If it's artefacts on bootup that sounds like the video memory is more likely to be going. It changes everything when you say the artefacts are on bootup! For NVIDIA/AMD, what I would suggest is that if you are planning on keeping the card for a long time, as you have with this one, NVIDIA is better...

CA_Steve wrote:games. Stuff like increasing AA or AF, shadow and water quality, ground clutter, etc.

Thanks for the clarification. The 9600GT fared pretty well with the few games I do play, so it seems the 7750 should cope. If I get sucked into heavier gaming, I'll break out the wallet and go bigger.

It doesn't take a lot of video card to get better performance than the venerable 9600GT. The HD 7750 is one and there's a couple of passive versions. This is as low as you want to go for gaming. If you want to turn up the bells and whistles on your future (1080p?), then you might need a card with b...

I don`t think I would invest in a cooler for such an old card, especially one that begins to show signs of failure. Saphire and Club3d make passive versions of the hd7750 which should be a decent upgrade over the 9600gt. There`s also the Powercolor 7850 though I would avoid such a powerful passive ...

Hi, Currently using an ECS 9600GT with a passive cooler. I've been getting artifacts lately on screen, and a swap with a different card indicates the 9600 is failing. I'm looking for a suitable replacement that performs as well or better than the 9600, has a passive cooler, if possible, and multiple...

The power button placement looks especially dumb on the P280... The power button was moved to the top of the case specifically in response to complaints about having to open the door in previous P18x cases to turn on the machine. Which doesn't mean you can't hate it, but it wasn't a random decision...

My P280 arrived on Tuesday. Haven't had the chance to move the considerable guts of my current machine into it (currently using an original P180) but plan to do so this weekend. I'm considering adding sound dampening material after reading the discussion up thread and having opened and examined the ...

Great review. I have to say the top fan issue is a major disappointment. I have a P180, and was waiting to see how the P183 turned out in anticipation of moving and upgrading my system. I don't follow Antec's reasoning behind this part of the design. The P183 does appeal to me as they moved the lowe...

What happens if you return all the RAM settings to SPD/Auto? I ask because 939 systems are notorious for having fits when all four RAM slots are filled. I had this trouble as well, and eventually swapped 512x4 for 2x1GB. Everything calmed down then. What is the Command Rate set to? With four modules...

They say the Xigmatek is noisy because they used the stock fan, which runs at 2000rpm (high speed) and 1100rpm (presumably the lowest they speed they used). Mine runs at about 900RPM, sometimes lower, occasionally in the 1050's RPM (full load, warmer room). It is controlled by the motherboard PWM h...

Indeed, kudos to Antec for the excellent warranty service, but... From all this it sounds like their products are not very reliable. I think you are seeing that a lot of SPCR readers use Antec products - many of us multiple products - and sometimes they do break. Doesn't mean they are inherently de...

And do I understand correctly that they ship internationally? This sounds almost too good to be true. I too had 2 plastic clips break in my P182SE side panel, and thought I would just have to cope with it. Just to be clear - the left and right side panels are identical, right? I am in the US so I c...

Holy-Fire wrote:Did they require you to return the broken parts?

I've had parts replaced for several different Antec case models under warranty and they have never asked for old parts in exchange.

Until quite recently, they never even asked for proof of purchase.

I haven't seen the S1283 sell with a rebate, myself. I bought mine at the end of April, and had been in the market for a second heat sink for my secondary machine. I went with an Asus Triton 75 cause the rebate brought it well under $20 shipped. I'd say just jump on it - it is worth every cent, in m...

Also, I can get the Kingwin version a couple bucks cheaper [ since Newegg removed their free shipping on the Xigmatek. ] Is it as good? Newegg reviewers ( Yes, I know, useless for the most part ) give the Kingwin considerably lower scores and a ton less reviews. Any cons? Installing is worse? I've ...

S1283 does fantastically well on 45nm cpus. I run it in an E8400 with outstanding results.

If your previous CPU was socket 775, then the overall CPU heat spreader should be the same size - what is inside is what has changed.

OK. I now know i have somehow damaged my gainward card because after i now have a XFX card with accelero installed and it works perfectly fine. I dont have the stuttering problem anymore. I have some concerns thou. I had Idle temps of 39-42c wich is great for modern graphics cards but i have a load...

Im using everest to monitor temps on cpu,gpu and hdds. Problem is even when idle in windows just moving the mouse very fast i see the jumping. If i try watching a divx(not even 720p) it hacks along. Does this occur when you shut down Everest? Have you tried shutting down other background programs, ...

Ok, thanks, i'm decided :D . As all of you know, the triton uses heatpipes which describe a "7" shape. Since my pc is an ATX tower and it's going to be stand up, how i have to install the heatsink to have more performance? It doesn't matter? Asus lit in the box shows the heat sink set up with the b...

I've read the recommended heatsinks in this page and there are others better but i think they would reach the side fan. This afternoon i've been comparing the sizes and the prices of these heatsinks and i think the one that could fit without problems is the triton 75. Anyone thinks it could give me...

What manufacturers have warranty even if original cooler is replaced? EVGA is said to honor warranties if you use an aftermarket heat sink. For future reference an S2 is plenty for the 9600GT - I have the ECS version of the card and it runs way cooler at both load and idle than my older eVGA 8600GT...

update! unplugged the fan and re-plugged it in the correct header (at least, I hope so, the manual for the MoBo calls it the "chassis fan" plug, and SpeedFan now reads it as "System Fan"). tinkered a lot with those % for the fan RPM in SpeedFan to no avail.. RPM still varies between 1148, 1156, 116...

Click Configure, then go to the fan tab. Uncheck the boxes next to every fan that shows an RPM value of zero - those are not entries that correspond to an actual fan as you have only the one. Then on the main screen again there should be just theCPU0 fan showing, and one Speed box below it. Try lowe...

If the Noctua is the only fan plugged into the motherboard to draw power, it should be the only fan that shows up on Speedfan under "Fans". You can then try to see if Speedfan will allow you to lower the RPM. I don't use Speedfan in my current rig but it is somewhat intuitive once installed. Any spe...

First you need to determine if the fan is the source of the low pitched hum that is bothering you. With the case open,m gently touch the hub of the fan motor to slow or stop it, and see if the noise persists. If it goes away, Speedfan can potentially help if the Noctua is plugged into a motherboard ...

Just wondering if anyone out there owns a Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R. Based on reading about Gigabyte's P35 range, it appears that most support CPU undervolting. But, (1) does the GA-EP35-DS3R in particular support CPU undervolting, and if so (2) what's the lowest allowed voltage setting? I got an E2160...

Solid choices. For my Solo I installed two Scythe Kama Flex 1600 rpm 92mm fans, and put them on Zalman Fanmate 2 rheostats (I have 4 HDDs in my Solo, three of them warm-running Seagates). If your hard drive(s) even need a fan, it doesn't have to run very fast at all - even a little directed air moti...

JVM wrote:Quite surprising the ECS 8800 GT is $145 dollars and $30 less than the ECS 9600 GT. So, I don't know if it makes any sense to buy the 9600 GT.

ECS 8800 GT at $145 dollars:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814134035

Wow - low price for an 8800GT.

Is that an S2 on it?

Wow, that is really high.

I have the ECS 9600GT also, and it idles around 39-42C and tops out at about 62C under extended full load. This is in an Antec P180B case with a slow 500RPM font fan, and two low RPM (800) exhaust fans.

I like the change of the placement of the lower drive cage fan in the P183. It accommodates those of us who have 4 or more hard drives in the case, as the current set up is terribly inefficient for hard drive cooling. A fan could be run far slower (and quieter) in the front position and have a bette...