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Post by ½ A Gram on Jul 24, 2008 15:51:35 GMT -5
I fully intend to build one with some help from the friend whose old man owns a computer shop. Someone who actually has customer service for the motherfucking win.
Have any of you ever called Dell for customer service? I don't mean to get racial here, but dammit, can't they find someone whose first language was English? wait times are atrocious, you can't understand one word they're saying, they sound liek they barely know WTF they're doing. I just hung up eventually, and took it to Ad-Com (previously mentioned shop). they had it fixed in a day or two.
I should find the work order and see exactly what was wrong (that shouldn't have been in the first place).
But yeah, I totally intend to build my own awesomeness computer once I get the chance.
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Post by nightmare75 on Jul 25, 2008 21:53:04 GMT -5
I've never had a problem with customer service because I've never needed customer service.
Huzzah! My RAM came in today! I'm now rocking 4 GB of DDR2 800 and the performance difference is pretty damn amazing.
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Post by ½ A Gram on Jul 25, 2008 23:25:51 GMT -5
unfortunately, I've not been blessed with awesome computer knowledge from birth. If i can build one myself, and learn about this junk, with some help to make sure I don't fuck it up the ass sideways by accident, I'm sure I'll be good to go in the future.
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Post by nightmare75 on Jul 27, 2008 20:09:34 GMT -5
Actually, putting the computer together is a lot like putting Legos together. The hardest part, IMO, is getting the right parts for your budget. It takes a lot of research and second opinions, but once you get that done, putting the hardware together is cake. I think the hardest thing to figure out on your own with no previous experience is the case jumpers (for the power and reset buttons and the case-mounted USB and audio ports). That stuff is still easy if your motherboard comes with good documentation, though.
Unfortunately, software is not the same at all.
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Post by 'Fox on Jul 28, 2008 3:43:00 GMT -5
Nightmare, any knowledge of the best Card to allow HDMI output. I'm using my old motherboard just because its there and free, but It lacks an HDMI. Idk, I was thinking maybe an ATI all-in-wonder for the GPU and then a HDMI + Tv Tuner in a PCI slot. This mobo has only one PCI-e and like 3 Pci's.
AFAIK, auzentech is coming out with an audio card (7.1 channel xfi) that bundles the audio, and video from an internal or external soursce to an out and that can be hooked to a TV.
If thers any mistakes in the above, I apologize. Its 5 in the morning i've been up since 11 yesterday. I'm also drunk (half a 375ml + 2 tall boys so sry lll
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Post by ½ A Gram on Jul 28, 2008 14:00:21 GMT -5
375ml? Like a mickey?
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Post by nightmare75 on Jul 28, 2008 15:35:49 GMT -5
I actually know quite little about home theater computer hardware. My knowledge is pretty much based in gaming hardware. I would think an ATI product would be pretty good, though. If your video card has DVI out, you can buy a cable or converter (my new video card actually came with one) that would allow you to go HDMI into a TV. The downside is that you need separate cables for audio then. Almost all video cards these days have DVI out. I'm fairly certain that your motherboard has an AGP graphics slot, so that limits your video card choices a little bit. Actually, I'd run CPU-Z (http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php) to find out for certain what graphics interface you have before you buy anything. I'm not sure ATI makes an All-in-Wonder for the AGP interface, but the card I recommended for you a while back would actually suffice for HTPC. If you want to spend less, go to newegg.com and look for AGP graphics cards that are HDCP-ready. If you could find a card that gives high quality audio and allows you to hook up both video and audio with a single HDMI cable, I would think that would be worth it. Again, I know next to nothing about home theater PC stuff, but that sounds like a good deal to me. If you need some more opinions on this, the PC Hardware board on GF is actually fairly good, as long as you don't bring up XP vs. Vista: boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/gentopic.php?board=2000403 |
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Post by 'Fox on Jul 29, 2008 3:16:21 GMT -5
Naw I've torn it apart many times before, it has one PCIe x 16 and 3 PCI's And I have CPU-Z, thanks however. I got it a while back from a Max PC mag. I was at My local shop today and we were discussing it and the guy Brian and I decided on a Radeon HD 2600 Pro. As for Ati or Msi, I don't know. Msi is cheaper lol. It comes with an DVI - HDMI adapter  And thinking about it, I've been spending alot of time looking for a laptop recently, I might end up settling for a maxxed out Alienware m15x (powerful enough to let me abandon and then toy with this machine and make my HTPC) and also, I'll have a decent machine so I can watch and see where Gaming Systems go while building up my funds to make one EDIT: And yes, a Mickey, didn't think you'd know... As far as I know, That's ontario and west canada terminology only (Im a Southwestern Ontario Guy) everywhere else a mickey is a shot in its own bottle or a laced drink. You canadian lol? |
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Post by nightmare75 on Jul 29, 2008 12:21:57 GMT -5
A 2600 Pro should do fairly well. It's odd though, I looked up your motherboard and I thought I saw that it had an AGP slot... Oh well, I guess.
I'd avoid Alienware. They tend to overprice their stuff. You're better off getting something like an HP with an 8800M for a graphics card if you want to game on your laptop. I've also heard Sager makes some good laptops.
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Post by ½ A Gram on Jul 29, 2008 12:53:09 GMT -5
Fox: I am absolutely Canadian! Mickey, Twosix, forty, sixty six, texas mickey, twofour, etc etc.
And for a clue as to where I am situated: GO RIDERS! 5-0! WOOOOO!
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Post by 'Fox on Jul 29, 2008 21:48:08 GMT -5
Pred: hahah, sask guy huh  Night: Yah I was looking into the Dv5 and the Special Edition Bronze dv6700t i think it was. The things is, Im totally a backlighting whore. If Im going to get a laptop that doesnt have backlighting its gotta be awesome value. I live by my Saitek Eclipse II lol. The m15x is overpriced but it is by far the most powerfully configurable 15.4 incher. Anyway, the Dell Studio, the XPS 1530 and the Dv5 are all good buys im considering. I might get the XPS and order the Studio Keyboard (same size but backlit) and install it hahaha |
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Post by nightmare75 on Jul 30, 2008 20:42:31 GMT -5
OK, just so long as you know what you're getting into with Alienware. If you tell someone you have one, they'll either tell that it's awesome (if they know nothing about computers) or they'll tell you that you overpaid (if they know something about computers. If you've got the money to drop on a laptop that powerful and you really think a laptop is what you want, then go for it.
Of course, you could just be like me and get a powerful desktop for games and a cheap laptop (like an Eee PC) for taking notes and general portability.
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Post by 'Fox on Jul 30, 2008 21:32:57 GMT -5
Yah. It's the Lighting and the smartbay that I want.
In the smartbay you can put the optical drive, a HDD or an addition battery, amounting to around 6 hrs of battery life!
Hopefully Dell puts these features (along with Centrino 2) into the M1530 so i can go for it rather that alienbear
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Post by Spartan on Jul 7, 2009 20:44:16 GMT -5
I almost won an Intel i7 once. one time I went to one of them gaming convention things and they had Live for Speed, a PC race sim, set up. Whoever got the best lap time at the end of the day would win an i7 of some type, back when they were really expensive. (oh wait.... ZING!) I was within 2 seconds of teh winner....  |
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