1. DLP Flash Christmas Competition + Writing Marathon 2024!

    Competition topic: Magical New Year!

    Marathon goal? Crank out words!

    Check the marathon thread or competition thread for details.

    Dismiss Notice
  2. Hi there, Guest

    Only registered users can really experience what DLP has to offer. Many forums are only accessible if you have an account. Why don't you register?
    Dismiss Notice
  3. Introducing for your Perusing Pleasure

    New Thread Thursday
    +
    Shit Post Sunday

    READ ME
    Dismiss Notice

Computer Upgrade Advice + Troubleshooting

Discussion in 'Tech Support' started by Churchey, Feb 28, 2017.

  1. Churchey

    Churchey Supreme Mugwump

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2011
    Messages:
    1,770
    Location:
    Texas
    So I'm looking to start putting in some upgrades to my trusty old desktop. I originally built it in 2012 and I wanted to start putting some money into upgrading pieces.

    I was kind of hoping someone with a knack for this would give me advice on what order to upgrade.

    The build:


    I also kind of wanted a new monitor, since I'm using this one:
    https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236117



    Any suggestions on what I should look to start upgrading first?

    Also, I've been having issues with bluescreen crashes and my google skills have left me kind of lazily frustrated. Is there an idiot's guide to figuring out what my issue is? It always seems to start with sound, while watching a video or playing a game.
     
  2. Jamven

    Jamven Headmaster DLP Supporter

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2006
    Messages:
    1,120
    Location:
    Hunting Bullwinkle's assassin
    What do you want to get out of the build? Gaming? Video Editing? Or something basic to surf the web?
    Would you consider a complete rebuild? If so...
    Do you need the latest and greatest or are you content with newish but not the new hotness?
    Do you prefer AMD over Intel? Intel over AMD?
    Can you post your PSU?
    If you get the chance, can you post the blue screen stop code the next time it happens? Is it on a constant basis? Can you replicate it?
    When was the last time you formatted and reinstalled windows (if you use windows).

    Once we have an idea on what you want to do with it, we can go from there.

    However, there are some small upgrades you could consider with your current build.

    Find a SSD on the cheap and use that for where you install your OS. And keep your current HDD for storage or where you install games.
    Your motherboard supports 4 channels up to 32gigs of memory. I'd consider springing for another set of the memory you currently have.
    I'll hold off on GPU recommendations until I have a better idea on what you do with this build.
    And I'll let someone else make a monitor recommendation. I will say that I haven't had a good time with AMD's freesync technology, but YMMV

    If you are not in the market to cannibalize the whole thing and start from the ground up, the SSD and Memory upgrades will probably breath another 2 years of life into your build. You'll probably also need a new GPU at some point (that is actually where I suspect the BSOD issues are coming from, but again that's just speculation)
     
    Last edited: Feb 28, 2017
  3. Churchey

    Churchey Supreme Mugwump

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2011
    Messages:
    1,770
    Location:
    Texas
    Gaming and browsing really.
    Not really a complete rebuild. I was planning on slowly upgrading parts a bit at a time. I imagine eventually I'll get there, but I'm not looking for the latest and greatest, really just cost effective. I wouldn't mind playing games on ultra, but I don't think that's a feasible goal anytime soon.
    I was going for cost effectiveness but I think I'd prefer intel.
    https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139028


    I can the next time it happens. It's kind of a crapshoot though and I have no idea how to replicate it. Sometimes I can play a game, stream twitch, and watch youtube in a second channel. Sometimes it just dies on a single youtube stream.

    I haven't reformatted or reinstalled in a long time. Probably 2014?



    I'll look into the SSD and the ram recommendations and I'll try to get a photo of the bsod next time it pops up. Is there a way I can access the log of it or something? I was trying to follow a guide on that but didn't really get anywhere.
     
  4. Sacro

    Sacro Groundskeeper

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2010
    Messages:
    300
    Location:
    Germany
    Then GPU would probably the first thing you should invest in. If you get a new CPU, you'll have to get a new motherboard and RAM as well. Although you could really use a new CPU as well - is your Phenom at least overclocked?

    With AMD's new CPUs being released on thursday, I'd say you should wait before jumping onto Intel. From what's known so far, it looks like AMD may become an actual competitor again.


    Getting an SSD is fine at any time (usual recommendations would be the Evo 850 or MX300), but you've gotta think about when you want to change your CPU, since new boards only use DDR4, and thus buying DDR3 now (especially with prices climbing currently) and then getting a new CPU/motherboard next year would be quite the waste of money.

    Also, use BlueScreenView to look at all your prior BSOD's (if there are crashdumps present).
     
  5. Churchey

    Churchey Supreme Mugwump

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2011
    Messages:
    1,770
    Location:
    Texas
    Thanks!

    Any suggestions for GPU CPU and RAM to look into for something that doesn't entirely destroy my bank account but will be a solid pick for a few years?

    So I've downloaded the Bluescreenview, which says most of my crashes are being caused by my hal.dll driver and hall.dll+12903. I'm about to google for some answers but if anyone has an idea already, I'd appreciate your help!
     
  6. Sacro

    Sacro Groundskeeper

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2010
    Messages:
    300
    Location:
    Germany
    Like I mentioned, I'd wait with CPU (and therefore RAM) until the new ones from AMD are unveiled at the end of the week. GPU would depend on your budget and how high you want the details in games to be. You could do a rough list by price (though that may change with the release of the 1080Ti later this week, and again with Vega (which is rumored to be released in may)).

    $100-150: GTX1050Ti/RX460
    $150-200: RX470
    $200-300: GTX1060/RX480
    $350-450: GTX1070
    $500-650: GTX1080

    Always also post the STOP code. Since hal.dll is a system file, "sfc /scannow" might help. You could also use your Windows disc to copy over a fresh version to your pc. Or just reinstall Windows.
     
  7. Churchey

    Churchey Supreme Mugwump

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2011
    Messages:
    1,770
    Location:
    Texas
    So this makes me feel really really stupid, but I feel like I'm trying to decipher hieroglyphs looking at this.

    I was looking through those options you listed and was looking at this one in particular:
    https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...14137033&cm_re=GTX1060-_-14-137-033-_-Product

    How important is the memory on my gpu? Should it definitely be 6gb?

    Got organizational access to a new windows key for a fresh install, so hopefully that fixes the issue, since sfc /scannow gave me this:

    http://imgur.com/a/I5VyU
     
  8. Sacro

    Sacro Groundskeeper

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2010
    Messages:
    300
    Location:
    Germany
    Yes. Nowadays 4GB is the minimum you should get (if possible). If your card runs out of VRAM, the game will then use normal RAM instead which is much slower and will most likely cause stuttering. If you're going for a 1060, I'd recomment spending the $250 to get a proper one. If you want to spend less, go for an RX470/480 with 8GB VRAM instead.

    It probably can't repair/replace files that are in use - you'd probably have to boot from a Windows disc/stick and run it from there. I assume the log lists which files couldn't be replaced.
     
  9. Churchey

    Churchey Supreme Mugwump

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2011
    Messages:
    1,770
    Location:
    Texas
    So I'll wait to see what's up with AMD's new processors. I really wanted to upgrade my monitor, is that something that would be kind of fruitless before upgrading my cpu/board/ram?

    I'm looking at the 480s and I'm really struggling to compare and pick. Any real difference between performance of 480s vs 1060s? Any brands to stick with?

    Thanks for all your help btw.
     
  10. Sacro

    Sacro Groundskeeper

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2010
    Messages:
    300
    Location:
    Germany
    Nah, you can get a new monitor now - though if you plan to get a 120/144Hz monitor you might not be able to actually use the 120/144Hz until you upgrade.

    Like always, it depends on the game - in some the 1060 will be faster, in others the 480. Look up benchmarks for the games you'll be playing for the most part and decide based on that.

    As for brands MSI is predictably one of the best (for both 480 and 1060), but also expensive. Same goes for Asus Strix. For the 1060, the KFA² is pretty good as well. And the PowerColor RX 480 Red Devil is one of the best 480s.
     
  11. Churchey

    Churchey Supreme Mugwump

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2011
    Messages:
    1,770
    Location:
    Texas
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IEKYD5U/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

    Just got home from work and I'm taking your suggestions into account. Looking at this one currently, what do you think? I'm diving into monitors atm, do you have any suggestions to look at around 350 or less? I currently have a 23" and I'm really wanting a 27" or bigger.

    Overall, I like single player RPGs, some MMOs, some MOBAs, and my goal is to return to the days of eventually being able to play on ultra. I'm thinking of putting around 150$/month into upgrading this one piece at a time, after the initial ~600$ this month.

    Currently looking at this and this for next month. Thoughts?
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2017
  12. Sacro

    Sacro Groundskeeper

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2010
    Messages:
    300
    Location:
    Germany
    The MSI is good.

    The thing with 27" monitors is that 1080p more often than not looks bad on them, so I'd personally go for 1440p instead. The only 27" 1440p monitor I know of that's under $350 is the BenQ GW2765HT. Keep in mind though that the GTX 1060 will have a harder time running games on max settings at 1440p - you might need a 1070 to max every game out.

    Mainboard with H270 chipset but a 6500K CPU - either get a non-K CPU or a motherboard with Z270 chipset - oh and don't get the combo with that cooler, there's better cooler options out there. Also, with the release of 3 new AMD CPUs (like already mentioned), the prices of Intel might drop a little, so don't worry too much about CPU/motherboard yet until you're actually ready to buy them.
     
  13. Churchey

    Churchey Supreme Mugwump

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2011
    Messages:
    1,770
    Location:
    Texas
    Thanks for the info and help, I'll probably have more questions after work.

    Last night was just a frustrating exercise in attempting to install windows 10.

    Ive tried installing directly, creating a boot usb with an iso, but I keep getting 2 hours into the process to trip at the finish line where it restores my previous. Also now my computer is giving me warnings that my windows 7 is not genuine and asking me to make it legit, but then microsoft's webtool for legitimization isn't working.

    I keep getting this error:
    0xC1900101-0x30018

    First boot failed during sysprep

    All my google fu is giving me very little as far as answers. I've done a clean boot and tried that, some are saying its a problem with my system files that I can't repair with sfc /scannnow which doesn't work for me, and the rest have not changed my results.

    How am I supposed to fix my old version of windows? And why do I need to to install a brand new legit copy? Frustrating experience--I'd appreciate any advice you might have.
     
  14. Skykes

    Skykes Minister of Magic DLP Supporter

    Joined:
    May 14, 2006
    Messages:
    1,353
    Location:
    Ireland
    What 1440p 120hz+ monitor would you recommend?



    Churchey, just install windows 10, it's easier.
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2017
  15. Sacro

    Sacro Groundskeeper

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2010
    Messages:
    300
    Location:
    Germany
    So the installation runs normal, but then it just restores your old one? During the installation, did you delete your old partition that has windows on it? If not, try that (it'll delete anything on that partition though - but I assume you know that).

    If you have trouble activating, try the phone activation method. That seems to be something that always works for people for the most part.
    Skykes

    At that point you should get a G-Sync/Freesync monitor, so which brand is your GPU? Also what budget? For now I'm just going to assume any price is fine, and so:

    If you've got an AMD card then the ASUS MG279
    If you've got Nvidia then the Acer Predator XB271HU
     
  16. Skykes

    Skykes Minister of Magic DLP Supporter

    Joined:
    May 14, 2006
    Messages:
    1,353
    Location:
    Ireland
    I have a GTX 1080, that's a very nice monitor. Is there anything a bit cheaper though?
     
  17. Churchey

    Churchey Supreme Mugwump

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2011
    Messages:
    1,770
    Location:
    Texas
    I'm trying, but the install won't work!

    It keeps telling me that it's failing the install, and the error code is associated with my system files being corrupted.
     
  18. Innomine

    Innomine Alchemist ~ Prestige ~ DLP Supporter

    Joined:
    Nov 27, 2007
    Messages:
    2,280
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    New Zealand
    High Score:
    4,500
    Sacro had the right idea, when you boot off the USB, just wipe your computer's hard drive completely. Then install.

    Definitely back up everything you want before you do this.
     
  19. Churchey

    Churchey Supreme Mugwump

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2011
    Messages:
    1,770
    Location:
    Texas
    So I got a copy of windows through my school, have a legit key and everything. I use their setup tool, put in the key, and it downloads for like 2 hours, installs, then at some point after checking for updates, it restores previous OS, gives me that error code, and deletes all the downloaded files so I have to start over.

    The second time I saved it to create a burn dvd, but used Rufus to create the boot drive on a 64gig usb. But my computer wouldn't boot from the usb, like I thought. I just opened the setup.exe from the usb, and it ran fine until the same point where it restored the old operating system.

    How do I run the install and delete my old OS at the same time? I assumed it would clear that partition on its own, but its not.

    Since this is just an upgrade to windows 7/8/8.1, XP, Vista, or 10 home/pro, the upgrade just won't fucking work.


    It also pops up on every restart before even starting explorer that my copy is not genuine and tells me to make it genuine. But their tool doesn't fucking work either.

    It's also replaced my background with a black screen that shows this in the bottom right corner:
    [​IMG]

    And then gives me this popup every few minutes.
    [​IMG]

    Which once again takes me to the same link that doesn't work.

    edit: Forgot to mention, trying to restart and boot from the usb doesn't work, and my bios doesn't seem to recognize it.
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2017
  20. Sacro

    Sacro Groundskeeper

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2010
    Messages:
    300
    Location:
    Germany
    Well there's this ViewSonic that's pretty decent, and then there's this Dell. Some people had some bad experience with the Dell - apparently you have to get a "good version" of it - so you've got to decide if you want to potentially deal with that.

    There are no other 27" 1440p G-Sync below the price of the dell. You could just buy one with Freesync instead (even though you wouldn't be able to use Freesync), but it wouldn't be exactly ideal.
    Churchey

    So you're running the installer from inside Windows because your BIOS doesn't detect your USB drive? Have you tried using Microsofts USB creation tool? If not, try that. If that doesn't work, try making the USB drive bootable manually - here's a guide for that (you'll need a windows .iso for that - legal .iso downloads can be found here).
     
Loading...