The "Quick Questions That Don't Deserve A Thread"...Thread. v5 - Hardware & Software

[QUOTE=gman003-main;49397537][url=http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/102?vs=1544]Benchmarks say yes[/url], although there aren't too many people benchmarking those against each other.[/QUOTE] The 965 is five years old so I'd hope not. It's starting to show its age with new games. Thanks for the benchmark link

[QUOTE=~Kiwi~v2;49398298]fixed that with the prison state one Exploder [url]http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/seasonic-power-supply-ssr550rm[/url][/QUOTE] Can't wait for you guys to get a new flag.

[QUOTE=~Kiwi~v2;49398406]Fight me GoDong.[/QUOTE] What you really want the shire to be associated with a prison? Saruman lost that battle dude.

Yes

[QUOTE=~Kiwi~v2;49398406]Fight me GoDong.[/QUOTE] Wanna take it outside?!? I'll kick your kiwi ass. Either way, if you don't really have $150 lying around (I'll assume you haven't since the 6950 is a hand-me-down), I'd go for this one: [url]http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cmpsu500cxv3[/url] It's not fancy, but I think it's the cheapest you can go if you want two PCI-E 6-pin connectors (and you kinda do want two of those). Quality should be passable, and I don't think it'll blow up in your face. As alternatives, you could go for the CX430: [url]http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cmpsu430cxv3[/url] But you would need a 2X molex to PCI-E 6-pin adapter, so really the $10 you save isn't worth it. You could [I]maybe[/I] also get this: [url]http://au.pcpartpicker.com/part/antec-power-supply-vp500p[/url] I can't find any proper reviews of it (presumably because it's apparently made for the Indian market), but it's Antec and their budget range is at least decent in general.

[QUOTE=Levelog;49382813]If you wanna learn something and have a really powerful setup you could go for something like the [URL="http://www.balticnetworks.com/ubiquiti-unifi-security-gateway.html"]Ubiquiti USG[/URL] and an [URL="http://www.balticnetworks.com/ubiquiti-unifi-802-11ac-lite-indoor-2-4-5ghz-ap.html"]AC Lite AP[/URL]. You could also swap the USG for a cheaper Edgerouter X but they seem to be low on stock at the moment so the price is above the $50 it usually is. If you just want a plug and play you could go for an [URL="http://www.amazon.com/RT-AC68U-Wireless-AC1900-Dual-Band-Gigabit-Router/dp/B00FB45SI4/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1450984209&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+router"]ASUS AC68U[/URL] which is a pretty nice consumer router.[/QUOTE] Hey, thanks for the help. I've got one extra question though, how much would my ping in online games benefit from changing my router? My ping can go as low as 80 sometimes (rarely) but most of the time my ping is just unstable as fuck and can go up to 1000. I'm on a wired connection btw.

I got a microphone and it's too quiet, I checked the settings and it is on 100%, I reinstalled the drivers an nothing has changed. I took it back and got a new one but I felt terrible when I realized that it wasn't a problem with the microphone physically, still having the exact same problem.

[QUOTE=Daniel Smith;49399220]I got a microphone and it's too quiet, I checked the settings and it is on 100%, I reinstalled the drivers an nothing has changed. I took it back and got a new one but I felt terrible when I realized that it wasn't a problem with the microphone physically, still having the exact same problem.[/QUOTE] How much is the gain on your microphone settings on Windows? [editline]27th December 2015[/editline] And what were the two microphones you got?

[QUOTE=Havolis;49399285]How much is the gain on your microphone settings on Windows? [editline]27th December 2015[/editline] And what were the two microphones you got?[/QUOTE] 10.0+ Db

[QUOTE=Daniel Smith;49399318]That's not my biggest problem anymore, now I can't hear anything coming from my headphones or speakers, I have no idea what is going on.[/QUOTE] Theeeeen it's probably your onboard audio's fault. I'm going to ask again though, what mic are you using? Is it a USB mic?

[QUOTE=Havolis;49399444]Is it a USB mic?[/QUOTE] no, and I fixed that audio issue with the headphones and speakera

[QUOTE=Daniel Smith;49399500]no[/QUOTE] As I said, it's probably an issue with your onboard soundcard. Have you tried boosting the gain to see if there is a difference?

[QUOTE=Havolis;49399595]As I said, it's probably an issue with your onboard soundcard. Have you tried boosting the gain to see if there is a difference?[/QUOTE] It does work a bit, but when I do that the background noise becomes loud and static, just barely helping much. Boost goes up to 30.0+ Db though

[QUOTE=Daniel Smith;49399955]It does work a bit, but when I do that the background noise becomes loud and static, just barely helping much. Boost goes up to 30.0+ Db though[/QUOTE] This will probably sound strange but check if your Nvidia and Realtek (or whatever audio drivers you have) drivers are up to date. If it doesn't work, then I think it's a problem with your onboard sound.

[QUOTE=Havolis;49398672]Hey, thanks for the help. I've got one extra question though, how much would my ping in online games benefit from changing my router? My ping can go as low as 80 sometimes (rarely) but most of the time my ping is just unstable as fuck and can go up to 1000. I'm on a wired connection btw.[/QUOTE] I guess it depends on where the issue is. If you can, plug directly into the modem when no one else needs to use the internet and see if the problem persists. If it does it isn't the router.

Do you guys think it would be better for my grandma to continue running Vista or Win 10 without a licence key?

[QUOTE=Levelog;49400302]I guess it depends on where the issue is. If you can, plug directly into the modem when no one else needs to use the internet and see if the problem persists. If it does it isn't the router.[/QUOTE] Please excuse my lack of knowledge in networking but I am still a bit confused in the difference between a modem and a router. I have a TP-Link WR740N router: [t]http://pineapple.my/image/data/TP-link/TL-WR740N/TL-WR740N-02.jpg[/t] But I don't have a seperate modem like this: [t]http://pc.net/images/db/cisco_cable_modem.png[/t] What does this mean? Can you take the time and explain me like I am 5?

[QUOTE=Havolis;49400448]Please excuse my lack of knowledge in networking but I am still a bit confused in the difference between a modem and a router. I have a TP-Link WR740N router: [t]http://pineapple.my/image/data/TP-link/TL-WR740N/TL-WR740N-02.jpg[/t] But I don't have a seperate modem like this: [t]http://pc.net/images/db/cisco_cable_modem.png[/t] What does this mean? Can you take the time and explain me like I am 5?[/QUOTE] A modem is where you plug in a coaxial cable or telephone jack wire into, and its purpose is to establish the internet connection itself. It handles the traffic going to and from the internet. A router handles all your local connections. Basically, the modem provides internet to your router, and your router serves that connection to all computers connected to the router. It [I]routes[/I] the connections to other computers. The router can also be used to go between individual computers directly, such as sharing a printer or folders in a Homegroup. Some modems have a built in router component, with wireless access point hardware as well. AT&T had us buy their all-in-one modem just to use the internet we pay for. It acts as a modem, router, and wireless access point all in one.

[QUOTE=Havolis;49400078]This will probably sound strange but check if your Nvidia and Realtek (or whatever audio drivers you have) drivers are up to date. If it doesn't work, then I think it's a problem with your onboard sound.[/QUOTE] AMD is up to date, and I forgot realtek existed for some reason, fixed the problem in realtek thanks

[QUOTE=Snickerdoodle;49400492]A modem is where you plug in a coaxial cable or telephone jack wire into, and its purpose is to establish the internet connection itself. It handles the traffic going to and from the internet. A router handles all your local connections. Basically, the modem provides internet to your router, and your router serves that connection to all computers connected to the router. It [I]routes[/I] the connections to other computers. The router can also be used to go between individual computers directly, such as sharing a printer or folders in a Homegroup. Some modems have a built in router component, with wireless access point hardware as well. AT&T had us buy their all-in-one modem just to use the internet we pay for. It acts as a modem, router, and wireless access point all in one.[/QUOTE] Ahhhh I understand now. If so, then my TP-Link router also acts as a modem because it has a telephone cable connected to it. Sooo will upgrading my router/modem improve my unstable ping in online games? Btw I play CS:GO, TF2, USFIV and Rocket League

[QUOTE=Havolis;49400537]Ahhhh I understand now. If so, then my TP-Link router also acts as a modem because it has a telephone cable connected to it. Sooo will upgrading my router/modem improve my unstable ping in online games? Btw I play CS:GO, TF2, USFIV and Rocket League[/QUOTE] I'm unsure of the quality of that modem/router, but if you're getting pings of 1000 sometimes, you may want to get a service guy from your ISP look at your lines nearby. We were having massive issues with our internet and we got a guy to finally look at our lines and something had heavily corroded so they replaced it.

[QUOTE=Havolis;49400448]Please excuse my lack of knowledge in networking but I am still a bit confused in the difference between a modem and a router. I have a TP-Link WR740N router: [t]http://pineapple.my/image/data/TP-link/TL-WR740N/TL-WR740N-02.jpg[/t] But I don't have a seperate modem like this: [t]http://pc.net/images/db/cisco_cable_modem.png[/t] What does this mean? Can you take the time and explain me like I am 5?[/QUOTE] A "modem" is technically just anything that converts a digital communications scheme into an analog communications scheme (it [I]mod[/I]ulates and [I]dem[/I]odulates a carrier wave), but in modern usage, it's what connects your local Ethernet connection to your WAN connection (DOCSIS, ADSL, or even dial-up if that's what you've got). A pure modem has only two ports - one for the LAN side, and one for the WAN side (internal/external, if you want to think of it that way). A router is a device that acts like a post office for internet packets - it has two or more ports [I]of the same type[/I]. Whenever a packet comes in, it will relay it on the port that the appropriate device is on. A switch is similar in effect, but instead of being smart enough to route only to the destination, it will rebroadcast the packet on [I]all[/I] ports, and rely on the other machines to ignore anything not addressed to it. Wired networks use them because they're cheaper and faster, but wireless networks use them because you actually can't send a wireless signal to only one client. That's the theory. Practice is a bit messier because you can have multiple devices packed into one. For example, my wireless router is actually three devices in one: 1) A router between the "to Internet" Ethernet port, and the other two devices 2) A four-port Ethernet switch 3) A WiFi switch It looks like your WR740N does the same basic thing as my wireless router - it's a combination of devices, but none of them are a modem. You can also find many devices that combine a modem and router, or modem, router, and switch, or even a modem, router, wired switch and wireless switch. I don't know how ISPs do things in Lebanon, but in the US, it's not uncommon for ISPs to install the modem inside a telco closet. So trace back the Ethernet cable from your router's "Internet" port, back to wherever it comes from. Your modem is somewhere along that line - but possibly somewhere outside your control.

[QUOTE=Snickerdoodle;49400548]I'm unsure of the quality of that modem/router, but if you're getting pings of 1000 sometimes, you may want to get a service guy from your ISP look at your lines nearby. We were having massive issues with our internet and we got a guy to finally look at our lines and something had heavily corroded so they replaced it.[/QUOTE] The modem/router is quite old and was considered low-end even back then. I'll see if I can ask the ISP guy to look at my lines, but if there's nothing I won't be surprised because internet in this country is fucking awful, even worse than what Australians get. Also to answer your own question, I've actually been running Windows 10 without a license key since I got it (had a license key back when I was on Windows 7 but not sure why I dont in Windows 10) and honestly there isn't much that bothers, other that I can't change my wallpaper from right clicking the desktop then clicking personalize, I have to save the picture I want, right click it, and set it as desktop background from there. There is also the "Activate Windows" watermark that only appears sometimes for me. But overall it doesn't bother me much. [editline]27th December 2015[/editline] [QUOTE=gman003-main;49400583]A "modem" is technically just anything that converts a digital communications scheme into an analog communications scheme (it [I]mod[/I]ulates and [I]dem[/I]odulates a carrier wave), but in modern usage, it's what connects your local Ethernet connection to your WAN connection (DOCSIS, ADSL, or even dial-up if that's what you've got). A pure modem has only two ports - one for the LAN side, and one for the WAN side (internal/external, if you want to think of it that way). A router is a device that acts like a post office for internet packets - it has two or more ports [I]of the same type[/I]. Whenever a packet comes in, it will relay it on the port that the appropriate device is on. A switch is similar in effect, but instead of being smart enough to route only to the destination, it will rebroadcast the packet on [I]all[/I] ports, and rely on the other machines to ignore anything not addressed to it. Wired networks use them because they're cheaper and faster, but wireless networks use them because you actually can't send a wireless signal to only one client. That's the theory. Practice is a bit messier because you can have multiple devices packed into one. For example, my wireless router is actually three devices in one: 1) A router between the "to Internet" Ethernet port, and the other two devices 2) A four-port Ethernet switch 3) A WiFi switch It looks like your WR740N does the same basic thing as my wireless router - it's a combination of devices, but none of them are a modem. You can also find many devices that combine a modem and router, or modem, router, and switch, or even a modem, router, wired switch and wireless switch. I don't know how ISPs do things in Lebanon, but in the US, it's not uncommon for ISPs to install the modem inside a telco closet. So trace back the Ethernet cable from your router's "Internet" port, back to wherever it comes from. Your modem is somewhere along that line - but possibly somewhere outside your control.[/QUOTE] Thanks for the long and informative answer. The ethernet cable from my router's internet port leads to a hole in the wall, next to an electric socket. I don't know what's next unfortunately, and I don't even know how it was setup because it was such a long time ago and I don't even remember being at home when the internet was set up.

Hey guys, I've got a .tar file with a lot of symlinks in it. Any way to extract those under Windows so they're actually links? Or even just so they're separate files. Nothing I've tried seems to do that.

My computer (first ever build) is in a five second boot loop with no POST. Troubleshooting has led me to believe the problem lies with either the CPU or the motherboard. I'm willing to bet it's the motherboard and not the CPU, so I think I might just head down to Micro Center to ask a guy about it and buy a better board. [editline]27th December 2015[/editline] What's a good motherboard in the $120-$150 range?

[QUOTE=BigJoeyLemons;49400926]My computer (first ever build) is in a five second boot loop with no POST. Troubleshooting has led me to believe the problem lies with either the CPU or the motherboard. I'm willing to bet it's the motherboard and not the CPU, so I think I might just head down to Micro Center to ask a guy about it and buy a better board. [editline]27th December 2015[/editline] What's a good motherboard in the $120-$150 range?[/QUOTE] For which socket? I like the deal I got on my GAZ170XP-SLI but I'm not sure what your CPU is.

Right, forgot that part. I'm using Intel i5 4690k, LGA1150 and a Nvidia GPU, so SLI-enabled would be nice [editline]27th December 2015[/editline] is it something like [URL="http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xgaming7"]this?[/URL]

[QUOTE=BigJoeyLemons;49400963]Right, forgot that part. I'm using Intel i5 4690k, LGA1150 and a Nvidia GPU, so SLI-enabled would be nice [editline]27th December 2015[/editline] is it something like [URL="http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-motherboard-gaz97xgaming7"]this?[/URL][/QUOTE] Yes gaming 5/7 are pretty much the best bang for buck boards out there.

My computer keeps "fixing my c: drive" (I see no problem with it) and every time it does that, it breaks an application that's on said drive. This time it broke Discord, and saying that "I don't have the current Microsoft NET framework", So I went to install the current version and... I already had it. I tried reinstalling Discord but I got the same message. Anyway to fix this bullshit?

I'm just reposting a question I asked earlier because it's still an issue that I am absolutely stumped on. [quote]I've been trying to update flash player by running the update installer, but when I open it, nothing happens. The cursor gets the little loading circle for about a split second before it disappears, and when I look at the processes in task manager there isn't any change (no process appears or disappears from the list) when I open the file. I've tried restarting and I'm really stumped as to what exactly is wrong. I've had this issue earlier with a spotify installer as well. I'm running Windows Vista 32-bit in case that matters.[/quote] I've also tried running as an admin to the same result.