KoolDrew

Artifacts are caused by errors in the graphics pipeline. The main cause is usually an overheating GPU, but since you said you checked that I would say a bad memory chip. The motherboard could be the issue as well, such as a messed up PCI-E lane or a bad northbridge since it controls the PCI-E bus. As you said, it may be main memory as well since all gfx data is sent to the PCI-E bus from memory. I say run memtest86+ to rule out any memory problems first.

If it's anything like the dv5t, it's a solid choice.

And if you want the computer to last more than a damn year, you need to buy something that won't fall apart within that first year. Personally I'd rather have a laptop with decent specs that won't fall apart, rather than having really good specs and having it fall apart. That's the compromise you have to make if you want something cheap. If you don't want to make compromises, you have to pay for it. Given the use of the laptop (just web browsing and download/watching videos), I would say build quality is of much more importance as well. He doesn't need something beefy to do what he wants to do with it. Also, if you took a look at the R series I recommended or something similar it's definitely more than enough hardware to get the job done, but is of much higher quality than a cheaper consumer laptop. I'm definitely not saying go buy an old piece of crap with crappy specs just because it's built like a tank. What I'm saying is build quality should be put into consideration. If you find something for dirt cheap with really nice specs, there's a reason it's so cheap and build quality if of much more importance than people think. The most common thing to go on cheaper laptops is the LCD screen especially, and if you were to take one apart, you'd see why. The LCD screen isn't protected by anything, just plastic. ABS plastic easily flexes, and what happens when it flexes? So does the screen. In the end you have to take all these things into consideration and decide which is most important to you. For me both specs and build quality is very important, which is why I went ahead and bought a T61 for almost $1700. I also carry mine around a lot so obviously build quality may be a bit higher on my list of requirements than somebody who was looking for more of a desktop replacement.

It will be 10mbps faster... Right now I'm using Road Runners standard package. They do have a faster package available, but I personally don't think it's worth it. The only thing I would like is a faster upload speed and the upgraded package didn't really add anything last time I checked.

I would recommend paying a bit more attention to build quality rather than specs when looking at a laptop. It's easy to find a laptop under a grand with good specs, the reason is because most manufactures will make compromises in build quality to allow the price to be so low. The HP you linked to is a perfect example - a computer with fine specs and will likely perform well, but they are notorious for being very cheaply made. If you were to actually take one apart, the motherboard is completely exposed, the only thing protecting it is cheap ABS plastic which the outer casing is made out of. To be honest, since you'll mainly be using it to browse the web and download/watch videos, you don't need something very beefy at all and you should be more worried about build quality and battery life, not having 4GB of RAM and a fast processor. If you want specific recommendations look at the R series by Lenovo (the T series is very good as well, but more expensive). Also, Dell with the exception of a few models usually have decent build quality and you may be able to pick one up for cheap. My girlfriend got a XPS M1330 for $650. I'd just recommend staying away from the older Inspiron laptops. You need to decide which features are important for you though. What size screen do you want? Do you want it to be lighweight and portable? How long do you want it to last? How many hours of battery life do you need? Will you be carrying it around? What screen resolution would you prefer? Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a non-glossy screen? Answer those questions and it'll be easier to give you a recommendation. AMD and Intel CPU's are rated much differently. You cannot simply compare one to the other at the same clock speed. As for the whole AMD vs Intel issue, Intel has always had the upper hand in the mobile market, despite being very competitive in the desktop market in the past.

I picked it up a few days ago and it is definitely a lot of fun. I highly suggest people pick it up only if they plan to play either with friends and/or online with other people though. That's where the game really shines.

In sequential read/writes, yes. Unfortunately, seek time suffers in a RAID-0 array. Due to the fact that seek time is of much more importance when reading small files, the OS and most games would perform better on a single faster than a RAID-0 array. Where RAID-0 really shines is when dealing with very large files, where raw sequential speed is important. Most desktop users will not benefit and would be better off with a much faster single drive.

The thing is that I don't really want to set a specific budget, as then I feel like I'm limiting myself. I definitely don't mind saving up a bit more if it means I'm happier in the end. I just don't want to spend something outrageous, like $700 on one subwoofer. I'm a "best bang for your buck" kind of guy. I don't mind spending a lot, but just like anything else I'm assuming it gets to a point where spending more will have diminishing returns. That's what I don't want to do. I also don't want to skimp and think to myself later "I could of spent just $100 more and got something much nicer." Hope that helps without giving a specific budget...

Currently I drive a 00 Sunfire with no sound deadening, crappy walmart Sony Xlpodes for components, stock HU, and shitty duals. I did build my own box for the duals and they sound a lot better than they did in the box they came in, but my system still sucks. I'm limited on cash being a college student and all, but I don't want to skimp on stuff just because. I'd rather save up for something nice if I have to. Also, I posted this in the SQ forum because that is my main concern. I mostly listen to rap and would really like to enjoy my music, and with thoughts of getting an in-dash DVD unit, that's something to think about too. I also want to be really loud as well though... for those times you just feel like showing off. If you guys were in my situation and wanted a really nice SQ setup that got really loud as well, what would you guys do? Being tight on money I would probably be upgrading one thing at a time. Any product recommendations? Originally I was going to first Dynamat my car (trunk rattles really bad even with just duals), then get two 10" FI Q's (the box the Duals are in are actually built to spec for the FI's), a Sundown Audio 1500D, a Pioneer in-dash DVD unit, and I had no idea about components or an amp for components. There's also electrical in my car and wire to worry about too.. Will perform the Big 3, and I'm assuming I'd need a better alternator and battery. Any wire recommendations for doing the Big 3? Also, keep in mind where I live the only decent system is a friend of mine who has 2 Alpine Type X's. So that's the only thing I've really heard besides cheap walmart / best buy stuff.

Why the DC's over the FI's? Also, I'll definitely just get the SAZ-3000D, however, aren't the DC subs 2 Ohm? The 3000D provides 1600w at 2 Ohm and 3000w at 1 Ohm. So I guess (unless somebody changes my mind) I'll run two 12" FI Q's with one SAZ-3000D at 1 Ohm.

So if I'm able to fit two 12's, you think that's my best option? Along with the Sundown amps? I have no doubt a box that size will fit in my trunk, it's getting it in there I'm afraid of. Also, some questions about optimal trunk setup. Would it be optimal to face the subs and ports inside the car and seal off the rest of the trunk? I can't really remove the backseat because sometimes I have people sit back there, but usually nobody sits back there and I can leave the seat down. It's going to be a while until I start ordering stuff, but I have sheets of MDF laying around so I can start building the box right away. I realize building the enclosure correctly is the most important part so any tips on getting the most out of my subs would definitely be appreciated.

The recommended size for ONE 12" is 1.8-2.5 cubic feet for a ported box...

Say I was able to fit a 15", two 12's, one 12, or two 10's. Which would be loudest? The problem is, I think I'll have trouble using as much of my trunk as possible because there's the issue of actually getting it into the car. The fact that mine is a four door makes fitting a box through the door very difficult, and a large box is definitely not fitting through the trunk, which is why I think to ensure I don't have any problems I should just go with two 10's or one 12.

So I'm assuming everybody thinks my plan of 2x SAZ-1500D's and 2x 10" FI Q's is a good one?

I think I may just get the SAZ-1500D because the RMS rating @ 1 Ohm is 1500w and run each sub off of that. However, a friend of mine said I may not want to go 1 Ohm because it will be more demanding on my electrical system and with the money spent beefing it up, I'd be better off getting an amp that can supply around that at 2 Ohms. Any thoughts? I don't want to underpower my subs at all. Also, two 10's would be louder than one 12, correct?