CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 6:11 am Post subject:

It's never a matter of need....

I just figured since I'm loading 21gig 1080i PVR files I'd be able to search without it crashing. My old PVR can't do it without crashing. I also have a dedicated 8 gig swap file on the 2nd hard disk. This use to make Win98 faster (albeit I'd only allocate 1gb swap back then ) Not sure if WinXP can make use of this or not. I just like tweaking things to make them faster.

Maybe I should set up a ram disk and have XP load to it. Wonder if that would speed things up? I use to ram disk Win95 and man did it run faster. Of course that was when I had a PIO mode 3 850meg Quantum hard drive and a P200MMX. Now we have ATA133 and SATA3 drives.

kschmit2 · Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 8:47 am Post subject:

try to sell the additional 2GB and the plextor drive asap. That way you will recoup most of what you have paid for them.

Mark_A_W · Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 1:28 pm Post subject:

Searching 24gb ts files works fine with 512mb - it's more to do with the splitter.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 7:01 pm Post subject:

I'm using WatchHD's recording and playback. Not in this computer yet but I have to respin this box on the weekend. I may try to copy some of the WatchHD's files to this box. On my old box I would record NBC from 11:30 to 2:30 or so and I could play it but not rewind or fast forward.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:12 am Post subject:

Well don't that beat all?? The motherboard I RMA'd came back from the supplier tested OK?? That's strange. IT refused to boot for me. I stripped it down to a stick of ram, on hdd and the floppy and all I got was a beep.

Well I'll test it next week.

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

I was thinking the same thing unkless one was planning on using the Aero interface of Vista.

BTW, does the 965/975/9xx chipsets handle >4GB of RAM correctly?

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 6:24 pm Post subject:

I don't know I have the Geforce 6150 northbridge and the 430 Southbridge

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 7:05 am Post subject:

I respun XP Pro onto this box last week. Unfortunately the early time change has the PVR's guid knocked out. I'd download the update but I may decide to respin this once more and I don't feel like doing the registration just yet. I want to wait till I finish swaping hardware in and out to figure out what runs best.

This is sort of taking a back burner now as the painting has begun on the theater.

See my progress there in this thread:

https://www.curtpalme.com/forum_archived/viewtopic.php@t=4371.html

I'll update this PC when more problems occur. Wink

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

I didn't know that Canada followed along with the US in taking on a different start date for time changes.

Joust · Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 2:17 pm Post subject:

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 3:13 pm Post subject:

Joust · Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 3:18 pm Post subject:

well ....yeah, GO SENS GO.
but that shouldn't really count as canadian content for entertainemnt. I'm talkign movies and sitcoms etc. Canadian TV generally sucks.
we have "Corner Gas" at this time that may be considered watchable.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 4:13 pm Post subject:

Ahh I see your point.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 11:26 pm Post subject:

Well last night I found out the sound card I wanted had been discontinued.
http://www.auzentech.com/site/products/x-meridian.php
So I ran out today and bought one of the last remaining stock.
I never installed the previous sound card I had due to the lack of front pannel conectors. This one has that connection plus the replaceable op-amps.

I plan to use the 7.1 outs in a 5.1 configuration to my preamp via the analogue outs ( of course ). I hear ( pun inteneded ) that with the upgraded op-amps this is a very nice sounding card. I'll let you know once I have time to test it all. I have to go buy some cables this week. Time permitting.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:12 am Post subject:

This was one of the easiest installs. I had it in and running in 5 minutes. The only gripe would be the labeling of the FP pins. They show a picture in the manual but don't give you a pin out. The pin out IS printed on the circuit board though.

I haven't gotten the front panel headphone jack to mute yet but it's probably in the setttings.

Joust · Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 1:26 am Post subject:

how much was that? I want one that gives me 7.1. the one on my DFI board is 6.1 only.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:29 am Post subject:

$205 it's a special edition discontinued. You have to find someone that still has one in stock.

They have a lesser card that does 7.1 for around $125. It's the X-plosion

http://www.auzentech.com/site/products/x-plosion.php

Tiger direct sometimes has them as does Canada Computers

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:33 am Post subject:

Or if you game and need the EAX 5.0 support you can wait for the new X-Fi Prelude card based on the Creative Labs Creative X-Fi CA20K audio processor chip. I'll grab one of these next year I'd say. The release date keeps getting pushed back.

http://www.auzentech.com/site/products/x-fi_prelude.php#featuresentertainment

jask · Joined: 17 Mar 2006 Posts: 10187 Location: kamloops BC

so Analog how does it sound? I assume you got the cables sorted out! what is the op-amp upgrade you mentioned,any links?

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 7:15 pm Post subject:

I don't have the 5.1 analog outs hooked up yet but I have been using the virtual head phone feature. It blows away the built in sound card.

The op-amps are upgradable for the analog outs. I'll look at that latter. Been to bussy doing car stuff to do much home theater.

As for links. I don't have them book marked. AND they were on AVS so the search was no help. I do remember people reporting a night and day sound difference on the previos soundcard when they changed to burr-brown op amps. It also removed a notch at 60Hz that the manufacturer aparently had designed into the product. Probably to reduce 60 cycle hum when you get a ground loop issue.

Here's a bit about the HTPC and using an Auzentech card

http://www.extrememhz.com/htpcguide-p3.shtml