# How to identify which model of Realtek HD Audio I have...



## Casheti (Aug 18, 2006)

I'm wondering which version of the Realtek HD Audio on board sound I have...e.g ALC series, etc...

I just need to know so that I can download the right drivers, thanks...Casheti


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## Dippyskoodlez (Aug 18, 2006)

Try the Motherboard manf. Driver page  Thats probably the one you have.


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 19, 2006)

*Belarc Advisor* will usually tell you more than you need to know. You might also go to Start > Run and enter _dxdiag_ and check out the Sound tab. Finally, you could step through the properties of the device as listed in your Device Manager - right click on My Computer > Properties > Sound, video and game controllers > right click on [your device] > Properties > Driver. 

Having said that, it typically is not a good idea to upgrade HW drivers unless your current driver is corrupt, or if the new driver specifically addresses a problem you are having. If you have XP, it might be best to uninstall the current drivers, reboot and let XP reload what it has in its data base, or as suggested, go out to the motherboard maker's site and download the drivers from there.


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## Casheti (Aug 19, 2006)

I already tried dxdiag, no luck, Belarc advisor just gave me "Realtek High Definition Audio".


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## Alec§taar (Aug 19, 2006)

Casheti said:


> I'm wondering which version of the Realtek HD Audio on board sound I have...e.g ALC series, etc...
> 
> I just need to know so that I can download the right drivers, thanks...Casheti



Can/does your OS version allow you to run this command?

msinfo32.exe

(or, Winmsd)

If so, do so, & in the left-hand-side pane, go to thru the System Summary-> Components -> Sound Device tree path, first.

Then, in the right-hand-side pane, look it all over for your soundcard equipment.

APK


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## Casheti (Aug 19, 2006)

Still doesn't give model number


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## Alec§taar (Aug 19, 2006)

Casheti said:


> Still doesn't give model number



Mine says, "RealTek AC'97", which is EXACTLY what I have...

APK


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 19, 2006)

You might try looking on the chip itself for a label - just make sure you power down and unplug the power supply before digging in there. 

However, maybe we are barking up the wrong tree. Are you having audio problems? Why do you think you need to upgrade the drivers?


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## Casheti (Aug 21, 2006)

Well, my performance in Battlefield 2 is very poor, and I think it's my sound card...


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## Ketxxx (Aug 21, 2006)

the board uses the ALC882 CODEC


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## Casheti (Aug 21, 2006)

Wow, thanks for that...


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## Ketxxx (Aug 21, 2006)

lol u seem surprised  this is ket yer talkin to


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## Casheti (Aug 21, 2006)

Yeah..ket...THE ONE WHO WONT SPLIT HIS BUNDLE, EVEN THOUGH CASHETI'S SYSTEM SUCKS DUE TO LACK OF POWER!!!!! Nah, it's okay, you're a good guy


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## Ketxxx (Aug 21, 2006)

lol uknow its odd the amount of ppl wanting stuff from the bundle since i said it was on the flea


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## Casheti (Aug 21, 2006)

Lol...SPLIT IT!!! SPLIT ITTTTTTTT!!! THAT HIPER 480W PSU IS CALLING MY NAME...LISTEN CLOSELY....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................."Cashetiiiiiiii, ohhh Cashetiiiiiii, I want you...come get me, mmmm *giggle giggle*, ahhhehehehehe"


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## Ketxxx (Aug 21, 2006)

ahahahahahahaahaaaaa! for some reason i got the most demented little voice in my head reading that


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## Casheti (Aug 21, 2006)

Lol...it's telling you to split the bundle...DO IT, DO IT KET!!!


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## Ketxxx (Aug 21, 2006)

lol, we shall see. folk have fallen in love with it on the flea too


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## Casheti (Aug 21, 2006)

I LOVE IT MORE...Casheti NEEDS PSU!!!


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 21, 2006)

It is not likely your sound card is causing poor performance. How much RAM do you have? What CPU? What video card? - I would look at those 3 areas first.


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## Casheti (Aug 21, 2006)

Well, if you care to click "specs" under my avatar, you will find out , and I don't think 1GB of ram is enough, but for some people it's fine...I dunno what's going on...but I still reckon it's poor sound hardware. And my only other computers are a 900MHz Athlon with AGP 4X GeForce 2 32MB, 128SD-Ram, Creative Sound Blaster 128 PCI, 20GB Hard drive. The other is a Dell Dimension 3000 with 2.8GHz 478 Socket Pentium 4, XFX Geforce FX 5200 256MB PCI, 1.25GB DDR400 ram, 80GB Maxtor...So this system is my best out of the 3


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## Ketxxx (Aug 21, 2006)

realtek audio is actually not a bad performer, you may not get the best fps with it, but cpu utilisation should be low, and fps still pretty high. have you tried the latest drivers yet? places to look would be the realtek site, and probably guru3d.


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## Casheti (Aug 21, 2006)

Got the latest drivers yesterday , made no difference!

SPLIT THE F*CKING BUNDLE!! BECAUSE THEN I WOULD HAVE MORE POWER AND MAYBE IMPROVE PERFORMANCE!!! I NEED THE JUICE!!


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## Ketxxx (Aug 21, 2006)

nope  6+ days to go on the flea still, and currently thers been over 110 views and 11 watchers


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## Casheti (Aug 21, 2006)

I Need Power!!!!!!!!!


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 21, 2006)

Casheti said:


> Well, if you care to click "specs" under my avatar, you will find out


I saw your system specs but I'm not in the habit of making assumptions. I have 6 PCs in this house. I am responsible for many others. Since you did not care to mention which PC we were discussing, I did not assume it is the one listed in System Specs! 

To your comment about RAM - for the vast majority of folks, 1Gb is more than enough. You may see a little boost if you bump it up to 2Gb - but note the boost will not be nearly as significant as it is when going from 512Mb to 1Gb.

Although on-board sound does consume some system RAM, it is minimal compared to on-board video, for example. Why don't you disable the on-board sound, turn off sounds in the game (if possible) and see how your performance is? 

Is your system clean of malware? You might want to run through the *CastleCops MRP* to make sure.

How much free disk space do you have? Is your PF of fixed size?

Finally - to your comments about having a stable system while running with a 300W power supply - I would say you are not running a stable system. Note the D920 has a TDP of 130 Watts. And note where Anandtech reports, 





> In terms of power consumption the X850 XT PE breaks new records for single card power consumption


I don't mean to be crass, and I am going to break my own rule about assumptions, but I assume you made a typical newbie mistake, bought your budget case and were happy it came with a PSU. You fired up your system and it worked, therefore you assumed all was good. I suspect it is not. Would you feed your new Porsche watered down and dirty fuel? That's pretty much what you are doing. All too often I have seen self-builds come across my bench with cheap generic PSUs attempting to run powerhouse systems. The PCs run, but not up to expectations. Simply putting in a good name brand PSU with adequate power is often all that is needed to resolve many odd-ball problems. Do note that I would MUCH rather have a 400Watt Antec than a 500Watt generic no-name. I suggest you immediately get that Hiper you mentioned earlier, or some other name-brand PSU, before you do anything else - and especially before you add any more hardware, such as more RAM.


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## Casheti (Aug 21, 2006)

Lol...I didn't build this system myself, it was a pre-built PC from HP, because I would NEVER build a system THIS bad...     and the hiper has gone into a bundle on eBay, so I can't get it anymore


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 21, 2006)

Well, my suggestion to upgrade your PSU stands - and you certainly need to make sure your system is completely free of all malware and you have plenty of free disk space for your PF to operate in.


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## Casheti (Aug 21, 2006)

I have 250GB free, hows that  And as for PSU, I'm working on getting a better one...but I really wanted that Hiper 480W...KET YOU BEYOTCH!!


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 21, 2006)

Check out Antec, Enermax, PC Power & Cooling, Fortron/Sparkle, Thermaltake, and Cooler Master - there are more but these I know are reputable makers. I recommend no less than 450Watts. But buy for the future - who knows, maybe next year you may want two graphics cards, a RAID array, more RAM, etc. Paying a few dollars (or quid in your case) more now may save you from buying a whole new PSU a year or two down the road.


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## Casheti (Aug 21, 2006)

Trust me, I'll NEVER get raid 0, or 2 X850XT's, I'm too poor... And I nor my parents have a credit card to order off of the internet, that's why I wanted ket's PSU, because I was gonna send him a postal order...plus that Hiper would have looked so freakin' pimp in my case...not to mention my specs, too


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## Casheti (Aug 21, 2006)

LAST MINUTE QUESTION!! What's better between my Integrated Realtek HD Audio, or my old Creative Sound Blaster 128 PCI, performance wise...

The Creative would free up some CPU usage, and maybe even improve performance in games...seeing as it is a dedicated sound processor, and it's made by, the one...the only...Creative!!


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 21, 2006)

Never say never - with the price of HDs constantly coming down, and with the advantages RAID offers, it is likely one day you will have a RAID array in your PC - maybe not this particular PC. And maybe not RAID0 but RAID1 or some combination thereof. RAID0 is not all that it claims to be whereas mirrored arrays offer the distinct advantage of fault tolerance/data protection. When you get older, you will discover that the data on your PC is much more important and valuable than any PC you may have it on. 

As to your sound question, I suspect *IF* there is any noticeable performance boost with the add-in card, it will be minor. However, I also suspect going to the older SB will cause a drop in audio fidelity - it won't sound as nice if you have half-way decent speakers. Before messing with removing and adding new sound drivers (which messes with the Registry big time), I would try disabling the sound device in the BIOS first, then seeing if performance improves. If no or insignificant, don't install your SB. 

There's a PC World in Luton - not sure how far that is from your house but its in Bedfordshire. They carry Jeantech supplies - I have no experience with them but I have seen them the "good" lists at a couple reputable sites. The Jeantech 450 for £40 seems reasonable and has some nice features, such a 120mm fan and active PFC. And they have what they call their "collect @ store" service - you order on-line, have the product delivered to the store nearest you, then collect and pay at the store. No credit card needed.


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## Dippyskoodlez (Aug 21, 2006)

Casheti said:


> LAST MINUTE QUESTION!! What's better between my Integrated Realtek HD Audio, or my old Creative Sound Blaster 128 PCI, performance wise...
> 
> The Creative would free up some CPU usage, and maybe even improve performance in games...seeing as it is a dedicated sound processor, and it's made by, the one...the only...Creative!!



Yeah the one the only crap excuse for drivers creative.  

I personally use onboard over the soundblaster simply because theres less driver issues. I'll trade 2-3fps for less driver issues anyday!


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## Casheti (Aug 22, 2006)

Sorry, thanks for looking and all, but the Jeantech just isn't cool enough...it's blue for a start, which won't match at all (maybe they do silver??), and it doesn't look as pimp as the Hiper, I mean that looked soooooooo freakin' cool...and Ket put it on a bundle on eBay 
Plus, I have never heard of Jeantech, are they reputable??


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## Ketxxx (Aug 22, 2006)

Jeantech, Coolermaster, Thermaltake...their all lesser players in the PSU field. Good for stock systems but their specs aren't high enough and inevitably you will have to replace the unit because its limiting your OC, remember, Amperage is what matters not watts 

Doing a froogle search shows the Hiper Type R 480w coming in @ £45-£50 + p&p, or the Hiper Type R 580w version coming in @ £58 + p&p. Deffinately good value given each units amp specifications, and for those on a tight budget I would deffinately put these PSUs at the very top of the list, you just won't find a better PSU for the money and they can just demolish anything which the likes of TT, coolermaster etc can make.


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 22, 2006)

Casheti said:


> Sorry, thanks for looking and all, but the Jeantech just isn't cool enough...it's blue for a start, which won't match at all (maybe they do silver??), and it doesn't look as pimp as the Hiper, I mean that looked soooooooo freakin' cool...and Ket put it on a bundle on eBay
> Plus, I have never heard of Jeantech, are they reputable??


Well I certainly don't have the same philosophy as you - personally, I spend my time looking at my monitors and not the PC itself. I could care less about fancy lights. The more the case can disappear the better - this is in terms of sights and sounds. So I tend to build my PCs with no lights and with high-end cooling that produces very little or no fan noise. Remember, lights do absolutely NOTHING for performance, and in fact, even the most efficient lights add some heat, consume some power, can introduce electrical noise into the audio and the video, and again, do nothing for performance. And if that PC is going to be integrated into a Home Theater system, you don't want distractions from lights or noises from the PC. 

As for Jeantech's reputation, yes it has a good one but I have no personal experience as their products are not distributed in the US. As for Ketxx's comments about CoolerMaster and TT, I respectfully disagree - both are fine PSU makers. Yes, both do produce "budget" models, but there's a big difference between "budget" and "poor quality". A Toyota Corolla is a "budget" car, but it is still a fine, reliable, top quality car. A Yugo, on the other hand...

Note too that extreme overclocking does not necessarily mean you need extreme PSU performance. _*IF*_ you have a top of the line CPU, top of the line graphics card (or 2), a couple HDs, several gigs of RAM, etc, then extreme PSUs may come into play. But since you do not, then what you need is a good "quality" PSU with enough headroom to handle the peak requirements of your current equipment, and with enough wiggle room for near future upgrades. Plug your specs in the eXtreme PSU Calculator and you may be surprised at the results. 

As to his comment "Amperage is what matters not watts" - well, that's not exactly correct either, and it is not my opinion - it's just plain physics.  A derivative of Ohm's Law states that P=IE or Power (watts) = Current (amperes) X Electromotive Force (Volts). So, since the voltage is predetermined by the ATX form factor standard (12V, 5V and 3.3V), then the variable is the current, and it is the current that determines the wattage. So Ket is correct in stating that amperage matters, but so too does wattage. 

HOWEVER, what I suspect Ket meant is how that amperage is distributed across the various rails is what is really important - and that is 100% correct. The total amperage available on the +12V rail(s) is the most important, in particular when used with the latest high-end graphics cards. Sadly, that spec can only be determined by relying on the manufacturer's published specs, or by testing by a qualified lab. Absent a qualified review, we go by the published specs and the reputation of the better makers, such as the ones I stated above, don't fudge on their specs.


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## Casheti (Aug 22, 2006)

Can't argue with that!!


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## CjStaal (Aug 22, 2006)

Casheti said:


> I'm wondering which version of the Realtek HD Audio on board sound I have...e.g ALC series, etc...
> 
> I just need to know so that I can download the right drivers, thanks...Casheti



RTFM


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## Ketxxx (Aug 22, 2006)

Bill_Bright said:


> Well I certainly don't have the same philosophy as you - personally, I spend my time looking at my monitors and not the PC itself. I could care less about fancy lights. The more the case can disappear the better - this is in terms of sights and sounds. So I tend to build my PCs with no lights and with high-end cooling that produces very little or no fan noise. Remember, lights do absolutely NOTHING for performance, and in fact, even the most efficient lights add some heat, consume some power, can introduce electrical noise into the audio and the video, and again, do nothing for performance. And if that PC is going to be integrated into a Home Theater system, you don't want distractions from lights or noises from the PC.
> 
> As for Jeantech's reputation, yes it has a good one but I have no personal experience as their products are not distributed in the US. As for Ketxx's comments about CoolerMaster and TT, I respectfully disagree - both are fine PSU makers. Yes, both do produce "budget" models, but there's a big difference between "budget" and "poor quality". A Toyota Corolla is a "budget" car, but it is still a fine, reliable, top quality car. A Yugo, on the other hand...
> 
> ...



*cough* points across to title under his name, I think I know my PSUs  and as you may of noticed, Mushkin do PSUs now, which I have been privy in *thoroughly* testing 

Then theres the fact I've also owned a Hiper, Jeantech, crappy generic, Mushkin PSU, and a few others, all over the last 2-3 years. You should remember also, there is a nominal and maximum output wattage of a PSU for a reason. I would happily take a 480w PSU with 34A on its 12v rail(s) with a peak load of 530w anyday over a PSU which was rated say for 550w nominal and 580w peak with 30A on its 12v rail(s)


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 22, 2006)

As I said, "HOWEVER, what I suspect Ket meant is how that amperage is distributed across the various rails is what is really important - and that is 100% correct." 

So I think we are in agreement here. And I agree too with your comments above concerning the current on the 12V rail - and note further up where I said,  "I would MUCH rather have a 400Watt Antec than a 500Watt generic no-name." 

However, taking your examples, if that 34A PSU was a no-name generic, or OEM DEER, for example, I will pass and go for the 30A Antec, Enermax, PC P&C, or even a Mushkin. My point was, and still is, specs are not every thing. Quality in manufacturing and components used determine reliability and stability. EVERY electrical or mechanical components will become unstable if pushed beyond limits - the trick is to use the right part for the job - It does not make sense to use 10 Ton junk truck when a 1 Ton reliable will do fine. 

2 - 3 years? Well, I first got into computers when I literally walked inside one in 1975 - been in IT hardware professionally ever since - been semi-retired for 5 years, building custom PCs and IT consulting - that still does not mean I know everything.


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## Ketxxx (Aug 22, 2006)

2-3 years is just the timescale for those particular PSUs I've used. If you want to be getting into how long I've done the PC thing, well that would be before I learned to crawl practically  I've had an interest in them full-on for what must be around 12years and counting, so over half my lifetime already. Addictive buggers arent they? 

I wasn't arguing with what you said either really, more commenting on the fact that Hiper do make high quality PSUs, and as I've used both jeantech and hiper brands especially in the past 2-3 years, I can fully vouch that the hiper is a more solid, cool running, reliable unit.


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 22, 2006)

Okay great! I much prefer being in agreement!!

Yes they are addictive. When I walked into that computer, it was actually in an ADC (Area Defense Command) "block house" - a facility used by the US and Canadian militaries to track the skies over all of North America (the "Cold" War was hot and heavy back then). The computer took up the entire 2nd floor of the facility. Rows and rows of equipment racks filled with banks of diode vacuum tubes, used before the advent of the common transistor. 67,000 of them, for a massive 64Kb of system memory. An enormous 5Mb hard disk storage unit in the compact space of a large 39 gallon trash can was used for mass storage! As an Air Force radio communications electronics technician for air traffic control, I already had an understanding of the theory, but seeing it in practice hooked me. As I moved up in my career, I became responsible for the test and evaluation of many new cutting edge IT equipment - fascinating stuff.


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## Casheti (Aug 22, 2006)

Ket, Gimme The Hiper!!!!!


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## Ketxxx (Aug 22, 2006)

Thats all a little before my time, I'm around the old BBC computers era, I'm only a tender 22  though I do remember being told about computers that were the size of rooms - even the ones back in the 50s somewhen.


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## Casheti (Aug 22, 2006)

Hiperrrrrrrrrr!


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 22, 2006)

Well, back in the 50's computers were pretty much exclusively used by the military - with few exceptions. They were invented to calculate projectile trajectories, after all. 

22? Well, you are younger than my youngest son by a couple years, but I won't hold that against you! lol

My advice, take what I am about to say about me to heart - _The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know_. 

If you don't have your CompSci or some related communications or electronics degree, get one - even it takes 6 years or longer. Then never assume you are current in your knowledge for I assure you, you never will be. That will keep you humble - but respected. 

@Casheti - patience young grasshopper. You need patience - or cash!


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## Casheti (Aug 22, 2006)

I just found out my style of £20 note isn't legal currency anymore, it went out of commision in 2001   Off to the bank to change that biatch!


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## Ketxxx (Aug 22, 2006)

Bill_Bright said:


> Well, back in the 50's computers were pretty much exclusively used by the military - with few exceptions. They were invented to calculate projectile trajectories, after all.
> 
> 22? Well, you are younger than my youngest son by a couple years, but I won't hold that against you! lol
> 
> ...



I never assume I know everything - I'm not that ignorant. The only thing I do know is when I tell someone something, theres always a valid point. Funny you should mention comp sci too, I'm doing a comp sci and engineering course starting in late september lasting 4 years  bring on the chikas!


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 23, 2006)

Ketxxx said:


> Funny you should mention comp sci too, I'm doing a comp sci and engineering course starting in late september lasting


Good for you! It actually took me 16 years to get my degree - two actually. I started in 1970, got mono and got kicked out of the dorm at the university. Went to work 2015 feet underground in a copper mine, but they went on strike, so I joined the Air Force. I finished my degree before I got out of the Air Force and I am glad I did as I know it help me get a most excellent job for a major IT company at a great salary. I did that for nearly 10 years, survived 4 rounds of lay-offs, then decided to start my own IT consulting and custom PC company - working out of my home. Never been happier.

My degrees are actually in Electronics but with 20 plus years working computer and secure networks for the Air Force, I did not need CompSci - it often does not matter the actual degree, as long as it is a BS in a related field and you have experience. Unless you are a programmer, the company will train you anyway, and even if a programmer, the company will tell you how they want it done. But with the degrees, you have a better chance of leading teams and getting into managment - where the money is.


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## Ketxxx (Aug 23, 2006)

Guess I'm fortunate in that respect then, Mushkin asked me to be a tech support guy so that keeps me well motivated and the course I will be doing covers a vast chunk of programming as well as all the lovely hardware stuff like semiconductors, digital logic and complex computer architectures. Despite being 22 I've already trained partially as a MCSA and MCSE, I've also dipped my hands into my own PC business, that I intend to eventually take up fully, but probably not for 10 years or so. Until then I'm happy to continue being a Mushkin tech, writing reviews, doing my BSc and blowing my brain up with engineering mathematics 

Got a long way before I get all that accomplished tho, so I'll stick to my grand plan of "4"

- 1st year; Surrey uni comp sci course (joint best in the country, and I got in! woot!)
- 2nd year; Go to study in the US, and hopefully I can work for Mushkin at the same time 
- 3rd year; Industry based, hopefully with Mushkin 
- 4th year; Finish course, hope I've impressed Mushkin enough to go back and work for them proper


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 23, 2006)

Sounds like a plan - good luck.


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## Alec§taar (Aug 23, 2006)

Bill_Bright said:


> My advice, take what I am about to say about me to heart - _The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know_.



Whoosh... I'll 2nd that, in hearty agreement 110%:

I've been @ this "madness & lunacy" for nearly 15 years professionally (starting from techie roots, going to network engineer/admin, to programming the last 12 of it as a pro) & around 22 years overall.

The more I think I know @ this stuff? The more I have to keep learning JUST TO BREAK EVEN imo! Especially in programming... it changes every 2-5 years, often radically.

E.G.-> VB6, one of the languages/tools I am pretty proficient @, only gave me a MINOR foundation for learning ASP.NET/VB.NET (which are similar in ways, but different in philosophy MAJORLY, & a pretty good jump AWAY from VB6 syntax, & design ideology).



Bill_Bright said:


> If you don't have your CompSci or some related communications or electronics degree, get one - even it takes 6 years or longer. Then never assume you are current in your knowledge for I assure you, you never will be. That will keep you humble - but respected.



Yes, totally... or, someone out here on forums like these, WILL humble you... it happens!

(BUT, the thing is, you get stronger via mistakes imo... they are FAR more powerful & useful, than praises are... getting 'shot-down'? Useful as heck & sticks with you as a "lesson hard learned")

APK


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## Bill_Bright (Aug 23, 2006)

> BUT, the thing is, you get stronger via mistakes imo...


Agreed! The trick is not only to learn from your mistakes, but to learn from other's mistakes too! And don't be afraid to ask questions, for the stupid one is the one not asked.


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