Random Question Thread: Tech

[Cephius]

To make your current view the default for all folders, set the folder up the way you want it, go to organize > folder and search options > view > apply to folders

You might have to do this more than once since Windows 7 separates folders by content, you'll have to apply defaults for documents/pictures/movies individually

[Kerberoz]

Actually, now that I look...
It's "date modified" for all new folders, but when I put any sort of media file whatsoever, it changes to "date" and I have to go into the menu to switch it back. Wtf?

[Kerberoz]

To make your current view the default for all folders, set the folder up the way you want it, go to organize > folder and search options > view > apply to folders

There we go; thanks!

[Caiyuo]

Thank god, I've been trying to get date modified to stick around forever. Way more handy for sorting images.

[Blarg]

When you go to the windows task manager (ctrl alt del place) and go to the performance tab, under Physical memory there is Total, Cached, and Free. I know what the total is (mine is 4gigs) but what do the cached and free mean. For instance my cashed is currently ~2gigs and my free is usually very low ~200 down to ~0 (currently it is 2 or 3 mb free). The total memory being used is 2.66gb atm so I don't really know how all those things relate together.

Another memory question. I've sort of looked it up but I can't get a clear answer. I have two 2gb sticks of ddr2 ram. I have another 2gb stick (of another brand name, also ddr2) that came with some hardware I bought that is still sitting in the package. Reading up on it it sounds like adding that extra stick is useful to avoid the computer having to use HD space to act as ram if you run out of ram as that is slower method. But adding that extra ram will actually hurt the performance of the ram and won't add any help if I'm not doing anything ram heavy.

Is it not possibly to set it up so that if ram being used is under 4gb it basically ignores that third ram slot but if I do something ram heavy it can then access that ram instead of using the hard drive .

[sruon]

Cached is applications you've closed but Windows "keep" in memory in case you relaunch it so it's a lot faster. Free is exactly what it is, the amount of free RAM your applications can use, if you ever run low Windows will clear the cached applications.

[Cephius]

Cache is superfetch, which analyses your often-used programs and pre-loads them so they come up faster when you need them. You can turn it off but there's really no reason to unless you're maxing our your memory (and windows will start reallocating if that happens)

Another memory question. I've sort of looked it up but I can't get a clear answer. I have two 2gb sticks of ddr2 ram. I have another 2gb stick (of another brand name, also ddr2) that came with some hardware I bought that is still sitting in the package. Reading up on it it sounds like adding that extra stick is useful to avoid the computer having to use HD space to act as ram if you run out of ram as that is slower method. But adding that extra ram will actually hurt the performance of the ram and won't add any help if I'm not doing anything ram heavy.

As a general rule you should try to avoid mixing and matching memory as most BIOS usually set all RAM to the same speed and timings. If your new RAM has optimal timings and speeds that are different from the first set, it can cause issues. Also I like to say that unused memory is wasted memory, if you run fine at 2GB it's not like you're going to run any faster at 4.

[Isiolia]

Is it not possibly to set it up so that if ram being used is under 4gb it basically ignores that third ram slot but if I do something ram heavy it can then access that ram instead of using the hard drive .

The basic problem you'd run into is potentially twofold. First, as mentioned, if the stick you have sitting out is lower spec'ed than the ones you have in the PC, then they'd be forced to run at the same speed as that one. The second point is that if you add an odd stick of RAM in like that, your memory wouldn't be able to operate in dual channel mode, losing you performance there as well.

While you can certainly set up a RAM disk to utilize additional RAM (see this article for some discussion) it won't work so much like you're hoping.

As mentioned though, a lot of the RAM use you're seeing there is basically Windows utilizing RAM "just in case" for performance reasons, and it'll release it if something else needs it. If you do want to add more memory, add another pair of DIMMs that match/beat the specs of your current memory.

[Kuishen]

I assume this is the right place for this? If not just point me in the direction I should go.

I'm looking to buy a high quality set of surround sound headphones for gaming that come with a mic, right now I have shitty speakers and a shitty desk-top mic.

I've been told Creative is the way to go for sound stuff, but I have seen and do like a set of Tritton headphones, but have heard some horror stories about them. I'm willing to spend up to $200 if need be. I just want pure quality. The only stipulation I have is that I only have the traditional input and usb for my comp, (no optical) so if that is a problem and I need to get a better soundcard with another type of input please let me know if I need to do that for a high quality pair of headphones.

So any recommendations?

Forgive the "newbness" of this post, I'm moderately computer savvy and did manage to build my comp with some help but I get lost when it comes to the specifics of anything sound related.

EDIT: Also late and I failed at grammar hardcore in this post but w/e don't care. Really hope I didn't make myself sound like an idiot with the specifics.

[Kerberoz]

I'm looking to buy a high quality set of surround sound headphones for gaming that come with a mic

Surround headphones are a gimmick. You have 2 ears.

Things to avoid when shopping for headphones:
- noise cancelling
- "surround" headphones
- "gaming" headphones
- celebrity endorsements
- headphones with software
- wireless
- Bose/Monster
- built-in mic (will cost 5x more than standalone mic)
- most "features" in general are only found on shit cans

I've been told Creative is the way to go for sound stuff

There is nothing on the market worse than Creative Labs. Nothing.

[Isiolia]

I'd look more at a standalone mic and quality headphones. Frees you up a fair bit in terms of selection.

A decent USB mic is not that expensive, and will be more than adequate for gaming purposes. What can be nice with USB audio devices is that they count as a discrete device on your system. USB headphones (or speakers) don't require a sound card, as they will have their own DAC.

"Surround" headphones are usually based around DSP. Which is to say, any set of headphones is capable of doing what they do, if fed the proper signal. My experience with most 3D/virtual surround DSPs is that they don't tend to sound particularly good. If auditioning, be sure to not just listen to the same device with the effect disabled - I remember trying a "sound enhancer" marketed for gaming back in the 90's...effect sounded better on than off, unless you removed the device from the audio path, at which point the unmolested audio sounded 10x better.

Long and short is that I'd recommend simply going with quality. If you've never owned quality audio gear before, you'll probably be shocked at just how good basic 2-channel sound can be.

Far as sound source...built-in sound is usually decent, but a discrete card does tend to be better. Or a USB DAC, which is where you find a lot of quality audio these days.
Creative suffers from hit-and-miss driver support. If their products are working, they're fairly good, but all too often they run into driver problems. The ASUS Xonar series tend to be good, but also generally pricey. I'd say to probably skip this for now, since you probably haven't fully heard what your built-in sound can do. That being said, the "problem" with good A/V gear is that it tends to reveal flaws in the source/source material, so you'll likely find yourself wanting to upgrade from integrated eventually.

Some suggestions...Sennheiser makes good products, Grado if you're not a bass-hound...I've got Audio-Technica ATH-M50s, which are quite good for the money.

[Shinon]

Hey guys, I've been having a problem with my PC for several months now but have put off fixing it. It seems to be occuring more frequently, if not all the time now. Whenever I put my computer in sleep mode, or shut it down and turn it back on, it gets stuck saying "disk boot failure". I don't have any external usb devices plugged in aside from keyboard and mouse. It seems like resetting it will fix it sometimes but for now I've just been leaving my computer running. What would be the cause of this?

[Ratatapa]

My money is on the HDD thatis starting to fail


Sent from my iPad2 using Tapatalk

[Arnwulf]

Anyone used a Roku XD? I'm thinking about buying one for my upstairs TV but don't want to waste my money if it's crap.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Roku+-+X...&skuId=2141036

[Gun-it]

Tryin to get my 360 controller workin on my laptop for ffxi.
When i go to configuration the buttons with ffxi the D-pad, both triggers and the left stick don't work. Anyone know to get them working?

[Boyiee]

I assume this is the right place for this? If not just point me in the direction I should go.

I'm looking to buy a high quality set of surround sound headphones for gaming that come with a mic, right now I have shitty speakers and a shitty desk-top mic.

I've been told Creative is the way to go for sound stuff, but I have seen and do like a set of Tritton headphones, but have heard some horror stories about them. I'm willing to spend up to $200 if need be. I just want pure quality. The only stipulation I have is that I only have the traditional input and usb for my comp, (no optical) so if that is a problem and I need to get a better soundcard with another type of input please let me know if I need to do that for a high quality pair of headphones.

So any recommendations?

Forgive the "newbness" of this post, I'm moderately computer savvy and did manage to build my comp with some help but I get lost when it comes to the specifics of anything sound related.

EDIT: Also late and I failed at grammar hardcore in this post but w/e don't care. Really hope I didn't make myself sound like an idiot with the specifics.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD5...4144135&sr=8-1

noise cancelling is dumb

I feel like I'm saying this every day. Pair them with the zalman mic on the page that is "frequently bought together."

Those senn's in my quote will probably be more than enough to suit your needs. If your computer isn't that old your onboard sound should be fine enough, but if you want more down the road look into a headphone amp/dac for another hundred. Although I wouldn't do this unless you have a high quality audio collection.

You can take the earcups off the 555's and remove a piece of foam and they will sound like the more expensive 595's. There is a youtube video on it, just google HD555 mod. Takes 5minutes with zero skill needed, a monkey could do it.

[etelosbo]

Any good recommended sites to torrent off of? I've only used torrents once for about 3 months and seems that way doesn't work anymore. Anyone could PM me? How do good torrent sites tend to work? Have to seed and keep a good ratio or something? I'm new to it all.

[Jakson]

Don't know much, etc.
Why aren't there external graphics cards (at least for laptops)?
Is it not feasible because of how it would interface with the computer (data cant get from the computer to the card and back to the display fast enough to be worth it) or is it a convenience issue or something else?

[Blabj]

The 1st, especially when gaming/media is concerned. It's reasonable to assume that with the advent of USB3 and Thunderbolt that external graphics adapters may become more popular, however I think that the 'convenience issue' comes into play. It would make your laptop less of a laptop and more of a desktop.

[Jakson]

Yeah, I figured it was the first. The convenience thing, to me, is not a big deal, as even a laptop and a gpu still weigh like half (less?) than just my computer's tower and takes up 1/8th the space. I just figured external gpus would be nice because it seems to me that laptop cpus upgrade at a pretty consistent rate behind desktop, while decent gpus are special order whole package deal onry. If you had a decent laptop, you could just upgrade the external gpu and you wouldn't have to buy a new laptop as frequently as the games leap.