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A Charlie Brown Moment

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  • R Offline
    R Offline
    Roger Wright
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    For months I've been having trouble starting my 10 - 12 year old PC. It goes through the POST test nicely, displays the Windows logo, then shuts down. That sounds like a video system problem to me, so I updated my video card to something a little more current. When I opened the system, I saw for the first time the true resolution of my monitor, and it was lovely. Then I opened Microsoft Solitaire! LOL!!!! It tries (and fails) to work with the full screen, but the poor cards just can't keep up with the cursor! BTW, there are 618 levels that I know about... Further exploration shows that other functions are having problems, as well. Scrolling web pages is erratic now, since the upgrade. I suspect that the older spec PCiE bus can't keep up with the demands of modern video cards. It appears that I've finally worn out this 2010 - 2012 PC that was state-of-the-art back then. They just don't make them like they used to... Back then I dealt with TigerDirect and Newegg. Are they still good sources, or are there newbies I should know about? Re: the title, when I tried Solitaire with the new configuration, my first thought was of Lucy, in the Christmas movie, telling Charlie Brown, "You killed it, you blockhead!!!!"

    Will Rogers never met me.

    P D Mike HankeyM F M 7 Replies Last reply
    0
    • R Roger Wright

      For months I've been having trouble starting my 10 - 12 year old PC. It goes through the POST test nicely, displays the Windows logo, then shuts down. That sounds like a video system problem to me, so I updated my video card to something a little more current. When I opened the system, I saw for the first time the true resolution of my monitor, and it was lovely. Then I opened Microsoft Solitaire! LOL!!!! It tries (and fails) to work with the full screen, but the poor cards just can't keep up with the cursor! BTW, there are 618 levels that I know about... Further exploration shows that other functions are having problems, as well. Scrolling web pages is erratic now, since the upgrade. I suspect that the older spec PCiE bus can't keep up with the demands of modern video cards. It appears that I've finally worn out this 2010 - 2012 PC that was state-of-the-art back then. They just don't make them like they used to... Back then I dealt with TigerDirect and Newegg. Are they still good sources, or are there newbies I should know about? Re: the title, when I tried Solitaire with the new configuration, my first thought was of Lucy, in the Christmas movie, telling Charlie Brown, "You killed it, you blockhead!!!!"

      Will Rogers never met me.

      P Offline
      P Offline
      PIEBALDconsult
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      Oh, hey, we passed through your way yesterday. Thought of you and locked the doors. :-D

      R 1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • P PIEBALDconsult

        Oh, hey, we passed through your way yesterday. Thought of you and locked the doors. :-D

        R Offline
        R Offline
        Roger Wright
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        Good choice!

        Will Rogers never met me.

        1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • R Roger Wright

          For months I've been having trouble starting my 10 - 12 year old PC. It goes through the POST test nicely, displays the Windows logo, then shuts down. That sounds like a video system problem to me, so I updated my video card to something a little more current. When I opened the system, I saw for the first time the true resolution of my monitor, and it was lovely. Then I opened Microsoft Solitaire! LOL!!!! It tries (and fails) to work with the full screen, but the poor cards just can't keep up with the cursor! BTW, there are 618 levels that I know about... Further exploration shows that other functions are having problems, as well. Scrolling web pages is erratic now, since the upgrade. I suspect that the older spec PCiE bus can't keep up with the demands of modern video cards. It appears that I've finally worn out this 2010 - 2012 PC that was state-of-the-art back then. They just don't make them like they used to... Back then I dealt with TigerDirect and Newegg. Are they still good sources, or are there newbies I should know about? Re: the title, when I tried Solitaire with the new configuration, my first thought was of Lucy, in the Christmas movie, telling Charlie Brown, "You killed it, you blockhead!!!!"

          Will Rogers never met me.

          D Offline
          D Offline
          Daniel Pfeffer
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          I always think of Lucy pulling the football away just as Charlie Brown is about to kick it. The poor sap never learns!

          Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. -- 6079 Smith W.

          1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • R Roger Wright

            For months I've been having trouble starting my 10 - 12 year old PC. It goes through the POST test nicely, displays the Windows logo, then shuts down. That sounds like a video system problem to me, so I updated my video card to something a little more current. When I opened the system, I saw for the first time the true resolution of my monitor, and it was lovely. Then I opened Microsoft Solitaire! LOL!!!! It tries (and fails) to work with the full screen, but the poor cards just can't keep up with the cursor! BTW, there are 618 levels that I know about... Further exploration shows that other functions are having problems, as well. Scrolling web pages is erratic now, since the upgrade. I suspect that the older spec PCiE bus can't keep up with the demands of modern video cards. It appears that I've finally worn out this 2010 - 2012 PC that was state-of-the-art back then. They just don't make them like they used to... Back then I dealt with TigerDirect and Newegg. Are they still good sources, or are there newbies I should know about? Re: the title, when I tried Solitaire with the new configuration, my first thought was of Lucy, in the Christmas movie, telling Charlie Brown, "You killed it, you blockhead!!!!"

            Will Rogers never met me.

            Mike HankeyM Offline
            Mike HankeyM Offline
            Mike Hankey
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            I use Newegg for all my PC builds, great company.

            The most expensive tool is a cheap tool. Gareth Branwyn JaxCoder.com

            D 1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • R Roger Wright

              For months I've been having trouble starting my 10 - 12 year old PC. It goes through the POST test nicely, displays the Windows logo, then shuts down. That sounds like a video system problem to me, so I updated my video card to something a little more current. When I opened the system, I saw for the first time the true resolution of my monitor, and it was lovely. Then I opened Microsoft Solitaire! LOL!!!! It tries (and fails) to work with the full screen, but the poor cards just can't keep up with the cursor! BTW, there are 618 levels that I know about... Further exploration shows that other functions are having problems, as well. Scrolling web pages is erratic now, since the upgrade. I suspect that the older spec PCiE bus can't keep up with the demands of modern video cards. It appears that I've finally worn out this 2010 - 2012 PC that was state-of-the-art back then. They just don't make them like they used to... Back then I dealt with TigerDirect and Newegg. Are they still good sources, or are there newbies I should know about? Re: the title, when I tried Solitaire with the new configuration, my first thought was of Lucy, in the Christmas movie, telling Charlie Brown, "You killed it, you blockhead!!!!"

              Will Rogers never met me.

              F Offline
              F Offline
              fgs1963
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              https://www.bhphotovideo.com/[^] is an under the radar place out of NY with pretty decent prices.* * FGS1963 is in no way affiliated with B&H. No warranty expressed or implied. Your mileage may vary. Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. Keep away from children under 5 years old.

              1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • R Roger Wright

                For months I've been having trouble starting my 10 - 12 year old PC. It goes through the POST test nicely, displays the Windows logo, then shuts down. That sounds like a video system problem to me, so I updated my video card to something a little more current. When I opened the system, I saw for the first time the true resolution of my monitor, and it was lovely. Then I opened Microsoft Solitaire! LOL!!!! It tries (and fails) to work with the full screen, but the poor cards just can't keep up with the cursor! BTW, there are 618 levels that I know about... Further exploration shows that other functions are having problems, as well. Scrolling web pages is erratic now, since the upgrade. I suspect that the older spec PCiE bus can't keep up with the demands of modern video cards. It appears that I've finally worn out this 2010 - 2012 PC that was state-of-the-art back then. They just don't make them like they used to... Back then I dealt with TigerDirect and Newegg. Are they still good sources, or are there newbies I should know about? Re: the title, when I tried Solitaire with the new configuration, my first thought was of Lucy, in the Christmas movie, telling Charlie Brown, "You killed it, you blockhead!!!!"

                Will Rogers never met me.

                M Offline
                M Offline
                matblue25
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                Are you talking about building a new system from components or buying a pre-built one?

                R 1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • M matblue25

                  Are you talking about building a new system from components or buying a pre-built one?

                  R Offline
                  R Offline
                  Roger Wright
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  Components. I haven't purchased a complete desktop since 1994. :)

                  Will Rogers never met me.

                  M 1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • R Roger Wright

                    Components. I haven't purchased a complete desktop since 1994. :)

                    Will Rogers never met me.

                    M Offline
                    M Offline
                    matblue25
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    I've been using pcpartpicker.com to configure the system and, mostly been buying on Amazon because the prices are as good as or better than anywhere else (plus I have Prime). Surprisingly, BestBuy sometimes has better prices. I've used NewEgg a couple of times. I also look at microcenter.com (especially if you have a store in your town). Their prices can be kind of high but there's nothing like walking into a store with a cart and filling it up with the components you are looking for. Like a grocery store for computer parts. If you haven't built a system in a while, the CPU coolers for the latest CPUs are HUGE. Make sure you have room in your case and a couple of extra case fans to move air through it. You can use a fan-only cooler or one called an "AIO" (for "all-in-one") which is a closed-loop water cooler with a radiator, kind of like an automobile. I haven't gone the water-cooled route yet.

                    R 1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • M matblue25

                      I've been using pcpartpicker.com to configure the system and, mostly been buying on Amazon because the prices are as good as or better than anywhere else (plus I have Prime). Surprisingly, BestBuy sometimes has better prices. I've used NewEgg a couple of times. I also look at microcenter.com (especially if you have a store in your town). Their prices can be kind of high but there's nothing like walking into a store with a cart and filling it up with the components you are looking for. Like a grocery store for computer parts. If you haven't built a system in a while, the CPU coolers for the latest CPUs are HUGE. Make sure you have room in your case and a couple of extra case fans to move air through it. You can use a fan-only cooler or one called an "AIO" (for "all-in-one") which is a closed-loop water cooler with a radiator, kind of like an automobile. I haven't gone the water-cooled route yet.

                      R Offline
                      R Offline
                      Roger Wright
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      Thanks for those suggestions! Even though they call these things 'desktops' I prefer oversized cases with lots of fans. In fact, I replaced one that was getting noisy when I did the video card with a Cooler Master Sickleflow 120. I can barely hear it at all!

                      Will Rogers never met me.

                      N 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • R Roger Wright

                        For months I've been having trouble starting my 10 - 12 year old PC. It goes through the POST test nicely, displays the Windows logo, then shuts down. That sounds like a video system problem to me, so I updated my video card to something a little more current. When I opened the system, I saw for the first time the true resolution of my monitor, and it was lovely. Then I opened Microsoft Solitaire! LOL!!!! It tries (and fails) to work with the full screen, but the poor cards just can't keep up with the cursor! BTW, there are 618 levels that I know about... Further exploration shows that other functions are having problems, as well. Scrolling web pages is erratic now, since the upgrade. I suspect that the older spec PCiE bus can't keep up with the demands of modern video cards. It appears that I've finally worn out this 2010 - 2012 PC that was state-of-the-art back then. They just don't make them like they used to... Back then I dealt with TigerDirect and Newegg. Are they still good sources, or are there newbies I should know about? Re: the title, when I tried Solitaire with the new configuration, my first thought was of Lucy, in the Christmas movie, telling Charlie Brown, "You killed it, you blockhead!!!!"

                        Will Rogers never met me.

                        K Offline
                        K Offline
                        kmoorevs
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #11

                        I continue to be amazed at the flattening rate of replacement for PC hardware over the last 12 years. I am currently running a server that was built from TigerDirect components and a locally sourced case/psu around the same time as your system, originally running Server 2008 on the first SSD I ever bought, a massive 64GB beast! Since then, the OS has been replaced 2x (currently on Server 2016) and drives swapped for newer SSDs. When I built that thing over a dozen years ago, I never dreamed that it would be around this long...and most importantly that it still performs adequately for my needs. IMO, starting a dozen years or so back, we have entered a sort of 'hardware plateau' where decent hardware coupled with SSDs, and faster broadband internet has been good enough for most. Combine that with the extremely low failure rate for SSDs and people find that their 10-12 y/o systems still get the job done. There are an awful lot of consumers with PCs in this condition which is a problem if you want to sell people new stuff...give them a compelling reason to upgrade or introduce some tougher hardware restrictions in a new O/S. :suss: That said, I believe that 12 years of continuous operation is pushing my luck and am in the planning phase to take the vintage server (mentioned above) out of service and relocate the services.

                        "Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse "Hope is contagious"

                        D 1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • R Roger Wright

                          Thanks for those suggestions! Even though they call these things 'desktops' I prefer oversized cases with lots of fans. In fact, I replaced one that was getting noisy when I did the video card with a Cooler Master Sickleflow 120. I can barely hear it at all!

                          Will Rogers never met me.

                          N Offline
                          N Offline
                          Nelek
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #12

                          I built my PC last year using BeQuiet! case, CPU cooler tower and fans and I can tell, it is really quiet. In the most exigent moments, the CPU coolers can be heard but the rest... nothing.

                          M.D.V. ;) If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about? Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • R Roger Wright

                            For months I've been having trouble starting my 10 - 12 year old PC. It goes through the POST test nicely, displays the Windows logo, then shuts down. That sounds like a video system problem to me, so I updated my video card to something a little more current. When I opened the system, I saw for the first time the true resolution of my monitor, and it was lovely. Then I opened Microsoft Solitaire! LOL!!!! It tries (and fails) to work with the full screen, but the poor cards just can't keep up with the cursor! BTW, there are 618 levels that I know about... Further exploration shows that other functions are having problems, as well. Scrolling web pages is erratic now, since the upgrade. I suspect that the older spec PCiE bus can't keep up with the demands of modern video cards. It appears that I've finally worn out this 2010 - 2012 PC that was state-of-the-art back then. They just don't make them like they used to... Back then I dealt with TigerDirect and Newegg. Are they still good sources, or are there newbies I should know about? Re: the title, when I tried Solitaire with the new configuration, my first thought was of Lucy, in the Christmas movie, telling Charlie Brown, "You killed it, you blockhead!!!!"

                            Will Rogers never met me.

                            H Offline
                            H Offline
                            Hugh Brooks
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #13

                            Thanks for sharing this informative and amazing post here. I found it very interesting and enjoy reading this blog. Will wait for more posts.
                            Reliable Used Laptop Suppliers or Refurbished Laptop[^]

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • Mike HankeyM Mike Hankey

                              I use Newegg for all my PC builds, great company.

                              The most expensive tool is a cheap tool. Gareth Branwyn JaxCoder.com

                              D Offline
                              D Offline
                              Dan Neely
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #14

                              Newegg *was* a great company. A few years ago the founders cashed out and the new management are soulless bean counters. Gone are the better than normal RMA terms, and policy of never settling with patent trolls. Instead you get things like them selling obviously defective returns and when you ask for a refund on the garbage you just unboxed they blame you and refuse[^]. Today, Newegg is a great search engine if you need specific features on a mobo or the like; but you might as well save the $5 afterwards and buy it on Amazon instead.

                              Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius

                              Mike HankeyM 1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • D Dan Neely

                                Newegg *was* a great company. A few years ago the founders cashed out and the new management are soulless bean counters. Gone are the better than normal RMA terms, and policy of never settling with patent trolls. Instead you get things like them selling obviously defective returns and when you ask for a refund on the garbage you just unboxed they blame you and refuse[^]. Today, Newegg is a great search engine if you need specific features on a mobo or the like; but you might as well save the $5 afterwards and buy it on Amazon instead.

                                Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius

                                Mike HankeyM Offline
                                Mike HankeyM Offline
                                Mike Hankey
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #15

                                What a shame. I didn't know they had sold out as I haven't had any problems in my last couple of builds or upgrades. Thanks for the heads up!

                                The most expensive tool is a cheap tool. Gareth Branwyn JaxCoder.com

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • K kmoorevs

                                  I continue to be amazed at the flattening rate of replacement for PC hardware over the last 12 years. I am currently running a server that was built from TigerDirect components and a locally sourced case/psu around the same time as your system, originally running Server 2008 on the first SSD I ever bought, a massive 64GB beast! Since then, the OS has been replaced 2x (currently on Server 2016) and drives swapped for newer SSDs. When I built that thing over a dozen years ago, I never dreamed that it would be around this long...and most importantly that it still performs adequately for my needs. IMO, starting a dozen years or so back, we have entered a sort of 'hardware plateau' where decent hardware coupled with SSDs, and faster broadband internet has been good enough for most. Combine that with the extremely low failure rate for SSDs and people find that their 10-12 y/o systems still get the job done. There are an awful lot of consumers with PCs in this condition which is a problem if you want to sell people new stuff...give them a compelling reason to upgrade or introduce some tougher hardware restrictions in a new O/S. :suss: That said, I believe that 12 years of continuous operation is pushing my luck and am in the planning phase to take the vintage server (mentioned above) out of service and relocate the services.

                                  "Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse "Hope is contagious"

                                  D Offline
                                  D Offline
                                  Dan Neely
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #16

                                  kmoorevs wrote:

                                  IMO, starting a dozen years or so back, we have entered a sort of 'hardware plateau' where decent hardware coupled with SSDs, and faster broadband internet has been good enough for most. Combine that with the extremely low failure rate for SSDs and people find that their 10-12 y/o systems still get the job done.

                                  The plateau ended a few years ago when mainstream desktop core counts stopped being capped at 4. The only reason I haven't replaced my 2014 CPU/mobo yet is that I'm waiting for AMDs next generation platform later this year. (For Intel I wouldn't bother, they cycle sockets every 2 years so there's no point; but AMD's 4ish year lifecycle is long enough to offer compatible parts that are worthwhile upgrades.

                                  Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius

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