The different browsers keep them in different places, I think Netscape/Firefox has them under the EDIT menu... You might also have to fire up Internet Explorer and check and change the preferences there, because Microsoft designed IE to change internet related settings for every program that uses the internet. I can tell you almost all of them have the link to preferences at the very bottom of one of the menu items' popdown window....

preferences brings nada. Now looking elsewhere...and soon to bed, to catch up on sleep, fyi.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Anabel,

hunting...in theory, we'll catch up tommorow, ED. Sleep tight, and thanks!
A, out.

In Firefox the preferences are kept under the "Tools" menu in "Options". There are many options.

In the options window try the "Content" tab. See if Java and JavaScript are enabled or not. Also, check if the list of "Allowed sites" (I think that's what it is called in English) for popups includes hotmail.

Other people may have more suggestions.

Different OSes even have different sanctioned places for prefs. Under Mac OS X, the menu item "Preferences..." is located under the menu named after the open application, so you'd use "Firefox -> Preferences..."

Colin is, of course, right about where it is in Windows.

Ahh yes, OPTIONS, not PREFERENCES.... Silly Firefox....

HAH! You WonderGeeks did it! Thank you!
CyberBambi

Budget/mid-range vidcards

Hi All

I'm sitting here on the kids' computer and it's making horrible 'graunching' noises, as it's been doing for a couple of weeks. I opened it up to ensure that it wasn't the processor fan doing that, but it's the fan on the video card. The vid card in this machine is a horrible old GeForce MX 400 anyway, and the kids complain that their computer won't run the new games.

The computer is an AMD Duron 1200, with 768 MB of DDR. and there are no current upgrade processors that will fit this mobo (Asus A7S333). I contemplated replacing the mobo with something newer and giving them an Athlon 64 3000+ (which is what 'the parents' have) and getting them a PCI-Express video card, but realistically that would cost something like $500 in total, and we're trying to live within our means with the move coming up and all.

The alternative is just picking up an AGP vid card and replacing that - they will notice such a huge increase in the machine's ability to play games that it will definitely placate them for the time being, until we're more financial and can build the newer box.

For about $135 I can put a Radeon 9600XT/256 MB in it, and that's what I'm inclined toward at this stage. A few other alternatives include:

Nvidia GeForceFX5200 128MB AGP $54.95
ATI Radeon 9200SE 128MB AGP $49.95
ATI Radeon 9550SE 256MB AGP $94.95
EVGA GF6600GT 128MB AGP $179
MSI FX5200 128MB $59
MSI FX5500 256MB $119
Forsa GF FX5500 256MB(AGP) $75
Forsa GF6200A 256MB(AGP) $95
Forsa GF6600GT 256MB(AGP) $175

These are local prices from local places where I can go and pick up the card, and they're in Canadian dollars - I'm sure they can be beaten on NewEgg or whatever...

Anyone have experience with cards at this end of the market? The demand will be for gaming, and Sims 2 is likely the most demanding thing they'll need. I think that requires DirectX 9.

Thanks for any and all suggestions.

(the GeForce 6600 parts are probably off the budget and probably overkill for the proc anyway)

Popped into the computer lab for a sec (should be in Physics class but I swear the only point in going is for the labs, and those won't start for another hour) and read saw this.

In every vidcard article I have read, the 6600GT's are consistently the most bang for the buck. This is loosely based on price/performance ratios. It has been awhile since I looked at this kinda thing, but I imagine this has remained pretty consistent.

OK, it might be worth anteing up the extra 40-50 bucks... thanx for that. (but others please chime in too)

i would really go out and read a few reviews, often the reviewers will test it out using sims2 because they know a lot of households need to run this game....

Don't worry, I'm reading *lots* of reviews. One of the issues, though, is processor throttling: the 6600 GT review I'm reading now, for instance, used an Athlon 64 3500+, not the Duron 1200 that's in this machine! I suspect I won't see the same frame rates, and that it may not even be worth buying the 6600 GT for that reason... does that make sense?

Now that I've located this thread again. Can anyone recommend an RSS aggregator?

I'm very happy with Sage, but it depends on which browser you prefer.

Well, for OS X, I prefer NetnewsWire Lite... no idea what's available for PC though.

Well, being even more realistic, I can get a Radeon 9500 for $75 and have something like a 70% chance of being able to 'soft-mod' it to a Radeon 9700 (by upgrading from 4 pixel pipelines to 8) (in other words, the 9500s are basically 9700s that for some reason or other didn't quite make the grade, but can potentially be awakened to their latent possibilities!) And even if the soft-mod doesn't work, the 9500 will still do everything I need it to do in this machine, at a sensible, nay bargain, price.

quote:

Originally posted by Bravus:
Don't worry, I'm reading *lots* of reviews. One of the issues, though, is processor throttling: the 6600 GT review I'm reading now, for instance, used an Athlon 64 3500+, not the Duron 1200 that's in this machine! I suspect I won't see the same frame rates, and that it may not even be worth buying the 6600 GT for that reason... does that make sense?

Yeah that totally makes sense. But, you could consider if it still works with the games you intend to play, it will be a potential nice piece of kit to install in a future machine. In other words, the kids complain they can't play the latest games, they won't be needing just a new vid card....

Well yeah, except that by the time I have the dough for a new mobo/proc it's gonna be PCI Express as far as the eye can see...

(anyway, I shut up now and stop taking up all the bandwidth - if anyone has further comments/advice they're welcome to either post them here or e-mail me at {mynick} at gmail)

This could be a little more than basic, though I hope not.

When I play any 3D game on this machine it slows right down. If I check the processes (CTRL+ALT+DEL) the resources being used are up around 80%, but that's all within the 'system idle process' thing, which is close to 100%. Used a tool called Process Explorer to unpack that further, and the 60-80% is all Hardware Interrupts.

I haven't changed any hardware in this box for ages (this isn't the one I was playing with recently), so I doubt it's an IRQ fight, and checking the IRQs shows no obvious sites for conflict. I've updated the drivers for the vid card, sound card and motherboard, with no success. I'm stuck...