Messages

26

Living Room / build/upgrade or buy/build a new one?

« on: October 18, 2010, 12:49 AM »

About a year and a half ago, I went shopping to build my first PC.

On 4/28/2008 I made my purchase from NewEgg. Here is the list:

[Select]

1 x Thermaltake M9 VI1000BWS Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
1 x GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX All Solid Capacitor Intel Motherboard
1 x XFX PVT88SFDF4 GeForce 8800 GS 384MB 192-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
1 x Thermaltake Purepower RX W0144RU 600W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC Power Supply
1 x Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 Conroe 2.33GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor BX80557E6550
1 x G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-2GBPK
1 x Western Digital Caviar Blue WD1600AAJS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
1 x SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B - OEM
1 x Microsoft Windows XP Professional With SP2C for System Builders - OEM
$885.57

Keyboard, mouse and 24" Samsung monitor were purchased separately at Costco Wholesale (my beloved employer )

I've got some funds to spend on either:
A). Upgrade/Rebuild my current PC.
B). Buy/Build a new PC.
Either should be for under $1,000
Lesser is better, so I can renew some domain names I have expiring soon, and some software purchases also.
I really DON'T want to spend a grand!


My machine is showing its age.

WHAT DO I DO ON MY PC?!
I am not a gamer. I am a hobbyist/freelance Web Developer/Designer with Adobe CS4 (I have noticed it takes longer to launch than before). I do lot's of XHTML, CSS, PHP coding. I will watch the occasional movie (either NetFlix streaming or DVD - bluray not necessary).

I'm looking on NewEgg, and there are some CyberpowerPC price under $500-600 whose specs are pretty good. Right?
3.0GHz+, 4 gigs of RAM.
I have never been into hardware and stuff. I know there's lots to it. Web Dev and following those trends is where I spend most of my time. So I kind of need some help deciding what to pursue.

27

Living Room / Re: A simple "Start Page"

« on: February 06, 2010, 12:14 AM »

I have a similar to zridling but nowhere near the 300 links!!!

28

fSekrit / Re: fSekrit has a new website!

« on: December 17, 2009, 02:17 AM »

Thanks, Jammo, link fixed

-f0dder (December 17, 2009, 02:13 AM)

glad i could help.

29

fSekrit / Re: fSekrit has a new website!

« on: December 16, 2009, 04:07 PM »

... the new and much improved¹ site for fSekrit and the Notepad++ plugins ...

-f0dder (December 13, 2009, 07:07 PM)

404 page not found for your above link.
it should be this:
Notepad++ plugins

30

Developer's Corner / Re: Noupe.com - nice website with css/php/webdesign articles/tips/blog

« on: December 09, 2009, 07:38 PM »

Don't forget:
http://css-tricks.com
http://net.tutsplus.com
http://tutorialzine.com

31

Older Newsletters / Re: --> Newsletter for December 9th, 2009 - "The NANY Event Begins"

« on: December 09, 2009, 07:27 PM »

ALWAYS something to look forward to!
Thanks Mouser

32

Living Room / Re: What are you waiting for?

« on: October 22, 2009, 02:10 AM »

— What impact Android 2.0 will have (DroidDoes.com)

-zridling (October 21, 2009, 01:54 PM)

Me too, Android 2.0, but not the Droid. It WILL be a game changer, but I'm really waiting for the HTC Dragon

33

Living Room / Re: How should I diagnose this hardware issue?

« on: September 15, 2009, 06:32 PM »

@Carol
Is this what you mean?
http://organizedfell...9-09-15_180114-2.png

If so: I did a quick search, found this:
http://processorfind...ls.aspx?sSpec=SLA9X#

It says '0.85V - 1.5V' is normal.
I'll get to swapping out the memory sticks tonight.

34

Living Room / Re: How should I diagnose this hardware issue?

« on: September 15, 2009, 06:05 PM »

Question: are you overclocked? If you had a seasoned friend do your build, I'd be surprised if you weren't.

I've run into an occasional machine that was successfully overclocked when it was built, but developed stability issues over time as the components "wore in." You might need to back off on some of your performance settings if that's the case.

Good Luck 

-40hz (September 15, 2009, 05:53 PM)

Overclocked? Nuh-uh.
At least I don't think so.

Someone else told me to download/run CPU-Z?!
Here is screenshot: http://organizedfell...009-09-15_180114.png

As posted in my original post, my CPU is: Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 Conroe 2.33GHz
So it doesn't look like it's overclocked.

I haven't gotten around to following any of the above recommendations by Carol (procrastination? been busy? can't find/make the time with my 2yr old + a new dog!?) but REALLLYYY need to get to it ASAP.

35

General Software Discussion / Re: Google getting into micropayments

« on: September 15, 2009, 05:51 PM »

That said, it could be that Google intended its new micropayment system to be used as an alternative to subscriptions, which would make a lot of sense. Keep daily news free (after all, most of the times a headline and a summary is more than enough), but make opinion pieces, interviews or articles available either by purchasing a monthly or yearly subscription, or by charging a small fee for casual readers to access it during a given period of time.

-Lashiec (September 15, 2009, 09:07 AM)

YES YES, I agree with you there. Now, THAT would be something beneficial to us. Well, to me, at least.

I wouldn't mind paying a nominal fee to read worthy information.
The subscription idea would probably take off just fine. They'd of course get some controversial press, but it would be a nice welcome 'evolution' to the Internet.

36

General Software Discussion / Re: Google getting into micropayments

« on: September 14, 2009, 11:06 PM »

And why would I want to give Google 30%!

-app103 (September 14, 2009, 04:35 PM)

All good points app.

I'm most against the fact that:
A. there is no simple transfer of PayPal funds. I've used PayPal for many many years! Using another method of paying is silly. The only thing I use Google Checkout for is when purchasing apps on my G1 (the Google phone, yall!).
B. Why pay to read content! It's as lame as the idea I once heard about the Government wanting to charge for sending emails!

37

Living Room / Re: How should I diagnose this hardware issue?

« on: September 14, 2009, 10:48 PM »

AY AY 4wd

I've always got a lint-free cloth nearby for my smudgy glasses 

38

Living Room / Re: How should I diagnose this hardware issue?

« on: September 14, 2009, 07:27 PM »

Might not hurt to clean said components (just their contacts) with a pencil eraser when reseating them.

-Stoic Joker (September 14, 2009, 05:57 PM)

Never heard of that, but will add to my: ToDos

39

Living Room / Re: How should I diagnose this hardware issue?

« on: September 14, 2009, 04:12 PM »

Thank you Carol.
You've been most helpful.

That's a pretty thorough set of steps, so I'll get back to you in a day or two, and report what I've found.

My wife says she was using it yesterday, when the dog (running round, playing with a ball) banged his head against the tower. The PC froze instantly.
She says that's when it first froze on her. Usually it's on ME. On her, once or twice. My bad luck!?

I notice it's more likely to happen when running Firefox. It's currently consuming 174,000K in the task manager right now.

40

Living Room / How should I diagnose this hardware issue?

« on: September 14, 2009, 03:37 PM »

 
I've got a hardware problem that I do not how to diagnose nor solve.

Constant freezes. Doesn't matter what application is running.

I have a custom built PC. Parts purchased & assembled April 2008. I had it built by an experienced friend of a friend, who has built several gaming rigs, and is no longer available to assist me.
Here is my parts list (quick copy/paste from NewEgg Invoice Details):

1 x Thermaltake M9 VI1000BWS Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
1 x GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX All Solid Capacitor Intel Motherboard - Retail
1 x Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 Conroe 2.33GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E6550 - Retail
1 x G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-2GBPK - Retail
1 x Thermaltake Purepower RX W0144RU 600W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
1 x XFX PVT88SFDF4 GeForce 8800 GS 384MB 192-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
1 x SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B - OEM
1 x Western Digital Caviar Blue WD1600AAJS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
1 x Microsoft Windows XP Professional With SP2C for System Builders - OEM

I'm assuming that this is a hardware issue because I've had this problem start when I had XP, over a year ago.
At the time, I thought it was a software issue, or some other non-hardware matter. So I took the opportunity to try Kubuntu (I've used Ubuntu off and on many times since Edgy Eft.)
Problem didn't occur for a while, then suddenly happened several times per day.
My wife thought it was a bad hard-drive. This was a few months ago, when Win7 was available for download, so I downloaded and burned it.
I formatted the hard-drive using Ubuntu Live CD, and replaced it with a similar one as before (from a local store).
The problem persists. If I can figure out how, I may run both hard-drives (RAID? right?) to double my storage.

Win7 has been awesome!
I'm really digging it. Last night, for the first time in MONTHS, it froze again. And yet again upon reboot, and again right before this post.
I opened the case earlier. Took two aerosol air cans, and expelled most of whatever dust I found. Including the fans, power supply, around CPU heatsink, and the little heatsink on the graphics card.
I also unplugged each and every plug that I could get my hands on, and one by one, unplugged and replugged them, to ensure everything was nice and properly fastened.

I am currently not working, short term disablity. So any solution that is either free, or low-cost would be most appreciated!

41

Developer's Corner / Re: Web Page Designer needed for small DC related game project

« on: August 22, 2009, 12:47 AM »

agentsteal is willing to change things in the code to make it better match a good UI.  so i think best thing might be for me to get agentsteal to contact you guys.

-mouser (August 22, 2009, 12:37 AM)

So it's to look 'purty' and possibly with a little jQuery flare?!

15 pieces or more?





Yeah, if AgentSteal can just contact us. Let us know what is needed.
Chosen design gets to choose first, the mug -vs- the shirt *YAAYYY!!!!!*

42

Developer's Corner / Re: Web Page Designer needed for small DC related game project

« on: August 22, 2009, 12:19 AM »

*FIRST*

hahaha, I'm probably not really FIRST, am I?

But I'd love a snazzy new coffee, just in time for Winter!
I'll post a screen shot here when I've got something work sharing Mouser

43

Announce Your Software/Service/Product / Re: ITSJUSTHOSTING ~ Premium Web Hosting | cPanel + 99.99% Uptime| From $2.50/mo

« on: August 11, 2009, 09:08 PM »

As a web developer, I wouldn't trust them.

1. As scancode mentions, their BBCode seem to be copy/paste.
2. I viewed the source of their homepage, and it. Is. Terrible! A webhost should go through the troubles of properly validating their (X)HTML.


Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't choose a host who uses 8 style sheets for such a minimalistic homepage.

44

General Software Discussion / Re: Software for simple system of organization

« on: July 30, 2009, 02:23 AM »

TiddlyWiki and all it variations were very useful for me. But I stopped using them.
Thinking Rock was/is by farrrr the best implementation of GTD I found in any software. I love that is it free! But I stopped using it.

I needed something that would work with my phone. Sending a quick text message has been by far the best solution for me.
It's far from perfect, but I have synced Twitter with RememberTheMilk.com. RTM can export an ical feed for use in Google Calendar, which I can view on my G1 Android phone.

As I said, far from perfect.

45

Living Room / Re: Looking for personal contact at DreamHost

« on: July 04, 2009, 11:39 PM »

Well, a quick look around, and I found these for you:
http://twitter.com/dreamhost
http://twitter.com/dhstatus
I don't know if you use Twitter, if so, so I hope this helps you.

46

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA - The Name Game

« on: June 30, 2009, 03:12 AM »

Not I'm requesting this for me or anything.
But I think it would be neat if your app solution could put:
ch
ph
sh
th
Even some well placed:
br
dr
pt
tr
combinations!?
While I'm at it, vowels combos?

47

Living Room / Re: A small tweak to DC forum for Firefox & K-meleon users (enhances visited links)

« on: June 30, 2009, 03:05 AM »

Well, not everyone will like this so those that do want it can have it and those that don't, won't have to.

-app103 (June 30, 2009, 03:03 AM)

hm, thanks for the elaboration.
I didn't think of it that way.

Same idea as Greasemonkey, the addon for Firefox, right?

48

Living Room / Re: Meme time! Five Things People Don't Know About Me

« on: June 30, 2009, 02:45 AM »

(5) I was in love with my very cute cousin from when I was 9 to 11 years old. We were born on the same day in the same year. We pretended to secretly 'date' for almost two years at family gatherings. I don't regret it. She's still freakin' hot! Now, we laugh about it to this day and wonder what could have come from forbidden tween love other than genetic disaster. (Don't you judge me! She looked like this).

-zridling (February 08, 2009, 05:41 AM)

ha, same here.

My cousin is 2 years younger.
As young teens, we were neighbors. I was the cool kid on the bus who got OFF the bus with Elena. HA, they never knew we were cousins. Man o MAN, were they jealous!?!? 

My secret crush was no secret. She confronted me one day. Asked if I was gonna do something about it?!
We planned to kiss in the backyard after supper one day. I was petrified. Went to backyard (stone wall fencing), and hid along wall. She heard me. She whispered.
I fearfully ran back into the house after a single mesmerizing peck on the lips.
That was over 20 years ago now.
 
She now lives in Dallas while I live in Fort Worth. We both moved to the metroplex for different reasons the same summer.
We see each other on rare occasions. When we are together, we totally inseparable and my wife and she get along perfect - best friends.



I love computers. Can't code. Enjoy web design & development. Although I can't retain things.
Am always referencing online material, tutorials, snippets, in order to code a web page. I can not code a simple HTML page without 'cheating'.
My most recent 'project' took over 6 months to complete. My own homepage has been blank for years haha


I always send text message with full sentence, and I never abbreviate. No 'LOL' or 'IMHO' or 'OMG'.
I spell out haha, oh shit instead of OMG, or I clearly state my humble opinion.

My hair was once as long as this:
http://2.bp.blogspot...antonio_banderas.jpg
but I had a compulsion to pull my own hair out WHILE sleeping. I'd wake up with hair knotted around my fingers.
End result:
http://www.flickr.co...edfellow/3453127371/
Everyone says I look better shaven, I agree.

I talk too much if given the chance.
For example: this post and my previous one?! haha, sorry folks, I love these kinds of threads.

49

Living Room / Re: Meme time! Five Things People Don't Know About Me

« on: June 30, 2009, 02:11 AM »

WOW, we got some regular whackos in here!
no offense anyone, I'm being silly. I'm a whacko too! 

(01) @wreckedcarzz: ME too, or, similar.
At an early age, I loved geometry. I'd see (for example a garage door), and mentally and visually, dissect that 10'x8' rectangle into four 5x4 rectangles. Then into eight 2 1/2 x 2' rectangles, and so on and so on. When I was done making rectangles, I would further dissect my many many rectangles into triangles. I'd learned how to add/subtract/divide/multiply to large numbers by age 7 or 8?
I've had sleep problems all my life. Didn't count sheep. I counted stars. But there were too many, so I'd adjust my window blinds, and without moving at ALL, I'd count whatever stars I could see -OR- counting the slats of the blinds, I'd find stars that were evenly spaced enough to be perfect squares or equilateral triangles.

Like my dad, I'll count random items - example: if there is a garage door I am looking at, I'll start counting the number of decorative boxes or whatever on the thing - even though I already know how many there are, I do it anyways. Same with walking. I used to look down and make sure that I stepped an even number of steps in any given concrete "section", even if I looked like an idiot.

-wreckedcarzz (January 31, 2009, 10:55 AM)

(02)Remember the movie Zoolander?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoolander
Throughout most of the film, Zoolander shows an inability to turn left. (Quote: "I'm not an ambi-turner.") To compensate, he will continuously turn right until he faces the correct direction. So, rather than making a 90° turn left, Zoolander will turn 270° right.

Well, as a child, I could turn left or right, but I HAD TO HAD TO HAD TO, do them in pairs.
And so I wouldn't do it in public, I would remember how many left turns -vs- how many right turns I made, and then 'correct myself' before going to bed that night. I thought my inbalanced turns throughout the day contributed to my clumsiness as a child.
That's how I learned about negative numbers: a left turn was a subtraction. Too many left turns throughout the day = a negative number. Too many rights = positive.
So I would equal zero before going to bed by walking around my room, or throughout the house when all were asleep.

(03) On 9/9/99 I launched my first website (i was the first to cash in on the Fast & Furious custom car scene).
It was a smashing success. I later sold the site to pursue other things. My asking price? $99.99. It was about a week later, I had an anonymous offer for close to $6,000 for it ... if I had only known 

(04) My wife & I met ON my website (#3 above) through a friend several years before we dated. SHE asked me out. We dated a few months, I asked her to be MyGirl (January 06, 2001) and sealed it with a kiss and a promise. After 4 years of dating, I asked her on January 06, 2005 to marry me. January 06, 06 we married.

I'm the luckiest man in the world. I married my best friend from college. We're still crackin' jokes and leaning on each other 27 years later. I owe it all to my Dad. When I asked if I should marry her, he said, "Boy, you're not going to find another one as good as [Renee]. You'd better marry her!" I did, but not before I made her ask my dad for my hand in marriage. She did! He said, "Hell, please take him!" A lot of people marry for love and fall out of love, then split. I married someone I like and cared for. You can learn to love almost anyone, but that doesn't mean you'll like them.

-zridling (January 31, 2009, 04:11 AM)

Man, that is F-ing awesome!
That is truly a magical relationship. We've been married for only 3 years now. I look forward to the day I can happliy proclaim our 5, 10, 20 and 25th year wedding anniversary!
Congratulations! 

(05)As you may have noticed, I have a 'thing' for numbers.
At least once per day, without trying to, I see sequences of numbers on my digital devices.
While driving, I'll glance at my radio, the time will be 12:34pm. I'll wake up early in the morning to use the restroom, look at my phone, the time will be 5:43. We drove to Las Vegas one year, from Fort Worth TX. I forgot to reset my trip odometer, when I realized it at a stop light, my miles driven were 1,234. NO KIDDING!

50

Living Room / Re: A small tweak to DC forum for Firefox & K-meleon users (enhances visited links)

« on: June 30, 2009, 01:18 AM »

hhmm, why not have Mouser add this styling to the forum css?
https://www.donation...Themes/Dc2/style.css

or am i missing the point?