i know that quite a few people like using Fraps for capturing video game footage and video from other applications. I have not personally had much experience with the program though so i can't really make an informed suggestion. I do believe it is freeware though. Fraps - http://www.fraps.com/ EDIT: for Fraps url
Fraps works, but it does lower performance in certain higher system spec games. Just depends on how much you care about your fps. For instance, when I play darkfall I usually get about 140-170 FPS. With fraps recording its about 120.
After buying a new 1TB SATA HD on black friday, I installed a fresh copy of Win7, and now it keeps freezing on me. Usually after about 7 minutes or so of uptime (according to the system clock). It seems that Win7 had all the chipset and Mobo drivers I needed, which is good, because the driver disk that came with it (MSI Neo4) won't even play in Win7. Any ideas? I've already tried reformatting and reinstalling Windows, but it froze on me again this morning (with just Windows installed).
Locate the drivers on the manufacturer's website for things like your motherboard chipset, video card, etc. Install them. You can also check the event log (Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Event Log) to see if there are errors being thrown. Look in the System and Application sections.
Also, it's very likely that you jarred something when you were installing the drive. Secure all of your cables again (unplug them and re-plug them), and random freezes are often a memory issue, so re-seat your memory. If all of that checks out and you have the newest drivers, you might just have a bad drive or a bad cable.
Thanks. I'll check those suggestions when I get home. Since this drive upgrade was a precursor to a Mobo/CPU/RAM upgrade anyway, I'm thinking about not putting too much more effort into it and waiting till I upgrade the rest. With that in mind, what are your recommendations for a AM3 Motherboard? I'm looking at the AMD Phenom II x4 955 chip. I'll primarily be using this machine as a Photo Editing station and I have a VidCard, so onboard Video, or XFire capabilities aren't important. Right now, I'm looking at this Asus board. Any other suggestions? I haven't bought a Mobo in a while, is BioStar still shitty? MSI still hit-or-miss?
I haven't used/looked into the AMD processors in a while. Asus used to be my go-to motherboard, but their quality took a nosedive several years ago. I got several DOA boards, a couple that went bad after a few months, and a lot of other IT guys who did custom builds said they were having the same problems. I switched to Gigabyte, whose gear has been bulletproof for me. Bought an Asus board about two years ago for a friend, came DOA, I sent it back and bought a Gigabyte. Might have been a fluke but with all of the problems I had a while back, getting a DOA board really left a sour taste in my mouth. Frankly, I have a hard time going AMD these days. The memory bandwidth of Intel's i7 tri-channel controller is huge, and in virtually every reasonable matchup between similar AMD/Intel processors, the Intel processor either slightly outperforms or utterly destroys the AMD processor. I'm not shopping these days so I'm not quite as in-tune with the individual offerings from both manufacturers as I sometimes am, but the i5/i7 offerings from Intel are pretty damn impressive.
+1 I have a really hard time going past the current range of Intel processors. I've only been using kit bought on someone else's dime, and not in the US - so maybe the price comparison makes AMD worth the hassle - but given the choice, I'd go with Intel at the moment for stability and quality of experience. And I'd avoid Asus mainboards in general.
After playing around on Newegg, it'll be about $100-$150 more to get an i5 setup as opposed to a Phenom x4 setup. So it's worth it then, even if that means waiting for another couple weeks till payday? The combo I created is this: Intel i5-760 - $205 Gigabyte GA-P55-USB3 - $120 G.Skill 2x2GB DDR3 1600 - $60. Any suggestions, or do you think that'll work pretty well for me? Thanks again for your help!
I dunno what exactly you're using it for, but why not just get 8GB of RAM? The less harddrive writes the better. You have 4 Ram slots, just buy 4 sticks.
If you have a little time and tech smarts try this. Get a Linuix ISO (pretty much any current dist will work.) Burn onto a usb flash drive and then boot from it. When in linux run the SMART disc diagnostics, and that should give you a decent idea if the drive is good. Also many drive manufacturers make a diagnostic program that you can run from windows. I know that WD and Seagate have them for sure and most other name brands should also have a program you can get from their website.
I have also found that Intel processors will consume less power and produce less heat for the same clock speed with more actual performance. If you have the cash go intel.
Sounds fine to me. Also, probably the single biggest upgrade in speed that you could possibly do for any computer right now is to put a fast SSD in it as your boot drive/applications drive. I recommended that same motherboard for a buddy of mine and he's very happy with it.
So my kids have finally killed their Nintendo DS's and I'm going to replace them with DSi's. The good old reliable R4s don't work with DSi, so I'd be interested in any opinions on the best card for a DSi. I was leaning toward AceKard2i, but any suggestions/advice would be great.
Ok, I built my own computer which has worked flawlessly until recently (though this was my first build). Every couple of days it'll freeze. The screen will freeze and if I have audio going that will stutter. I have Windows Vista 64 bit system, with an Intel Processor, 8 gigs of ram, and nVidia graphics card. The motherboard is a gigabyte motherboard. It has a couple of lights on it called "Phase LED"s. These lights while in normal functioning are never on (for me). However when it freezes they all light up. Any ideas as to what I can do to fix the problem?
So it seems that drunk fuzzzy decided to spill a little bit of his drink on his macbook pro. Fortunately, I had a keyboard cover on it, so manage was minimal. However, the shift key has gone haywire and thinks that it is constantly being held down. This causes issues at start-up, sending the computer into safemode. I lucked into figuring out that if i hold down option at start-up, it boots it normally (though now I can't pull up bootcamp at start-up). I have a bluetooth apple keyboard that I am using now to type normally. Apple wants to charge me 1100 to replace everything on the inside. While I understand that it is the only sure fire way to make sure the computer is problem free, I don't have that kind of cash at the moment and just want the computer to be normally functional until I can afford to get it fixed. My questions to those who are much wiser than I: 1) Would taking it in to an independent repair shop to get the insides cleaned out fix this? 2) Would it be a relatively cheap (200-300 bucks) fix to have an independent repair shop just replace the keyboard (and is this something that is possible in the first place)? 3) Is there a way to permanently disable the internal keyboard, preventing issues at startup (something other than opening it up and yanking things out)? I found something online to enter into Terminal that disables the internal keyboard until restarting the computer, but it reenables after restarting, causing it to go into safemode or needing option to be held.
1) Maybe 2) Yes 3) Probably not If you are handy and feel comfortable, it's something you can do at home but don't tackle it unless you're comfortable with it - laptops are not always easy to get apart and often require scary amounts of pressure/prying to get things to pop apart. It's riding that fine line between knowing what parts require pressure to pull apart, and what parts you're going to break. Teh Googlez provides wisdom: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.cantankerouscoder.org/2010/03/01/successful-replacement-of-my-macbook-pros-keyboard-some-tips/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.cantankerouscoder.org/2010/0 ... some-tips/</a>
I have an already compressed .zip file that is 7.4GB. I'm trying to transfer it to an equally not tech-saavy friend. She lives a few hours away though. Any ideas on how I can upload it to a site or transfer it to her?
Never underestimate the bandwidth of a stationwagen full of tapes DVD-Rs. Sites that allow multiple gigabyte uploads are fairly rare and most residential upspeed is hilariously slow. I'd burn it to a dual layer DVD-R and mail it.
I'm not in any way soliciting illegal advice, but my digital cable year-long trial period is up and the "actual" cost of the service is obscene. Any ideas of how I can get *ahem* free, or greatly reduced television, if I return the digital receivers? Before you suggest just leaving for the competition, I tried that. The only other people in town do not service my area, despite the fact that I am right in the centre of the city. Fuck this communist province. The only other "legal" option I have is satellite service, and the pricing is comparable to what I already have. Any and all suggestions are most welcome.