Questions tagged [hardware-rec]

Hardware recommendation posts should discuss how to make hardware decisions for oneself. Direct shopping recommendations are off-topic and will be closed, so be very careful posting hardware recommendations. For specific hardware shopping recommendations, please post in the Hardware Recommendations StackExchange.

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Motherboard B450 GAMING PRO CARBON AC (MS-7B85) showing red VGA light but GPU is not the issue

Built computer 2019, parts below, been working OK. After shutting down my computer, it refuses to give signal to the monitor. This has happened before but I usually just need to restart it 5-20 times ...
jgklsdjfgkldsfaSDF's user avatar
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2 answers
96 views

In laptop with Windows 11 I can adjust screen brightness from Windows. In a desktop with Windows 11 I can't --- should I buy a new screen?

In laptop with Windows 11 I can adjust screen brightness from Windows but in a desktop with Windows 11 I can't. This causes me to get an "eye pain" from a "brightness flash" if I ...
somo's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
323 views

Which SSD can be Used for the 2nd SSD for Acer Swift 3 OLED (SF314-71-75MW)

I posted this question here because of this post: Hardware questions and Stack Exchange I ordered a laptop for which I cannot find official information about compatible SSDs. It is an Acer Swift 3 ...
Dr. Manuel Kuehner's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
44 views

Name of a device for keeping connectors of cables together

I have a few cables which I connect and disconnect to a laptop of mine, always together. I want to force the ends of these cables - the connectors and a bit of slack cable length - to not come apart. ...
einpoklum's user avatar
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Is SD Express more energy efficient than M2 NVMe?

As laptop storage, for example, what would be more energy efficient, the new SD Express class cards or M2 NVMes?
TickleMeTimbers's user avatar
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1 answer
483 views

SAS RAID controller or SATA for typical Windows 10 installation?

I purchased an HP Z620 recently. It came with one Xeon CPU, 32GB of RAM, and an LSI SAS 9212-4i controller. I'm planning to install Windows 10 on a typical SSD drive (non-NVMe). This machine has 6 ...
Crna Krv's user avatar
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1 answer
33 views

How to assess if my network card needs replacement?

I have an old Acer Aspire V7 for some eight years now and I am looking to replace a few of its components to give it a couple more years of lifetime. One of its parts that always sucked is the network ...
manoelpqueiroz's user avatar
20 votes
4 answers
7k views

What is this type of SSD called?

I have a very old laptop that was state of the art when originally released, back when SSDs were starting to enter the consumer market. When I bought mine, it was advertised as a 500 GB SSD Ultrabook, ...
manoelpqueiroz's user avatar
-1 votes
2 answers
112 views

Research for SSD hard drive for a cheap slow laptop

Laptop specification: HP 15-db1000AU notebook with 64 bit AMD Ryzen 3 2.6 GHz with Radeon Vega Graphics, 4GB RAM, 500 GB 5600 rpm HDD with Windows 10 Pro The computer is very slow (long bootup time, ...
user13267's user avatar
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1 answer
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RAM Compatibility w/ Motherboard & CPU [duplicate]

This is a followup to the previous question I asked which was closed for having asked stuff that would be irrelevant in the near future. So. I'm a beginner to building my own computer, so sorry if ...
someone's user avatar
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Standalone testing of proprietary device drivers: seeking advice on h/w setup

I am part of a large scale project which uses proprietary cards. The project had acquired these cards back in 2015 and at the time of acquisition, the drivers supplied (including source code which we ...
Vinod's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
275 views

Using the sound card of a DVD player with a surround sound system for my monitor [closed]

I've recently acquired a DVD player with a built-in 5+1 Surround sound system from a family member. I have been using streaming services quite awhile now so I really don't need a DVD player. However I ...
tamuno's user avatar
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1 answer
91 views

What's the best affordable high-speed SSD Hard drive if I want to upgrade the laptop? [closed]

What's the best affordable high-speed SSD Hard drive if I want to upgrade the laptop? I am using a laptop (Model: Lenovo Ideapad 700-151SK) and I did replace the original hard drive with Western ...
Sharif's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
260 views

Can anyone tell if it is m.2 PCIe gen3x4 port?

Can anyone tell is it PCIe gen3x4 m.2 ssd port? Will it support m.2 nvme ssd? Thanks.
Ankit Jain's user avatar
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1 answer
181 views

Does leaving the GPU attached damage it if I never use it?

I've built my own server PC which has been up and running for about 2 weeks now. Since the initial setting-up of the OS, it has not been plugged into a monitor - I instead just access it via SSH from ...
pigeonburger's user avatar
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1 answer
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Server NIC vs PC NIC

Are there any differences between a Server NIC and a personal computer NIC? Can I use Intel X710 NIC (for instance this model: FH-X710DA4FHBLK) on my PC without problem? Specific motherboard needed? ...
A.A's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
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Is disabling GPU reasonable for saving power during non-intensive usage?

Consider having a upper mid-level gaming desktop PC that is (also) being used for casual work like text-editing, browsing, audio playback. Could disabling the GPU (via "Disable device" in ...
Reizo's user avatar
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3 votes
0 answers
2k views

Oldest Intel CPU generation that supports Zoom video conferencing

I am trying to recommend a laptop to someone who will have to use it for a lot of Zoom meetings. I have a personal and work laptop, and my personal laptop is overwhelmed with Zoom conferences (even 1:...
Martin Ueding's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
45 views

Multiple drives, multiple OSes with no access between

I want to get a few more hard drives for my PC to install different operating systems on them, but I dont want any of the operating systems to have access to the other drives. For example: OS A, only ...
Ben's user avatar
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-3 votes
1 answer
141 views

Compatibility between motherboard and ssd

I have a motherboard Gigabyte GA-H61M-S1. It's very old and it was prebuilt. I need to put a SSD for it to boost faster and for my work. The problem is that I don't really know which SSD is compatible ...
Martín's user avatar
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1 answer
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Is it worth it to upgrade a Toshiba Satellite C55-A5300 laptop given the latest productivity software requirements?

I would like to upgrade a Toshiba Satellite C55-A5300 laptop so it can be as useful as it can be nowadays. I haven’t needed to use much software for a few years now, and I’m not able to gauge whether ...
Crambo Ray's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
143 views

As of late 2020, is optane still worth considering?

If I want very fast NVMe storage for general usage, is Optane still a good option? In the past, I read that Optane/3D Xpoint was superior in situations that didn't just require raw throughput, mainly ...
Andreas Hartmann's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
56 views

How to pick a laptop suitable for Linux installation? [closed]

Besides Dell I can't find a laptop sold that comes with Linux/Ubuntu installed and Dell is quite expensive comparatively speaking. What should I take into consideration to pick a laptop that I know ...
Jim's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
271 views

Are Intel Xeon E5-4xxx generally compatable if a board supports E5-1xxx and E5-2xxx?

I have an ASUS X99-M WS motherboard that has a LGA2011-3 socket and explicitly supports a number of Xeon processors, including many in the E5-1xxx and E5-2xxx range (v3 and v4). It seems that the ...
Ehryk's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
12k views

My laptop already has a USB-C port, but it doesn't support display output. Can I upgrade it?

I have a Lenovo Ideapad L340 Gaming Laptop. The laptop has an existing USB-C port, but it is a Gen 1 port and therefore does not support display/video output. I would like to use my USB-C dock to ...
mir4bell4's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
52 views

Can I use any GPU with a given set of hardware (CPU, RAM, etc.)?

I'm thinking of upgrading my GPU (an AMD Radeon R7 200 Series) with something more modern to be able to play videogames and render videos faster. The thing is that I'm not planning on changing my ...
Tendero's user avatar
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0 votes
0 answers
77 views

Can the optiplex 790 be either vertical or horizontal? [duplicate]

Not sure which of these I have: ...the Mini Tower, Desktop, Small Form Factor, or the Ultra Small Form Factor but it's probably either the mini tower or desktop. I can say that the DVD drive ...
Thufir's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
287 views

USB3 host controller type for PC purchase (Azure Kinect DK)

Question How can I check that a Windows computer that I want to order will have a USB3 host controller from Intel, Texas Instruments (TI), or Renesas? What spec determines the USB3 host controller? ...
sonnyb's user avatar
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0 answers
143 views

Can I be certain it is the GPU causing issues with my PC?

Recently my PC has been randomly restarting. Sometimes it just restarts automatically, other times it just sort of dies, leaving a black screen. Nothing I can do seems to be able to restore it other ...
SuperHanz98's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
882 views

Can I install USB 3.0 USB bracket and header if my motherboard does not support USB 3.0?

I have Gigabyte GA-H61M-S motherboard and it does not support USB 3.0. My computer case has USB and Audio module but, its not working anymore. So, I am thinking to replace it with a good quality ...
Kashyap Kansara's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
698 views

Bottleneck - PCIe gen 3 x1 device on PCIe gen2 x2 slot

Is there a bottleneck between a device with PCIe gen 3 x1 connection if connected to a PCIe gen2 x2 slot?
Fawkes's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
253 views

RAID card not detected

I recently picked up an ASUS P8B-E/4L motherboard to replace a S3210SH (8GB RAM limit). My brother donated an old LSI SAS3444e(1068e) RAID controller which is meant to drive the 6SAS 2TB HDD in my ...
LSFreak's user avatar
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0 votes
0 answers
166 views

How can I check compatibility between AWUS amplifiers and antennas?

What I would like to do I want to build a powerful combo for pentests using wifi adapter, amplifier and antenna. I don't have bought those components yet because I have a few questions concerning ...
John Kravicz's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
67 views

What factors determine the video quality and audio quality of a laptop's HDMI output signal?

This is more or less asking what do I need to do to maximize the quality of an output HDMI signal? What computer/hardware has the best HDMI output? I find my Mac laptop has better video output than a ...
BornPerson's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
62 views

Make my Raspberry Pi 3 safely accessible from outside my local network

I have a Raspberry Pi 3 at home, and I want to use it to control some devices there. with remote access via the Internet so I can monitor and control those devices when away. What are the best ...
Hanan404's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

How can I find out how much BIOS ROM memory a motherboard have (for Ryzen 3rd gen support)

How can I find out how much BIOS ROM memory, a specific motherboard have, when in the specs of most motherboards it isn't listed ? I'm searching to buy Motherboard with 32MB BIOS ROM, but I can't see ...
Veliko Kosev's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
3k views

Installing PCI Gameport on newer PC for older joysticks

I have an older gameport version of a CH Products joystick that I plan to use on my Windows 10 Pro. I would use a gameport to USB adapter, but they all have very limited "space" for buttons/ hats and ...
Galaxy's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
51 views

Temporary freezes even on small load

I have the following setup: ASUS B360M-E TUF Aura Sync Intel Core i7-9700K 4.9GHz 16GB DDR4 3000 MHz Dual channel memory NVidia GeForce GTX 1660 6GB DDR5 500GB SSD Western Digital Blue Chieftec E85 ...
Kovács Róbert's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
617 views

What computer specs/ hardware will speed up my Adobe Acrobat OCR speed? [closed]

So, I have a work task where I am Sanitizing the PDF, then watermarking it, OCR-ing it, and password protecting it. Especially the OCR seems to just take forever, and I'm doing this task on ...
Denny Mintis's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
6k views

What is the difference between header and connector when it relates to motherboard, especially when it talks about i/o connectors?

What is the difference between a header and a connector? So I have been trying to find the answer to this, but I am unable to get a clear answer. I have read https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/...
Key Nice's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
80 views

Purchased Used HDD - Error in GSmartControl log interpretation

I purchased some 500GB 2.5in HDD's for use in a homelab I am building. I am in the process of testing the drives since they were bought used. This particular drive has an error that I cannot ...
Yen's user avatar
  • 23
83 votes
6 answers
53k views

Can Intel Optane memory compensate for less RAM?

I currently have a laptop that is about two years old, and has 8 GB of RAM. I use my laptop for internet browsing, productivity applications, and programming, including data science within Spyder or ...
N4v's user avatar
  • 903
1 vote
1 answer
101 views

How to recover data from a faulty hard drive? [duplicate]

I have a HP laptop with windows 10 on it's hard disk. I clicked on a recently obtained file then: # windows explorer got stuck # tried opening task manager to kill windows explorer ; blue screen ...
linker's user avatar
  • 105
-1 votes
3 answers
501 views

Is GA-F2A68HM-S1 motherboard compatible with DDR3 ECC RDIMM?

I want to add memory to my computer. I would like to add 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) 1Rx4 240-Pin 1.5V ECC RDIMM Registered Memory by NEMIX RAM to my computer. Is GA-F2A68HM-S1 motherboard ...
Stepan's user avatar
  • 284
1 vote
1 answer
3k views

Do Nvidia's new GPUs support G-Sync monitors?

Nvidia's new Turing GPUs, such as the RTX 2070, RTX 2080, and RTX 2080 TI are different from their Pascal GPUs, such as the GTX series. On Nvidia's official website, the RTX GPUs are not listed as ...
Evorlor's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
5k views

Dell Inspirion - are these the 3 pins and the jumper needed to reset CMOS?

And if so, why are there 2 of them?
Orangeball3's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
51 views

What hardware specs are important when looking for a laptop that can quickly switch monitors?

During the day I often connect/disconnect my laptop to external displays, projectors and docking stations through HDMI. After switching the monitor the computer needs time to reorder/redraw the ...
Saaru Lindestøkke's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
2k views

Laptop charge 126W for a 120W laptop [duplicate]

My laptop specs say :input 19V and 6.3A, That means (120W charger), I hve recently bought a charger because my old charger broke up. So this new charger provides 19.5V with 6.5A (126W) ; That are ...
Chahid talha's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
39 views

How to determine at what speed a router will be able to handle VPN connection?

When reading router description, how do I find at what speed a router will be able to handle VPN connection? They do not write this in description, and do not test this on reviews, so I must guess ...
Barafu Albino's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
107 views

GPU - PSU - motherboard problems

First Problem. So I wanted to buy a GPU (MSI GEFORCE GT 1030), but when I started researching my power supply I realized that my power supply (180w) doesn't have enough power output for the GPU (...
Muguku's user avatar
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