The: What Computer Part did you buy this week thread

[clutch 1]

Quote:

I've been toying with the idea of buying a DVD writer, but I don't want get stung buying the wrong format! Don't want to have a repeat of Betamax all over again (yes, I know Beta is better, but when did that ever matter in consumer wars?!)

Is there one format that is inching out over all the rest, or is still neck and neck?

Rgds
AndyF

The Sony that I got supports all the current, major formats. I had been toying with the idea of getting a DVD burner for a long time, but was frustrated with the standards war as well (this was back when "DVD-RAM" was still a contender ). But now, you can get a nice, cheap DVD player for your home theater setup that supports the DVD±R/DVD±RW standards as well as MP3 and WMA files. The JVC player that I got even supports S-VCDs so you can have DVD quality video using a CD.

http://www.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL027033

[DosFreak 2]

Got my AIW 9700 Pro Last night.

 

Plugged it in real quick, installed the software from the CD and the latest drivers from the net. Hit TV, Hit Scan. Software found all available channels and automagically had them tuned. Channels looked as good as on the TV if not better. YAY! I then went to sleep and then to work. Hopefully can play tonight.

[sapiens74 0]

Got an New Antec case, and upgraded mY second machine with new MB ram, and my old Lian LI Case

[clutch 1]

OK, instead of the ATi AIW 9700 Pro, I got the Radeon 9800 Pro, a Pinnacle Studio Deluxe (v 8.0), and a Belkin firewire adapter for my server.

[Champion_R 0]

Are there any plans to make an AIW 9800Pro?

[Mr.Guvernment 0]

u know there will be, but not liekly out for a while - took long enough for the AIW 9700 to come out.

 

 

i bought a new 120g WD, a g4 vid card 9no palce here had an ATI 9*) and some networking crap and some fans for my case.

 

not i finally got my little vaio case as a entertainment rig in my living room, all networked up! movies anytime! got to get a pic once i get a camera!

 

got an extra p4s533 mobo wiuth 512 pc2100 - So temping to buy a new cpu - 2.8 or something to over clock!!!! i hate having an extra mobo around!

[Brian Frank 0]

Due to a nice little trade with my dad, I got a brand new 60GB 7200RPM hard drive. Nice swap for an older 20GB 5400RPM drive.

[sapiens74 0]

ordered the ABIT IC7 with the INtel 875p chiset and Twinx3200LL Corsair ram to go with it.

[clutch 1]

The AIW 9800 Pro has been announced on the ATi website since early April, but I don't feel like waiting any longer. Plus, I wouldn't have dual-monitor support with one card (like I did with my Ti4600 and my new Radeon 9800 Pro) which is something I really like. However, I have started watching DVDs on my system more often, and ATi's support is simply wonderful. This is one thing they have always been good at, and continue to do so. I was watching "Mischief 3000" while downloading McAfee and moving files around. While this may not sound like anything special normally, I was watching the movie at full screen, and doing everything on one monitor. There's this new "ThruView" feature with the ATi DVD player that lets you watch the movie with everything else on your desktop being translucent. It's pretty handy to work on stuff and be able to just change your focus and watch a movie. All this, and only about 8% or so of CPU utilization. Pretty trick indeed.

 

Also, the card has been great in a couple of games that I have played using it in (UT2003 and Q3) and is a solid performer. If ATi can just keep the momentum with their drivers, we could have something here.

[Admiral LSD 0]

I bought a Sapphire Radeon 9500 Pro a couple of days ago. All up, it cost AUD$401.50 (including AUD$15 shipping) which I'm none too happy about (I didn't want to spend more than AUD$300 on a video card but there was nothing in that price range with the longevity I was after) but such is life. When it arrives, it'll join the EPoX 8RDA+, ATA133 controller, Athlon XP 2400+, Volcano 9 cooler and all the other stuff I bought last year for this project (case, CD burner, DVD-ROM, MPEG decoder etc). Next, I plan to get a 120Gb Western Digital Caviar Special Edition along with some 80cm rounded cables (another thing I'm not happy about, 30 bucks for a cable is daylight robbery) so I can fit it and my other ATA devices at the top of my tower (my IDE ports are at the bottom of the case instead of the more logical position in from of the DIMM slots). Finally, I plan to get me a pair of the 256Mb Corsair Twinx DIMM modules and get a dual-channel RAM setup going but that probably won't be until the end of June

[Mr.Guvernment 0]

Clutch - is that, or would that not be the same technology they have had for about 2 - 3 years now that allows you to watch TV but the screen becomes your wallpaper basically? i can use that with my old ATi AIW 32mb 128 2x AGP card with the latest drivers and some older versions..................

[clutch 1]

Don't know, as the last ATi card that I bought for personal use was an AIW Pro (Rage Pro), and it didn't do it. Also, I don't recall any reviews of the later cards bragging about it, while I have seen several reviews of the new AIW 9700 card covering this feature. It works in both window and full screen modes, and makes all the windows translucent so you can see right through them to watch TV and/or movies in the background via the ATi media player.

[Mr.Guvernment 0]

i know the old AIW did this, as my uncles has had almost everyone since the 128 PRO one - and it always did this for him, place the TV on your desktop as if it was your wallpaper., but it did not make the windows on top transparent.

[clutch 1]

Quote:

i know the old AIW did this, as my uncles has had almost everyone since the 128 PRO one - and it always did this for him, place the TV on your desktop as if it was your wallpaper., but it did not make the windows on top transparent.

So then it didn't do what I was talking about afterall, now did it? It will also do this in windowed mode, so if you want a small screen playing in a corner of your monitor you can do that and not drown out the whole desktop. It's a pretty cool trick; almost too cool. You wind up staring at it most of the time anyway that you might as well have it running on another monitor .

[Mr.Guvernment 0]

^^^^, k now i got to get a new card so i can check this out and see how they improved it over the old version - DARN U! and i just got my new secured Credit card! - now i just need an online site that ships internationally to Costa Rica!

[Brian Frank 0]

My ship came in this year (fed tax check), so I picked up the Gigabyte GA-7VAXP Ultra. DAMN! this mofo is loaded. They didn't give a kitchen sink tho I'm gonna have like a video card in there and that's it.

Must...study...Win2k Server Exam....Arrrgh! Anyway...I'm gonna have some fun.

 

As for ATi, I used to be adamently against them, but they've cleaned up their act. They may have some rough edges with the drivers, but they aren't noticable to me anyway.

[Mr.Guvernment 0]

I am likeing the looks of the new ABIT board - SOOO tempting!!!!

i currently got an Asus P4s533 with 512 pc2100 just sitting here! i want to buy wither a 2.6 or 2.8 for it to over clock as the mobo does not go high in fsb - but then i also need a vid card and i hate buying cheap so is like mmmmmmmmm, what to get!

[Mr.Guvernment 0]

my water cooling stuff is on it's way! woo hoo

 

 

[*]Koolance - Motherboard/Video Cooler

[*]Danger Den Maze GeForce 4 Block

[*]Danger Den Maze 3 P4 Block

[*]Hydor L30 pump - 1200 GHP

[*]3/8" to 1/2" Black (Via Aqua) Threaded Adapter

[*]1/2" Snap Clamp (3/8" System)

[*]5/8" Snap Clamp (1/2" System)

[*]Versatile Acrylic Reservoir

[*]1/2" ID 5/8" OD Clear Vinyl Tube

[*]3 Pin Extender

[*]NanoTherm XTC

[*]Thermaltake Active Memory Cooling Kit

[/list:u]

 

 

new case and a new 520w power supply coming soon!

[Alvin691 0]

Netgear 54 Mbs plus Carbus Card for my laptop. Sweet...speed plus high encryption.

[Mr.Guvernment 0]

^^^^ dam! that sound like some serious connection going on!

 

 

Getting ready to order my new case and fans - going to go with a second case to be all green, lights and all other will be all redish blue!

 

can't wait for the parts!

[Brian Frank 0]

Blue Cold Cathode to replace the one I accidentally snapped last month.

[clutch 1]

I picked this up yesterday to use with MS RalliSport:

 

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm?page=p...mp;languageid=1

 

It's pretty sweet.

[sapiens74 0]

Picked up dual WD Raptors

 

Running them in Raid Now.

 

They are quite fast, way faster then my old SCSI 320's

[sapiens74 0]

Add a 2.6c CPU to the list.

 

 

See what 800FSB can do

[Brian Frank 0]

I now hate you.

 

Have fun with the sick speed you got there, man.