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My bad, I meant Windows 7...
I managed to track down and install the PCI bus driver, but this PCI bus Controller is still giving me trouble...
What does this thing even do?
Hey everyone...
I’ve run into a bit of a headache. I just finished a fresh install of macOS on my laptop, and while I managed to get almost everything up and running, I’m stuck with two mystery drivers that refuse to cooperate.
Specifically, it's the PCI Device and the PCI bus Controller.
Does anyone actually know what these things do, and more importantly, where am I supposed to hunt down the right drivers to get them installed?
The machine is a Dell Latitude.
Thanks.
Here’s how the ad reads:
A desktop setup with the following specs:
Gigabyte GA-H77M-D3H motherboard (LGA 1155)
Intel Core i5 3350P CPU
8GB Transcend DDR3 RAM
1TB Western Digital HDD
Radeon HD 5450 1GB graphics card (I can swap this out for a beefier card; if you want it with a Gigabyte geforce gtx 650, it’ll cost $1200 extra)
DVD-RW drive
High-quality power supply
Gigabyte case
Comes with a genuine, pre-installed copy of Microsoft Windows 7 Pro
There’s an official sticker on the case
The machine has barely been turned on—it's practically brand new
The only catch is there's no warranty (lost the paperwork), so I highly recommend testing everything before buying to make sure it's solid
I'm open to a trade-in: I can take your old computer, even if it's broken or barely running
I can also upgrade your old rig using whatever parts are necessary
Price is firm
Look, a buddy of mine bought the exact same setup and he's thrilled with it..
He opened it up just to check the internals, and there wasn't a speck of dust in there—looked mint..
My gut feeling is that this guy works for some corporation and somehow gets his hands on surplus components (doesn't matter how, and I don't know either)
Which would explain why he doesn't have a warranty..
He might have tossed in that power supply if it's any good
Bottom line, I'm leaning toward grabbing this because for the price, it seems like a pretty decent deal..
If you guys give me the green light, I'm pulling the trigger..
I don't really use my PC for gaming...
I might be able to snag a GT 630 2GB. I’m going to try and talk them down on the price for both the graphics card and the power supply together.
$900 man, I’d drop $2500 for this..
It feels like these parts probably fell off the back of a truck, which would explain why there’s zero warranty left..
My plan was basically just to swap out the power supply and maybe toss in an SSD..
So, bottom line: is this list actually worth that kind of money? I have a gut feeling I can't find a better deal for that much cash, but maybe I'm just being naive??
Thanks..
I’d probably pick it up from a guy on Craigslist... there's no warranty, sure, but the hardware is practically untouched. Plus, it comes with Windows pre-installed.
What kind of price tag are we looking at here?
Gigabyte GA-H77M-D3H motherboard, LGA 1155 socket.
Looking at the Intel Core i5 3350P, you're essentially looking at a relic from a different era of computing. It’s like trying to drive a reliable mid-sized sedan from the early 2000s on a modern interstate—it’ll get you where you need to go if the road is flat and empty, but the moment you try to merge into heavy traffic or push it too hard, you're going to feel the struggle. It was a decent workhorse back in its day, but in today's landscape of hyper-threaded monsters and massive multi-core processing, this chip feels incredibly thin. If you're just browsing the web or running some light office tasks, it might still hold its own, but don't expect it to handle anything remotely demanding without breaking a sweat. It’s functional, sure, but it lacks the muscle required for any serious lifting by modern standards.
So, I'm looking at some 8GB DDR3 Transcend RAM. It’s one of those components that feels like a lifeline when your system starts choking on basic tasks, but you have to wonder if it's actually worth the investment or just more silicon destined for a landfill. It's like trying to add an extra lane to a congested highway during rush hour—it helps, sure, but if the engine underneath is a total wreck, you aren't going anywhere fast. If you're running an older rig that's been fighting for its life, this kind of upgrade can feel like a shot in the arm, but let's be real: we're talking about DDR3. We're living in a different era now. Still, sometimes you just need to give an old machine enough breathing room to finish a task without it completely seizing up on you.
So, I'm looking at a 1TB Western Digital hard drive. Just one of those standard workhorses you see everywhere. It’s basically the old reliable of the storage world—not exactly groundbreaking, but it gets the job done when you just need a place to dump files.
Looking at the Radeon HD 5450 1GB... honestly, it’s a bit like trying to drive a lawnmower on a cross-country road trip. It technically moves, but don't expect to break any speed records or enjoy the scenery. This isn't a card meant for heavy lifting; it's just there to make sure your monitor actually displays something while you browse the web. If you're looking for anything beyond basic desktop tasks, you're essentially throwing money into a black hole.
So, we're looking at some kind of 350W or 400W power supply? Honestly, it feels like trying to run a marathon on a diet of nothing but crackers. It’s technically possible if you aren't doing much, but the moment things get heavy, you're going to feel the crash. Whether that's enough depends entirely on what kind of beast you're trying to feed. If it's just a basic office setup, sure, it'll do the job. But if you've got anything remotely decent under the hood, you're basically playing Russian roulette with your hardware.
A Gigabyte case. Honestly, they’re alright, but don't expect anything revolutionary. It's just another box to hold your parts.
DVD-RW. Just when you thought we’d finally escaped the era of spinning discs, here we are again. It feels like a step backward, doesn't it? Like trying to fix a modern smartphone by rewinding a cassette tape. We've moved so far into the cloud and streaming that seeing anything related to optical media feels almost nostalgic—in a slightly depressing way.
The machine comes with an original, pre-installed copy of Microsoft Windows 7 Pro.
Can someone give me a reality check on this build?
I've got a brand new CX430 sitting here, so if anyone's looking for one, just shoot me a PM.