Hardware and Software Discussion, For bragging about your PC, or if your 'puter is misbehaving. Options

[Thomas Kaira]

Due to some recent hardware woes being experienced here, I've decided it might be time to open a thread dedicated to PC Hardware. If you have questions about what to buy, are having system problems, or just want to brag about your PC, all that is most welcome here.

To begin, a response to mALX's recent BSOD issues:

PFN_LIST_CORRUPT means that something (usually a hardware driver) is screwing around with the Page Frame Database (which in layman's terms is how Windows keeps track of paged memory, or memory being used by applications, drivers, etc.). Given your experiences, it sounds like perhaps your GPU drivers are what's causing the breakdowns.

Problem is, the drivers you have are completely compatible with your card, so I am inclined to believe that this may be a warning sign that your GPU is dying.

Have you been having any other problems related to your GPU, like overheating?

[Thomas Kaira]

A power supply will also degenerate over time and provide less power. If your power supply is 3 years old, for example, it may only be capable of providing 380 Watts (rough estimate).

My computer is equipped with a 1000 Watt supply to keep this from being a problem. If you do need to get a new GPU, I would also suggest upgrading to something around a 600 Watt PSU. That doesn't require a whole new PC, you just need to unplug and replug everything the PSU is providing for.

However, there is one outlying question I need answered: Is your motherboard PCI-Express 2.0 compliant? If not, then you are really looking at a new PC. You cannot buy a decent GPU without PCI-E 2.0 compliancy nowadays. *looks it up* I just looked it up, and the 8600GT is only PCI-E 1.0 compatible. Do make sure you have 2.0 available, because a MoBo upgrade is equivalent to a full system upgrade.

[mALX]

A power supply will also degenerate over time and provide less power. If your power supply is 3 years old, for example, it may only be capable of providing 380 Watts (rough estimate).

My computer is equipped with a 1000 Watt supply to keep this from being a problem. If you do need to get a new GPU, I would also suggest upgrading to something around a 600 Watt PSU. That doesn't require a whole new PC, you just need to unplug and replug everything the PSU is providing for.

However, there is one outlying question I need answered: Is your motherboard PCI-Express 2.0 compliant? If not, then you are really looking at a new PC. You cannot buy a decent GPU without PCI-E 2.0 compliancy nowadays. *looks it up* I just looked it up, and the 8600GT is only PCI-E 1.0 compatible. Do make sure you have 2.0 available, because a MoBo upgrade is equivalent to a full system upgrade.

I don't know how to find out, device manager? Anyway, it is in the shop now. Canned message below:

Just got back from the Geek Squad, had to leave it at the shop $255. just to diagnose the problem and sell me an external hard drive to copy files to so they don't lose them. (however, I have to sign a waiver saying if they lose my files I am USCWAP.

Then I bought a laptop, thinking they would nicely give me a copy of my documents so I'd have something to do while they have my pc - that was a fail.

So right now I am on my HUNDRED YEAR OLD HP that I had to keep reformating every couple days. The monitor is round, the pc is very slow. The mouse doesn't have a wheel on it. I can't read anything on this monitor. Too tired to set up the laptop yet.

I'm going to eat something and will get back on here later.




@ Rick -

When I said my power supply I added was massive - I meant big looking and heavy to carry, not powerful.

I have only a 400W power supply. GAAAAH. I'm going to bring it to the Geek Squad and if they won't fix it I may need to get another PC tower. (hopefully something that will be compatable with the POS HP monitor - and the printer (which I actually like except it goes through cartriges like a termite on Skooma. It's called the "all-in-one because it uses all of the cartridge up in one printing session).

Uh, if it is the graphics card I may have a problem. TK said the mobo may be a POS that doesn't take good graphics cards - well, it is an HP, so I would almost bet it won't take the great ones. I think they were sqeezing all the life out of the [censored]er when they sold me the NVidia GForce 8600 GT and installed it - I did tell the guy when I bought it that I wanted to be able to play OBLIVION on it. Gaaah.

So now the SAME STORE just talked me into a laptop that is supposed to be able to play Oblivion, Fallout 3, and SKYRIM (did you know the requirements list is out? I have a copy of it!!) - It is an Asus
G73S - now that I am home and not being pressurized by the salesman I plan to look it up and see how much I was taken in this time. It does say "Republic of Gamers" on it, that is what sold me really - the salesman could have been a talking squirrel after that.

This post has been edited by mALX: Mar 14 2011, 11:26 PM

[TheOtherRick]

@ Rick -

When I said my power supply I added was massive - I meant big looking and heavy to carry, not powerful.

I have only a 400W power supply. GAAAAH. I'm going to bring it to the Geek Squad and if they won't fix it I may need to get another PC tower. (hopefully something that will be compatable with the POS HP monitor - and the printer (which I actually like except it goes through cartriges like a termite on Skooma. It's called the "all-in-one because it uses all of the cartridge up in one printing session).

Uh, if it is the graphics card I may have a problem. TK said the mobo may be a POS that doesn't take good graphics cards - well, it is an HP, so I would almost bet it won't take the great ones. I think they were sqeezing all the life out of the [censored]er when they sold me the NVidia GForce 8600 GT and installed it - I did tell the guy when I bought it that I wanted to be able to play OBLIVION on it. Gaaah.

So now the SAME STORE just talked me into a laptop that is supposed to be able to play Oblivion, Fallout 3, and SKYRIM (did you know the requirements list is out? I have a copy of it!!) - It is an Asus
G73S - now that I am home and not being pressurized by the salesman I plan to look it up and see how much I was taken in this time. It does say "Republic of Gamers" on it, that is what sold me really - the salesman could have been a talking squirrel after that.

mALX...please do some research before purchasing an "in store" computer. I bought the computer I am using right now from an online company. The bare bones price (no monitor, no software) was well under $1,000. However, that doesn't include shipping. I was a huge Best Buy fan forever and the fellow geeks over at the BSGF forums talked me out of there and into online buying. I am so glad they did.

Let me dig up my spec sheet and I will post exactly what you can get and for how much. This way TK (who obviously knows his chit) can look at it too. I will also post a link to the BSGF thread where this all happened for me, if I can find it.

This post has been edited by TheOtherRick: Mar 15 2011, 12:25 AM