The first step on any new build is always to go to another computer to download the drivers to put on a
--Patrick
[Rant] Tech Minor Rant Thread
- Thread starter DarkAudit
- Start date
--Patrick
Well, my HDD seems to have died. My computer is old as Dave, so I have a small 128 GB boot SSD, and a 2 TB HDD for games, files, everything else. And suddenly that last one is gone. Boot can't find it, Windows cant find, it's like it's physically not there.
Minor rant so far because I haven't investigated yet, off to cable management etc we go I guess...
Minor rant so far because I haven't investigated yet, off to cable management etc we go I guess...
....OK, the first thing I tried - replace the power connector from the PSU to the HDD with another loose connecter that was left over - solved it. I thought. The drive was visible again in Windows Explorer, Steam could see it and even say how muc hof it was Steam and how much of it was other stuff....Try to install anything....Disk write error. And after another reboot, the drive is gone again. Hrmph.
I'd get any data you want off of it immediately.
Trying to copy stuff off, fails;..chkdsk > station type is RAW. Uh-oh. Booted again, no drives to be found. Booted again, drives are NTFS again, and chkdsk finds no errors at all. Right, sure.
Don't know what's going in with it, but obviously it's not going to last much longer.
Which again raises the question of if it's even worth getting a new HDD for this PC or I just just get a bigger SSD now, or just build a new PC - I'm overdue as it is but I'm sure Patrick will tell me it's just not the right time now :-P
Don't know what's going in with it, but obviously it's not going to last much longer.
Which again raises the question of if it's even worth getting a new HDD for this PC or I just just get a bigger SSD now, or just build a new PC - I'm overdue as it is but I'm sure Patrick will tell me it's just not the right time now :-P
figmentPez
Staff member
I fucking hate Xfinity/Comcast. My internet is only about half working right now. I can get to some sites okay-ish, but some other sites (like xfinity dot com) won't load at all. When trying to get to stuff like Netflix, DisneyPlus, and YouTube I'll periodically get bumped to a page telling me that my device has been paused and that I need to go to Xfinity's website and unpause it. I'm the only one who should have access to my account. If I turn off the WiFi on my phone I can get the Xfinity app to work, and it'll tell me that my network is fine, and that none of my devices are paused.
Trying to use Xfnity's automated system just tells me that everything is working, and that if I want to do more I'll have to schedule a technician to stop by in person. The earliest appointment they have is three days from now, and I know that if I schedule that it'll come with the threat of making me pay money if they don't find any problems.
Fuck Xfinity and their "limited" monopoly.
Trying to use Xfnity's automated system just tells me that everything is working, and that if I want to do more I'll have to schedule a technician to stop by in person. The earliest appointment they have is three days from now, and I know that if I schedule that it'll come with the threat of making me pay money if they don't find any problems.
Fuck Xfinity and their "limited" monopoly.
figmentPez
Staff member
Disabling MoCA seems to have fixed my problem. While technically this may mean that the problem was closer to my end than theirs, I'm still baffled at how this issue isn't just automatically detected by their system. Surely if there are two cable modems on two different accounts that are causing conflicts by trying to connect with each other, their system should be able to recognize that?
You're expecting competency from Xfinity?
You always suspected it, and now there's even more evidence for it.
www.techspot.com
Facebook partner admits to eavesdropping on conversations via phone mics for ad targeting
A pitch deck from Cox Media Group (CMG), seen by 404 Media, states that the marketing firm uses its AI-powered Active Listening software to capture real-time data...
www.techspot.com
--Patrick
Of all the absolutely BONEheaded things you could do, this has to rank right up there with Russian soldiers leaving their cellphones going when in the field.
arstechnica.com
--Patrick
After seeing Wi-Fi network named “STINKY,” Navy found hidden Starlink dish on US warship
To be fair, it’s hard to live without Wi-Fi.
arstechnica.com
--Patrick
figmentPez
Staff member
Computer died last night. Bought a replacement today. Will not be posting specs, because I cannot handle any criticism right now. It's a pre-built that's on the cheaper side, and it just needs to be enough to keep me from freaking out.
I was already stressed from moving physical locations, I did not want to have to move PCs, too.
UGH, I really hate setting up a new PC. So many settings to fix, programs to install, sites to login to. Hopefully installing the old drives into this new PC will work.
First Nvidia graphics card in over 20 years. I've been all ATI/AMD since I got a Radeon 7500. My last Nvidia graphics card was a RIVA TNT.
So stressful.
I was already stressed from moving physical locations, I did not want to have to move PCs, too.
UGH, I really hate setting up a new PC. So many settings to fix, programs to install, sites to login to. Hopefully installing the old drives into this new PC will work.
First Nvidia graphics card in over 20 years. I've been all ATI/AMD since I got a Radeon 7500. My last Nvidia graphics card was a RIVA TNT.
So stressful.
The best
It's not that prebuilts are always garbage, it's just that their inevitable compromises are ones not of your choosing. If the choice was between "I need a computer NOW" and "Wait three weeks to build a better system," then that's completely understandable. If you ever want to start looking for upgrades, you know we'll be there for you.
--Patrick
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figmentPez
Staff member
I can't remember what thread I last posted about my PC woes in, but holy shit this PC has been one of the most obnoxious I've owned since Packard Bell.
The short version:
Bought a CyberPowerPC from Costco because it seemed like a reasonable deal and they've got a good return policy. Got it home, got it up and running, and started getting random restarts with blue screens saying "critcal_process_died" within the first day of owning it. Tried to restore Windows, and that failed. Could only restore by wiping all the stuff I'd installed. Ended up getting blue screens and reboots again. So I returned it and got a replacement of the same model. Same type of crashes and reboots happened with the replacement, so it's likely software and not hardware.
Also had electrical problems with microwave (display flickering, replaced under warranty) and humidity sensor activated bathroom fan (replaced with a dumb switch), so we had an electrician come out to check for issues, none found.
Restored Windows to fresh again, scanned everything for malware, ran chkdsk, ran memtest, didn't find any problems. Chkdsk has never found any problems, regardless of when it's been run. I updated my MoBo's firmware, but that didn't help. Eventually figured out that GigaByte Control Center was routinely crashing, probably while trying to install drivers. Uninstalled GCC, and manually installed as many drivers as I knew how to, and had about a week of stability. Played Saints Row 2022 and Nobody Saves the World without issue. Only persistent problem was video hitching when I was playing something in the background while scrolling through a site loading a lot of small videos (e.g. Imgur, Tumblr, etc.). Then I was trying to play the FF4 randomizer while watching Netflix, so RetroArch running bsnes in one window with MS Edge playing video in another, and the whole display would occasionally freeze and recover.
Trying to troubleshoot this error, which I thought might be tied to a missing DLL that was showing up in Windows event log, I installed C++ distributables, and that's when things went very wrong. I started getting critcal_process_died errors within minutes of booting. Most of the time I couldn't do anything before the system froze up and bluescreened.
My current theory is that GigaByte Control Center didn't do a good job of uninstalling itself, and that missing DLLs were the only thing keeping part of it from starting up and crashing again. Though I could be wrong. Currently I've had Windows wipe everything and try to start afresh. Havne't crashed yet, but then I've only installed Firefox thus far. I told GCC that it can fuck off, and hopefully never installing it in the first place will keep things from devolving into crashing again.
Oh, and this last bout of constant crashing came while I was really sick. I've spent most of the last 4 days laying in bed exhausted. Even when I haven't been sleeping I've been lying down because I'm slightly dizzy and very tired. Left my computer completely off for like an entire day because I coudln't do anything with while I was so tired. Thank goodness for being able to use my Raspberry Pi and my phone to stream stuff to entertain myself.
The short version:
Bought a CyberPowerPC from Costco because it seemed like a reasonable deal and they've got a good return policy. Got it home, got it up and running, and started getting random restarts with blue screens saying "critcal_process_died" within the first day of owning it. Tried to restore Windows, and that failed. Could only restore by wiping all the stuff I'd installed. Ended up getting blue screens and reboots again. So I returned it and got a replacement of the same model. Same type of crashes and reboots happened with the replacement, so it's likely software and not hardware.
Also had electrical problems with microwave (display flickering, replaced under warranty) and humidity sensor activated bathroom fan (replaced with a dumb switch), so we had an electrician come out to check for issues, none found.
Restored Windows to fresh again, scanned everything for malware, ran chkdsk, ran memtest, didn't find any problems. Chkdsk has never found any problems, regardless of when it's been run. I updated my MoBo's firmware, but that didn't help. Eventually figured out that GigaByte Control Center was routinely crashing, probably while trying to install drivers. Uninstalled GCC, and manually installed as many drivers as I knew how to, and had about a week of stability. Played Saints Row 2022 and Nobody Saves the World without issue. Only persistent problem was video hitching when I was playing something in the background while scrolling through a site loading a lot of small videos (e.g. Imgur, Tumblr, etc.). Then I was trying to play the FF4 randomizer while watching Netflix, so RetroArch running bsnes in one window with MS Edge playing video in another, and the whole display would occasionally freeze and recover.
Trying to troubleshoot this error, which I thought might be tied to a missing DLL that was showing up in Windows event log, I installed C++ distributables, and that's when things went very wrong. I started getting critcal_process_died errors within minutes of booting. Most of the time I couldn't do anything before the system froze up and bluescreened.
My current theory is that GigaByte Control Center didn't do a good job of uninstalling itself, and that missing DLLs were the only thing keeping part of it from starting up and crashing again. Though I could be wrong. Currently I've had Windows wipe everything and try to start afresh. Havne't crashed yet, but then I've only installed Firefox thus far. I told GCC that it can fuck off, and hopefully never installing it in the first place will keep things from devolving into crashing again.
Oh, and this last bout of constant crashing came while I was really sick. I've spent most of the last 4 days laying in bed exhausted. Even when I haven't been sleeping I've been lying down because I'm slightly dizzy and very tired. Left my computer completely off for like an entire day because I coudln't do anything with while I was so tired. Thank goodness for being able to use my Raspberry Pi and my phone to stream stuff to entertain myself.
It looks like it's a common error:
Loading…
www.reddit.com
Most common solution seems to be wiping all the pre-installed data and doing a full windows reinstall, which sounds like you've already done, but given just how prominent this error seems to be with this exact manufacturer, if you're still within the return period I'd consider refunding and getting a different computer.
figmentPez
Staff member
I'm going to try to talk my mother into doing just that. She doesn't want to abuse Costco's return policy, but this really seems to be a case of a defective product line.
My latest re-install of Windows has started crashing again, and I've only got Firefox, Chrome and Steam installed. I though Gigabyte Control Center was messing things up, but that's not it.
figmentPez
Staff member
I'm fucking exhausted. If I can convince my mom that I should just buy a different computer all together, can anyone help me figure out a good pre-built to buy for ~$850 or less? It's really hard to shop around for a PC when your PC isn't working.
GasBandit
Staff member
I'm a bit of an Asus fanboy. If I were getting a computer at Costco, it'd probably be this one (But it is online only)
It's got a solid processor and a good amount of ram, but only an intel GPU. But that can be upgraded later when you can afford it.
figmentPez
Staff member
I don't have to buy from Costco, and I'm pretty sure I want a desktop.
I have thought about a Steam Deck, but I'm hesitant to have a Linux handheld as my only PC. Especially since I would not use it's portable features much.
I have thought about a Steam Deck, but I'm hesitant to have a Linux handheld as my only PC. Especially since I would not use it's portable features much.
figmentPez
Staff member
I'll keep looking. Upgrading later has historically been an issue. It'd probably be easier to try to get any sort of gaming capable card now, than do an upgrade later.
GasBandit
Staff member
I understand your trepidation. I kinda felt the same way, til I got one. Now I'm done buying windows PCs - my next gaming PC is going to be a Steam Deck (and a dual monitor USB-C dock).
figmentPez
Staff member
I'm still sick, so this really sucks. I don't feel competent to be doing this right now, but I don't want to be without a PC any longer than I have to be. I'm typing this post on my Raspberry Pi while watching a movie on my phone.
Anyway, specs of the PC I have now that is crashing:
Intel i5 14400F
32GB DDR5
Nvidia Geforce RTX 4060 8GB
2TB NVME SSD
Looking around that would be a damn good set of specs for the price, if it worked. I can't find anything with that much RAM and storage for the same price.
My price range is not set in stone, but I also need to remind myself that a reliable PC is better than a flaky one with better specs.
Okay, I'm starting to feel dizzy from sitting up too long.
Anyway, specs of the PC I have now that is crashing:
Intel i5 14400F
32GB DDR5
Nvidia Geforce RTX 4060 8GB
2TB NVME SSD
Looking around that would be a damn good set of specs for the price, if it worked. I can't find anything with that much RAM and storage for the same price.
My price range is not set in stone, but I also need to remind myself that a reliable PC is better than a flaky one with better specs.
Okay, I'm starting to feel dizzy from sitting up too long.
GasBandit
Staff member
I would say that is firmly in "too good to be true" territory, personally. I would expect to pay ~$1000 for those specs... though I'd probably insist on an i7 which would probably take it to $1200.
That depends entirely on what it's going to be used for. If it's just going to be for games and web browsing, you can get away with a pretty low spec cpu and save a lot of money.
GasBandit
Staff member
There's been a number of games now that are starting to shift some load back from the GPU to the CPU (especially VR titles, though Pez may not be interested in that), but I've been noticing a LOT more CPU load in games lately that make it so that I'd call the i5 a bare minimum and i7 a happy medium.
Even here as I sit playing baldur's gate 3 and idle champions while web browsing in windows 10, my CPU is pulling about 80%. Granted it is MANY generations behind, but I have definitely noticed a trend over the last few years for game devs to stop leaving those idle CPU cycles on the proverbial table.
The biggest question here is core/thread utilization. Is that 8 cores* each running at 80%? Or is that 7 cores maxed out at 100% and one core practically idle?
--Patrick
*Assuming 4+4 due to hyperthreading.
GasBandit
Staff member
8 at 80.
Do you know if the motherboard is B760 or H770? Also which brand is the SSD?
<checks Costco site>
Ok so it's B760...
<checks Gigabyte's site>
...and going by the pictures has to be either Gigabyte's B760M D3HP or B760M G AX motherboard (because white southbridge) but has to be the D3HP because it has 2x PCIe x1 slots listed in the specs (G AX only has one).
Things to look for:
-If this IS indeed the D3HP motherboard (and CPU-Z should confirm if it is), then make sure you update to the F5 BIOS which is suppose to finally fix the CPU microcode voltage crashing thing that's been kicking Intel's behind for the last two years. This update just came out Sept 27th, so it's likely your board might not have it yet.
-If it already has the F5 BIOS, then make sure you're using the "Intel defaults" setting rather than any performance settings. Better to lose a few FPS but not crash, right?
-Your SSD should be installed in the upper M.2 slot (the one between the GPU and the CPU), and NOT the lower slot (the one near the white southbridge).
-If you only have 2 memory modules installed, they should be installed one into the slot closest to the CPU (should be labeled "B2") and the third one from the CPU (should be labeled "A2"). If it's 4 then obviously one in each.
-If you are only using 2 memory modules, try locking the RAM speed in the BIOS to DDR5-4800 (PC5-38400). If you are using 4 memory modules, instead lock it to DDR5-4400 (PC5-35200). Memory is supposed to step down the speed when you double up the modules, but in case it is trying to overclock itself (because XMPGaMerZ), locking it down to the slower speed might tame it. This assumes your memory is rated for 4800/38400 speed or higher. If the labels on the RAM do NOT say DDR5-4800/PC5-38400 or higher, then definitely lock the RAM speed to whatever lower number is printed on the modules.
--Patrick