Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by alvinkhorfire

Internet Pass

alvinkhorfire — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 11:38:35 +0800

I am using Maxis Postpaid, which consists of a principal line and a supplementary line.

I intend to purchase an internet pass (10 GB for 30 days, with the fee of RM 15) for my supplementary line, from Maxis.

Is RM 15 fee reasonable for the internet pass of 10 GB for 30 days?

Thank you.

[WTA] Recommend A Good Router

alvinkhorfire — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 06:02:47 +0800

I am looking for a medium-high quality ADSL router, to replace my existing D-Link DSL-2640B, originally from TMNet. The wireless connection with the existing router drops off for no apparent reason, although the LAN connection is still okay.

My internet package is 1 Mbps TMNet Streamyx. Please recommend a good ADSL router (brand, and model number) for me, to be used in my home. The new router must have similar or better features than my old router.

The required features of all-in-one ADSL modem+router+wireless are:
- Capable of supporting Gigabit Ethernet connection.
- Maximum of four ethernet ports. One port will be connected to my desktop.
- Can support 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n wireless networking standard. At peak hour, 3 laptops, 1 iPad and 3 smartphones will be using the wireless connection.
- Has the feature of a physical firewall, and MAC filtering.
- Has physical button to turn on and off the router.
- The router should be of medium-high quality that it should last several years of normal usage.

Budget: RM 80 to RM 300. I am willing to pay for reputable brand with decent stability, performance and reliability.
The price of the router needs not to be cheap, as long as it is not too exorbitant that performance gain does not commensurate with the added cost.

Thank you for your suggestion.

Recommend A Laptop Hard Drive

alvinkhorfire — Wed, 24 Sep 2014 22:27:19 +0800

Please recommend me a 2.5-Inch SATA internal hard drive, for my laptop. It is just a value hard drive, not a high performance hard drive. I would want at least 500 GB of capacity.

My budget is around RM 150 to RM 250. The price of the hard disk needs not to be cheap, as long as it is not too exorbitant that performance gain does not commensurate with the added cost.

1. Currently, which brand (and model number) of 2.5-Inch SATA hard drive is the best?

2. Should I go for 7200 RPM hard drive, or 5400 RPM hard drive? Is it true that 7200 RPM hard drive is not as long-lasting as 5400 RPM hard drive?

3. What is the price of the enclosure that can convert that internal hard drive, into an external one?

Thank you for your help. It has been a pleasure learning some tips from Lowyat experts.

Testing a Blu-ray Burner After Purchase

alvinkhorfire — Tue, 29 Oct 2013 23:32:55 +0800

I have just purchased a Pioneer BDR-207EBK 12X SATA burner. How should I properly test it, to ensure that it works as intended? Similar to everyone, I am given one week for one-to-one exchange, so this test has to be completed this week.

Thanks for the advice, guys.

Best Time To Purchase 2 Notebook RAM Modules

alvinkhorfire — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 19:10:08 +0800

I want to know when is the best time to purchase two new 8 GB 1333 MHz 204-pin SODIMM PC3-10600 Unbuffered NON-ECC DDR3 SDRAMs (not second hand) for my laptop.

So, I am wondering whether:
a) The price of this type of RAM module will increase possibly due to the fact it is being phased out for newer RAM technology. Thus, I should buy the RAM now.

Or;

b) The price of this type of RAM module will decrease in the near future. So, I will delay buying it.

1. Can anyone tell me whether it is worthy to buy it now or should I wait it longer? Once it becomes obsolete, its price will be too expensive and I certainly would not want that.

2. Which brand of notebook RAM is the best? I do not perform any overclocking, just perform normal functions like gaming and surfing the Internet.

3. If I am not mistaken, the model number for Kingston notebook RAM is KVR1333D3S9/8G. Correct me if I am mistaken. I would not want to buy the wrong model.

Yes, upgrading from 8 GB to 16 GB does not provide signifcant performance upgrade to my system. That is why I do not need RAM upgrade now and will delay the purchase until it is cheap enough.

Thank you for your advice.

Suggesting a Power Supply Unit

alvinkhorfire — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 23:42:28 +0800

Guys, I would like to replace my faulty power supply unit in my desktop. Thus, I would appreciate any recommendation that you can provide to me.

The main purpose of using my computer is purely gaming. My computer specification is as follow:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
8 GB (4 x 2 GB) Kingston DDR2 800 MHz SDRAM Memory
Leadtek WinFast GTX460 1GB OC, 725 MHz Core, 3600 MHz Memory (powered by two 6-pin power connectors)
1 TB 7200 RPM Samsung SpinPoint F3 hard disk
BTX motherboard

425 W Power Supply Unit:
- 14 cm length x 15 cm width x 9.8 cm height
- 1 x Main connector (24 Pin)
- 6 x SATA
- 1 x Floppy
- 2 x PCI-E

My faulty PSU is rated at steady state loads, not peak loads like most other manufacturers.

The desired features of the new PSU:
1. My desktop can accept most standard ATX power supplies with a 24-pin main motherboard power connector, and at least six SATA 15-pin, power connectors.
2. Because the CPU has an open back panel, a power supply with or without the on/off switch can be used.
3. Its power wattage can be 800 w or above.
4. It would be good that the power supply unit includes a self-diagnostic feature, in the form of a test button for the power supply on the back of the system. This is optional.

I hope that I can change it to the most powerful PSU I can get, so that I can run something like GeForce GTX 690 in the future. Hopefully, the newer PSU is similar in the dimension to my older PSU, and has similar number or more power cables.

Please tell me the best PSU (brand, model number, price) to use. Well, I can spend about RM 600 for that, or any higher amount if it is reasonable.

Thank you for the advice, guys. Happy Chinese New Year to all!

Here are photos of my rig and its power supply unit.

The interior of my rig:

Power button is located on the left side of the photo. All cables are plugged on the right side of the photo.

Specification of Powers Supply Unit:

Here is the text version of the specification:-

QUOTE

Dell
MODEL NO: L425P-00
DELL P/N: TP728
P/N:PS-7431-2DF-LF DC OUTPUT: 425 W
_____
Hi-POT OK
_____
INPUT: 100-240V ~ /7A 50-60 Hz

OUTPUT: +5V --- / 22A MAX -12V --- / 1A MAX
+5V(FP) --- / 4A MAX +3.3V --- / 17A MAX
COMBINED POWER ON +3.3v AND +5V RAILS NOT EXCEED 150W.
COMBINED POWER ON +12VA, + 12VB AND +12VC RAILS NOT EXCEED 410W.
MAX CONTINUOUS TOTAL DC OUTPUT POWER SHALL NOT EXCEED 425W.

AMBIENT: 50 C MAX

______
SERIAL NO.: B 00040654 LEVEL 3

CAUTION: DISCONNECT POWER BEFORE SERVICING.

MADE IN CHINA. FJ

______
CN-OTP728-71615-7CM-O1C8
REV AO2 Made in China.

CPU Switched Off by Itself.

alvinkhorfire — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 17:06:14 +0800

A few minutes after booting up into Windows, my desktop switched off by itself without any reason. The monitor screen became blank and the power light on the CPU was off. I think that the problem is not due to my monitor. It is because I managed to access the monitor setting, by pressing the monitor buttons.

There was no diagnostic beep when it is powered. Note that I have never overclocked any component in the computer.

The problem has worsen, up to point that my desktop switched off by itself even during BIOS. Upon closer inspection, I realized that:
1. There is no problem in my power supply in my house. I tried connecting the CPU power plug to different power sockets, but to no avail.
2. The same symptom is also exhibited even after I detach the power cable to video card, and the SATA card to hard disk.
3. The LED on my motherboard lights off when the same problem occurs. Usually, when my desktop is working fine, this LED continuously emits light.

Guys, could you please advise me what is the cause of the computer malfunction and how I should fix it? I like this computer very much and it hurts me seeing it being malfunctioned.

My computer specification is as follow:

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
8 GB (4 x 2 GB) Kingston DDR2 800 MHz SDRAM Memory
Leadtek WinFast GTX460 1GB OC, 725 MHz Core, 3600 MHz Memory
1 TB 7200 RPM Samsung SpinPoint F3 hard disk
BTX motherboard
425 W Power Supply Unit

Thank you for your advice.

Recommending A DVD Burner

alvinkhorfire — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 10:42:02 +0800

I am looking for a medium-high quality tray-load internal DVD burner. It should also burn DVD+R Dual Layer disc.

My previous DVD burner is TSSTcorp HH SATA 16X DVD+-RW TS-H653B. It is an internal 16X DVD+/-RW burner with dual layer write capabilities. The new DVD burner I am seeking should be equivalent or better than my old optical drive.

The features of my old optical drive:

QUOTE

Supported read features: CD-R, CD-RW, DVD ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD+R Dual Layer, Mode2 Form1, Mode2 Form2, multisession, FP Method2, RW, ISRC, UPC, RW SubDeint, PW LeadIn, CD Text.

Supported write features: CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD+R Dual Layer, stimulation, supports buffer underrun protection, Mode DAO, Mode DAO 96 Packet Write, Mode DAO 96 Raw Write, Mode DAO 16, Mode RAW DAO, Mode DAO CD Text, Mode SAO, Mode TAO, Mode Packet Write, CD Text.

Misc features: C2 pointers, Plays audio, Uses CDDA Cmd, Accurate CDDA, Lock supported, Eject supported, Supports separate volume, Supports mute separate.

It should not be too expensive, but it should be of medium-high quality that it should last several years of normal usage. Yes, I know that there is no such thing as eternally long-lasting DVD burner, but it should not be easily spoilt like low-quality optical drives.

1. My hard disk is of SATA 2 type, although the old optical drive utilizes SATA 1 connection. Does that mean that I can use SATA 2 type DVD burner?

2. Do all 5.25-inch DVD burner have the same size (length x width x height)? The front part of the tray has to be flat, because the drive will be placed behind the drive panel as shown.

[attachmentid=3015601]

When the tray of the DVD drive is ejected, the tray will push open the insert of the drive panel.

3. Can the suggested DVD burner burn double-sided DVDs?

4. Is it affordable to buy Blu-ray ROM, or even Blu-ray burner? I do not have the need for Blu-ray discs, and it is more for future needs. Is there minimum computer requirement to fully support Blu-ray optical drives?

Thank you for your suggestion, guys.

DVD Burner Is Not Spinning DVD

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 07:30:00 +0800

DVD Burner Is Not Spinning DVD

alvinkhorfire — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 18:41:07 +0800

I have a desktop with a internal DVD Burner, TSSTcorp HH SATA 16X DVD+-RW TS-H653B. The DVD burner does not spin DVD anymore, and I need your help in solving this problem. I would appreciate any help and assistance given to me.

It is a conventional tray-load DVD burner, made by Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology Corporation. Its features are as follow:

QUOTE

A few days ago, I placed a blank DVD inside the drive tray, with the intention of burning the DVD. During DVD burning, I heard unusually loud DVD scratching sound from the drive. I did not suspect something amiss, other than the DVD being already spoilt before the burning process. The DVD were being spun and burned. When the disc burning program (CDBurnerXP) proceeded to "writing lead-out" stage to close the DVD, the disk drive stopped spinning the DVD at all.

After a long time, it was still at "writing lead-out" stage. Thus, I just "ended task" the disc burning program and ejected the disc. I was shocked to discover that the DVD was severely scratched at its outer edge. Only then, I realized that I might misplaced the DVD on the disc tray, until it was misaligned. The damaged DVD is just a minor problem, since the DVD burner unable to spin discs is a far bigger concern.

Now, whenever I place the DVD on the tray, the disc drive does not spin DVD at all, and thus my desktop cannot read the DVD. Hence, that rules out burning DVD as well.

Nevertheless, the optical disc drive is still capable of ejecting a DVD, either by pressing the eject button on the drive, or by right-clicking the drive and select eject.

So, how should I solve this problem, as well as getting my DVD burner to spin, read and burn DVDs as normal?

Any advice given is very much appreciated.

Renewing Warranty or Paying Repair Fee

alvinkhorfire — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:03:42 +0800

I have a Dell Inspiron 14R (N4010), which its warranty expired May last year. Recently, it cannot successfully boot up into Windows, if its WIFI is enabled. Thus, I am facing a dilemma, whether to renew its warranty or pay its repair fee.

Option 1: Renew its Warranty
Renew its Warranty is beneficial in the long run, as I can request Dell to repair this computer free of charge anytime during the renewed warranty period. However, won't Dell be suspicious that I suddenly want to renew the warranty, after it is expired a long time ago? After all, once the warranty is renewed, I would request Dell to repair this laptop. For that, Dell would know that the reason for me to renew the warranty is due to its faulty condition. Thus, Dell would not hesitate to charge a hefty renewal fee.

Option 2: Pay its repair fee
As its warranty expired, my call to Dell Technical Line would be first transferred to Finance Department. In other words, I have to make payment to Dell first, before Dell would dispatch a technician to repair my computer. However, if the laptop cannot be repaired in one attempt, then the payment for multiple repairs will be expensive and it is then more worthwhile to extend the warranty.

I believe my problem is hardware-related, as the problem resurfaced even after I formatted the computer and reinstall the Windows. If I do not disable the WIFi-related services (such as Extensible Authentication Protocol and WLAN AutoConfig), the computer would hang upon startup.

Guys, which option should I choose? Thank you for the advice.

Applying For A Home Wired Broadband?

alvinkhorfire — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 16:41:17 +0800

I would like to apply for a home wired broadband package without applying for a phone line. It is for me to use just at home. I am hoping that it costs around RM 100 per month.

The reason is that I do not use the home telephone at all. Since TMNet Streamyx requires phone line installation, I cannot apply for it. What about UniFi? Does it require phone line installation? Its FAQ does not mention it.

Wireless broadband that requires USB doggle, offered by Maxis and Celcom for example, is not suitable for this purpose. I do realize that Maxis provides home broadband as well. If I am not mistaken, the home internet package offered by Maxis and Celcom respectively is slightly more expensive and has more restrictive download volume quota, and thus is not suitable for me. Still, I could be wrong about it.

Thank you very much for the advice given.

Suggesting A Powerful nVidia Graphics Card

alvinkhorfire — Wed, 04 May 2011 18:06:35 +0800

My desktop originally has nVidia GeForce 8800 GTX 768 MB. I intend to replace it with a nVidia graphics card (as powerful as possible) which is also suitable to be installed inside my rig. The motherboard inside my CPU is a BTX motherboard. The main purpose of using my computer is purely gaming, hoping that the new video card can enable maximum gaming setting if possible.

Budget? My budget is up to RM 1000. I am not saying that I am rich, but if it is worthwhile, I will pay more for it. The price of the card needs not to be cheap, as long as it is not too exorbitant that performance gain does not commensurate with the added cost.

The replacement graphics card should provide significant gaming performance improvement as compared to my previous one. My main priority is the outright performance of the card. The card should have DVI and HDMI outputs. Without changing the power supply or using additional connectors besides the PCI-e slot, please tell me the best card (brand, amount of video RAM, price) to use. I will not overclock my system, hoping to extend the longevity of my system. My screen resolution is 1440 x 900.

1. Well, the rating of my power supply is 425 W. This power supply is rated at steady state loads, not peak loads like most other manufacturers. Thus, it is underated.

My desktop has two 2x3 PCI-E power connectors to power the graphics card. I know that the bus interface of GeForce 8800 GTX is of PCI-E 1.0 x16. I know that GeForce GTX 460 has been proven to work just fine in desktops similar to mine. PCI-E slot x16 that I have is PCI-E 2.0 compliant. Then again, what about GeForce 500 Series, such as GTX 550 Ti and GTX 560 Ti? I desire the best video card for my desktop, without charging my power supply.

2. What is the dimension of the new graphics card? The dimension of my original card (excluding the supporting board) is: 27 cm x 10 cm x 4 cm (length x width x height). I hope that it will fit well in my rig, without the need to force fit it.

3. How can I tell whether the new graphics card is BTX-compliant? Since the BTX motherboard is mounted on left side of the rig and the fan of the graphic card must be directed upwards, I afraid of choosing the wrong card (such as ATX-compliant) with its fan directed downwards.

4. What are other factors that I should deliberate upon, when choosing suitable video card? Are they the ability to exhausts heat outside of the case, rather than keeping it inside; larger fans versus smaller turbine type fan?

5. Then, which type should I choose for maximum gaming performance? Video card with external exhaust or internal exhaust?

6. Should I install additional heat sink or fan inside the rig, to account for the new video card? If that is so, what would be suitable brand of such components and their price?

My computer specification is as follow:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.40 GHz
Intel x38 Chipset
8 GB (4 x 2 GB) Kingston DDR2 800 MHz SDRAM Memory
768 MB nVidia GeForce 8800 GTX
1 TB 7200 RPM Samsung SpinPoint F3 hard disk
425 W Power Supply Unit

Thank you for the advice given.

Screen Became Blank Without Showing BIOS.

alvinkhorfire — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 19:15:01 +0800

When I was playing game, the screen became blank (black screen), with sound from my speaker hang (same sound repeatedly). Thus, I were forced to perform an improper shutdown. After a restart, my computer performed just fine.

The next day, when I was just playing music in my computer, the screen again became blank (black screen), with sound from my speaker hang (same sound repeatedly). Once again, I were forced to perform an improper shutdown. This time, when I switched on the computer, the screen remained blank without showing BIOS. It could be heard that the fans were running slightly louder.

Thus, I tried to remove and disconnect the hard disk and tried to switch on it again. The screen remained blank. Guys, could you please advise me what is the cause of the computer malfunction and how I should fix it? I like this computer very much and it hurts me seeing it being malfunctioned.

My computer specification is as follow:

Dell XPS420 Desktop / BIOS A07
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
8 GB (4 x 2 GB) Kingston DDR2 800 MHz SDRAM Memory
768 MB nVidia GeForce 8800 GTX
1 TB 7200 RPM Samsung SpinPoint F3 hard disk
425 W Power Supply Unit

Thank you for the advice given.

How To Claim Warranty For Hard Disk?

alvinkhorfire — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 12:42:46 +0800

Suppose that I have a faulty Samsung SpinPoint F3, bought a few months ago. It has three-year warranty. Thus, I will bring the hard disk and the receipt to the computer shop in Lowyat, in order to claim the warranty for it.

1. Do I have to pay any fee in claiming the warranty?

2. If I bring the hard disk to the shop today, how long do I have to wait to get replacement hard disk? Can I get it on the spot?

3. After obtaining the new hard disk, is the warranty period of the new hard disk being calculated from the time the first (and faulty) hard disk was bought? Or, the time the second hard disk was given?

4. Assume that the staff from the shop refuses to replace the hard disk. What else can I do to convince the staff to replace the hard disk?

Thank you for the advice given.

Proper Timing To Purchase 4GB 1333MHz SODIMM DDR3

alvinkhorfire — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 14:07:09 +0800

I want to know when is the best time to purchase new 4 GB 1333 MHz 204-pin SODIMM PC3-10600 DDR3 SDRAM (not second hand) for my laptop.

1. For desktop RAM, we only need the usual Kingston ValueRAM which is cheaper than those high performance RAM which is highly unnecessary. Does this same rule apply for notebook RAM as well? Which brand of notebook RAM is the best? I do not perform any overclocking, just perform normal functions like gaming and surfing the Internet.

2. When would be the best time to purchase such RAM? C-Zone pricelist states RM 165 for Kingston PC1333 D3. Do I have to wait for it to decrease to about RM 60? Roughly when will it happen? One year later?

3. If I am not mistaken, the model number for Kingston notebook RAM is KVR1333D3S9/4G. Correct me if I am mistaken. I would not want to buy the wrong model.

4. The one mentioned just now is a CL9 RAM. Should I go for CL7 RAM?

5. The following images are CPU-Z of my current RAM of 6 GB. I would to know whether they are of CL9 or CL7 type.
[attachmentid=1952716]

[attachmentid=1952718]

[attachmentid=1952720]

Yes, upgrading from 6 GB to 8 GB does not provide signifcant performance upgrade to my system. That is why I do not need RAM upgrade now and will delay the purchase until it is cheap enough.

Thank you for your advice.

Save Adobe Presentation As An Offline Video

alvinkhorfire — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 13:19:20 +0800

The Adobe Presentation (created by Adobe Presenter) that I want to view contains audio and video. That particular presentation is available online. Can I save the presentation as an offline video, so that I can view it without connecting to the Internet?

One good example of Adobe Presentation is at this link.

Thank you for your advice.

100 Mbps Connection By Gigabit Ethernet Cards

alvinkhorfire — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:28:54 +0800

Sorry for my inexperience here. Thus, any information from Lowyat experts here is much appreciated.

I have 2 computers, each with its own integrated Intel gigabit ethernet card. I use a typical LAN cable to connect these 2 computers. On auto setting, connection is fine and I can transfer files between the computers, but the connection is only 100 Mbps.

If I try to force both Intel ethernet cards to connect at 1 Gbps, there will not be any connection and any file cannot be transferred. My question is that in order to have the connection at 1 Gbps, do I need to use special LAN cable, or do I have to perform much different setting on the computers?

Thank you very much for the advice given.

Minimum Hardware Configuration For Perfect WEI

alvinkhorfire — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:32:08 +0800

Does anyone know what is the minimum hardware configuration to obtain perfect Windows Experience Index (WEI) of 7.9? Maybe some of you have the rig with such perfect score. Thus, please share your specification. Okay, please refrain from immediately saying 6-core i7-980x, GTX 480 in quad SLI and so on. I want to know the absolute bare minimum specification.

I know that some of us claim that WEI is not accurate in determining the true performance. I have to agree with you on that, but a really powerful computer should obtain good score on any benchmaking test, including WEI.

The following list is what I have gathered in some websites. It may be incorrect, so I hope that those with the perfect WEI score can validate the following list.

The Bare Minimum Specification For Perfect WEI Score Of 7.9:

CPU: A quad-core desktop processor with at least 4 gigahertz (GHz)

Memory: 8 GB DDR2 800 MHZ

Gaming graphics: A GTX 285 graphics card for monitor resolution: 1920 x 1080

Hard Disk: 4 x 256 GB SSD drives in RAID0 configuration (Yes, 4 SSDs!)

Thank you for the information.

Proper Timing To Purchase 2 GB PC2-6400 DDR2 RAM

alvinkhorfire — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:53:51 +0800

I want to know when is the best time to purchase Kingston ValueRAM (PC RAM): KVR800D2N5/2G, 2 x 2 GB PC2-6400 CL5 240-Pin DIMM NECC DDR2 800 MHz SDRAM Memory for my XPS 420 desktop.

In 2008, I purchased a pair of such RAM at a price of RM 90 per RAM module. A quick check in the price lists from Lowyat website reveals that it now costs RM 126 per 2 GB RAM module.

So, I am wondering whether:
a) The price of this type of RAM module will increase possibly due to the fact it is being phased out for newer RAM technology. Thus, I should buy the RAM now.

Or;

b) The price of this type of RAM module will decrease in the near future. So, I will delay buying it.

1. Can anyone tell me whether it is worthy to buy it now or should I wait it longer? Once it becomes obsolete, its price will be too expensive and I certainly would not want that.

2. The RAM module that is available now is the CL6 ones, not the CL5 ones I currently have in my desktop. If I am not mistaken, CL6 will mean higher latency and slower performance. Then again, the performance reduction should not be noticeable and will not hamper the dual channel performance, right?

3. What is the proper way to install the DDR2 module into my motherboard? I have no problem installing and removing SDRAM in my old Pentium 3 desktop. But somehow, I could not do the same with the DDR2 module in my XPS 420 desktop. It was "improperly" installed by me that the XPS 420 motherboard was spolit and had to be replaced by Dell technician. Yes, I am kind of silly. I would appreciate if anyone can show me the difference of installing SDRAM and DDR2 module.

Thank you for your advice.