DVDrebuilder CCE, with DVDremake and Other Tools for Beginners

Soph's Dissertation part 2.

The chipsets might be the same but system memory isn’t, just check your memory speeds and you see that you’re using standard C3 memory. I’ve fixed more commercial machines than I can remember and I’ve yet to see one using high quality C2 memory (not all C2 memory are equal either). In other words commercial machines get the tortoise instead of the hare. A moderately thought out homemade PC is going to be better all around.

The range of a CPU is equal to its fastest core member. All Northwood’s and Prescott’s have the same core regardless of their clock speed. In other words the only difference between my 2.8 Northwood and a 3.4 Northwood is just the multiplier settings made on the chip in the factory. If I could access those settings then my 2.8 would be a 3.4 GHZ and Intel would be out quite a few bucks. Since those settings are unavailable to me I have to use another method to crank up the clock.

This is done by setting the front side bus speed to a higher setting which will then push, up the clock speed but then you’re also overclocking other parts of your system, including the memory. Modern boards have built in the ability to separate your front side bus from speed your PCI bus speed which has eliminated the concerns about over stressing your hard ware such as your hard disk. I can set my front side bus speed, my memory speed, and my PCI bus speed all separately, something your Dells can’t do.

In days gone by when Intel manufactured a CPU, they would stress test it and that would determine its speed. After a few months however the manufacturing process became refined and then all of the chips coming off the line could hit top speed, this is called binning, same CPU with a different clock setting. In order to maintain a price point, Intel still lowered the clock speed on some chips but a few of us learned that by adjusting a few jumpers on our board we could raise the clock speed to its maximum and often a little beyond. Intel countered this by locking the clock on the chip. Since today’s processing is so refined the core of the slowest Northwood can if tweaked right, match the fastest Northwood. I’m betting that my overclocked Northwood runs cooler than your (brobear’s) at spec Prescott. The key to successful overclocking is high quality memory and cooling and factory machines don’t come with either.


To sum, you can't make a racing horse out of a jackass.

If you buy a Dell off the shelf the option for higher quality memory is only made available it the consumer has the forethought to ask.

 

You can still put faster memory and better cooling in a dell if desired. It might not be a race horse but they can move pretty quick if kicked in the arse. Jack that is.

I recommend Dells to freinds on a budget for the same reason Brobear said. More parts and software per dollar than I can give them.
That said I don't buy any assembled computers and I never will. There isn't anything I like in the budget section and the performance computers are way more expensive than they are worth in parts.

Multiple procs don't come cheap from the maunufacturer.
My first computer build was a 386DX 40mhz. 200mb HD.

 

How true! I want to build a new PC but what I have is no slouch and so I keep tweaking what I have. It's true that Dells are a solid and reliable desktop for the the basic user. I know, I have over 400 of them to play with that range from 200mhz mmx, P2 450 (working on a slot 1 right now) P3 667 MHz procs, and we just got a new shipment last a week that I haven't seen.

I also found three towers that have AV7 KT-133 via(?) asus motherboards with 700 MHZ Durons in them. On each of them was a strip of masking tape stating "bad video card." Now how many video cards have you seen go bad on 3 identical setups at the same time? They'd been stripped of their memory.

I went upstairs to the PC storage area and began shuffling around for some memory and I found 3 sticks of (I believe Micron)256megs of [bold]CAS2[/bold] PC133. Do you know how much C2 PC133 is worth because its hard to find?

 

The only problem is 133 doesn't fit any machines that go a reasonable speed.
But I know what you mean. If someone wants to fix or update an old machine Sdram is high and good Sdram is higher.
Now if you can just find some registered DDR up there I'll be your bestest buddy.

 

Why registered? It's slower than non registered memory because it robs you of a clock cycle.

 

Most of my Dual boards require registered.
Don't believe the hype. While not any faster, registered doesn't take much of a speed hit if any unless you use EEC. But non registered is available in more performance flavors. My ASUS boards use either.
I do enjoy the reliability. Memory errors are non existent. I can run a machine for weeks on end with no worries. Not that I do that much any more now that I don't fold proteins.

 

Sophocles
As far as overclocking, it is a capability for a builder, but not all avail themselves of it. Unless one follows guidelines set by tech specs and/or experimenters who pushed the limit, they can go too far and damage a CPU. So, in essence the overclocker is just setting up within parameters already prescribed. The end result of the speed is higher heat, the nemesis of electronic components. As I said, I prefer to stick to stock when it comes to clock time and let the CPU run cooler (and safer). No options with the stock 8300 I have anyway as it's locked.

As you can tell, this PC is a few years old and not even a current model. However it wasn't slow or a piece of junk and for most uses, it is still faster than many. If you note the supplier of the memory, Micron, they are an industry leader. The memory I have isn't top of the line, neither is it crap from the bargain basement. Below is the mainboard info for the PC. From that you can make any comparisons you would like and not have to wonder what Dell did. This is common info and many of the Dell's at the time were comparably equipped. This is a mid line, neither the fastest, nor an ass.


< System >
Manufacturer: Dell Computer Corporation
Model: Dimension 8300
2.8GHz P4 / 800MHz FSB

< System Chassis >
Manufacturer: Dell Computer Corporation
Type: Mini Tower
Can be locked: No
Boot-up State: Safe
Power State: Safe
Thermal State: Safe
Security State: External Interface Locked-out

< Mainboard >
Manufacturer: Dell Computer Corp.
MP Support: 1 CPU(s)
MPS Version: 1.40
Model: 0M2035

< On-board Devices >
Intel Pro 100 VE Network Conne:Ethernet Adapter (Enabled)
AC'97 Audio Controller: Sound Adapter (Enabled)

< System Memory Controller >
Location: Mainboard
Error Correction Capability: ECC
Number of Memory Slots: 4
Maximum Installable Memory: 4GB
Bank 1 - CHANNEL A DIMM 0: DIMM Synchronous SDRAM 512MB/64 @ 400Mt/s
Bank 2 - CHANNEL B DIMM 0: DIMM Synchronous SDRAM 512MB/64 @ 400Mt/s
Bank 3 - CHANNEL A DIMM 1: Empty
Bank 4 - CHANNEL B DIMM 1: Empty

< Chipset 1 >
Model: Dell Computer Corp 82875P,E7210 Memory
Controller Hub
Bus(es): X-Bus AGP PCI IMB USB FireWire/1394 i2c/SMBus
Front Side Bus Speed: 4x 200MHz (800MHz data rate)
Maximum FSB Speed / Max Memory:4x 200MHz / 2x 200MHz
Width: 64-bit
IO Queue Depth: 12 request(s)

< Chipset 1 Hub Interface >
Type: Hub-Interface
Version: 1.50
Number of Ports: 3
Width: 8-bit
Full Duplex: Yes
Multiplier: 1/1x

< Logical/Chipset 1 Memory Banks >
Bank 0: 512MB DDR-SDRAM 3.0-3-3-8CL 1CMD
Bank 1: 512MB DDR-SDRAM 3.0-3-3-8CL 1CMD
Channels: 2
Speed: 2x 200MHz (400MHz data rate)
Multiplier: 1/1x
Width: 64-bit
Refresh Rate: 7.80µs
Performance Acceleration Techn:Yes
Power Save Mode: No
Fixed Hole Present: No

< APIC 1 >
Version: 2.00
Multiplier: 1/2x
Maximum Interrupts: 24
IRQ Handler Engaged: Yes
Enhanced Support: Yes

< Memory Module(s) >
Memory Module 1: Micron 16VDDT6464AG-40BC4 B709222C 512MB
16x(32Mx8) DDR-SDRAM PC3200U-333-7011 (CL3 up
to 200MHz) (CL2.5 up to 167MHz) (CL2 up to
133MHz)
Memory Module 3: Micron 16VDDT6464AG-40BC4 B709222D 512MB
16x(32Mx8) DDR-SDRAM PC3200U-333-7011 (CL3 up
to 200MHz) (CL2.5 up to 167MHz) (CL2 up to
133MHz)

< Cooling Device(s) >
Fan: OK

< AGP Bus(es) on Hub 1 >
Version: 3.00
Speed: 8x
Multiplier: 1/2x
Fast-Writes Enabled: Yes
Isochronous Mode Enabled: No
Addressing Enabled: 32-bit
Aperture Size: 128MB

< PCI Bus(es) on Hub 1 >
Version: 2.20
Number of Bridges: 2
PCI Bus 0: PCI (1/1x PCIClk)
PCI Bus 2: PCI (1/1x PCIClk)

< LPC Hub Controller 1 >
Model: Intel Corporation 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R) LPC
Interface Bridge
ACPI Power Management Enabled: Yes
Delayed Transaction Enabled: Yes

< LPC Legacy Controller 1 >
Type: SMSC LPC v1
Version: 14.04
Number of Enabled Devices: 4

< USB Controller 1 >
Model: Dell Computer Corp 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R)
USB UHCI Controller #1
Version: 1.10
Interface: UHCI
Channels: 2
Speed: 48MHz
Supported Speed(s): Low (1.5Mbps) Full (12Mbps)
Legacy Emulation Enabled: No

< USB Controller 2 >
Model: Dell Computer Corp 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R)
USB UHCI Controller #2
Version: 1.10
Interface: UHCI
Channels: 2
Speed: 48MHz
Supported Speed(s): Low (1.5Mbps) Full (12Mbps)
Legacy Emulation Enabled: No

< USB Controller 3 >
Model: Dell Computer Corp 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R)
USB UHCI Controller #3
Version: 1.10
Interface: UHCI
Channels: 2
Speed: 48MHz
Supported Speed(s): Low (1.5Mbps) Full (12Mbps)
Legacy Emulation Enabled: No

< USB Controller 4 >
Model: Dell Computer Corp 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R)
USB UHCI Controller #4
Version: 1.10
Interface: UHCI
Channels: 2
Speed: 48MHz
Supported Speed(s): Low (1.5Mbps) Full (12Mbps)
Legacy Emulation Enabled: No

< USB Controller 5 >
Model: Dell Computer Corp 82801EB/ER (ICH5/ICH5R)
USB EHCI Controller
Version: 2.00
Specification: 1.00
Interface: EHCI
Channels: 8
Companion Controllers: 4
Supported Speed(s): Low (1.5Mbps) Full (12Mbps) High (480Mbps)
Addressing Support: 64-bit
Legacy Emulation Enabled: No

< FireWire/1394 Controller 1 >
Model: Creative Labs Audigy 2 Firewire Controller
Version: 1.10
Interface: OHCI
Enhanced Support: No
Channels: 64
Speed: 400MHz

< System SMBus Controller 1 >
Model: Intel 801xx/63xx SMBus
Version: 0.02
Specification: 2.00
Advanced TCO Mode Enabled: No
Slave Device Enabled: Yes
PEC Support: No
Speed: 100kHz

< Expansion Slot(s) >
PCI1 (1h): PCI 32-bit +5V +3.3V PME Full-Length
Available (Intel Corporation 82875P PCI to
AGP Bridge)
PCI2 (2h): PCI 32-bit +5V +3.3V PME Full-Length
Available
PCI3 (3h): PCI 32-bit +5V +3.3V PME Full-Length
Available
PCI4 (4h): PCI 32-bit +5V +3.3V PME Full-Length
Available
AGP1: AGP-8x 32-bit +3.3V PME Full-Length Used

< Port Connector >
PARALLEL: Parallel Port PS/2 - None / DB-25 pin female
SERIAL1: Serial Port 16550A - None / DB-9 pin male
KYBD: Keyboard - None / PS/2
MOUSE: Mouse - None / PS/2
USB1: USB - None / USB
USB2: USB - None / USB
USB3: USB - None / USB
USB4: USB - None / USB
USB5: USB - None / USB
USB6: USB - None / USB
USB7: USB - None / USB
USB8: USB - None / USB
ENET: Network - None / RJ-45
MIC: Audio - None / Mini-jack
LINE-OUT: Audio - None / Mini-jack
LINE-OUT: Audio - None / Mini-jack
LINE-OUT: Audio - None / Mini-jack
LINE-IN: Audio - None / Mini-jack
HP-OUT: Audio - None / Mini-jack

< Performance Tips >
Notice 224: SMBIOS/DMI information may be inaccurate.
Tip 2511: Some memory slots are free so the memory can
be easily upgraded.
Tip 2546: Large memory modules should be ECC/Parity.

Hmmm... Race horses and jackasses, quaint analogy. Race horses are good for a sprint, but the jackass can do hard work all day. Well as I said, my PC is neither. Guess I got a mule that can run.

 

I'm getting ready for work but you've proven my point on having slow memory.

Your timings are:

CA3 just as I stated and I also hit the timings on the nose. 3-3-3-8

more later got to go to work.

 

It does have pretty fast memory even if it isn't CL2.
It's probably the fastest available from Dell.
Hee Haw.

 

Yep, fastest jackass in town. LOL Then one gets into the question, is more better or is better the best route to go?

Sophocles, my Dell isn't a racehorse like yours. Though now you're realizing the problem with "race horses", they get older and slower in comparison. A couple of years ago your PC was an item to boast about. Technology advanced and now the CPUs are up to about 3.2GHz for the average PC with a 1066 MHz FSB. 512MB is commonplace for the standard RAM and 1 GB is the norm for buyers who know what they're purchasing. RAID systems are now a nice option.

As Donald touched on, is the price paid for the better memory really worth the additional cost? Most of the work I'm doing now is with encoders and editing software. The lenghty processes are the CPU intensive work, where a cool running high capacity unit does best. My 2.8GHz isn't top of the line, but it gets the job done and not much behind the "racehorses". I could have had the fastest a couple of years ago, but I'd be where a lot of other people are; owners of an overpriced piece of equipment. I wasn't trying to buy bragging rights, just a good working PC. The interesting part of it is, the mid line PC I purchased a couple of years ago is still mid line and the "racehorses" of 2 years ago have lost their edge.

BTW, I posted the Dell board info for your benefit in case you hadn't seen it. I went over it a couple of years ago. I realized I wasn't getting top of the line, but then I didn't have to pay an exorbitant sum for what I got either.

 

CA3 memory is a bit on the slow side but you have enough of it so your OK there. My PC is a more than 2 years old and it's still a race horse. If you guys read the article you'd have guessed that the reason the wider 1066 MHZ front side bus wasn't faster than the one with 800 MHZ is 2 fold. The current available chipsets are unable to make use of it and fast CPU's will be (bottlenecked) stalled by your system memory before they can make use of it. A system with a lower fronside bus speed of 600 MHZ can easily be faster than one with a 800MHZ with a faster memory setup.


If I changed my memory timings to 3-3-3-8 I could easily over clock my CPU to 3.4 GHZ. I could also buy a new P4 3.6 that is rated for a 800MHZ frontside bus (my board can go all the way to 800 in 1 MHZ increments) but I would be able to overclock it and all that would be left to me would be memoru adjustments. When I build I build against obsolescence and as a result my machine is still quiet a racehorse and still faster than any commecial machine that you can buy for as much as $2000.

 

Sophocles,
My old jackass was bought with the same thought of not letting it become obsolete too soon. If necessary, the board accepts the faster CPUs and I can expand the memory with more and/or better. So the old jackass has a lot of life left.

If speed was the only thought on my mind, I'd have installed better RAM, added a RAID 0 setup by now, along with a couple of SATA Raptors. Dreaming, but the MoBo will handle it and if you notice, it is one of the good Intel chipsets.

Noticed you mention your racehorse in comparison to older units now; time to feed the "racehorse" some oats so it'll get out of the gate faster. Those new 3.4GHz P4 550s with the 1066MHz FSB from Dell sure look good and they sell for $1999.

 

You could add better memory and a faster CPU but the problem with Dell's is that give you limited cmos access and they don't let you tweak very much, you made to accept the default setting on just about everything.

I've held off building a new PC bacause there are to many conflicting technologies right now. Intel is expected to release a dual core CPU pretty soon and you'll need a board that supports it.

Speaking of considering a raid 0, is this the same brobear that argued against me doing just that last summer? LOL

Isn't it time to start building your own? Or at least find a builder who can do it for you? Trust me on this, homemade computers that are well thought out are superior to commercial units.

 

Like most things the tech involving RAID has improved. As I said a year ago (or whenever), I wouldn't put anything on RAID O that required a bit of extra safety in storage. RAID O is for speed and RAID 1 is for safety. Ideally a combo of the 2 would be best, but in the real world it is usually one or the other according to the PC usage.

On building my own, no problem. Plans are in the works for later. Like you, I'm waiting for some of the technology to become more mainstream. Dual processors are just starting to get into the range of affordability for those not rich. Sata has become a fact, wasn't even optional a couple of years ago. And as you noted there is some advanced tech that may be available soon. Hope it isn't too high priced. I don't want to pay 4 or 5 thousand for a PC that isn't much faster than my old "jackass".

Don't need to believe you on a custom built PC being superior to a mass produced one, I already know it. There is also a custom price tag associated with a custom PC. The operative statement I believe was "best bang for the buck". I needed a cost effective unit that could do a good job. I wasn't into a competition and there were budget restrictions. Donald mentioned he advises friends to purchase stock units over custom when price and utility are main factors. We agree cutting edge is more interesting, fast, and fun; but at a cost. I thought I made it clear, I was buying a working machine, not paying an exorbitant sum for bragging rights.

 

After all, we need to have a bit of money left over for software and media so we can be involved in forum threads like "DVDrebuilder CCE, with DVDremake and Other Tools for Beginners".

 

We all spend to much on software and hardware. But it's fun and educational.
The DVD backups have kept my interest for a while now.
Hardware is always fun but software is where the work gets done.
Most of my computers are workhorses, albiet pricey ones. Duals weren't designed to race. But they put out the work.

 

Why can't I get the file to load in dvd2one when i read the guide it says the decrypter puts it into a ts file but i don't see any changes how to i rebuild it please help!!

 

Can you find the video files on your computer after ripping the DVD?
With DVDdecrypter you should get a named folder on your choosen drive.

 

It was probably dropped in either your C:\ root director or in "my documents."

 

"Bite your tongues,' that's blasphemy.