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PC upgrade advice


CJ

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CJ, what are you looking to do with the pc? I may have missed a meeting. :)...........

 

 

So what would it be used for most? Sorry if it's already been discussed. :)

In the main, it will be used for general computing and I may occasionally play games on it too. I have decided to now run the PC through my LCD TV and so a new graphics card is a must as my LCD only has scart and HDMI input and my PC only has VGA output.

 

As for the rest of your post, you obviously missed the part where I said I am a complete numpty when it comes to this type of thing and so masses of tech speak leaves me staring glassy eyed into space. :D

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Yep, Kingston are one of the best by all accounts. Not perhaps as good value as Scott's OCZ suggestion but if postage is an issue and taking into account that we're talking Euros now, look at the second and third on the list for 38 Euros each 2GB Pair. Not sure what D2 and B1 mean though. Can be looked up. Maybe Thorin knows? Proper good stuff though.

 

I'll let someone else say that it all looks Greek to them!

 

DOH!

 

Thank you - that makes sense to me. :)

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Cool CJ but I think you missed the bit where I said that you can still connect VGA to HDMI. Just not the sound. Use phono. VGA, DVI and HDMI all use three wires called RGB (Red Green Blue) but through different connectors. HDMI just integrates sound too for convenience. I'll find an adapter to show you.

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Cool CJ but I think you missed the bit where I said that you can still connect VGA to HDMI. Just not the sound. Use phono. VGA, DVI and HDMI all use three wires called RGB (Red Green Blue) but through different connectors. HDMI just integrates sound too for convenience. I'll find an adapter to show you.

 

I was always led to believe that as the VGA was an analogue signal and the HDMI a digital one then there was no way a cable with each one on each end or a simple converter would work. Or am I talking rubbish yet again. :)

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http://superuser.com/questions/76497/vga-to-hdmi-convert

 

Something like that?

 

Scratch that, it will only work the opposite way by the looks of it.

 

Looking at the reviews here it would seem that another converter (possibly like this ) is needed too. That being the case, I just as well as buy a "fit for purpose" graphics card and cover all bases.

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No doubt a GFX card is the best choice CJ. I was just nosey :D

 

Well, after that (and other advice) I am going to do a reformat of my HD and then buy this GFX card from an online store and then buy this memory you suggested. I will then connect the PC to my LCD via a HDMI cable and use my existing DVD Surround system for sound output.

 

Jobs a good 'un eh?:D

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I am just about to order the GFX card and now see that there are 2 possibilities. Which of these do you think looks the best for my needs? Predominantly normal computing (general stuff and watching films etc) and maybe some gaming - both whilst running the PC through an LCD as a monitor

 

http://www.e-shop.gr/show_per.phtml?id=PER.513494

 

http://www.e-shop.gr/show_per.phtml?id=PER.513484

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I am just about to order the GFX card and now see that there are 2 possibilities. Which of these do you think looks the best for my needs? Predominantly normal computing (general stuff and watching films etc) and maybe some gaming - both whilst running the PC through an LCD as a monitor

 

http://www.e-shop.gr/show_per.phtml?id=PER.513494

 

http://www.e-shop.gr/show_per.phtml?id=PER.513484

 

Basic gaming will be ok mate but nothing heavy duty - they may say over 2000res but they'll produce low frame rates with only 580MHz clocks

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Basic gaming will be ok mate but nothing heavy duty - they may say over 2000res but they'll produce low frame rates with only 580MHz clocks

 

I thought as much but was really looking at opinions as to which of the 2 where the better option. I am going to go with the one with the DDR3 as that would seem to be the newer model.

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Cool CJ but I think you missed the bit where I said that you can still connect VGA to HDMI. Just not the sound. Use phono. VGA, DVI and HDMI all use three wires called RGB (Red Green Blue) but through different connectors. HDMI just integrates sound too for convenience. I'll find an adapter to show you.

 

Have you ever tried VGA to HDMI? Pretty sure it doesnt work. VGA is analogue only, HDMI is digital only. The reason you can go VGA to DVI is that some DVI connectors also support analogue on extra pins. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visual_Interface#Connector

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I am just about to order the GFX card and now see that there are 2 possibilities. Which of these do you think looks the best for my needs? Predominantly normal computing (general stuff and watching films etc) and maybe some gaming - both whilst running the PC through an LCD as a monitor

 

http://www.e-shop.gr/show_per.phtml?id=PER.513494

 

http://www.e-shop.gr/show_per.phtml?id=PER.513484

 

Doesn't look like there's much to choose between them. As you said, one of them has the newer DDR3 RAM, but the other seems to have a slightly faster core speed. The RAM speeds on both cards are the same, and GFX RAM isn't a user-swappable item. On that basis I'd have a slight preference for the one with DDR2 RAM.

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Hmmm maybe I am being a bit thick here but there's a DVI to VGA convertor. So theorectically you can plug in all three so you get HDMI to DVI to VGA. I *think* for computers the only big difference with HDMI is that it carries sound as well?

 

Did you read the post above yours?

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Hmmm maybe I am being a bit thick here but there's a DVI to VGA convertor. So theorectically you can plug in all three so you get HDMI to DVI to VGA. I *think* for computers the only big difference with HDMI is that it carries sound as well?

 

 

I looked into it a TINY bit and if what I understood is correct then all 3 cables do indeed carry the RGB signal. This means that all cables can be used to input to an RGB interface. If I understand this correctly it would mean that you can only downgrade from HDMI to VGA and not go the other way. I'm not sure with the DVI interface on a TV either, not sure if it would read a VGA signal. I think you can go from DVi - VGA and from HDMI -VGA but you can't go from VGA to DVi and VGA to HDMi.

 

Bloody complex aint it :blink:

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On reading further it appears that monitors can read digital signals through the VGA input...

 

People seem to be buying this item expecting it to be VGA to HDMI, or bi-directional. This was made to send the video from your HDMI source, to your VGA display." of course such a cable does not convert a VGA signal to HDMI, but that is not what you want anyway. so don't worry, a VGA monitor works just fine on a HDMI output.
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