23 Sep 2014

Gigabyte GA-H55M-USB3 Sleep & Wake Up Issues

by | posted in: Editorials & Features | 2

Gigabyte GA-H55M-USB3 BIOS

I was dealing with this issue since I built my PC in 2010. I thought it was CPU and GPU overclocking related so I simply disabled the sleep and standby functions. However, these sleep and wake up issues persisted long after I reverted back to stock speeds. I left it for a couple of years and this past weekend, I decided to perform a quick Google search and found the solution.

Problem:

Computer with Gigabyte GA-H55M-USB3 motherboard does not wake from sleep or the monitor remains dark after the computer wakes up.

Solution:

Disable the integrated serial port in the BIOS.

Go to Integrated Peripherals -> Onboard Serial Port 1 -> Change value to [Disabled]

Hopefully you don’t need your serial port (most people don’t). I haven’t experienced any wake up issues after disabling the serial port, I will update this post if anything changes.

23 Jun 2014

Building a new home server?

by | posted in: Editorials & Features | 0

intel_logo.pngAnd suddenly I have an opportunity to build a new home server. My sister is looking for a cheap PC which opened up an opportunity to offload one of my older PCs. The home server, powered by a Core 2 Quad 9300, 6GB of RAM and an SSD will be more than adequate for everyday computing.

But what would my next computer be built on? Haswell? Again? I just built a computer with Intel’s latest architecture last year. There’s a new set of chipsets and the S series of CPUs are widely available now but I don’t want to go back to the well twice within a generation.

So for now, I’m going to dig back into the computing archives and give an aging AMD Athlon 3800+ powered PC a new lease on life. Strap in video card, an SSD and everything should be okay. I hope. I just want to buy some time for Broadwell which is slated for a Q2 2015 debut.

10 Jul 2013

2013 PC Build Impressions

by | posted in: Gadget Impressions | 0

I finally finished my building the 2013 PC. It officially belongs to my brother but I had the pleasure of putting it together. Here are some of my impressions of the build and the build process itself.

Model
ProcessorIntel Core i5 4670
MotherboardASUS H87I-PLUS
MemoryHyperX 10th Anniversary Edition 16GB DDR3-1600MHz CL9 Dual Channel Kit (2 x 8GB)
Video CardPowerColor PCS+ HD5770 1GB GDDR5
OS DriveSamsung 840 120GB
Storage DriveWestern Digital Caviar Black 1TB 7,200 RPM
CaseBitFenix Prodigy (White)
Power SupplySeasonic G Series 550W
CPU HSFSwiftech H220
Additonal FanScythe Slip Stream 120mm (SY1225SL 12L)
OSMicrosoft Windows 8 64-bit
MonitorASUS PB278Q
KeyboardMicrosoft Comfort Curve Keyboard 2000
MouseRazer Death Adder
SpeakersBose Cinemate Series II
OtherMicrosoft Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows

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17 Jun 2013

Speccing the 2013 PC

by | posted in: Editorials & Features | 0

intel_logo.pngI’ve been pondering over this build ever since my home server’s hard drive went belly up. I decided on a case, cooling solution and the amount of memory late last year. Now with Intel’s Haswell processors and accompanying chipsets have been unveiled, it’s time to pick the final pieces.

  • Processor: Intel Core i5 4670
  • Motherboard: ASUS H87I-PLUS
  • Memory: 2 x 8GB DDR-1600
  • Case: BitFenix Prodigy (White)
  • Cooling: Swiftech H220
  • Power Supply: SeaSonic G Series SSR-550RM

And that’s it. I will be transferring existing storage disks and graphics options from other PCs.

I wanted an Intel Core i5 4670S but that seems to be impossible to obtain through retail channels. I also considered choosing an Intel Core i7 4770S but I couldn’t justify the $100 increase.

I settled with the Intel Core i5 4670 in order to keep VT-x and VT-d options. I gave up overclocking for flexibility and I don’t mind it. This computer’s future as a server will be better served with virtualization options than a clockspeed increases.

I have already purchased the memory and I’m closing in on the purchase of other parts. However,  I think I’ll wait for NCIX’s sales refresh on Wednesday, just in case.

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