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Dutchy
Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 345
Location: Northamptonshire, UK
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 Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 8:32 pm Post subject: My Computer |
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Okay here's my hardware:
Manufacturer:
Dell Inc.
Processor:
Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.00GHz (2 CPUs)
Memory:
1022MB RAM
Hard Drive:
154 GB
Video Card:
RADEON X300 SE 128MB HyperMemory
Monitor:
Plug and Play Monitor
Sound Card:
SigmaTel Audio
Speakers/Headphones:
Sony DR-220
Keyboard:
USB Root Hub
Mouse:
Nyko Air Flow
Operating System:
Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_qfe.070227-2300)
Now any one point out a problem?
edit: before you point out yes I know DELL
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JawZ
Joined: 29 Oct 2007
Posts: 1991
Location: Bedfordshire
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| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 12:08 am Post subject: |
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depends what your trying to do >_> u need to make that clear.
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mad
Site Admin
Joined: 10 Aug 2007
Posts: 1337
Location: Scotland
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| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 12:10 pm Post subject: Re: My Computer |
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Lets shorten it for you....
Okay here's my hardware:
Operating System:
Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_qfe.070227-2300)
You have to say what the problem is before anyone can stab at an answer....
and WATT size is the power supply? |
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Dutchy
Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 345
Location: Northamptonshire, UK
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| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 2:20 pm Post subject: |
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Okay problem is that I can't seem to run Call of Duty due to BSoD and I think its my graphics card. But don't know what to upgrade too, or even whether i should bother.
Okay was thinking about this one, don't know what you guys think. The amount I know about computers I could write on the back of the queens head.... wait postage stamp
Inno3D Geforce 8500GT 800MHz 512MB Graphics Card - I-8500GT-H4F4D
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Gording
Joined: 28 Jan 2008
Posts: 61
Location: Scotland
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| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 2:41 pm Post subject: Re: My Computer |
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| PelicansDutchy wrote: | Okay here's my hardware:
Video Card:
RADEON X300 SE 128MB HyperMemory
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Utterly woeful for a gaming graphics, the hypermemory (or "turbocache" in nVidia speak)) usually have a tiny amount of actual dedicated graphics RAM...while the rest is actually pooled from System RAM. Open your Control Panel > System icon, where it should show the amount of system RAM your PC has. If the RAM amount shown is short of about 120-sh meg...you know where it's gone...it's been allocated for graphics.
The only real way of marginally speeding either of these two up is to increase the speed of your RAM, in the PC's BIOS RAM timings and BUS rates until little plumes of smoke start to appear at your ears....oh no, wait, it's DELL (read : "thou shalt not be able to adjust anything that requires a modicum of brain cells!) so you aren't allowed to do that....
Even old nV6600GT's and ATI x1650's would easily quadruple your frame rates, for marginal coin, and more modern AGP cards such as the nV7600GT would offer around 800% frame rate increase (this generation are about twice as fast as the 6600GT's they replaced) for around £60.
The near top flight (of old) AGP cards such as the ATI X1950Pro, and the nV 7950GT should be avoided as these need loads of powersupply, and Dell never overprovide in their PSU specs.
Read about the lows and woes of the X300SE here :
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/256/8
Of course...if you've can tell us what's wrong.....all of that will probably be wrong! 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, as you've now fleshed out what's bothering you, and listed the nV 8500GT which is a PCI-E graphics card...let's continue...
Avoid the 8500GT. It'll cost roughly in the region of £50 to £60 (depending whether they come with a reasonable 256MB of RAM or a frankly rediculous 1Gig of RAM...which it doesn't have the power to utilise) but that's right where the 8600GT's start to come in. The 8600GT is a MUCH more powerful option for only £10 - £20 more.
Read more (or look at the coloured bars) :
http://www.nvnews.net/reviews/inno3d_8600gt_8500gt/page_3.shtml
Last edited by Gording on Wed Feb 06, 2008 3:00 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Dutchy
Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 345
Location: Northamptonshire, UK
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| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 2:53 pm Post subject: |
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Thats the thing Gord, not even sure. The computer runs fine on everything except for Cal Of Duty 4 where I get a blue screen when it tries to do anything, and i have to restart the beast. Which is why I'm thinking its the graphics card.
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Gording
Joined: 28 Jan 2008
Posts: 61
Location: Scotland
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| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 3:10 pm Post subject: |
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| PelicansDutchy wrote: | | The computer runs fine on everything except for Cal Of Duty 4 where I get a blue screen.... Which is why I'm thinking its the graphics card. |
You'll have to read the Blue Screen of Death a bit. The first couple of lines form some techno speak gobbledygook, but do tend to indicate basically what's caused the crash.
If it's tried to address memory then went off it's rocker...or whatever, the first option is to slow the RAM timing down...on no, wait, it's DELL! Ok, the first option is to open the PC and move the memory modules around....oh no wait...Dell...
What's the BSOD trying to say (in it's computer version of terrets fashion) ? |
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Dutchy
Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 345
Location: Northamptonshire, UK
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| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 3:27 pm Post subject: |
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Thats the thing the BSoD is just that, there is nothing written on it. It's just completely frozen and the screen is blue with absolutely nothing on it.
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Gording
Joined: 28 Jan 2008
Posts: 61
Location: Scotland
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| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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| PelicansDutchy wrote: | | Thats the thing the BSoD is just that, there is nothing written on it. |
Cool, a BBSoD! Helpful Micro$oft...you bunch of rich, idea stealing, plonkers....
Have you looked at Control Panel > Adminastrative Tools > Event Viewer > Application (sub tree)? Keep your finger crossed that the dreaded "Blank" Blue Scrreen of Death left some fingersprints.
Apart from that, and there's no betting that even after a graphics card upgrade you'd be any further forward on Cash On Demand (COD4), but you'd certainly have the abilty to play all the other games you have at far smoother frame rates, and higher resolutions, with most of the graphical bells and whistles on high, instead of off/low. 
So have you ever looked inside your PC (is the Dell clamlike case still in one piece?) ? |
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Dutchy
Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 345
Location: Northamptonshire, UK
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| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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Couldn't see anything on the event viewer. Also never looked inside the Dell. Worried about that actually, if I do get a Graphics card is my dell gonna be a lil' cow about installing?
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Moldo
Driver's Champion
Joined: 03 Oct 2007
Posts: 1173
Location: NL
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| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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Maybe it's a sign that you should stick to TMN 
Sorry, I know it's not really helping 
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Gording
Joined: 28 Jan 2008
Posts: 61
Location: Scotland
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| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 4:21 pm Post subject: |
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| PelicansDutchy wrote: | | Couldn't see anything on the event viewer. Also never looked inside the Dell. ....if I do get a Graphics card is my dell gonna be a lil' cow about installing? |
One last thing, and this is a little tricky to explain, but going on that all other games work fine, this might be worth thinking about. As I don't play COD I don't know if this is what is happening.....
Terrible website found @ http://www.callofduty.com/ which might have a forum.
Most top priced games these days as they start up, drop to a pre-rendered video (thanks to the decades of Sony advert hype, that show amazing pre-rendered intros, but no actual gameplay), it's possible that the blue screen you're seeing is actually a video, which your PC doesn't have the playback codec for. This would present a static blue screen, which could be mistaken for a BSoD. You'd have to ask a COD player what is the shortcut key to bypass these pre-game rendered intro's or wait a few minutes, as only that key will shut down the blue screen (stuck video), and get you to the game options screen.
It doesn't happen often in these multimedia days, but it does happen. Often the audio continues playing, while the sceen goes blue, black, or green...but the audio can also be stuck for the same reason.
Dell cases are the work of the devil. You attack them with crowbars, teeth, shoes, acid, and then finally set fire to them, (nothing works, but sometimes you get better frame rates afterwards!) until finally that little lever there are the back/side/top/bottom, (get 3 friends to increase the hand count) decides to move, and then bits of plastic case start to move...then pop off (they'll never go back on right again). The case now opens in a most unexpected clam like fashion, and reverses to close....once you know how it's done, and have done it yourself a couple if times it's simple. But until then...hammers and pnuematic drills are the best bet. Read the user manual, and visit their website for more unhelpful advice on this. It's vital you get inside before buying to confirm what type of slot your graphics card uses (the X300SE comes in PCI, AGP, and PCI-E types), and you can also move those memory modules around too!  |
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Dutchy
Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 345
Location: Northamptonshire, UK
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| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for your help Gord, looks like its a PCI-E setup so I'm browsing round now.
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Middenrat
actual speed
Joined: 10 Aug 2007
Posts: 2260
Location: Location: Location.
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| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 6:04 pm Post subject: |
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I may have a mangled comprehension of CoD4 system requirements, but isn't it a Direct-X 10 type game, requiring a Vista OS?
Right or wrong, I will be replacing my PC in the second half of this month. This rig has run reasonably well for 18months after a self-upgrade which involved updating mobo BIOS, forceware and some PSU jiggery-pokery to accommodate a pair of MSI NX7900GT PCI cards. Sadly recent driver updates has unbalanced the delicate equillibrium between available wattage and demand upon the cards (so i surmise) and random polygons are a feature of all games now - shooters are the worst affected.
The system I'm after will contain a dual core Intel CPU and a tasty new GPU nV have just released, the 8800GTS 512 with a powerful core not common to other GTS cards (without referencing the literature I think this is the G92 core).
Anyways good luck Dutchy. Sorry for spouting on bout my own woes
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JawZ
Joined: 29 Oct 2007
Posts: 1991
Location: Bedfordshire
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| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 6:44 pm Post subject: |
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enter is te shortcut key to skip movies.
and as he says at the end of the first mission, it goes blue, (it shows a long ass movie)
but i rooted around other forums <_<
http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/action/callofduty4modernwarfare/show_msgs.php?topic_id=m-1-41218682&pid=939217
updating graphic drivers, though in your case u neeed to update graphics card all together probably
Also im aware the game has a "patch" that may or may not help.
------------------------------------------------
my dad did something madman dont like the discussion/mentioning of, and use xp, the game works fine on my dads computer
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Steve
Joined: 11 Aug 2007
Posts: 852
Location: Sunny Wales
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| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 6:54 pm Post subject: |
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Its could just a bug in the game. There are probably patches out for the it by now, so download the most recent one, and see if it has anything about it in a 'bug fixes' list.
Also, could be old drivers, or maybe old graphics cards just struggle if there is a big demand on grahics caused by the newer games, like a big explosion, then it goes into meltdown and kills the rest of the computer.... i dont know |
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mad
Site Admin
Joined: 10 Aug 2007
Posts: 1337
Location: Scotland
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| Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 7:12 pm Post subject: |
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It's not that I don't like XP, it's the best OS that MS have produced......
I just hate MS |
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Dutchy
Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Posts: 345
Location: Northamptonshire, UK
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| Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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Okay just wanted to thank you guys for all the help you gave me, you'll be glad to know I've sorted it now, got a nice new graphics card and it seems to have solved the BBSoD problem.
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