Thread: VW Jetta

Originally Posted by dMand

drutort, i see where you're coming from with regard to compact flash. However my motherboard has only two SATA connectors. So tinkering with multiple CF configurations isn't something that I can do at this moment. I'll wait till I really need to perform an upgrade in the future. Nevertheless, even though my PC is no slouch, I'm always interested in seeking any type of performance gain.

Thanks for the interesting write up. I was thinking somewhere along the lines of getting a 4gig SSD just to put the windows swap file on it. I heard from a reputable source that this will give you the ultimate boost in performance. Heck, maybe just one 4GB 300x CF might do the trick. What are your thoughts on this in relation to I/O performance gains?

as far as swap i think your better off getting a SSD but most of those SSD's that low in GB are going to be pretty slow, and you would be better off having the whole OS on them probably, im not sure

from my experience i disable the page file completely, if your not running any massive programs that require editing you will do just fine, but i would recommend having 1 stick of 2gb of ram, also why i say one stick because each stick i believe takes about 10w+ yes its nice you get a performance boost with dual channel but im not sure that small % is worth it

i would say even hey throw in 2x 2gb and even if using XP it will use all it can, and if you have IGP you could take up that other chunk of ram up to like 512mb i believe, but to me i think disabling page file all together with 2gb of ram is the way to go and taking off all other files from startup

there is special programs that strip down the OS for XP and vista i believe, do some searches as i havent really looked into them yet

btw single CF for pagefile would be bad i believe it would kill the card fast :/ but SSD have special things that prevent the wear of the mem

Originally Posted by drutort

as far as swap i think your better off getting a SSD but most of those SSD's that low in GB are going to be pretty slow, and you would be better off having the whole OS on them probably, im not sure

from my experience i disable the page file completely, if your not running any massive programs that require editing you will do just fine, but i would recommend having 1 stick of 2gb of ram, also why i say one stick because each stick i believe takes about 10w+ yes its nice you get a performance boost with dual channel but im not sure that small % is worth it

i would say even hey throw in 2x 2gb and even if using XP it will use all it can, and if you have IGP you could take up that other chunk of ram up to like 512mb i believe, but to me i think disabling page file all together with 2gb of ram is the way to go and taking off all other files from startup

there is special programs that strip down the OS for XP and vista i believe, do some searches as i havent really looked into them yet

btw single CF for pagefile would be bad i believe it would kill the card fast :/ but SSD have special things that prevent the wear of the mem

Power wise, this thing is set. I know that I'm not pulling the full 350 watts from the dc-dc psu since the video card, broadband access, and 17" monitor runs perfectly fine externally from unregulated DC vehicle power.

However I could probably use some tweaking in vista, like turning off services that are not being used, printing, network, etc. I'll see what disabling the pagefile will do as far as performance.

Thanks again for the tips brother.

Going back to the subject of adding the 8600GTSOC. The installation was a success. Everything works fine by powering the graphics card on a 7.5 amp fused circuit to the battery. A relay was used to turn on the graphics card when the power button is depressed on the carputer.

I added a poll question to my post. Please stop by and submit your answer via multiple choice.

Inquiring minds want to know: How do you connect to the internet using your carPC?

C,D,E,F,H,I

I try not to limit myself.

Originally Posted by GizmoQ

C,D,E,F,H,I

I try not to limit myself.

Right on Gizmo! With all of those options available to you, you've built a very versatile machine. Awesome!

So how are you liking the Majic Jack in the car? i was thinking of buying one so I can have a dedicated number for my car for people to call. Are you using this over a wifi or data card? Also what kind of phone do you have connected to it?

Originally Posted by HiJackZX1

So how are you liking the Majic Jack in the car? i was thinking of buying one so I can have a dedicated number for my car for people to call. Are you using this over a wifi or data card? Also what kind of phone do you have connected to it?

I love the MagicJack, sound quality is amazing. It has worked great since day one. It is definitely a keeper in my opinion.

"Are you using this over a wifi or data card?"

Although Clearwire, which is my internet service provider, offers an wireless air card solution for laptops:


I chose to use their home device (seen below) instead, since I'm not using a laptop in my vehicle. I've tested both solutions, and discovered that the home unit has a much more effective internal antenna. Perhaps because it's 20X larger than the laptop device.


The only thing stopping the home unit from going mobile, is of course, the input power, nothing else. So, I modded mine to accept 12VDC from the car, instead of using a wall wart together with an inverter. Then I connected the RJ45 cable, provided by Clearwire, from the device to my carPC. That's it, a very simple installation.

"Also what kind of phone do you have connected to it?"

The MajicJack plugs in to your pc via USB, and doesn't require a hand held land line telephone to operate. Once plugged in, the soft phone loads automatically.

However, as you probably noticed, it does have a landline connection on it. That's where your creativity comes in. Bolt a payphone to the tailgate of your SUV so people can deposit a quarter for usage. lol While it can be done, I am simply joking with you.

From my experience, the MagicJack works great with Clearwire. To operate, it requres a reliable broadband connection having a minimum throughput of 1Mb down, and 256k.

The MagicJack device costs $39.95, and the first year of phone service is included in that price. Then it costs only $19.95 to stay connected each year thereafter.

After four months of phone service, for less than $40, I have already saved $168 dollars by dropping my cell phone provider.

In the event should the device ever fail, or go tits up. I'll just mosey on down to the local RadioShack and buy another. Just wanted to mention also, that the magicJack does require a dedicated USB port from the pc, and not from a USB hub.

You ought to try it out. The device is well worth the price. Rest assured, your savings will add up every month.

Thats cool, I may add that to the car. Thinking about it though, alot of people have cell phones now though. My project finally went forward, but now Ive had to take 2 steps back to correct a issue. The AMPs in the front were getting major EMI and causing a sound in one speaker. Then in all of them I could hear the HDD and DVD Rom when in use. This hobby is most def a try and see if it works hobby. Kind of frustrating though.