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computer wakes from sleep state by itself, is this a problem?

I noticed that happening sometimes with my ITX system too. No idea why and doesn't happen every time. Though after putting the computer to sleep I usually turn off the power from the extension cable hub thingie too, so it can't really wake up.
- tvih
- Post #2
- Sep 30, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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Mini ITX board choices are blooming

Yup, the Zotac only has two (plus 1x eSATA). There's a revised version with a new designation coming in October or so with a third port. There's also the AOpen board that has three. But four? Not on the Intel front as far as I know. The J&W Minix 780G has four, but the PCIe "x16" is actually...
- tvih
- Post #63
- Sep 17, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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DRM is just killing PC gaming as much as piracy is...only the consumer loses.

The time would still be "wasted" though, by even researching the whole thing. Granted, at least might've avoided the not-so-optimal purchase, but hell, why should one have to research beforehand about games having effectively malicious crapware in them?
- tvih
- Post #4
- Sep 4, 2009
- Forum: PC Games
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The quest for the low energy consumption gaming computer

Being green isn't the only reason for doing this (heat, and especially loudness and size being other major factors), but it's indeed a big one. And it's true, hardware upgrades are bad for being green given the big environmental costs of manufacturing the parts. Luckily I have a big family where...
- tvih
- Post #25
- Sep 2, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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The quest for the low energy consumption gaming computer

My previous 19" 1280x1024 LCD monitor used 33W. I still have it, but it broke and is waiting for repair. I did order a new 23" 1920x1080 resolution monitor which should only use 23,5W. So, gain screen estate while saving power. Nice. Based on price, features and power consumption, it doesn't...
- tvih
- Post #23
- Sep 2, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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The quest for the low energy consumption gaming computer

That's what I recall reading too. But I'm uncertain of the amount of error in this case (shouldn't be more than 10% though). For example, Sony lists the maximum power consumption of my TV as 170W, and that's pretty much what the meter reported when running the TV at full brightness (if I recall...
- tvih
- Post #21
- Sep 1, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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The quest for the low energy consumption gaming computer

Right, just got most of the system components, except for the case, CPU cooler and optical drive (got a HD 4670 for the graphics card after all, at least for now). Using a Q6600 stock cooler on the E5200 in the meanwhile, and a crappy ATX case. 600W OCZ StealthXStream PSU. Preliminary idle...
- tvih
- Post #19
- Aug 31, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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Nokia Booklet - Nokia's first foray into the netbook market

It definitely seems like a nice entry to the market. I'm a bit unhappy with my NC10, but only because I mistakenly bought a non-3G version (long story), but also don't really have the resources to upgrade even if the Booklet doesn't end up costing a lot (which I think it will). The major...
- tvih
- Post #9
- Aug 28, 2009
- Forum: Laptops
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Upgrade or Wait to Rebuild?

It's Watt Madness :D I had a 600W PSU in my 8800GT + Q6600 setup, and it never exceeded 250W in continous use that I saw. Nuts. But yeah, with so much new stuff just over the horizon, this would be a good time to wait it out 'til the new AMD cards and Intel processors to hit the stores. AMD...
- tvih
- Post #5
- Aug 23, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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What do you guys think of this build I just bought?

That computer will certainly play anything with ease for a long time to come. Good luck with your new computer, even if its power consumption makes me cringe :D Haha.
- tvih
- Post #127
- Aug 23, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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Does anyone still make a slot load DVD drive?

I've always wondered about the lack of slot-loading optical drives in the computer market. They seem much more convenient to me than ones with trays. I've looked around in Finland and there's not that many models sold here, around 4 different DVD and one Blu-Ray drive, and there's always a price...
- tvih
- Post #26
- Aug 22, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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What do you guys think of this build I just bought?

At this point the best advice is to go ahead buy SOMETHING and start enjoying the computer in its intended use instead of overanalyzing (I know I'm very prone to overanalyzing myself), otherwise you'll never get it done and no one can indeed make your decisions for you :D The specifics don't...
- tvih
- Post #69
- Aug 22, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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What do you guys think of this build I just bought?

As long as it can connect all your hardware, the motherboard you've selected is fine, pretty much. And it can from what I'm seeing, so I wouldn't worry about that. The only issue I really see is the GPU thing, but the options have already been pretty much laid out. I'm in a bit of a similar...
- tvih
- Post #56
- Aug 21, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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The quest for the low energy consumption gaming computer

I'd love to get the results myself, but it seems the store and also the importer are totally out of stock with the SST-SG06B case, and I'd rather not get the silver one since all my accessories are black as well. Then again the optical drive hasn't arrived yet either (dunno what gives, importer...
- tvih
- Post #17
- Aug 17, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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Ok, I need help before I go crazy

You definitely should try a repair installation first. That way you wouldn't lose your data nor should it mess up your activation. Personally I try to never keep any important data on the system partition, so the C: where I keep Windows is only for Windows itself, usually a swap file, and the...
- tvih
- Post #7
- Aug 11, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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Looking for Netbooks

At least you could have a horde of external 2.5" 160GB drives then... :D
- tvih
- Post #6
- Aug 10, 2009
- Forum: Laptops
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9400M comparable to what?

I haven't collected all the possible data to support this, but sometimes it seems people underestimate these "modern" IGPs. A Zotac 9300-ITX review had a Crysis benchmark in it (http://www.tweaktown.com/revie...therboard/index9.html), and it was playable at low settings. The reported framerates...
- tvih
- Post #16
- Aug 10, 2009
- Forum: Laptops
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Looking for Netbooks

Indeed, any default SSDs in current netbooks are no good. So if you really want a decent SSD, you'll need to buy it separately. Though it seems that the good ones cost so much as to raise to price of the netbook by quite a lot.
- tvih
- Post #4
- Aug 10, 2009
- Forum: Laptops
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Looking for Gaming Mouse/Keyboard

Copperhead was my first "gaming mouse" nearly four years ago. It's still going strong in my brother's use as well, so it seems like a sturdy piece of equipment. It's definitely fingertip-controlled, and the Synapse feature allows for instant on the fly sensitivity change (I was disappointed when...
- tvih
- Post #5
- Aug 10, 2009
- Forum: Mice
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Cheap atom PC as a file server

For a system such as that, you only really need around 60W at least for a single hard drive setup. Since there's no optical drive apparently, could probably have at least two with that. Of course finding PSUs such as this is harder than finding normal ATX ones. Some options: You could just...
- tvih
- Post #5
- Aug 10, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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The quest for the low energy consumption gaming computer

Well, I guess further pondering and planning is pointless, and is only gonna end up with more disappointments and a headache. As such, I placed an order for the following: - Intel E5200 CPU - Zotac Geforce 9300-ITX WiFi motherboard - 4GB DDR2 800MHz - Samsung SpinPoint M7 Series HM500JI...
- tvih
- Post #15
- Aug 9, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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The quest for the low energy consumption gaming computer

Hmm... I ran into the SilverStone Sugo SST-SG06B case. Mini-ITX but with a slot to add a discrete graphics card - which means a perfect match for the Zotac GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi motherboard. Not to mention the Sugo also has the slim optical drive bay I've been craving, and complete with a 300W...
- tvih
- Post #14
- Aug 9, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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The quest for the low energy consumption gaming computer

Idle power of the system should be very low, considering that the 4670 idles at just 9W, and the E5200 at well under 10W as well. Overall idle power draw shouldn't exceed 50W with the whole setup, unless I decide to go with the 4770 instead which would add another 9W. Considering the EarthWatts...
- tvih
- Post #13
- Aug 8, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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The quest for the low energy consumption gaming computer

Yeah, I've seen it mentioned once or twice during my research. The problems with the Firebird are that in the end it still focused a lot on performance, which meant a somewhat high power consumption despite using largely laptop parts. Which, in turn, leads to the high price. I could almost get...
- tvih
- Post #11
- Aug 8, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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The quest for the low energy consumption gaming computer

Yes, I know the peak use of the 4770 is low, but the problem is the idle consumption - which is twice that of the 4670. Given I'm more likely to spend more time at idle loads than running full-blown 3D graphics, it's not an insignificant difference. That is not to say that I'd have completely...
- tvih
- Post #9
- Aug 8, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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The quest for the low energy consumption gaming computer

I also took a look at Antec's NSK2480 case. It seems to have decent airflow capabilities too, and the form factor might enable me to place it "out of the way" rather than on the floor. Also, compared to the NSK3480, it would seem to have more space for the optical and hard drives. Problem is I...
- tvih
- Post #7
- Aug 8, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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The quest for the low energy consumption gaming computer

Yeah, I actually just switched my "shopping cart" to include a Gigabyte G31M-ES2L motherboard instead of the ASRock one, as not only does it have a couple of extra features, but it's also RoHS compliant. The NSK3480 is actually one of the first microATX cases I looked at. But the included...
- tvih
- Post #6
- Aug 8, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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Fortron FSP220-60LE?

True, 40mm isn't optimal... though according to reviews I read, the Eco 300 isn't all that quiet either. And it seems its efficiency isn't that great at the power levels this system would idle at :(
- tvih
- Post #3
- Aug 8, 2009
- Forum: Power Supplies
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The quest for the low energy consumption gaming computer

Thanks for the replies. The HD 4770 is indeed better in performance, but it's not really all that low-power. Look at http://www.tomshardware.com/re...n-hd-4770,2281-13.html for example, it has the figures in comparison to 4670 as well. Especially the idle power consumption is disappointing...
- tvih
- Post #4
- Aug 8, 2009
- Forum: Computer Building
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Recommendations for a mid level laptop

The second option is indeed better. The GPU is stronger, and the free upgrade to a Blu-ray drive is worth over $100 at least. The other specs seem mostly similar enough (though the second machine has the added fingerprint reader). Worth noting though that you should make sure you can be happy...
- tvih
- Post #4
- Aug 7, 2009
- Forum: Laptops
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The quest for the low energy consumption gaming computer

First a little background (and sorry for the looong post). I'm not the first nor the last to embark on an endeavor such as this, that's clear enough. It all started with wanting to get rid of my power-hungry, oven-warmth, barn-sized, noisy desktop computer. At first I looked at an Ion-based...
- tvih
- Thread
- Aug 7, 2009
- Replies: 24
- Forum: Computer Building
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Fortron FSP220-60LE?

Hello. I've been looking at building a low power consumption PC that still has some kick in it. From what I've read, this PSU should be quite good what comes to power efficiency, and it has just about the right wattage to run the setup I am thinking about (HD 4670, E5200 with G31 mobo, etc)...
- tvih
- Thread
- Aug 7, 2009
- Replies: 4
- Forum: Power Supplies

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