The hardware-combination tag has no wiki summary.
21
votes
8answers
3k views
What hardware combination should I consider for a 20TB file server? [closed]
I want to build a file server for my home media. The server will only be used to serve files to my Media PC. Essentially all it needs to do is be able to expose around 20TB of shared folders.
I don't ...
18
votes
6answers
2k views
How do we assemble a computer properly?
As a follow-up question for advice when buying a computer, I would like to get another thing clear:
How do we assemble a computer properly?
In what order do I need to put the hardware I bought into ...
6
votes
5answers
2k views
Upgrading from 8GB RAM from 2GB
I have a TOSHIBA Satellite Laptop which has 2GB RAM and an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, T5750 2GHz.
I am considering buying an additional 8GB RAM for the machine. I have little knowledge about hardware and ...
5
votes
2answers
3k views
Is it worth to get a SATA-3 controller to max my SSD out?
I have an OCZ Agility 3 on a Gygabyte GA-P55-UD5 (it only has native SATA-2 support, not SATA-3).
I have to admit performance is already interesting but should be half of total possibilities.
I've ...
4
votes
7answers
1k views
How does FaceBook build servers with 12+ hard drives
From The FB Blog:
... is deployed on top of commodity storage blades. The typical hardware configuration of a 2U storage blade is –
2 x quad-core CPUs
16GB – 32GB memory
hardware raid ...
4
votes
3answers
94 views
What exactly does “(OC)” mean in products description
Note: this is not a shopping recommendation request
I want to buy a nice and fast RAM and a motherboard that supports it.
Lets say that I would want to take this RAM (2400MHz), and put it into this ...
3
votes
1answer
53 views
Multi-Harddrive Tower, Do I have to Worry about Overheating
I have been thinking of getting a third hard drive. Right now I have two already in my tower. The HDDs have a small compact separate 3-space bay in the bottom front of the tower.
In general, should I ...
3
votes
1answer
192 views
To place a Kill A Watt meter between the PSU and UPS or between the UPS and Wall Outlet?
Are you supposed to place a Kill A Watt meter between the PSU and UPS like so:
PSU--Kill A Watt--UPS--Wall Outlet?
or are you supposed to place a Kill A Watt meter after the UPS like so:
...
3
votes
1answer
56 views
Is there such a thing as a USB-controllable USB relay?
I am looking for a device that connects to two USB ports on a computer: a "Control" port, and a "Data" port. Both cords go to the same device, which also has one USB "out" port (3 ports total). If a ...
3
votes
1answer
129 views
If I combine a PCIe x16 graphics card and a PCIe x4 hardware RAID, does the graphics card get 16 lanes?
I'm planning to install a graphics card which can utilise 16 PCIe lanes and a RAID controller which supports PCIe x4.
The Ivy Bridge CPUs are all specified as supporting either one x16 or two x8 ...
3
votes
2answers
417 views
build a Linux server with “server” or “desktop” hardware?
I am Looking to build a Linux home server box from the ground up for my family and I. Id like the server to support file sharing, media streaming, print, virtualization, and remote desktop services. I ...
2
votes
5answers
2k views
How to know which RAM I can/should buy for my PC?
I have a relatively old PC (5 years or more) which has only 1GB of RAM. I'm running on Windows 7 and unfortunately it doesn't like being so senile...
I have a Gigabyte mother board but I have no ...
2
votes
5answers
741 views
planning to upgrade my computer (windows 8)
I recently bought windows 8 using the upgrade offer. Now I am planning to upgrade my computer ie , change the motherboard , processor and the Ram.
I would like to know if i can use the same product ...
2
votes
2answers
92 views
What is the relationship between manufacturers barebones and performace?
Assuming that I could choose between two similar machines(same processor, memories, chipset and HDDs) but different barebones manufacturers, such as Acer or Asus, could I check for another ...
2
votes
2answers
485 views
What happens when I combine different types of RAM?
My current RAM is 2GB and I upgraded it to 6 GB. I bought a 4GB upgrade, but apparently they are of different types:
My original one is 2GB PC-8500 and the upgrade is 4GB PC-10600.
Is there any ...
2
votes
2answers
121 views
How can I identify a hardware product?
How can I identify different hardware components (hard drive, cpu, gpu, etc). Based on it's manufacturer.
For example, Nvidia Geforce GTX 580, several manufacturers, all differently priced, some may ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
Is my Graphics Card slowing the entire system down?
OK, so I have just put together a new machine, using all new shiney parts except my graphics card, which I thought would be man enough given that I'm not using this a gaming machine at all.
The ...
2
votes
1answer
207 views
Getting up to speed on modern PC construction
The last time I built a PC the tricky parts were knowing the difference between ISA, VLB, and PCI cards; juggling IRQs; and getting IDE master/slave right. Now I'm helping my stepson build a gaming PC ...
2
votes
0answers
185 views
Plugging in a GPU into a PCI slot via a PCI-e to PCI converter: is it possible?
First of all, this is for a GPGPU project so I only need a very small amount of bandwidth. The bandwidth for PCI and PCI-e 1x slots are several orders of magnitude more than I need.
Some people have ...
1
vote
4answers
4k views
Windows 7 64 bit on Intel Core 2 Duo T5800
I have an Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 processor in my old laptop. The specs on Intel says it is 64 bit. I remember my vendor telling me it is a 32 bit laptop and I have 32 bit Windows 7 installed. How can ...
1
vote
2answers
66 views
How to select memory for motherboard when building a new machine? [duplicate]
I am building a new PC. What resources do I use to ensure the ram I select is compatible with the motherboard I am selecting?
Currently, this is what I know.
The motherboard accepts a type of ram, ...
1
vote
1answer
77 views
Can memory compatibility depend on the selected CPU?
Up until recently I always thought memory compatibility was completely dependent on the motherboard and the processor didn't make a difference when it came to memory compatibility. However, I was ...
1
vote
1answer
424 views
Is there desktop motherboard that supports notebook hardware?
Is there desktop motherboard that supports notebook hardware?
I have notebook HP Pavilion dv7-1160er without accumulator, that can not hardly use graphic card because it too hot and system can go to ...
1
vote
2answers
203 views
Use 2 Hdds in one pc as 2 different computers?
I want to have 2 totally different computers in one pc. I would like this to happen maybe with dual boot? I dont want the files from the one HDD to be accessible to the other because the one HDD might ...
1
vote
1answer
312 views
Asus p7p55-m will not pick the extra 4G of memory
So here's the problem: I've got this Asus p7p55-m motherboard that was originally purchased with 4Gs of memory and it all worked well until I wanted to drop extra memory in it (KVR1333D3N9K2 model). ...
1
vote
2answers
755 views
Using same Monitor/Keyboard/Mouse on Laptop and Desktop
I have the following:
An HCL beanstalk desktop
HP 6910 laptop
HP docking station
TFT monitor
Keyboard
Mouse
How do I connect all these so that I can use the same monitor, keyboard and mouse?
1
vote
2answers
369 views
What kind of hardware should I use for running a Untangle firewall/filter?
I'm looking to install an Untangle server as a component in my home network as a simple firewall and internet content filter. I will be running a separate machine on the network for HTTP and media ...
1
vote
1answer
659 views
Does a 1 molex --> 1 6-pin pci-e connector supply enough power for a gpu?
Two questions:
Can I power a Radeon HD 5830 with 2 (1 molex to 1 6pin pci-e connectors)?
Can I get and use a 8pin pci-e --> 6pin pci-e connector for a HD5830?
Note: I cannot just use two 6pin ...
1
vote
1answer
148 views
Can two users both control a third machine simultaneously using Synergy?
I've been a Synergy user for some time now, as I use a PC on the left side of my Mac.
My girlfriend and I both have our desks on each side of the other, and we'd like to know if it were possible for ...
1
vote
2answers
137 views
VM Tools that virtualize different hardware than I have
Is there free VM tools that will virtualize different hardware than what I have?
Specifically the graphics card?
Is this something that VM Tools can even do (even the not-free ones)?
Note: I tried ...
1
vote
0answers
65 views
Guidance on a Wi-Fi amplifier/signal booster [closed]
I have a D-Link DI-724U router/firewall w/removeable antenna. I am looking to improve Wi-Fi signal strength. I have seen a cadre of amplifiers and boosters out in the wild. What should I be looking ...
1
vote
1answer
149 views
Most efficient use of my SSD and new/old hard drives
To begin with, here are my computer's current specifications:
-Windows 8 Pro, 64 bits
-Motherboard: ASRock 970 Extreme3
-Processor: AMD FX-8150 Zambezi 3.6GHz Socket AM3+ 125W Eight-Core Desktop ...
1
vote
3answers
2k views
PCIe Generation 3.0 graphic board running on old mainboard Generation 2.0 or earlier?
my problem comes out of the following: I'm owning a 'MSI P45 Neo 3' Mainboard. The 100% type I haven't checked yet, I'm about to do it as soon as possible. For sure is that it's already about four ...
1
vote
0answers
33 views
Is it possible to compose a computer out of components separately bought from different companies? [closed]
And is there some web-sites to help me do so? I want to do this because I've heard that to buy components and make a complete computer out of them is much cheaper than to buy a brand computer.
1
vote
0answers
363 views
Desktop computer for GIS and home networking use specifications [closed]
I'm in the market for a new pc/laptop. Portability is not an issue for me, so I'm leaning more towards a desktop, since it will be easier to upgrade specific components at a later stage. The problem ...
1
vote
1answer
197 views
Insert a GPS module to my ThinkPad , possible?
Is it possible to insert a micro GPS module into my laptop , which is a ThinkPad X220 ?
Something that like BIOS clock , that can power itself without external source.
(Just some thought , but if ...
1
vote
0answers
93 views
What is the most suitable hardware configuration for an intranet plone portal with a huge amount of data?
I am using Plone 4, and I want to create a Plone site for the intranet. This site must be able to contain several hundred terabytes of data, including scanned PDF files, each of 50MB in average, and ...
0
votes
4answers
715 views
Can I extend my total RAM by buying more, and what kind do I need to buy
I currently have 4 GB total RAM and I would like to get some more, to bring it to a total of 8 GB. Is it possible to simply buy another 4 GB and bring it to 8? If so, what kind should I be buying? ...
0
votes
2answers
60 views
two computers with united CPU and memory resources?
is it possible?:) it wold be interesting, when given cheap chineese netbook and cheap chineese tablet, setup for example ubuntu to both of them, then le wild magic happens and viola - we have one ...
0
votes
1answer
4k views
What is a Intel LPC Interface Controller.
Intel LPC Interface Controller,
What does LPC stand for?
for what is this interface used?
0
votes
2answers
717 views
Do the Intel X79 Chipset and 2nd Generate Core i7 Processors support VT-d?
EDIT: I have an Intel DX79TO board tested working with VT-d passthrough to VMware ESXi5. I've used multiple Core i7 38xx processors, and they have all worked so far.
I know that there were rumors ...
0
votes
2answers
89 views
Will Shuttle 500W PSU work with non Shuttle motherboard?
Is it possible to run a system with Shuttle PSU and non Shuttle motherboard?
0
votes
1answer
68 views
How do you know if a certain task will be handled by the Hardware or the OS? [closed]
In a lot of the readings I've been assigned in my classes, computer systems have been described to use a combination of the underlying hardware plus the OS to process a certain request or a task.
But ...
0
votes
1answer
64 views
Would CL7 RAMs work with CL9 RAMs?
I have a pair of CL7 RAMs installed on my mainboard. I want to add another pair of of RAMs to my system, but since they are old, I can't find CL7 RAMs of same size and brand in the local market. The ...
0
votes
1answer
301 views
Differences between KVR16N11H/8 and KVR16N11/8 memory except for height?
I accidentally ordered KVR16N11/8 instead of KVR16N11H/8 and I'm wondering if I'm going to have compability issues with my Intel DP67DE motherboard.
When searching for compatible RAM on Kingstons ...
0
votes
1answer
65 views
I have a Windows 7 desktop and an OSX laptop. My keyboard, mouse, monitor are plugged into desktop. Can I switch them for use with the laptop?
As the question states, I would like a way to quickly switch (from software) between my laptop and desktop. The laptop is a Snow Leopard macbook, and the desktop is a Windows 7 machine. How can I ...
0
votes
1answer
230 views
Hardware/IO Bottlenecks
Taking the following issues in the count, what would be the descending order from greatest to least of bottlenecks in a computer system?
Network I/O
Disk I/O
RAM I/O
Graphics I/O
Processing I/O
...
0
votes
1answer
704 views
Is there a reliable IDE to SATA converter?
I got a cheap PATA to SATA converter on eBay because my box doesn't have any SATA ports left for the SATA Blu-ray writer I recently purchased. It only half works, which of course is worse than a ...
0
votes
1answer
47 views
Is there a way to programmatically/universally determine the maximum RAM speed a computer supports?
Say I have a computer, standard 32 or 64-bit architecture. I can put any OS on it (*nix, Windows, etc). Is there some way for the computer to interrogate the hardware as to what the maximum RAM speed ...
0
votes
1answer
172 views
How can I use a desktop like a laptop [closed]
I am not looking for a remote control application.
I need a new computer. Typically I buy desktop-replacement laptops and use them in the exact same location (my couch).
I would like to save $ and ...
