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Well, yes. however the benefit of paying extra for faster memory when the board won't be able to access the increased speed escapes me. However, based on Tom's hardware, the benefit of memory speed is fairly marginal.
I've also decided to change the power supply.
Corsair CMPSU-600CX 600W
Too many advice places concerns about unstable power supply and a dearth of reviews of CiT have made me decide that a branded version is a better idea.
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The wrist strap strikes me as a 'use once and never touch it again' item.
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It's also a "don't use it and that will be the time you wish you'd spent the $5" item.
Static damage is a finicky beast.
--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs
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It's an environmental dependent thing too. I've done a hardware refresh in a building, where on one floor regardless of shoe sole type etc... you take a couple of steps on the carpet and touch something metal - ZAP! On any other floor you were fine. It was just something to do with that one floor.
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I'm considerring changing the motherboard slightly to the PH67a version, as it has USB 3.
The higher class motherboards seem more designed for overclockers, with features i won't need . . . I think.
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Jinx - if I may, mayke sure the case has a 'large dust' filter on all air intakes. It cuts down the amount of cleaning you have to do massively, and is a very minor reduction on airflow.
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I believe it does and a quick check confirmed it.
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I noticed that the added fan and the optical drive had a £5 "postage" fee. So I didn't get the fan and changed the drive to a 24x Sony model that was both cheaper and didn't. I have now ordered the parts. I really hope nothing goes wrong and I haven't made any major mistakes.
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Thank you very much for your help, everybody.
You've definitely been more helpful than the forums dedicated to computer building I tried to join.
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Yeah, look at HardOCP's Hardforum..
a wretched hive of scum and villainy. Compared to them, we're a more elegant forum, for a civilized age
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies
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Sorry to bother you again. I was wondering if anyone could recomend, preferably online:
1) Software for testing computer hardware and making sure everything's fine. Ideally something that I could use before installing my OS.
2) A guide to using/tweaking Windows 7, when you're used to XP.
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I can't think of anything to check out your hardware. I may just not know of any, but I figure if you can POST then there's really no way to know if something's going to break down a few days/weeks into the deal (Barring the obvious visual deformity). If you want an OS-before-you-install-an-OS, grab a Ubuntu LiveCD (the only OS-on-a-stick I know of) and set the BIOS to boot from it. I figure if things come up, you're as good to go as you can be.
---
The Master said: "It is all in vain! I have never yet seen a man who can perceive his own faults and bring the charge home against himself."
>Analects: Book V, Chaper XXVI
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Not really. Or at least not when I used to do techie stuff back in the day (we're also talking 15 years ago).
Ankh's Idea will probobly work, though I dont understand what exactly your looking to do at that stage.
Hear that thunder rolling till it seems to split the sky?
That's every ship in Grayson's Navy taking up the cry-
NO QUARTER!!!
-- "No Quarter", by Echo's Children
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As for the XP/7 difference - dive in. Snag a copy of Windows 7 for Dummies, or the Missing Manual.
http://www.amazon.com/Win...F8&qid=1303745738&sr=8-1
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies
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I'm not entirely sure, but one of the many guides to building a PC I found online suggested checking things out then. I think, having done a little searching, that the software they must have been referring to was Memtest. Not sure if it's necessary, but might be worth it.
The Missing Manual looks interesting. I'll want to check a local bookshop, so I can browse a bit.
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What you're looking to do is called a 'burn-in test', and is of debatable necessity. Google "free burn-in test software" for a listing. I've used PassMark in the past and can vouch for their trustworthiness, but they're not free. The rest are unknowns to me.
In my experience, though, here's the thing: a burn-in test period is only useful in large-scale environments, when you're deploying, say, 100 PCs over the weekend and they need to be absolutely rock-steady as of Monday 8am. For the home user, though, if you're using it as a gaming machine, then you're going to stress-test it anyway well within the warranty period of any of the components (the CPU, for example, often only has a 30-day warranty if you've purchased it OEM and installed it yourself).
If you're paranoid, a quick memory test (Memtest works) and maybe leaving it running a high-intensity game until the temperature stops climbing are good tests. If the temp passes safe limits, if you blue-screen/crash/etc, or if the magic smoke comes out, you've found a bad component.
--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs
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pursuant to that, I thermal-shutdowned my compy this weekend. I was like O_O and @_@, but then I did my basic diagnostics, removed the packet of paperwork that had gotten wedged against the exhaust fans, and let it cool for an hour.
Problem solved, and boy did I feel stupid.
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
From NGE: Nobody Dies, by Gregg Landsman
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5579457/1/NGE_Nobody_Dies
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I once got some thermal shutdowns with my current computer. However, I didn't realise it was due to thermal conditions and associated it with a microsoft update I'd just done. It took me a while to work out what was going on and unjam the extraction fan.
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The one test thing I can think of that might be useful is booting off an Ubuntu Live-CD and choosing the Memory Test option. Other than that, you'll probably spot anything else in not too long. But being sure that the memory is good off the bat would be good since memory issues can sometimes be nasty subtle things.
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Jinx999 Wrote:I once got some thermal shutdowns with my current computer. However, I didn't realise it was due to thermal conditions and associated it with a microsoft update I'd just done. It took me a while to work out what was going on and unjam the extraction fan. My last computer had temp issue that originally manifested as nothing of the sort: my monitor went blank. At first I thought it obviously either the monitor or video card, but I noticed that it only happened after the computer had been running for a while and went away if I let it sit powered-down for a couple hours. So, I opened the case while the computer was running and noticed the cpu cooling fan wasn't moving. Cue one fan replacement later, my video issues went away (and the core operating temp dropped ~30 degrees).
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My PC desktop has a 2.something Ghz CPU, 2 gigs of RAM, and a (currently crappy and out of date) AGP graphics card.
OS is Windows 2000.
Recommendations to update this into something CoX-worthy for less than, say, $300?
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.
paladindythe
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Quote:ECSNorway wrote:
My PC desktop has a 2.something Ghz CPU, 2 gigs of RAM, and a (currently crappy and out of date) AGP graphics card.
OS is Windows 2000.
Recommendations to update this into something CoX-worthy for less than, say, $300?
Ouch. That's a real toughie. You can hunt for deals on newegg.com. If you're vigiliant, you can get 4GB of memory for ~$40, a processor and motherboard for about $140, and a Radeon HD 4650 for a video card , for about $40. Some of these prices are after a mail-in rebate.
You'd probably also want a newish HD if your current one is
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Hm. The suggestions given to me by the usual gang of tech-guys in my build-up should help.
Also, unless I'm mistaken (which I very well may be), your recovery disk for Win2K should work for a new build until you can scratch up the green stamps for Win 7.
Another important point: Cannibalize as much of your old set-up as is feasible. I was unable as I'd pretty much promised my Dad my old box when my new one got built and he'd promised HIS old box to my sister. And I wound up spending a good chunk of change more than I'd intended on my case.
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them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''
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Yeah. Either way it's gonna have to wait until my Uncle Obama Theft Refund Check hits, but still. Be nice to be able to play with pretty graphics.
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Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.
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