Rumor: Windows 8 to have two user interfaces

The latest rumors around Windows 8 have been posted by Windows 8 Italia, which explicitly says that the information is ;unofficial and not confirmed; so we're definitely putting this one in the rumor box.
Nevertheless, it's fun to look at what Microsoft may be considering for the successor to Windows 7 - remember, even if these rumors are correct, the next release of Windows could still end up being far from what Microsoft is currently planning.


Read the whole story

Asus 26" monitor for $241

I have this monitor and it's terrific.
1920 x 1200 native resolution and 2ms response time - makes it a perfect gaming monitor.
I bought mine for $305, this one is on sale for $241 with no tax and free shipping.
Highly recommended if you're in the market for one.

http://www.buy.com/prod/asus-vw266h-...210447661.html

Thousands of Germans opt out of Google Street View

Thousands of Germans opt out of Google Street View

Almost 250,000 Germans have told Google to blur pictures of their homes on the Street View service.

The German government insisted that people get the chance to make the request as a condition of letting Google operate Street View.

It said personal privacy would be violated if people did not have an option to opt out.


I've been discussing street view with friends and other people I know, and frankly I haven't met anyone who want their home detailed out on the internet, for everyone.
Good thing a government stood up for its citizens and forced this 800 lbs gorilla to let people make the choice (provided that they'll follow through on it).
Better yet, act like the Czechs and block data gathering for this service for good.
I wish others will follow this too, but I doubt that it will happen any time soon.

Thank you for posting to old topics

Some complain when people post to a thread that is a few years old.
I am very appreciative to thos who post to them, as I have found many answers to problems I have due to someone posting to an ancient thread.
Just because it's old doesn't mean others don't have that question.
And if you are using an older computer, these old threads can be very useful.

So thanks to all those who post their answers, whatever age the thread!

My System:

I accidentally removed my OS, when i tried to re-install it, the laptop does not install it.
It tells me to restart windows without the disc in, when i do this it just takes me to a black screen with an underscore flashing.
How do i fix this.

SSD's slightly less reliable than Standard drives?

This is where WikkiLeaks really needs to go...


Solid State Drives No Better Than Others, Survey Says - PCWorld Business Center

My System:

How do I upload a photo to appear in google 'images'

Thanks,

Mike.

Intel Ultimate-N 6300 with just two antennas

I've searched everywhere but I can't seem to get a clear answer.
What I'm seeing is that the Intel Ultimate-N 6300 can work with just two antennas but my questions is:

Does the Performance of the Intel Ultimate-N 6300 with just two antennas = the performance of the Intel Ultimate-N 6200?

I have a Asus G73JH so installing a third antenna would require me to completely take the laptop apart (voiding the warranty) which I probably don't want to do.

Could I just throw the third antenna in there without running it parallel with the other two antennas?

CPU socket guide for beginners

Hi,

I am stuck with a shitty Intel Core i3 530 @ 4.12 GHz, with a stock cooler, on the LGA 1156 platform.
It gets near 100 Degrees Celsius, and I am looking to upgrade.

This is where I think I am stuck where a lot of people are.
Do I upgrade to Socket 1155, or 1366?

According to a benchmark, http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html
the Intel Core i7-2600k is up the top with a horrible naming system, and almost on par in performance with the Intel Core i7 980x, which has 2 more cores.

The 1366 has good SLI performance, with some extreme motherboards like EVGA's 4-Way SLI having Nvidia NF200 chips to create more PCI-E Lanes.
Most will do 2-Way SLI or Crossfire with x16/x16 configuration.
And you can upgrade to six core CPU's with that X58 platform.

What I am thinking is, for LAN parties, that I build this:

Intel Core i7 950 with any overclock that a low profile CPU cooler can handle at 100% CPU usage (probably none).
EVGA Geforce GTX 580, later SLI if I like global warming.
12 - 24GB Memory, 8 to start with.
EVGA X58 Micro SLI
Apevia Q-XPACK 2
A 1000W PSU with enough 6-pin and 8-pin rails.

It will take me a while to save up with $70 Australian Dollars per day I work, so by that time, do I upgrade to Socket LGA 1356 or LGA 2011 (possibly just a myth).
Apparently, they will have PCI-E 3.0 Lanes, and like 40 of them (look at Wikipedia).

The point I make, is that even people like me who love keeping up to date with all of the hardware and technicalities, still find it hard to decide when on a budget.
How am I to know, without advice, that if I buy a new computer tomorrow, a new superior socket will not launch offering twice the performance for not a lot more money? The number in the socket name is how many pins, to hopefully, the more, the better.
I want more Dual-QPI, or even Quad-QPI availability.
Why not make a GPU that fits in? Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit supports up to 256 cores.
It would be 100 times faster than a CPU.

So what I want to start is the CPU Socket Guide for Beginners, where people can constantly post advice which people can read without having a Doctorate, and ask questions.
So that people can know when new items are coming up and what will suit their needs best.
Whether to buy now or wait.
The same can go for things like SATA 3.0, USB 3.0, new GPU slots (like PCI-E 3.0), or maybe one day a move on from PCI-E like we did AGP ages ago.
So, people, stay here to trade advice on this whole matter or changing compatibilities.

Thanks,

12johnni.

12th December, 2010.

Laptop WiFi b/g or b/g/n

I have a Draytek 2710n modem/router and I'm looking for a mid-price laptop for wireless connection.

I'll want to share files across the desktop PC (wired) and the laptop and use the laptop for internet.
Will I get a real advantage if I aim for a b/g/n laptop or won't I notice the difference?
Thee still seem to be many laptops with just b/g - even from makes like Dell and Sony.
Insisting on 'n' is quite restrictive to laptop choice because I also want a good quality display.
I'd be very grateful for help on this.
Thank you

3D Mark Vantage Scores

Hi all, Ive had my Alienware M15X for about 2 months now (Alienware M15X: i7 740QM, 6GB 1333 RAM, GTX 460M 1.5GB, OCZ Vertex 2E 240GB, Blu Ray Slot drive, 1920 x 1080 Display) I originally had the ATI 5850M installed as it was the best card at that time, Now I understand that the difference between the 1GB on the 5850M and the 1.5GB on the GTX 460M isnt where the real perfomance lies but rather the actual power of the card.
Without doing research and assuming you "get what you pay for" I upgraded my laptop to the GTX 460M.
I did look a few of the Comparison websites and the GTX 460M came out on top in pretty much all the 3d mark benches.

Anyway i decided to bench my GTX 460M and got the score:

3D Mark Score 7129
CPU Score 25642
GPU Score 5764

Having read the camparison websites I thought I should be scoring 7500~.
The 5850M was scoring around about the 5500 score but from reading what alot of you guys have scored im not really sure whats wrong?

I have the latest Dell drivers for the nvidia which are 259.64.
I have tried later ones and have been to the laptopvideo2go website trying to find new ones with no luck of actually been able to get them installed.

Any feedback on your guys 3D Mark Vantage scores and drivers would be great.

Thanks
Shaun

Game Controller Support

So I thought we could get a running list of games that support a controller (mainly the 360 controller) natively (nothing has to be done) and the ones that do with alitte bit of work.
So please copy and paste the list as you add on.
I wil try to keep the list updated.
So off the top of my head


Native
Grand Theft Auto 4
Blur
Crysis
borderlands
Burn out paradise
Just Cause 2

Non-Native
Halo (you have to map all the buttons, including move/aim manually)

Work Arounds.

Help! Disabled Intel HD in an Optimus Setup

I had someone call me with a issue I can't help with.
He has an alienware m11x Core i5 with optimus and he disabled his Intel HD graphics in the device manager.
Now nothing shows up on the screen, it stays black even when rebooting so he can't get in to the bios.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

King's Bounty: The Legend

Anyone else getting this? I think its free since it says I own the game, check it out here:

King's Bounty: The Legnd

Open that page in your steam to see.

MyHive Account Number? Not working - RESOLVED

Okay so all the research I've done says the account number is located in the black book I got.
However it is not.
What do I do? I can't make my Hive account with out it.
So am I screwed? I recently recieved my alienware last week.

Acer TimelineX 4820TG vs. Asus B43J

I'm looking to buy a 13-14'' notebook that should have:

- DVD drive
- Good performance (CPU is more important than GPU, Core i5 seems like a perfect fit)
- Good battery life (5+ hours)

A clear favorite is Acer TimelineX 4820TG but I don't like 2 things there: looks / build quality and the keyboard (flat keys, it's reported to have some flex etc.)

So I looked further and there isn't much competition there - for most notebooks to achieve good times on battery they need to have only integrated graphics card.
Then I stumbled upon Asus B43J which seems pretty similar in specs to TimelineX (in the Czech Republic where I live there is a model with reasonable combination of Core i5 and 4GB RAM) but has the following features that are interesting to me:

- matte display
- solid build (not so many plastic parts as on Acer)
- switchable graphics with Eyefinity (supposed ability to connect up to 3 monitors although I can't imagine via which ports
- business features like TPM, fingerprint reader etc.

What I don't like about Asus is that it weights 0.25kg more and it lasts less on battery (which I don't quite understand - this model is supposed to have the next gen "Sonata" battery with 3yr warranty and better duration).

What do you think? How would you compare those 2 laptops?

Need to hire someone for Laptop repair plz

Hi,

Sorry if this is in the wrong section.
I have a Dell Laptop, and it wont power on.

I've taken it 2 places locally and one guy said he hooked something up and his error code was telling him bad MB, and he said he tried 2 different MB's and it still didn't work, so he wasn't sure what it was.

The other place couldn't figure it out either.


Reading some other posts, it could be anything, but I would prefer someone in Indiana where i could drive it to them and drop it off as opposed to shipping, unless you are very good at what you do, and then I guess shipping is ok.

The other posts I have read talk about how often laptops have soldering issues and you need to look over things with a big magnifying glass to see what is going on with the computer that way, and I don't believe either of the 2 places I took the pc to have any equipment like that.
I think they had something you plug in and it says code 03 and in the manual it says 03 bad MB.

Sorry for the rant, if you think you can help, please email me contact info and some general pricing.
I know you can't be 100% specific as you don't know what parts cost.


Thanks.

eBay find for X20x users...

I just wanted to give us X20x folks a heads up if you're needing a new battery.
I just found these new genuine 9-cells on eBay for $60 shipped within the US:

Genuine Lenovo 43R9255 9-Cell Battery for ThinkPad X200 - eBay (item 390241176891 end time Dec-16-10 15:11:19 PST)

I just ordered one since my original 6-cell(at exactly 200 cycles) is holding about three hours of its original charge.
I need more unplugged runtime, so this was a great find that I hope helps someone here!

Disclaimer: This is not my auction.

Is this a good deal?

Hello again! I was wondering what you guys thought about this T61 I stumbled across on ebay?
TYPE# 6463-9SU

CORE 2 DUO 2.5GHZ DUAL CORE PROCESSOR T9300

2.0 GB RAM

100GB HARD DRIVE

DVD-RW SO BURNS DVDS

GOOD BATTERY

INTERNAL WIRELESS CARD G

NETWORK CARD AND MODEM

15" LCD SCREEN 1280 X 800

FINGERSCANNER

INTEL VIDEO CARD

AC ADAPTER

LOADED WITH VISTA BUSINESS BUT NO COA/STICKER
$365 shipped
I prefer a 14 inch screen,but for a good deal I will go 15.
Thanks in advance!

Wireless connecting but not connecting

Hello,
I have an Aspire One netbook, one of the 8 inch early ones, that I just did a restore on and the wireless connection is having an odd issue.
The wireless says it and the drivers are installed correctly and working and the icon in the task bar shows that it is connected to my home wireless (Netgear router) with an 'Excellent' signal yet I can not access the internet nor access the router.

I can connect the Aspire One to the router and the internet if I plug in an ethernet cable and my other wireless devices connect to the router fine.
I have uninstalled and reinstalled the wireless device and drivers as well as rebooting the router with no success.
The router settings are the same as they were before I restored the Aspire One and it connected fine prior to the restore.

Frankly I'm at a loss as to how to fix this as everything is shows as working but it still will not connect.
Has anyone had this kind of issue before and more importantly does anyone know of a fix for this?

Thanks

Is it normal for there to be what looks like a line at the bottom of the screen on a Vaio F12

There is a feint bluey white line at the bottom of my screen, is this normal? I think that it is possibly caused by the back light.

Western Digital AV-25

Why hasn't there been any talk about these in pc applications? I know these are meant for audio/video streaming devices, but everything about it seems fantastic.

Compared with the Scorpio Blue:

-32 v.
8 mb cache.
-4.2 v.
5.5 ms latency.
-22/25 v.
24/26 db noise
-1.6 v.
2.5 watt read/write
-0.65 v.
0.85 watt idle
-Rated 1 million hours mtbf
-500gb price is the same as Scorpio Blue

What am I missing about the performance of this hdd?

X200T Battery Issues

Hi,

I have 8 Cell 42T4658 Model.
Only change to default config is 80GB Intel SSD running Win 7 X64.
It used to last more then 6 hrs when bought new back in July 09, but for past few months it drains in less then 2 hrs with simple browsing.

What are my options please suggest.
I have warranty till 07/12 but don't think battery would be covered under it.
I did try recondition (charge, drain, charge) but didn't help.

Thanks

if you are running xp dont install KB982670 (net framework)

it is net framework 4 and it makes your pc load extremly slow and you wont get network access on start up for over 2-3 minutes

No sound on blu ray movie over HDMI from Sony Vaio VPCEA1Z1E

Hi All,

I have just purchased a Sony Vaio VPCEA1Z1E laptop that has a built in Blu Ray drive and a HDMI output.
I bought it so that I could watch Blu Ray films on my HDTV but I seem to be having a problem with the sound output.


The laptop is running Windows 7 and I am using Corel WinDVD that came bundled with the laptop.
When I try and play a Blu Ray movie on my TV via the HDMI cable the picture is fine and there is sound output on the TV during the splash screen and also during the Blu Ray menu's for the film but as soon as I select play and the movie starts I cannot hear any sound.
If I turn on commentary then that is played through the TV but still no sound from the actual film.
If I change the sound output to my laptop speakers then the sound is fine but it is just an issue over the HDMI cable.


I have tried various different settings but I cannot get this to work.
I have read about HDCP causing problems and I was wondering whether it is something to do with this? I have also read posts where people say to get the sound from the headphone jack on the laptop but I would rather sort it out so it goes via the HDMI cable directly to the TV.
Can anyone offer any help or advice on this issue?

Sony VAIO VPCEB32FM/WI

Hello everyone.
I am asking people if this laptop is worth buying.
Do you think this is a decent laptop?
New Sony VAIO VPCEB32FM/WI Laptop 15.5" Blu Ray 4GB - eBay (item 260703166081 end time Dec-11-10 11:54:34 PST)

vaio cs 230j keyboard

Any idea how to remove my keyboard on this model, i am desperate and i can't find any instructions out there.
Thanks

Anyone have a PH530?

I'm considering it as a compact beater - so far it seems to be the one machine that does pretty much everything I want out of something like this.


The thing is, I'd like to stick a Vertex inside it and was wondering how accessible the HDD was.

Also some usage opinions would be nice.

Don't work F11 Recover mode, in Stupid HP DV6 2150 us laptop

Don't work F11 Recover mode, in Stupid HP DV6 2150 us laptop.

i buy a HP Notebook Pavilion DV-6 2159 US with window 7 home prem ...,


I want to reinstall new window , WINDSOW 7

But HP Recover CD is not work with F11.
very stupid

how do i reinstall with window7 license version with original serial key.

Can i install other window 7 DVD , and Can user the serial key from back covery of laptop (window 7 sticker).

How Do? ...
Next time ...
I never buy the HP any Laptop .
HP is very expansive and service is very bad ...HP is not good in laptop ...
Their website is Useless and their staff were brainless ...
They use very Stupid recovery cd mode...

hp compaq 8510p

hey guys my laptop hooked up to my HD monitor will randomly stop sending signal for a second and then recover.
any idea what maybe causing this?

HP Recovery Manager Help Needed!!!

Alright, I just wasted my night screwing around with my sister in laws notebook.


Its an HP Pavillion dv6000 running Vista Home Premium.
I can't for the life of me get thing BS Recovery Partition crap to load.
Everythign I've read says push f11 during post.
Well I've done that, and every variation of that for the last hour.
I see the partition, I see its got 6gigs of stuff on it, I just can't get the utility to load.

If anyone has any insight as to how to do this, I'm all ears.
If someone can get me the recovery software to install on the OS (its been removed), I'd be greatful.


( I won't go off on a rant on to how rediculous this process is, and that not offering the recovery software from the website is an abomination, or that when you spend $2,000 on a computer, they should go the extra mile and give you a $1.00 DVD with the software on it....)

Anything anyone can do is great, thanks.

Which Brands Can You Price Bargain with?

I am looking to a buy a laptop--probably a Lenovo Thinkpad T-Series, Dell Latitude e6510/6410, or HP Elitebook 6540/6440.


I have heard that with some brands like Dell you can bargain on the phone and get a better price/deal below the listed online price?

Is this true?

And can you bargain with Lenovo, HP, or other brands to reduce the price?

Thanks.

[Belgium] Would this laptop be as good as my previous one?

Hi everyone!

I'm thinking of buying a new laptop because the PSU of my now 3.5 year old HP Compaq 8510p (Intel Core 2 Duo processor T7300 / 2 GB RAM / 15.4" 1280x800 / ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600) broke.
The thing is though, this laptop was actually really good and even now it still played new games (eg.
Mass Effect 2) without any trouble.

I bought it at university (requirement to start those studies) for 1200 EUR / around $1600.
I'm not sure if that was the regular price or if they made us a deal because a large amount of students were buying it, though.

Either way, if I buy a new laptop I would prefer one that is as good now as the HP was then (if you know what I mean ).
I'm not too good at judging that however, so I would appreciate some help.

I've been looking around and I found a few laptops I'm interested in.
I'd like to go for Toshiba.
The one I currently have my eye on is fairly expensive but I think it looks good.
I'd love to hear the opinion of some other people though.

Laptop in question: Qosmio X500-14X
Intel Core i7-740QM (2.93GHz)
4GB DDR3 SDRAM
500GB SATA 5400 rpm
18.4" HD+ TruBrite 1680 x 945
NVIDIA GeForce GTS 360M (1GB DDR3)
442.6 x 294.2 x 41.5 mm
4.6 kg

I was wondering, would it be possible to keep this thing on your lap or would it be too large/heavy? Is 4GB RAM enough, considering it's been the standard for quite awhile? And what about the resolution? I like to watch things in HD but sadly it's not a full HD screen.
Would it make a big difference?

Some cheaper alternatives I had in mind were Satellite L670-1DX (Intel Core i5 460M / 4 GB RAM / 17.3" 1600x900) and Satellite L670-17M (Intel Core i5 450M / 6 GB RAM / 17.3" 1600x900).

I'm looking forward to hearing your opinion, so if you can tell me anything that could be of use, please don't hesitate.

What was your best notebook upgrade?

Simple question, what was the best overall upgrade to your current notebook or any notebook you have owned in general? There is no right or wrong answer to this.
I just want to get an idea of what products have significantly improved the look/feel/operation of your notebook over the years.

I will go first.
The best upgrade to my T60 ThinkPad was when I transitioned between Windows XP and Vista.
the user experience had such a drastic change that it felt like the system was finally propelled into the modern age.
The shift from Vista to Win 7 was similar, but nowhere near as dramatic.
At the time of the upgrade I already had a fast processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 7200RPM hard drive so nothing slowed down and overall my computer felt much snappier.

I suppose another best upgrade for me was also software wayyy back in the day.
I still remember the time I upgraded my ancient Toshiba Satellite from Win 3.1 to Windows 95.
now talk about a huge leap into the future that was!

Which RAM package for my Toshiba R700?

I have a Toshiba R700 notebook (core i7-m620) with 4gb of RM installed and I want to upgrade to 8.

I don't know whether I should get pc3-8500 @cas7 or pc3-10600 @cas9.

Here are the two packages I'm considering - which should I get for best business applications performance?

8GB Kit (4GBx2), 204-pin SODIMM, DDR3 PC3-10600 upgrades for Toshiba Portege R700-S1311 Laptop/Notebook, CT1441009 from Crucial.com

8GB Kit (4GBx2), 204-pin SODIMM, DDR3 PC3-8500 upgrades for Toshiba Portege R700-S1311 Laptop/Notebook, CT1441017 from Crucial.com

thanks

BSEL Mod on a socket P explained with photos

Hi guys.

I succeded on upping the FSB on an Acer AS 4315 laptop from 133 to 166 and to 200MHz via pin mod .
The mod is simple, and can be done in 3-5 minutes if you can access easily to the CPU in your laptop.

You can use electric wire to do the mod.
I used a wire from an IDE cable.

Note:
BSEL / FSB mod doesn't with Intel Chipsets
Undervolting mod works with all chipsets.

UPDATE: 27/07/2009

I updated the photos below because:
1- The undervolting values of the T2060 were wrong.
I was showing the T5300 values twice.
2- There was a mistake on the photos showing the pin connection for Socket P.
3- I added Photos to show FSB mod for both Socket P and M

UPDATE: 23/07/2010
The BSEL mod will only work if you have:
ATI GPU + Chipset
SIS GPU + Chipset
nVidia GPU + Chipset

If the Chipset is an Intel one the cpu will be locked after the BSEL mod on its lowest multiplier

Enjoy!









UPDATE: 04/08/2009
I copied the content of post 81 here.

external drive issues Help!!!!

Hello peoples i need some help so here i go.......

ok i have a 500GB NTFS external WD drive and its full (theres only like 20GB left on it)
and for some reason everytime i enter a folder on there that has all my videos a little window will pop up and say (Can't read partions do you want to format)
but only when i click on that folder...

i can click on my pics and music and everything else but that one folder,
And last night everything was working fine on it...i didn't turn off the pc or unpluge the drive by Accident or anything

It says the folder has nothing in it but it should have about 420GB's to 450 GB's worth of data in it....



I used the error checking on the disk but right when phase one ends it says (Windows can't finish checking the disk)

I had a program a few ago and had it scan the drive but can't remeber what it was....but when it scaned,it said that there was (Linux ext3) partions or sectors on it or something i don't really know but i never had this drive on a Linux...

but if thats the main problem is there a way to turn back those to whatever windows uses..???


Please Help

thank you

tylor

Core2 T5500 not Speedstepping

I have an MPC Transport T2400 with a Core2 Duo T5500 1.66 Ghz

When I open up Rightmark, CPU-Z, or any other tool, I see my CPU cores at 1.0 GHz (166Mhz FSB at 6X multiplier) no matter if the CPUs are under heavy load or not.
Speedstep is enabled in my bios.

I know my Maximal FID is 10X because Rightmark is telling me that, and that would place me at 1.66 Ghz, where I want to be.
But I never achieve 1.66 Ghz at any time, even when I am running under constant heavy load.
I just flashed my BIOS with the most recent update, and no luck.
Any help would be great!

DIY: Adding SSD or HDD storage using an optical bay caddy

Introduction - This article contains details on how to make best use of an optical bay caddy to extend notebook storage with a 2.5" SSD or HDD in place of the standard or slot-loaded optical drive.
Included are links to buy the correct caddy plus some configuration items: hotswapping, setting spindown timeout on secondary HDD.


Benefits of using an optical bay caddyInexpensive.
Ebay caddy is only US$12-US$26 delivered worldwide.
Identical faceplate.
Transplant your ODD's faceplate to an ebay Fenvi or some newmodeus caddies to achieve identical appearance to your current optical drive drive.
9.5mm ebay | 12.7mm ebay Improve performance and extend battery life using a hybrid SSD+HDD system.
A small, fast SSD hosts your os and apps in your primary bay.
A 2.5" HDD in optical bay caddy, in battery-efficient spindown mode when inactive, provides a decent sized data repository.1TB/1.5TB/2TB of storage capacity using a combination of 9.5mm 500GB and 12.5mm 1TB 2.5" HDDs.
Hotswap versatility.
Allows the optical bay caddy and optical drive to be swapped in/out as required if used with a primary SSD/HDD.
Eg: Can access an optical drive when needed to say load software or watch DVDs, then hotswap back in the HDD in caddy to access your repository of multimedia or document files.If prefer not to hotswap, can use an usb adapter/enclosure to allow either the optical drive or caddy to be used externally.
Eg: PATA: 9.5mm & | 12.7mm | adapter, SATA: e-sata/usb cable or enclosure Use SATA drives in older PATA-only systems.
Latest 250gb-per-platter SATA HDDs are faster and cheaper per GB than 160gb-per-platter IDE HDDs and are well matched to ICH2M+ 83-87MB interface speed.
SATA SSD a good performer over sata-to-pata bridge as astericksed here.
SATA SSD/HDD can be transplanted in newer SATA systems in the future.
Older notebooks can be resurrected as fileservers or media centers, conditional on 48bit LBA bios support to allow full use of > 137GB storage.
Can be better bang-per-buck than a system upgrade.
When you consider how a primary bay SSD can provide day-and-night improvements in os and app performance improvements over a HDD.
Can provide lower running temperature of HDDs compared to using the primary bay [user reported]Optical bay caddy configuration matrix

I/O Chipset PrimaryBay OpticalBay Optical Bay Caddy Product LinkExample link/caddy used ebay &newmodeus^0ICH2-8M pata orsata^1 pata^2^3 9.5mm pata#1 sata-to-pata#01 12.7mm pata
sata-to-pata#09.5mm patasata-to-pata12.7mm patasata-to-pataHP 2510P 9.5mm sata-to-pata,pata/newm+ebayDell M1330 9.5mm pata [slot-loaded]/newmDell Vostro 1400 12.7mm sata-to-pata/ebayHP 8710W 12.7mm sata-to-pata/newmClevo M570RU 12.7mm sata-to-pata/newm
ICH9M or newer sata sata 9.5mm sata12.7mm sata9.5mm sata9.5mm sata12.7mm sataDell E6400/E6500 9.5mm sata/ebay &newmHP 2530P/8530W 9.5mm sata/newmSony Vaio FW51JF 12.7mm sata/ebayHP 8730W 12.7mm sata/newmDell XPS 1647 12.7mm sata [slot-loaded]/newm
^0 5% discount coupons on their facebook page.
Their slot-loading products the same as others linked above minus the faceplate.
Their 12.7mm product allowing the use of your optical drive's faceplate as shown here.
^1 SATA SSD performs best when installed in primary SATA bay.
ICH8M: CAP.ISS shows if 1.5Gbps cap applies.
^2 if sharing PATA bus with primary bay drive, a master/slave jumper gives more config flexibility.
^3 sata-to-pata chip adds power consumption overhead.
newmodeus(Jmicron)=0.8W, ebay (Marvell)=1W.
Intel ICHxM UDMA5/ATA100 PATA interface measured to give maximum read of 83-87MB/s.
This post compares power consumption/performance for PATA and SATA-to-PATA caddies, benchmarks show great SSD/HDD performance.

Product Link
#0 can be modified to improve functionality: faceplate strength for hotswap ability, master pinmod, HDD LED.

#1 rear connector unscrews to reveal JAE50 like shown here.

Hotswapping the optical drive and 2.5" drive in optical bay caddy

Hotswap! provides a Safely Hotswap Hardware system tray icon to simplify disabling the device prior to removal or scanning the system when inserted.
Allows hotswapping in/out the optical drive and 2.5" drive in optical bay caddy if using a primary SSD or HDD.
Hotswapping is supported by the ICHxM SATA/PATA interfaces.
So can for example watch a DVD with the optical drive then swap in a 2.5" HDD to access your multimedia files or documents.



Setting standby idle standby timeout to improve battery life

hdparm allows control of individual drive standby timeout periods to spindown the HDD if it's idle to conserve power.
This would be recommended if running a primary bay SSD and optical bay 2.5" HDD at the same time.
The commands below are easily added to a batch file to run in Windows startup folder.Download hdparm for Windows.
Identify the drive you wish to operate on:

Quote:




hdparm -i /dev/sda
hdparm -i /dev/sdb




Set a batch file to run in startup with standby time of your choice, example 1 min.
Refer to the -S parameter in the hdparm commandline options.
hdparm can also be used to set drive transfer mode, eg: 'hdparm -X udma5 /dev/sdb'

Quote:




hdparm -S 12 /dev/sdb &REM set standby timeout=1min
hdparm -y /dev/sdb &REM standby the drive now




Versatility: using 9.5mm caddy in other 9.5mm/12.7mm optical bay systems

The newmodeus 9.5mm SATA-to-PATA/PATA caddy slides straight into a 12.7mm PATA optical drive bay.
A great way of sharing data at full speed between hosts, without having to setup a network or be limited to USB speed.
Can then hotswap the caddys between multiple systems.
The SATA version likely to offer same versatility.

Adding a 1.8" SSD/HDD in a 2.5" drive bay

1.8-to-2.5" adapters allows a 1.8" SSD or HDD to be installed in the optical bay caddy or 2.5" primary bay.
SATA adapters shown here.
Useful to install say the 1.8" SATA Samsung SSDs sold on ebay.
PATA adapter is available on ebay for a few dollars.

Quirks applicable to PATA optical drive interfaces (ICH8M or older)

1.
Some system's bios sets the pata optical interface into slow UDMA2 mode.
See software workaround.

2.
Some system's bios sets the timings to use 33Mhz rather than 66Mhz timings.
Notably HP 2510P which then caps write performance to < 30MB/s.
See software workaround.

3.
Phoenix bios directs boot to optical caddy HDD.
See software workaround.

4.
Some Toshiba systems whitelist the HDD in a sata-to-pata caddy.
See here

5.
See other workarounds here that enable/disable the IDE port.

Followup
If using an optical bay caddy to extend system storage, please post some details as examples.
Eg:

- which caddy you are using, eg: ebay or newmodeus
- the look, feel and performance of the caddy.
Photos against the chassis compared to original optical drive
- any gotchas or tips and tricks
- any mods, eg: on/off switch on the sata-to-pata caddy to conserve power if using it with a SSD.

Note I have no commercial affiliation with any of vendors whose products are highlighted in this article.
This information is provided to assist others in creating a great bang-per-buck storage expansion/performance upgrade.
__________________
DIY ViDock | HP nowhitelist O/C HP dualIDA | PLL pinmod | grub2 loader Storage 1.8" ZIF SSDs | ODD caddy SSD/HDD | e-sata/usb

Now: 12" HP 2510P U7600@1.65 2GB 60GB K3VLAR-E SSD + 500GB.caddy + GTX470/3dmark.vant=P5561 | Win7/64 XP.sp3 Ubuntu9.10
Now: 14" HP DV4-2000 i5-430M 2.26 4GB 500GB + GTX470@x1.Opt/3dmark06=13205 | Win7/64
Next(Q1.2011): Sandy Bridge + pci-e 3.0 + GTX470-OC/3dmark06=22k

directron.com

Hello,any you guys or gals buy from this company,seems like they have some good prices.Ive got a buddy and im helping him upgrade a old pc and so far this seems like a good deal for him.I dont know much about AMD cpu but he will do very little gaming.Thoughts on this combo!.

Holiday Combo 1: Gigabyte GA-M68M-S2P Motherboard, AMD Sempron CPU, 2GB DDR2 800 Memory-Best Computer Online Store Houston Buy Discount Prices Texas-Directron.com

Re: Freeagent Desk problem @.@

hello,

I just bought FreeAgent Desk 2TB (the silver coloured one) and upon unplugging the drive from the computer.
it tends to turn on by itself after like 15minutes.

i also have the same drive but 1TB that i bought earlier during the year.
it works flawlessly.
it did not have the same "turning on upon disconnecting" problem that i have with my recently bought 2tb drive.

edit: forget to mention that when the drive spins after it has been disconnected from the computer the drive light doesn't come on like it usually does when the drive is connected to computer.

Is all 2TB freeagent drive like this or this drive is faulty?

anyone else have this problem? if so how to resolve it?

should i just return the drive?

should i get WD Element desktop 2TB instead?

Astro Scout Backpack review.

Astro Scout Backpack
Many of you have been asking me about the Astro Scout gaming Backpack, so Here is a full review on the backpack, after roughly two months of use.
I was surprised to see that there was no write up on this awesome bag!

• Construction: 1680D ballistic nylon with EVA-injected reinforced frame;Lycra panel backing, 820D ballistic nylon perimeter frame

• Carries: Next Gen console, Power Supply, with gear specific storage for controllers, cables, games, sunglasses, ASTRO headset, ASTRO MixAmp, water bottle, and personal items

• Volume: 2200 cubic inches

• Dimensions: 14" long x 7" wide x 19" tall

* specs and title picture from Astro Gaming

- The bag is available in either the basic Scout, or the MLG Edition, with no extra cost.

Price: $79.95 / You can find the Scout at MLG events or online at Astro Gaming | Video Gaming Equipment

This backpack was designed for the on the go gamer, and they did a very good job in doing so.
This bag has over 2200 cubic inches of space to store both your Laptop and your gaming console at the same time, along with all your cables, controllers, mice, or whatever else you may bring with you.
Packing up for a LAN party will never be the same!

As for the main compartment of the bag.
There is one very well padded large sleeve for either your computer or gaming console.
I keep my laptop( Alienware M15x R2 ) in this place, and when i carry both my computer and Xbox360, the Xbox fits nicely in the part between the sleeve and the inside of the compartment, this whole part is very well padded, including the bottom!

The Front zipper compartment as five mesh pockets to store all the little things that might get lost in other bags.
Also in the front part there are Two elastic sleeves made to place two gaming console controller in, I use these pouches for my Mouse, and external hard drive.
Along with all the pockets and sleeves there is also a place to safely store your gaming headset, and mix amp.
the designers of Astro designed this spot to fit there gaming headset the A40, and mix amp.
If you don't know what the A40's look like, they are pretty big, so most regular sized headsets will fix easily.
On the same part of the bag there is a vertical zippe with a speaker jack as the zipper( Astro is a audio company ), the compartment isn't very large but good for a calculator, wallet, and other things of that size; located on the very front of the backpack.
Located on the top of the front part is a horizontal zipper that is extremely well padded with a faux fur material, i keep my keys, cellphone and sunglasses in this part.

Last but certainly not least, the Design and comfort.
As for the design you can clearly see that this bag is a very sleek clean looking bag, with tons of space.The inside liner is lined with Astros "space men" its a very artistic touch that i really enjoy.
The durability of the zippers is awesome the zippers are very strong! The straps are extremely comfortable, I carry this bag ALL DAY LONG around campus with my laptop and many books with no problem.
Both the straps and back support have a sturdy but soft comfortable padding.

below i have a few pictures of the backpack and what i carry inside( if you would like to see anything else let me know )

.Slideshow.

Cheap mouse and keyboard (kind of for gaming?)

Hey I'm looking for a wireless mouse and keyboard.
I currently have the microsoft wireless desktop 6000 and I find the mouse to be too small.

Whenever I'm gaming (not hardcore gamer) or even navigating my computer, I find it to be a chore and actually quite difficult to navigate to the right spot at once.

Does anyone know of a good mouse and keyboard where the mouse is bigger? My budget is around $40.

***Gaming Forum Information Booth***

Gaming Forum Information Booth
by crash and Charles P.
Jefferies
last updated: 18 November 2010

The gaming forum is a busy one with many new threads created every day.
For that reason, we created this guide to direct you to important and useful threads so the same information and/or questions do not get repeated over and over.
This leaves more room on the front page of the forum for new questions and topics to be brought up.
Enjoy your stay at NBR!

Quick Jump to
GPU and Gaming Threads »
Notebook Maintenance Threads »
Other Threads »
FAQ »


GPU and Gaming Threads

These threads provide information about GPUs, drivers, games, and other gaming software and hardware.

The Official Can My Notebook Run [insert game here] and GPU Comparison Thread
If you have a question about whether your laptop (or laptop you don't own) will run a game, post here.
Also, if you have questions about GPU comparisons, post here.

Updating Mobile Video Card Drivers (Windows 7 and Vista)
A step-by-step guide for installing mobile video drivers for NVIDIA and ATI graphics cards in Windows 7 and Vista.
Post your driver questions here.

**Recommend Me a Game** Ask About Game Recommendations Here
This thread will be used to ask the users of NBR to recommend you some games to play depending on the kind of games you like.
You can also post about any games that should be added to the list, whether they be old, or up and coming.

Steam Games Deals
A summary of the latest deals on Steam games.

The Complete List of Free (Quality, Family Friendly) Games
A list of free games appropriate for all ages.

The Alternative Free Games Thread
A comprehensive list of free games.

Gaming with a Netbook
Discussion on gaming with a netbook.

Starcraft II Tips
Keep getting rushed by those annoying little Zerglings before your Battlecruisers come online? Check here for Starcraft II tips or share your own!

How to make a DIY ViDock
Since you cannot upgrade your mobile graphics card, a DIY ViDock is a great way to improve graphics performance without buying a new notebook.
Check this thread for information on how to do this.

DIY ViDock Experiences
If you own a DIY ViDock, post your experiences and benchmarks here!

Show off your awesome screenshots!
Got some cool in-game screenshots of you pwning some poor noob? Managed to crank Crysis to all Very High settings and want to show off the landscape? Post your screenshots here, but don't bother viewing this thread if you don't have broadband internet!

Official Flightsim Thread
Enjoy flightsims? For questions, comments, or anything else post here!

NBR TeamSpeak Server (Bad Company 2, Starcraft 2)
A TeamSpeak server for NBR users hosted by our very own htwingnut!

GPU and Gaming Threads », Top »

Notebook Maintenance Threads

Information about computer maintenance related to gaming and GPUs go here.

Monitoring Notebook Temps: nVidia & ATI, CPU, HDD - Do your temps worry you?
Learn how to monitor your temps.

Windows PC Optimization Guide
This three-part series is designed to help everyday computer users improve their productivity by optimizing their computer's performance, making use of handy shortcuts in the Windows operating system, and creating and maintaining a backup schedule.

The Undervolting Guide
Undervolting is a process which reduces the excess "voltage" given to the CPU using a software.
This is widely used as a cooling solution and in my opinion more effective than any other cooling solution available (thermal paste, cooling pad, etc) at NO cost.
Results can vary from 5c up to 30c drop in temperature, most will achieve an average of 10c.

Notebook Maintenance Threads, Top »

Other Threads

For threads that don't fit any of the above categories well.

NBR Steam Community Group *Outside link to Steam's site*
If you have Steam, join NBR's unofficial Steam group to play and chat with fellow NBR members!

StarCraft II Friends List Database
Interested in playing StarCraft II with NBR members? Look no further!

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Friends List Database
Interested in playing Battlefield: Bad Company 2 with NBR members? Look no further!

Other Threads, Top »

Frequently Asked Questions
Can my notebook run XYZ game?Is X GPU better than Y GPU?How do I update my graphics drivers in Windows?What game should I get?My laptop starts stuttering after gaming for a while and in some cases, crashes.
What is going on?
1.
Can my notebook run XYZ game?
For accurate help on whether or not your current laptop (or one you don't own) will run a particular game, post here.
FAQ », Top »

2.
Is X GPU better than Y GPU?
If you are looking for a laptop and would like to know which GPU is stronger, or are wondering how your GPU compares to others, post here.
FAQ », Top »

3.
How do I update my graphics drivers in Windows?
For Windows 7 or Vista, see the Win 7 Updating Video Card Drivers thread.
If you are running XP, see the old Updating Video Card Drivers thread.
FAQ », Top »

4.
What game should I get?
Get personalized recommendations by our knowledgeable users here.
FAQ », Top »

5.
My laptop starts stuttering after gaming for a while and in some cases, crashes.
What is going on?
There are several reasons this may be happening, but the first simple step would be to update your video card driver.
If that does not help, then monitor your notebook temps while gaming to see if your computer is overheating or not.
With that info, we can help you better solve your problem.
FAQ », Top »



FAQ », Top »



FAQ », Top »



FAQ », Top »



FAQ », Top »

The Witcher Assassins of Kings: How is it played?

How is the game played? (controller or keyboard and mouse)

Is it a hack and slash game like Devil May Cry or a click game like WOW?

Getting hold of older mobility drivers?

I have been trying to revert to the older 10.10 driver for my mobility 4670.
However I can only ever find 10.11 which I already have.
Searches for 10.10 only get me the desktop version of the package which needless to say doesn't install properly.


Does anyone know how and where to get older "mobility" ati drivers from? As I need to change my driver to fix a blu-ray playback issue that seemingly only occurred with this newest driver.

Thanks

ACER Notebook Models, Support Numbers, BIOS, User Manuals and Drivers Links

Last Updated:17/03/2009Acer Models and Specs

There are many models under various notebook lines.
The differences between models with the same starting digit but different remaining digits are few.


Global Acer Notebook Models Homepage

Acer BIOS, Drivers and User Manuals

This is a link to a repository of downloadable support for all Acer notebook models.
***Most updated Acer BIOS, Drivers and Manuals page***

This link includes many guides for different ACER products including ACER Empowering Software.
NEW ***Guides & Manuals for your Acer Product***NEW

Acer Support Numbers and Official Websites

Getting information on Acer support can sometimes be hard.
Acer can offer reduced cost notebooks due to their limited support network.
The following is a list of Acer phone numbers for major countries around the world.

The Americas

United States of America
Acer America Corp.
333 W.
San Carlos Street, Suite 1500
San Jose, CA 95110, USA
Tel: +1-408-533-7700
Fax: +1-408-533-4555
http://www.acer.com/us

Canada
Acer America Corp.
Canada
5540 McAdam Road
Mississauga, Ontario
Canada L4Z 1P1
Tel: +1-905-755-7570
Fax: +1-905-755-7591/92
http://www.acer.ca

Mexico
Acer Computec Mexico; S.A.
de C.V.
Avenida Ejercito Nacional 579, Piso 4
Colonia Granada
11520 Mexico, D.F.
Tel: +52-55-5999-9400
Fax: +52-55-5999-9401
http://www.acer.com.mx

Acer Latin America, Inc.
3750 N.W.
87th Ave., Suite 640
Miami, FL 33178, USA
Tel: +1-305-392-7000
Fax: +1-305-392-7020
http://www.acer.com/latinoamerica
http://www.acer.com/br

Europe, Middle East and Africa

Austria
0900 470 220 (1,81 €/min) - Out of warranty
0900 340 121 (0,88 €/min) - Technical Support
0820 899 987 (0,20 €/min) - Repair related requests
http://www.acer.at/

Belgium
078 150023
http://global.acer.com/be

Czech Republic
http://www.acer.cz/
Denmark
33 70 20 70
http://www.acer.dk/

France
0825 00 22 37 (0,15 €/min)
http://www.acer.fr/

Finland
+358 (0)9 876 3574
http://www.acer.fi/

Germany
0900 100 22 37 (0,99 €/min) - Aspire, Peripherals, TVs and LCDs
0900 1 737 837 (0,24 €/min) - TravelMate, Ferrari, Server and Power
01805 00 55 20 (0,14 €/min) - Repair Requests
http://www.acer.de/

Greece
http://www.acer.gr/

Italy
199 50 99 50
http://www.acer.it/

Ireland
1800 927221
http://www.acer.co.uk/

Hungary
http://www.acer.hu/

Luxembourg
900 72223 (0,16 €/min)
http://global.acer.com/be

Norway
800 84 880
http://www.acer.no/

Netherlands
0900 2020 767 (0,10 €/min)
http://www.acer.nl/

Poland
http://www.acer.pl/

Portugal
808 30 00 11
http://www.acer.pt/

Russian Federation
http://www.acer.ru/

Spain
902 20 23 23
http://www.acer.es/

Sweden
020 25 25 00
http://www.acercomputer.se/

Switzerland
0848 745 745 (D/F/I)
http://www.acer.ch/

Turkey
http://www.acer.com.tr/

United Kingdom
0870 853 1000
http://www.acer.co.uk/

Eastern Europe
http://www.acer-ee.com/

Middle East and Africa
South Africa
0861 653 653
http://www.acerafrica.com/

UAE (Middle East)
+97148056400 or 8004711 (UAE Toll Free)
http://www.acer.co.ae/

Asia Pacific

Malaysia
Acer Asia Pacific Sdn.
Bhd.
Level 24, Menara Ambank,
No.
8 Jalan Yap Kwan Seng,
50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +60-3-2162-1388
Fax: +60-3-2162-4949
http://www.acer.com.my
webmaster@acer.com.my

Australia
Acer Computer Australia Pty.
Ltd.
5 Figtree Drive, Australia Centre
Sydney Olympic Park, NSW 2127
Australia
Tel: +61-2-8762-3000
Fax: +61-2-9764 2958
http://www.acer.com.au

India
Acer India (Pvt) Ltd.
"Embassy Heights" 6th Floor
13 Magrath Rd.
(Next to Hosmat Hospital)
Bangalore 560025, India
Tel: +91-80-4070-8700.
Fax: +91-80-2532-9535
http://www.acer.co.in

Indonesia
PT Acer Indonesia
Wisma 46-Kota BNI, 15F, Suite 1508
Jl Jendral Sudirman Kav.
01
Jakarta 10220, Indonesia
Tel: +62-21-574-5888
Fax: +62-21-574-6263
http://www.acer.co.id

Japan
Acer Japan Corp.
18F, Nishi Shinjuku Mitsui Bldg.
6-24-1, Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo 160-0023, Japan
Tel: +81-3-5324-2788
Fax: +81-3-5324-2786
http://www.acer.co.jp

New Zealand
Acer Computer New Zealand Ltd.
Ground Floor, 407 Great South Road,
Greenlane Auckland
New Zealand
Tel: + 64-9-969-5600
Fax: +64-9-526-5002
http://www.acer.co.nz

Philippines
Acer Philippines, Inc.
Unit 3401 34/F PBCom Tower
6795 Ayala Avenue corner V.A.
Rufino St.
(formerly Herrera St.)
Salcedo Village, Makati City, 1226 Philippines
Tel: +632-815-3388
Fax: +632-815-4940
http://www.acer.com.ph

Singapore
Acer Computer (Singapore) Pte.
Ltd
29 International Business Park
#01-01 Acer Building, Tower A
Singapore 609923
Tel: +65-6563-6563
Fax: +65-6567-6676
http://www.acer.com.sg
acer_marketing@acer.com.sg

Thailand
Acer Computer Co., Ltd.
191/62-63, 16th Floor
CTI Tower, Rachadapisek Rd.
Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Tel: +662-661-9700
Fax: +662-661-9721
http://www.acer.co.th

Vietnam
Acer Vietnam Co., Ltd.
Suite 803, 8th Floor, Petro Vietnam Tower.
1 Le Duan St., Dist.
1, HCM City, Vietnam
Tel: +848-910-6888
Fax: +848-910-1234
http://www.acer.com.vn

China & Taiwan

China
中國
宏碁電腦(上海)有限公司
上海市黃浦區西藏中路168號3樓
Tel: +86-21-5117-8999
Fax: +86-21-6352-8628
http://www.acer.com.cn

Taiwan
台灣
宏碁股份有限公司
台北縣221汐止市新台五路一段88號8樓
Tel: +886-2-2696-1234/3131
Fax: +886-2-2696-3535
http://www.acer.com.tw

Hong Kong
中國香港
Acer Computer (Far East) Ltd.
Unit 2301-02, Level 23, Tower 1,
Millennium City 1, 388 Kwun Tong Road,
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: +852-2821-0200
Fax: +852-2861-3758
http://www.acer.com.hk

Toshiba charging port

I have Toshiba L505D-S5965 sitting here that needs a new DC charging port put in.
Does anyone know of a part # or if it is on a separate board from the MB like others that I've done.
I need to get this done by the end of the Thanksgiving week and I just wanted to start looking into it.
The Toshiba site isn't as helpful as I wanted so I figured I'd ask around...

Dell Intros 13&quot; Vostro V130 Business Notebook Discussion

Dell has introduced its latest business ultraportable, the Vostro V130.
It weighs 3.5 lbs and measures less than an inch thick.Read the full content of this Article: Dell Intros 13" Vostro V130 Business Notebook

Dell Announces New XPS Laptops Discussion

Dell has announced the newest members of its premium XPS notebook line: the XPS 14, XPS 15, and XPS 17.
Key features include Intel Core processors, JBL speakers and HD webcamsRead the full content of this Article: Dell Announces New XPS LaptopsRelated Articles:Dell Inspiron 11z and Mini 10 Get Sprint 3G/4GDell Intros Inspiron 15R Alloy Edition

Sony VAIO EA Review Discussion

The Sony VAIO E-series laptops are the most affordable notebook PCs available from Sony.
The 14-inch VAIO EA and the 15-inch VAIO EB bring the style and extra features associated with the Sony brand name to you starting as low as $649.
Keep reading to take a closer look at the VAIO EA.Read the full content of this Article: Sony VAIO EA ReviewRelated Articles:Sony updates VAIO E and F laptopsSony VAIO Y ReviewSony VAIO Z Review

ASUS K50IJ Review

by Jerry Jackson The ASUS K50IJ series is one of the latest budget notebooks designed to provide better performance than a netbook and a larger screen for only a modest price increase.
Every laptop manufacturer on the market offers a multimedia family PC with a 15-inch screen because these laptops make excellent desktop replacements.
The real question is, does the ASUS K50IJ offer enough performance and features at its bargain price of $699? Keep reading to find out.
ASUS K50IJ-C1 Specifications: Windows Vista Home Premium (SP1, 32-bit) Intel Core 2 Duo processor T6500 Processor (2.1GHz) 15.6" 16:9 Wide Format (1366 x 768) HD LCD Display 4GB DDR2 800MHz RAM, 1 slot, 4GB Max Intel GMA X4500M integrated graphics 250GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive DVD Super Multi Double Layer optical drive 802.11 B/G/N Wireless LAN 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet Weight: 5.83 lb.
including 6-cell battery Dimensions: 14.57 (W) x 10.08 (L) x 1.22-1.40 (H) inches Battery: 6-cell battery Warranty: 2-year global warranty, 1-year accidental damage, 1-month zero bright dot LCD warranty Extras: Notebook carrying case and mouse Retail Price as configured: $699 Build and DesignAt first glance the ASUS K50IJ might not look like anything special.
Even the ASUS website describes the K50IJ as being "designed to provide a no-frills computing experience to users while on the move." Well, with glowing prose like that how can we be anything other than impressed?In all seriousness, the K50IJ isn't a poorly built laptop.
The chassis is pretty solid with a mixture of glossy and matte plastics and doesn't suffer from the flex or squeaks that are common to cheap plastics.
The glossy palmrests are nice and large with good support and the full-size keyboard with dedicated number pad is comfortable to type on during a full day at work.
The one and only obvious area of weak build quality are the plastic covers over the screen hinges ...
which can pop off with just a little bit of pressure.
Overall, the K50IJ is a reasonably nice looking desktop replacement.
I use the term "desktop replacement" because most people in the market for a 15-inch notebook aren't planning to haul their notebook everywhere during frequent airline travel.
The nearly six-pound weight of the K50IJ makes this laptop an unlikely candidate for road warriors.
When closed the K50IJ doesn't feel as sturdy as you might expect as the screen lid shows some flex under very light pressure.
Additionally, the screen hinges don't provide much tension when the lid is closed so the lid will "flop" against the chassis until the screen lid is about two inches open.
Overall, this notebook PC should survive regular day-to-day use and abuse on a desk but might start showing some wear and tear after months of travel inside a school backpack.
The bottom of the notebook features the battery located behind a single access plate that must be removed in order to release the battery.
There are no access panels on the bottom of the laptop for upgrading the RAM, hard drive, or wireless cards.
While the lack of upgradeability might be a major flaw for some users, it's safe to assume that most people buying this laptop won't be making upgrades.
In fact, the K50IJ only has a single RAM slot and comes with a 4GB RAM module, so it's impossible to add more RAM to this system.
Unfortunately, if you want to upgrade the hard drive to a faster drive or SSD then you'll have to disassemble the entire chassis.
  Screen and SpeakersThe 15.6-inch high definition (1366 x 768) panel on the K50IJ-C1 rates average or slightly above average with vibrant colors and excellent contrast.
The backlighting in our review unit is nice and bright with an even spread to the backlighting.
Yes, it is a 16:9 screen ratio, but this is starting to become standard as LCD fabricators switch to 100 percent 16:9 ratio production, so we're going to have to get used to it.
Horizontal viewing angles are extremely good, so you won't have any trouble sharing a movie with a friend or two.
Upper vertical viewing angles are average as the colors start to wash out when viewed from above and colors begin to distort and invert as you move the screen back.
  The Altec Lansing branded stereo speakers are located beneath the left and right palmrests on the front edge of the notebook.
These "lap-firing" speakers tend to produced muffled sound when you have the notebook on your lap (since sound is being directed at your crotch) but the sound is surprisingly good when the laptop is on a desk and the speakers can bounce the sound up toward the user.
In short, the speakers are okay, but we would have liked to see a dedicated subwoofer in a notebook this large.
As always, we recommend a good set of earphones or external speakers for a better listening experience.
Keyboard and TouchpadThe keyboard on our review unit of the K50IJ is very comfortable in terms of the typing experience as each key is nice and large with good spacing and proper cushion and feedback.
The only issue I had with the keyboard was some flex/bounce under heavy typing pressure, but under normal typing pressure the flex wasn't much of an issue.
If you aren't banging on the keys you probably won't notice the flex.
The keyboard isn't backlit, so using it in a dark room isn't very easy.
The Elantech-based touchpad is large and comfortable to use with a nice texture and multi-touch capabilities, but my praises end there.
Sensitivity isn't particularly good and the touchpad lags during fast movement.
The multi-touch gestures don't work as well as some of the other multi-touch touchpads we've reviewed, but the two-finger scroll on the Elantech touchpad did work fine.
The touchpad buttons are nice and large, but suffer from extremely shallow feedback and noisy "clicks" when pressed.
Ports and FeaturesThe port selection on the K50IJ-C1 is hardly impressive.
In fact, it's downright sad to see a notebook this large with so few ports.
The K50IJ includes four USB ports, VGA out, a 3-in-1 card reader, audio jacks, Ethernet, a power jack and optical drive ...
that's it.
There is no HDMI, FireWire, eSATA, or ExpressCard to be found on this laptop.
On that note, it's fair to say that most average consumers don't use the HDMI port, FireWire, eSATA or ExpressCard on their notebooks, but most 15-inch notebooks include these ports.
Here's a quick tour around the ASUS K50IJ: Front: The 3-in-1 memory card slot.
Rear: Screen hinges, battery, and dual Kensington lock slots.
Left: Optical drive and two USB 2.0 ports.
Right: Headphone jack, microphone jack, two USB 2.0 ports, VGA out, Ethernet and power jack PerformanceThe performance of the ASUS K50IJ-C1 with an Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 processor and Intel X4500M integrated graphics is reasonably good.
We generally like to see discrete graphics on multimedia desktop replacement notebooks, but the K50IJ should provide more than enough power for general use around the house.
This notebook should have no problems running Microsoft office, Photoshop CS4, or playing 720p or 1080p video over the internet.
Just don't expect to play cutting edge 3D games and you'll be fine.
The 5400rpm hard drive provides acceptable performance, but considering the amount of bloatware that comes pre-installed on this laptop the K50IJ takes some time to wake up from sleep or hibernation.
Vista performance is much snappier after you uninstall some of the superfluous applications.
wPrime processor comparison results (lower scores mean better performance): Dell Studio 15 (1555) (Core 2 Duo P8600 @ 2.4GHz) 32.995 seconds Toshiba Satellite A355 (Core 2 Duo P7450 @ 2.16GHz) 35.848 seconds ASUS K50IJ-C1 (Core 2 Duo T6500 @ 2.1GHz) 36.457 seconds Lenovo IdeaPad Y530 (Core 2 Duo P7350 @ 2.0GHz) 38.455 seconds Lenovo G530 (Intel Pentium Dual-Core T3400 @ 2.16GHz) 38.470 seconds HP Pavilion dv5z (Turion X2 Ultra ZM-80 @ 2.1GHz) 39.745 seconds Dell Studio 15 (1535) (Core 2 Duo T5750 @ 2.0GHz) 41.246 seconds   PCMark05 measures overall system performance (higher scores mean better performance): Toshiba Satellite A355 (2.16GHz Intel P7450, ATI Radeon HD 3650 512MB) 5,842 PCMarks Dell Studio 15 (1555) (2.4GHz Intel P8600, ATI Radeon HD 4570 256MB) 5,731 PCMarks Lenovo IdeaPad Y530 (2.0GHz Intel P7350, Nvidia 9300M 256MB) 4,844 PCMarks ASUS K50IJ-C1 (2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6500, Intel X4500M) 4,560 PCMarks Lenovo G530 (2.16GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core T3400, Intel 4500MHD) 4,110 PCMarks Dell Studio 15 (1535) (2.0GHz Intel T5750, Intel X3100) 3,998 PCMarks HP Pavilion dv5z (2.1GHz Turion X2 Ultra ZM-80, ATI Radeon HD 3200) 3,994 PCMarks   3DMark06 measures video and gaming performance (higher scores mean better performance): Dell Studio 15 (1555) (2.4GHz Intel P8600, ATI Radeon HD 4570 256MB) 4,189 3DMarks Toshiba Satellite A355 (2.16GHz Intel P7450, ATI Radeon HD 3650 512MB) 4,084 3DMarks Lenovo IdeaPad Y530 (2.0GHz Intel P7350, Nvidia 9300M 256MB) 1,833 3DMarks HP Pavilion dv5z (2.1GHz Turion X2 Ultra ZM-80, ATI Radeon HD 3200) 1,599 3DMarks ASUS K50IJ-C1 (2.1GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T6500, Intel X4500M) 862 3DMarks Lenovo G530 (2.16GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core T3400, Intel 4500MHD) 730 3DMarks Dell Studio 15 (1535) (2.0GHz Intel T5750, Intel X3100) 493 3DMarks All of the 3DMark06 scores for all of the systems listed above were run at 1280 x 800 (16:10 ratio screens) or 1280 x 768 (16:9 ratio screens) resolution.
HDTune storage drive performance results: BatteryWith the screen brightness set to 70%, wireless active, and the Vista power profile set to "Balanced" the ASUS K50IJ stayed on for

Sony VAIO Y Review Discussion

The VAIO Y is a 13.3" ultraportable CULV-powered notebook from Sony, acting as the affordable-brother to the high-end VAIO Z.
This model includes Intel GMA HD integrated graphics, an Intel Pentium CULV processor (New models feature Intel Core i3 and i5 ULV processors), 4GB of DDR3 memory and a WXGA resolution display.
In this review we see how well this model stacks up against other ultraportable systems and if it should be added to your back-to-school notebook buying list.Read the full content of this Article: Sony VAIO Y ReviewRelated Articles:Sony VAIO Z Review

Computer Optimization Guide

Computer Optimization Guide

*This Guide has up-to-date information and tips from what to do when you first get your computer and also for those who already have been using their computer for some time.

*This Guide is meant to be simple and avoid any potentially damaging changes.
Most of these tweaks/changes are meant to have no drawbacks or cause any problems.

*These programs and tips are from my own personal experiences and also from other guides on this forum and others.

*I will update this thread often and add in any advice that other people recommend so please post your comments.

*Please Note: This info is not guaranteed to perform the same on your computer as it did on mine or anyone else's.


Also, this Guide is meant for Windows 7 and Vista computers, but should also work on XP, etc.

Lastly, All of the tweaks mentioned are rather basic and don't involve anything drastic.
If you want in-depth tweaks, see NBR Vista Tips and Tweaks Guide - Les

*Please Comment and Rep and post anything that you think I should add in / edit.
-------------------------------------

When you first get your computer

- Check to make sure you have all the parts and read through the manuals, etc.

- Check for dead pixels on your screen.
- Go through the User setup and other first-time settings.

- Make your recovery discs (if needed)
- *Updates*:
   - Run Microsoft Update to install all Windows updates as well as new drivers
   - You can also check your computer manufacturer's website for more driver updates as well as BIOS updates (advanced users only)


(This guide is geared towards optimization so I'm going to skip past the real basics of when you first get a computer)

Bloatware removal

You have 2 options:
1.
Reinstall Windows - see Clean Vista install WITH NO ACTIVATION by orev
Also see How to Perform a Clean Installation of Windows 7

2.
Remove the bloatware manually
- Remove programs using the Control Panel Uninstaller (ie any trial software such as Norton, etc.)
- Download and run CCleaner
- Go into Computer and go to C:Program Files and clean up any folders that were left behind after the Uninstall.
There are some other directories that you might want to look around for old files such as Program Data, etc but be careful not to delete anything you're not sure about.
- You can also try PC Decrapifier

Antivirus, Firewall, and AntiSpyware

1.
Antivirus - I recommend Microsoft Security Essentials.
It has excellent ratings, light on system resources, and very easy to use.
It has antivirus and antispyware.
( http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/ )

2.
Firewall - I'm a fan of Windows Firewall because it come with Windows.
But many people don't like it since it doesn't protect against outbound traffic.
So, if you want, you can use Comodo

3.
AntiSpyware - I recommend Windows Defender.
It comes pre-installed with Vista and 7.
If you use MSE, then it will automatically disable Windows Defender since MSE has anti-spyware built-in.

(Note: you can have more than 1 antispyware, but never use more than 1 antivirus or firewall because they can conflict with one another)


Optimization

Now we get to the good stuff.

1.
Clean up your startup programs (Important step!)

Go to Start > Run and type msconfig and go to the startup tab.
Go to http://www.windowsstartup.com/wso/search.php for information regarding each item.
Disable only the programs that you are sure about.
Items such as AIM, qttask, Adobe Update Manager, etc can be unchecked.
- You can also use CCleaner to do this.
Go to Tools-->Startup Tab and uncheck the ones you don't want to start on boot.

2.
Clean up Services that aren't needed (Optional)

Go to Start > Run and type services.msc
Go to http://www.blackviper.com/WinVista/servicecfg.htm and use that as your survival guide.
For Windows 7 users, go to: http://www.blackviper.com/Windows_7/servicecfg.htm

3.
Run a General Maintenance Utility Program (Optional)

My top choice is Glary Utilities
You can also use Iobit Advanced SystemCare, although it is slightly on the riskier side because it tweaks more Windows settings.


4.
Disable (Some) Indexing Options (Optional)
See this article:
http://www.tweakvista.com/articles/3...e_performance/

5.
Set power profile to Balanced (Recommended)

Go to the Control Panel

Click on 'classic view' in the left hand pane.

Open Power Options.

Select the 'Balanced' power plan.
For more information on this, please see: Power Plan Controversy


6.
Disable some Windows Features you don't need.
See this:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/...2110596,00.asp

7.
If you want to get more in-depth, check out Les' awesome Tweak Guide



Other Advice

- Download and use Firefox 3.6 as your main web browser (Google Chrome is another good choice as well)

- you may want to go into Control Panel and tweak the settings to your liking as well.

- I recommend using OpenOffice as a Microsoft Office substitute.

- Use OpenDNS (www.opendns.com)


Things to do:

Daily
- Update your Antivirus and AntiSpyware Definitions (should be automatic)

Weekly
- Perform a full virus scan and spyware scan
- Do a backup (I recommend Macrium Reflect)
- Run Windows Update
- Run CCleaner (and if you wish, Glary Utilities or Advanced SystemCare)
- Lastly, Run a Disk Defragmenter ( I recommend using Smart Defrag)


Monthly
-check for updates to your programs - I recommend using FileHippo UpdateChecker
- Check for new drivers (go to your computer manufacturers' website)
- Perform chkdsk

Yearly
- Clean out the dust from your PC using a can of condensed air
- If your PC is running sluggish then perform a backup and then restore your computer to original using your restore disks and then move back the necessary files

The items I put in bold are, to me, crucial.
An Antivirus (MSE), CCleaner, and a Disk Defragmenter are 3 very important programs in order to keep your computer running at it's best.

- More Coming Soon

This guide is meant to be a basic guide for people to get an understanding of some simple and pretty important tweaks/programs.


I will update this thread with more detailed info in the future when I have time.

Feel free to add in comments.

loooooong boot time

I have a Toshiba Satellite that I bought a little less than a year ago, and have never had a single issue with it until today.
I turned it on and it took almost an hour to boot up windows.
Everything loaded up like it should, it just took forever and is still running very slow now that it is up and going.
I checked task manager, and I'm using very little of my available resources.
I was going to try a system restore to a previous date, but when I try that, I get an error message saying "system restore does not appear to be functioning correctly on this system.
The volume shadow copy service used by system restore is not working." I shut it down, unplugged it, removed the battery, and held down the power button for about 30 seconds in case it was a static issue.
I have restarted it a couple times, and no improvement.


Any ideas???

Sony VAIO USB problems

OK.
All of a sudden my USB mouse stopped working.
I tried a different port but Windows would still give me "USB device not recognized" message.
I Googled the issue and it appears that this problem is known and there's a fix that involves removing a couple of INF files/etc.
(http://kenno.wordpress.com/2008/01/2...ize-usb-drive/ for instance).
That did not help.
At the same time, my USB hard drive works fine.
Windows also registers the action of inserting the mouse.

I tried booting Windows (Vista 64) installation from DVD and the mouse didn't work there as well, although it always works once you're presented with a menu.
I then formatted my parition, did a clean install...
and...
same thing.
USB ports don't recognize my 2 mice (Microsoft and Logitech).


Moreover, after installing all drivers/etc., my bult-in webcam and fingerprint reader don't work.
The latter asks to connect the device to USB.
Odd, since it's built-in It says "biometric device" is not detected.


This is the weirdest problem I've ever seen.
Definitely not a problem with my devices nor is it a Windows problem.
It appears that USB ports are, uhm, "half dead".
How's that possible?

Someone posted a similar story here: http://www.techsupportforum.com/hard...80-laptop.html

But no solution.

Searching the web further, I see that a number of such issues come up.
Is this a VAIO technical problem?

I also tried loading Acrois True Image (disk imaging program akin to Norton Ghost) from a bootable CD (it uses a stripped down Linux system) where my mouse always works but to no avail.

VGN-AW190.

Resetting BIOS did not help.

Alienware M11x $549

Alienware M11x $549 Link to Product Deal Right now Dell has the Alienware M11x for only $599, after $200 of Instant Savings.
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Best mini PCIe 3G - GPS - HSDPA Modem

i wanted to know which are the best mini PCIe cards available for HP Envy 14.
(i am planning to use a modded BIOS)

HP recommends UN2420 but i doubt its Linux Compatibilty

HP UN2420 3G/HSPA 7.2Mbps WWAN Mini Card, Qualcomm GOBI-2000, P/N:531993-001

are there any better cards? .
it should support at least HSDPA 7.2mbps .
Also how are dell cards?

Which one is better! HP Pavilion dv6t OR Dell XPS 15

Dear Guys, I'm about to buy one of thses laptops but really need your advice.
Its like Graphics Card Vs Memory and Space!!
Both have the same processors Intel Core i5-460M,
HP offers 6GB DDR3/ 750GB HDD with intel graphics
BUT
Dell offers 4GB DDR3/ 500GB HDD with 1GB Nvidia GeForce with Optimus & Bluetooth
These both machines are offered for $799.
Which one should I buy, Please help!!