work with very specific controllers. Take the Xbox 360 for example, the DVD drives in many of those are Toshiba/Samsung alliance drives, and they will only work with one VIA S-ATA chipset in order to be seen by a PC, nothing else. Of course, there's only one reason you'd need to use the drive in a PC, which is to put custom firmware on it. Sadly, laptop manufacturers are perfectly within their right to only produce drivers for something for Win7 and Vista. You must remember the days when Vista first came out and all the laptop users tried to "upgrade" back to XP only to find there were no drivers...
It wouldn't however surprise me to know that Toshiba would play a part in an MS scheme, since the companies have had several workings in the past. They were both major HD-DVD players, and the MS Zune was developed from the Toshiba Gigabeat MP3 player, which MS even designed the software for (and funnily, the software for it was awful)
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Red_Maw
Senior Member
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9. December 2009 @ 14:45 |
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Originally posted by omegaman7:
Looking at new wireless mouse and keyboard myself. My brother needs one. Thought I might pick one up for christmas for him. His RF keyboard/mouse really sucks! Mine does AT LEAST 12 Feet without hitch. Where as his, doesn't like being more than 6-9Ft away. Looks like blue tooth is generally ok with 15-30Ft. But blue tooth is rather expensive. Unless you go used on amazon/ebay. Ahh convenience. It's always expensive, isn't it :P
Such a shame it's not easy to increase the gain on the Radio signal coming from the keyboard/Mouse. I'm sure the FCC would NOT approve LOL! But come on! 12-15Ft is a joke. What if your laying back on a couch 20Ft away darn it. We need a few more feet...
Since my computer doesn't have bluetooth I didn't consider it, maybe they come with adapters or something to fix that problem. RF will probably work just fine for me as I doubt I'll ever get farther then 3ft from my system lol.
oman7, you can boost the RF signal on your mouse/keyboard to about 30ft pretty safely. Chances are you won't cause problems for anyone but yourself, if any at all.
Originally posted by sammorris:
I used the Eclipse II keyboards before, I've had two of them, and I've had the Cyborg as well. The Eclipse II keyboards are alright, but they don't have the lasting quality of cheaper keyboards. A lot of the people I know who own them suffer certain keys not working properly, and as for the Cyborg, it literally started falling apart in my hands. Based on the quality of the Razer Tarantula by comparison, the Lycosa will probably be a better bet. I just hope with the Lycosa they fixed the double-hit key problem. Haallfff Mmyy sseenntencesssss looook like this someetimes (though nowhere near as bad as that)
I've had a chance to use a cyborg for a while and I would agree with you, it felt cheap and like it wouldn't last very long. The double-hit key problem is the opposite of what I have now; it forces me to type slowly (40wpm) otherwise half the words are missing characters.
Good thing these keyboards come with return policy's so they can be tested for 3/4 of a month X)
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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9. December 2009 @ 15:13 |
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Yah, if I knew how :P Perhaps i'll take his apart since it's an obviously dying breed, and see if I can find something like a gain. It's going in the garbage anyway. So it can't hurt. The mouse arrow acts erratic at times. No doubt it will consume a little more power. But that's what rechargeable batteries are for :D
To delete, or not to delete. THAT is the question! |
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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9. December 2009 @ 15:32 |
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Thing is, even with a clear keyboard signal, the RF Logitech mouse my friend had was an absolute pain on the carpet. Plug my wired Razer in, still perfect.... :S
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AfterDawn Addict
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9. December 2009 @ 18:43 |
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MGR (Micro Gaming Rig) .|. Intel Q6600 @ 3.45GHz .|. Asus P35 P5K-E/WiFi .|. 4GB 1066MHz Geil Black Dragon RAM .|. Samsung F60 SSD .|. Corsair H50-1 Cooler .|. Sapphire 4870 512MB .|. Lian Li PC-A70B .|. Be Queit P7 Dark Power Pro 850W PSU .|. 24" 1920x1200 DGM (MVA Panel) .|. 24" 1920x1080 Dell (TN Panel) .|. |
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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9. December 2009 @ 18:45 |
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To be honest, of all the gaming grade keyboards, the Eclipse 2 is probably one of the best. Granted, it won't last as long as an office keyboard, but no gaming keyboard will, that's not how they're designed. However you should get a couple of years out of an Eclipse 2 at least, well above the industry average for gaming keyboards.
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AfterDawn Addict
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9. December 2009 @ 20:07 |
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Originally posted by omegaman7:
Yah, if I knew how :P Perhaps i'll take his apart since it's an obviously dying breed, and see if I can find something like a gain. It's going in the garbage anyway. So it can't hurt. The mouse arrow acts erratic at times. No doubt it will consume a little more power. But that's what rechargeable batteries are for :D
Oman7,
You hit the nail right on the head! You can't increase the wattage of the signal, because it's not adjustable. You can increase the gain on the front end, much like a power mike does by increasing the Amplitude before it becomes the rf signal. It gives it a more solid "footprint", so to speak so the receiver can get more information and be less likely to drop out! It's not all about signal strength, per say. After all, you don't usually lose the signal at all, just parts of the content, because the signal is weak. Build up the front end, and you can increase your distance!
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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Red_Maw
Senior Member
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9. December 2009 @ 21:44 |
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The Eclipse II sounds like best buy, except for the light bleeding through between keys. Does anyone know if that's part of the design, not normally a problem or if the lighting is turned down far enough not noticeable? I don't really want light coming from the keyboard, more of just enough illumination to locate lesser used keys in the dark.
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AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
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9. December 2009 @ 21:54 |
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It's standard for almost all backlit keyboards. very few keyboard will not leak any light externally to the keys. The only ones that will be guaranteed not to do it are individually-lit keyboards which are very expensive.
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Red_Maw
Senior Member
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9. December 2009 @ 23:23 |
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Well I did want to get the Optimus Maximus anyway ;P
In reality I'll probably just get the Eclipse II and turn the back light off if it bothers me.
Thanks for the input guy's.
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AfterDawn Addict
15 product reviews
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10. December 2009 @ 07:03 |
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Wow logged into MSN for the first time in a few months and I have loads of emails from people wondering where I am. Haha I didn't know that many people actually cared to talk to me XD
Anyhoo tongue kissed a girl last night and it was awesome :D
Quote:
In reality I'll probably just get the Eclipse II and turn the back light off if it bothers me.
I'd definitely recommend the Eclipse II as well. I think you'll actually like the backlighting on that keyboard. Brightness adjustments as well if it ever gets irritating. Better quality than the Eclipse I as well.
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and as for the Cyborg, it literally started falling apart in my hands.
Never used the Cyborg but I've heard horror stories. The eclipses seem fairly solid though.
Quote:
Based on the quality of the Razer Tarantula by comparison, the Lycosa will probably be a better bet.
Just got done playing with an Arctosa which is basically a Lycosa without the lighting and the quality is top notch. Glossy surface though which means it's a magnet to grime and fingerprints. After 10 minutes of use the one I had here was starting to look a bit grubby.
I'd still say the Eclipse II, good quality, great lighting, and a varied surface texture so it wont look dirty if you don't polish it XD
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T 4GHz(20 x 200) 1.5v 3000NB 2000HT, Corsair Hydro H110 w/ 4 x 140mm 1500RPM fans Push/Pull, Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5, 8GB(2 x 4GB) G.Skill RipJaws DDR3-1600 @ 1600MHz CL9 1.55v, Gigabyte GTX760 OC 4GB(1170/1700), Corsair 750HX
Detailed PC Specs: http://my.afterdawn.com/estuansis/blog_entry.cfm/11388
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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11. December 2009 @ 17:07 |
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I'm about to slap this badboy in an Asus A7M266 board tomorrow. Along with another build :D Busy exciting day for me :) I've not seen a processor as old as this one. I'm used to the new design that is completely covered up. The glowing section is the ONLY section that i'm going to apply arctic silver 5 compound, correct? Don't worry, I'll update the bios FIRST if necessary ;) I believe 1006 is minimum, though I should probably go with 1008...
Athlon Xp Mobile thoroughbred 1800
To delete, or not to delete. THAT is the question! |
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ddp
Moderator
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11. December 2009 @ 17:11 |
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center section only as the 4 round things are foam supports. that ain't old as i have older cpu's then that sitting around collecting dust.
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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11. December 2009 @ 17:36 |
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Thanks ddp. It's old to me though ;) I've only ever bought cpu's in the last 4 yrs. None have looked like this one.
To delete, or not to delete. THAT is the question! |
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ddp
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11. December 2009 @ 17:58 |
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i've got cpu's dating back to the xt's never mind the 286's & 386's.
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AfterDawn Addict
15 product reviews
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11. December 2009 @ 18:00 |
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AFAIK That's a bone stock Athlon XP. I've seen tons of them and even own a few. There's a 2200+ in my current laptop. I'd recommend Arctic Silver Ceramique due to the small surface area. In case some gooshes over the sides it's non-conductive so you won't fry anything.
Wanna talk old CPUs I have several Pentium 1s, a few Pentium MMXs, a Pentium Pro, several Slotted Athlons and Pentium 3s, a few odd assorted 486, 386, and 286 chips I'm not sure if they work and a few others I can't name ATM. The Athlon XP is actually a comparatively newer design believe it or not.
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T 4GHz(20 x 200) 1.5v 3000NB 2000HT, Corsair Hydro H110 w/ 4 x 140mm 1500RPM fans Push/Pull, Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5, 8GB(2 x 4GB) G.Skill RipJaws DDR3-1600 @ 1600MHz CL9 1.55v, Gigabyte GTX760 OC 4GB(1170/1700), Corsair 750HX
Detailed PC Specs: http://my.afterdawn.com/estuansis/blog_entry.cfm/11388
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AfterDawn Addict
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11. December 2009 @ 20:37 |
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Originally posted by omegaman7:
Thanks ddp. It's old to me though ;) I've only ever bought cpu's in the last 4 yrs. None have looked like this one.
OmN7,
Be careful of the edges of the die, as they are razor sharp. I have a 2500 Barton core, 333 fsb, 512 L2 cache, if you are interested.
http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K7/AMD-Ath...A2500DKV4D.html
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
15 product reviews
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11. December 2009 @ 21:24 |
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Nice Russ I remember most of those OCing reliably to a 3200+. One of my friends had one OC'd with a GeForce 6800GT and it was a sweet setup :P
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T 4GHz(20 x 200) 1.5v 3000NB 2000HT, Corsair Hydro H110 w/ 4 x 140mm 1500RPM fans Push/Pull, Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD5, 8GB(2 x 4GB) G.Skill RipJaws DDR3-1600 @ 1600MHz CL9 1.55v, Gigabyte GTX760 OC 4GB(1170/1700), Corsair 750HX
Detailed PC Specs: http://my.afterdawn.com/estuansis/blog_entry.cfm/11388
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Senior Member
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12. December 2009 @ 00:54 |
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Because you can unlock the extra pipes on the AGP 6800. I still have mine on a shelf as my "known good" AGP card for troubleshooting that generation machines
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AfterDawn Addict
7 product reviews
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12. December 2009 @ 00:56 |
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I'm afraid the board will only take as much as a 2100 Athlon XP. That's the limit of its potential ;) Pretty outdated. I'm hoping that it will beef it up enough to convince the netflix player that it's good enough. Now it'll have the SSE instruction set, which is apparently required. Where it wasn't before!
Apparently it just quit again though. He told me before work today that it was restarting itself, and wouldn't boot into xp. I'll find out tomorrow...Poor thing...it sat in a garage to long :(
PSU's a bestec. Probably the culprit...
Unfortunately, i've not seen to many PSU's in the proper form factor for this particular case. The PSU has to smaller than usual. It has the typical hight and width, but the depth needs to be shorter, or it pushes into the optical bays...
To delete, or not to delete. THAT is the question! This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 12. December 2009 @ 01:07
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