What Have You Done Today - (Computer Version)

  • Thread starter tlowr4
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Today I realized that building a new PC via basic assembly was the EASY part.


It's the software headache that's the real nightmare. Having no experience with having a boot drive and a separate storage drive was relatively easy to work around, but moving my old programs from my old hard drive to my new hard drive has been a nightmare.

Without asking for what would likely be a day or two's worth of tech support for free, does anyone have any road signs pointing to how I can sort out this mess and make my PC not operate like every program has been pirated?
 
Snaeper
Without asking for what would likely be a day or two's worth of tech support for free, does anyone have any road signs pointing to how I can sort out this mess and make my PC not operate like every program has been pirated?
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I think you have to start from scratch. You might be able to get by with a block level clone of the old hard drive but Windows and other software might protest that you've changed your hardware configuration and you're also copying over any potential bugs like registry errors or things like that verbatim. It may (read: will) take days but the only way you're going to get it running nicely is to install everything from scratch.


Edit: I've been daydreaming about upgrading my PC lately. Well, no, I daydream all the time but now I have a tiny bit of cash so I'm thinking about stashing it so I could maybe upgrade soon.

Long story short, I have a 2GB GTX 680 and three 60Hz, 1080p displays. Old racing games and flight sims are fine but newer things like Assetto Corsa, Project CARS, Elite: Dangerous and so on are starting to choke it. Admittedly I haven't spent enough (or really any) time optimising my settings, but it's pretty obvious they won't look good and run at 60fps for at least most of the time on just 2GB.

So, do I:
- Buy a GTX 970, even though there's that VRAM problem effectively limiting it to 3.5GB, for £280 (probably this one)
or
- Buy a second 2GB GTX 680 if I can get one for £150-180? There's one identical to the one I already have on Ebay, collection only and in London, I could maybe offer them cash and take a chance on it... Is that a really bad idea?

My motherboard claims to support quad SLI (it's an ASUS P8 Z68-V Pro) and I've got an 850W PSU which should be ok, right?
 
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Picked up a pair of logitech g430 7.1 headphones. Can't go wrong at their price point considering turtle beach 7.1s are about double the price. Very happy. R3E sounds even better now (If that's even possible).
 
Thoroughly cleaned out my desktop which was full of dust and finally installed an extra 4gb of RAM that's been sitting on my desk for almost a year. I now have 12GB of RAM :D
 
Recent tech stuff of note:
- Bought Sony MDR-EX650AP earbud headphones.
- Bought a Seiki 39" 4K TV (with woeful input lag so is only used as a TV).
- Currently upgrading my oldish Dell XPS 8300 - GTX 760 card, new 600W PSU, some extra RAM.
 
Installed my new RAM today and re-installed Windows 8.1, after installing all of the programs, drivers and updates I sat down to overclock my components.

Results are 4.7GHz on my 4690k with 1.35V @ 51°C with 21°C ambient temp and a boost clock on my EVGA GTX 960 of 1600MHz (usually around 1570MHz) for the boost clock.

fc3646a02beca4bbf6c05e711f81c0eb354d253149028d9ce0fca9def3aaf63a.jpg
 
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I got sick of getting random BSODs when playing a game in full screen while having a YouTube video playing on my second monitor. Decided to check the display drivers and found out that they haven't been updated for over 2 years... :lol:

That might be the problem....
 
Waiting for Lollipop to come out on my phone (Comes on Tuesday) HTC One on Verizon but using T-Mobile on it :lol:
 
Downgrade my nexus 5 from 5.1 to 4.4.4
Rooted it, Installed Xposed, added some modules, phone is running better than ever.
 
The past few days, I've tried to get some game programming experience using FlashDevelop and Flixel. I've got upset mostly following one tutorial online and basically stopped after doing so well following everything. For those not accustomed to Flixel, Flixel is basically a game-making library utilized with programs like the free and open-source FlashDevelop in the creation of Flash-based games. Perhaps the most popular game made with Flixel is the endless runner Canabalt. There are even a bunch of games on Newgrounds made with Flixel as the interface. Some Flash games made with Flixel are even ported to Android and eventually to the Android-based OUYA.

A lot of "what have you done today?" for me in recent times mostly relates to programming or trying to at least prototype a game. There are several ideas I have, but not one of them completed.
 
It's time to replace my dying HD6450 (its passively cooled and overclocked) and I'm either gonna get an Asus R9 290 DirectCUII or an Asus GTX970. I'm leaninbg towards the R9 290 as I'm running an AMD processor plus I'm bit of an AMD fanboi. On the other hand, the 970 benchmarks better than a stock 290 but has the whole 3.5GB issue. What do you guys think I should get?
 
Well I posted a thread a while ago about my POST problem but now I'm getting ready to re-build the computer. I'm getting a new case, motherboard and PSU. I have identified 1 problem with this the new motherboard will make Windows 7 think it is a new computer and need to be re-activated. My windows 7 version is OEM (PC was bought pre-built) and cannot be re-activated i might be able to get it going by calling Microsoft during activation but I don't think it will work.

So what is the cheapest LEGAL way I can get a 64 bit version of win 7 home premium in the UK? I seen OEM keys going for £30 but it looks a bit sketchy.
 
Well I don't have any install material for win 7 so I tried to download it from the Microsoft website. I put my key in and it said I couldn't have the software as it's a single use OEM key. I have read that when you try to use this type of key for re activation it will fail and will promopt you to contact Microsoft.

After this I have no idea since the motherboard is from a totally different vendor ( current is ASUS new one is MSI ). Will I get a new key since its due to failing hardware or will MS say tough luck buy a new key?
 
Today, I began my research for getting an LED TV to be my new TV as well as my monitor. I had actually debated between a new TV and a new TV to also be my monitor. My research continues on, but I am mostly doing my research to try to get a small LED TV to be a monitor or maybe alternate between a PC monitor and my TV. I won't need any HDMI cables since I can use the HDMI cable that came with my OUYA to be my HDMI cable. Now if that HDMI cable is crap, then I'll shop for some new cables. What I could do is use the LED TV as my monitor and then use my current PC monitor as a separate monitor. Considering that I want to develop games for the OUYA, and since it is recommended OUYA games are displayed in 1080p, I can use my current monitor for any games I may possibly develop.

I haven't done ANYTHING really for today, but I began my research on getting an LED TV to serve as my full-time monitor. I don't need anything insane- a fairly decent monitor in the range of 19 inches to 24 inches is just fine for me. Something with audio and (maybe) multiple HDMI inputs and costs no more than $150 (before taxes) US Dollars is fine with me.
 
Not sure if they still sell them (but perhaps they have a successor now), but the Samsung T240HD was a monitor that also had TV inputs (HDMI, cable, but also smart card). Still using it in my daughters room, she uses it both as a monitor (low input lag) and TV.

Edit: I could find the Samsung T22E390EW, but couldn't find any prices.
 
My motherboard died, so I pulled my PC apart, and luckily still had all the original package content. It's 1.5 years old, so I still have warranty on it. I'm just hoping the RMA will go smoothly...
 
Hey, I appreciate the Samsung T240HD suggestion; however, the other suggested Samsung monitor apparently isn't sold in the United States. My brother has an HP monitor that has both audio and an HDMI input. The key for me is a small TV with HDMI input as well as VGA input. A few TVs I looked up online had two HDMI inputs. With my current PC monitor, it is 24 inches with an LED display and capable of 1080p. I don't necessarily want something exactly or near my monitor's specifications, but something fairly decent and no more than $150 US Dollars (tax excluded) will be just fine for me.


If I do get such a TV, I'll be sure to talk about it and discuss whether or not it serves me well as a TV and a PC monitor.
 
I've not done it yet, but after I've done my annual dusting I'm going to sell my GTX 680 and buy a 970, I hope. It's either that or try to score a really cheap, used 680 to SLI with the one I have but that's only going to be marginally cheaper than a new card and I'll still only have 2GB VRAM, and it's VRAM that I'm struggling with right now.
 
Not done just yet, but got this in the mail today:

- Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev. B;
- Arctic cooling cleaning stuff;
- Arctic Silver 5;
- 95cfm Coolermaster fan to replace the standard 45cfm cooling fan on the Scythe.

Since the thing requires a backplate to be fitted to the backside of the motherboard, I'm not installing this this evening because of having to take the whole PC apart. Saving it for the weekend, so I can do it in all quiet.

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I didn't do anything computer-related yesterday, but I thought about the possibility of having an experience that I've never imagined would be possible- the possibility of having a dual monitor setup. I am still looking at my options in terms of having a small HDTV serve as a monitor. It could be possible that if I try to develop games or anything, I could possibly work on things with one monitor and then use the other monitor to see it at work. Since an ultimate goal of mine is to make a game for the OUYA, and since the OUYA usually has games in high definition (and OUYA is Android-based), it gives me an idea and some insight to develop in high definition. I know someone on GTPlanet said I should develop for touchscreen before pushing to other formats, but I think having a dual-monitor setup will be a great boost in any game development adventures I may take part in.

I don't have that "TV as a monitor" yet. I am still mostly researching... and maybe dreaming at the same time. I will be sure to ask questions here on GTPlanet in case I may need some advice as far as dual monitor setups are concerned.
 
JohnBM01
I didn't do anything computer-related yesterday, but I thought about the possibility of having an experience that I've never imagined would be possible- the possibility of having a dual monitor setup. I am still looking at my options in terms of having a small HDTV serve as a monitor. It could be possible that if I try to develop games or anything, I could possibly work on things with one monitor and then use the other monitor to see it at work. Since an ultimate goal of mine is to make a game for the OUYA, and since the OUYA usually has games in high definition (and OUYA is Android-based), it gives me an idea and some insight to develop in high definition. I know someone on GTPlanet said I should develop for touchscreen before pushing to other formats, but I think having a dual-monitor setup will be a great boost in any game development adventures I may take part in.

I don't have that "TV as a monitor" yet. I am still mostly researching... and maybe dreaming at the same time. I will be sure to ask questions here on GTPlanet in case I may need some advice as far as dual monitor setups are concerned.
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I have this setup actually monitor, one is powered by vga and other uses a dvi cable with a hdmi at the other end very simple setup and this is using the oboard graphics card 256mb. I am also developing a game so it seems as what you want to do I already did, very easy to setup. there is a little bit of a learning curve getting used to things beING on two screens but no dramas what so ever.

I would ask though why the OUYA as it's pretty dead as far as I am aware. Android is far simpler to develop for
 
Though the OUYA is fairly "dead," I at least want to develop a fairly decent game for a console I actually [still] believe has potential. And for such a console, I at least want to say I developed a game for a console loved and loathed by a mixed audience. Android-based OUYA is more attractive to me than, say... Blackberry, Windows Mobile, or anything like that.

I have been reading up on multi monitor setups for game developers as I was thinking of having a possible dual monitor setup if and when I have a two monitor setup. The setup would make for a more interesting workflow as I can properly test things on another screen and see how a project looks. But again, this all depends on what kind of TV I eventually get. Nothing is final as of right now.
 
NLxAROSA
Not done just yet, but got this in the mail today:

- Scythe Big Shuriken 2 Rev. B;
- Arctic cooling cleaning stuff;
- Arctic Silver 5;
- 95cfm Coolermaster fan to replace the standard 45cfm cooling fan on the Scythe.

Since the thing requires a backplate to be fitted to the backside of the motherboard, I'm not installing this this evening because of having to take the whole PC apart. Saving it for the weekend, so I can do it in all quiet.
Click to expand...
Installed the Scythe today. Coolermaster fan didn't fit, because it doesn't have an opening in the side where you can slide in the retention bracket. So stuck with the default Scythe fan for now.

Huge improvement in temperature (10-15 degrees C lower than stock), and also it's so much more quiet! No more whining stock Intel fan. 👍
 

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