[Nikki Lawrence]

I could still be a RAM problem. Usually when you get artifacts during POST and its the RAM, the computer it will lock up.

Well I got my RMA filled out and need to wait a couple days for it to be processed. I really would like to be able to use the computer but it is currently impossible unless anyone has ideas for what to try. I am currently on my laptop though so I do have access to a system just not alot of my data.

If I don't get the card covered under warranty or then send me something of less performance should I get http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130339 card? It is not too much more expensive and should give me slightly better performance.

My system is as follows:

-Gigabyte P35C-DS3R motherboard
-Intel Core 2 Duo e6750 (~2.7ghz)
-4gb DDR2 RAM
-Creative Audigy 2 PCI soundcard
-Enermax Infiniti 650W PSU

Edit: I also found http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130563 which is not too much more but may be a better performance boost and would be able to use it when I upgrade the system.

[Nany Smith]

Anyone here have any experience with HIS graphics cards? I'm looking at getting a HD 5850 and the HIS is the best deal at the minute. Are they generally pretty reputable?

[Crystal Clarke]

Anyone here have any experience with HIS graphics cards? I'm looking at getting a HD 5850 and the HIS is the best deal at the minute. Are they generally pretty reputable?

Both of my HIS 4890s are very good, I had a problem with the fan and contacted them (around September last year) and they replaced it for only a small shipping cost. Make sure to register your card in the first 30 days of purchase though. Other then that, they are a really good company IMO.

[Amy Smith]

My 8800GTS 640MB died on me at the weekend and it doesn't seem like it's going to be covered by the warranty, so I'm after a replacement. At this stage the 8800 was probably the weakest of my components anyway as I recently upgraded my motherboard and processor (AMD Phenom II x4 955) and got 4GB of DDR3 RAM. I've been looking at an ATI 5770 and 5850. Is the 5850 worth the extra cost over the 5770?

If you don't want to spend that much extra for the 5850, look into the GTX 460...Nvidia did something right with this one and in some cases it comes close to the 5850 in performance but costs quite a bit less.

[Ann Church]

Both of my HIS 4890s are very good, I had a problem with the fan and contacted them (around September last year) and they replaced it for only a small shipping cost. Make sure to register your card in the first 30 days of purchase though. Other then that, they are a really good company IMO.

Good to hear. I definitely plan on registering it ASAP just in case something goes wrong.

If you don't want to spend that much extra for the 5850, look into the GTX 460...Nvidia did something right with this one and in some cases it comes close to the 5850 in performance but costs quite a bit less.

I was looking at the GTX 460, and it is pretty well priced, but the HD 5850 seems to be considerably better in terms of performance, so I think it might be worth the extra money. The ATI cards seem to run cooler and consume less energy which is also attractive. I'll have to do a bit more comparing of prices before I make a final decision.

[EDIT]: I'm quite tempted by the 1GB GTX 460 now, it's pretty nicely priced. The only problem is that they seem to be out of stock everywhere right now. Oh well, I can wait for a while. At least it'll give me time to make sure I'm making the right choice.

[Thema]

Right click>My Computer>Manage>Event Viewer it's all in there.

Also, un-tick "Automatically Restart". That will allow you to see the BSOD screen and the cause of the issue.

Great! Thanks for that :goodjob:

[carrie roche]

Does anyone know of any hardware accelerated video encoding/transcoding software that will work on my ATI 4890s? I transcode a lot of 720p and 1080p videos from .mkv to .mp4 using Handbrake, and I love it.......although it doesnt take advantage of my GPUs. With my CPU it doesnt take too long to transcode a video. I get about 40-60FPS average when encoding, but hardware acceleration would be better, especially since ATI released 10.7 Catalyst drivers. Any recommendations? Free if possible, but if there is a really good one that I have to pay for, I will consider it.

Edit-ATI always advertises Cyberlink Power DVD to me, does anyone know if its good?

[Philip Rua]

My PC uses low-profile components, does this mean the CPU needs to be small-form? Or is there no such thing?

I might upgrade the processor.

http://www.foxconnchannel.com/product/motherboards/detail_overview.aspx?ID=en-us0000327

Will I be able to upgrade to an i5?

[flora]

The i5 uses a different processor socket. The best you can go for is a Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad.

[Dalia]

What about the low profile thing?

[Isaac Saetern]

Yeah, in order to get an i5, you would have to get a new motherboard.

edit-There is no such thing as a low profile CPU. (There is a different manufacturing process, like 45nm and 32nm but that doesnt matter here). Its the socket that counts here.

[remi lasisi]

There are no low-profile CPUs. Your motherboard is socket LGA 775 and will support up to Core 2 Quad line of CPUs. http://www.foxconnsupport.com/cpusupportlist.aspx?type=mb&socket=Socket%20775&model=G33M-S&cputype=Intel is a list of supported CPUs, the Q9650/QX9650 being the best.

What would you be upgrading from (current CPU, rest of your PC's hardware)?

[Steve Bates]

Would it work if you converted it to RS-232 or USB? Hmm, unless the application doesn't work with non LPT printers.

I ended up having to buy an adapter, which solved the problem kinda. Now Virtual PC isn't automatically connecting to the printer and I have to manually attach the USB device in order to print, which means seamless mode can't be used. It is far from an elegant solution. I was able to talk them through the steps to reattach the printer in virtual PC, but I was wondering if anyone knows a way to automatically have virtual PC attach a device on loading?

[Ricky Meehan]

Aaaaah, HELP!

My internet has been flaking out since yesterday. I get stay online for about 5 to 10 minutes, then the Internet stops working. My dad did some hunting around and seems to have fixed it, except it happened again this afternoon after browsing for a few hours. Not only does this problem affect me, but also everyone else's computers, too.

Does the router driver need to be update or something? How does that happen? I've tried googling the problem, but I don't know what to do. It's Windows XP 64-bit with SP2. Is the problem on my end, or my service provider? What diagnostic programs can I use to figure out what's going on? (e.g. command line prompts, etc.). I've been running my anti virus (AVG) and Spybot, but they haven't detected any problems.

[Nicola]

Aaaaah, HELP!

My internet has been flaking out since yesterday. I get stay online for about 5 to 10 minutes, then the Internet stops working. My dad did some hunting around and seems to have fixed it, except it happened again this afternoon after browsing for a few hours. Not only does this problem affect me, but also everyone else's computers, too.

Does the router driver need to be update or something? How does that happen? I've tried googling the problem, but I don't know what to do. It's Windows XP 64-bit with SP2. Is the problem on my end, or my service provider? What diagnostic programs can I use to figure out what's going on? (e.g. command line prompts, etc.). I've been running my anti virus (AVG) and Spybot, but they haven't detected any problems.

Did you try to reboot the modem and router? I had a problem like that about a month and half ago, it went on for about 2 weeks and then fixed itself automatically. Are you wireless? If so, does it keep the connection to the computers that are hardwired?

[Ruben Bernal]

Did you try to reboot the modem and router? I had a problem like that about a month and half ago, it went on for about 2 weeks and then fixed itself automatically. Are you wireless? If so, does it keep the connection to the computers that are hardwired?

I've unplugged and plugged back in the linksys wireless transmitter thiny. :unsure: I'm not too smart when it comes to identifying these things. The LAN still works, and when I looked at my connections in the network connections, it didn't report any problems. I'm sorry that's not much help - what programs can I use to try to get more information?

EDIT: yes, I have a wireless connection - an Ethernet. The other thing the Network Connections shows is something called a Net Adapter.

[Jessica Raven]

I've unplugged and plugged back in the linksys wireless transmitter thiny. :unsure: I'm not too smart when it comes to identifying these things. The LAN still works, and when I looked at my connections in the network connections, it didn't report any problems. I'm sorry that's not much help - what programs can I use to try to get more information?

EDIT: yes, I have a wireless connection - an Ethernet. The other thing the Network Connections shows is something called a Net Adapter.

But do the wired computers keep connection while your wireless one drops, or do all the computers drop connection?

Edit-ATI always advertises Cyberlink Power DVD to me, does anyone know if its good?

I've used it before, it's decent from what I remember. I don't remember anything standing out though. Did you check to see if there was a trial?

[GabiiE Liiziiouz]

I've unplugged and plugged back in the linksys wireless transmitter thiny. :unsure: I'm not too smart when it comes to identifying these things. The LAN still works, and when I looked at my connections in the network connections, it didn't report any problems. I'm sorry that's not much help - what programs can I use to try to get more information?

EDIT: yes, I have a wireless connection - an Ethernet. The other thing the Network Connections shows is something called a Net Adapter.

I have a Linksys Wireless router.... So I recommend unplugging the router for a second or two whenever you have connection problems..
I have a wrt150N or something like that....

~~~~

Also my question is Teh EVGA 4-WAY SLI Classified any good as in any known problems and such as I am thinking of taking advantage of the rebate for a future computer upgrade along with a new case.

[Beat freak]

Technically, if the system was very limited on space it could use a mobile CPU (low power). Those need less bulky HSF.... but this doesn't apply here...


*don't mind me*

[Stephanie Valentine]

Well it seems to be ok, I just panicked because after I saw the message, I googled it and was met with a host of information describing it as a problem, and how to fix it. I keep my laptop plugged in when I use it, but unplug it after I shut it off.

What are some good habits to keeping a battery in good shape?

[Stat Wrecker]

Can anyone recommend a good laptop with a fast processor for around $500? I plan on using it for music related programs, schoolwork, and some gaming (games like EU3, and Half life).

Thanks!

[Charity Hughes]

I had to reinstall Win XP this week, the full format took nearly 9 hours and at the end there was the message that setup had failed to format the disk, which is a 500 Gb Seagate. So I just did a quick format which worked OK and installed windows. A chdsk found no problem though.

Is that failed format a sign that the HD is wonky? I've had to reinstall windows 4-5 times over the past several months when windows refused to load. Never did find out where the instablity was.

[CArla HOlbert]

Standard practice.

1. Don't leave it plugged in after it's fully charged.

2. Regularly run the battery down to nothing (or as close as you can without the device powering down).

Regular full charging and discharging keeps most batteries healthy.

[Vivien]

I hope I'm thinking of the right thing here.

If you have a "low profile" system, that means you don't have that much vertical clearance within the case ("vertical" as being perpendicular to the horizon of the motherboard). This pretty much affects everything you put into the system because most hardware is designed for standard "height" cases.

Your CPU itself will never have a problem if the MB will fit in the case you are using. Your problem is heatsink/fan options. The best cooling options are huge and barely fit in a standard case. You want to make sure whatever heatsink/fan combo you buy will work in a "low profile" case. The stock heatsink/fan that comes with the retail package CPU might work, but better heatsinks can be found in the aftermarket products.

[Nicola]

Nothing certain. A full format of 500GB is probably outside what the install OS is designed to handle...so you get an error. Quick format just does what is needed to start using the HDD.

Install a utility designed to do a quality HDD scan and run it under the system OS. You should get a more consistent result. If you get errors, and the HDD is under warranty, get a replacement.