Larian Studios Forums General Chat Chat (Anything) The PC "Help" Thread

OK, borrowed an old screen from my sisters boyfriend (acually it's the screen from our first PC, from 98. It flickers so much I doubt I'll spend much time on this PC <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/disagree.gif" alt="" />).

Übereil

Hello everyone, I'm thinking about buying a new computer and I'd like some advice. The system I want to buy is based on a two monthly best buy guide on a Dutch website called Tweakers.net, which you can find here. (It's in Dutch of course, but the names of the various parts are in English, so I guess you get the idea.)

Now what I'd like to know is not whether this is a good system or not, I daresay it is, but whether it's a good idea to buy a new computer right now. Do you think it would be silly to purchase a brand new PC just weeks before Windows Vista/DirectX 10 is due to hit the shelves, or is this not something you'd really consider? I don't know much about hardware or the impact Windows Vista will have, so I'd value the opinion of anyone who does.

Many thanks in advance! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

I am not up to date on this stuff, and I do not speak Dutch (except for a few words). However, I highly recommend Ars Technica System Guide.They give 3 builds in different price ranges with thoughtful discussion. I built my system last year based on their recommendations. The only downside to the article is that it is a couple of months old.

anandtech has more up to date guides which are also of good quality.

hmm Mac dunno about the prices in euro's but like 2 grand seems like a lot for a system that size, that said the parts are okay although I aint no lover of Intel (rather run AMD anyday) and I daresay that Dell brings out a better Monitor for less money (looks thru records for a link .....) Dell 19" these are in aus dollars but hey I am sure you can find something in Euro's when you trawl around the Dell site <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

And after all that .... yes I would wait until vista etc etc is released AND the nextr service pack for Vista comes out .... then again there's nothing wrong with XP Pro SP2, which at least I shall continue running until Vista is at least at SP2 <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

1 more hint try sending a private message to Lady_Rain, last time I looked she still had a website that sold pc's and it should include a Money comverter <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

if it's an old monitor, chances are that it won't support more than 60Hz on 1024 by 768 resolution. what u can do about this is to reduce the resolution down to 800 by 600 then increase the refresh rate to 70Hz. that should solve your flicker problem a bit.

hope that helps.

@ Macbeth -> sorry, man. wish i know how to help u there. i don't know if that is worthwhile or not as i cannot relate to your currency. specs-wise, the system looks beefy though.

Thanks for your thoughts! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />

I got the Syncmaster 920n from Samsung, and I am very happy about it ;-).
The dell screen is a widescreen, so it seems on what you like best, a 'normal' one, or a widescreen. (Tough i never seem to get the advantage of widescreens)

Also ram is on one of it's highpoints of price, so maybe better to wait till it's cheaper again, like a few months ago, or buy enough to come satisfy yourself, and then add some more later, when it's cheaper ;-).

OK, Trend have stopped updateing PC Cillin 2004 and later, and since I used 2002 it won't be updated again. Therefore I've switched to Avast! anti-virus. The problem is Avast! doesn't contain a firewall, and since I don't exactlly trust the Windowsfirewall my sollution will be that I get a good freeware firewall. The problem is, I don't KNOW any freeware firewalls! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

So, any tips?

Übereil

I have not used any of these freeware firewall programs, but last I heard ZoneAlarm is quite user friendly, while Kerio is easier on system resources (don't recall anything specific about Sygate).

firewall: Sygate is available for download from cnet.com--easy to use, but no longer updated.

some new free security stuff:
SiteAdvisor-- tells you whether any given site is safe with regard to links, downloads, spam, etc. It runs as an addon to the browser.

DropMyRights--allows you to drop the admin rights (you need XP) to any program, such as your browser, even if you are running as the admin. This walls off the browser from doing any harm to your system if it does pick up a virus. I like the concept, but do find the instructions a bit too hard to follow.

VMWare Player andBrowser appliance--installs a separate browser into a virtual system which makes your browsing extremely safe. It is highly demanding of system resources--consumes tons of memory--so you need a high level system.

Shazou--firefox extension that provides a bit of extra antiphishing safety.
WOT does the same.

I use Zonealarm for a few years no, with no problems so far.
Only the log files need to be deleted once in a while, they consume quite a lot of space over the time.

Yup everyone is correct here I use aVast! with Zonealarm suite, quite nicely <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

For a few days I have bee getting intermittent freezes; the machine needs to be manually shut down. Now it won't boot up at all. The lights come on, and the optical drives go through their little light show, but then everything stops. I never even get to any of the bootup screens. No BIOS, no RAM check, no Windows startup--nothing. The monitor is blank--the monitor is not the problem--the machine just stops. I should probably add that it has done this intermittently ever since I had it, but would always then go boot up normally when it hung if I pressed the cute little reboot button.

A week or 2 previously the system hung up when shutting down and lost the internet connection. I ascribed that to updating my AVG software. After removing AVG and running AVAST instead that problem seemed to disappear--I don't know if that is related.

What could be the culprit and how and where do I start?

Thanks.

PS That machine has my chaos casc. password on it, which I forgot, so I won't be logging in there for a bit. Tell Glance--it is not French Guiana, but a place that has been in the news.

That's what mine did just before the Motherboard died... I now get lights and nothing else - no fan hum, no chip hum, nothing. If yours is like that too, Cleg, it's possible your Motherboard is gone, too...

I can change your Cascade password if you want, BTW. PM me here at Larian if you'd like me to do that, please. The system will send out a new confirmation e-mail and once you have that you'll have access again - and obviously can change the password again <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

You can always check if its not something as simple as a component having come loose...

Open the machine, check if all the cards are in propperly... (you should not be able to see the golden rows of "teeth" where the card clips into the slot... so press on all the cards with MODERATE force, (please dont go snap anything)...

Check if the memory is propperly in by using the same method... and while you at it, check that the ribbon cables are in firmly aswell...

even though it doesnt boot, leave the machine on for 3- 5 minutes, and feel if any part of the computer gets excesively hot, check if all the fans are spinning. The Heatsink on your CPU should NEVER be hotter than lukewarm. for that matter no component should be much hotter than lukewarm.

If all these things are fine...

try the following:
While the machine is off
unplug the power from the unnecesary devices like CD rom, stiffy drive, 2nd hard drive (if any).
See if it will boot now...
If this help, there may be a problem with one of those devices, OR your powersupply is faulty and is no longer supplying enough stable power (and this is where my gut tells me the problem may be, if its not a faulty motherboard and/or CPU as suggested earlier).

Remember, while checking inside of your computer, be sure to have an elbow (bare skinned) or hand on a non-painted metallic surface of the computer, since those surfaces are grounded. The components inside the computer is made to handle 12 volts and static electricity can build up to 10000 volts on your hands. If one of the circuits in your computer comes in contact with 10000 volts, that circuit will die, which is not very good. So stay grounded! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Übereil

Lady Rain has great advice there. i would like to add, well after u unplug the system of course & that u are free of static electricity, to unplug the RAM, and/or graphic card then plug 'em back in again. as what the lady said, it might be loose connection. u can also try cleaning the electrical connection (those rows of golden teeth, to borrow Lady Rain's expression) by using a soft pencil eraser.

let's hope it's not the motherboard. & i also hope it's not the power supply unit too.

sorry can't help u more there, Cleg.

Thanks for the suggestions. The computer will go on my kitchen table for work probably Friday. The motherboard should still be under warranty, but will be a colossal pain to switch out--if that is the problem. I will be pleased if it is just a loose connection.

@Elliot
I won't be surfing much without my computer so hold off on the password change for now. Thanks, and I will PM you if I do decide to change it at CC.

OK, Cleg <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Hope it turns out to be something minor after all with your computer <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Sorry you live so far away. I would look after the PC, if I could. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />