Update - 11/04
 

Success!
I've had my Lenovo U330 running for over a week with Win7 (from upgrade media) and Crucial SSD. Footprint is under 11GB with drivers and some applications installed. Performance is relatively snappy, and 3GB of memory actually feels like it. In fact, it's as fast as a typical desktop machine. :tup:

I sold my 2nd upgrade media to one of my friends. His machine is an X58 with Core i7 920, 6GB of DDR3, and dual GTX 285 graphics cards. He already had a clean install of Vista running on a new hard drive and completed a clean install with the upgrade media.

My 3rd copy is an OEM disc. My HTPC is nearly complete as it currently has 4GB of DDR3, and the other 4GB is currently RMA'd. The HD 5850 arrived last night. After some cutting (OrigenAE S14V hard drive cage had fitment issues), I managed to get everything fitting properly. After tweaking the system and installing some apps (just Firefox) and drivers on the X-25M, the footprint is around 7.93GB! This was down from 12GB and 10GB foot print!

Anyhow, I'm still waiting for updated/fixed Intel X-25M firmware in hopes to boost performance as well as get TRIM working.

HTPC Specs:
OrigenAE S14V
Corsair HX650
MSI P55M-GD45
Core i5 750 with Scythe Ninja Mini Rev B HSF
4x2GB G.Skill DDR3 1333MHz
WD RaptorX 150GB (Carryover from previous build)
Intel X-25M 80GB
Sapphire HD 5850
Auzentech X-Fi Prelude (Carryover from previous build)

My system was fairly quiet until I added in the graphics card. At idle, the fan is a bit louder than everything else. I'm still trying to optimize the system as well as improve airflow through the heatsink. The fan is currently pulling air through the heatsink due to size constraints. Plus, the Gelid PWM fan isn't all that great. It starts "buzzing" beyond 50% duty.

Well, this concludes Win7 upgrade media installation and impressions. Compared to Vista, this installation was quite successful. Now if only BioShock 2 and MW2 comes out...

Congrats man have you used any of the new features it comes with?

I've been running win7 for about a week and I have to say it's pretty much like vista, and looks like it too. At first I was going to switch back to vista when win7 told me my ms bluetooth keyboard and mice wasn't compatible. I never had hardware or software problems with vista because I built a pc just for vista. I don't think upgrading is worth it for vista owners. I got the upgrade for $50 so it wasn't too much a waste of money for me.

All early releases of OS's are buggy. Most everyone with experience will tell you - wait a few months at minimum after it comes out to upgrade...

That seems odd, but at the same time I have read on another forum (more PC hardware) with people having a similar issue with MS bluetooth mice & keyboard.

I have the entertainment 7000 keyboard and 8000 mouse. The only buttons that I have confirmed that won't work are the zoom buttons on my mouse. Not sure if the other entertainment buttons on the keyboard work. MS may bring more updates for their keyboards and mouse.

My coworker, with the X58, said the same about his Logitech gaming keyboard. He says the driver was available to download from Logitech, but Win7 reported issues with the driver. Overall, he is very happy with Win7 over Vista.

In my situation, with the hardware listed, I'm doing very well. In fact, it's a smooth transition compared to Vista. Two years ago, I had to deal with the BSoD issue running setup or Vista with 4GB of memory. Then I regretted having a 680i SLI board (failed south bridge). Then I regretted the Thermaltake 600W PSU as it didn't have enough juice for the 8800GTS. Then I had lots of issues with the X-Fi Prelude (memory leak leading to hard locks). This time around, unfortunately, it's just a bad stick of memory.

So the P55, Lynnfield core, and HD 5850 (8800GT and GTS with previous builds, and back to ATI since X1800) combination is working quite marvelously. I've not tested gaming and BlueRay playback just yet. I'm nervous about my sound card drivers because Auzentech hasn't released anything new since July!

Sounds like most of the functionality is there (base functionality + most "extra" buttons) but a few of the "extra" buttons don't work.

Turns out my coworker just got this keyboard/mouse. He loves it so far, but I'll ask him to check those buttons to see if he has the same issue.

Personally I've been running 7 since the Beta release as my daily OS (desktops at work and home, plus laptop) and I haven't had *any* issues with it. Most OEM stuff that was written for Vista "just works" under 7 and has been that way for a long time - before they even started writing it for 7.

I Permanently delete all my hard drives using an incredibly complicated process involving a sharp consumer 600w microwave circa 1980. works on standerd and solid state and is the only quick way of making sure your hard drive can NEVER be recovered. I can't remember what case it was but watched a show on court tv where a guy physically shredded his hard drive at a junkyard and they pieced the discs back together and f***** him.

Ouchness... I have this Media Center remote that came with my OrigenAE S14V case. The only thing I can do is turn on/off my TV and computer, but I can't startup and control MCE with it.

What's strange is that my PC responds to the DVR button and launches MCE in some awkward video state and spits out TV card not installed error. Then I can get back to MCE and be able to control it with the remote. It seems like that MCE is some sort of shell, whereas manually launching is a different scope. [shrugs]

Other than that, SFIV runs nicely and plays well with the XBOX 360 controllers. UT2004, as with my previous builds, runs great. However, I'm still getting a frame rate problem with COD4 when I'm indoors. The same happen with my previous build (E6750 and 8800GTS G92) where the action gets a bit choppy when I'm inside a building.

Uhhhhh, yeah not true. Simply taking a screw driver to your plates will make the data irrecoverable. No microwave needed. Just smash the ever living **** out of it.

Unless that hard drive was barely even damaged, there is no way they recovered a shredded drive. Sounds like BS, to me. They would have to somehow figure out how it goes back together, reconnect the pieces (how, welding? lol), and then use it like a normal HD to try to recover data. No, I dont see that happening.

Either way, scrape all that nice, magnetic materiel off with a screwdriver and you're golden.

How does being inside or outside have anything to do with your frame rate? Unless your mean your ping or that you are no longer plugged into a wall and the computer runs in balanced mode instead of max performance.

X2 :iagree: Once the drive has been shredded or scratched up that's it. I call BS Now a head crashed hard drive or one in a fire for a lot of money they can TRY to recover data off it.

LOL. No, I mean when playing the game and the main character is running around indoors and outdoors. For example, in the first level I can run all over the place outside and the frame rates are very smooth. Then I run indoors to the training facility with the shooting range, and the frame rates are choppy.

I've seen this on my old system (E6750 and 8800GTS) and my current build (i5 750 and HD 5850). Everything's maxed out (minus AA since I don't need it) at 1920x1080 with 60 Hz sync.

LOL oh I got ya now ya that is because there is a lot more going on outside than inside. One way to help you is go into your setting and drop your graphics down a few notches.

Haha that doesn't make sense if I were to do that since the HD 5850 should be more than twice as powerful than the 8800GTS. But yea, I'm getting crazy smooth frame rates battling outside than I am running around in buildings.

Well you have enemies outside that the possessor and the graphics have to proses, of cores today most of that is taken care with the graphics card. I know what you mean when I use to play doom 3 and had to run outside accost the mars surface the frame rates were really smooth but back inside with the lighting and all it was a lot more demanding. Yours is just the opposite.

We should make a new thread and not hijack this one.