tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870069212223825401.post7094226868057372091..comments2024-03-28T03:27:26.345-04:00Comments on Dee-lusions of Grandeur: Dee's New Computer .. and its first caption!Dee Mentiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07798903090538917010noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870069212223825401.post-84375163370143112132012-09-26T09:27:35.134-04:002012-09-26T09:27:35.134-04:00I recall my first AMD system. I was working for a...I recall my first AMD system. I was working for a local computer shop and AMDs were really just making a footprint in the market so we built one to show at the local home builders show (don't giggle... we sold five systems that weekend to contractors!). But whenever I tried to show off the system I would load up Photoshop (I believe it was version 5 at the time!). But the damn thing crashed every other time. <br /><br />My brother fancied AMD and built systems around them, but I completely wrote them off. Until I was poor and wanting a new system. I had an early dual core of theirs for about a 1/3 the price of the equidistant Intel. And it ran just fine. I probably could have gotten a cheaper Intel that with some overclocking may have gotten better benchmark numbers if not actual Ghz, but I personally don't overclock. I love that overclocking is so popular but only because I can buy 'overclock ready' pieces that in general remain more bulletproof when not overclocked!Caitlyn Maskedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02732033913089350905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870069212223825401.post-21261277473372622752012-09-26T09:22:43.498-04:002012-09-26T09:22:43.498-04:00Well it sounds like you really do need the portabi...Well it sounds like you really do need the portability of a laptop. Sadly I really don't know what to look for in current gen laptops. The only one I purchased myself was about 5 years ago and my only criteria was a 17 inch screen (it was for watching TV and movies while on the road). <br /><br />Once you do boot up your first hand built computer, you will know what joy truly is. Of course soon thereafter you'll know the joy of being able to constantly upgrade... 'Hmm, should I get a new video card.... should I get more ram... should I get a faster hard drive... should I upgrade the processor... oh neon colored fans!!'Caitlyn Maskedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02732033913089350905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870069212223825401.post-29371721573129637792012-09-25T16:51:54.744-04:002012-09-25T16:51:54.744-04:00While one day I plan on upping my geek cred and as...While one day I plan on upping my geek cred and assembling my own machine, for now I do need a laptop. I need to be able to take it with me when I visit my parents on my rare weekends off, I'll need it in one of my classes next semester, and I might need it for my internship my last semester. Plus my current living situation is likely only for another two years. Oh and I don't have a desk.<br /><br />A couple years I'm sure I'll be cackling madly, screaming "It's Alive!!" As my first desktop boots up, but for now Ill scour newegg for a good deal. Thanks :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870069212223825401.post-57853645572226241682012-09-25T09:28:53.428-04:002012-09-25T09:28:53.428-04:00I can only imagine, since each graphics card is 40...I can only imagine, since each graphics card is 400 bucks a pop. <br /><br />I tend to do "rolling" upgrades, and every few years have a new baseline computer. My next purchase will probably be a boot SSD, then bluray drive, then a 2nd card for SLI.<br /><br />Sounds like a quite a sweet computer you got there though!Dee Mentiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07798903090538917010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870069212223825401.post-77300577614278463492012-09-25T00:37:23.167-04:002012-09-25T00:37:23.167-04:00But I love it to death.But I love it to death.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870069212223825401.post-3534521267820210772012-09-25T00:11:03.480-04:002012-09-25T00:11:03.480-04:00Don't quite have all my specs on hand atm (I h...Don't quite have all my specs on hand atm (I have a horrible memory) but I just got a brand new Falcon Northwest Desktop.<br /><br />64 GB's of RAM<br />250 GB SSD<br />2 670 Nividi cards<br />2 TB of storage<br />Liquid cooled<br /><br />Needles to say it is massive and was super expensive.<br /><br />-Andrew/AmyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870069212223825401.post-45454542842269336502012-09-24T20:37:47.393-04:002012-09-24T20:37:47.393-04:00I haven't made a computer with AMD parts in al...I haven't made a computer with AMD parts in almost 10 years. I found that there was always an enthusiast chip that could be overclocked for a comparable price to an AMD chip which it was usually quite superior. Athlons were the bomb in their day though!<br /><br />You have the makings of a pretty good updateable computer I would think. At the prices I quoted above, you'd be about 450 for what I have if you kept the power supply, hard drives and case. Once you get your bills taken care of, it might be a nice little Christmas/Birthday gift to yourself!Dee Mentiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07798903090538917010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870069212223825401.post-76586678544872078422012-09-23T14:18:57.834-04:002012-09-23T14:18:57.834-04:00I'll just throw my 2 cents in here with Dee. ...I'll just throw my 2 cents in here with Dee. If you don't absolutely need the portability of a laptop, you'll save tons of cash by getting a desktop. Enough saving that you can probably add a nice tablet and still come out spending less! Caitlyn Maskedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02732033913089350905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870069212223825401.post-12415960526611078092012-09-23T14:16:50.513-04:002012-09-23T14:16:50.513-04:00Your computer is off to a great start with that ca...Your computer is off to a great start with that cap Dee! I feel your pain on finding hot-chick/computer photos. I've found myself trying to find one before, and generally gave up. I guess I needed to search a little more as that pic is perfect!<br /><br />My system is a hodgepodge build. In 2010 I had:<br />AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+<br />ASUS M2N-E SLI motherboard<br />2 Gigs Crucial DDR2 Ballistix Tracer Ram (matched set)<br />2 Gigs Ultra DDR2 Ram (matched set) <br />WD Caviar 500GB Serial ATA HD 7200/16MB/SATA-3G<br />Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX PSU Black 115v<br />EVGA GeForce 8600 GT 256MB<br />Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer<br />LITE-ON DVD Writer<br /><br />It was getting a little old in the tooth and having hardware issues so I upgraded it to an AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ processor (from my brother), and a new ASUS M472-E SLI AM2+ Motherboard while changing out the RAM. The crashing issues slowed down, but didn't go away. And for the next 12 months I replaced just about everything. I kept buying RAM as I kept suspecting it, but when tested in various systems the RAM never turned out bad. Recently I reduced my obscene amount of RAM (I had 32 Gigs at one point). When it finally remained stable, the build ended up as:<br /><br />AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz<br />ASUS M4A87TD/USB3 Motherboard<br />Patriot G series ‘Sector 5’ Edition 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600 <br />WD Caviar 500GB Serial ATA HD 7200/16MB/SATA-3G<br />WD Caviar Black 750 GB Data Drive<br />COOLER MASTER Silent Pro 700 Watt Power supply<br /><br />EVGA GeForce GTX 465 (Fermi) 1GB (This video card runs HOT!)<br />LITE-ON Blu Ray Writer<br />Cooler Master Case (I don't recall the model, but its circa 2011)<br />Samsung 24" Flatscreen monitor (1920x1200)<br />Bose Companion 2 Speakers (no Sub)<br /><br />I should say that the Bluray writer has crapped out. It doesn't even read discs now... but frankly I haven't put a disc in the system for 5 months now, so I don't mind it just sitting there taking up space. I ended up using the sound on the motherboard as the X-Fi had a bunch of compatibility issues. I run Win 7 Home edition. I dumped the RAM back down to 8GB because frankly almost everything I do is 'fast enough' on 8GB and frankly, I needed the cash. I have to say I love selling hardware for more than I paid for it!<br /><br />I have no idea how much I paid for everything as it was purchased piece by piece whenever I had enough money to buy a part. The process took about 9 months to finally get a system that didn't blue screen at the drop of a hat (final deduction was bad power supply, then bad video card then ANOTHER bad power supply)<br /><br />As to what I would like... to be honest my system runs fine so I have no intent to upgrade it. I would start over with an Intel build. When I was building mine AMD was just so much cheaper for equivalent speed, but that price difference just isn't there anymore. I would like to have an SSD boot drive, but until they get reasonable prices near the 500GB size I won't bother. <br />Caitlyn Maskedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02732033913089350905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870069212223825401.post-71148104801132189842012-09-23T12:39:35.329-04:002012-09-23T12:39:35.329-04:00I've always been into technology as it fascina...I've always been into technology as it fascinates me, even though I'm not a big fan of science fiction. I think I've built every PC I've owned since 1997. <br /><br />For a long time, working with PC computers meant freedom, as you could tinker with the hardware and install whatever you wanted for software. Unfortunately, Apple went with WALLED IN operating systems and only support certain hardware, and Microsoft is following their lead with Windows 8 and the Surface tablets.<br /><br />Maybe more so, I am the type of person that hates being told what to do, what to use, and what I want.Dee Mentiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07798903090538917010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870069212223825401.post-64076522066359263282012-09-23T01:10:35.531-04:002012-09-23T01:10:35.531-04:00*Reads list*
*Blinks in amazement*
Oooo, look, th...*Reads list*<br />*Blinks in amazement*<br /><br />Oooo, look, they're playing Skyrim!<br /><br />Dee, I have always wondered what the difference between a geek and a dork was. I now understand that you're a geek... and I'm a dork.Kaitlyn Reneehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00712210671887807371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870069212223825401.post-22227547799798003402012-09-23T00:55:25.838-04:002012-09-23T00:55:25.838-04:00If you are in the US, I would suggest checking out...If you are in the US, I would suggest checking out Newegg. A friend just got a Sony laptop with an i5 and some sort of special "beats by dre" type headphone deal for around 700 dollars, and it was received in the mail 2 days later.<br /><br />Of course, I would tend to recommend desktop computers because they are much easier to upgrade, have much better graphics capability, and usually cost less than the comparable laptop. They aren't very portable though.<br /><br />I think the best route is to get a desktop and a tablet or nice smart phone for all your portable needs. The Google Nexus 7 looks pretty awesome, and the 16 gig version is only 259 dollars.Dee Mentiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07798903090538917010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870069212223825401.post-26574727043263488722012-09-22T20:54:37.851-04:002012-09-22T20:54:37.851-04:00Fancy looking computer! I can't wait for my tu...Fancy looking computer! I can't wait for my turn with that helmet :)<br /><br />I'm hoping that I'll have enough money left from my loans to get a new laptop. Mine's starting to fade, lagging while running web browsers. Any suggestions on what to shop for when I do?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870069212223825401.post-12567097161050589582012-09-22T18:08:28.472-04:002012-09-22T18:08:28.472-04:00HEY! Where's Perry?!HEY! Where's Perry?!Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03472257941661972869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870069212223825401.post-74065442160181081902012-09-22T16:00:00.843-04:002012-09-22T16:00:00.843-04:00Forgot the OS .. Windows 7 Professional was a stud...Forgot the OS .. Windows 7 Professional was a student upgrade for 40 dollars.<br /><br />So total outlay was 700 bucks.<br /><br />I will probably be selling my old system .. hoping to get about 250 for it.Dee Mentiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07798903090538917010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1870069212223825401.post-50863191404083334862012-09-22T15:57:02.811-04:002012-09-22T15:57:02.811-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Dee Mentiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07798903090538917010noreply@blogger.com