How ridiculously unhelpful the Microsoft Support Team are (1 year ago)

Hey guys,

just wanted to go on a rant about the Microsoft Support Team when i believed my Xbox 360 to be broken.

Before I start let me just say the conclusion to this is that I am stupid but anyways.

So my Xbox wouldnt turn on, I would just get a power light in the middle but no rings and it wouldnt boot up. So I contacted Xbox Support and this is the conversation that basically occured.
"Unplug it from the wall, wait...plug it back in and turn it on"
"That didn't work its still doing the same thing"
"You need to send it in for a service, its broken"
".....I only just got this console from you after my last Xbox broke?...I assume I wont be paying for this"
"No you will its out of warranty, so we need 100 dollars"
"Is there nothing else I can try?
"No, it needs a service..............or you can just buy a new Xbox"

so FURIOUS at that response I actually decided to look online (dont know why I didnt earlier).........I didnt realise that with HDMI you need the TV to be powered on for the Xbox to start up...........and that was the solution........so I saved 100 bucks because they would have just sent it back and said "its fine"...would probably have charged me for that too i assume.

I am just amazed that the "Professionals" at Xbox couldnt offer that suggestion or even mention it.......it was TURN IT OFF TURN IT BACK ON AGAIN...OK ITS BROKEN.........i wonder how much money they make out of people who think their Xbox's are broken....

Feel free to give me cr@p about my own stupidity lol

Has anyone else had any bad experiences with these guys?

Ok thats the end of my rant

Re: Case airflow tips (1 year ago)

as for the case fans i would assume the best setup would be

front - blowing in the case
top - blowing out the case
rear - blowing out the case
bottom - blowing in the case
side - blowing in the case

i could be completely wrong as i am no scientist, but that is how i would set it up

someone might suggest otherwise and have evidence to support that

also in regards to cable management, i would suggest sleeving your cables if they arent already. pc case gear sells sleeving by the metre.

Re: Case airflow tips (1 year ago)

if you want to light it up without having so many fans you could try something like this

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=551&products_id=15997

bit more expensive than the $9 fans, but will probably reduce your case noise with less fans if you find the fans you have get a bit loud

also i find that cleaning up the cabling is the number 1 step to making a PC look better if you havent already.

Re: PSU for Antec P183 (1 year ago)

cheers for the help guys

only problem now is trying to find someone who has the P183 in stock at a reasonable price...cant really justify spending an extra 40 bucks to get it posted from PC Case Gear. It cant be a little frustrating when you want something small like a case fan or some screws and its automatically 12 dollars postage

Just waiting on a reply from Umart in Brisbane to see when they will be getting it in stock again.

Re: PSU for Antec P183 (1 year ago)

ok i think i definately need to go the P183, ill try and find out some more about the length of the cables for that PSU.

i dont really mind cleaning the dust filters, i'd rather be cleaning them often than having to clean the inside of the case. do u wash them with water or just give them a bit of a shake??

if i do need to get extension cables any suggestions where the best place to get them from is??

Re: PSU for Antec P183 (1 year ago)

ah yes, i did see that case in the show us ya rig. ...how do you find the corsairs are noise wise? i want something really quiet.

i did look at modular, but i read up on it and they seem to have mixed reviews about the power performance of them so figured i would just stick with the non-modular.

the description does say the cables are extra long, so i would assume they would be designed to fit full tower cases.

is there anything i should know about the antec p183 before purchasing it, regarding noise....ease of installation....case fan quality........i was looking at the p183 or a fractal design r3 and have decided on the P183, because noone could really give any negatives on it. i was also thinking of waiting for the P280 to be released but i dont really like the look of it, or the non removable hard drive bays and that there is no divide between power and the rest of the case....although i am not sure which is better for cooling purposes.

Re: PSU for Antec P183 (1 year ago)

just put in a new question at the top of this post regarding a new case and power supply if anyone can help

Re: PSU for Antec P183 (1 year ago)

havent played a game yet to test it but will give it a good run on the weekend when i got some time to see how it goes....dont really have any hardcore games to push it to the limit though

Re: PSU for Antec P183 (1 year ago)

so just put in the GT440 and wow, i really did not realise how loud my other card was....it was a jet engine compared to this. sure this isnt whisper quiet, but its running like 20 degrees cooler for starters....now for some peace and quiet.

Re: PSU for Antec P183 (1 year ago)

ended up just getting the GT440....sitting at the computer today with the current fan grinding its ass off....didnt want to wait any longer even tried to unscrew the fan, clean it all up and that made it worse lol.....might buy a cheap vga cooler to chuck on it to keep it as a spare.

now just gotta find a vga cooler that would replace this ridiculous glaciator fan

Re: PSU for Antec P183 (1 year ago)

i think the other big factor is a quiet fan on the card. I am still leaning towards the GT440 but i cant seem to find any reviews on that particular card as to if the fan is quiet or not.....nothing worse than a noisy GPU fan. I know you can get the Silent Cell radeons for 150 but again it comes down to the power supply issue.

does radeon tend to have a quieter fan than the nvidia's?

i was under the impression that the larger the fan the quieter it is as it doesnt have to spin as fast. i also looked at putting a new cooler on my current card, but just dont see the point in upgrading old hardware for the same performance.

so i think it pretty much comes down to the gigabyte gt440 or the gigabyte 6570 for around the same price or spend an extra 25 bucks and get the gigabyte 6670 .....as much as i dont want to get a radeon it seems that they have the wider range, but to me the specs say the GT440 is better than both those cards

Re: PSU for Antec P183 (1 year ago)

its so ridiculous to keep up with all the different cards....you would think that the higher the model number the better, but it doesnt seem to be the case....for something that should be so simple, its a real pain

Re: PSU for Antec P183 (1 year ago)

What is the difference between a Gigabyte GT440 1GB and the Radeon HD6670....would the 6670 be the AMD equivalent of the GT440? I am sort of trying to stay away from Radeon as I had a radeon card before this one and couldnt stand the picture quality or the software that came with it......the GT440 seems to have better specs than the HD6670.....

i plan to upgrade the computer at a later date, but i just want a quick replacement card for now before this one explodes....dont want to have to buy new motherboards and PSU's just for a video card

Re: PSU for Antec P183 (1 year ago)

Monitor resolution is 1680x1050 22" monitor

also for those 2 cards i think i might be pushing the limits a bit too much, the ATI has a minimum recommended of 450W and ive only got 460W so that might be a bit too close for comfort.

PSU for Antec P183 (1 year ago)

EDIT: Hey guys I am looking at buying an Antec P183 and a Corsair CX-600 power supply...however the antec p183 has a bottom mounted PSU...will the fan of the power supply be directed to the bottom of the case or would I install it facing up?. and also, will the cables on a CX-600 be long enough to go through the cable management and be connected?

Cheers

IGNORE THE REST OF THIS QUESTION

Hey,

Im looking for a replacement for my ASUS 9600GT as the fan has just started grinding, but looking online i cant really get a straight answer and alot of recommendations are for 200 dollars cards....My computer is 3 years old, so I dont think i'll be able to get some high end video card.

Specs are:
CPU - Intel Q6600 Quad Core
RAM - 4GB Kingmax
HDD - 250GB HDD
GPU - ASUS 9600GT
PSU - Coolermaster 460W (Came with Centurion 534 case)

So I am only really looking at a slight upgrade on my current card as I dont do huge amounts of gaming so budget is about $100. Nvidia would be preferred as I have more experience with them. I'm also looking for something that runs really quiet. Currently I am looking at the Gigabyte GT440 1GB but I am not sure if my power supply can handle it or how quietly it runs or if it is better than what i currently have.

If anyone can help me out and advise what my best options would be to suit my computer it would be great.

Thanks

Re: Creating a Quiet PC on a low budget (1 year ago)

So I have been looking at CPU coolers and all the decent ones are massive, probably too big for my case. But I came across these

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=207_160_45&products_id=16986

has anyone used these Antec Kuhler H20 620's before and if so know if they are any good?? I figured if i replace the fan with one of the Nexus fans i bought it should be pretty quiet. But would be good to see what the actual performance of the cooler is.

cheers

Re: Creating a Quiet PC on a low budget (1 year ago)

Hi Guys,

Cheers for the help.

So I've decided to just do it in stages. First stage is to replace the case fans and see how much that reduces. I ended up just going for the Nexus fans because i couldnt justify 30 dollars each for the Noctua Case Fans...also got some silicon gaskets to put between the case and the fans. And a fan controller to see if that makes any difference.

Next stage will be to probably invest in a better quality graphics card, and find a decent CPU cooler (If anyone knows of one that isnt 4 stories high and 3 metres wide that would be great, because I'm not sure those ones would fit) I have a Coolermaster Centurion 534 and an ASUS P5K-E/Wi-FI motherboard if that helps for dimensions...also something easy to install would be better

Final stage will be to look at PSU (again if someone knows a quiet one let me know) and then finally case. That Fractal Design R3 looks good but just wanna see what else people think is good.

again cheers for the help

Creating a Quiet PC on a low budget (1 year ago)

Hey guys,

My computer seems to run ridiculously loud so I am trying to quieten it down without spending a whole heap of money.

Firsty, case fans I have looked at purchasing Nexus Silent fans, as well as Fan Gaskets to reduce vibration. Are the Gaskets necessary? I've also bought dust filters for the case to prevent dust clogging the fans.

My next problem is the Graphics Card fan. I have had issues with it before and its been sent back to Asus and everything, not sure if they fixed it or gave me a new card, but its getting loud again. Anyways I'm looking at replacing the card. At the moment i have a ASUS 9600GT 1GB card so i want something that is better than this (must be NVIDIA) but at a max price of about 120-150 and that is either fanless or is extremely quiet.

Without replacing CPU heatsinks and Power Supplies and everything does anyone know of anything else i can do to quieten the PC. I dont really want to go spending 300 bucks only to find out it doesnt make a difference.

WTB: Cheap working PC (1 year ago)

Hey Everyone,

Probably a bit of a tall order but I am looking to buy a Working PC for really cheap. Preferably something like a Dell or a HP, not TOO old...and basically all I want it to be able to do is go on the internet and Watch DVD's....no gaming or anything. Basically looking to spend between 150-250. Monitor/Keyboard/Mouse included would be great but not absolutely essential.

If anyone is looking to sell on the Northside of Brisbane would be great.

Cheers

Computer Fans (1 year ago)

Hey everyone,

Just a quick question. My last three computers I have had problems with the Fans, whether it be CPU, Video Card or just case fans. The bearings seem to go in them and they start making ridiculous noises. I've bought different brands and everything to try and remedy the problem but it always seems to happen. There are 3 other computers in the house and none have had the problem.

Is there something I am doing wrong thats causing it, they arent excessively dusty or anything. but is there another factor im not thinking of, like room temperature or something? the computer is also up on top of a desk so its not hidden away to overheat or nething.

if anyone has any ideas it would be good to hear. tired of buying new components all the time, where it gets to the point that i just buy a new computer instead.

ok cheers

Laser Printer Cartridge purchasing (2 years ago)

Hey guys,

Parents are being tight and refuse to pay for a new laser printer toner cartridge......to the point where they are going to buy a new printer over and over again....which is stupid coz i flat out refused to install it

My question is does anyone know where the best place to buy cartridges from either online or preferably the northside of Brisbane.

The printer is a Canon LPB3100B, the cartridges were $72 at Umart, but i found one for $44 at some random place at newstead, but im assuming its just a generic cartridge, and who knows how safe this unknow place is.

Is it better to buy the official cartridge, or are generics just as good.

Any help would be great.

Re: Looking for a Ipod/Iphone bedside alarm clock (2 years ago)

u could always stick a piece of black cardboard over the clock or soemthing at night

Re: Looking for a Ipod/Iphone bedside alarm clock (2 years ago)

i bought the kogan digital radio deluxe ipod dock. the light is orange so i find it doesnt light up the room. but at the same time its pricey and you cant view them in store, so that could be an issue.

Re: Kogan Digital Radio / Ipod DOck (2 years ago)

Was any of the products you came across these radios??

Re: Kogan Digital Radio / Ipod DOck (2 years ago)

yeah its definately more powerful, but i wanna know if its too overpowering and drowns out the actual music.

it seems a fairly large power differnce from 7 to 30, but i dont know how much of a difference that actually makes.

basically I will be using it as an ipod dock for when i work out. and then as a digital radio connected to my amp and speakers inside the house.

hoping someone has either to shed some light

Kogan Digital Radio / Ipod DOck (2 years ago)

Hey,

Im looking at buying a digital radio and stumbled across these 2 kogan's

One is more powerful, however also $60 more expensive.

Does anyone have either of these and can vouch for their quality?

also if neone knows if these run of AC or batteries or both?

And in regards to the streaming via wifi, do you need to insert your WPA2 router password, if so is there a character limit?

Thanks

http://www.kogan.com.au/shop/kogan-wi-fi-digital-radio-dab-iphone-docking/

http://www.kogan.com.au/shop/kogan-wi-fi-digital-radio-dab-iphone-docking-delux/

Re: Which Ipod Docking Station to buy?? (2 years ago)

yeah DAB radio would be pretty good. but since i wont really be using it for actual entertainment purposes Im trying not to spend much on it.

The only problem with just portable speakers is I want something that can charge my ipod too. Nothing worse than needing the computer on to charge it if you forget to do it late at night.

I might just go the Sony one, as long as it also charges which I will need to find out unless someone here knows?

Re: Which Ipod Docking Station to buy?? (2 years ago)

yeah thats sort of what i wanted to do

but i dont want something that is divided up into 3 parts (2 speakers and unit) type of thing.....i want it is a single unit so its easy to carry around.

so if neone can suggest speakers like that, that would be even better than the dock?

Which Ipod Docking Station to buy?? (2 years ago)

Hey guys,

I'm looking for a docking station for my ipod to listen to for a home gym setup.

I want something that sounds good, but I also dont really want to spend a huge amount, so it doesnt have to be awesome. just....good for its value.

Im looking to spend up to about $140. it doesnt necessarily need to be an alarm clock or nething, but i would like it to be in one unit rather than buy something like a mini hi-fi or nething.

I was looking at this

http://www.jbhifionline.com.au/ipod-mp3-portables/accessories/sony-icfc1ipmk2bc-ipod-iphone-clock-radio/440806

but if anyone has any other suggestions it would be good

cheers

Re: Jailbreaking Ipod Touch (2 years ago)

cheers for the help guys, ended up using "spirit".....its so much better now! why didnt apple implement half of this stuff into their ipods! its so much easier to navigate and everything now!