technology The Technical Advice thread.

[Rye_B_P 53]

I have created this thread for those who are seeking advice on anything Technical in their life. 

Need help fixing a computer issue? Need advice on a new PC build?  Can't choose between a battery only electronic car or a hybrid car?  Need help fixing that ipod?  Ask it all here! If I can't help you, then someone here sure will!

 

My background and expertise I offer...

 

Bachelors of Science

 

MBA (Masters of Businesses Administration) with the concentration of Information Systems. (Bah Long name.)

 

COMPTIA A+ Certified

 

COMPTIA Network + Certified

 

COMPTIA Security + Certified

 

Anyone can join in and help out as well, So what Technical issues are you having today?

 

[Katana 298]

I suppose I'll ask something that's been on my mind.

 

I think I had assumed at one point that the way audio devices worked, if you connect a pair of wireless headphones via USB, then that means that it's using a separate sound device from the one integrated in your motherboard.

 

Does this mean that if I'm playing a game, and I hear sounds getting cut off and weakened (especially Titanfall) that buying a new PCI sound card for my motherboard will not fix those issues (when using said USB headphones)?

[Fire Lily 86]

Hmm, I have a question about my ipod.

 

Basically I think it's something with the headphone jack but I don't know for sure. But on occasion headphones simply will not go into it. I've tried two or three different ones with no luck. The only thing that seems to fix it is plugging it into my truck which seems to have a shorter metal piece on the end of the cable than a regular headphones. Also when it's plugged into my truck more often than not only one side will have sound. Tested it with the radio and it's not a speaker issue but it never does that when I have headphones plugged into my ipod.

 

So I'm not sure if it's worth taking it in to get looked at (the place charges $45 just to tell you whats wrong, even if they can tell without opening it) or if I'll just live with it until something goes completely wrong with this one. 

[CMQuickfireTK 751]

how much linux experience do you have? Just out of curiosity ofc

 

[Legacy Dash 439]

I suppose I'll ask something that's been on my mind.

 

I think I had assumed at one point that the way audio devices worked, if you connect a pair of wireless headphones via USB, then that means that it's using a separate sound device from the one integrated in your motherboard.

 

Does this mean that if I'm playing a game, and I hear sounds getting cut off and weakened (especially Titanfall) that buying a new PCI sound card for my motherboard will not fix those issues (when using said USB headphones)?

USB headsets usually have a built-in sound card, so buying a PCI one would probably not do anything. You *might* need to replace your headset, or get it fixed.

[Rye_B_P 53]

I suppose I'll ask something that's been on my mind.

 

I think I had assumed at one point that the way audio devices worked, if you connect a pair of wireless headphones via USB, then that means that it's using a separate sound device from the one integrated in your motherboard.

 

Does this mean that if I'm playing a game, and I hear sounds getting cut off and weakened (especially Titanfall) that buying a new PCI sound card for my motherboard will not fix those issues (when using said USB headphones)?

 

1) To Katana, Mitchflizz05 is correct, Based on the information in which you provided, I would say, YES and I agree with Mitchflizz05 buying a new pci sound card for your motherboard will not fix those issues, since you are using a wireless USB headset.  Unless you have a headset plugged into that sound card.

 

 

Hmm, I have a question about my ipod.

 

Basically I think it's something with the headphone jack but I don't know for sure. But on occasion headphones simply will not go into it. I've tried two or three different ones with no luck. The only thing that seems to fix it is plugging it into my truck which seems to have a shorter metal piece on the end of the cable than a regular headphones. Also when it's plugged into my truck more often than not only one side will have sound. Tested it with the radio and it's not a speaker issue but it never does that when I have headphones plugged into my ipod.

 

So I'm not sure if it's worth taking it in to get looked at (the place charges $45 just to tell you whats wrong, even if they can tell without opening it) or if I'll just live with it until something goes completely wrong with this one. 

 

2) To Johnwuzhere1993, I would also take a can of compressed air (They go for 3 to 10 dollars a can), and blow some air into the ipod jack, in which you plug your headphones into. I had a similar issue with my ipod and it turns out there was a small layer of dust that covered one "ring" on the inside of the jack, which made only half of the speakers work, because the "ring" contacts were dirty.

 

Inside that same headphone jack, in which the ipod connects to, there are 2 contact "rings". One ring is for the speakers on the left and another is for the right. So one of your "rings on the inside might be a bit dirty. (Notice how your headphone plug end, has two colored "rings" on its end at different lengths, that's where it makes the two contacts.

 

An ipod's headphone jack is 3.5 mm, which seems to be the standard size in which headphones come in. So I would check or measure the size of the end of your headphones to see if it is the right size for your ipod.

 

So I would pocket that $45 and try these steps and get back to me, on how it goes

 

how much linux experience do you have? Just out of curiosity ofc

 

3) To CMQuickfireTK, I worked/played with/fooled around with Fedora, Red hat, Ubuntu, Mint, in the schools labs, (When I was still in college) and on my home computer.  I dual/triple/quad boot my systems with different flavors of Linux along with windows, so I messed with it just setting it up.  Now I just sometimes mess with Linux on a virtual machine now.

 

 

USB headsets usually have a built-in sound card, so buying a PCI one would probably not do anything. You *might* need to replace your headset, or get it fixed.

 

 

4) Good work Mitchfizz05!

Edited April 12, 2014 by Rye_B_P

[Rye_B_P 53]

how much linux experience do you have? Just out of curiosity ofc

 

Now, that I think about it more, I would have to say I did a little more then fool around on a virtual machine/dual boot with Linux.   I have also set up a NAS (Network Attached Storage) unit using Linux with "FREENas".  FREENAS is based off of FreeBSD, which in turn was based off of Unix.  

 

I tried setting up servers in my home using fedora as well.  Red Hat was only used when, I was in college, since college was the only place that had a system with Red hat CD's where I can use.  I didn't want to pay for Red Hat, so I got to play with it in the schools labs, setting up small remote servers to "talk" to each other.  Fedora was a "free" experimental version of Red Hat, from what I can recall.  It was released to the public to download and use for free, but not supported by the developers.

[SweetJeans88 408]

I love you so much right now!


bare bones run-down:

surface pro 2 (the 8gb ram, 256 SSD) Vs sony vaio flip 15
 

 

 

 

my laptop is 5 yrs old and dying. It is immobile--the battery is shot so i cant unplug it, and the screen has this slow growing cancer of dead pixels in the corner. sometimes she just wont boot, she sits still and silent, and tells me there was an error etc....it takes about 4 tries to get her to come back up.

i established credit, got a card and bought a cintiq last april. it is my substitute screen and im tickled to death with it. i can draw on the screen! im still making payments on this thing....

the surface pro 2 came out around christmas and i was absolutely smitten. little thing i can draw on, bring it home, clean it up on the big screen....what joy and potential! though it seems a tad small....photoshops menus are already pretty crammed on my laptop screen. buuuuttt.... i wont have to get an L shaped desk, if itll fit between the legs of hte cintiq, i can just use that screen and use the bitty keyboard. seems genius!?

then the sony vaio flip came out. (i pondered the yoga too and its not completely out) bigger screen, dedicated graphics card (will that help with Photoshop?--i play some sims and wanna get into LoL and TF2 again) and a little better processor. Ram is what im interested in. i have a portable external harddrive for most stuff--but i cant tolerate lag if im drawing. also, the loverly pen with this isnt as sensitive (but thats not a big deal--again cintiq for final stuff) and its not wacom. its Ntrig which isnt always supported D: thought they have released a patch for 32 bit photoshop....


im not really a tablet kinda gal, so i dont think the weight will be much of a factor? ill be laying it down to take notes for class or draw anyways?

Oh. and im going back to school to get my bachelors in graphic design next fall. ive never been away to college so i dunno how much lugging around im gonna be doing. these babes need to be ultra portable, and durable. im a clumsy dingus.

im worried about the small size of the SP2, the fact that i gotta buy the keyboard, and a docking station to get it to securely hook up to the cintiq. conversely, im worried the flip 15 is gonna be too big and heavy, and i wont want to take it places for that reason? what if i lose the pens!? D:

 

 

 

Thank anyone who responds to this!  ive been mulling this around for months, and i just dont know! im not opposed to other suggestions, (EXCEPT FOR MACS-no thanks.) these two are just the big ones ive noticed.  the pens on these are different from a regular stylus you'd use on your phone or something.  

 

[Rye_B_P 53]

 

I love you so much right now!


bare bones run-down:

surface pro 2 (the 8gb ram, 256 SSD) Vs sony vaio flip 15
 

 

 

 

my laptop is 5 yrs old and dying. It is immobile--the battery is shot so i cant unplug it, and the screen has this slow growing cancer of dead pixels in the corner. sometimes she just wont boot, she sits still and silent, and tells me there was an error etc....it takes about 4 tries to get her to come back up.

i established credit, got a card and bought a cintiq last april. it is my substitute screen and im tickled to death with it. i can draw on the screen! im still making payments on this thing....

the surface pro 2 came out around christmas and i was absolutely smitten. little thing i can draw on, bring it home, clean it up on the big screen....what joy and potential! though it seems a tad small....photoshops menus are already pretty crammed on my laptop screen.   buuuuttt.... i wont have to get an L shaped desk, if itll fit between the legs of hte cintiq, i can just use that screen and use the bitty keyboard. seems genius!?

then the sony vaio flip came out. (i pondered the yoga too and its not completely out) bigger screen, dedicated graphics card (will that help with Photoshop?--i play some sims and wanna get into LoL and TF2 again) and a little better processor. Ram is what im interested in. i have a portable external harddrive for most stuff--but i cant tolerate lag if im drawing. also, the loverly pen with this isnt as sensitive (but thats not a big deal--again cintiq for final stuff) and its not wacom. its Ntrig which isnt always supported D: thought they have released a patch for 32 bit photoshop....


im not really a tablet kinda gal, so i dont think the weight will be much of a factor? ill be laying it down to take notes for class or draw anyways?

Oh. and im going back to school to get my bachelors in graphic design next fall. ive never been away to college so i dunno how much lugging around im gonna be doing. these babes need to be ultra portable, and durable. im a clumsy dingus.

im worried about the small size of the SP2, the fact that i gotta buy the keyboard, and a docking station to get it to securely hook up to the cintiq. conversely, im worried the flip 15 is gonna be too big and heavy, and i wont want to take it places for that reason? what if i lose the pens!? D:

 

 

 

Thank anyone who responds to this!  ive been mulling this around for months, and i just dont know! im not opposed to other suggestions, (EXCEPT FOR MACS-no thanks.) these two are just the big ones ive noticed.  the pens on these are different from a regular stylus you'd use on your phone or something.  

 

 

 

@SweetJeans88. Can you summarize what you are asking? From what I gather you are looking to purchase a new laptop/computer and need a recommendation on the few ones that you listed? Can you give me a budget range of what you are looking to spend and what other requirements that you would like to have in it.

Edited May 6, 2014 by Rye_B_P

[SweetJeans88 408]

 

 

 

 

@SweetJeans88. Can you summarize what you are asking? From what I gather you are looking to purchase a new laptop/computer and need a recommendation on the few ones that you listed? Can you give me a budget range of what you are looking to spend and what other requirements that you would like to have in it.

 

 

thank you for your time! yes, a recommendation, id like some personal experiences/opinions with them and advice on whats gonna fit my lifestyle best; the budget is about 1200, but i need it, so a little higher would be ok. def not over 1500 though, and less is always welcomed for minimum trade off  xD

 

other requirements...beyond handling photoshop cs5 (with the new 3d brushes they added there)  maybe able to handle a 3d software down the line, like maya or zbrush.  i aim to have this thing for about 5+ years, so being able to upgrade it would be nice.  neither one has a dvd drive--which ill need.  i only watch a few movies, but i trawl the net for reference pictures, and music while i doodle is wonderful. (cant do that atm)

 

 

im sorry im terrible at this because i dont know exactly what i want or need.  i want what i need, but i need to figure out what i need....and by asking me poignant questions like this, you are helping me with that too x3 

 

[Rascal~ 657]

I have a computer question, or more like a riddle, and very little computer tech knowledge. 

My Laptop is a HP Windows Vista, from 2007-08. It used to be my mothers, and she spent a lot of time on this lappy since she did her Master's Degree in Mental Health on here, it doesn't have a battery and there is no battery life either so yeah, it seems to have a 1998 skin as that's what people are telling me. Um, it's bounded to one area since there is no battery life, and is connected to another laptop cord that is also a HP and somehow how the same amount of electricity going through to power it, even though the cord is about 4 years younger than the laptop. 
Thats just the general background of the lappy, to give you an idea. 

I want to ask, how do I get my recycle bin back. It's been gone for years, and I've been able to find a way to delete stuff since my mother lost it, but no matter what we do we cannot get my recycle bin back. I don't know how it was lost, and I'm kinda missing the easy delete system that the recycle has going on other computers that I've used. 
 

[GenderIsAnIllusion 2,177]

Is there any way I can hard wire my alien ware tower, with my 70 inch Visio LCD television?

[Legacy Dash 439]

I have a computer question, or more like a riddle, and very little computer tech knowledge. 

 

My Laptop is a HP Windows Vista, from 2007-08. It used to be my mothers, and she spent a lot of time on this lappy since she did her Master's Degree in Mental Health on here, it doesn't have a battery and there is no battery life either so yeah, it seems to have a 1998 skin as that's what people are telling me. Um, it's bounded to one area since there is no battery life, and is connected to another laptop cord that is also a HP and somehow how the same amount of electricity going through to power it, even though the cord is about 4 years younger than the laptop. 

Thats just the general background of the lappy, to give you an idea. 

 

I want to ask, how do I get my recycle bin back. It's been gone for years, and I've been able to find a way to delete stuff since my mother lost it, but no matter what we do we cannot get my recycle bin back. I don't know how it was lost, and I'm kinda missing the easy delete system that the recycle has going on other computers that I've used.

I don't know much about Vista, but I do know Vista is very similar to Windows 7, which is what I use, so some of this may be a tad off, but you should be able to work it out.

 

Open spoiler.

 

 

1. Right click on your desktop and click "Personalize".

 

2. Along the side of the window that appears, click on "Change desktop icons".

 

3. Select the Recycle Bin icon. You may also select/deselect other icons you may want or not want.

 

Remember, all these screenshots are taken on my Windows 7 machine, Windows Vista may vary a bit, but it should be very similar.

If you need further help, just ask.

 

 

 

Is there any way I can hard wire my alien ware tower, with my 70 inch Visio LCD television?

If by hardwire you mean permanently wire your TV to your computer, well, it'd be possible, but with alot of work, soldering and time - and it make more sense to just use a standard video cable.

 

Also, using a television as a computer monitor isn't the best idea either.

Televisions aren't designed for computers. They sometimes screw up the screen resolution and try to anti-alias it, and just have low resolution all together - which makes everything (especially text) look slightly blurry.

Also, they usually have lower framerate than computer monitors.

Edited May 8, 2014 by Mitchfizz05

[Rye_B_P 53]

SweetJeans88, on 08 May 2014 - 02:11 AM, said:

thank you for your time! yes, a recommendation, id like some personal experiences/opinions with them and advice on whats gonna fit my lifestyle best; the budget is about 1200, but i need it, so a little higher would be ok. def not over 1500 though, and less is always welcomed for minimum trade off xD

 

other requirements...beyond handling photoshop cs5 (with the new 3d brushes they added there) maybe able to handle a 3d software down the line, like maya or zbrush. i aim to have this thing for about 5+ years, so being able to upgrade it would be nice. neither one has a dvd drive--which ill need. i only watch a few movies, but i trawl the net for reference pictures, and music while i doodle is wonderful. (cant do that atm)

 

 

im sorry im terrible at this because i dont know exactly what i want or need. i want what i need, but i need to figure out what i need....and by asking me poignant questions like this, you are helping me with that too x3

OK, I am going to organize everything you said. So we can all gather information in one place. Also I will give off a list of recommendations and why I suggest each laptop.

 

You are looking to run the following...

Adobe Photoshop CS5

The Sims (I am not sure what version of the Sims, so I am going to assume the latest version)

TF2 (Team Fortress 2)

LOL (Leagues of Legends)

 

What I see that you are looking for...

 

Based on what I have read, you are looking for a laptop and NOT a desktop.

You WILL WANT a computer that has a 64 bit version of Windows, so you can use more the 4GB of RAM, otherwise that 32 bit version of Windows will limit you to 4 or 3.2GB. (I use Photoshop CS6 and you will NEED that RAM and a good video card!)

You said your budget is between $1200 to $1500, MAX.

You mentioned that having Photoshop crammed on a small screen. Most laptops today allow you to plug in your TV screen to use as a second monitor, so that should not be an issue with a new laptop. (I am not sure what your old laptop's screen size was, so I will assume you want more screen space, like a 14, 15 or 17 inch laptop.)

You would like the laptop to be light weight for you to travel with. (NOTE: It is hard to find a laptop that is within your budget that has the LIGHTEST weight AND POWER to run the games AND Photoshop decently.

But it is doable, I think if you live with the extra few pounds of weight on a laptop, then you will get the one that is more than powerful enough to run everything you want, but deal with a few extra pounds of weight, while staying within your budget range.

You mentioned that you need/want a CD-ROM drive. You have two options here. If you want an ULTRA light notebook. Then keep in mind, that they NO LONGER come with a CD-drive built in. Unless you go with a heavier laptop. (6 pounds or more) You can always buy a USB portable CD-DRIVE for $20 to $50 dollars that can plug into any PC with a USB port. I would suggest you buy one and put it in the same bag as your new laptop. This way it is always with you. They make SLIM ones in which it does not take up a lot of room.

 

NOTE: Some Ultra notebooks are an "All in one" piece, meaning that you can't upgrade them, cause they are put on permanently to the motherboard on the inside. That's another reason why I suggest an extended warranty. Some of the heavier and not so thin laptops, do allow you you upgrade some components. Where a desktop PC, you can upgrade anything.

Also you showed interest in the following...

Sony Vaio Flip

Surface pro 2

 

Here are some choices that I have found, that fit your requirements....

 

Sony VAIO fit 15A Flip PC (link below)

 

 

http://store.sony.com/vaio-fit-15a-flip-pc-zid27-SVF15N17CX//cat-27-catid-All-15-Ultrabook-Flip?vva_ColorCode=1E1E1E

 

The Good: It meets and exceeds all the requirements that you want for Photoshop and games. The battery life is about 5 hours. It is also $1250! Well within your budget! That NVIDIA Geforce GT 735m will handle anything you throw at it!

 

The Bad: It weighs about 6 pounds, not sure if you are comfortable with that . 1 year warranty, I would suggest to buy an extended warranty!

Another option would be the...

 

Asus Zenbook UX32VD (Link below)

 

http://www.asus.com/Notebooks_Ultrabooks/ASUS_ZENBOOK_UX32VD/

 

The GOOD: It has a strong video card for both your Photoshop and games. It is about 3.8 pounds! Lighter then the SONY laptop.

 

The BAD: The CPU is under 2.0 GHz, (It is 1.7 Ghz. ) It would run Photoshop and most games good. IN LOL, however you might lag a little bit. (because LOL requires 2.0 GHz or better as a RECOMMENDED requirement), However, you can still run the game. Just lower the graphic settings on it, for that game. It can run the other games on near high settings. Also it is $100 above your budget and the SCREEN is small, 13 inch. The video card is weaker compared to the Sony laptop, which may not perform as well compared to the sony one.

 

My Recommendation! (WHAT I THINK YOU SHOULD GO WITH!)

 

Go with the SONY VAIO fit 15A FLiP PC with an EXTENDED warranty. (Most places will extend the warranty to up to 3 years, but most laptops last 3 to 6 years anyway.) It has nearly everything you need, it is 6 pounds, but it is within your budget range. That is the sacrifice you have to make.

 

You mentioned, you would like one that (In the future)  can run autodesk Maya OR "Zbrush".

OK, if you go with the SONY VAIO, then you should be good for Zbrush. HOWEVER, this laptop or any other laptop in your budget range can NOT run autodesk Maya (2015)! Because MAYA demands either INTEL HD graphics P4600 or NVIDIA Quadro Laptop graphic cards. These video cards in laptops are a lot of money. So unless you are willing to spend $2500 or more on a laptop, I can't see you running maya 2015 on this new laptop. (The cheaper options would be to invest into a separate HOME desktop PC, that has the required high end video cards to run MAYA or any Autodesk software.)

 

Like I said before, buying an ULTRA portable laptop WITH POWERFUL video cards in the same laptop, is a lot of money. You can buy or build a DESKTOP PC to run ALL of that and then some for $700. (Not including the monitor, keyboard and mouse costs.) But you mentioned you needed the portability, so that option is out.)

 

In this case, so being you said you want to travel with it, then what I recommended you, should do you well. It has 8GB of RAM (Which Zbursh recommends for its software) and it had more then enough VIDEO card muscle to run all the games you listed, along with running Photoshop with a 3D brush.

 

Please let me know what you think.

Edited May 10, 2014 by Rye_B_P

[SweetJeans88 408]

OK, I am going to organize everything you said. So we can all gather information in one place. Also I will give off a list of recommendations and why I suggest each laptop.

 

You are looking to run the following...

Adobe Photoshop CS5

The Sims (I am not sure what version of the Sims, so I am going to assume the latest version)

TF2 (Team Fortress 2)

LOL (Leagues of Legends)

 

What I see that you are looking for...

 

Based on what I have read, you are looking for a laptop and NOT a desktop.

You WILL WANT a computer that has a 64 bit version of Windows, so you can use more the 4GB of RAM, otherwise that 32 bit version of Windows will limit you to 4 or 3.2GB. (I use Photoshop CS6 and you will NEED that RAM and a good video card!)

You said your budget is between $1200 to $1500, MAX.

You mentioned that having Photoshop crammed on a small screen. Most laptops today allow you to plug in your TV screen to use as a second monitor, so that should not be an issue with a new laptop. (I am not sure what your old laptop's screen size was, so I will assume you want more screen space, like a 14, 15 or 17 inch laptop.)

You would like the laptop to be light weight for you to travel with. (NOTE: It is hard to find a laptop that is within your budget that has the LIGHTEST weight AND POWER to run the games AND Photoshop decently.

But it is doable, I think if you live with the extra few pounds of weight on a laptop, then you will get the one that is more than powerful enough to run everything you want, but deal with a few extra pounds of weight, while staying within your budget range.

You mentioned that you need/want a CD-ROM drive. You have two options here. If you want an ULTRA light notebook. Then keep in mind, that they NO LONGER come with a CD-drive built in. Unless you go with a heavier laptop. (6 pounds or more) You can always buy a USB portable CD-DRIVE for $20 to $50 dollars that can plug into any PC with a USB port. I would suggest you buy one and put it in the same bag as your new laptop. This way it is always with you. They make SLIM ones in which it does not take up a lot of room.

 

NOTE: Some Ultra notebooks are an "All in one" piece, meaning that you can't upgrade them, cause they are put on permanently to the motherboard on the inside. That's another reason why I suggest an extended warranty. Some of the heavier and not so thin laptops, do allow you you upgrade some components. Where a desktop PC, you can upgrade anything.

Also you showed interest in the following...

Sony Vaio Flip

Surface pro 2

 

Here are some choices that I have found, that fit your requirements....

 

Sony VAIO fit 15A Flip PC (link below)

 

 

http://store.sony.com/vaio-fit-15a-flip-pc-zid27-SVF15N17CX//cat-27-catid-All-15-Ultrabook-Flip?vva_ColorCode=1E1E1E

 

The Good: It meets and exceeds all the requirements that you want for Photoshop and games. The battery life is about 5 hours. It is also $1250! Well within your budget! That NVIDIA Geforce GT 735m will handle anything you throw at it!

 

The Bad: It weighs about 6 pounds, not sure if you are comfortable with that . 1 year warranty, I would suggest to buy an extended warranty!

Another option would be the...

 

Asus Zenbook UX32VD (Link below)

 

http://www.asus.com/Notebooks_Ultrabooks/ASUS_ZENBOOK_UX32VD/

 

The GOOD: It has a strong video card for both your Photoshop and games. It is about 3.8 pounds! Lighter then the SONY laptop.

 

The BAD: The CPU is under 2.0 GHz, (It is 1.7 Ghz. ) It would run Photoshop and most games good. IN LOL, however you might lag a little bit. (because LOL requires 2.0 GHz or better as a RECOMMENDED requirement), However, you can still run the game. Just lower the graphic settings on it, for that game. It can run the other games on near high settings. Also it is $100 above your budget and the SCREEN is small, 13 inch. The video card is weaker compared to the Sony laptop, which may not perform as well compared to the sony one.

 

My Recommendation! (WHAT I THINK YOU SHOULD GO WITH!)

 

Go with the SONY VAIO fit 15A FLiP PC with an EXTENDED warranty. (Most places will extend the warranty to up to 3 years, but most laptops last 3 to 6 years anyway.) It has nearly everything you need, it is 6 pounds, but it is within your budget range. That is the sacrifice you have to make.

 

 

 

 

Like I said before, buying an ULTRA portable laptop WITH POWERFUL video cards in the same laptop, is a lot of money. You can buy or build a DESKTOP PC to run ALL of that and then some for $700. (Not including the monitor, keyboard and mouse costs.) But you mentioned you needed the portability, so that option is out.)

 

In this case, so being you said you want to travel with it, then what I recommended you, should do you well. It has 8GB of RAM (Which Zbursh recommends for its software) and it had more then enough VIDEO card muscle to run all the games you listed, along with running Photoshop with a 3D brush.

Please let me know what you think.

 

Thank you so much!  i was so afraid of getting something under-powered and then utterly useless to me; i appreciate you taking the time to go through all of that and then explaining it--not to mention organizing my own thoughts lmao.  i think the weight trade off for that nice graphics card will be fine with the flip, since my current laptop is about 6 pounds.  the cintiq is acting as my "second" monitor at the moment.  not running maya shouldnt be that big of a deal i think since ill be majoring in graphics design, and not 3d animation.  im upgrading from a hp pavilion dv6-1245dx--faithful but game hating.

 

and huzzah! i thought a portable cd drive was gonna run me another 100 bucks or so!

 

and yes, i miss a powerhouse desktop--im asking a lot out of a laptop i know, but im glad theres something out there that meets my needs without costing me a kidney.  thank you again for your insight!

 

  

[Rye_B_P 53]

Thank you so much!  i was so afraid of getting something under-powered and then utterly useless to me; i appreciate you taking the time to go through all of that and then explaining it--not to mention organizing my own thoughts lmao.  i think the weight trade off for that nice graphics card will be fine with the flip, since my current laptop is about 6 pounds.  the cintiq is acting as my "second" monitor at the moment.  not running maya shouldnt be that big of a deal i think since ill be majoring in graphics design, and not 3d animation.  im upgrading from a hp pavilion dv6-1245dx--faithful but game hating.

 

and huzzah! i thought a portable cd drive was gonna run me another 100 bucks or so!

 

and yes, i miss a powerhouse desktop--im asking a lot out of a laptop i know, but im glad theres something out there that meets my needs without costing me a kidney.  thank you again for your insight!

 

  

 

You are most welcome!  Like I said before Maya is VERY demanding and AUTODESK demands high end desktop and laptop video cards from computers that are $2000.

 

I don't own a laptop yet, but I own a desktop.  The good part is, when you get that laptop that meets the middle ground for now.  7 years down the road, when you are looking for another one.  They will only become more powerful and cheaper in the future!  

[Nit Pick 247]

I have created this thread for those who are seeking advice on anything Technical in their life. 

Need help fixing a computer issue? Need advice on a new PC build?  Can't choose between a battery only electronic car or a hybrid car?  Need help fixing that ipod?  Ask it all here! If I can't help you, then someone here sure will!

 

My background and expertise I offer...

 

Bachelors of Science

 

MBA (Masters of Businesses Administration) with the concentration of Information Systems. (Bah Long name.)

 

COMPTIA A+ Certified

 

COMPTIA Network + Certified

 

COMPTIA Security + Certified

 

Anyone can join in and help out as well, So what Technical issues are you having today?

 

 

Well I've been looking into a Network Attached Storage myself. Just so that my family can share all the movies my brother and I downloaded. We're using PLEX for the... media handler... thing.  What do you recommend for a NAS device? I saw this and I was hoping I found a winner.

Edited October 16, 2015 by Nit Pick

[Rye_B_P 53]

Well I've been looking into a Network Attached Storage myself. Just so that my family can share all the movies my brother and I downloaded. We're using PLEX for the... media handler... thing.  What do you recommend for a NAS device? I saw this and I was hoping I found a winner.

 

Sounds like you are looking for just NAS to just hold large movie files and stream it.  If that is the case, the QNAP TS-469-PRO NAS

you found should work fine doing just that.  However be aware that the device seems to have its own movie streaming application.  So, it is possible that you may not need to use PLEX at all, but something for you to decide.

 

You didn't mention how much storage you would need and if you wanted to make backup copies of all those movies of yours.  The device you mentioned has 4 storage bays, do you really need all that room?  If you have lower storage requirements like 1 to 4 GB then I think you would be able to  get a cheaper version of that QNAP device that has 2 bays like the QNAP-TS-259 PRO which is about $200 cheaper.  CAn be found in the linik below....

 

http://www.amazon.com/TS-259-PRO-NAS-2-bays/dp/B00428DKCG/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1445088548&sr=1-5&keywords=QNAP+TS+2+bay

 

 

Don't forget, that you can usally replace the hard drives in those bays for bigger storage in the future, so either options should be good.  I just don't know how much room you have now vs how much you plan to use in the future to give further advice.

[Nit Pick 247]

I have created this thread for those who are seeking advice on anything Technical in their life. 

Need help fixing a computer issue? Need advice on a new PC build?  Can't choose between a battery only electronic car or a hybrid car?  Need help fixing that ipod?  Ask it all here! If I can't help you, then someone here sure will!

 

My background and expertise I offer...

 

Bachelors of Science

 

MBA (Masters of Businesses Administration) with the concentration of Information Systems. (Bah Long name.)

 

COMPTIA A+ Certified

 

COMPTIA Network + Certified

 

COMPTIA Security + Certified

 

Anyone can join in and help out as well, So what Technical issues are you having today?

 

 

I got a new question, any idea what this is?

 

 

It's my TV, I don't know why it's doing this all of a sudden. I had this for a few years now.

[Rye_B_P 53]

I got a new question, any idea what this is?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFYbe4cQOF0&feature=youtu.be

 

It's my TV, I don't know why it's doing this all of a sudden. I had this for a few years now.

 

Ok, it looks like one of the three things to me...

 

1.) It looks like one of the LCD/LED light blubs on the edge of the screen is failing/defective.

 

2.) The port in which your media device is plugged into could be defective as well.

 

3) Some TVs have defective capacitiors that leak or blow before their time,

 

THINGS TO TRY....

 

1) Try another input port.  If you are using HDMI port 1, then try HDMI port 2,3 and so on.  See if the problem persists.  If it persists, no matter what port you plug into, then it is more likly issue number 1, that I listed above or issue 3.

 

2) Take off the back panel of the TV (When it is unplugged from port) and look for any "Goo" or odd leakage on the circuit board or burned spots.  If you are not comfotable with this, then do not try it. Take a picture if you can

 

3) You could always call the manufactor of the TV and have them look at it, but I assume you posted, because you wanted to see if you could try a few things before doing that.

Edited October 28, 2015 by Rye_B_P

[Nit Pick 247]

I have created this thread for those who are seeking advice on anything Technical in their life. 

Need help fixing a computer issue? Need advice on a new PC build?  Can't choose between a battery only electronic car or a hybrid car?  Need help fixing that ipod?  Ask it all here! If I can't help you, then someone here sure will!

 

My background and expertise I offer...

 

Bachelors of Science

 

MBA (Masters of Businesses Administration) with the concentration of Information Systems. (Bah Long name.)

 

COMPTIA A+ Certified

 

COMPTIA Network + Certified

 

COMPTIA Security + Certified

 

Anyone can join in and help out as well, So what Technical issues are you having today?

 

 

*insert animated gif of Norm McDonald in "The Animal" saying "Hey, I got another question!" in Impact font*

 

Is there such a thing as an equalizer or compressor for home theater setups? Because all I find are equalizers for sound booths or sound editing rooms.

[Rye_B_P 53]

On 12/1/2015 at 0:01 AM, Nit Pick said:

 

*insert animated gif of Norm McDonald in "The Animal" saying "Hey, I got another question!" in Impact font*

 

Is there such a thing as an equalizer or compressor for home theater setups? Because all I find are equalizers for sound booths or sound editing rooms.

WOW, I have slacked off on this thread! NO MORE!

Ok, This is an old question, but I will still try to answer it.

The best way to do this to my knowledge is use headphones that let you offer Equalizer settings.  Turtle Beach and BOSE Headphones come to mind, weather it is  bluetooth connected or through a headphone jack.

On 10/28/2015 at 0:12 AM, Nit Pick said:

 

I got a new question, any idea what this is?

 

 

 

It's my TV, I don't know why it's doing this all of a sudden. I had this for a few years now.

It seems like one of the LED bulbs are on it's way out.  Most LCD/LED TV screens have small bulb (LEDs on the edge of the screen.) So it is a sign that one of them is malfunctioning.