Recent content by mfenn

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eSATA card problem

That's suspiciously close to USB 2.0 speeds. It seems like you might be having an issue where it's not linking up at USB 3.0. A bad connection or cable could cause this.
- mfenn
- Post #18
- Nov 28, 2015
- Forum: Computer Building
M
Problem with my first PC build, please help

On many motherboards, the debug LED readout will change to a different display after POST is finished (temperature, etc.). If the computer works fine, I would not worry about it.
- mfenn
- Post #3
- Nov 28, 2015
- Forum: Computer Building
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Attention Mid-Range System Builders - Updated 08/01/2015

Hey look, a Saturday update! It comes along with an announcement as well. I'm taking a break from moderation, the builder's guide, and the forums in general. I'll probably be back at some point in the future, but I can't say when. Looking back, I've been doing this build every week since...
- mfenn
- Post #1,109
- Aug 1, 2015
- Forum: Computer Building
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...

Windows supports mounting drives at folder junction points now (i.e. the way UNIX has worked forever), so you can transparently use multiple drives within a single filesystem hierarchy if that's more comfortable for you.
- mfenn
- Post #8
- Aug 1, 2015
- Forum: Computer Building
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Press power button, PC stops after 1/2 second, smell smoke!!!

You should probably think about upgrading your add-in cards along with the PC. PCI has been obsolete for a while now.
- mfenn
- Post #13
- Aug 1, 2015
- Forum: Computer Building
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opinions please

Also a nice case! :thumbsup:
- mfenn
- Post #9
- Aug 1, 2015
- Forum: Computer Building
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Home lab for development

SQL Servers only need a lot of RAM to perform well if they're being heavily loaded. Certainly the CPU load will be minimal on average. In a lab environment, you can get by with a lot less that you would need for production. If you have a place to put a rackmount server, buying a used...
- mfenn
- Post #3
- Jul 30, 2015
- Forum: Computer Building
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Where are the System Build Guides???

These threads are probably what you're looking for on the forums: Attention Low-End Gaming System Builders Attention Mid-Range System Builders As for guides on the main site, there is a Guides category which is linked here.
- mfenn
- Post #2
- Jul 30, 2015
- Forum: Computer Building
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opinions please

That's pretty good overall. The 750D is nice but expensive; you might consider a Fractal Design R5 for $110 instead.
- mfenn
- Post #6
- Jul 30, 2015
- Forum: Computer Building
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Upgrade from i7 950 to Xeon W3690?

Turning off the page file is generally OK, but you can run into some specific instances where programs will crash if at least a nominal page file doesn't exist. When I said it wasn't a valid test, I meant that turning off the page file screws of LatencyMon's calculations.
- mfenn
- Post #153
- Jul 30, 2015
- Forum: Computer Building
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Building a PC Beginner Looking for Help

:thumbsup: Great overview!
- mfenn
- Post #3
- Jul 30, 2015
- Forum: Computer Building
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First Gaming Pc

The Gigabyte H97M-HD3 for $110 is a pretty reasonable substitute for that board.
- mfenn
- Post #67
- Jul 29, 2015
- Forum: Computer Building
M
Upgrade from i7 950 to Xeon W3690?

As long as you don't run out of memory, you will be fine with 7200RPM drives. However, if you do run out of memory and swap, your recording is pretty much trashed on that sort of drive due to the low response time. Turning off the pagefile isn't a valid test because it screws up the timing...
- mfenn
- Post #145
- Jul 29, 2015
- Forum: Computer Building
M
...

Yeah, at 12"x10"x15", it's smaller than a mid-tower but certainly not mini-ITX shoebox sized. Regarding the parts: - NIC: $80 is steep for a WiFi card. I would recommend a motherboard with 802.11ac onboard - PSU: 850W is overkill for a single-GPU machine, and $140 is also quite steep for that...
- mfenn
- Post #3
- Jul 29, 2015
- Forum: Computer Building
M
opinions please

Can you list out what you're paying for each component? Without that information, it's hard to determine whether or not you're getting a good deal.
- mfenn
- Post #4
- Jul 29, 2015
- Forum: Computer Building

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