reviewstash

Today, I decided to add another stick of Kingston DDR2 ValueRAM to the minecraft server (using an AMD 760G chipset). Unfortunately, when all of the RAM slots on the motherboard are populated, the server was unable to successfully load the operating system. Simply put, after loading, the operating system would output a completely black screen (whether Windows XP, Windows 2003, or Ubuntu).

The RAM in question is meant to run at 800 MHz. Unfortunately, budget AMD motherboards are notorious for having issues running memory at stock clocks. Luckily, there are two ways that you can fix this issue. If you don't feel like fiddling around too much, you can go into the BIOS and lower the working frequency of your memory (i.e., 800 to 667 MHz). If you want your memory to run as advertised, you will need to incrementally bump all of your voltages up (I recommend just going +0.05, but +0.1 might be okay). This includes the Northbridge, RAM, and even HT.

Worse comes to worst, inspect the area around your RAM slots for bulging capacitors - you could have a faulty motherboard!

And for anyone interested, here is a side-by-side comparison of the HTC Sensation vs the HTC Amaze (in terms of technical specifications).

HTC SENSATION
4.96 x 2.57 x 0.44 in
5.22 oz
HSDPA 14.4 Mbit/s
1200 MHz Qualcomm MSM8260
768 MB RAM
1000 MB Storage
0.3 megapixel Front-facing Camera
350 hours Stand-by Time

HTC AMAZE
5.12 x 2.58 x 0.46 in
6.10 oz
HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s
1500 MHz Qualcomm APQ8060
1024 MB RAM
16000 MB Storage
2 megapixel Front-facing Camera
265 hours Stand-by Time

If you are attempting to share a folder, file, or drive on a Windows 7 computer and access it through a Windows XP system, you might run into "Access Denied" or "is not accessible" errors. There are a few settings you will need to change to correctly configure your share.

Right-click on item -> Select "Properties" Context -> "Sharing" -> "Advanced Sharing" -> "Share this folder" -> "Apply" -> "OK"

Select "Security" Tab -> "Edit" -> "Add" -> Under "Enter the object names to select" type "Everyone" (no quotation marks) -> "Apply" -> "OK"

This issue is due to Windows 7 not automatically matching sharing and security settings.

Also, you may want to try disabling "Password protected sharing" under Windows 7's "Advanced Sharing Settings".

QNAP TurboNAS TS-219P II NAS Server Review @ Real World Labs
Sapphire 6850 Vapor-X Review @ XSReviews.co.uk
Noctua NH-C14 @ LanOC Reviews
OCZ Synapse Cache SSD 64GB Review @ Real World Labs
Asus P9X79 PRO @ LanOC Reviews
Asus WL-330N3G 6-IN-1 Wireless-N Travel Router Review @ Tweaknews
Krator N4-20U05 Neso 04 Speakers Review @ XSReviews.co.uk
Razer Transformers 3 Vespula @ LanOC Reviews
HIS 6950 IceQ 2GB GPU Review @ XSReviews.co.uk
Samsung C27A750X 27" Wireless LED LCD @ BCCHardware
Antec Eleven Hundred Computer Case @ Benchmark Reviews
Rosewill Ranger Mid Tower ATX Computer Case Review @ Tweaknews
Jabra STONE2 Bluetooth Headset Review @ Real World Labs
Tt eSPORTS Azurues Optical Gaming Mouse Review @ XSReviews.co.uk
RAIDAGE GAGE104U40SL-SAUF @ Computing on Demand
SteelSeries Sensei Pro Laser Gaming Mouse @ Benchmark Reviews
Aqua Computer Aquaero 5 XT Review @ Real World Labs

Unfortunately for us C++ junkies, Bjarne's priority queue implementation is slightly lacking. If you don't want to jump ship and use the boost library, but still want to gain some additional priority queue functionality, you might be in luck. This small modification extends the priority queue and allows you to directly access the underlying container. This means, especially if you're using a vector, you have full freedom to iterate through your entire priority queue. This makes algorithms like the infamous A* pathfinder much simpler to implement.

template <class T, class S, class C>
    S& Container(std::priority_queue<T, S, C>& q) {
        struct HackedQueue : private std::priority_queue<T, S, C> {
            static S& Container(std::priority_queue<T, S, C>& q) {
                return q.*&HackedQueue::c;
            }
        };
    return HackedQueue::Container(q);
}

int main()
{
    std::priority_queue<SomeClass> pq;
    std::vector<SomeClass> &tasks = Container(pq);
    return 0;
}

Mad Catz Cyborg Gaming Lights Review @ Real World Labs
Verbatim Wireless Mini Slimboard Review @ XSReviews.co.uk
RaidSonic Icy Box IB-RD3219STu3 USB 3.0 RAID Enclosure Review @ Real World Labs
HIS Radeon HD 6870 IceQ Video Card @ Benchmark Reviews
DeepCool IceEdge 400XT Heatsink Review @ Frostytech.com
Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition CPU @ Benchmark Reviews
SteelSeries Legendary MMO Gaming Mouse Review @ Real World Labs
QPad MK 80 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review @ XSReviews.co.uk
Intel i7-3960X and Intel DX79SI @ LanOC Reviews
ASUS Sabertooth X79 TUF Motherboard @ Benchmark Reviews
ASUS P9X79 Deluxe Motherboard @ Benchmark Reviews
Intel DX79SI LGA2011 Desktop Motherboard @ Benchmark Reviews
Gigabyte X79 UD7 OC Motherboard Preview @ Ninjalane

Gelid GX7 CPU Cooler Review @ XtremeComputing
Sandberg PowerBank 8000 Portable Battery Review @ Real World Labs
Glacialtech Igloo H46 Heatsink Review @ Frostytech
Cooler Master Elite 430 Black Case @ ocinside.de
ModMyMachine Slamepad mousemat Review @ XSReviews.co.uk
In-Win Glacier 900W Power Supply Review @ Real World Labs
VisionTek Radeon HD 6850 Video Card @ Benchmark Reviews
Gigabyte E350N-USB3 @ LanOC Reviews
Acer Revo RL100-U20P Home Theater PC Review @ MissingRemote
Scythe Kozuti SCKZT-1000 1.5U Low Profile Heatsink Review @ Frostytech
Sega Renegade Ops Review @ XSReviews.co.uk
Corsair Carbide 500R Computer Case @ Benchmark Reviews

Here is an easy to follow set of instructions I wrote to help people configure their programming environment for the first time:

INSTALL MinGW "mingw-get-inst-20110802.exe" FROM "sourceforge.net/projects/mingw" WITH "C++ Compiler Suite" SELECTED TO "C:\MinGW"
INSTALL Code::Blocks "codeblocks-10.05-setup.exe" FROM "sourceforge.net/projects/codeblocks" WITH "Full" SELECTED
EXTRACT SFML 1.6 "SFML-1.6-sdk-windows-mingw.zip" FROM "sourceforge.net/projects/sfml" TO "C:\MinGW\include"
MOVE "C:\MinGW\include\SFML-1.6\include\SFML" TO "C:\MinGW\include"
MOVE FILES WITH EXT ".a" FROM "C:\MinGW\include\SFML-1.6\lib" TO "C:\MinGW\lib"
EXECUTE Code::Blocks
SELECT "Create a new project" THEN SELECT "Console application" THEN SELECT "C++"
SELECT "Project" THEN SELECT "Build options" THEN SELECT "Linker settings"
ADD TO "Link libraries" (most users just need to add "sfml-system", "sfml-window", and "sfml-graphics"; the order does matter)

And, here are some additional tips. If your Code::Blocks program is using an argument driven main function (argv and argc), you can set your runtime arguments via: Project -> "Set programs' arguments". You do not need to re-compile your application if you change arguments, just re-run it. If you would like to test your code quickly, you can press the hotkey "F9" for an instant "Build and run".

Finally, if you would like to run your standalone, release build executable outside of Code::Blocks, you'll need to keep the necessary .DLL files with the application. For a program that uses "sfml-system", "sfml-window", and "sfml-graphics", these .DLL files are necessary (they can be found with SFML or online): libgcc_s_dw2-1, libstdc++-6, sfml-audio, sfml-graphics, sfml-system, sfml-window.

If you need any additional help with SFML, be sure to leave a comment!

If you're wondering why the latest Nvidia driver installation has left you with a new system user named "UpdatusUser", you are not alone. This "feature" is tied to "NVIDIA Update" (not "NVIDIA System Update"). You can successfully remove the bizarre, forced system user by uninstalling "NVIDIA Update" from Windows 7's "Programs and Features" dialogue. If you have the user account, but do not have "NVIDIA Update" installed, you should try installing the update application (by selecting it as an option during a driver installation), restart your computer, and then uninstall "NVIDIA Update".

Thermalright True Spirit 140 CPU Cooler Review @ Real World Labs
MSI P67A-GD65 Intel P67 Motherboard Review @ PCSTATS
Auras Shagon AHC-118 Lower Noise Heatsink Review @ Frostytech.com
Roccat ISKU Illuminated Gaming Keyboard @ Benchmark Reviews
Kingston USB 3.0 Media Reader @ HardwareBistro
SilenX EFZ-92HA3 Compact Tower Heatsink Review @ Frostytech.com
Thermaltake BlacX Duet 5G USB 3.0 Docking Station Review @ Real World Labs
Dune HD Smart H1 Media Player Review @ MissingRemote
Gigabyte Z68X-UD3H-B3 @ LanOC Reviews
Lian Li PC-6 @ Computing on Demand
Lian Li PC6 Case Review @ Ninjalane
ASUS Maximus IV Extreme P67 ROG Motherboard Review @ Bigbruin.com
NZXT HAVIK 140 CPU Cooler Review @ Real World Labs

DirectGameKeys, a website that sells "gray market" (Russian-based) video game serial keys, currently is selling Battlefield 3 Origin keys for $24.69 (after coupon "DTC Clan"). So, being the EA-hating, penny pincher that I am, I decided to try their service out. A few things of note. Their website does not use secure HTTP for billing, so either pay with PayPal or use a preloaded debit card (you can get one at a grocery store). When you create an account with them, they will email your password in plain text - do not use a "familiar" password. Also, if you choose to use PayPal, make sure you use FireFox or Internet Explorer (Opera had problems with their processing page) and, confirm that your billing information matches your PayPal. I had problems processing the payment until I updated my billing address from "0000 Top Secret Lane" to my actual address.

It took about ten hours for me to receive my email with a key (although, I paid for the game late at night). Some individuals have gotten their game keys within the hour. In your email you will be given a picture of a retail Battlefield 3 key and three requisite download links (to convert from Russian to English). The links were provided via "megaupload", so I advise using a program like "JDownloader" to make your life easier. Also, be sure to back these files up. The patches are nearly one gigabyte total and are impossible to find anywhere else on the internet (I tried).

Activation is as easy as logging in to your Origin account, clicking on the "gear", and selecting "redeem product code". You should now have "Battlefield 3 - Russia Standard Edition". Once you drop the patch files in the installation directory and run the registry fix, everything should be correctly displayed in English. The game runs correctly! I am only worried about what will happen with future, large updates. Will the English patch files still work?