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On April 03 2012 14:21 bkrow wrote:Whoa - thanks for all the prompt replies; and i am slowly realising how very little i actually know about my laptop! Guess i am stuck buying a new one! Oh well 
Or desktop.
Its cheaper to buy a good desktop for gaming, with a small laptop on the side for productivity, than a laptop that tries to do both.
You'd have to really want mobile gaming for a gaming laptop to make sense, and most gaming laptops battery lives are pretty pathetic.
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The answer I just got about the screeching noise in my headphone makes sense , because for what I have been told my HDD is going bad.
I just tried trying an HDD from an old computer i have sitting here to see if that one would work, but it would not boot up with it. Are there steps when you want to try a new HDD ,or old. ?
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On April 03 2012 14:42 Medrea wrote:Show nested quote +On April 03 2012 14:21 bkrow wrote:Whoa - thanks for all the prompt replies; and i am slowly realising how very little i actually know about my laptop! Guess i am stuck buying a new one! Oh well Or desktop. Its cheaper to buy a good desktop for gaming, with a small laptop on the side for productivity, than a laptop that tries to do both. You'd have to really want mobile gaming for a gaming laptop to make sense, and most gaming laptops battery lives are pretty pathetic.
Being able to play Civ V while in bed makes up for all of it, muhahahaha!
*ahem* Actually I agree with most of what you have to say. Though battery life has gotten much better, I can actually game while on my battery for an hour or more and that's with all of the power saving hardware mode crap disabled.
I will say, bkrow if you're looking to game on your laptop I strongly suggest you stay away from Alienware and other "gaming laptops" it's just not worth what you get. I highly suggest you look into getting a Dell or HP ordered custom. After doing quite extensive research I came to the conclusion that this is really the best value in terms of hardware for the money.
I have a Phenom 2 quad core, 6GB RAM, with a 1G HD 5650 that I got for $900 after a $50 off discount deal; and that was in January of 2011. More than enough to play SC2 and most high end games on medium settings. Heat issues aside, I've had no trouble with it. Both HP and Dell have really increased the quality of their home user laptops as well, especially HP though. My current model has nice big thick hinges, is extremely thin and light, and has a complete brushed metal shell. Much improved over the plastic crap they were selling 5 years ago.
Alienware does offer some nice stuff, but for $2000 I really couldn't justify spending the money, especially give that you can't really upgrade the system in anyway; as you just found out. Even cannibalizing the hardware is a waste of time, I've still got a socket M Core 2 Duo in my closet from my old laptop that I've yet to find a use for. Given also that laptops tend to take abuse (even if you're careful there's going to be ware and tear) I think it's a good idea to go lower end. Also Alienwares are also big, heavy, and generally just clunky. Though they are one of the few laptops on the market with an adequate cooling system, that also means the battery is going to drain faster.
Asus also has a line of gaming laptops, but I would advice anyone to be careful with Asus stuff. I've heard from plenty of people and even know one guy who are all perfectly happy with their Asus laptops; but some of their models are plagued with serious issues. There's no shortage of comments on New Egg about faulty BIOS firmware causing BSODs, rampant overheating (I remember reading a few comments alleging that their power cables were too close to the vent and they melted), and also a number of comments about Asus's customer service being generally terrible and failing to honor their warranty.
So again, after all the research I did, ordering a custom HP was IMO the best value. It's not perfect, but gaming on a laptop just isn't going to be.
An aside; I really need to put some of what I discovered to use and create a TL laptop thread like I've been saying I was going to do for a while. I just don't know if I can deal with the legions of people telling me that Lenovos and Thinkpads are really great.... :r
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Wow a whole hour or MORE?
ಠ_ಠ
We truly live in the future.
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On April 03 2012 15:05 Medrea wrote:
Wow a whole hour or MORE?
ಠ_ಠ
We truly live in the future.
Just out of curiosity, how long does the battery in your desktop PC last? Oh yeah, that's right it doesn't have onel. (no snarky comments about the CMOS battery I swear...) Better to have some functionality than none at all :D
Actually the only reason I know that is a few times I have been playing games and suddenly Windows shuts itself down and goes into hibernation. Then I look and realize I'd stepped on the charger and unplugged the damn thing lmao.
I'll admit gaming on a laptop is not ideal, but hook up a keyboard and mouse and it's not terrible. The Civ V while laying in bed thing really is nirvana however.... 
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If you have a bunk bed you can do a super McGuyver move.
Sandwich the monitor base in between two of the slats of wood on the top bunk, so that the monitor is upside down and hanging from the "ceiling."
Flip the image with drivers. Run cables underneath mattress of top bunk.
You are now enjoying your life.
Kinda like this but more do-it-yourself.
![[image loading]](http://www.marathoncoach.com/images2/1081%20em%20bunks%20pro.jpg)
My SHMUPing setup is the epitomy of comfort.
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On April 03 2012 13:10 Gamegene wrote:Show nested quote +On April 03 2012 08:36 Gamegene wrote:On April 03 2012 08:04 Rannasha wrote:On April 03 2012 07:55 Gamegene wrote:
I have a bigger monitor right now, and whenever I do anything in fullscreen (windowed SCII, streams videos etc) the content doesn't stretch to fill the screen.
Any fixes?
Which monitor do you have? And what resolution are you using in Windows? Chances are that you're not using the native resolution of your monitor, which can mess things up a bit. Lenovo A700 23 inches. 1920x1080 anyone have a fix for me? :<
What kind of video card are you using? When i first got my new 1920x1080 monitors i had to fiddle with the over/underscanning a little bit, this might be the same for you. Just open the configuration window for your video card drivers and look for the "My Monitors" pane or something similar. If you are using an ATI card like me you need to go to Catalyst Control Centre, go to the "My digital Flat Panels" pane, and then select "Scaling Options" from the drop down. You should see a slider with which you can hopefully solve your issue.
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my acer laptop (yes, i know) is BSOD due to a physical memory dump every hour. here are the files from my minidump folder http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?9hc9fm9a1866co2
it would be nice if anyone has a fix for this. it tends to get fairly annoying fairly quickly when it consistently crashes every hour. oh well, at least you know roughly when it will crash and remember to save everything beforehand....
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On April 03 2012 16:41 Fragile51 wrote:Show nested quote +On April 03 2012 13:10 Gamegene wrote:On April 03 2012 08:36 Gamegene wrote:On April 03 2012 08:04 Rannasha wrote:On April 03 2012 07:55 Gamegene wrote:
I have a bigger monitor right now, and whenever I do anything in fullscreen (windowed SCII, streams videos etc) the content doesn't stretch to fill the screen.
Any fixes?
Which monitor do you have? And what resolution are you using in Windows? Chances are that you're not using the native resolution of your monitor, which can mess things up a bit. Lenovo A700 23 inches. 1920x1080 anyone have a fix for me? :< What kind of video card are you using? When i first got my new 1920x1080 monitors i had to fiddle with the over/underscanning a little bit, this might be the same for you. Just open the configuration window for your video card drivers and look for the "My Monitors" pane or something similar. If you are using an ATI card like me you need to go to Catalyst Control Centre, go to the "My digital Flat Panels" pane, and then select "Scaling Options" from the drop down. You should see a slider with which you can hopefully solve your issue.
Thank you~
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On April 03 2012 18:01 ChriS-X wrote:my acer laptop (yes, i know) is BSOD due to a physical memory dump every hour. here are the files from my minidump folder http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?9hc9fm9a1866co2it would be nice if anyone has a fix for this. it tends to get fairly annoying fairly quickly when it consistently crashes every hour. oh well, at least you know roughly when it will crash and remember to save everything beforehand....
Well that is weird...Have you contacted Acer's customer service? If it's still under warranty i'd get that shit checked out, because that sounds really weird :<
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On April 03 2012 18:59 Fragile51 wrote:Show nested quote +On April 03 2012 18:01 ChriS-X wrote:my acer laptop (yes, i know) is BSOD due to a physical memory dump every hour. here are the files from my minidump folder http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?9hc9fm9a1866co2it would be nice if anyone has a fix for this. it tends to get fairly annoying fairly quickly when it consistently crashes every hour. oh well, at least you know roughly when it will crash and remember to save everything beforehand.... Well that is weird...Have you contacted Acer's customer service? If it's still under warranty i'd get that shit checked out, because that sounds really weird :<
lol no my limited warranty expired a few months ago, and i voided the warranty anyways when i tried to open it up and clean the dust out (i failed because of 2 stubborn screws)
pretty sure this is due to the constant overheating (it now overheats on the silliest things, flash games, antivirus, anything that makes the processors even think about running hard/takes up a decent amount of RAM)
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On April 03 2012 19:02 ChriS-X wrote:Show nested quote +On April 03 2012 18:59 Fragile51 wrote:On April 03 2012 18:01 ChriS-X wrote:my acer laptop (yes, i know) is BSOD due to a physical memory dump every hour. here are the files from my minidump folder http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?9hc9fm9a1866co2it would be nice if anyone has a fix for this. it tends to get fairly annoying fairly quickly when it consistently crashes every hour. oh well, at least you know roughly when it will crash and remember to save everything beforehand.... Well that is weird...Have you contacted Acer's customer service? If it's still under warranty i'd get that shit checked out, because that sounds really weird :< lol no my limited warranty expired a few months ago, and i voided the warranty anyways when i tried to open it up and clean the dust out (i failed because of 2 stubborn screws) pretty sure this is due to the constant overheating (it now overheats on the silliest things, flash games, antivirus, anything that makes the processors even think about running hard/takes up a decent amount of RAM)
Hmm, in that case i can't help you.. Overheating laptops are the bane of my existence :/
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What will happen if you put NON-ECC memory into a memory bay? will it screw over the memory in other bays?
I have a macpro with 8 slots of which only 4 are used, can i put NON-ECC memory into the spare slots, and will it compromise the other memory? The memory supplied when I bought it are Normal ECC, but the ones im looking to buy are NON-ECC. I have read up that ECC is about the memory correcting itself, and that it won't affect the system that much, however I just thought i'd ask the question before commiting. Cheers
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I stream SC2 a lot, and while it usually runs smoothly at 60 fps, I'm getting some noticeable FPS drops in late game when there are a lot of units out AND the stream is on (with low-medium settings). I can't really afford a new computer at the moment, but I might just upgrade one or two parts if something is seriously bottle-necking the performance. And if anyone has any recommendations or knows of a good deal then please share it!
Here are the current specs:
Intel i5 750 @2.67 GHz 8MB L3 Cache
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 SDRAM 1600
Radeon 5770 HD 1GB DDR5
And the motherboard is an MSI H55M-E33.
streaming with xsplit and dxtory, at about 600p. I play at 1920x1080 resolution.
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On April 03 2012 19:10 Fragile51 wrote:Show nested quote +On April 03 2012 19:02 ChriS-X wrote:On April 03 2012 18:59 Fragile51 wrote:On April 03 2012 18:01 ChriS-X wrote:my acer laptop (yes, i know) is BSOD due to a physical memory dump every hour. here are the files from my minidump folder http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?9hc9fm9a1866co2it would be nice if anyone has a fix for this. it tends to get fairly annoying fairly quickly when it consistently crashes every hour. oh well, at least you know roughly when it will crash and remember to save everything beforehand.... Well that is weird...Have you contacted Acer's customer service? If it's still under warranty i'd get that shit checked out, because that sounds really weird :< lol no my limited warranty expired a few months ago, and i voided the warranty anyways when i tried to open it up and clean the dust out (i failed because of 2 stubborn screws) pretty sure this is due to the constant overheating (it now overheats on the silliest things, flash games, antivirus, anything that makes the processors even think about running hard/takes up a decent amount of RAM) Hmm, in that case i can't help you.. Overheating laptops are the bane of my existence :/
It seems that my laptop crashes on the dot at 33 minutes past the hour. Anyone got any way to tinker with the clock to see if I can make a looparound?
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On April 04 2012 00:32 Erik.TheRed wrote:+ Show Spoiler +I stream SC2 a lot, and while it usually runs smoothly at 60 fps, I'm getting some noticeable FPS drops in late game when there are a lot of units out AND the stream is on (with low-medium settings). I can't really afford a new computer at the moment, but I might just upgrade one or two parts if something is seriously bottle-necking the performance. And if anyone has any recommendations or knows of a good deal then please share it!
Here are the current specs:
Intel i5 750 @2.67 GHz 8MB L3 Cache
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 SDRAM 1600
Radeon 5770 HD 1GB DDR5
And the motherboard is an MSI H55M-E33.
streaming with xsplit and dxtory, at about 600p. I play at 1920x1080 resolution .
This is 100% normal. SC2 is very CPU intensive, and so is streaming. Doing both on even the highest-end CPU's (which yours isn't, but it's decent) is going to result in low frame rates in late game.
What you can do is:
1) Increase the bitrate (if your upload can handle it) while also using a faster preset in XSplit (takes up less CPU resources to encode the data)
2) I don't know if your mobo supports it (not familiar with LGA 1156 boards & chipsets), but you could get some aftermarket cooling overclock the CPU a bit (but not much, it looks like your motherboard only has 4+1 power phases and no mosfet heatsinks - for which you could get some Ezontech Mos-C1 for ~$15 on Newegg;).
3) Upgrade CPU+Mobo. This would cost at least ~$320 for a worthwhile upgrade (i5 2500K or 3550K + overclocking mobo), and it wouldn't even be an upgrade for the vast majority of other games or uses, just SC2 and streaming. Big investment, small return.
EDIT: about OC'ing, it seems to be supported from some googling I've done. So with some ~$30-50 air cooling and maybe $15 for the mosfet cooling (just to be on the safe side), you could probably get a ~20% OC pretty easily.
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On April 03 2012 15:19 Medrea wrote:
If you have a bunk bed you can do a super McGuyver move.
Sandwich the monitor base in between two of the slats of wood on the top bunk, so that the monitor is upside down and hanging from the "ceiling."
Flip the image with drivers. Run cables underneath mattress of top bunk.
You are now enjoying your life.
Kinda like this but more do-it-yourself.
My SHMUPing setup is the epitomy of comfort.
It's spelled MacGyver. Also, MacGyver could do all that with a paper clip and some string. He once built an airplane out of an exhast fan in a warehouse.
On April 04 2012 00:41 ChriS-X wrote:Show nested quote +On April 03 2012 19:10 Fragile51 wrote:On April 03 2012 19:02 ChriS-X wrote:On April 03 2012 18:59 Fragile51 wrote:On April 03 2012 18:01 ChriS-X wrote:my acer laptop (yes, i know) is BSOD due to a physical memory dump every hour. here are the files from my minidump folder http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?9hc9fm9a1866co2it would be nice if anyone has a fix for this. it tends to get fairly annoying fairly quickly when it consistently crashes every hour. oh well, at least you know roughly when it will crash and remember to save everything beforehand.... Well that is weird...Have you contacted Acer's customer service? If it's still under warranty i'd get that shit checked out, because that sounds really weird :< lol no my limited warranty expired a few months ago, and i voided the warranty anyways when i tried to open it up and clean the dust out (i failed because of 2 stubborn screws) pretty sure this is due to the constant overheating (it now overheats on the silliest things, flash games, antivirus, anything that makes the processors even think about running hard/takes up a decent amount of RAM) Hmm, in that case i can't help you.. Overheating laptops are the bane of my existence :/ It seems that my laptop crashes on the dot at 33 minutes past the hour. Anyone got any way to tinker with the clock to see if I can make a looparound?
Ahhh... what? This sounds like you have more serious problems than overheating. If it were overheating it would be much more random; as it would be affected by things like ambient room temperature and what exactly you were doing on your PC at the time.
I suggest you make a thread about this, spreading out troubleshooting over several pages of this thread is not ideal. If you can record the error message on the BSOD that would be extremely helpful. I know you have the minidump folder, but I (and anyone else smart) have a rule against downloading random folders of stuff from a PC that's having weird problems :S so I don't see that being terribly useful.
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How do i reset the settings i have made in the catalyst control center?
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On April 04 2012 01:06 JimmiC wrote:
Often wehn I watch streams tehy are unwatchable unless I turn the stream to lower quality. Its just blochey and colors all over the place. I have a fairly new computer and no connection issues. Would this mean my graphics card sucks or is it something else? Thank you.
Go to speedtest.net and see what your download rate is. It's probably just that their bitrate is too much for your connection.
Also, "fairly new computer" is as utterly useless of information as "no connection issues".
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EPT
