Ugadata

[Ugadata]

My solution was to give up and not use this PC as a client.

It maybe that a video card exists that will work in this PC and do the needed acceleration, however I have no idea what card that is.

The power supply is just not going to be up to snuff. And being a Dell of a “certain age” (vintage 2003?) it may have a proprietary PSU. On a long shot, it maybe possible to have the power supply modified so it would work but I expect it would be expensive (presuming it could even be done).

If you had access to a power supply from a GX260 mini tower case, you could at least test the MT PSU (although, if you had access to a mini tower case, you could just use the mini tower case and save the headache of finding a half height card)

[Ugadata]

The Procurve should work out of the box as an unmanaged switch.

I would suggest using the Procurve as the switch you plug all your computing equipment into.  The Linksys would be the gateway to the Internet as well as wireless access and one cable between the Linksys (LAN side) and Procurve should do it.  (forgive me if you already knew all this).

 

For future reference you may want to look at MicroTik products.

http:\www.microtik.com

Wired and wireless routers very inexpensive but very powerful.  You can even buy the RouterOS and run it on a PC.

[Ugadata]

AnyDVD HD will allow you to rip BluRays and HD-DVDs (and DVDs).  You can rip to the BDMV folder format or to ISO format.

 

I don’t do any more than rip to ISO.  Something to note is that the folder format for BluRay is very different then that of the DVD folder format.

 

you could also look at DVDFab, HandBrake, … I’m sure there are others, I just can’t think of what they are as I type this.

[Ugadata]

If you don’t mind buying on EBay ….

Dell PowerConnect 2708 eight port gigabit switch. Can be managed or unmanaged.  Expect to pay $40 to $60 dollars not including shipping.

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=Dell+2708&_sacat=See-All-Categories

The newer version of this switch is a 2808 and is currently priced at ~$120 on the Dell website.

 

Nothing wrong with the HP Procurve either, I just don’t have any experience with them.

[Ugadata]

I appreciate the suggestions.

[quote=Crim]I would just get something else, something that will actually work.[/quote]

Get something else?  is that a different video card or diferent PC? j/k.

 

Yeah, although I suspect something could be done to make it all work, I didn’t intend for this to be that kind of project.

 

I did find a web site that had PSUs for Dell PCs with more power.  The real PSU issue is the shape.  This has a “slim line” power supply and has a different shape than a normal PSU.  This has a really small case.  It just seemed like a good canidate to re-purpose as a Sage client.

At work, we have some of these with Quadra 280 (I think) video cards so we can run dual monitors.  However the Quadra isn’t going to do any HA acceleration for HD video.

 

[Ugadata]

[quote=PAPutzback]

I would check the BIOS to make sure the PCI-e slot is set to be the primary port. 

http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3515/p/19344552/19742898.aspx

[/quote]

“Small Form Factor – SF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .(3.57” H x 12.54” W x 13.93 D): one 3.5″ x 1″ internal hard drive bay; one 5.25” slimline peripheral
bay; one 3.5″ slimline FDD bay; one low profile PCI expansion slot; one low profile
AGP slot; 160 Watts power supply”

The card is an HIS Radeon HD 4350.  And the power supply for the SFF is 160 watts.  The next larger case called a small desktop has 180 watts PSU (I have access to one of these as well. same results, no boot) then the mini tower which has a 250 watt PSU.

I am aware of the BIOS setting mentioned but I am not sure what it is set to, so I will be checking that setting.

By the way,  I have an AGP slot not PCI-e

[Ugadata]

I appreciate the replies.

[quote=htpc_user]Did you try the card?[/quote]

Yes, I have tried the card.

[quote=Mike Garcen]it looks like that Dell has a 250W PSU, but includes a P4 1.8Ghz, 40gb HDD, and 512MB of RAM. A rough calculation shows approximately 166watts required (not knowing extras or which P4), and assuming your PSU has 80% efficiency (which is not a given), that puts you at about 200Watts…meaning you should EASILY have enough headroom for that card which shouldn’t be more than 8-10watts.

If my numbers are correct 🙂 it won’t hurt to try. if it’s not enough, it just won’t power up![/quote]

Yeah, when I tried the card it didn’t power up.  It was about that time when I looked at the requirements on the box and read it requires a 300 watt power supply – DOH!

I’m at work and don’t recall the card manufaturer (i.e. XFX, BFG, PNY, etc.) other than it is Radeon 4350 based.

This box actually has a 2.0 Ghz cpu and currently 1 GB of ram.  There are no “extras” – no floppy and no CD/DVD drive.  I was actually expecting this to have ~145 to 200 watt power supply.  The GX260 has 3 case formats – one “normal” size and 2 smaller, this is the smallest of the 3 case sizes.

The video card does work I am currently using it in a full height case that has 500 – 600 watt power supply in it.  

I don’t expect changing the PSU is an option since it is a non-standard design not to mention it’s a Dell.

[Ugadata]

Have you looked at the Aluratek Internet radio players?

Admittedly I have only seen ads for these and have no hands on experience with them. I always thought they were a bit pricey but I just went to the Aluratek web site and the prices were $99 to $130 which is better than what I remembered them to be.

These devices will stream radio stations as well as media from a local media server

Aluratek Internet Radios
http://aluratek.com/products/digital-music-internet-radios

[Ugadata]

I just heard this morning that Apple may be looking to purchase Netflix,  has anyone else ran across this news?

[Ugadata]

I just heard this morning that Apple may be looking to purchase Netflix,  has anyone else ran across this news?

[Ugadata]

Although the description, a cross between Voyager and Stargate is valid,  Don’t allow that that to put you off to watching SG-U.  The similarity to Voyager is the setting somewhere in a galaxy far far away (????? oops wrong SciFi comparison. ;D )  But they are somewhere far out in the Universe where we (humans) have never been and no way to get home.  The SG-U story is far more about the internal struggle between the ships inhabitants.  

edit: I didn’t know three question marks make a sad smiley.  Needless to say the sad face is suppose to be 3 question marks,

[Ugadata]

Although the description, a cross between Voyager and Stargate is valid,  Don’t allow that that to put you off to watching SG-U.  The similarity to Voyager is the setting somewhere in a galaxy far far away (????? oops wrong SciFi comparison. ;D )  But they are somewhere far out in the Universe where we (humans) have never been and no way to get home.  The SG-U story is far more about the internal struggle between the ships inhabitants.  

edit: I didn’t know three question marks make a sad smiley.  Needless to say the sad face is suppose to be 3 question marks,

[Ugadata]

1. Rubicon – Kinda slow may drop it soon.

2. Mad Men – been watching since the beginning.  Warning: You may get cancer and/or cirrhosis of the liver from  watching this show.

3. Leverage – American remake of British tv show Hustle.

4. Chuck –

5. Warehouse 13 – Remake of “Friday the 13th -The Series”. Sci-Fi twist instead of magical.  Nothing to do with Freddie.

6. Rescue Me – ROFL! I just can’t believe how deep and how much this guy steps in it.

7. Human Target

8. Smallville – no comment

9. Supernatural

10. Burn Notice – got to watch an episode being filmed where I work.  Bruce Campbell is just like you might think.

11. Stargate (anything) – yeah Universe isn’t as good as the others but still interesting.

12. Haven – not my favorite but it’s starting to grow on me.

13. Sanctuary

NEW episodes of Bleach

Oops, almost forgot V – remake is good, the original is laughable and I thought that when I watched it during it’s original airing.  And I rewatched it prior to watching the remake.

Add Fringe and Eureka to list as well.  Dr. Who if it comes back to SyFy.

[Ugadata]

1. Rubicon – Kinda slow may drop it soon.

2. Mad Men – been watching since the beginning.  Warning: You may get cancer and/or cirrhosis of the liver from  watching this show.

3. Leverage – American remake of British tv show Hustle.

4. Chuck –

5. Warehouse 13 – Remake of “Friday the 13th -The Series”. Sci-Fi twist instead of magical.  Nothing to do with Freddie.

6. Rescue Me – ROFL! I just can’t believe how deep and how much this guy steps in it.

7. Human Target

8. Smallville – no comment

9. Supernatural

10. Burn Notice – got to watch an episode being filmed where I work.  Bruce Campbell is just like you might think.

11. Stargate (anything) – yeah Universe isn’t as good as the others but still interesting.

12. Haven – not my favorite but it’s starting to grow on me.

13. Sanctuary

NEW episodes of Bleach

Oops, almost forgot V – remake is good, the original is laughable and I thought that when I watched it during it’s original airing.  And I rewatched it prior to watching the remake.

Add Fringe and Eureka to list as well.  Dr. Who if it comes back to SyFy.

[Ugadata]

Or seeing the dollar signs in the eyes of the Cable Provider pondering the additional income for “Third Party Equipment Connection Charges”.

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