By the way, if this information actually holds up, it looks absolutely incredible. It claims you can potentially secure up to $100,000 in coverage through Allianz in the event of a lightning strike or electrical surge. (Though, if I’m looking at their official site, it says $20,000—so perhaps someone should double-check 😁 )
It looks to me like your outlet lacks any kind of grounding—and honestly, probably doesn't have a neutral connection either. You likely wouldn't run into this mess if you were using a properly wired outlet. I dealt with a nearly identical headache once with my laptop; the chassis and ports would practically zap me whenever I plugged it into an ungrounded outlet at my old apartment, even though it worked perfectly fine in other rooms. Part of the issue was that my power adapter didn't explicitly state whether grounding was mandatory. If you look closely at the image here, you can see those two concentric squares indicating the configuration. http://img.diytrade.com/cdimg/133561...op_charger.jpg
A smart power strip isn't just your standard multi-plug extension cord; it’s actually a bit more clever than that. One (or perhaps several) of the outlets acts as a master controller, meaning if the device plugged into that specific socket starts drawing a significant amount of power, it triggers all the other non-control outlets to kick on automatically. For instance, imagine I have my TV plugged into the master outlet while my soundbar, gaming console, and lamp are tucked into the other slots. The moment I turn the TV on, those three other devices spring to life right along with it; then, when I switch the TV back to standby, everything else shuts down accordingly. Makes sense, doesn't it?
Does anyone happen to know if these are available for purchase anywhere here in the States, and what exactly should I be searching for to find them?
I was looking into something similar myself. Honestly, I don't see much point in sticking with my GTX 960; there's no sense in trying to game on it when I'm running a massive plasma screen.
Does anyone have a solid recommendation for a graphics card intended for a Home Theater PC? I’m not looking for a gaming beast here; my main priorities are dead silence and reliable performance. It needs to handle 1080p and 3D content smoothly, while being capable of bitstreaming lossless audio. Ideally, I’d also like something that can be configured to playback movies at a frame rate as close to 23.976 fps as possible to avoid that annoying stutter. Having integrated H.265 codec support would be a nice little bonus, though certainly not a dealbreaker.
Under the Consumer Protection Act, you actually have the right to return any item you aren't satisfied with within a 14-day window, no questions asked. Of course, there's a catch: you really ought to keep the packaging pristine, ensure the device itself looks untouched, and limit your usage strictly to a quick test run. You can find all those specific details laid out clearly in their terms and conditions under the section regarding DURATION AND TERMINATION OF CONTRACT. So, feel free to go ahead and demand a contract termination for that USB stick of yours—assuming, of course, that you haven't opened it yet. 😁
And if you happen to be one of those people who lacks any semblance of coordination when it comes to running cables—say, while trying to set up a home network or configuring a smart apartment—you might want to consider looking into powerline adapters instead.
Exactly. The only thing you'll actually notice being faster in that PCIe 1.0 x slot is the 4K Q32T1 random read speeds, but let’s be honest—does an average user running standard hardware even need that kind of performance?
Well, if you ask me, the only real way to figure this out right now is to see whether plugging a LAN cable directly into your workstation allows other devices to connect without running into any unexpected hurdles or restrictions.
Mark Murphy79 said:So, what's the deal with having business-grade internet at home? I had an AT&T tech over at my place earlier setting up my DirecTV, and I just asked him out of curiosity... He basically told me I should be using this instead:
Look, it’s actually quite straightforward if you think about it. Do you happen to have a laptop with an Ethernet port handy? Just bring your laptop into the office, disconnect the workstation from its dedicated network, and plug that same cable directly into your laptop. If you can successfully pull an internet connection on the laptop, then you won't run into any issues plugging that exact same cable into the access point. It really is that simple, isn't it?
So, once you’ve finally confirmed that everything is good to go, the process is actually quite straightforward: you simply pick up an access point or a router, unplug the LAN cable from your computer, and plug it directly into the access point instead. From there, you just set up your own wireless network on the device and use another LAN cable to bridge the connection between your work computer and the access point. It really isn't rocket science, is it?
Does DirecTV charge you extra for data usage if you're streaming over a 3G or 4G connection? Regarding your question, of course such an option exists. You’re looking at a wireless router or an access point—something you wouldn't plug directly into a PC, but rather into the DSL modem in your home office. You can expect to shell out roughly $100 to $67.
Then again, there are plenty of other ways to handle this. If you want to avoid spending a dime and you happen to own an Android phone, you could simply tether it to your computer via a USB cable; just dive into the USB network settings on the device and toggle on "Internet Pass-through." This effectively shares your computer's internet connection with your phone. Of course, you'll be physically tethered by the length of the cable, but it gets the job done.
Well, if you’ve actually wired everything up correctly and taken the time to adjust the audio input and volume settings directly on the Dell UltraSharp Monitor, everything should be functioning perfectly fine. However, if you’ve managed to plug things in incorrectly, please don't be lazy; stop trying to cut corners by plugging cables into random ports on your PC until you finally stumble upon the right one. 😁
Getting a professional cleaning and fresh thermal paste applied is actually pretty inexpensive at most repair shops, and if you’re comfortable popping the casing on a laptop yourself, you could easily tackle it at home. It should definitely help mitigate those overheating issues and might even make the boot process feel a bit snappier, though I wouldn't go so far as to say it'll be a magic bullet that solves everything once and for all. Why not give it a shot?
Did you actually follow the correct procedure for a hard reset? You have to completely disconnect the power supply—unplugging everything from the AC adapter to any USB peripherals—then pull the battery out entirely, hold down that power button for a full thirty seconds, and then plug the adapter back in without putting the battery back in yet, just to see if it'll boot up.
So, you're basically looking at either jumping straight into an i7-5930K without a second thought because of those GPUs, or perhaps opting for some kind of Xeon if you really need to support more lanes? If you're planning on slapping an SSD into a PCI-E slot, you'll probably want an X99 motherboard like the Asus X99-E WS (or maybe the Deluxe version, if you're feeling fancy). And for heaven's sake, please don't let this guy buy his graphics cards locally in the States. At Computer Universe, a GTX 980 Ti is at least $333 cheaper than what you'd find here; honestly, all the high-end cards are significantly more affordable there than they are in our local shops.
Honestly, you’re comparing apples to oranges here. It’s a fundamental misunderstanding of how thermal dynamics actually work. Take the sand in the Sahara, for instance—it is bone-dry and incredibly light in color. Because that sand is so parched, it doesn't hold onto heat the way damp soil does, and since it's lighter in shade, it absorbs far less solar radiation than darker ground would. Furthermore, we can't ignore the role of water vapor in the atmosphere, which is practically non-existent in the Sahara; that missing moisture is a massive factor because water vapor is what typically helps regulate and maintain ground temperature. Without that humidity to act as a buffer, the desert floor simply loses its heat at an accelerated rate. Contrast that with the Midwest, where the soil is significantly darker, the earth remains much more hydrated, the air is thicker with humidity, and there is actual vegetation present to trap and hold that warmth within the ground.
Sandra White10 said:@darkowl72: The service center is that miserable SystemOne outfit where every single repair takes at least two weeks. Honestly, I’m losing my mind because I need this laptop for work, but it’s like they just couldn't care less about my schedule... Of course, I went ahead and registered on the Asus website to take advantage of their promotion—you know, the "100% reliability or your money back" deal where they fix the laptop or refund you. I’ve already requested the refund and sent over all the paperwork from the first repair attempt. Then, just two days ago, they tell me I'm missing some documents—specifically that "copy of repair receipt" I forgot to attach when I was filling out the claim. I sent it over immediately. Now I'm just sitting here waiting to see what they say, whether they’ll actually accept my request or not. Technically, they should have to approve it; when I spoke directly to an Asus representative, they mentioned that if any part of the laptop is replaced, the refund qualifies.
@Angela Flores4: One thing that’s really bothering me is that everything was working perfectly before the screen replacement. But the moment it came back from the service center, the SSD just died. It feels incredibly suspicious to me, especially since I know people who have had things intentionally broken at repair shops just to force them into another repair job. On the other hand, I suppose it could just be a total coincidence 🤷
I'm just sitting here hoping for the best, but I’ve already started spinning conspiracy theories because this laptop has caused me so much unnecessary stress and anxiety. This was supposed to be "the one" for me. My Holy Grail... which turned out to be anything but.
Unless one of those techs decided to take a literal bite out of your SSD, you’re starting to enter some serious conspiracy theory territory. Besides, the laptop is brand new and still under warranty; what possible motive would anyone have to break your gear while it's covered by the manufacturer?
Unfortunately, that’s just the reality of modern tech—sometimes you simply get a lemon. I mean, look at me: just last month, my own SSD bit the dust after only three months of use, and that drive cost nearly as much as my entire laptop. You’d think for that kind of money, the hardware would survive even if you took a hammer to it, but damn it, here I am, sending it back and waiting on a replacement. 🥱