A computer guy in a car forum

[slmclarengt]

Hey everybody, I'm new around here, but I can imagine there are times when you may have computer or technical questions. I barely know the difference between an alternator and a transmission (sarcastic), but I certainly know the difference between computer parts and problems. :-)If you have a technical problem or need help buying parts, a new computer or some other request that is of a technical (or business nature), I'm interested in helping a fellow member out. SlmclarengtP.S.

[djkeev]

Don't go selling yourself short, new cars are packed with computer technology. I understand the hybrids can be running up to six computers!Every newer car has a computer on board, just not used for windows or internet access!Welcome!Dave

[slmclarengt]

Quote, originally posted by djkeev »Don't go selling yourself short, new cars are packed with computer technology. I understand the hybrids can be running up to six computers!Every newer car has a computer on board, just not used for windows or internet access!Welcome!DaveYou are right, but I do not know how those computers work and I doubt you'd want me testing my theories on your car . I've watched a horrible situation with my mom's Civic Hybrid get worse regarding computers. She got in an accident because when she tried disengaging the Cruise Control, the car accelerated without her action and sent her and her passenger careening into other cars. Needless to say, she replicated it every time with one service manager. The car was "fixed" (though they said they did "nothing"), that service manager disappeared to never be found again, and the issue suddenly did not exist. So I think I'll stick to non-car related computer work for now, too much liability on the line with car-related computer work, but I'd love to know more about them. I am particularly interested in technology surrounding the Vibe. Any places I could read up on these details and what tools would I need to do work on it?I'll rephrase my point: If you need home computer/business computer help, ask. I am formally telling people this because I see so many people who never ask for help and therefore never get help.

[Water boy]

Welcome.I was trained on VAC TUBES so I go back a long way.Most of what I fixed is in the museums now.Anyway, I'm looking to buy a business PC in the next 2-3 months. Memory I know about (never enough). Hard drive I know about (never big enough). Mother boards I know about (ASUS or Intel). Graphics I know about (more memory and preferred not on-board). But what is the current thoughts on CPUs?

[slmclarengt]

Quote, originally posted by Water boy »Welcome.I was trained on VAC TUBES so I go back a long way.Most of what I fixed is in the museums now.Anyway, I'm looking to buy a business PC in the next 2-3 months. Memory I know about (never enough). Hard drive I know about (never big enough). Mother boards I know about (ASUS or Intel). Graphics I know about (more memory and preferred not on-board). But what is the current thoughts on CPUs?Hey Water Boy, I was always more of a "Ga tor ade" guy hehe. Here's a general synopsis of different computer parts (the primary ones):CPU: Are you multi-tasking for most of what you intend to do, and are the applications you plan on using MULTI-CORE capable? If YES to both of those questions, go with a QUAD-CORE. Take the "MHz" and "GHz" worth a grain of salt. An AMD Quad-core is $180 while an Intel one is much higher. An AMD "GHz" is .90:1 with Intel. But the price/performance for AMD is higher because a $180 AMD is on par with more expensive Intel processors.Memory: Too much of a good thing can be "bad." If you consistently use high resource programs (re: Photoshop, CAD, etc...), not only will you want a quad-core most likely as they are better for rendering, but you will also want a significant amount of memory. There are two parts of memory you should pay attention to: 1) Frequency (measured in MHz or soon GHz) and 2) Timings (measured in clocks/NanoSecond(s)). - It goes like this: Higher frequency (higher throughput) = higher timings (lower speed per action) OR Lower Frequency (lower throughput) = Lower Timings (higher speed per action). Essentially, you cannot have the cake and eat it too. Either your frequencies are high OR your timings are low. For example, either you have CAS 5 (the primary clock cycle contributor, you want it LOW) DDR3 1333MHz OR you have CAS 6 DDR3 1600MHzHard Drive (aka Storage device): Speed (in RPM), Cache (in MB/GB - GB is long off for now haha), size (in GB or TB or PB, PB is a bit off far off).- 7200 1TB 32MB Cache Drive is about normal now for people to get for slightly above average performance (32MB Cache is higher than former norm which was 16MB), sufficient size (1TB), average speed (7200RPM), and overall good timings (~4.2 milliseconds). -- For better performance BUT lower size, you could get a 10,000 RPM drive or for extreme needs, a SOLID STATE DRIVE (SSD), which are very low in size, but very high in performance and still relatively high in cost (though they generally use less power).--- Any of the main features being degraded = lower price. So if you see a $60 1TB drive this Black Friday, be wary of its performance - it's likely a "Green Drive" so it rarely if ever spins up to 7200 RPM (hovers around 5400)Motherboard: There is a lot AND not much to say here. Figure out if you want to upgrade in the future (if so, Intel will be a pain because they change sockets constantly). Figure out if you need backwards compatibility, the latest tech in memory standards, etc... As per your CPU, if you are going with Intel, it depends what you are looking for. If you need a basic computer that will only last a couple/few years in performance, you could go with the older LGA 775, or for newest tech LGA 1366, or for newer but less powerful tech LGA 1156. If you have a build idea and want exact recommendations, I'm always up for that; just give me a wish list (like Newegg or whoever you use) and I'll give more specific recommendations. I do a lot of build critiques and I focus on quality over the short AND long term so I expect you to want something that will last.

[Herb]

Have you ever built a Macintosh compatible with off the shelf PC parts?I'm considering giving it a shot and wouldn't mind some advice

[slmclarengt]

Quote, originally posted by Herb »Have you ever built a Macintosh compatible with off the shelf PC parts?I'm considering giving it a shot and wouldn't mind some adviceHey Herb, I have not personally built any [as I am more of a PC guy] but I can give you some guidance dependent on what you are looking to accomplish. I have a Mac-capable laptop (Intel Atom + 945GM chipset) and have worked with a friend to get Mac OS X on their netbook as well as their desktop (an AMD but I believe they did have some more complexities)Essentially you could theoretically use any processor and combination of hardware, but the easiest to work with would be: An Intel Chipset motherboard + Intel Core 2 processor + Nvidia graphics (if you need good graphics) + very specific wireless adapter chipsets. Hard drives are fine, CD Drives to my knowledge are all fine as well. But the things that matter are:ChipsetVideo card (discreet or Onboard)Wireless adapterProcessor (but more loose here because as long as motherboard supports it, it's fine)I just looked up a great tutorial that showcases an example build (do not follow the parts to the T, but use it as a great guide is my recommendation, ask for actual specifics for your scenario first). Because for example, now you should probably get 1) A more advanced motherboard, 2) A higher end processor (LGA 1366 probably if you want near the best), 3) DDR3 memory, 4) a far better video card (or no card if you just need basic computing ever). http://lifehacker.com/5351485/...inishSlmclarengtP.S. It's usually called "Hackintosh" if you want to search more. Or the term I coined years ago for a Windows + Macintosh mix (before it actually became possible) was "Wackintosh" which I thought was funny

[Herb]

Quote, originally posted by slmclarengt »P.S. It's usually called "Hackintosh" if you want to search more. Or the term I coined years ago for a Windows + Macintosh mix (before it actually became possible) was "Wackintosh" which I thought was funny LOL, I think I prefer the term you coined!Thanks for the link and info.

[Water boy]

Stand by as I make 2 pots of coffee to get my brain ready to absorb that wopper of information.Thanks.I'll get back to ya............

[slmclarengt]

You're taking quite a while to make a couple pots of coffee There is so much more to say, but you should clarify whether you want to learn more or if you are just looking for specific recommendations. If you wanted the former, you'd be in for a behemoth of information, because I would try to explain every step in deciding the best components, or if you want the latter, it would be you tell me what you are looking for, then I run through the requirements and piece together an example build.