After couple years using computer, you might noticed that there are changes in your PC performances.You might experienced slow startup process, PC always hang, takes time to launch certain programs and many more...
Below I've listed 5 things that might cause the problem:-
5 Causes That Decrease PC Performance
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1) CPU Overheating - Due to cooler that is not in good condition.The Cooler above the Processor full of dust and cannot function very well, and not enough Thermal Grease.( Watch the video at the end of this articles).

2) Random Access Memory(RAM) - When you bought a cheap RAM,there is some cases that the chip inside is not satisfy the specification. And the consequence is you might get "blue screen" a lot of time. Wrong overclocking(timings) also can damage and decrease your RAM performance.

3) Hard Disk - The increasing of Bad Sector can slow down your PC performance.Internal damage(intermittent) can cause your computer fail during boot process.

4) BIOS Configuration - Sometimes, changing BIOS default values can increase your PC performance and sometimes it don't.So be careful.

5) Background Application Process - Too much application and process(.exe) running automatically during startup process can cause your computer slow.To remove and choose certain application running automatically during startup, you can use software or using "msconfig" .

CPU Overheating Video link......just for fun!!!!

Labels: CPU overheating, decrease startup time, slow PC, slow performance, tips

So, it's time to tweak your memory to get maximum performance out of it.
The process is a little bit boring, like all overclocking procedures. You will have to change the memory clock, save the new configuration, reboot your PC and check if your computer is still working correctly.
I personally recommend that your run 2 programs, Sandra, on its Memory Bandwidth Benchmark module to check the increase on memory performance (download it HERE), and SuperPI, to check the increase on the overall PC performance (download it HERE).

Introduction of Basics

-------------------------------------
Before we really get started however, we should go over a few things about memory first., which is Voltage and Timings, as they have a large impact on the clock speeds, performance, stability and lifespan of your memory.
Typically, memory comes with a rating that looks like "2.5-3-3-7" or something along that line. those 4 timings are:

Ras to Cas Delay (Trcd)

- This timing tends to have the largest effect on performance. Options range from 0 to 7, with 0 and 1 being basically unobtainable except for in the rarest of BH-5 sticks. Anything over 4 is usually overkill, and incurs a pretty hefty performance hit.

Ras Precharge (Trp)

- Slightly less of an effect on performance than Trcd, but more than Tcl. Same options as Trcd though, and same for the <2>4 is overkill for getting clocks and hurts performance needlessly.

Minimum RAS Active Time (Tras)

- A very small effect on performance and clocks, enough so that I typically disregard it and set it to cas + trcd + 2. Options range from 0 to 15.

For the voltage, keep two things in mind:
1. More voltage isn't always better. Know which memory IC your sticks have, and keep voltages within known ranges. If you don't know what chips you have, staying below 2.9v is a safe bet.
2. More voltage increases temps and decreases lifespan. Some IC's can take it, some can't. A good example would be Samsung TCCD vs Winbond BH-5. The former usually dies pretty rapidly if left at 2.9-3.0v for 24/7 use, while the latter can take 3.6v in a stride, and most likely the components on the PCB would fail before the IC's themselves.

STEP-by-STEP Guide
------------------------------

1) Ok, for the testing, I like to do something like this: Find lowest timings possible at whatever the stock speed of your motherboard is. Say that I have some pc4400 (275mhz) and put it into a Athlon64 rig, the memory will automatically run at 200mhz. Find the tightest timings at these speeds.
Next, raise the timings one at a time until you find the one that makes the largest mhz increase over your previous timings, and find the max. repeat until you get to 3-4-4 timings.

For a more explicit breakdown, I'll explain what to do more explicitly, and at the same time, give examples with a pair of memory I have sitting around.

2) Get memtest and install it on a floppy or cd if you don't have a motherboard that has it on the bios (DFI). Boot with the memtest floppy/cd in to make sure it boots into that instead of your normal OS. Once you have confirmed this, hit escape to reboot and then go into the bios.

What we're gonna do first is find the tightest timings the ram can run at stock speeds. First, set all the timings to the rated speed of the ram, no auto's should be seen for Tcl, Trcd, Trp or Tras.

3) From here, we will work on one timing at a time. start with cas latency (Tcl)
-3.1 )lower it one step, save bios and restart, boot into memtest
-3.2 )In memtest, change to test #5, loop it two or three times
-3.3 )if you get no errors, go back to step 1, if you do get errors, continue to 4
-3.4 raise timing one step, and go back into memtest and let it run through a few full passes. If you do not have the patience for this, loop test 5, 6 and 8 at least 3-4 times each. you should not get errors.

Repeat the above for Trcd, and Trp. Adjust Tras when needed to keep it equal to Tcl + Trcd + 2

4) When completed all 3 timings, write down what they are somewhere safe. We have just completed the first step!


5) Now, the where the real fun begins. We're gonna find the maximum speed at each set of timings, however, it's gonna take a long time :)
-5.1) Bump up the fsb/htt 2-3 mhz
-5.2) Boot into memtest, do 2-3 loops of test #5
-5.3) If no errors, go to 1, if errors, continue to 4
-5.4) Lower fsb/htt 1mhz
-5.5) Go into memtest, and let memtest run. If you get
any errors, go back to 4. Once you can loop memtest for ~3 hours per gigabyte in your system, write down the mhz obtained along with the timings and voltage it took to get there. I recommend making a chart for this, tabulating the maximum mhz at each set of timings and voltage.


6) Now we have two options: bump up memory voltage, or raise the timings. Either way you go, follow the above steps. You should always test things systematically.

If you decide to increase voltage, be sure to only change voltage, leave all the timings alone. One rule I try to follow at all times when overclocking is only change one variable at a time. If more than one is changed at once, you don't know how much each is effecting things.
Start out at stock voltage (2.6v for ddr1 and 1.8v for ddr2) and test .1v higher, find max, .1v higher, find max, etc.. until you decide that the voltage is high enough.
This will vary for all IC's, refer to the quick guide for IC's at the end of this guide. Be very careful with voltage, as some can fail prematurely if you give it too much. Also, always be aware of the temps your sticks are running at when overclocking.


7) For the timings, you should change one timing at a time until you find which ones make a significant effect on max mhz. This is something that will take a bit of playing around and guesswork until you find something that works out well. Again, be sure to only change on timing at once, and do not touch the voltage at this time.

note:
If at any point along the way you find that you can't get higher mhz, try to figure out what is holding you back. It can be your cpu running at too high mhz, your memory controller maxing out, your motherboard hitting a limit, or your memory simply not scaling well past the timings you're at. Just use some common sense and see if you can get around the limitation by fiddling around with stuff.

Labels: benchmark, memory optimization, ram timings, tips, tweak RAM

This release is based on the all-new AutoPatcher 5.1. Although made with Windows XP SP2 (English) in mind, AutoPatcher XP will load on any Windows version or language, showing only the items which match the running environment.
AutoPatcher XP November 2006 FULL & Update is 100% FREE.
By downloading this autoPatcher, your computer is now up-to-date.
Include features :-
1) Security Updates
2) Malicious Software Removal Tool
3) Windows XP COM+ Hotfix Rollup Package 13 (v2)
4) Network Diagnostic Tool (KB914440 v12)
5) Bootvis 1.3.37 (only in Full)
6) And of course a lot of registry tweaks which improve speed, appearance, functionality and security!

You can download it >> HERE <<

Labels: autopatcher, tech news, windows update

Since this month I'm celebrating my birthday(11/12),I would like to give FREE ebook to all of you.
Well, may be some of you wondering what this ebook all about. Let me tell you a bit. Basically,"HARDCORE WINDOWS XP" will teach you STEP-BY-STEP on how to tweak your Xp to get peak/extreme performance.
This ebook will cover all important topics that you need to know about your XP. Some of them are:
-Application & Services
-Built-in Utilities
-Web & e-mail
-Networking
-Improving System Performance
-Media performance
-Security : Service Pack 2

If you want to know more what is inside, you have to download it .Free of charge.Get it NOW!!!
>>MIRROR 1<< >>MIRROR 2<< >>MIRROR 3<<

Labels: free ebook, xp ebook, xp step by step, xp tips

Its 7.40 p.m right now at my place...Sorry for the late post today.Got a lot of work to do.Today, I have decided to list "MOST Wanted Tweaking-Optimizing Tools". Most of us do not know which programs/softwares is better to do overclocking/tweaking/optimizing jobs. To make your job easier, I've made a list here :
WINDOWS SYSTEM
------------------------------
1) Advanced System Optimizer - Enhance security,optimize windows,tweak windows settings
2) TuneUp Utilities - Complete packages combine all important function for system optimization and maintenance.
3) System Mechanic - Repair error, optimize system for peak performance, fix security vulnerabilities and maintain reliability and speed.

REGISTRY
--------------

1) Registry Mechanic - Clean, fix error and compact your registry to optimize PC for better performance. Recommended by experts and editors.
2) Fix-It Utilities - Excellent registry cleaner & fixer PLUS utilities package like "System Diagnostic Tools", "System Protection Tools","Speedup Wizard" and "Fix Wizard".



Graphic Card Tools
---------------------------
Just like the one I've posted before.
-ATI Tray Tools
-Rage3D Tweak
-PowerStrip 3.63
-NVTweak

RAM Tweaking Tools
---------------------------
1) RAM Booster .Net - Defrag your physical memory, Recover memory from windows, Recover memory leaks, and LET you run large application simultaneously without Slowing down you computer.
2) CacheBoost Pro - Intelligence Cache Management, Built-in DataSafe Technology and Memory Zipper engine.

CPU OVerClocking Tools
-----------------------------------
1) ClockGen - Its main purpose is to change system clock on the fly. Front Side Bus(FSB) & Graphic Side Bus(GSB).
2) A64 Tweaker - You can change all important memory timings in AMD CPU, even if your motherboard BIOS does not list all these timings.

Labels: most wanted tools, overclocking tools, pc tools, ram sfotware, recommended software, registry software, tweak utility

For GAMERS, having a quality, great performance Graphic card is a must. Before you even think about tweaking that graphics card, you need prepare your PC for the addition..
No matter what brand you have, first thing you should do is to download the latest drivers for your Graphic Cards.

#If you got an ATI card (something with the "Radeon" name on it), head to their driver page and grab the latest driver package.

#If you received an nVidia card (something with the "GeForce" name on it), the latest drivers at this time are 53.03. Head to the nVidia driver page to download them.

Here, I have listed good Tweaking Tools for your Card:-
1- Ati TRay Tools 1.2.6.964
ATI Tray Tools is a small utility that can be found in the windows tray and allows instant access to settings and options.
Some key features of "ATI Tray Tools":

· Overclocking with templates
· Automatic overclocking when application required 3D mode
· Artifact Tester with ability to find maximum stable clocks for GPU and Memory.
· Game profiles with desktop shortcut creation.
· Direct3D settings with templates, GUI form and tray popup menu
· OpenGL settings with templates, GUI form and tray popup menu
· Hardware low level color correction
· Hardware tweaks. Setting PCI latency timer
· System wide Hot Keys. (Load profiles any profiles/work with colors/run any application)
· Refresh Lock system with ability to set separate refresh rates for each resolution.
· Tweak for overriding Pixel and Vertex Shaders
· Speed improvement tweaks for Anisotropic/Trilinear Filtering
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2- Rage3D Tweak CCC
Rage3D Tweak CCC is a brand new tweak application that integrates directly into ATI's Catalyst Control Center (CCC) driver application and adds key tweak functions to the existing interface. This tweaker has been developed in the spirit of the former Rage3D Tweak application we developed and supported over the last many years. This application is a plug-in which consists of two new tree elements which will appear under a Rage3D heading in the advanced display view of the CCC. The two new sections are: Overclocking, and OC Testing.
OC Testing enables automatic testing of maximum core and memory clock speeds. The display consists of a realtime 3D rendering window which is used to heat up the graphics card and check for artifacts during the rendering test period. When one of the clock test buttons is clicked, the 3D display turns red to indicate a test is in progress and increments the tested clock speed at an interval specified by the displayed slider. The clock speeds are increased incrementally at user selected interval. Longer testing intervals will result in more accurate clock speed testing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3- PowerStrip 3.63
PowerStrip provide advanced, multi-color, programmable hardware support to a wide range of graphic cards - from Matrox Millenium I to the latest ATi X850 and NVidia SLI solutions.
Interesting Features:
-The ONLY program that support multiple graphic cards from multiple chipset vendors.
-When launched, it respond by activating specific display settings, gamma correction and clock speed
[Returning everything to normal when the program close.]
-AGP device configuration
-Extensive diagnostic adn system idle thread.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4- NVTweak( Formerly Coolbits) 1.7.1
NVTweak will unlock many extra options in the NVIDIA control panel/driver, including but not limited to - Overclocking, AGP & Hardware settings, Fan control, Temperature settings, Debugging, Twin View, Video Mixing Renderer, OpenGL 2.0 support, 3D viewer types (for 3D Stereo drivers), and more!
Features of "Coolbits 3D":
AGP & Hardware Settings
-AGP Rate
-Fast Writes
-Sideband addressing

Coolbits (Overclocking)
-Auto Overclocking
-Manual Overclocking
-Separate 2D/3D settings
-Fan Control

Note
This tweak is intended for use with GeForce/Quadro cards and ForceWare 55.xx - 7x.xx 3D Stereo drivers. NVTweak is not fully compatible with Windows 98/Me or driver versions older than 55.xx.

I think that's all. Do tell me if you find another good Graphic Card Tweaking tools other than listed above.

Labels: ATI, geforce, graphic card tools, graphic cards, overclock graphic card, tweak

Not satisfied with your current speeds? These suggestions might help to optimize your download pleasure :-

1. Hack/Remove TCP connections Limit

If you’re on XP sp2, your TCP connections are limited to a maximum of 10. This might hurt your downloading speed because it wont let you connect to as much peers as you want. It is supposed to slow down viruses because their spreading strategy is to connect to a high amount of ip numbers, but it could cripple your torrent downloads.

A nice way to fix this is to download THIS PATCH.

The patch allows you to set the maximum allowed connections to any number you want. Any number between 50 and 100 is ok (more is NOT always better).

Next you need to configure your torrent client to allow 50-100 max half-open TCP connections

µTorrent: Options > Preferences > Advanced options > net.max_halfopen

2. Change the default port.
By default, bittorrent uses a port 6881-6999. Bittorrent generates a lot traffic (1/3), so isp’s like to limit the connection offered on the these ports. So, you should change these to another range.

{ Let say between 49152 - 49454 }

3. Optimize your internet connection
The TCP optimizer is a freeware utility that optimizes your internet connection. I found it very useful and it helped speeding up my connection for regular internet activity and for downloading torrents. Just download it, and move the slidebar to your maximum download rate (note that it’s in kb/s). Don’t try to set it higher because that will hurt your download speeds!

4. Reduce your upload speed:

Bittorrents are usually programmed to perform efficiently when all users upload to their maximum, but the truth is that this only slows your download. For an efficient download, you should keep your upload speeds about 75-80% of the maximum.

In order to do that you can use one from the many speed test sites available like Speakeasy Speed Test.

5. Unblock Ports in your Router:

Torrents commonly use ports ranging from 6881~6889 for high speed downloading. If you know which port to use for the fastest download then find out the manufacturer of your router and the specific model. Then go to Portforward.com and begin choosing the model of your Router.

6) Choose the best torrent(More seeders):

Choose Torrents that have the best seed to peer ratio. For example, a file having 100 seeds and 100 peers is much better than a file with 100 seeds and 200 peers.

Hope this articles will help you to solve the Slow Torrent problems.

Labels: hack torrent, optimize torrent, speed up torrent, torrent tips, tweak

Over-Clocking the CPU

Before start, I should tell you the options we will be changing are under the Advanced Chipset Features and Power Settings sections of your BIOS. While this guide is aimed at over-clocking AMD Athlon processors in particular, it should still be very informative for Intel Pentium-Based system owners.

We will start with adjusting the multiplier (clock ratio) and FSB (front side bus) to determine your clock speed. The formula for calculating a processor's clock speed is:
----------------------------------------
| Clock Speed = FSB * Multiplier |
---------------------------------------

For example, if you are using an Athlon XP 2000+, which has a 133.4MHz FSB and a multiplier of 12.5, we can calculate that 133.4MHz * 12.5 = 1667.5MHz, the actually speed of your processor.

PAY attention to your Vcore voltage. An overclocked-system need more power...While increasing your voltage, also check your temperature.

If you're fortunate enough to be running a motherboard that doesn't have a lock on the multiplier, decreasing the multiplier will allow you to raise the FSB dramatically for a better over-clock. The only boards I know of that allow you to do this without first unlocking the chip are some of the boards using the Nforce2 chipset. For example, setting a AthlonXP 2000+'s multiplier to 11 allows for a 200MHz FSB, pumping out a 2.2GHz CPU speed in the end. This makes the speed equal to a 2600+, for a near fraction of the price, though one would need to raise the Vcore to about 1.85v, which will require decent cooling. Also, you want to lower your RAM frequency to as low as possible, and RAM timing/latency to Optimal, which will automatically set itself based on your FSB/Multiplier settings. All this is also a reason why you should change and little options as possible at a time, so when the system doesn't POST, you know what is causing it.

For you guys:-
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ (Socket 939, Manchester Core)
CPU Stepping: CDBHE 0607TPMW
Mainboard: DFI LP NF4 Ultra-D
Memory: 4x512MB OCZ Platinum EL PC3200 (TCCD)
Memory Timings: 2-2-2-5-2T
Memory Clockspeed: 200MHz
CPU Clockspeed: 3003MHz
Vcore: 1.45V
Cooling: Asetek Vapochill LS (Phase-Change)
PSU: PCP&C 510 Express
Other Notes: This is my 24/7 config. Chip will do 3.1GHz, but requires a fair bit more voltage. This stepping is cold bug free.

tHE rESULt:
>>CliCk HeRe<<

Labels: cpu, FSB, multiplier, overclocking guide, tweak

I'm a bit busy lately.Don't have much time to post.Finally I have free time.And I want to share a bit on how you can Shutdown your computer faster than before.

By altering a few registry settings, you can decrease the amount of time taken for Windows to shut down. To do this, first open up the registry editor and navigate to

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\

Once there, find the value HungAppTimeout and make sure it is set to 5000 (that's the default). Now, in the same folder, look for the value WaitToKillAppTimeout. Set this to 4000 (the default is 20000).

Lastly, navigate to the folder

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\

and change the value WaitToKillServiceTimeout to 4000 as well. Another thing that helps speeding up shutting down is going to Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services and then setting the NVidia Driver Help service to Manual.

I think, that's all for today.

Labels: fast shutdown, shutdown tips, tweak, xp tips