Trainguyrom

Good to know that Dell is quite reliable. But, could you provide some specific venders? I'm also not finding anything for esisoinc other than an Ebay page.

Greetings! I'm currently looking at purchasing a refurbished server, and Server Monkey seems to be about what I'm looking for. My plan is to use the server as a NAS, Renderfarm and game server (but certainly not the last two at the same time) I also plan on sourcing my own hard drives (4TB 7200RPM WD Reds in RAID) However, because this is a large purchase, I want to make sure that my money is well-spent, considering how important this server will be. I also plan on doing a low-cost backup of the server using a raspberry pi and another hard drive (not in RAID), with just a weekly backup for extra safety. Also, before you scold me for trying to keep volatile system files on a RAID array, I'll have an SSD in there for the OS and software. So my question is: Is Server Monkey a good place to order my server from, sans storage? Any extra buying tips? Anything I should know before I pull the trigger?

Greetings! I have a weird one for you, today. I recently built this PC, and a few days ago I found out that 16GB of RAM is not quite enough to satasfy my memory needs when it comes to my design work. Today I installed my additional 16GB of RAM, along with a new SSD and some USB ports, but then I got absolutely nothing on-screen. No BIOS, no GRUB, just no signal. I moved cables around, reseated the graphics card, tried a different PCIe port, and nothing worked. The Intel integrated graphics worked perfectly, but not the graphics card. When I removed that new 16GB of RAM, then the computer booted and the graphics card went to work properly. I kind of need that RAM, but Intel's integrated graphics won't cut it, even if it is an i7 4790k. Any thoughts on how to fix this and have both 32GB of RAM and the graphics card? the MoBo supports up to 32GB, so I don't know why this conflicts.

​I'm having some difficulty identifying the MoBo. I've figured out that it's ASUS, but beyond that, nothing. I'm going to crack open the case and see if there are any identifiable markings on it. Update: Mobo identified, Asus drivers found, about to download.

Greetings! ​ ​I have an old computer that I have recently reinstalled Windows XP on for retro gaming (don't worry, its air-gapped) the only issue is that I can't get any sound out of it. I have identified that I am missing a driver, but this computer is from the old XP days so I have no idea what hardware it has. I can't seem to get Windows to check online (I've got a USB WiFi adapter that I only plug in when absolutely-necessary) for the driver, and I don't seem to have a proper sound card in there, just an audio jack on the Mobo and case. It also doesn't help that the last time I worked extensively with XP, I knew nothing advanced, not even copy/paste (man, I've come a long way...) ​ ​Anyways, any help would be greatly-appreciated. ​-Ryan

Greetings! I have a new desktop I just built a few weeks ago, and I am currently running an unregistered, unactivated version of Windows 7 Proffessional (alongside Linux Mint in a dualboot situation) I happened to have a Win7 boot disk, so I threw that on here before I had the money to purchase a liscence, knowing I'd get ~30 days to register before Microsoft will disable updates and other features. Now my 30 days is almost up, and in watching the whole Windows situation, it looks like upgrading to 10 is better than sticking with 7, since I'll get new features, better perfromance, but just as much privacy-invasion (Microsoft is retro-fitting 7 and 8 with their Win10 privacy nightmares.) However, I am trying to figure out the best route to this upgrade. I currently have about 100GB worth of programs downloaded, along with a lot of configuration tweaks, so I'd like to avoid a wipe/reinstall. However, my paychecks aren't very big and I have more expenses to deal with, so I'd like to avoid paying too much for a Windows key, especially since Windows is only here for the games and software that require it. I use Linux for everything else. Before you point out WINE, VMs and hardware passthroughs, I have looked at all of them, and unfortunately, dual-booting is my best option. I do PC gaming as well as video editing, so the performance and stability of a native install is crucial (my CPU doesn't allow GPU passthrough, plus I'm not sure I trust myself to do such a hack successfully, as I'm still fairly new to Linux and PC building) I do know that I need the Professional edition of Windows, as I intend to upgrade to 32GB of RAM in the future, which is not supported by other editions of Windows (they only support up to 16GB), plus there are other features I may use from that edition. I'd also like to avoid doing a pirate edition, even if its to upgrade to a genuine Win10. As much as I dislike Microsoft, I value the security and stability of my system more than I'd like to stick it to Microsoft, plus if Windows becomes compromised, that may compromise my Linux install as well (I decided not to encrypt the entire install, and being Mint, its a pretty common setup that could have malware installed from Windows) -Ryan/Trainguyrom

Greetings! I have been working on my first PC build, and I got everything working. I then did some cable management, moved the computer into my bedroom where it will live, and tried to turn it on, and nothing. No fans, no lights, just a slight whine from the PSU. I tinkered a little, then after thinking and worrying and looking at guides, I finally ran the "paperclip test" and found that the PSU started. that just left the MoBo as the cause. Since my case came with the standoffs preinstalled, I decided to try to see if it would boot outside of the case. The answer is yes, when running on the table, it powers on, but in the case (even after reseating) it doesn't This leads me to believe the case is causing a short. So my question is: How can I stop the case from shorting the MoBo? I only have 6 standoffs in place, and all six get screwed it as they should. Until I moved the computer into my bedroom it was working, but now there's a short. I just got paid today, but I have to go to work in about 20 minutes and I'll be home in about 6 hours. Any input would be greatly appreciated. -Train/Ryan

Oops. I forgot to follow. I left the page open in the background while I played some OpenTTD, so at least I didn't have to do any searching to find it. I didn't expect near-instant replies, so I treated this like other forums where I leave a comment and check back a little while later. Anyway, I'm going to reboot and try some of the provided links.

Greetings! A few days ago, when I went to boot into Windows, I got an error upon login, stating that "The User Profile Service service failed the login. User Profile cannot be loaded" and it kicks me back to the login screen. There is only one account on this install, and that is my main acount (yes, its an admin, and yes, I know that's bad practice.) Unfortunately, I see no way to create another account. The login screen has no appearent option to do so, and when I booting into Safe Mode, I didn't see the control to add a new account (but I was able to run in safe mode) This could simply be my ignorance, since I barely ever have to do anything on that front. I would like to avoid a wipe and reinstall if at all possible, because I am currently dual-booting between Windows 7 and Linux Mint, and reinstalling Windows would most likely give me trouble getting the boot manager to work properly. I rather like the simplicity of GRUB, and I don't trust Microsoft's products for anything mission-critical. I am currently writing this while on the computer in question, but within Linux Mint, which remains unaffected by the current situation (obviously.) As per the posting guidelines, here are my specs: Dell Latitude E65303rd gen Intel® CoreTM i5-3340M Processor (2.7GHz, 3M cache, Upgradableto Intel® vProTM technology)Windows 7 Professional, No Media, 64-bit, English15.6” HD+ (1600x900) Wide View Anti-Glare WLED-backlitNVIDIA® NVSTM 5200M (GDDR5 1GB) Discrete Graphic with Optimus16.0GB, DDR3-1600MHz SDRAM, 2 DIMMSLight Sensitive Webcam and Noise Cancelling Digital Array Mic256GB Mobility Solid State Drive8X DVD+/-RWIntel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6205 802.11n 2x2 Half Mini Card However, I currently have the DVD drive replaced with a second 256GB SSD which will find its home in my new desktop once I have all the parts to build it. That SSD is just extra storage and doesn't contain any actual system files, except for a copy of my user directory that I made this morning while in Safe Mode (I copied the entire C://Users/Trainguyrom/ directory as a backup.) Inside the spoiler is a photo of the error. Since I do not yet own a capture card, and I don't know of any way to screenshot the login screen, a crappy point-a-camera-at-the-screen-and-snap-a-photo method seemed to be the best choice, and I have not resized the image because that may make it difficult to read. The photo really doesn't reveal much that I haven't already mentioned, but its there for posterity. (4272x2848 pixels - 9.9MB. You have been warned...)

Greetings! I'm preparing my first PC build, and I would like some input on my current plans. This PC will be my main computer, used for gaming, video editing and digital design. My current computer is a rather powerful laptop, but I do need a desktop with all of the standard benefits (upgradability, stability, cooling, storage, power, etc.) along with being a backup for when my laptop bites the dust (which is inevitable, since I take the laptop to school 3+ days per week and run it for about 60-120 hours per week, plus I cannot go without a decent computer for editing, thanks to my selected major and profession, even if it is only for a period of a couple weeks) Specific software: Design: Adobe Premier Pro, Audition, Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, InDesign, and Dreamweaver, plus Blender, Audacity, LMMS, GIMP, Inkscape and Code::Blocks IDE Games: The Sims (2-4)1 Burnout Paradise, Civ 4-5, Beyond Earth, Cities: Skylines, GTA 3-51, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Euro Truck Simulator 1-2, OpenTTD, OpenRCT2, Half-life (all), BeamNG.drive, Besiege, Skyrim, Anno 2070, Trainz Simulator, Tropic (1-5)1MineTest, Simutrans and Minecraft, plus a large veriety of other games. OSes: Windows 7 (and 10 upon release) Linux Mint (17.2 with the Cinnamon DE), and Arch Linux (assuming I can get over my intimidation...) Planned Tower: PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vCDhwP Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vCDhwP/by_merchant/ CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Micro Center) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.98 @ OutletPC) Motherboard: Asus Z87-Pro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($104.99 @ SuperBiiz) Memory: Team Elite Plus 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($98.99 @ Newegg) Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.99 @ Amazon) Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.89 @ OutletPC) Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB FTW ACX 2.0 Video Card ($343.98 @ Newegg) Case: NZXT Source 530 ATX Full Tower Case ($89.99 @ Amazon) Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA NEX 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US) Total: $1179.79 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-07-07 02:32 EDT-0400 I have an older DVD drive which I plan on salvaging from an old computer, although later on I would like to upgrade that... Peripherals: 2 ViewSonic VX2252MH 22" 1920x1080 monitors2 TBD Mechanical Keyboard Anker 8200 DPI High Precision Laser Gaming Mouse2 MIDI Keyboard (I'm using a 15+ year old music keyboard with a MIDI to USB adapter.)2 3 1TB USB 3.0 External HDDs (not always connected, but I do use up to 2 at a time) I also intend to add additional IO to the front pane, likely in a format like this (please feel free to recommend an alternative) Preferences: General: Since this is likely the last chance I'll have for a large system build like this for quite a while, I am trying to build something powerful and upgradable (good IO, CPU and mobo, space for more RAM and graphics cards (SLI or just upgrading existing cards) plus whatever other components I end up adding and the cooling necessary.) Linux compatibility is important, but I don't mind some configuration to get it working. I'm trying to keep the pricepoint close to $1,000, but a bit over for better performance doesn't bother me too much (I'm currently at ~$700, and each paycheck adds ~$250 to this build, so ~$500 per month. One I start up classes again, my work hours will decrease noticeably, though...) Right now I've managed a nice blue and black theme, and maintaining that would be nice, but not required. I absolutely cannot go under 16GB of RAM. End of story. Watercooling is too intimidating for me, and the risks involved do not thrill me I'm not quite comfortable overclocking, so I don't want to count on it for good performance Hopefully not too loud, but silent running isn't necessary Overkill on storage is preferable Case: IO is important, and overkill would be preferred. disk drive, USB3.0, SD and CF card readers, along with USB2.0 and possibly even audio is preferable, and occupying an external 5.25" bay for IO is not a problem. Case should be large. I want plenty of space to work with, and I want something with plenty of extra bays for later additions/changes to the system. I would prefer a somewhat formal style to the case, but still something fairly good-looking, preferably black. A side window would be nice, but is not a necessity Good airflow is a must Notes: Particularly-old games will be played on another old box of mine running XP or earlier. Don't worry, that machine will be air-gapped and the hardware is perfect for the job of retro gaming. I'm mentioning these older games because some of them still work on modern hardware This is hardware I am currently using and know will work with Linux I have hyperlinked all mentioned products that I believe to be fairly obscure, including a number of games and software. The listed software is software I actively use, so please don't rant about how much better some other, similar software is, or how terrible any of the listed software is.

derp. I missed a spot. Meh, oh well. Too late now...

Do many people actually think this about Techies? or could this just be a localized issue? How can someone who knows his way around computers have such a negative view of techies? I just can't understand his thinking here... Edit: the articles linked are these: Hacked federal files couldn't be encrypted because government computers are too old Hacker vs. cracker

I do not understand where you got this idea from. The idea is to have 1 SSD AND 1 SSHD, not to somehow seperate the SSHD into an SSD and and HDD. To be specific, the question is whether to have both: Seagate 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Hybrid Internal Hard Drive and Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive or Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive and Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (I'm too lazy to address the hyperlinks. Its 2:30AM right now...)

Greetings! I am currently planning my new PC build and one thing that has been bugging me is my choice of hard drives. We all know that SSDs are king, but they are expensive. We all know that many PC builds these days use both a smaller SSD and a larger HDD and we just distribute our files and programs according to the desired speed. But we've had hybrids enter the market, providing speeds that are much greater than HDDs but at a lower price-point than SSDs. For my build, I would like to be able to keep a good amount of games installed, rather than constantly uninstalling and reinstalling as I do on my laptop now (it has a 256GB SSD and both Windows and Linux Mint installed, so hard drive space is incredibly scarce). For my new desktop build, I'm opting for the more economic combination (SSD + HDD) rather than a single, massive SSD, because the price would just be too much. Now that I'm looking at SSHDs, and seeing reports of great results, plus it would bump the cost up a total of $30 swap the HDD for an SSHD of the same size, I'm really thinking... Also, if you want to look over my planned build, here it is: http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Trainguyrom/saved/N26j4D (Note that I currently have both the HDD and SSHD I'm comparing listed. In the final build it will be one or the other plus the SSD) So here are my questions: 1. For the many games and programs that don't earn a spot on the SSD, would an SSHD improve performance for (virtually) all of them, or only the absolutely-most-frequently used games and programs 2. Would it be worth the extra $30 for an SSHD instead of an HDD 3. Do SSHDs generally play nicely with Linux? I intend to partition the SSD but probably leave the other drive open for both OSes to read/write, rather than partition it. 4. Do SSHDs play nicely with partitons? 5. Barring a good setup between Windows and Linux, should I do 3 drives instead (a smaller SSHD for Windows programs, and a smaller HDD for Linux, since most Linux games are also on Windows) and suck it up that I'd be playing in Windows when I could instead be in Linux and/or endure the slower load times? 6. (somewhat unrelated) If I were to format the SSHD/HDD to a format the one OS can read and the other can't, but then install some software/addon that allows the OS to read the new formating, would that impede game performance, or would it be virtually unnoticeable? Any input would be greatly-appreciated

I'm in the planning stages of a new desktop, so this would definitely kickstart the build.