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Alright, I'm pissed off at Realtek but I haven't bought a sound card in over a decade so I need some guidance. I've been using the on-board Realtek soundcard on my last motherboard, and as far as audio quality goes I don't have any problems, but it really does not seem to get along with Ventrilo which I use for several different games. My friends constantly complained that if my volume was set too high (too high being anywhere above -5...) my sentences faded out into static and they couldn't understand me. Setting the volume extremely low helped that but then they could barely hear me, but we limped along like that since no setting tweakings would fix it. Just got a new motherboard with another Realtek card on it, and now I have a new problem (I might even still have the old one if I'm lucky!). First, it has some sort of weird feedback thing where it will replay the last thing I heard or said VERY LOUDLY just as I begin to speak. I had to turn off the key clicks because it would replay that and drown out my first word, and sometimes bizarrely enough, it would replay the last thing I said even if it was awhile ago. If I happen to say something at the same time as someone else it's a painful experience because it picks that up and plays it back loudly at first as well. Additionally, now instead of the static problem, people sometimes hear an electronic distortion that makes me difficult to understand. I can hear the feedback when I use the test function but I've never heard the distortion on my end... however, Googling for it came up with a ton of hits for this particular chip and the only solutions were "Buy a dedicated sound card." I'm done loving around with this thing, and I'm looking at dedicated sound cards now. I don't want to pay much for it because I don't care about the audio quality all that much, but I would like something with drivers that aren't utter poo poo at least. Probably something that will play nicely with Windows 7, as well. Bonus problem: I have no PCI slots available, however this motherboard has a PCI-e x1 slot which apparently there are sound cards for. It seems like it's either that or some kind of USB thing? This is where I need the guidance. I'm assuming a PCI-e x1 card would be better than a USB thing? This is what I picked out on a quick glance at NCIX: http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=25147&vpn=30SB082000000&manufacture=Creative%20Labs Creative Labs has been around making sound cards forever, but I've also heard their drivers are lovely... is this is a decent choice or is there something better (preferably in the same price range) I should look at? The messages on their forum about problems getting the drivers to work in Vista x64 worry me since I'll be moving to Win7 x64... [edit]Any ideas on how to make the onboard Realtek work with Vent are welcome too since that's the only reason I really need to replace it. Tagra fucked around with this message at 18:49 on May 31, 2009 |
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May 31, 2009 18:44
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Mute microphone in Playback and set recording to Microphone rather than Wave/What U Hear/whatever in Recording.
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May 31, 2009 18:48
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Srebrenica Surprise posted:Mute microphone in Playback and set recording to Microphone rather than Wave/What U Hear/whatever in Recording. I did mute everything, but unfortunately the Realtek drivers only seem to allow me to use "CD Audio" as an input on Vent, which is loving bizarre but I don't know how to get mic up as an option. [edit]Another thing that might be causing the problem is that in order to even be audible on the god drat thing, I need to turn mic boost on. Tagra fucked around with this message at 18:56 on May 31, 2009 |
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May 31, 2009 18:51
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Haha, are you playing back audio over speakers while recording something?
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May 31, 2009 19:28
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Tagra posted:I did mute everything, but unfortunately the Realtek drivers only seem to allow me to use "CD Audio" as an input on Vent, which is loving bizarre but I don't know how to get mic up as an option. Is this XP or Vista? I'd just get a cheap Audigy SE or something, if you're not getting it for sound quality.
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May 31, 2009 19:34
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XP 64 currently although that's a temporary thing since I had it here already. I'm installing the Win7 x64 RC in a minute and maybe things will play nicely there.quote:are you playing back audio over speakers while recording something? The recording all seems to work fine except for input in Ventrilo which doesn't give me an option to change the input settings at all. Everything is greyed out. It is pretty low recording in other programs as well though so the volume thing appears to be the sound card drivers.
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May 31, 2009 19:58
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I set it up on Win7 with the default drivers microsoft provided (which allow me to actually select microphone for input), and it seems to work fine except the volume is still extremely low even with boost at maximum. I'll mess around with this for a bit and see what happens (my friends can change their own drat volume levels to hear me), and if it's still screwing up I'll try the Realtek Vista drivers and see what happens... [edit]Dragged one of my friends in and it seems to be working fine now, so I guess the solution was to not use Realtek's drivers  . The volume is still lovely and I can't use the noise cancelling options now though.If I do go ahead and buy that sound card though is there anything I should know about using the PCI-e x1 slot? It's not going to do anything weird like limit the speed of my video card that's in the PCI-E x16 slot is it? Tagra fucked around with this message at 22:19 on May 31, 2009 |
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May 31, 2009 21:29
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I’m looking to possibly build a sub $2 workstation, and I currently have spec’d out some parts via newegg. My questions are mainly if any one has used this motherboard, and if the ram I chose is appropriate. My main uses will be gaming and 3DSMax/Vray rendering. I’m wondering if the processor is good enough for gaming, as I know 8 cores hyper threaded will do me very well in vray. My fall back machine will be a single core i7 920, but for now this are the main components: Motherboard: ASUS Z8NA-D6C Dual LGA 1366 Intel 5500 ATX Quad-Core Intel Xeon X5500 Series http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131378 Processor: (2x) - Intel Xeon E5520 Nehalem 2.26GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 80W Quad-Core Server Processor http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819117185 Ram: CORSAIR XMS3 12GB (6 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145233 I’m not sure for my usage with rendering with VRay that I will necessarily need ECC memory. There was a comment on the E5520’s page about 1333 Mhz ram being a waste of money, but I’m rather ignorant on memory speed, so if anyone can enlighten me on the appropriate specifications.
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Jun 1, 2009 02:32
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Looks like a new a new PSU ASAP: So what power supply should I get? I know it needs to be 600w or more, ATX form factor, 24-pin, with plenty of 4-pin molex connectors. What else do I need to know? And what brand? There are so many, and some are nameless. The $$$ difference between a cheap power supply and a good one is enormous. I'd like to save some money, but that's how I got myself into this mess. Antec and Thermaltake are the most popular, it seems, but they can't be the only reliable brands around. How bad is Bestec? This is the POS I am replacing. It is known by names like Okia, Powmax, Broadway Com, and I will avoid them all. Ema Nymton fucked around with this message at 06:00 on Jun 1, 2009 |
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Jun 1, 2009 05:55
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Ema Nymton posted:So what power supply should I get? I know it needs to be 600w or more, ATX form factor, 24-pin, with plenty of 4-pin molex connectors. What else do I need to know? I'd go for this one. Check out the parts picking thread for further recommendations.
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Jun 1, 2009 15:47
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Spatial posted:Check out the parts picking thread for further recommendations. I've bought a Seasonic PSU as a result.
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Jun 1, 2009 16:52
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I've purchased a HP Mini PC. ( http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9125653&st=hp+n270&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1218028867515 ) and want to do video out to my monitor. The cable through HP ( http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/computer/categories/mini/1/accessories/FY828AA ) is about 42 bucks after shipping which seems a bit insane to pay for a cable. Has anyone had any luck finding another, cheaper brand?
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Jun 1, 2009 17:25
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Beseiged posted:I've purchased a HP Mini PC. ( http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9125653&st=hp+n270&lp=1&type=product&cp=1&id=1218028867515 ) and want to do video out to my monitor. The cable through HP ( http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/computer/categories/mini/1/accessories/FY828AA ) is about 42 bucks after shipping which seems a bit insane to pay for a cable. Has anyone had any luck finding another, cheaper brand? Nope! It's unfortunately proprietary. Your only other option is to purchase a USB->Video display hookup, which isn't going to be any cheaper and will offer worse performance.
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Jun 1, 2009 19:28
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Is $25 for 802.11n worth it? My boss is looking into Dell Inspiron netbooks and someone outside the department suggested that we pay for the 802.11n option because it would "make it faster and make it work better given the interference 19 other laptops would cause." But we don't have 802.11n-capable access points, so would that really make a difference?
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Jun 1, 2009 21:28
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I have two related questions to do with sound. The other day I made a stereo microphone by attaching microphone parts to some old earphone wires. Now I want to use it to do stereo recording, but I've struck a problem. Using Audacity (I've tried other programs and they're the same), no matter what I do, the left and right channels are merged - either into the left channel (with the right channel showing no activity), or both channels. In other words, the two mikes are being treated as one. I've tried messing with input settings and whatnot to no avail (eg making sure that Recording -> Channels in Audacity is 2). How can I do this? While trying to get it to work, I stumbled across something interesting which gave me a workaround. My main PC's Realtek Audio Manager program allows me to output the mike input to stereo mix - ie as I speak into the mikes, the sound comes out my speakers. To my surprise, this method actually treats the mikes as stereo. So by doing this and recording stereo mix, I'm able to record stereo from my makeshift mike. Now obviously this isn't the best solution, so I want to be able to do it properly. The other thing is I want to be able to record on my laptop, which has a SoundMAX Integrated Digital Audio chip (instead of Realtek), which doesn't have this magical mike-to-stereo-out option. So failing the first question above, is it possible to do the workaround with this chip?
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Jun 3, 2009 12:55
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I found an 8" USB "sub monitor" today while poking around a Japanese electronics store (Yodobashi Camera, if you care) today. It's made by Century, has an 800x600 resolution and 24-bit color. I'm wondering, is it a good deal at $150, or should I save my money?
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Jun 3, 2009 13:53
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Karthe posted:I found an 8" USB "sub monitor" today while poking around a Japanese electronics store (Yodobashi Camera, if you care) today. It's made by Century, has an 800x600 resolution and 24-bit color. I'm wondering, is it a good deal at $150, or should I save my money? i'm pretty sure you could buy something 20 in or bigger for that cash. widescreen hd and all that crap.
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Jun 3, 2009 18:47
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I have a 256MB 8800GT (yeah, yeah). I want to get one of those newfangled 23" monitors that run at 2048x1152. I'd use that as my primary monitor, and my current 20" at 1680x1050 as a secondary (so, dual monitor setup). Would I run into issues due to lack of video memory?
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Jun 4, 2009 02:47
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VERTiG0 posted:I have a 256MB 8800GT (yeah, yeah). If you're just displaying a desktop, it's fine. Even with fancy accelerated effects, that doesn't take much memory. If you're gaming or doing 3D-intensive work that involves texture mapping, it's probably time for a new video card. The resolution you're looking at is very close to 1920x1200 in pixel count, and that's where, if you're building a system these days, a 1 gig card is worth considering. You can keep going with what you've got and see if it works for you, but you'll probably need to turn down texture quality settings and possibly effects to avoid framerates dropping to single digits when the card needs more than 256 megs of RAM.
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Jun 4, 2009 02:59
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I have a 640 gig hard drive and I want to upgrade to a 1TB drive. I want to mirror all of the contents of the old drive on to the new one, basically making an exact copy. Ive read that you cannot do this on Vista since it registers your Vista code on the hard drive, so when you change hard drives you have to use a new code. I have Vista Ultimate 64bit. All I want to know is how I can copy my 640 drive to the 1TB drive, and will I have any problems with Vista. Thanks
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Jun 6, 2009 18:39
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Tactical Boner posted:I have a 640 gig hard drive and I want to upgrade to a 1TB drive. I want to mirror all of the contents of the old drive on to the new one, basically making an exact copy. Ive read that you cannot do this on Vista since it registers your Vista code on the hard drive, so when you change hard drives you have to use a new code. I have Vista Ultimate 64bit. All I want to know is how I can copy my 640 drive to the 1TB drive, and will I have any problems with Vista. Thanks Getting the new drive to boot is more difficult (IDE vs. SATA, etc.). I don't know how this works with Vista, but if the code is put on the drive by Vista, the clone should work because the partition thinks it is the old drive. There may another sinister element here. Tell BIOS to boot from the new drive, but just to be safe unplug the old dirve's power so that it is removed from action and the new 1TB drive believes that it is and always was the old drive. If that works, then it was successful and if you want to keep the other drive, you can try to figure out how to do that next. Having a USB hard drive enclosure or cables is a nifty way to work on Hard drives easily from your OS. And you could convert your old drive into a more useful external drive. Ema Nymton fucked around with this message at 19:08 on Jun 8, 2009 |
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Jun 8, 2009 19:05
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Is there a way to keep intel dual core CPUs at their lowest setting (laptop T8100 2,1Ghz) yet? Notebook Hardware Control worked well for Centrinos but not for the above, Fan Control does not work and the Vista low-power setting apparently does not keep the CPU strictly at the lowest setting either. I'd be grateful for any hints.
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Jun 8, 2009 22:28
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Ok, this question is pretty stupid, and I apologise for the lack of information. My house currently runs a Virgin Media set up, in which there's a coaxial cable coming into the house, which is then split, with one cable running upstairs to a set-top box, and the other downstairs, which is then split again, with one cable going to a cable modem, and the other to the downstairs set top box. I have a computer upstairs that I'd like to get online. I figure that if I can get a splitter, then I can mimic the set-up downstairs, with one part going to the set top box, and the other free. If I find another modem online that I can plug in, will I be able to use that at the same time someone else is using the downstairs internet? (I can't run any new cables, so this is my only chance of getting any internet upstairs)
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Jun 9, 2009 15:54
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Karo posted:Is there a way to keep intel dual core CPUs at their lowest setting (laptop T8100 2,1Ghz) yet? Did you go into the advanced power properties and set a custom max CPU power level?
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Jun 9, 2009 16:00
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My computer randomly starts to make a irritating hissing noise that is for some reason also being emitted directly through my headphones. I can stop it for a while by doing a reboot but it comes back every time. Everything I have found on the internet about Headphones hissing doesn't mention the physical hissing coming from the computer so I don't know what the hell. I recently got new Headphones AND upgraded to Windows 7, so I don't really know which is at fault.
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Jun 9, 2009 16:29
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I've got a friend of mine who has a memory stick (loving sony) that apparently got corrupted. I'm hoping the files are still there, so I had her get a usb memory stick reader so that I can attempt some kind of recovery on it. Anyone have any special software they recommend for this or is the usual type of disk recovery software the best bet?
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Jun 9, 2009 18:29
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AquaVita posted:I've got a friend of mine who has a memory stick (loving sony) that apparently got corrupted. I'm hoping the files are still there, so I had her get a usb memory stick reader so that I can attempt some kind of recovery on it. I've had good luck in the department with CardRecovery: http://www.cardrecovery.com/
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Jun 9, 2009 18:32
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ibroxmassive posted:Ok, this question is pretty stupid, and I apologise for the lack of information. Is there some reason that phone line, power line, and wireless bridges are all out?
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Jun 9, 2009 19:31
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I'm looking to upgrade 1 component at a time, but unsure as to which direction to go first. I'd like to improve TF2 performance to start with, and Crysis in the long run which I know will take both a CPU and GPU upgrade. I'm currently running: P4 Prescott OC'd to 3.8ghz (old I know) 9600GT with a slight OC 2GB mem XP Would I be best upgrading the P4 or the 9600GT first? If I go with 9600GT, I'm looking at something around $150-$200 preferably. Would now be a good time to jump on the following? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130433 I'm a bit lost as to what to go towards with the P4. Should I be expecting a large performance difference in gaming with a quad vs dual? Am I better off purchasing say a E2200 for <$70 and pushing it with an OC and saving money? I have the cooling part all set and will not be using the stock cooling for reference. Thanks
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Jun 9, 2009 19:51
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UserMan posted:My computer randomly starts to make a irritating hissing noise that is for some reason also being emitted directly through my headphones. I can stop it for a while by doing a reboot but it comes back every time. Everything I have found on the internet about Headphones hissing doesn't mention the physical hissing coming from the computer so I don't know what the hell. That's probably EM leakage from CPU usage, mouse movement, WiFi, etc. Are your new headphones lower impedance than your old ones? (if you moved from full-sized to IEMs or earbuds, that's a dead giveaway) If you have a laptop, you'll probably have to get a PCI sound card or one of those USB amp+audio adapters like the total BitHead discussed in the headphone thread in The A/V Arena. Zorilla fucked around with this message at 23:23 on Jun 9, 2009 |
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Jun 9, 2009 23:21
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I've got a laptop that when plugged in, the LCD keeps flashing between dark and bright, but this does not occur when it's unplugged. Any ideas? Edit: Anyone remember who the Dell reseller on SA was?
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Jun 10, 2009 01:05
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fizzbin posted:I've got a laptop that when plugged in, the LCD keeps flashing between dark and bright, but this does not occur when it's unplugged. Any ideas? Sounds like a crap inverter, especially if you use different brightness settings when plugged in versus running on battery. If you're not scared to pop off the display bezel, replacing it is dirt cheap ($8-15 on eBay). Zorilla fucked around with this message at 01:35 on Jun 10, 2009 |
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Jun 10, 2009 01:29
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NVM, question was neither HARDWARE nor short.
quiet enjoyment fucked around with this message at 01:55 on Jun 10, 2009 |
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Jun 10, 2009 01:43
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edit: moved to different thread
Kibbles n Shits fucked around with this message at 18:23 on Jun 12, 2009 |
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Jun 12, 2009 02:59
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UserMan posted:My computer randomly starts to make a irritating hissing noise that is for some reason also being emitted directly through my headphones. I can stop it for a while by doing a reboot but it comes back every time. Everything I have found on the internet about Headphones hissing doesn't mention the physical hissing coming from the computer so I don't know what the hell.
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Jun 12, 2009 12:28
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I have a GeForce 260 216 in an Antec Sonata III case and since the card is so long I don't think a 120mm fan will fit between it and the hard drive chassis (there is only like a ~1cm gap) so how do I get air intake into my case so my system runs a little cooler? Should I just turn the case fan around since my Corsair 520W PSU already sorta provides an exhaust fan?
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Jun 12, 2009 19:01
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I'm not sure if this belongs here, but I'll ask anyway. I'm looking for a new wireless router, what does SA consider to be the best brand/model for home use?
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Jun 13, 2009 01:09
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That goes in the Home Networking Megathread:http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2629572
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Jun 13, 2009 02:10
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Thanks!
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Jun 13, 2009 04:47
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I picked up an IDE enclosure at a garage sale. It appears to be cheaply made and sealed with glue. I can't really reach the IDE or molex cables inside. How should I proceed? Break it open?
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Jun 14, 2009 20:11
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