The Student Room Group

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Original post by Edsterr
What's the difference (beside the obvious ones) between internal and external wi-fi enablers, and is there any clear advantage for getting one over the other?


http://www.amazon.co.uk/802-11g-Wireless-Long-Rang-Network-Adapter/dp/B003JTM9JY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1329273868&sr=8-2

I bought one of these last year - awesome buy, I pick up about 60 wifi networks from my flat :tongue:

Means I can sit across the other side of the road at uni in a cafe and use the library's wifi...

Original post by Nick Longjohnson
I'm thinking of going Bulldozer x8 for a simulation machine that pegs all cores at 100% all of the time, purely for the core count vs price.

Will it be possible to dual boot Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard and Windows 7 x64, + a ~5GB program on a 60GB SSD? Or will there not be enough room for everything to run comfortably?

The specs say that the Server version requires 32GB, and the 7x64 needs 20Gb, add 5 and its at 57 :/

Feck.

You might manage, just.
...JUST
I have a 60GB OCZ Vertex 2, that shows as 55.7GB available... so you should have enough for the job, but forget installing anything else :biggrin:
(edited 12 years ago)
I eventually decided to spend a bit more on upgrades and got the following parts:

Asus P8Z68 Mainboard
GTX 560 2 GB GDDR5
i5 2500k 4x 3300
8 GB Corsair XMS 2000 mhz

Did I forget any components necessary for a decent gaming PC?
Reply 6622
Original post by Catilina
I eventually decided to spend a bit more on upgrades and got the following parts:

Asus P8Z68 Mainboard
GTX 560 2 GB GDDR5
i5 2500k 4x 3300
8 GB Corsair XMS 2000 mhz

Did I forget any components necessary for a decent gaming PC?


That looks great. What about a nice gaming mouse and keyboard? Best keyboards will be a mechanical one, but they start at over £80-90. Expensive, but for people that have used them, there's no going back. Best non-mechanical keyboard seems to be the Microsoft Sidewinder X4. It's around £30 and comes highly recommended by a lot of people. I've got it too. Mouse, Logitech G400 is supposed to be very good and only like £20.

What about monitor? Speakers/headset?
Original post by Catilina
I eventually decided to spend a bit more on upgrades and got the following parts:

Asus P8Z68 Mainboard
GTX 560 2 GB GDDR5
i5 2500k 4x 3300
8 GB Corsair XMS 2000 mhz

Did I forget any components necessary for a decent gaming PC?


Which motherboard? Not that it really matters, I'll probably get the cheapest asus Z68 'board but it'll be fine.
2000MHz? That's overkill, you only need 1600MHz when it comes to RAM. When you install it(after you've built the machine) you'll need to set it up properly otherwise it'll default to 1333MHz. Go into the bios and you'll need to set the RAM speed to whatever it says on the packaging/side of the RAM sticks. I can't remember the correct category so do some more research before actually changing anything.
Did you mention you had a optical drive, power supply and case? I can't remember.
I think you said something about a CPU cooler once but can't remember what either. Get a gelid tranquillo rev 2 or at least use the stock one. Don't overclock with the stock one.

That's all I can think of.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Catilina
I eventually decided to spend a bit more on upgrades and got the following parts:

Asus P8Z68 Mainboard
GTX 560 2 GB GDDR5
i5 2500k 4x 3300
8 GB Corsair XMS 2000 mhz Not necessary unless you're going crazy with overclocking... Get 16GB of slower ram and you'll probably end up with better performance.

Did I forget any components necessary for a decent gaming PC? SSD? That's made the single biggest difference in all-around perceived performance for my system.


^comments above.
This all sounds very tecnical now but I wanted to ask for some advice. I'm not a very tecjnical person however, I need to buy a new laptop. I want it fast and able to take allot of sorage of photos, music and documents. I've been using windows PC till now, but am think about moving over to Mac. Thinking of splashing out on a MacBook Pro.

What are your opinions ?
Is it worth the extra money ? I 've been told they are fast and don't lose speed as you fill up the memeory, they dont get corrupted so easily and are ad less and virus free ?

Is this true ?

My problems are compatibilty in the long run, will I have difficulties in transfering files and data from windoes PC's to the Macbook, will it end up costing me more having to buy compatibility software or can u get all that stuff free online ?

If, though not to be worth it, what be recommended latop wise ? Looking at i5, 4GB RAM ?

Thanks for advice
Original post by TShadow383
^comments above.


Even 16GB is overkill. 8GB 1600MHz is plenty for his needs. I would suggest low profile too as stuff like corsair vengeance can get in the way.

SSDs are good for booting up but should only be used for OS and progs. Crucial M4 128GB is a good way to go. Although not a necessary upgrade.
I realize 2000 mhz is a bit much, but I bought it just in case RAM requirements go up again. Afterall RAM is pretty much the only part which can be upgraded effectively by getting more of the same.

I´m currently pretty satisfied with my Logitech mouse and keyboard, but I got a new Creative headset (Sound Blaster Tactic3D) and I have to say, the sound quality is awesome and it´s not too expensive. Definitely something I´d recommend to anyone looking for a new headset.

My monitor is a Samsung Syncmaster 226BW, it does the job and I didn´t really feel the need to get a new one.

I can´t wait for the new parts to arrive. I might even take some before/after screenshots of some games.
Original post by Doll Face
This all sounds very tecnical now but I wanted to ask for some advice. I'm not a very tecjnical person however, I need to buy a new laptop. I want it fast and able to take allot of sorage of photos, music and documents. I've been using windows PC till now, but am think about moving over to Mac. Thinking of splashing out on a MacBook Pro.

What are your opinions ?
Is it worth the extra money ? I 've been told they are fast and don't lose speed as you fill up the memeory, they dont get corrupted so easily and are ad less and virus free ?

Is this true ?

My problems are compatibilty in the long run, will I have difficulties in transfering files and data from windoes PC's to the Macbook, will it end up costing me more having to buy compatibility software or can u get all that stuff free online ?

If, though not to be worth it, what be recommended latop wise ? Looking at i5, 4GB RAM ?

Thanks for advice


Macs are very well made and in general the hardware is superior to PCs, they usually do last longer than other laptops too. There are a lot less viruses that can infect Macs but they are not virus free. Software compatibility shouldn't be an issue but it really depends on what software you currently use on windows. You can transfer your files to a mac with either a USB storage device or use the migration assistant that will transfer all of your files for you, however the migration assistant is not guaranteed to work so I would advise you use a USB device instead.

OS X is based on Unix so the operation system is very reliable and does not slow down much over time, unlike windows
I am not a Mac owner or user, so I may not know everything. :wink:
(edited 12 years ago)
Parts have arrrived and will be put into their CM Storm Trooper case tonight :colone:
Reply 6630
Original post by Scott1541
Macs are very well made and in general the hardware is superior to PCs, they usually do last longer than other laptops too. There are a lot less viruses that can infect Macs but they are not virus free. Software compatibility shouldn't be an issue but it really depends on what software you currently use on windows. You can transfer your files to a mac with either a USB storage device or use the migration assistant that will transfer all of your files for you, however the migration assistant is not guaranteed to work so I would advise you use a USB device instead.

OS X is based on Unix so the operation system is very reliable and does not slow down much over time, unlike windows
I am not a Mac owner or user, so I may not know everything. :wink:


Original post by Doll Face
This all sounds very tecnical now but I wanted to ask for some advice. I'm not a very tecjnical person however, I need to buy a new laptop. I want it fast and able to take allot of sorage of photos, music and documents. I've been using windows PC till now, but am think about moving over to Mac. Thinking of splashing out on a MacBook Pro.

What are your opinions ?

Is it worth the extra money ? I 've been told they are fast and don't lose speed as you fill up the memeory, they dont get corrupted so easily and are ad less and virus free ?

Is this true ?

My problems are compatibilty in the long run, will I have difficulties in transfering files and data from windoes PC's to the Macbook, will it end up costing me more having to buy compatibility software or can u get all that stuff free online ?

If, though not to be worth it, what be recommended latop wise ? Looking at i5, 4GB RAM ?

Thanks for advice




Rubbish, the hardware macs use is exactly the same as other hardware which PCs use, only you pay an extra 50% for an apple logo. They aren't as durable as you think, drop your macbook pro or macbook air and it breaks. Drop a £259.99 Lenovo from 10m and spill water on it and it still works. Lenovo make some of the most durable laptops on the market.

Let me just point out that Apple computers are designed for not only technology illiterate people, but also for people with a two-digit IQ. Why on earth would you spend say £999 for a base model Macbook pro when the internal parts are worth not even half of that? Mac OS is based on unix, just like linux. They even charge for Mac Os, whilst linux is free. If you want a good operating system with a 6 month release cycle, I reccomend you try Ubuntu, which is a very light, fast and efficient OS that caters to all basic computing needs. (http://www.ubuntu.com)

People seem to think that they "need" an expensive laptop/pc, then all they end up doing is browsing the internet, sending emails and watching youtube.

Lenovo are currently offering a huge discount on their laptops, (probably because of the new IB processors and z77 chipset coming out soon) where you can pick up ultra durable 15.6" laptops from £259.99 :

http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/gbweb/LenovoPortal/en_GB/catalog.workflow:expandcategory?issBase=ProductsCategory&issCategory=/Notebooks/ThinkPad notebooks

Asus and Sony are also very good manufacturers, but neither match the durability of Lenovo products, and are generally more expensive.

You really don't need a fast laptop if all you want to do is save music, photos and documents, even a 250gb hdd would be more than enough for that, it's like buying a ferrari with a speed limit of 20mph, what's the point? You honestly don't need an i5, let alone even an i3. I'd say wait it out until the new Ivy Bridge processors come out, which will have 20% better performance and better integrated graphics at around the same price point as the current generation of sandy bridge processors. Or if you want to save a bit of money, wait until after the new release and the price of the current processors will decrease, as all technology does over time.

I hope you found this somewhat useful, if you want to know anything just reply here or private message me. :smile:
(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 6631
I have this 7950GX2 lying around which hasn't been used for YEARS. So i'm wondering if this would outperform a GT 220 (ddr2 version), i'm on windows XP so directx 10 doesn't matter anyway.
There is one thing I overlooked....


.... getting a 64 bit version of Windows :banghead::banghead::banghead:

Can´t wait till tomorrow.
Reply 6633
Original post by Catilina
There is one thing I overlooked....


.... getting a 64 bit version of Windows :banghead::banghead::banghead:

Can´t wait till tomorrow.

Same here, my 64-bit of windows 7 won't install. I get the "CD/DVD device driver is missing" wanted it to dual-boot with Windows 7 but that won't be happening anytime soon. Guess i'll wait until windows 8 since it'll have DX11.1 :biggrin:
Hey guys, wasn't sure where to ask this so I figured I'd just try somewhere where I know a lot of people frequent!

I'm looking for a new gaming mouse - but I'll also use it for plenty of work so it needs to be quite ergonomic.

I previously had a Rapoo 3200 (pic below) but then it started going all glitchy on me (fairly cheap chinese brand). I'm looking for a mouse with a similar shape, also the more light-weight it is, the better, since I mainly play fast-paced games that require fast jerky movements.

Has anyone got any ideas? Budget to around £40 - please don't just recommend a top gaming mouse, the shape is the driving factor in this, not the amount of dpi or whatever :smile:

(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 6635
Build your own all the way.

If not Scan's 3xs systems are good.
Reply 6636
Original post by Architecture-er
Hey guys, wasn't sure where to ask this so I figured I'd just try somewhere where I know a lot of people frequent!

I'm looking for a new gaming mouse - but I'll also use it for plenty of work so it needs to be quite ergonomic.

I previously had a Rapoo 3200 (pic below) but then it started going all glitchy on me (fairly cheap chinese brand). I'm looking for a mouse with a similar shape, also the more light-weight it is, the better, since I mainly play fast-paced games that require fast jerky movements.

Has anyone got any ideas? Budget to around £40 - please don't just recommend a top gaming mouse, the shape is the driving factor in this, not the amount of dpi or whatever :smile:



The Logitech MX518 is generally rated as the best.

I've got one and can't fault it.
Original post by Newky
The Logitech MX518 is generally rated as the best.

I've got one and can't fault it.


Except it's a) not an ergonomic shape and b) much heavier :s-smilie:

The rapoo fitted perfectly into my hand with that bulge nestling into the bit where your thumb meets your index finger, whereas the logitech requires you to either flatten your hand on top of it or adopt the claw-grip, which isn't particularly comfortable..

here's another image (of the back) so you can see the shape a bit more clearly

(edited 12 years ago)
Reply 6638
Original post by Architecture-er
Except it's a) not an ergonomic shape and b) much heavier :s-smilie:

The rapoo fitted perfectly into my hand with that bulge nestling into the bit where your thumb meets your index finger, whereas the logitech requires you to either flatten your hand on top of it or adopt the claw-grip, which isn't particularly comfortable..

here's another image (of the back) so you can see the shape a bit more clearly



You raise good points.

I like the claw grip myself and think that the weight allows for better control.

In my personal experience I only have Razer mice to compare it to, and I've found the MX518 much better.
Reply 6639
Is this a good deal

http://www.ebuyer.com/337144-asus-x53e-laptop-x53e-sx1136v

I am wanting to buy a laptop for uni to study computer science and I've made up my mind about 2 laptops there is this one

Intel Core i5 Sandybridge 2430M 2.4GHz
4GB RAM
320GB HDD
15.6" HD
DVD Writer
Intel HD
Webcam
Windows 7 Home Premium 64

or another with the same specs but a 2.2 ghz i3 and 6 gig of ram but a bit cheaper.

Is it worth getting a sandy bridge i5 over a i3 and have 2 less gig of ram?

I will use it for programming and for assignments.
I also want to use it for gaming, well games that it can run (cs:s, fm 2012) as both have a crappy GPU.

I have my own built desktop but it wont be very practical taking that to uni as the case is huge.
(edited 12 years ago)