Search found 173 matches

by Bobfantastic
Tue Jul 31, 2007 2:58 am
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Stealth computing- any ideas?
Replies: 5
Views: 3867

Wow, touchy subject! Forget I asked. jhhoffma- I get where you're coming from, really, I just thought there might be a way to speed up folding a little bit. My home PC is offline until further notice, could be a few months, and the FaH team needs all the help it can get. As for treating the machine ...
by Bobfantastic
Mon Jul 30, 2007 5:15 am
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Stealth computing- any ideas?
Replies: 5
Views: 3867

Stealth computing- any ideas?

Hello all, Does anyone know how to overclock a Dell without involving the IT guy? We've just been given some rather nice Dell Optiplex GX745 ( Linky ) ultra-small form factor workstations. They're equipped with E6600's and 2GB of Ram, running XP Pro sp2- very nice. 8) The only problem is that theyre...
by Bobfantastic
Sun Jul 22, 2007 2:19 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: E6600 Newbie-Build - Now an E6750 system?!
Replies: 19
Views: 9086

The antec case fans are often quiet enough for most people (so long as they're kept slow), you should propbably just try them and see. The e6600 is easy enough to cool; again, I'd say start with one fan on the HSF and see how it goes. If it passes say 50 degrees at full load, you can think about add...
by Bobfantastic
Sat Jul 21, 2007 10:55 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: E6600 Newbie-Build - Now an E6750 system?!
Replies: 19
Views: 9086

2xCPU heatsink fan I'm assuming that's one for the HSF, one for the case exhaust? You really don't need one on each side of the HSF. Other than that it all seems fair enough. The HSF is good, the case is held in high regard by most here, I'm not familiar with that PSU though. The specs suggest its ...
by Bobfantastic
Sun Jul 08, 2007 10:21 pm
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Looking for a critique of planned system..
Replies: 79
Views: 38123

At less than £52, Home Premium is the sweet spot for price vs features. If you're in the UK- sorry if you're not- Ebuyer will ship you Vista without ever asking about your student status, and MS apparently cant tell the difference between the student version and full retail versions. I installed Ho...
by Bobfantastic
Sun Jul 01, 2007 10:20 pm
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Air Filters
Replies: 4
Views: 3201

I use filters made for hob extractor hoods- B&Q, ~£10 for about 2 square meters. Seem to work quite well.
Hope this helps!
by Bobfantastic
Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:49 am
Forum: The Silent Front
Topic: check out my heatsinks
Replies: 31
Views: 23436

strontium comprises 1.25%, beryllium comprises 1.38%
So that would be Strontium and Beryllium then?
Jeez, I hope no-one gets annoyed when they cant fit their heatsink from outside the case, and then starts choppng it up into little bits...
Seems like it would be a bit fatal. :roll:
by Bobfantastic
Sun Jun 10, 2007 8:52 am
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Dynamic Vibration Reduction Device. Insides exposed.
Replies: 28
Views: 15483

A big flat spring?
by Bobfantastic
Sun Jun 10, 2007 2:26 am
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Dynamic Vibration Reduction Device. Insides exposed.
Replies: 28
Views: 15483

They rattle, and are magnetic...
How about a moving magnet inside a fixed coil, attached to a solenoid that pushes back against the vibrations that move the magnet?
Seems a bit convoluted, but you never know...
by Bobfantastic
Sat Jun 09, 2007 12:11 pm
Forum: CPUs and Motherboards
Topic: Retrofitting motherboards?
Replies: 2
Views: 2583

Yep, everytime one blows on the Dell motherboards at work! We had a bad batch of mobos that came in with dodgy caps, they kept frying in the heat of the place so (being electronic engineers) we swapped them out and fired them back up again. I wouldnt do it if your warranty was still in place though,...
by Bobfantastic
Sat Jun 09, 2007 11:41 am
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Dynamic Vibration Reduction Device. Insides exposed.
Replies: 28
Views: 15483

Will you tell us what they are yet?!
Or at least how much they cost. Are they heavy? Do they rattle? Are they suitable for vegetarians? Do they set off metal detectors? Would McGyver be able to make one?
Tell us!
by Bobfantastic
Wed Jun 06, 2007 8:54 am
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Dynamic Vibration Reduction Device. Insides exposed.
Replies: 28
Views: 15483

Hmm... I'm thinking either opposing magnets or possibly a pair of pressurised bladders, either inside each other or at least feeding into each other.
Am I correct in assuming it's not a simple spring/damper arrangement?
:?:
I'm intrigued!
by Bobfantastic
Tue Jun 05, 2007 10:31 pm
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Dynamic Vibration Reduction Device. Insides exposed.
Replies: 28
Views: 15483

Bluefront only gets 56k (which is rarely even half as fast as that) in his area, so it takes him ages to upload and view his many awesome threads.
Keep up the good work!

What's actually inside these things, by the way?
by Bobfantastic
Tue Jun 05, 2007 10:41 am
Forum: Video Cards & Monitors
Topic: New Thermalright V2!
Replies: 7
Views: 4220

New Thermalright V2!

From here , released 1st June. Going into the second quarter of 2007, we have more video chipsets to choose from to satisfy the need in every one of us. What is constant is the fact that VGA heatsinks (stock and after-market) are getting bigger and bigger. For those not having the size, rely heavily...
by Bobfantastic
Wed May 16, 2007 9:58 am
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: What was your first computer?
Replies: 65
Views: 37546

I had a BBC Micro system - it was older than me, but I was only young at the time (and yes, it's still older than me) so couldnt be trusted to play with my brothers Sinclair ZX Spectrum . The Speccy died after our tape deck burned out; the BBC still works, the last time I checked. No idea of the num...
by Bobfantastic
Wed Apr 18, 2007 11:50 am
Forum: Quiet Prebuilt, SFF and Barebones Systems
Topic: SFF Tetris!
Replies: 20
Views: 16842

No problem- that's the whole idea! Yes, those temps are as close as I can easily get to the core temperature- and I believe that they're not very far from being correct, based on the previous (verified) temps with an inferior cooler. 8) I'm not going to use the 120mm fan at all- this PC is cold; abo...
by Bobfantastic
Sun Apr 15, 2007 1:52 am
Forum: Quiet Prebuilt, SFF and Barebones Systems
Topic: SFF Tetris!
Replies: 20
Views: 16842

Hi MrNeutrino, I'm running the Vista RC1 at the moment, and I couldnt get speedfan to play nicely with it, so the only temps I have are from the temp sensor built into the case- the sensor itself is jammed in between the heatpipes in the base of the noctua. The display on the front of the case reads...
by Bobfantastic
Sat Apr 14, 2007 10:33 am
Forum: Quiet Prebuilt, SFF and Barebones Systems
Topic: SFF Tetris!
Replies: 20
Views: 16842

Qviri- the dimensions are 133mm from the bottom of the case to the bottom of the PSU; 119mm from the top of the motherboard to the bottom of the PSU (not including the CPU socket or the CPU itself); and ~13mm from the top of the PCI bracket to the bottom of the PSU. I figured this was a better measu...
by Bobfantastic
Thu Apr 12, 2007 1:02 am
Forum: Newcomers Briefing Room
Topic: Raidmax Scorpio 868 noise vs dust
Replies: 4
Views: 5001

The first thing you should do is remove the black mesh from the fan on the window- that particular stuff is very restrictive, and produces a ridiculous amount of noise under any airflow. You probably also want to cut out the gratings in the way of the other fans, for much the same reason. If your HD...
by Bobfantastic
Fri Mar 23, 2007 12:35 pm
Forum: Site Feedback
Topic: Getting to Forums from Front Page
Replies: 3
Views: 3964

Getting to Forums from Front Page

Erm, I dont want to alarm anybody, but...

When I click the forums link from the homepage, it takes me to:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/aggregator/sources/3

Did somebody make a booboo? :?:
by Bobfantastic
Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:32 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Trying to install Vista Premium - Am I OK?
Replies: 6
Views: 2974

Is there not an option to format the HDD when you're selecting where to install? If so, then select the disc you want, tell it to format, and then exit the installation. Restart, booting from the CD, and install as usual. For some reason, Vista doesn't complete formatting the drive until you restart...
by Bobfantastic
Wed Mar 21, 2007 10:21 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Computer as TV!?!?
Replies: 6
Views: 4211

It would have been better to start with a proper TV, but it should be possible nonetheless. What connectors does the Dell have? You can get VGA leads for the 360 easily enough, should run you about £15. The Wii may need some extras; I'm thinking the component breakout leads, into a Component to S-V...
by Bobfantastic
Tue Mar 20, 2007 10:56 am
Forum: Power Supplies
Topic: [CeBIT 07] Arctic Cooling 80Plus 550W Prototype
Replies: 2
Views: 2436

All Cables wrapped in Snake Skin
Hmm... I'm sure PETA would rip them apart for that!
Mind you, Panda fur case insulation sounds tempting :twisted:
by Bobfantastic
Mon Mar 19, 2007 10:01 am
Forum: Deals, Vendors and Classifieds
Topic: Sticky for the UK
Replies: 107
Views: 572114

Try PC-Cooling.de . It's not particularly cheap (£27.29 at todays prices), but it's in stock and shipping is often cheaper than from UK stores. AS5 and Ceramique are also considerably cheaper than in the UK, they also stock all the adapter brackets etc for Thermalright. I've had several good experi...
by Bobfantastic
Mon Mar 19, 2007 3:17 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Please help..total noob needs advice on my system..
Replies: 5
Views: 3877

I'll put in another vote for the 7900GS over the 7600's- you can usually overclock the 7900GS up to silly speeds. My Inno3D 7900GS (256MB version) came with stock speeds of 450/1200MHz for core/ram; it now purs along nicely at 560/1540MHz, i.e. considerably faster than the stock 7900GT. I've never s...
by Bobfantastic
Thu Mar 15, 2007 5:42 am
Forum: Quiet Prebuilt, SFF and Barebones Systems
Topic: MicroFly help
Replies: 12
Views: 9684

Nowhere near enough, although I'm not sure where you'd put the fourth 8800GTX in that case anyway... :wink: On a serious note, what ARE you looking to put into it? 330w is usually plenty- see this thread for examples. A low-powered supply is only a problem if it's rubbish- poor efficiency means that...
by Bobfantastic
Sun Mar 11, 2007 2:36 am
Forum: Quiet Prebuilt, SFF and Barebones Systems
Topic: MicroFly help
Replies: 12
Views: 9684

Because of the layout of the case, the PSU went in last so the cables weren't a problem during assembly. At the moment, they're all bunched up and cable-tied to the steel bar the runs along that side of the case. The ends of the cables are hanging in space, granted, but they're not able to move abou...
by Bobfantastic
Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:40 pm
Forum: Quiet Prebuilt, SFF and Barebones Systems
Topic: MicroFly help
Replies: 12
Views: 9684

1. Yes and no- I knew what I was putting into the drive bays, and figured that with just one DVD burner and a single HDD that the beam could support them both. Before anything was mounted in the bays, after cutting the beam, the side of the bay rails was able to twist a bit more than it had previous...
by Bobfantastic
Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:47 pm
Forum: Quiet Prebuilt, SFF and Barebones Systems
Topic: MicroFly help
Replies: 12
Views: 9684

This is what I did with effectively the same case- clicky These things are known variously as the Microfly, X-Qpack, Blockbuster, and Chenming something-or-other (everybody makes the same thing). I wound up with a Seasonic S12-380, I would have preferred the 330 though (supplier problems). For the h...
by Bobfantastic
Wed Mar 07, 2007 8:55 am
Forum: The Silent Front
Topic: New Thermalright Ultra 120 Plus
Replies: 1
Views: 3495

New Thermalright Ultra 120 Plus

Heads up...

Anandtech preview

Should be good :D