[Glu Glu]

1. It's not too big (it's five year old laptop)

2. I'm not sure

3. verifying free space

[Hayley Bristow]

1. It's not too big (it's five year old laptop)

2. I'm not sure

3. verifying free space

If you just did a chkdsk, do a chkdsk /r. It'll do better to map around bad sectors, which is what it may be hanging on, but it also could cause it to be a lot slower if there are a lot of bad sectors.

MTBF for good HDDs is around 5 years, laptops usually go faster since they get juggled around more, so I wouldn't be surprised if there is a large amount of bad sectors.

[Sheeva]

Alright, I believe we checked both "automatically fix file system errors" and "scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors." It is most definitely frozen, the "free clusters processed" hasn't moved. Can I just reboot it at this point or is there a better way to quit?

MTBF for good HDDs is around 5 years, laptops usually go faster since they get juggled around more, so I wouldn't be surprised if there is a large amount of bad sectors.

Yeah, and this laptop has had overheating issues as well. Probably time for a replacement, although I'm not sure how we're going to manage that. At least I have an external harddrive we can move her important files to.

[jessica Villacis]

Alright, I believe we checked both "automatically fix file system errors" and "scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors." It is most definitely frozen, the "free clusters processed" hasn't moved. Can I just reboot it at this point or is there a better way to quit?

Yeah, and this laptop has had overheating issues as well. Probably time for a replacement, although I'm not sure how we're going to manage that. At least I have an external harddrive we can move her important files to.

I don't think ctrl-c is respected in chkdsk scans, which is the proper way to stop a command, so a hard reboot is the only option.

Also: chkdsk can be done with a GUI? I didn't realize that. The options you described are equivalent to running it with the /r flag.

[CYCO JO-NATE]

Also: chkdsk can be done with a GUI? I didn't realize that. The options you described are equivalent to running it with the /r flag.

I believe you can do it from the drive properties -> Tools tab. I believe it just restarts the machine and runs from the command line during the next boot, though.

[Farrah Lee]

I believe you can do it from the drive properties -> Tools tab. I believe it just restarts the machine and runs from the command line during the next boot, though.

Nice to know if trying to get someone to do a chkdsk over the phone. I swear as soon as I say "open the command prompt" it's like I'm speaking Latin.

Actually... I think I will say "Aperire imperium promptus" from now on.

[Lucie H]

Yep, you get a message about how it will schedule a check for the next time you turn on the computer, then it runs it in DOS (or whatever DOS shell this technically is).

I rebooted the computer and it seemed to start up faster than before, which is a nice sign. It still had the check scheduled so I decided to give it another go and see what happens - whatever the results it should be interesting. I did notice that during the "verifying file data" step it got hung up on something for quite a while (15 minutes?) but it's working again. The previous hang up had lasted for at least three hours, and possibly over five, so I don't feel bad shutting it down.

[Charlotte Buckley]

Thanks for the information. I have Win 7 64-bit and planning to install it soon.

PSU is the Thermaltake W0106RU 700W 80+ certified. Hopefully the PSU will last me up until the next Elder Scroll game.

Planning to upgrade the Mobo and CPU in 6 months or so.

So would you say something like (order of upgrade): GPU -> Mobo & CPU & RAM -> HDD?

Would you recommend a 2GB GPU like Radeon 7850 ... or would a 1GB GPU (like the Radeon 6850) be enough? I'm looking for something that will last me until the next ES (or 3-5 years). Play mainly heavily modded RPGs and Action RPGs, visuals are important, but not essential.

If you're for sure going to upgrade the CPU+MOBO+RAM around the 6 month time frame, then the Radeon 7850 2GB is a decent choice. That VRAM is going to help if you use a whole lot of texture mods. And do make that switch to Win 7 to make full use of your 4GB of RAM. In the meantime, try to overclock that E6750 a bit more if possible to relieve some of the bottlenecks you may see.

The PSU is average at best, but it will hold you over. The Radeon 7850 is rather friendly on the power consumption.

If you don't need a new HDD now, then that can wait. The Thailand flood impact on prices are starting to subside a bit. Hopefully, we'll see $50-$75 1TB drives again soon. An SSD is still a bit of a luxury but they too are dropping in prices and give a nice performance boost in your daily PC use and load times.

So basically, the gameplan you laid out is pretty much what I would have in mind

Looking for input on this rig
edit: link not working, 1 min.

Spoiler

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138341
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819106009
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231455
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150540
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817148046
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136950
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106333
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811154109
Intending to get 2 of the 6770's. a Link to the "Wish List" wasnt working

Good idea, bad idea? The case is just a place-holder.
I've never crossfired, or had dual GPUs before. Currently running a single 6870, would the two 6770's be an improvement?

I couldnt find a AMD motherboard with PCI-E 3.0 so the 7xxx series seem kind of meaningless to get right now. Or am I wrong?

Get this CPU+MOBO Combo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.876433

That PSU is trash. Apevia has never made an even average PSU. 700W on that is a joke. And that extra speed on the RAM isn't going to warrant you much. Here's a couple combos for a decent PSU and cheaper RAM:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.904258
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.904267

Rosewill has done well with the Hive series. Yes, Rosewill has history of mix-bag PSUs, but these are pretty good and the cheapest decent quality modular PSUs on the market:
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Rosewill-HIVE-650-W-Power-Supply-Review/1460/1

I'd vouch much more for a Caviar Black Drive (performance) than a Caviar Green (more for storage):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136795

Try to get a Radeon 7770 or better the 6850 if possible. I'm not a fan of Crossfire or SLI for that matter. Performance gains is dependent on the game support and drivers and it can vary from no gain to 90%. I'd rather stick with a single powerful card and avoid the driver/game hassles, the heat, the extra power consumption, and the feeling of not getting my moneys worth when I don't see double performance. As a former SLI user, I've found it to be a bad idea since ditching that setup.

PCI-E 3.0 is going to be backwards and forwards compatible with all iterations of PCI-E x16, so it's alright to consider a 7-series card for a PCI-E 2.x supported board...there aren't really any cards that are close to saturating that bandwidth...most certainly not a Radeon 77xx or 78xx card.

The case, well...that's your choice. Cheapest cases I've worked with that I considered decent are the NZXT Source 210 and the NZXT Gamma. $40, free ship at Amazon.

[Jonathan Egan]

1) I have 356 $
2) Croatia
3) can not build my own PC
4) don't need monitor, speakers, keyboard, mouse, OS
5) prefer AMD cause it's cheaper

I'm thinking of APU with integrated GPU
AMD A6-3670K BOX, s. FM1, 2.7GHz, 4MB, GPU 6530D, Quad Core
also I need MBO, HDD, PSU.

Will I be able to run Skyrim on this AMD Fusion low detail, distant land maxed
and most importantly witHout crashes ?

Or maybe you have other better options ?
Thx

[Kate Norris]

Depends what it's for, although at that price point, I'd imagine you be much better served buying an Intel processor. Care to elaborate on your intended use?

Games mostly.

[Kayla Keizer]

Games mostly.

Intel tends to have a big advantage in gaming, performance per core is much better, which makes a big difference because most games aren't heavily threaded anyway. Even an i3 can beat Bulldozer in most cases. I'd imagine you'd be much better served by a 2500K, which is generally regarded as the best bang for your buck gaming processor right now. Plus you should be able to find some good deals on Sandy Bridge CPU's now that Ivy Bridge is only days away.

[Honey Suckle]

A properly overclocked Phenom II quad-core is still quite a capable gamer. If your budget can't quite make room for a 2500k. A $125 Phenom II x4 and a $250 video card will outperform a $220 2500k and a $155 video card.

1) I have 356 $
2) Croatia
3) can not build my own PC
4) don't need monitor, speakers, keyboard, mouse, OS
5) prefer AMD cause it's cheaper

I'm thinking of APU with integrated GPU
AMD A6-3670K BOX, s. FM1, 2.7GHz, 4MB, GPU 6530D, Quad Core
also I need MBO, HDD, PSU.

Will I be able to run Skyrim on this AMD Fusion low detail, distant land maxed
and most importantly witHout crashes ?

Or maybe you have other better options ?
Thx

should handle distant land maxed if you have fast RAM in there

the Fusion GPUs use your system's RAM rather than their own dedicated memory, so the speed directly affects your graphical performance. DDR3-1600 is the "sweet spot" speed that grants the best price/performance - anything higher costs a lot more with very little benefit. if the system you're buying has DDR3-1333 or lower, it would be worth upgrading to DDR3-1600, either 2x2gb or 2x4gb. G.Skill and Corsair are generally the best brands right now.

[keri seymour]

Not sure if I accidentally installed something but my language bar random appears I get the language switching option when I hit CTRL+ALT+DEL in the top left. The options are English (default since I am in the US) and then French for some reason. Is there a way to hide this again or remove the extra language? I looked and French isn't even installed. This just occured at some point randomly in the past week. I am using Windows 7 Pro 32bit, I do need to clean install at some point in the near future but for the moment this is not an option.

[Silvia Gil]

So I'm hoping to upgrade my PC piece by piece until I have a fresh, new technologically up-to-date machine. First step, methinks, is a new CPU. This also means I need a new motherboard. I have the pieces selected but I just need to ask before I order the parts - Will I be able to use my current windows installation on the new motherboard or should I grab a disk from my brother and reinstall?

[KU Fint]

If you're lucky, you'll be able to perform a Windows recovery, and even then there's no guarantee it will be stable.

A full re-installation is always recommended when you replace the motherboard.

BTW what are your current specs? Your CPU and/or mobo might not need to be the first replaced.

[sarah taylor]

If you're lucky, you'll be able to perform a Windows recovery, and even then there's no guarantee it will be stable.

A full re-installation is always recommended when you replace the motherboard.

BTW what are your current specs? Your CPU and/or mobo might not need to be the first replaced.

I have an Athalon 2 x2 @ 3.5Ghz and a GTS 250 1GB. After monitoring my GPU and CPU usage during gameplay, I decided to upgrade my CPU right away. I figure I'll grab somethin' from the 500 series Nvidia after the price drops from the 600 series.

Silly me placed the order without thinking. Eight hours later, I realized I need DDR3 RAM for the new motherboard. I'm so bad at this remembering thing. I'd make a list if I didn't forget where I put my notebook...

[Mr. Ray]

With a full retail copy of Windows, you should be OK. All you'd have to do is reactivate it. I never did a complete install for hardware changes.

If you have an OEM copy, the license is tied to the initial hardware, but MS may still allow you to reactivate after a mobo change.

You will need to remove the drivers for the old mobo and install them for the new one.

[Meghan Terry]

I'm looking to do my first build, a "budget gaming" build. I'm in the US and I hope to accomplish this for around $500, that's excluding monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, and OS. But I might be willing to go higher if it's worth it. I'm very much new to all of this. Right now I'm looking at the AMD A8-3850 Llano 2.9 GHz quad-core APU (w/ Radeon HD 6550D) for $120, a Gigabyte mobo http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128518, $100. Is this a good start? Any recommendations on the other components? Do I need 8 GB RAM or will 4 do the trick? What do I need from my power supply, 500W? I'm also thinking a 500GB HDD and a basic DVD-ROM drive, I don't need blu-ray. As far as a case, would a mid-tower be sufficient? and should I invest in an aftermarket cooler?

[Jennifer Rose]

I put such a list together just recently for a friend, here it is under $450. If you want to have the option to add a better video card in the future, pick a better PSU like this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020

That'd be perfect.

[ANaIs GRelot]

I haven't been keeping up with things -last time I grabbed one was before Samsung was bought up- but am feeling the need to get another HDD. What's the current top pick?

I was thinking of a terabyte drive, but it looks like 2TB is now the sweetspot in terms of $:bytes. 3TB is too costly at present.

[Ilona Neumann]

Seagate Barracudas and Western Digital Caviar Blues are what I look at first. Good price-to-performance/storage and reliable.

[.X chantelle .x Smith]

Hey,

Some time ago I asked, in the http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1358707-the-community-tech-thread-no-113/, about a computer setup I wanted to buy.
This included the http://processormatch.intel.com/CompDB/SearchResult.aspx?BoardName=DX79TO motherboard and i7-3820K processor.
Now I found out the default(?) BIOS revision (0281)http://communities.intel.com/thread/28254?start=0&tstart=0.
I would need the 0430 revision.

Now my question:
How could I be sure I get a motherboard with revision 0430? (Or just be sure it supports the 3820K processor at all)

I'd be willing to change to another motherboard, but how can I be sure another motherboard will work?
EDIT:

How would these boards compare to the DX79TO board?
- ASUS P9X79
- ASRock X79 Extreme6

Cheers,
Badboyd

[TASTY TRACY]

I put such a list together just recently for a friend, here it is under $450. If you want to have the option to add a better video card in the future, pick a better PSU like this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020

That'd be perfect.

Where's that list?

[Tai Scott]

My bad, thought I'd already linked it.
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=19888406

since the ram in the list is out of stock, this is a good replacement
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

[Amy Gibson]

>_> I've ran into a problem, and its REALLY irritating me now.

I got a new case for my computer, and when I installed all the new parts (just like I do everytime), and hit the power button, nothing happened. I tried the reset button. nothing. so I plugged my old case back in, and now even thats not working. I'm assuming this is a motherboard problem now?

Also, when I was moving all my parts, I noticed my power supply has some kind of orangish looking goo inside of it (might be a different color, im colorblind). By "goo" i mean it looks kind of like dried glue. Best way I can describe it. So could the power supply be the problem? its from Diablotek. I can take pictures of the "goo" if needed. I'm not sure if it is some kind of glue, or some kind of problem with it. Just thought i'd throw it out there as possibility.

PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817822003&Tpk=diablotek (3rd pic, in the middle on the left, is where the goo is. I can get pictures of my individual PSU if needed)

Sorry to bug you all i feel so noobish now.