The Official PC building thread -3rd Edition

crap
i will be sooo pissed off if i find out that i just wasted money on the i7 965 when i could have gotten the same performance with an i7 920 (which i could have gotten for $150)
-im1992

 

im1992,
It wasn't really that bad. It was a fresh install. I had only installed my DVD stuff, Photoshop and a few other things. I had TrueImage 8, which was replaced with TrueImage 9. Neither did what the package said it did, you couldn't back up to DVDs or CDs. The CDs would record the data, but the restore wouldn't read the disks. It will back up to another HDD, or even another partition on the same drive, but that's it. I wouldn't have backed it up till I was finished anyway! LOL!! Even this install is just for more testing, then Sunday night, I'll pack up the MB and Monday and take it down to UPS. When the replacement MB comes, I'll do another fresh install!

I also discovered today that some of the 32 bit programs that wouldn't work before when it was Dual Boot, now work! I'll even let it upgrade to a point, but I won't be installing SP-2 for a good while. I've had a few quirks with M$ upgrades before, but nothing like this. I even googled it! The only major problem I came across was how to get rid of the Dual Boot Menu, and I read a number of ways to do it, all complicated to a degree.

If you don't know, the easiest way is to go into the Control Panel, System, Startup and Recovery and then click on Edit and remove everything but your current system. You don't even have to touch the timer settings, as it won't launch the Startup menu with only a single OS! Simple and quick just like it always has been since XP-Pro first came out! It's truly amazing how complicated people can make, a simple chore! LOL!!

Best Regards,
Russ

 

Russ,
Well, I guess you got it sorted out.
Yeah, dual boot menus become a pain in the ass sometimes.
When I had both XP and Vista, and wanted to delete the XP boot menu, I downloaded a small software to do it for me. That software let you change your entire boot menu, you could even change names of the OSs' and such.

Btw, is that AMD CPU you are running a Quad core? And how much have you overclocked that?

How do you feel about the difference between the Core i7 920 and Core i7 965? Do you think there is any difference between the two when the Core i7 920 is overclocked to 3.2ghz (the stock speed of the Core i7 965)?

-im1992

 

I imagine there is a reason they're charging 700$ more than 920! Cant imagine what It might be.

 

im1992,
If I understand how it works with the QPI, I think you would have to get the Core i7 920clocked to about 3.4 to be functionally the same, performance wise. First off, I believe QPI is limited by the model of processor, much like Hyper Transport II is on my AMD, even in the Overdrive. I can only set it as high as the maximum for my CPU or 3600. The Phenom x4 810 is 4000. Plug in a x2 4450B, and the limit is 2000. With i7 920, if it was that easy, they would never sell another 940 or a 965! That's just common sense!

If I'm not understanding this correctly, somebody please explain!

I'm running the x2 7750BE, the only Socket AM2+ Dual Core available, at the moment. 2.7GHz, and I've got it overclocked 500MHz. It will go higher, but not until I replace the MB. On the DS4H I had it to 3.6GHz at 1.44v, but something is wrong with the southbridge on the UD4H, and it just won't go past 3.2GHz. If I try it crashes, and no matter what settings I try, it won't work right again until I clear the CMOS and start over. I've also had it just lock up for no apparent reason, after it had been stress tested for about 8 hours, just a couple of weeks before. I think that the video slowdown itself causes something to go out of whack. Windows don't open with AMD's trademark snap! In fact it's a lot like the video from a DVD, as windows seems to open in stages like steps, rather than just open smoothly. I know it's wierd, but if you look in the setup, nothing has changed, but it isn't going to work without clearing the CMOS, even if you underclock it! Clear the CMOS and put the same settings back in and it runs fine until the next time!

No deep dark secret either. I just got so frustrated when it wouldn't boot up at 2.0GHz, so I took a shot and cleared the CMOS. Pure luck on my part! LOL!!

Russ

 

I think XP Pro 64-bit is a real pain, driver support for it is a lot worse than vista, and it doesn't really offer anything extra other than 64-bit support. Unless you need more than 3.5GB of RAM, there's no reason to use it at all.
The problem you hve with XP Pro 64-bit was actually a famous bug with the original XP when Service Pack 2 first came out all those years ago. I'm amazed it's reappeared in 64-bit four years later.

Russ, your windows opening gradually imply the graphics drivers aren't working at all and it's the CPU rendering the desktop.

 

NO sense in being upset. Just sell the i7/965 for a little profit, then buy the i7/920 for the $150 you were talking about and THEN hook up the GM like he originally wanted. Sounds like GOOD LOGIC to me.

...the GM

 

Sam,
I've never seen the problem. My Graphics drivers are working fine, and I've had no issues with games at all. It's not a "no Graphics Driver thing" like you get before you install the drivers when windows doesn't recognize the card, It's very moderate, but annoying! I installed the 9500-GT in Oxi, and it's beautiful! I have the latest drivers from nVidia, and these are XP-Pro 64 bit specific, not Vista Drivers! Says so right on the file!

My SP-1 and SP-2, both came on CDs direct from Micro$oft, so I guess that's why I never had that problem.

The reason I want to go to 64 bit is my air turbine software is changing to 64 bit, so I might as well start early! Drivers haven't been a problem, and all my DVD ripping and burning programs work fine. I went one folder at a time with all my software, and checked for 64 bit drivers. If there were any I stuck them in new folder named 64 Bit, inside the software folder. Made life much easier. I've only found one thing that doesn't work, and that's my DiscStakka software. It won't show up in my computer, as a drive. I just click on the icon in the taskbar, and it opens. All my games seem to play real well, too! If the video source is a drive, optical or HDD, then I have the problem. 3DMark 03 and 06 doesn't seem to have the problem either. The HD-3300 OBG did the same thing as well as having the resolution problem Either way, the motherboard has to be replaced. I can't plug in more than 3 Sata drives. If I add another HDD, the optical fails! I don't want to see what happens if I plug 4 Sata HDD's in it! LOL!! Something in the Southbridge for sure!

Russ

 

That's all fine, but I don't see what the southbridge has to do with what basically sounds more like a codec/driver issue. I can only assume it is trying to apply hardware acceleration to the videos and not succeeding. In any case, the GX chipset seems quite renowned for problems like these from googling, the FX chipset without the graphics seems to perform better, but it doesn't look like Gigabyte produce a reasonably priced board for that chipset.

 

@gm,

I wish I could but I am allowed only 2 cpus / year and I don't want to waste the other one so early in the year.

If the i7 965 really is a waste, then I will sell my i7 965 and get the i7 920 at full price.

If there are numbers to prove that the i7 965 is indeed better then the i7 920, then I will be keeping the i7 965.

 

To be honest, the difference you're likely to see is mainly down to the overclocking ability, not much else. Per mhz I doubt you'll see much in it. The HT benefits the CPU mildly in some tasks, strongly in others, but particualrly for gaming, the 920 or 940 would do you fine.

 

Best board ive ever owned! We'll see if my excitement holds however, when I bump it up to 4 x 2gb 1066 Mushkin

 

Sam,
Can I ask what you googled? As all the problems I discovered googling, were in reference to the OBG, not a dedicated graphics card. I also talked to someone at ATI that knew what I was complaining about with the OBG, and the hardware is fine, it's the software that's been the problem. How they managed to blow it between the superb 780G's HD3200 graphics and the 790GX's HD3300, is beyond me. Oh, they're working on it! LOL!! You are so right about the FX as well. The only one GigaByte has, is for AM3 only, and it's $180!

I think I figured out why the Southbridge would mess up the video! Normally, you think of the video as being controlled by the Northbridge, but the PCI-E bus is a function of the Southbridge! I would think that anything wrong with the PCI-E bus, would reflect in the video performance! I could be wrong as it's just a guess on my part. It does make sense though.

Best Regards,
Russ

 

Aight for you vista Pro's out there...I need some help if you would please...I installed Vista Ultimate 64bit getting it ready for another pc case to install the motherboard & Cpu & hard drive over that's right selling the Ga-p35-ds3r rev2.0 and the E6750...I'm like Russ stuck on Xp but...I'm wanna sell it with Vista on it...I got all the Vista Editions even Windows 7 so if anybodys knowns what to do on how to give a hand Thanks alot...I'm trying to turn off that thing that ever time you install program vista wants promission to do so...Thats driving my crazy...yea you can laugh...I'm new to this Os but theres nothing wrong with learning something new...

They say theres alot programs that don't work with this Os...is that true? I tryed to install Real Temp...did'nt want work at all here's a pic below Thanks



I'm on the system now just install Explorer 8
Looks sweet still trying to install some software as..I go

 

Just reviews from users of the board, not just newegg, but forums etc. Most of them seem to be interface problems or OBG problems. Interesting that the PCIe is on the southbridge. It makes sense, since the Southbridge is the Interface controller hub, but why in that case is the maximum bandwidth reliant on an older ICH for Intels? The P35, X38 and X48 use the same ICH9R, and the latter two have 32x bandwidth support. The newer ICH10R used on the P45s can only manage 16x or 24x.
While that makes sense, it doesn't explain why only the OBG doesn't work properly, and dedicated graphics do. I would suspect it's a buggy chipset design, not necessarily the PCI express controller. It is an interesting argument though.

To turn off User Account Control (UAC)
http://www.petri.co.il/disable_uac_in_windows_vista.htm

 

Thanks sam that's good info to know sense...I'm new to this

 

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger there, when it comes to Micro$oft's security. Mozilla is just as bad. I went down there today and screamed at them. I had my Lawyer send them a letter, stating that the next time they decide to upgrade my Browser without my permission, I will see them in Court! LOL!! I hate it when outside interests try and dictate to me how I can use my computer! ROFLMSOAO!!

Best Regards,
Russ

 

You sent a company that provides software for free a legal letter just because they upgraded your own product for you without notice?

 

Sam,
No I didn't send the a letter, as they are only about 3-4 miles away from where I live. I went there and yelled at them in person! The letter is being sent by my Lawyer to remind them that I mean business! It wasn't the "without notice" I minded because sometimes they do warn you of the upgrade, it's the fact that when you would open FireFox, it would just upgrade whether you wanted to or not. It gave you no option to say yes or no! Even Micro$oft doesn't do that! I've taken FireFox 3 off of my computer a half of dozen times now because FF-3 keeps having problems. I replace it with FF-2 and we start the whole cycle all over again.

I don't know how things are in the UK, but here in the US, Our Constitution guarantees Freedom of Choice, and by not allowing me to choose whether I want to do it or not, violates my Constitutional Rights! I like FF-2, I don't much like FF-3. It's full of bugs! I want FireFox, but I want the upgrades after I've found out that the bugs have been fixed, and not before!

Say you are in a real hurry to catch a plane, but you forgot to print something from the internet that you need to take with you. You fire up the computer and open the browser to quickly get and print what you need. FF offers no "remind me later" button. You have no choice but to sit wait until the upgrade is complete, the last thing you need when you are in a hurry. It isn't right, and it is against the law!

Best Regards,
Russ