I want to upgrade my graphics card from GeForce 6600

PC seems a lot calmer so far. before when switching it on, the fans would immediately start whirring. Now having disabled the offending device as well as updating the intel etc, it seems much better.

If the blue screen reappears, I'll update this, but as of yet no blue screen. So I guess the PC is fine to leave in this condition; the Card is okay and having the usb device disabled is fine long term?

Regarding 'arcsoft' should I just remove the program from 'add/remove' as I don't even use it?
 
Regarding 'arcsoft' should I just remove the program from 'add/remove' as I don't even use it?
If you don't need or use the program remove it with "Add or Remove".

You can also disable the deamon at startup, if you decide not to remove the program.

I've been on Arcsoft's email list, and dear Lord, are they persistent.

Generally speaking, if you don't need a program, take the time to pull it. They take up space and clock cycles, especially when they have start up features and processes running while the program is not being used. "iTunes" is one of those offenders. It trashes up a Windows computer with multiple processes running. Some people wonder if it was designed to do that.

I have a 915GAG rig, and it runs really well, now that I've got the startup programs under control, and running processes down to between 35 & 39.
 
If the blue screen reappears, I'll update this, but as of yet no blue screen. So I guess the PC is fine to leave in this condition; the Card is okay and having the usb device disabled is fine long term?
You've disabled the High Def Audio controller on the GT 630. The GT 630 provides for 3 different types of connections
> DVI - That's the white rectangular connector. It provides digital video output
> VGA - That's what you're connected to now. It provides analog video output
> HDMI - That's that small female connector to the right of VGA. HDMI provides BOTH digital video AND digital audio output. It's the only connector on the GT 630 that includes audio output.

When you disable the HDA controller on the GT 630 (or it doesn't work due to driver problems!) it only affects audio over HDMI. (Since there's no audio with VGA or DVI, anyway.) That just means you won't be able to use the HDMI connector to get digital audio+video over a single cable in the future, with that setup, to connect to an HDMI monitor

I say leave things as they are for now. It works and seems to support your current needs. It means you couldn't connect to an HDMI port on a new monitor and hear any sound. You could continue to use VGA or DVI plus digital audio from the motherboard.

p.s. Disabling onboard audio in BIOS only makes sense if someone were to use the HDMI connector on the graphics card (since it includes audio, as well) . In such case, there'd be no need to have the onboard audio working so one may choose to disable onboard audio in BIOS
 
captaincranky How would I disable the deamon at startup?

I agree with the emails, but so many others are similar too, my email address could do with some more unsubscribing.

Unfortunately I have Itunes as well; interesting comment about ti deliberately being built to do that - perhaps theres a different version 'just for windows' ;) I have 85 processes with about 4 of them ever really taking up CPU. I would really like to filter through all of them and remove what is unnecessary or suspicious.

What do you mean by 915GAG rig and what is that (probably way better) compared to mine?

LookinAround So VGA is probably the worst quality of them? + I guess my screen can't handle any of the others? But HDMI would work if I just enabled it + but with my current PC setup, it would never be allowed to work basically you mean with a modern screen as well?

Is there much different from disabling in device manager vs Bios - is bios basically more permanent in a sense that it just takes more time to change it back I.e you won't have much reason to have it enabled. I've never used bios so I don't know what it looks like. ha
 
Yes, DVI and HDMI provide digital video so the picture would be better. If your monitor only has a VGA port, then it can't do digital video.

As to "what I mean" in prior posts, is that it doesn't look like we'll get the HDMI out on the GT 630 working with your current setup. If you have questions about getting a new digital monitor, resolution, picture quality and suitable hardware/graphics card you need to support it, I'll leave those questions and answers for the others on this thread (with that experience)

Re: BIOS
The machine "BIOS" is a programmable chip on the motherboard.
> When your computer starts, it's BIOS that starts running
> You have access to BIOS setup menu that allows you to set some h/w settings on your machine
You power up, BIOS runs and configs the machine per BIOS h/w settings then it turns control over to whatever operating system it reads from disk (or DVD or USB or network adapter, based on BIOS settings)

If you googled Presario BIOS setup you'll find lots of old links from HP about it. Updating BIOS can be tricky in that it's a "firmware" upload to the programmable chip on the mobo. (Firmware is software but it must be uploaded onto programmable chips - much more involved then a software update that just gets written to disk)

If you upload the wrong firmware or screw up the update/upload process (e.g. losing power during the update) you may screw up the BIOS which screws up your mobo

On the one hand, a BIOS update SHOULD go smoothly, but given the chance of problems is why BIOS updates usually not recommended unless you know the update is needed and fixes a problem.

p.s. Newer machines tend to provide more "fail-safe" updates and BIOS recovery procedures.
 
- h/w as in hardware?

- "operating system it reads from disk (or DVD or USB or network adapter"
I guess you mean hard drive disk for my setup - is DVD/ USB also possible?

- how long does a BIOS update usually take and I guess it doesn't change any personal settings etc such as losing documents/games? I won't fiddle with mine, but interesting anyway.


on a side issue

my LITE DVD RW SOHW 1633Sdrive has not been working for a few years now. Firstly it stopped burning disks now it doesn't recognize disks at all. I believe it is a IDE connection. Stupidly I bought a replacement HP SATA DVD RW and wondered if this is possible to still convert/connect to my PC?
 
on a side issue

my LITE DVD RW SOHW 1633Sdrive has not been working for a few years now. Firstly it stopped burning disks now it doesn't recognize disks at all. I believe it is a IDE connection. Stupidly I bought a replacement HP SATA DVD RW and wondered if this is possible to still convert/connect to my PC?
Better you start a new thread to ask about that

Yes, h/w = hardware. (s/w also = software)

A BIOS update (udpdating the firm) only takes a few minute to several minutes, typically. It doesn't change anything saved on the disk drives. You can enter BIOS setup menu just to look at the setup options. When you exit BIOS just make sure you take the option to exit WITHOUT SAVING any changes.
 
Out of interest how could something like the offending HD driver make the PC fans whir so loudly and the blue screen appear?
 
-

on a side issue

my LITE DVD RW SOHW 1633Sdrive has not been working for a few years now. Firstly it stopped burning disks now it doesn't recognize disks at all. I believe it is a IDE connection. Stupidly I bought a replacement HP SATA DVD RW and wondered if this is possible to still convert/connect to my PC?
The Intel 915 chipset has 4 SATA connections. So, unless you have 4 HDDs in the machine, just plug the burner into one of those.
 
The Intel 915 chipset has 4 SATA connections. So, unless you have 4 HDDs in the machine, just plug the burner into one of those.

- a pic of the inside of my PC
- back of the CDRW + DVD drives
- motherboard slots

I tried before connecting it and one cable (the SATA supplied with the new CD drive) could reach + there was a free slot on the motherboard for it, whereas I think it was the power cable one that could not
 

Attachments

  • sata.JPG
    sata.JPG
    105.6 KB · Views: 5
  • CD.JPG
    CD.JPG
    104.4 KB · Views: 5
  • motherboard.JPG
    motherboard.JPG
    182.2 KB · Views: 5
There are 2 types of power connections. One, SATA, which looks very similar to the SATA data cable, and 2, the 4 pin molex that's hooked up to pretty much everything else.

You can use either connection to power most SATA optical drives, BUT DO NOT CONNECT BOTH!

So, if your new drive has both types of connectors, choose the molex, as that "historic" Bestec PSU, may not have enough SATA connections to power it.

If you still can't get it hooked up, then you need to learn something about adapters, by going to Newegg, and searching along the lines of "SATA to Molex power adapters. It'll do you good.

I see a 4 pin molex fitted into the optical drives in the machine,. Is that the new drive. or haven't you changed it yet?
 
Back of the new CD driver has two slots with:
- SATA power (p15,p1)
- SATA data (s7,s1)

By optical drives do you mean the DVD and CDRW drives? They are both as original since new ha (about 2005)

I had read about the adaptor thing, but didn't know which to get or how to connect it. Is it okay to just have the molex adapted to SATA and then then SATA attached as normal as well and the new drive would work? I guess plugging the SATA data cable into any of the free slots on the motherboard is fine?

out of these two which is best (I wondered if just the first one is best) :

#1 http://www.maplin.co.uk/sata-15pin-male-to-molex-4pin-female-adaptor-346523
#2 http://www.maplin.co.uk/sata-ii-r-a-datapower-to-molex-sata-ii-cable-351963
 
That's the correct cable. Notice that the molex is MALE.

In what god forsaken wilderness do you live, where the computer supply companies only have a total of 4 adapter cables?

This would work by itself: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812200061

Look at your photo marked "SATA" Right next to the CPU fan is a loose cable, with a white molex end. Does that go to the PSU? Because that cable is where you would attach the adapter. Notice that it is a female end.

Here is a picture of male & female Molex connectors, match it up with what you have:

600x281px-LL-6f9ccfcc_4pinmolexpowerconnector.jpeg


In this photo the male molex is on the right

!B3oPs8QBmk~$(KGrHqF,!gsEyGk8yrp6BMm6lhZPrQ~~_35.JPG

Notice the pins protruding! That's how we tell it's a boy.....;)


BTW, Newegg lists 20 DVD burners, 19 of which are SATA. Point being, a standard IDE DVD burner is mostly a thing of the past. I used to buy them on purpose, so as not to tie up a SATA port on a motherboard with an optical drive. (A DVD drive can't saturate the old ATA spec with data, let alone even the oldest SATA 150Gbs buss).
 
Yes I should have got IDE - would have been easier. haha I chose Maplin, only as it's near me in the UK.

I guess I would need the male molex like the one you suggested. Yeh that cable has always been loose near the fan, but I guess I'd just use the one already in the broken DVD drive

can you explain:
(A DVD drive can't saturate the old ATA spec with data, let alone even the oldest SATA 150Gbs buss).
what is an ATA spec or 150Gbs buss?

also what did you mean by
You can use either connection to power most SATA optical drives, BUT DO NOT CONNECT BOTH!
why not use both?
 
can you explain:
what is an ATA spec or 150Gbs buss?
"ATA" or also known as "PATA" (Parallel ATA as opposed to SATA, Serial ATA) is an older type of "legacy" data transfer method. This I the spec that IDE drives transfer capability were measured with. It is much slower than any of the new SATA specs.

However, a DVD drive is only capable of generating maybe 1/5 of the data rate the buss is capable of transferring. So, there's no real advantage of using the faster SATA connection


why not use both?
If memory serves, older SATA HDDs were provided with connections for SATA and standard 4 pin molex power connections.

You would ruin the drive if you hooked up both power connections at once. The exact particulars and why of that, is well above my pay grade.

I looked at a couple of SATA DVD drives today, and none of them had that feature anyway.
 
Lets make this simple. That would be the equivalent of powering an extension cord with two wall outlets. One outlet is all that is needed, and it eliminates any chances of bridging incompatible circuits.
OTOH, power companies apply multiple generators to the same outputs all the time. Albeit slightly out of phase to avoid tearing down the wires. Sort of like an army breaking step when marching across a bridge.

So, the potential exists for powering a home AC device with 2 extension cords, provided that that phasing of both outlets is the same.

If memory serves that would double the wattage available. (Assuming to fuses or breakers of the same amperage).
But then who does s*** like that anyway.

And BTW, I'm aware that wiring two 110 volt hot wires with a central neutral net the same result in available wattage, which is what 220 volt appliances are designed for. So, no need to make that simple for me....
 
OTOH, power companies apply multiple generators to the same outputs all the time.
Yes and they know what they are doing. And I promise you they are monitoring the power consumption of each and every generator. Why are you turning this into a commercial topic. I said I was making it a simple response, for the benefit of the OP.
 
Yes and they know what they are doing. And I promise you they are monitoring the power consumption of each and every generator. Why are you turning this into a commercial topic. I said I was making it a simple response, for the benefit of the OP.
Oh, because I felt like hearing a bunch of indignance from you.

Plus, I negated the response anyway,
"But, who does that s*** anyway".
So just making conversation. Or is that no longer being permitted?

Besides, for a question of this ilk, I actually believe as an answer, "because Western Digital said so", should suffice.
 
Ok so this is a screen shot of the processes on my PC. Bear in mind I do use Kaspersky AV

Which should I remove/ how do I do that? end process/end process tree?

I use

- Skype
- Google chrome
- adblocker on my Google Chrome
- Motorola thing (haven't used in ages though)
- itunes
- Sony content transfer thing

p.s I deleted arcsoft
 

Attachments

  • processes.JPG
    processes.JPG
    177.9 KB · Views: 8
Back