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But the issue is that I have a 266 board (that might not work). I have to decide what cpu to get. If I get a 266 cpu, to ensure compatibility, and the 266 board DOESN'T work, then I will have to get a new mobo also. And that board would support 333. But at that point I will now have a slower and more expensive cpu when I could have bought the Barton. I could probably convince my brother-in-law to let me borrow the Barton cpu from his computer. I built it after all. At least that would let me tell if it could even understand the core. And I could use it as an excuse to upgrade his cpu cooler, or at least put some artic silver on it (didn't have any when I first built it). My main worry was that I didn't want to break his cpu in the process. That would be far more expensive than just getting the slower cpu.

What OS? Is it up to date? Do the CD's or Ipod have issues on other computers, or just yours? Has it always had these issues, or is this a recent problem? If it is recent, was there anything substantial you did to your computer (software installed, new hardware, etc.) around that time frame? Is new hardware the only problem, or are your programs running slower too (might indicate an overloaded cpu, perhaps too much spyware)? More info please.

Notebook = proprietary = practically no upgradeability Not only do you lose on the front that the technology is slower for equivalent cost on a desktop, you also lose use of the whole machine later. You are also at the whim of the manufacturer when it comes to getting it repaired instead of being able to get parts yourself. I've recently upgraded my computer but still have the old DVD drive, case, psu, RAM, floppy drive, and sound card. I basically got a brand new computer for $300 by upgrading my mobo and cpu. If you want to upgrade your mobo and cpu for a laptop, you are also buying a replacement LCD screen, a new hdd, etc. So unless you really NEED it to be portable, I would recommend getting a desktop. If you decided 2 years from now that you need a laptop for school you could probably buy the equivalent you could get today for about $1000 less. Then you would have a desktop AND a laptop. If you want to watch movies on the road NOW, get a portable DVD player, or a cheapie laptop. But for gaming, I'd have to say that desktops are the way to go.

If she is on a limited budget and has to decide whether if it is better to spend $15 a month to get dial-up or $27 a month to get DSL then it would make far more sense for her to save the money by getting a cheaper computer and spend more on the internet connection. My father complains all the time about needing to upgrade his computer because the Internet is too slow. I try to explain to him that he could get a $25,000 computer and it won't be any faster on dial-up. He just doesn't get it. Since "Internet" is one of her requirements I'm guessing it is something she plans on using regularly. So she is probably expecting a new computer to be faster than an older one, even on the Internet. I would make getting the fastest connection available a priority. After you figure in that cost, then go for everything else.

So it would probably just be best to order the cheapest processor (my main goal anyway). If I need a new mobo, then it will just get more use out of the Barton core. If the mobo still works, then it just won't be operating at its full potential. Thanks for the info.

Disclaimer: I didn't know if it was more appropriate to put this in the CPU or motherboard area. Past: A while ago my cpu fan stopped. My mobo didn't automatically shutdown, so it fried my cpu. Rather than replace the cpu (I was looking to upgrade anyway), I got a new motherboard (Neo2 Platinum) and an AMD64 3000+. Present: My in-laws are in serious need of an upgrade. They are running a 400 Mhz celeron processor. They used to have 32 MB of RAM. I upgraded their RAM about 6 months ago. It helped, but not enough. I was thinking about using my old motherboard. It is definately in need of a new processor, but I don't know if the motherboard was damaged by the cpu getting so hot. My dilemma: I want to upgrade them spending as little money as possible. But I don't know if the old board still works. The old board is an MSI (can't remember what model exactly, can add that information later if needed) that can handle a FSB of up to 266MHz. The old 266 cpu's are now MORE expensive than faster 333MHz (Barton's). If I buy a new 266MHz (FSB) cpu, and the board doesn't work, then I have to get a new mobo. If I have to get a new mobo, it will be able to handle FSB of 266, 333, or 400. So I would rather get the faster and less expensive cpu, but if I found it out this way, I would have already have purchased the slower and more expensive cpu. Extra information: My brother in-law has a cpu with a Barton core in it, so I have an AMD XP processor that I could use to test the motherboard. My question: Will putting a faster cpu (one rated at 333MHz FSB) into a motherboard that is only rated at 266 MHz FSB damage the cpu (or the motherboard)? Or will it underclock itself and just not operate at its full potential (as RAM does)? I don't want to damage my brother-in-law's cpu, or waste money on a slower cpu when I could get a faster one, or throw away a perfectly good motherboard that just needs a new cpu. Please advise.

You know, they are right about the whole blue screen thing. It does still happen in Windows XP. How do I know? Well, you see, it happened to me. But then again that was on my Alienware.

I still have it. It's a different motherboard/cpu and has a different hard drive in it. But everything else is the same. Actually, the case is the same too, it's the old style Alienware (still available at their site) which is just a Dragon tower. I like the design, and used a Dragon tower recently for a friend's computer I custom built. The only issue with mine is that the plastic front cover is bent, so the side door pushes it off further unless I do a little trick while putting it back on. I've also got a new ZIPPY/EMACS 500W Power Supply on the way from Newegg. My computer's been rebooting randomly, and with everything else that has gone wrong I really don't trust the psu in there right now. I'll be getting a new video card soon, and I'm looking at upgrading my ram. My in-laws need a new computer very badly, and I was thinking about getting a new processor for my old mobo. I could then also give them my current RAM and video card. The issue is, I don't know if the mobo was damaged by the cpu getting so hot. It's not that I wouldn't mind spending the money on a cpu and motherboard for them. The issue is I want to get the best bang for my buck. To just test my old mobo I would need a cpu with a maximum fsb of 266 (that is all the motherboard can handle, according to MSI). So if I did need to get a new mobo it would support a Barton core and I would rather have purchased one of those than the older, slower, and now more expensive (at least at Newegg) Thoroughbreds. Does anyone know if it is safe to stick a faster processor in an older motherboard? Would it just underclock like RAM does? I've got a brother-in-law with an AMD with a Barton core, I could just use his to test the mobo. But I don't want to do that if it could damage the cpu.

You can pull off no page file with 64 MB. You just won't be be able to run as much. You're pagefile is just simply an expansion of memory. If you have no pagefile and run out of memory, you just run out. With a pagefile an operating system can dynamically allocate more space to act as memory. This is, of course, extremely slow "memory". As a time scale reference here is a table from my UNIX Systems Programming book: processor cycle = 0.5 ns (2 GHz) = 1 second (scaled time in human terms, 2 billion times slower) cache access = 1 ns (1 GHz) = 2 seconds memory access = 15 ns = 30 seconds context switch = 5,000 ns = 167 minutes disk access = 7,000,000 ns = 162 days quantum = 100,000,000 ns = 6.3 years So while real memory access takes the equivalent of 30 seconds (relative) and a pagefile is basically disk access (162 days, relative), at least the memory is available. Besides, the computer only uses the most efficient means available to it. It doesn't read from the disk for something that is availabe to memory, and it doesn't read from memory for something that is in the cache. Limiting your computer to not use a pagefile won't force a computer to use memory and thus make it run faster. Instead it can result in running out of memory since programs that haven't been used in a while can't be written to the pagefile rather than take up real memory space. Now if you are just running out of harddrive space and can't spare it for a pagefile then that is a different story.

I always wondered why Apple's only came with a one button mouse. Now I know why... http://www.gearlive.com/index.php/news/art...mouse_01280820/ Makes sense to me, but I still like multiple buttons.

Maybe he had a raid configuration. One thing you can try doing is optimizing your pagefile. Here are some basic rules you should follow: * Move the pagefile off the disk that holds your system and boot partitions to another fast and dedicated hard disk. If you do put the file elsewhere, you should leave a small amount on C: - an initial size of 2MB with a Maximum of 50 is suitable - so it can be used in emergency. Without this, the system is inclined to ignore the settings and either have no page file at all (and complain) or make a very large one indeed on the C: drive. * Format the partition where the page file is placed with NTFS and a 4kb cluster size (which is in fact the default setting for an NTFS partition). * Have the initial size be at least 1.5 times bigger than the amount of physical RAM. Do NOT make the pagefile smaller than the amount of physical RAM you've got installed on your system. * Make its initial size as big as the maximum size. * Do not place multiple paging files on different partitions on the same physical disk drive. * If you have a RAID-0 (Stripe Set) array, use it to store the pagefile. * Avoid putting a paging file on a fault-tolerant drive, such as a mirrored volume (RAID-1) or a RAID-5 volume. Paging files do not need fault-tolerance, and some fault-tolerant systems suffer from slow data writes because they write data to multiple locations. * If you use Windows XP and Fast User Switching, there are special considerations: When a user is not active, there will need to be space available in the page file to

That setup won't work. You have a PCI-e card with an AGP motherboard. You either need to get the AGP version of the 6600GT or change to an nforce4 motherboard such as http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc....-136-152&depa=1 Personally I would have gotten a PCI-e capable board, but my cpu fried before they were available. So I got the MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum you have listed and have been happy with it, but if I had the chance to trade in I would get a PCI-e capable board. And from what people are saying, Winchester cores are easier to overclock. So just order one of those and not a Newcastle.

Hi all, new member here. Been a lurker for a while, but I just had to join so that I could post a reply on this topic. I bought an Alienware computer a few years ago. You see, at that time, I was wasn't just a n00b. I knew the difference between quality and Dells, so I was an elite n00b. I'm not sure how their policy has changed, so this may not be how they operate anymore, but here is my testimonial... I "customized" my computer online at Alienware. I thought, "This is so great, I can choose what I want to go inside! Look, I can pick the size of the harddrive, I can even pick between two brands of hdds!" I received my computer 3 weeks later (not the 7 days they claim now). I was so excited. But after running it for more than 30 minutes I noticed a beeping noise coming from it. I was nervous, but was reassured by the great customer support I knew I could rely on. So I called them up. After 2 hours on the phone they still couldn't tell me what was wrong. Finally I went online and searched forums for advice. Armed with some useful knowledge this time I found out that the system was giving off a high temperature alarm. So when I called back Alienware about this, they told me to increase the alarm settings or disable the alarm. Yes, they told me to ignore the problem instead of giving me advice on how to better cool my rig. At the time I figured they knew best, so I listened. And I am suprised it had issues with cooling. After all, for EVERY SINGLE person that ever sat by my computer I heard the comment (in one form or another), "That thing is loud, I've never heard a computer that is so loud." Considering how loud the fans were, they really should have provided more cooling than they did. About a year passed, and my "free" one year warranty and customer support was expired. A little after that I noticed when I was looking at my video card that the fan had stopped operating. I called Alienware, but I couldn't return the product because my warranty was up. I looked online, and saw some reviews that the particular video card I received was prone to fan failure. MANY customers (not just Alienware ones) had the same issue. Boy, it sure was reassuring that I had paid extra to get their expert advice and so that they would only put "quality" parts in my computer. So fast forward to 6 months ago. Once in a while when rebooting my computer gives me a "Hard disk failure" error. But after turning it off and back on several times it finally powers up the hdd. So I buy a new hdd. I try duplicating the drive, but ran into some issues. I decided that I needed a fresh start anyway, so I will just format and do a fresh installation. I take out my "customized" Alienware manual that I had not looked at in years. It consists of 6 chapters! Wow, they worked really hard on this thing. Especially considering that those 6 chapters consisted of 10 pages of printed material (one side only). I can't decide if the Table of Contents (1 page) Thank You letter (1 page), Form Feedback (1 page), Contact Us (1 page), or backup reminder (1 page) was the most useful. At least they included basic setup and warranty information. Anyway, I try one cd (labeled Master CD) and it won't boot. So I try the other (these were the only 2 cd's that came with the system) and it is Windows XP OEM. Ok, so I install Windows XP. Now I drop the other CD in, expecting it to have all my drivers and Office and other programs that came originally installed with my Alienware system. Now remember, this is my "customized" restore CD. This was before "Respawn", but it was their version back then. What does it have on it? Well, drivers. Drivers for motherboards that aren't in my system. Drivers that are windows 98 and windows 2000 (W2k drivers may work with XP, but shouldn't they label the folder W2k/XP for people that don't know that?). But not drivers for my modem that came with the system. Not drivers for my sound card that came with the system. And it didn't have my Office suite. Does this mean that they illegally installed a full version of Microsoft Office Professional on my computer? Or just that they screwed me by charging me for it and not including the software when they shipped the system? I also saw that they included Winzip, Adobe Acrobat Reader (I like getting free software instead of stuff I paid for), a Quake 3 demo (which wasn't even installed on my computer when it arrived), and CDRW burning software (it didn't come with a burner). Talk about customized to MY system! Then, 2 months later I find that my computer is starting to lock up. My only course of action is to reboot. I really start to worry. Then one day I go into my office and I hear... silence. Now to some silence is golden, but it had me worried since my Alienware was so freaking loud. Looking at the power light, I knew that it was still on. I opened the side panel and saw that the cpu fan had stopped. I grounded myself and touched the heat sink. I burned myself pretty bad, it was as hot as a frying pan! Looking at the calender, I saw that if I would have paid a few hundred dollars extra I could have had the satisfaction of knowing that my 3 year warranty/customer support would have just run out in time for it to be completely useless for me. Do they design their computers to die just after warranties expire? I then looked online and found OCC. I followed the advice and now have a Neo2 Platinum with an AMD64 3000+. I'm still in the process of upgrading, my psu is probably the next thing since I've noticed that the Chieftec 340W psu that came with the Alienware system isn't providing stability. Good thing I haven't upgraded my graphics card yet. Then 2 weeks later my sound starts going out. My Klipsch Pro Media 5.1 speakers are going out on me. It's not Alienware, but it was ordered through Alienware. So I contact Alienware. They tell me they don't support other companies products. Or, to quote the e-mail: **************** Thank you for contacting Alienware. We truly regret the problems you are experiencing with your system. Unfortunately, Alienware does no support non-Alienware brand products; therefore, I would advise you to address this issue directly with KLIPSCH We hope this information proves to be helpful. If you have any other questions or technical issues, please visit our Knowledge Base at http://support.alienware.com. Thank you for choosing Alienware and have a nice day. **************** So now my speakers have been RMA'd to Klispch who are fixing them now. It's a good thing that I used Alienware with their "painless system restoration", "knowledgeable 24/7 phone and online support", "warranty-backed peace of mind", "optimal reliability", "personalized owner's manual", and all at "savings you can appreciate." I'm so glad that they support products that they sold me. I'm so happy that I didn't have to go to the online community to look for answers to questions. I'm so happy that I didn't have to spend time researching quality products and instead could rely on their expertise. I'm glad that they had my interests in mind, instead of all of those guys out there in support forums who are only there to take my money from me. End testimonial. I didn't notice anyone attacking Alienware's claim of having a great selection. I mean, how many choices do you get? When designing one of their systems I can choose between 5 different graphics cards. WOW! I didn't know that there were only 5 different graphics cards out there. Hmm... what if I wanted a better card than they have listed, but not as expensive as the other choices they give (like a 6600 GT)? Oh, but I guess it's not listed because it isn't as good as the Radeon 9550SE they have listed as a less expensive option than an X800 or Geforce 6800 GT. This all falls back on their claim in the section labeled "At the Forefront of Technology." "Alienware places the latest innovations at your fingertips by consistently offering new components before anyone else in the industry. This allows you to benefit from breakthrough technologies the moment they are made available." That's wonderful. So they get new technology before Newegg or other online distributors. YAY! Now, let me go put that new tech in my system. What? You mean that they have to update their website for me to order this latest and greatest item? But it's available at ZipZoomFly right now! Well, MAYBE it will be available on an Alienware system a few months from now. Maybe.