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

[SubRosa]

Ouch! It does sound like hardware, and as you said, since each OS is on a different hard drive, the likelihood of both being bad is very slim. It sounds like a motherboard or possibly processor issue (although usually with those you get nothing at all. Not even a partial boot up). Or maybe it something simple like a bad memory module. Another possibility is it is overheating. I had that happen once because my cpu fan died, it brought everything to a halt shortly after the initial POST.

[haute ecole rider]

I thought of the fans, too, but no, they work fine (and blow nice cool air out the front, so overheating's not a problem).

It could be a bad RAM unit from one of the original Apple modules, if so, Apple will replace it. I already proved that it's not the OWC modules I installed a month ago - problem persisted after those were removed.

I'm thinking temperature sensor failure as the diagnostic module at the Genius Bar reported unexpected results from all four sensors. Since that's part of the logic board, that whole thing's gotta go.

We'll see if I'm right. If so, I'm getting a job as an Apple Tech at the Genius Bar! At least computers don't bite! (Though CRT's can blow up in your face - oh well, nothing's ever perfect)

Also, I just installed the Mac HD into my old G5. It can't boot up from an Intel-configured volume, but it can see and recognize the files on it, which are just so darned important at this time. So no, def not an HD failure.

This post has been edited by haute ecole rider: May 26 2011, 09:47 PM

[Thomas Kaira]

I have begun shopping for a new GPU.

I have set my sights on purchasing an nVidia GTX 460 card, because I am not looking to increase performance any for my computer, but rather to increase the amount of VRAM available to my GPU in preparation for Skyrim.

VRAM is really the only area of my current machine that could be improved at this point. Going any further would require a brand new machine, and I think I can still get some good life out of the one I have now.

[mALX]

I have begun shopping for a new GPU.

I have set my sights on purchasing an nVidia GTX 460 card, because I am not looking to increase performance any for my computer, but rather to increase the amount of VRAM available to my GPU in preparation for Skyrim.

VRAM is really the only area of my current machine that could be improved at this point. Going any further would require a brand new machine, and I think I can still get some good life out of the one I have now.

That is the problem I have with my desktop - it is HP junk and can only be upgraded to a certain point without a whole new motherboard, power supply, fan, etc - and I had already upgraded both of the last two just to put one Nvidia 8600 GT into it. My laptop has a better graphics card than that.

[Thomas Kaira]

I have begun shopping for a new GPU.

I have set my sights on purchasing an nVidia GTX 460 card, because I am not looking to increase performance any for my computer, but rather to increase the amount of VRAM available to my GPU in preparation for Skyrim.

VRAM is really the only area of my current machine that could be improved at this point. Going any further would require a brand new machine, and I think I can still get some good life out of the one I have now.

That is the problem I have with my desktop - it is HP junk and can only be upgraded to a certain point without a whole new motherboard, power supply, fan, etc - and I had already upgraded both of the last two just to put one Nvidia 8600 GT into it. My laptop has a better graphics card than that.

Considering that I have been using two 8800GTs in SLI for some time now, I have heard from a few reliable sources that the GTX 460 will match that power on its own.

Tell you the truth, that will be an improvement, because having all that power on one card is a much better option than splitting it between two cards.

[mALX]

Considering that I have been using two 8800GTs in SLI for some time now, I have heard from a few reliable sources that the GTX 460 will match that power on its own.

Tell you the truth, that will be an improvement, because having all that power on one card is a much better option than splitting it between two cards.

GAAAAH !!! ARGH !!! (drool, drool) !!! You SLI dog you !!! ARGH !!! ROFL !!!

[Olen]

I'm looking at upgrading my system for a couple of reasons, firstly so it will convincingly run Skyrim and secondly because 2Gb memory doesn't sit well with vista and manipulating big images, in fact it tends to be catastrophic.

Currently it has:
2Gb of PC2-6400 C4 memory, I'm looking at adding another 2-4Gb
a horrible dying Gigabyte mobo (no intentions of replacing until the magic smoke comes out)
AMD Athlon X2 6000+ (dual core 3GHz) CPU
nvidea 8600GT graphics

Either I need a new machine, however I'd like to put that off until the next gen consoles come out, or I need to upgrade ram and graphics. Is it worth upgrading? I'd need a bigger PSU to power the graphics too.

Also how much do different versions of the same graphics card vary. For example both Gainward and MSI make GTX 460s with some difference in price - is the MSI one significantly worse.

[mALX]

I was up all night running copies of 2347 sound files through the "Switch" converter to change them from (MP3 44100 Mono) to (WAV 22050 Mono).

I had to convert each file by hand, it did not scan through them automatically. 2347 files !!!


Twice the converter mysteriously defaulted itself to WMP for some odd reason. Once I had hit the arrow down key, the other time there was not any catalyst for it to happen that I could see. Both times I caught the difference within 3 files and went back and re-did them.


I checked every setting all through the process so I know I had the settings right. So this morning before (finally) getting to go to bed I pulled one of the "Converted" files - it was a WAV file, but was at 44100 !!! I checked some more, they ALL were !!

Does anyone know if that (WAV 44100 Mono) will work in Oblivion?

I checked the settings on the "Switch" Converter, and they were still showing what I set them at, the correct setting for them, 22050 !!!

So I go to contact the company and complain, it turns out that if you are using the free trial basis, they will not let you contact their support, you have to go onto their forums and read through other people's complaints about their product.

So needless to say, don't use "Switch" - it is freeware junk.

@ TK - I just downloaded Audacity, that seems to be what everyone is using. I'm going to see if it will correct the WAV files to the right format - once I get done weeding the old MP3 files out of the folder. It seems the "Switch" also ignored my command to overwrite the MP3 files. GAAAAAH !!! Lol.


PS. : I also downloaded a Sound Set of Annah Torment files I found on "the Sorcerers" Planescape Torment/Baldur Gate" site. The sound set is all WAV formats, but can't be opened for some reason. I tried to open them with Windows Media Player, "Switch," and some Audio Editing Software - none could open them. They are compressed oddly or something. Do you have any idea how to crack the egg so I can get to the yolk? Lol. (sorry, long day and no sleep last night)

This post has been edited by mALX: Jun 14 2011, 10:34 PM

[Thomas Kaira]

Bad news, I'm afraid.

Last night, as I was shutting down for the night, my PC suddenly decided it was done working, and is now bricked.

The only sign of life is the power light blinks at me whenever I switch on the power supply, but other than that, absolutely nothing. No fan activity, no monitor activity, nothing.

I think I need to get a new power supply.

[treydog]

Bad news, I'm afraid.

Last night, as I was shutting down for the night, my PC suddenly decided it was done working, and is now bricked.

The only sign of life is the power light blinks at me whenever I switch on the power supply, but other than that, absolutely nothing. No fan activity, no monitor activity, nothing.

I think I need to get a new power supply.

Definitely sounds like a PSU. Have had 3 GX620's do the same thing in the last month. (Naturally, the warranties expired in February).

If you have a known good PSU that will fit, even if it is "underpowered" for your complete setup, test that one. Just disconnect everything except video, hard drive, mouse and keyboard ports.

If it is the PSU, consider PC Power and Cooling- I hear lots of good things about them.

[haute ecole rider]

TK, I feel your pain.

My Intel Mac needed a new MLB and RAM riser. I got it home and the display starting acting up. I thought WTF? Did they not put the graphics card back in right after replacing the MLB (to get at the logic board, you have to remove the graphics card first)?? I checked the connections - rock solid. Disconnected my third-party peripherals. The problem was intermittent, and I couldn't be sure what was triggering the white flash and pixellation of the display. But the Windows side kept telling me the NVIDIA driver stopped responding, so I felt it had to be the graphics card.

Then yesterday it failed to boot up. Again. Ran the hardware test - no useful information. Took it baaaack to the Apple guys. Now we're thinking the graphics card is the original source of the problem and is messing up the MLB and eventually the RAM risers. So they're going to order a new card and test that first. We'll see.

In the meantime I"ve appropriated my mom's MacBook for school and forum browsing, as my own MacBook Pro is starting to get hinky as well. It's out of warranty, and to replace the logic board/graphics card in it would cost almost as much as a new MBP! So I'm just nursing it along, firing it up only to retrieve a bit of data here and there. Eventually I hope to have the whole drive cloned to an external drive, then it won't matter anymore when the thing finally dies.

[Thomas Kaira]

Okay, good news and bad news.

Good news is, the PSU was definitely fried. After exchanging the power supply for a backup, I was able to turn the computer on again.

Bad news: Unfortunately, the computer is failing POST (Power-On Self Test), which means that the PSU's death may have damaged my system's hardware. And this is where it gets really angering, because the idiots who built it for us did not bother to place beep codes onto the MoBo, that means I have no way of knowing exactly where the POST test is failing.

I may be forced to send this one to the shop, and that does not make me happy at all. However, since I at least have power now, that did allow me to dunk into my DVD drive and retrieve my Oblivion game disc (which was trapped inside when the old PSU died).

[treydog]

Somewhere around here, I have a PCI POST card- can't remember what I paid for it (over 10 years ago probably). But it is a handy device...

Other thing- pull any peripheral cards you do not use- as well as all but one stick of RAM...

See if it POSTs

[Thomas Kaira]

Okay, I finally found a way to get picture (PC was actually POSTing), and this has led to a number of revalations:

1. One of my PCI-E slots has been fried. Upon switching to the second video card in a different PCI-E slot, I was able to get picture back. Tested the other card in there, as well, and it worked okay.

2. My system is not able to boot from ANYWHERE. It demonstrates very erratic behavior when I try to boot from the Hard Drives, from simply freezing, to restarting, but always failing to boot. Furthermore, attempts to boot from a Windows disc fared no better, with the computer simply freezing as it tried to load all the files off the disc.

This means the probability of Motherboard failure at this point is quite high. To be absolutely certain, I am going to be sending the PC in for a shop test, but the question is no longer IF the PSU's failure caused any damage, but what.

EDIT: Final test, I tried a Ubuntu Linux disc, and that failed, as well.

Because of that, it's time to make this official: MY RIG IS DEAD.

I no longer have any choice in the matter. I must begin shopping for a new PC.

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Jun 18 2011, 03:09 AM

[Captain Hammer]

TK: Consider, instead of buying a new rig, how about building a new rig?

[Thomas Kaira]

I'm not going to buy a whole new PC, I'm going to salvage what I can from the old one and upgrade a few outdated parts in the process (namely the CPU and OS).

It's my stepdad who's pushing to buy a new prebuilt, but as it is my computer, and therefore my decision, I am going to say no.

I will not ever purchase a system from someone who forces me to have Norton stuffed into my Hard Drive... ever.

This post has been edited by Thomas Kaira: Jun 18 2011, 09:44 PM

[SubRosa]

Salvaging your drives and video cards is a good idea. Some mom & pop stores and internet sites will sell barebones PCs with just case, power supply, mobo & cpu all put together. You could buy one of those for a couple hundred, and then put all of your old stuff into it. Or just do it yourself of course. Sometimes its just not worth the hassle though, especially if the motherboad manufacturer does not include a decent manual explaining where/what all the jumper settings and connection points are. I had one like that, where I literally had to figure it all out through trial and error. Not fun.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Jun 18 2011, 11:59 PM

[Captain Hammer]

Eh, I feel ya TK. My dad eventually forced me to get a whole new rig after years of dutifully maintaining a loyal Dell desktop that I nursed through Windows 2000 and XP. By the end of it, I think that only the original motherboard, CPU, and case remained. I went through a new sound card, new graphics card, and two hard drives before I realized I had to upgrade.

Of course, I then found out that my new machine was a Vista, purchased as a gift/replacement and thus unable to be unloaded/given away/sold for spare cash. Since then, I've only ever built or custom-ordered machines so I know what I'm getting. Worse, it was a laptop. It's dead now. And not worthy of Sovngarde.

[King Coin]

Well whenever I get back from a vacation it seems I always have computer problems. This year is going to maintain the trend.

My computer will start to boot for about 3-5 seconds, then shuts itself off. Then repeats the process until power is manually turned off.

[Acadian]

KC, I'm so sorry to hear about your puter. I know it is a huge deal since that is where Aravi lives. Maybe it just misses you when you are gone and gets cranky? Have you tried offering the puter a sweet roll? I hope you can get it back to happy little lights and whirrings and puter stuff.

This post has been edited by Acadian: Jun 19 2011, 06:28 PM