Computer Question Thread

DarkDudeDarkDude Join Date: 2003-08-06 Member: 19088Members
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">For all the nubbies like myself...</div> You may have seen some of my other computer question posts, and if you did, you would know that I'm kind of a nub when it comes to computer hardware and software. I know the basics and some advanced stuff, but not much. Because of that, I have started this, the computer nubs question thread. It would really help clean up the Off-Topic boards a bit. Stay with me through the rules here, my question is at the bottom.

<u>Rules</u>

1. <u>No Off-Topic Conversations</u>- Keep them in other threads please.

2. <u>Only Ask Questions/Give Answers</u>- So if someone says "Buy x video card." do not come in and just say "x video card sux0rz!!1!". Provide a reason for its sux0rzness and recommend another option.

3. <u>Facts Only</u>- Opinions are good for lots of things, but please, only use facts here. So no "AMD pwnz you and Intel!" Back up that statement with some facts.

4. <u>No Debates</u>- Ties in with 1, 2, and 3. Please don't start debating about video cards, CPU's, or anything really. Answers and facts are welcomed, biased opinions are not.

5. <u>No "Should I Get This, Or That?" Questions</u>- You can make your own topic about these questions. Let's keep this topic focused on computer help. Not buying help, you can recommend a product, but please don't come in asking whether you should get x, or get y.

6. <u>No Serious Flaming</u>- This is pretty basic, but it seems like some people still don't understand the rule. Please, keep your flaming else where.

Well, there are some basic rules. They can be added on to if anybody sees fit. Hopefully this topic will help clean up some rubbish floating around the Off-Topic board and give people some assitance.

Now it's time for my question. Does the video card I buy have to match my motherboard? (all that for this little question? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> ) I'm getting an Asus mobo and I'm considering getting a Powercolor Radeon 9600 Pro. Do I need to get an Asus video card or will the Powercolor run fine on it?
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Comments

  • ObstObst Join Date: 2003-03-12 Member: 14436Members, Constellation
    A Powercolour card will run fine in an ASUS mobo. It doesn't depend on the manufacturer, it depends on what type of connection the parts use. The 3D card will most likely use AGP 8X, which is supported by all newer mobos, and as you plan on getting a mobo I think it will support it. And just a hint: If you can, get a Radeon 9500 Pro, they are slightly better than the 9600 pro but should cost the same, if you actually spot one, cause they are no longer being produced. If you don't want to look, it doesn't matter, it isn't UBER better, just a tad <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
    And Powercolour cards don't come with games and such, this it what makes them cheaper than many others, not the quality of the card, so don't let someone fool you by saying "The more it costs the better it is". Have a nice day!
    *huggles*
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  • UltimaGeckoUltimaGecko hates endnotes Join Date: 2003-05-14 Member: 16320Members
    Sure...questions, right:

    A while back ( I think on this board, but it's so obscure I don't know what to look for) I went to a internet connection testing thingy, that tells you your max upload and download speeds, your ping to various computers and lots of other info, and as an added plus, ways to improve your connection based on what it found.

    Well, seeing as my university's network just plain sucks, I figured I'd go looking for that site (I used it when this computer was on a different network).

    Or if someone just knows where a utility that can increase my performance by making my internet more efficient, that'd be nice too.

    Any help with that?
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  • SandrockSandrock Join Date: 2002-12-16 Member: 10905Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
    For the internet speed tests, check out the Speed Tests at <a href='http://www.dslreports.com/stest' target='_blank'>http://www.dslreports.com/stest</a>
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  • MulletMullet Join Date: 2003-04-28 Member: 15910Members, Constellation
    Fact : 56k is slow.
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  • SwiftspearSwiftspear Custim tital Join Date: 2003-10-29 Member: 22097Members
    thanx for clearing that one up mullet, it was to become a burden on my sholders <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • eedioteediot Join Date: 2003-02-24 Member: 13903Members
    Fact: You NEED to run your spybot and virus/spyware/adware tools EVERY DAY. Search for simple protection tools like 'Registry Protectors' and unobtrusive firewalls, etc.

    Fact: If you just spend the time [maybe one day when you're bored, and you get into a cleaning frenzy], organising your computer into specific folders is VERY VERY useful. Trust me.
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  • MulletMullet Join Date: 2003-04-28 Member: 15910Members, Constellation
    edited February 2004
    Fact : Staring at a monitor for too long can actually ruin your vision, slowly but surely. It's recommended to look away at somthing in the distance (10-30 feet) so your eyes can focus on somthing else every 20-30 minutes for about 1 minute at a time. Well that's what the eye doctor dude said... <!--emo&:0--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wow.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wow.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • CobyCoby Join Date: 2002-11-11 Member: 8210Members
    My D harddrive has gone mad...

    First, my C: drive is a 20GB, a bit older harddrive with all installed programs and WindowsXP boot stuff. D: Drive is about a year old 80Gb Maxtor HD
    One sunny day I noticed that while <b>WinXP Pro </b>was starting up, it had to do an integrity check to drive D. It did one, found bad indexes, fixed, booted up normally.
    Everything runs normally, I can access the HardDrive, I can start executables in D I can do anything to D except for a defragging which it needs, badly.
    D, according to winxp needs an integrity check <b>during every boot up</b>, but doesn't have anything to be fixed.

    Now here is where the trouble kicks in: I can not do a HD Format because 1.) I have no way to back up the stuff in it, and most of it is stuff I'd never get back if needed and 2.) my games are installed to that HD so if I format, the installations go to hell.

    So, got any clue? Ask me more info if needed, I'd be glad to get ANY help with this one, thanks.
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  • HawkeyeHawkeye Join Date: 2002-10-31 Member: 1855Members
    Not to be a nit-picky butt, but...

    <!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->5. No "Should I Get This, Or That?" Questions- You can make your own topic about these questions. Let's keep this topic focused on computer help. Not buying help, you can recommend a product, but please don't come in asking whether you should get x, or get y.

    Now it's time for my question. Does the video card I buy have to match my motherboard? (all that for this little question?  ) I'm getting an Asus mobo and I'm considering getting a Powercolor Radeon 9600 Pro. Do I need to get an Asus video card or will the Powercolor run fine on it? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
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  • DarkDudeDarkDude Join Date: 2003-08-06 Member: 19088Members
    Well, I guess my question does kind of break a rule, but it was less about Powercolor vs. Asus and more about whether a Powercolor card would work on an Asus motherboard.

    Another question though, would it be better to get two 256 mb sticks of RAM, or one 512 mb stick? Obviously a 512 stick would be better if I ever wanted to add more RAM, (I've only got 2 RAM slots) but I'm not going to do that for awhile. So is there a real performance difference between one 512 stick and two 256 sticks?
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  • HawkeyeHawkeye Join Date: 2002-10-31 Member: 1855Members
    Of course it depends on what you do with your computer. Of course, if you're going to use it for basically anything other than gaming, you're probably going to see no performance difference between 256 and 512. Of course, that isn't why people get extra RAM. They get it for the gaming.

    Then it even depends on the game. 256 is fine for most games nowadays. Even half-life and quake3 aren't going to see a performance increase. However, with half-life 2 and doom3 coming on the shelves, there will be a significant performance increase there. We're probably talking about a difference of 10-30 frames per second. Of course how much difference relies on your card. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    So much depends on so much else you see. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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  • JimmehJimmeh Join Date: 2003-08-24 Member: 20173Members, Constellation
    <!--QuoteBegin-Hawkeye+Feb 2 2004, 09:12 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Hawkeye @ Feb 2 2004, 09:12 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Of course it depends on what you do with your computer. Of course, if you're going to use it for basically anything other than gaming, you're probably going to see no performance difference between 256 and 512. Of course, that isn't why people get extra RAM. They get it for the gaming.

    Then it even depends on the game. 256 is fine for most games nowadays. Even half-life and quake3 aren't going to see a performance increase. However, with half-life 2 and doom3 coming on the shelves, there will be a significant performance increase there. We're probably talking about a difference of 10-30 frames per second. Of course how much difference relies on your card. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->

    So much depends on so much else you see. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Unless your using XP. whereas 512mb is pretty much the minimum as XP uses up alot, even on old games like Half-Life
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  • DarkDudeDarkDude Join Date: 2003-08-06 Member: 19088Members
    edited February 2004
    I'm in VERY painful need of RAM right now, I've only got 256mb, I'm running XP, and the worst part is: I've got Intel Extreme Graphics whichs uses system RAM, because of that I really only have 192mb of RAM.

    Luckly I'm getting a nice, new 9600XT and some more RAM. I just need to decide whether it's worth the cost of getting a 512mb stick to go along with my 256mb stick. I'll probably get the 512mb RAM to go along with my 256mb's if I have the money for it. Thanks for the help.
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  • JimmehJimmeh Join Date: 2003-08-24 Member: 20173Members, Constellation
    If your using DDR ram, if possible make sure the new chip you buy is the same speed as your old
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  • CobyCoby Join Date: 2002-11-11 Member: 8210Members
    *bump*

    Help <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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