The "Quick Questions that does not Deserve a Thread"...Thread. V4
7,787 replies, posted
Alright I just bought a new MSI laptop and installed an SSD. The SSD is too small to clone the entire windows drive, so I thought I'd just re-install windows 8.1, but there is no windows disk and I can't seem to locate my windows activation key on the laptop.
Advice?
[QUOTE=EagleEye;45702110]Alright I just bought a new MSI laptop and installed an SSD. The SSD is too small to clone the entire windows drive, so I thought I'd just re-install windows 8.1, but there is no windows disk and I can't seem to locate my windows activation key on the laptop.
Advice?[/QUOTE]
Download the Windows 8.1 install utility from Microsoft.com, it lets you install it to a USB.
Also as far as the key goes, most new laptops have the key basically coded into the motherboard.
Thanks guys, I guess things have changed in the laptop world in the past 4 years
Actually that didn't work, the windows 8.1 install utility requires a retail product key to work.
Is there any way to create just a windows 8.1 installer disk? I've never had this much difficulty installing an OS on an SSD
Lmao it looks like the only way to do a clean installation of windows 8.1 is by a recovery disk that has to be sent by msi what a joke
Have you checked underneath the battery, if it's removable?
I'm surprised you don't have a big ol' block of stickers on the bottom of the thing... Did they stop doing that?
[QUOTE=EagleEye;45703434]Actually that didn't work, the windows 8.1 install utility requires a retail product key to work.
Is there any way to create just a windows 8 installer disk? I've never had this much difficulty installing an OS on an SSD
Lmao it looks like the only way to do a clean installation of windows 8 is by a recovery disk that has to be sent by msi what a joke[/QUOTE]
Did you system come with 8? An 8 key won't work with an 8.1 installer. I'm sure you can get an 8 one.
Yeah the bottom of my laptop is bare. The serial number was under the battery compartment, and I had to use a third party .exe to get my product key, which is 'not a valid retail key' whatever the fuck that means
No my laptop came with 8.1 pre-installed. Sorry I'm referring to windows 8 and 8.1 as the same thing
What's a good USB wireless adapter? I think the place I'm moving to only has wifi.
[QUOTE=EagleEye;45703464]Yeah the bottom of my laptop is bare. The serial number was under the battery compartment, and I had to use a third party .exe to get my product key, which is 'not a valid retail key' whatever the fuck that means
No my laptop came with 8.1 pre-installed. Sorry I'm referring to windows 8 and 8.1 as the same thing[/QUOTE]
That's because the key that came with your laptop is an OEM key, not a retail one. It won't activate by standard means. Your laptop may have already been upgraded to Windows 8.1, but its actually a Windows 8 key on the mobo. Make sure you have tried a Windows 8 installer.
How it will normally work, is that you install Windows, it detects the key, and activates on its own, and that's that. You never even see a prompt about activation or your key. You can use a retail copy of Windows to install with an OEM key, but you do need use the exact version of Windows that key corresponds with. 8 and 8.1 have two different keys schemes.
[editline]16th August 2014[/editline]
[QUOTE=Zeke129;45704670]What's a good USB wireless adapter? I think the place I'm moving to only has wifi.[/QUOTE]
If this is for a standard desktop, consider getting a PCIe adapter. They tend to have more robust chipsets, and much better antennas.
I personally have an ASUS PCE-N15 that I have in my desktop when Ethernet isn't available. Tends to have great signal and the antennas are replaceable if you need something stronger.
Agree on all points Demache made for both replies.
[QUOTE=Demache;45704762]
If this is for a standard desktop, consider getting a PCIe adapter. They tend to have more robust chipsets, and much better antennas.
I personally have an ASUS PCE-N15 that I have in my desktop when Ethernet isn't available. Tends to have great signal and the antennas are replaceable if you need something stronger.[/QUOTE]
Sounds good, it has good reviews too. Since the antennas are replaceable I assume you can just remove them when you don't need wireless? (So you don't have something sticking out of the back of the PC when you have to move it, etc)
I likely won't find out whether there's ethernet or not before I move so I might just be stuck tethering with my phone for a while after moving.
[QUOTE=Zeke129;45708349]Sounds good, it has good reviews too. Since the antennas are replaceable I assume you can just remove them when you don't need wireless? (So you don't have something sticking out of the back of the PC when you have to move it, etc)
I likely won't find out whether there's ethernet or not before I move so I might just be stuck tethering with my phone for a while after moving.[/QUOTE]
I generally don't remove them unless I'm sticking it in my car or something. I'm bound to lose them otherwise. It doesn't hurt to have them attached anyways.
Will I really benefit much from going Intel (not getting anything below a 4770k since I need to extra threads) compared to my current system? Or would I benefit more in spending my money on a much better GPU? Only reason why I have this GPU is because my previous one died and I needed something quick.
FX 8350 (OC'd to 4.3 on air)
8GB of 1600MHz RAM, OC'd to the max the system will allow (1866)
Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3 Rev. 4
Gigabyte Geforce 750ti Windforce 2GB (doesn't draw power from just the PCI express interface like the original design)
750watt PSU
[QUOTE=ghost901;45709538]Will I really benefit much from going Intel (not getting anything below a 4770k since I need to extra threads) compared to my current system? Or would I benefit more in spending my money on a much better GPU? Only reason why I have this GPU is because my previous one died and I needed something quick.
FX 8350 (OC'd to 4.3 on air)
8GB of 1600MHz RAM, OC'd to the max the system will allow (1866)
Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3 Rev. 4
Gigabyte Geforce 750ti Windforce 2GB (doesn't draw power from just the PCI express interface like the original design)
750watt PSU[/QUOTE]
That would all depend on what you do with your system. If you game heavily or do other graphics-intensive applications, then a better card would be in order. Otherwise, if you need more threads as you said then it'd be better to get a 4770k, however that would also entail a new motherboard because intel uses different sockets than AMD.
[QUOTE=papkee;45709632]That would all depend on what you do with your system. If you game heavily or do other graphics-intensive applications, then a better card would be in order. Otherwise, if you need more threads as you said then it'd be better to get a 4770k, however that would also entail a new motherboard because intel uses different sockets than AMD.[/QUOTE]Yes I know that but, would the difference be worth it? Considering I will be doing a lot of game streaming and very heavy multitasking.
If you replaced the CPU you'd get much better multitasking performance, and the addition of extra threads and more cores could also slightly improve your gaming performance as well, or at least eliminate any bottlenecking that the AMD CPU was causing, if any.
"Worth it" is very opinionated and the decision really comes down to if you want better multitasking or gaming.
[QUOTE=ghost901;45709773]Yes I know that but, would the difference be worth it? Considering I will be doing a lot of game streaming and very heavy multitasking.[/QUOTE]
You're asking a somewhat loaded question.
[url=http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/697?vs=836]Benchmarking a 4770K against an 8350, the 4770K wins every time.[/url]. Sometimes by a substantial margin. Even on the video and gaming stuff you seem to think AMD is better for. I could post a long explanation about how that is when looking at the simple specs you'd think they'd be about equal, but the facts are, the 4770K is faster.
However, that's not itself an answer. You're comparing a $200 processor to a $300 processor, one that also involves switching motherboards. So that's easily a cost of $500 to you (minus selling the AMD parts, if you choose).
Is that enough of a performance improvement for the price? You're the only one who can answer that, unless you want to share the full details of your financial situation with us.
Honestly, I would ask first if what you currently have is holding you back in any way. Is there something you want to do that you can't because of your CPU? If not, don't bother upgrading.
Has anyone got any suggestions for a case for my Z2? Preferably something I can order from within Canada. Price range is 20-30 dollars.
[QUOTE=papkee;45710084]If you replaced the CPU you'd get much better multitasking performance, and the addition of extra threads and more cores could also slightly improve your gaming performance as well, or at least eliminate any bottlenecking that the AMD CPU was causing, if any.
"Worth it" is very opinionated and the decision really comes down to if you want better multitasking or gaming.[/QUOTE]
He wouldn't be gaining any threads
Is it worth getting a computer now with windows 8.1 or should I wait on windows 9?
[QUOTE=Levelog;45710853]He wouldn't be gaining any threads[/QUOTE]
Whoops, meant cache not threads. :P
[QUOTE=Icejjfish;45711514]Is it worth getting a computer now with windows 8.1 or should I wait on windows 9?[/QUOTE]
8.1 is fine, and if speculation is to be believed 9 will be a free upgrade for you.
[QUOTE=Icejjfish;45711514]Is it worth getting a computer now with windows 8.1 or should I wait on windows 9?[/QUOTE]
Windows 9 probably won't be out for a few more years. If you're going to upgrade, you might as well go to 8.1 now.
[QUOTE=Lordgeorge16;45711959]Windows 9 probably won't be out for a few more years. If you're going to upgrade, you might as well go to 8.1 now.[/QUOTE]
2015 is a few years?
[QUOTE=Lordgeorge16;45711959]Windows 9 probably won't be out for a few more years. If you're going to upgrade, you might as well go to 8.1 now.[/QUOTE]
Most likely next year or 2016 it'll be released.
[QUOTE=MasterFen006;45711954]8.1 is fine, and [B][I][U]if speculation is to be believed 9 will be a free upgrade for you[/U][/I][/B].[/QUOTE]
It better be.
[QUOTE=kimr120;45712169]Most likely next year or 2016 it'll be released.[/QUOTE]
The preview is coming out next month
At that rate, definately won't be in preview for over a year
Probably Q2
So I'm building a computer ([url=http://pcpartpicker.com/p/rFm26h]part list here[/url] ) and I was wondering how to go about powering those 2 additional case fans. Do I need a fan controller?
This is my first build so I don't know all that much
Your motherboard has 5 fan headers so you should be fine.
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