NightWoundsTime

In selecting components I've always found that you'll pay a premium for the absolute newest and best of anything. I don't regularly keep up with the technology but when I go to build a new PC I just shop around and find where the price break exists, especially on CPU's, GPU's and memory. Pick your processor first, then find a good motherboard with as many expansion slots as you think you'll ever need. Remember to match your memory to the processor by FSB speed, and I recommend OCZ for their excellent warranty service. The graphics card is the easy part, since it's simply about what you can afford and again you're looking for the best value probably in a slightly older unit. ATI has often put out a previous gen card with overclocking and other advancements to compete with their newest high end card at a lower price. Go to Tom's Hardware and look up the newest best video card benchmarks, they'll compare to several other models and recommend the value option. Don't skimp on the case or PSU, go for a luxury name brand. Nothing flashy since those are mostly trash. Just a nice basic tower with some kind of quick mounting hard drive option. As far as build day goes, it's all pretty simple. Line up your metal screw-in spacers with the holes on your motherboard and they screw into the case, set the motherboard in and set all the screws. If that's confusing just relax, you'll see what I mean when you unpack the hardware. After that the hardest part is attaching the CPU fan. Get a good thermal compound, but don't splurge on the stupid $50 tube of silver paste. Most CPU's nowadays come with a pre-applied compound but I don't trust those, and you'll need to clean that off (carefully!). As I said the CPU fans can be a serious pain in the ass with their stupid tension clips. Just work slowly and patiently, and don't be too afraid when you feel like you're pushing too hard. Just like sex with a virgin.... After that you're home free, just start plugging things in one at a time, making sure to connect all the necessary leads from the PSU. Refer to the motherboard layout guide for some of the smaller pin connectors like the CPU fan, front audio and USB jacks, and the HD activity and power indicators (these last 4 will all be the wires running from the front of your case). Once you're all set, turn it on and hopefully you'll boot up fine and be able to adjust your BIOS settings. Most of these should be fine from the factory though you might want to look up memory timings from your manufacturer and set those. Set your boot device to your optical drive and throw in an OS install CD and you're off. If it doesn't boot up as expected just recheck all your connections, chances are something came loose during the install. Don't panic. If it still isn't working, walk away for a bit and try again only when you're not frustrated (yes, this has happened to me on two of my PC builds). If all that doesn't work, find yourself a good local computer shop and have them take a look. On the tiny off chance that you got a bad component, or broke something yourself during the assembly, a good shop is your best bet at finding the problem and getting the right part exchanged. Of course you'll pay them for the privelege but that's the tiny risk you take when building your own. EDIT: Lulz. Just realized this is an old topic. Whatever, I'm tired and now it's there for the next n00b.

Heh, there's a kid at my second job who was getting pretty pumped over the same show (I'm assuming you're going to Biloxi). Still, for the same kind of money you could have made a much better choice for next weekend .

Thanks Shelly. I'd say get that thing removed. A couple days of moderate pain is better in the long run than constant pain. Toes are better than fingers in that you can wrap them up and leave them alone a lot easier. If my pinky was bandaged I'd still find myself messing with it constantly. Just be prepared to keep your foot propped up for a couple days and you'll be fine.

Feeling much better today. Just 24 hours on the antibiotic cleaned up the ear infection quite nicely. Still a little sore but not full of fluid anymore and I can stand up straight, which is always nice. Leftover cough, probably will last a couple days. Benefit though is that I'm currently 48 hours without a cigarette and going for the 72 that I've always heard will get me past the withdrawal. I'll probably smoke next week but I won't be at the point of needing to constantly feed the habit.

Good show. My grandparents had an equally neglected above ground pool that a neighbor abandoned. Luckily all it takes to drain an above ground, and keep it empty, is a good sharp knife. @Al, nice pick with the Triplets of Belleville scene. Problem is I can't even think about that movie without getting the song stuck in my head. It's so catchy but so much more very French.

I've had multiple toenail surgeries... my toenails want to be about a quarter inch wider than each of their respective toes. I feel you on the pain, but I never got oxy Update on my car repair... brake job was $500. Ick. Had to do it to keep working the new job but now I'm still in the red instead of bringing in the extra money. And now I'm sick. Ear infection and strep throat, went to the doctor and got antibiotics today. Luckily I have sick days at the main job so won't lose out too much there. Definitely not working tomorrow, we'll see about Friday.

I think any game sets itself up for failure these days if they don't implement the rechargeable shields. The kiddies just don't know how to manage a health bar anymore. For a totally over the top action game can't say I mind it. Been playing a bit of Vanquish lately and that game would blow without rechargeable health.

Torrents. Pirate Bay is a good place to start, or eztv.it. Don't think piracy is necessarily an evil in this case since it doesn't air here in any kind of legitimate form (BBC America episodes are edited and not exactly fresh). Can't believe that the unknown comic beat Tom Cruise, and on 4 wheels. I figured the 2 wheel madman approach was the best we'd see. Jay Kay must be dying to get in there right now.

His is but a mere go kart compared to that thing. Annoyed that I now have three "s16e01"s on my computer. Stupid pirates.

Started the first real night of the chicken delivery job. Worked 7-4AM, hauled a little over $11 an hour (minus gas). Not a great start but there is a learning curve due to the psychopaths who design apartment complexes here. Everything laid out at crazy angles and on curvy roads and nothing clearly marked. Probably wasted over an hour just driving around slowly trying to figure out which building to go to. Bad news is that the tiny brake squeak I've been ignoring turned into a lot more over the 100 miles I drove tonight. Going to have to stay up and get my car into Tire Kingdom (blech!) at 8 AM where hopefully they'll fix me up before I Have to work again at 5 PM. Hopefully the rotors are ok.

Just watched the first epispode of the new half hour Onion News Network show on IFC. Slightly different tone than I ever noticed on the website, as they've recast the network into something of an alternate universe where political correctness never happened and brutal honesty is the norm. Add in a mild dystopian vibe, such as the Network having access to cameras "watching over 80% of the world's population." Much more consistent writing than the video section of The Onion, every story in the pilot was hilarious.

So I always thought that when this did eventually come out I'd have no interest in playing it. That trailer though... I may have to reconsider.

Oldie but a goodie.

I saw a chicken & waffle truck next to FSU the other day. A freakin' TRUCK. Must get there soon. Tried the C&W at a local diner but preferred their chicken biscuits. Much higher quality than the waffle, cheaper, and a lot more food. Still fits in the HC repertoire of nostalgic foods. Let's see that's sausages, chicken & waffles, biscuits, BBQ, am I forgetting anything? Beats the days when Team FL went to TGI Friday's after meets .

Love ya, Steve.

Shh, if we all just stay real quiet he might not realize we're here. If he comes any closer be sure to play dead.

Visiting a brewery to taste the #3 beer on Ratebeer and bring back bottles of #17 should be worth something, shouldn't it?

The 12th is a Saturday and they're handing out armbands starting at Noon. I'm guessing there won't be a number system, just a line starting before 6. Initial limit is 4, they're only handing out 750 armbands and there are 3000 bottles so getting to the front of that line won't be necessary. After everyone's been through and I'm guessing turned in their bands they'll sell off whatever's left. Last year there were a lot of people who didn't take their limit of 6 so I'm guessing we'll be able to buy whatever we want. I'm bringing mules though, just in case.

That one guy in the front wouldn't sign the release form.

As in the title, just announcing for the beer folks that Cigar City's big yearly release event is March 12th at the brewery. Noon to Midnight, and there will be tons of great beer on tap, as well as food and music.

Smokehead is soooo good. Where you at?

Coffee. Got a Keurig Elite yesterday. Makes OK coffee, the pack of Green Mountain Sumatran Reserve I got is exactly what I wanted it to be. I've drain poured 4 of the sample brews that came in the package, but a couple of the others were ok. I figured Green Mountain, Coffee People, Diedrich, and possibly Caribou are the good pods to try. Ordered four 24 packs online, 2 of them free after registering the machine.

Abigail Washburn - City Of Refuge. Chickgrass. I've liked her for a while now but this could well be her masterpiece. Old school hoe-down bluegrass is mostly absent. I'd call her transformation something akin to Andrew Bird's path from swing to whatever you call what he's doing now. Listen to a few of the tracks here, start with Last Train. NPR performance here.

Skiing in Miami? Snow Way!

Generation Kill. Totally accurate according to Rob the Marine. The Blu-Ray had an intricate overlay menu with a huge glossary and lots of maps, so it's taken me quite a while to get through the series.