PC Tech Thread

That will work.

Though, I'd probably partition Windows into a smaller space from Windows before the whole process.

So I'd remove #4 and create #0, to defragment and then shrink the Windows partition using a Windows based partitioning tool.

Just leave the extra space unallocated, and then when you have Ubuntu up and running you can just allocate that free space to an ext4 partition.

OK, will do.
Thanks!

Guys,

As someone who's on a budget, I wanted to find out what you guys think of this machine by zoosoft. I wanted to use it as a budget gaming pc.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/237739.htm

It's not bad... but have you tried a DIY approach ? Can probably get an i5 for that

It's not bad... but have you tried a DIY approach ? Can probably get an i5 for that

Haven't got the funds for a i5 now. Thinking about getting it on credit at the moment. I know I could get it for less if I went by the DIY route

His point was that you could get an i5 based machine for the same price.

However I tend to think that more gains in performance can be got from improving memory, the GPU and using an SSD. Not much point in going for a better processor when these bits are most often the bottle neck.

it's tricky at that level. i5 is considered the "right" cpu for gaming. Mainly because very very few games will utilize the i7 hyperthreading etc... properly.

that said, yes, GPU + SSD makes a massive difference. I got away with my 2.4Ghz core2-duo from 2007 up until this year just buy upgrading the GPU and adding a good SSD.

So the new laptop arrives today. it will have windows installed on the HDD but I want to take this out and swap it for a SSD which i'll be running Ubuntu on.
i'm planning on -

1. downloading ubuntu onto a bootable USB (with another computer
   
2. swapping the HDD (into an external enclosure) with SSD (into the laptop).
   
3. booting from the USB and downloading ubuntu onto the SSD.
   
4. partitioning the (now External) HDD so windows is preserved just in case.
   
   

does that make sense? will that work? should i be doing something differently?

Well this didn't work.
Loaded Ubuntu onto a USB, checked all the files were working, then when I intalled it onto the new SSD, although everyhting seemed to go fine during the setup, after the final restart the GUI didn't load. something to do with not being able to find the screen(?).

popped the old HDD back in, restarted windows, will try again tonight.

What's your graphics chip?

I ran some graphics detection line, and it came back having found all the AMD stuff that is there.
i think i read some stuff about AMD related problems with 12.xx LTS so i tried the 13.XX version of ubuntu, and the screen just went black when i tried to install it.

why is nothing ever simple?

#raises a fist to the sky

Can you run from a live CD / USB key first?

i'll try that first - i can do that with the old Windows HDD in there can't I?

yeah. use unetbootin to make a live usb stick, change your boot order in your bios.

i'll try that first - i can do that with the old Windows HDD in there can't I?

Yep.

Use this guide (which assumes you only have a windows environment available, and can't run unetbootin).

You can set up partitions from within the live (and persistent) environment, although you may need to install qtparted / gparted.

going back to my original plan of putting the SSD in that i bought - should i clone windows to the SSD first, get everything running on that, and then try the ubuntu stuff?

How / why would you clone it?

You would need a tool that rewrites the MBR, and then you would probably need to reactivate the OS due to hardware changes.

[Edit]That is if you can get windows to run at all - my gues is that you won't[/Edit]

You may as well leave Windows where it is, but put it in a partition and shrink it.

The run it from inside Ubuntu whenever you need it with VirtualBox.

I have two goals - to swap the HDD for a new SSD, and to to install Ubuntu. both seemed like simple tasks - but it seems not now!

This might work:

• Move Windows onto the new SDD (use one of these)
  
• Boot into your pendrive linux & sort out the display adapter driver issues (you may just need to enable non-free repositories for whichever card you have, and do some work from the command line, rather than xwindows)
  
• Install Ubuntu from USB onto the SDD
  

If it's a new laptop with no data on Windows why not do a clean install onto SSD and then install Ubuntu on top to dual boot?

Ah! Move/clone/copy. That's what i wanted. Thankyou!

VirtualBox (was Sun, now Oracle) has a "Merge IDE" script to be used when migrating an existing Windows install onto virtual hardware. Might help with your situation, in terms of avoiding BSOD, but probably wouldn't avoid the Activation triggers.

https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Migrate_Windows

Apple/Samsung rejected 1440p displays on ebay in cheap cases from £200.

Just received this, the Qnix PLS version. 5 days with no VAT from South Korea from "accessorieswhole".

It's beautiful, no dead pixels with a very tiny amount of backlight bleed. The case feels better than the impression I had from online comments. The stand is shite though. The stem seems to be made from congealed cum.

I'm honestly astounded by how good the picture is, but I'm only able to run at 60HZ as I've not managed to get the refresh rate override software available to XP to work.

I'm still in love with my Crossover 2720MDP monitor at work.

Was dirt cheap, and with the .icm profile loaded it's beautiful and the colour is almost indistinguishable from my very expensive NEC SpectraView colour sensitive monitor at home.

Given the price difference (£200 vs £1,500), the Crossover is a no-brainer.

Just make sure to get the profile for whatever monitor you have from here:
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/icc_profiles.htm

And if you're on Linux, you'll want to "sudo apt-get install xcalib" and then point it ( http://xcalib.sourceforge.net/README.html ) at the .icm profile you downloaded.

Without the profile the initial colour was very blue, but with the profile it's glorious.

Edit: Just seen that the Crossover 2720MDP is actually now ~£250 on eBay. It used to be cheaper.

Amazing value those 1440p Korean monitors. Apparently they're made in the same factory as those high end Dells + Cinema Displays, but they're A- graded, so didn't pass QC for some reason. I picked one up about a month ago, it's the Catleap Q270 1440p. Picture quality is fantastic, no dead pixels, really stunning display.

There's a mega thread on overclockers and apparently 60Hz models can be overclocked to refresh at 100Hz but I think it was a hardware modification. Mine's the Q270SE, what model's yours? I don't game on it so not important for me.

Stand is unbelievably poor though, the monitor leans forward at an angle, and it wobbles like mad, but for the most part it's not a big deal. Just put a paperback under it to get it horizontal :) from what I read changing the stand seems to be a massive hassle too.

I'm still in love with my Crossover 2720MDP monitor at work.

Was dirt cheap, and with the .icm profile loaded it's beautiful and the colour is almost indistinguishable from my very expensive NEC SpectraView colour sensitive monitor at home.

Given the price difference (£200 vs £1,500), the Crossover is a no-brainer.

Just make sure to get the profile for whatever monitor you have from here:
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles/icc_profiles.htm

And if you're on Linux, you'll want to "sudo apt-get install xcalib" and then point it ( http://xcalib.sourceforge.net/README.html ) at the .icm profile you downloaded.

Without the profile the initial colour was very blue, but with the profile it's glorious.

Edit: Just seen that the Crossover 2720MDP is actually now ~£250 on eBay. It used to be cheaper.

Calibrates monitor, runs f.lux.
Does not compute.

;)