The "Quick Questions that does not Deserve a Thread"...Thread. V3 - Hardware & Software

[QUOTE=gman003-main;38336832]Don't worry so much about bottlenecks - EVERY system is going to have a bottleneck somewhere, to some degree, unless you build a system from the ground up to run a single application with zero wasted power. Quite often it's cheaper to get a card that bottlenecks than an older card that doesn't, especially with a system that old. And if you buy a good card, you can keep it when you upgrade the rest of the system later, so it's cheaper in the long run. I'm going to suggest a GeForce 640. You'll probably bottleneck it a bit, but really, any card made in the past two generations is going to be bottlenecked on a Phenom X2. The 640 is only $70 or so, and it should be able to run almost anything you throw at it (I'm running a 660M, which is essentially a 640, and I rarely have to lower any settings from maximum (and I'm running full 1080p)). However, if you think you'll be able to upgrade the rest of your system within a year or so, I would recommend a 660 instead. That will last you much longer, and it's much more power per dollar. You won't see any difference on your current system, but plop an i5 in there and you'll see the difference.[/QUOTE] Thanks for the info about the bottlenecks, I've never upgraded a computer outside of replacing a HD or some RAM, so it's cool to know that bottlenecks don't really matter. unless they're super wasteful, of course. [QUOTE=alien_guy;38338596]Why the hell do you have 5GB of ram.[/QUOTE] [IMG]http://filesmelt.com/dl/hewlettpackard.png[/IMG] [IMG]http://filesmelt.com/dl/shrug.001_.gif[/IMG]

2gbx2 + 512mbx2 =-)

I don't know if this is really hardware, but would it be possible to clean the speaker grills of an IEM?

If I have both a VGA vable and a DVI cable from the same GPU to the same monitor, could this even remotely be the cause of screen black-outs I'm getting in-game every few hours? I'm using a GTX 550ti @1920x1080 even using the lowest settings from the games. [t]http://i.imgur.com/hghl0.png[/t] [t]http://i.imgur.com/ta3wX.png[/t]

[QUOTE=Pnukup;38339119]If I have both a VGA vable and a DVI cable from the same GPU to the same monitor, could this even remotely be the cause of screen black-outs I'm getting in-game every few hours? I'm using a GTX 550ti @1920x1080 even using the lowest settings from the games. [t]http://i.imgur.com/hghl0.png[/t] [t]http://i.imgur.com/ta3wX.png[/t][/QUOTE] It's possible? If it switches input because it detects the other or something, I guess. Just get rid of the VGA cable, no reason to have both hooked up. Is it your video drivers crashing? If so, it's possible that it's just your card overheating. Temps seem fine for idle, though. Monitor your temps and check the max temp next time it happens. You're a goon? [editline]6th November 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=DaNoob;38339116]I don't know if this is really hardware, but would it be possible to clean the speaker grills of an IEM?[/QUOTE] Q tip and some type of liquid, Hydrogen Peroxide, I guess. Hold it so the grill is facing down so liquid doesn't go into the IEM and roll it on the grill. Alternatively, put some in a dish and hold the IEM in it just enough to submerge the grill, then lift it out and make sure it's dry.

[QUOTE=Shadaez;38339150] [editline]6th November 2012[/editline] Q tip and some type of liquid, Hydrogen Peroxide, I guess. Hold it so the grill is facing down so liquid doesn't go into the IEM and roll it on the grill. Alternatively, put some in a dish and hold the IEM in it just enough to submerge the grill, then lift it out and make sure it's dry.[/QUOTE] I was hoping you wouldn't say that. All I have is isopropyl and, of course, water. I guess I'll have to pick some up tomorrow.

[QUOTE=Shadaez;38339150] You're a goon? .[/QUOTE] It's probably some SA release.

[QUOTE=Shadaez;38339150] You're a goon?[/QUOTE] You thinking about the sa logo in the taskbar? Well yes and no, I'm not really that active on SA but I have an account and I've been posting from time to time. The icon is just a program I made for easy access to SA emotes. [URL="https://dl.dropbox.com/u/15774163/SA_Emot/SA_Emote_BBCode_Generator.html"]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/15774163/SA_Emot/SA_Emote_BBCode_Generator.html [/URL] Also I doubt it's overheating, but I still opened up the heat sink with the fans on the GPU and put on some more cooling paste.

[QUOTE=alien_guy;38338596]Why the hell do you have 5GB of ram.[/QUOTE] Oddball upgrade, probably. The machine probably came with 1GB, then he added 4GB when he wanted to actually run games. My desktop has 5GB. 4x1GB plus 2x512MB. And I'm plotting to add 2x2GB to fill up the remaining slots.

I have an intense hate of non power of two sizes of ram. multiples of six are acceptable though.

[QUOTE=Brt5470;38333955]Can someone sum up dual band for me. I see that you'd use 5ghz for some devices and 2.4 for others. But people keep bringing up enhanced file transfers because you'd be using 2.4 and 5ghz bands. But how do I do that. My new Asus motherboard supports "Dual Band" And I can run on 2.4ghz bands for 144mbps and 5ghz for 300mbps. Is 300mbps the norm for 5ghz or is that using both.[/QUOTE] I just pulled out my CWNA book hoping for a good answer... it only mentions dual band once. gg cisco

Can anyone recommend me a good gaming mouse? Budget is ~$100, give or take $25 or so, maybe even more if your recommendation is astounding and you're genuinely in love with the mouse. I've currently got my eye on the R.A.T. 7's, and I've been itching to buy it, but holding off till I get a personal opinion from one of you guys. I just wanted to see if there are any gaming mice out there that completely wipe the floor with the R.A.T. 7's, for less, or slightly more more money. Like I said, I don't mind dishing out the money for a good, decent, quality gaming mouse. Also, I'm thinking of buying the Razer Vespula gaming mouse, good call or not?

[url=http://www.facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1206125]Mouse Megathread[/url]

Whoops, didn't see that. Thanks! [editline]6th November 2012[/editline] [url]http://www.amazon.com/Case-Logic-VNC-218-18-Inch-Laptop/dp/B001V9KFZY/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2A0QFXHEMA8U1&coliid=I24NBYGNY395AJ[/url] I was thinking of getting that case for my laptop (the extra space would be a godsend, seeing as I'll have a mouse, cooling pad, headphones and a bunch of other stuff to carry around with me when I fly back home) but some reviews keep saying there's no padding on the bottom and the build quality of the straps is poor. I'm pretty sure the laptop I ordered is going to be quite hefty, so the last thing I want is the straps to wear down after a few weeks of carrying it around. Any laptop cases you guys can recommend that you've tried and tested yourselves? I'd appreciate it.

YouTube's been acting up a bit on me the last past couple days. Anyone getting this? YouTube's comment section is fine and writable on page 1, but as soon as I go to page 2 or anything else than page 1, the comment area darkens and it's not possible to reply to any comments either. A bit annoying. page 1 = [t]http://i.imgur.com/sK8Cx.jpg[/t] page 2 = [t]http://i.imgur.com/O8Exe.jpg[/t]

[QUOTE=loopoo;38340023]Can anyone recommend me a good gaming mouse? Budget is ~$100, give or take $25 or so, maybe even more if your recommendation is astounding and you're genuinely in love with the mouse. I've currently got my eye on the R.A.T. 7's, and I've been itching to buy it, but holding off till I get a personal opinion from one of you guys. I just wanted to see if there are any gaming mice out there that completely wipe the floor with the R.A.T. 7's, for less, or slightly more more money. Like I said, I don't mind dishing out the money for a good, decent, quality gaming mouse. Also, I'm thinking of buying the Razer Vespula gaming mouse, good call or not?[/QUOTE] Razor deathadder, spend rest of budget on hookers and blackjack.

[QUOTE=hikula;38331030]How long do you think this SSD will last if I only install my OS on it (Windows 7 64-bit)? [url]http://www.kingston.com/en/ssd/hyperx#sh103s3[/url][/QUOTE] Anyone?

[QUOTE=hikula;38341004]Anyone?[/QUOTE] Plenty long enough.

So, I'm upgrading my cpu, ram, and case to this (around $400 budget): [t]http://imgur.com/OsJoT.png[/t] Case: [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139011[/url] RAM: [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314[/url] Mobo/CPU: [url]http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1100013[/url] I mostly going to use it for gaming and a little video editing/rendering. Here's my current specs just in case: [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/Hqf0m.png[/img]

[QUOTE=alien_guy;38339845]I have an intense hate of non power of two sizes of ram. multiples of six are acceptable though.[/QUOTE] I have 3.375 GB. Come at me bro.

I'm new to the whole "buying things" thing, approximately what date can I expect online computer related stores to start having black friday deals? Like, week ahead? Day of?

[QUOTE=hikula;38341004]Anyone?[/QUOTE] SSDs are at a point where you don't need to worry about them dying while they're still relevant. SSDeath won't happen until your SSD is so obsolete that people won't want to buy it anymore

I can't hook my laptop up to any external monitor. When I plug it in, the laptop's screen goes blank and the monitor just says "input not supported", even though it's a 1080p monitor, like my laptop. I've tried looking in every resolution setting imaginable, but it just keeps changing it when I plug it in. Is there a way to reset every resolution setting ever? EDIT: Okay, turns out my laptop has a keyboard shortcut (ctrl + alt + f3) to turn the built-in display off when hooked up to an external, which is why I couldn't change any of the settings, and the settings were set to "show desktop only on 1".

perss fn + f8 while it's plugged in until your monitor's back on and then set the display options through windows

I think this may be the wrong thread, but how long is the Never Settle bundle going on? I saw one source saying March 31st, 2013 and another one saying December 23rd, 2012.

Ever since I reformatted my PC whenever I try to overclock my Sapphire HD 6950 2GB with Trixx the clocks just go back as soon as I hit apply. I'm running the latest Catlyst drivers and this is perplexing to say the least. It also happens with MSI Afterburner so it's not a problem with Trixx.

[QUOTE=McGii;38338950][t]http://i.imgur.com/Vl087.png[/t] How do I fix this, I can't find shit in settings[/QUOTE] Please, this is really annoying

Is overclocking a laptop easy and relatively risk-free? My laptop should be arriving on Thursday, and I figured "Why not overclock the i7-3720QM from 2.6GHz to 3.6GHz, or less just to be safe (3.4GHz)" Would it be very difficult for me to do so? Of course, I don't want to fry my laptop on the first day I get it, so any advice would be appreciated.

A buddy of mine gave me an older Slimline HP computer that I want to turn into a media center. It has one standard, 3-section PCI slot. Does anyone make a low-profile graphics card with an HDMI output that will fit?

[QUOTE=loopoo;38348670]Is overclocking a laptop easy and relatively risk-free? My laptop should be arriving on Thursday, and I figured "Why not overclock the i7-3720QM from 2.6GHz to 3.6GHz, or less just to be safe (3.4GHz)" Would it be very difficult for me to do so? Of course, I don't want to fry my laptop on the first day I get it, so any advice would be appreciated.[/QUOTE] You want to increase by 1ghz on a laptop, are you mad. Ive only over clocked my i5 by .5ghz and that's got a big ass cooler on it, plus the gain isn't really enough for it to be worthwhile anyway.