Over Analysing It » computer http://anovelconcept.net/blog Generally, 'it' is comics, books and tv with a little bit of science and programming for variety. Fri, 10 Jun 2011 14:41:04 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 New Computer (omg!) http://anovelconcept.net/blog/2009/09/12/new-computer-omg/ http://anovelconcept.net/blog/2009/09/12/new-computer-omg/#comments Sat, 12 Sep 2009 23:22:42 +0000 Nikki http://anovelconcept.net/blog/?p=72 I’ve finally, finally bought a new computer.  It is something I’ve been meaning to do since the beginning of this year (and even earlier, to tell you the truth).  My old HP laptop was acquired early in the beginning of my first year of university.  I’m entering, sorta, my fourth.  That really should be all that needs to be said – whilst my laptop was rather powerful (and overpriced) for its time (and status as a laptop, not a desktop), it does not have the power I need in a computer.  Especially since the battery is completely shot (it holds a charge for a minute and thirty seconds – my brother timed it) so it doesn’t even have the benefit of being portable (that’s what the eee pc is for).

Thus, a new computer was desperately needed.  One that can handle my ridiculously oversized files in Photoshop and be able to multitask with twhirl, pidgin, chrome and iTunes running in the background.

Also, I bought the Sims 3 on release day and nearly died of horror when I realised that my laptop took as long to load the Sims 3 as the old desktop, the second computer we owned, took to load the Sims 1.

An upgrade was more than necessary at that point.

So, pretty much as soon as I got home and had enough credit available on my credit card (the limit is 1000, but I was able to knock the costs of my computer back a bit and the refund for my damage deposit came in and temporarily upped my limit to 1275), I placed my orders through NCIX, NewEgg.ca and TigerDirect.  NCIX had managed to ship my stuff here first – CanadaPost is clearly superiour to UPS when it comes to ground shipping in Canada and the last thing to arrive was my case (yes, the worst possible thing to arrive last… came last) from TigerDirect.  Never ordering from there again – overpriced shipping (though I got a deal), long delivery times and they split up the order.  NCIX is still my favourite online computer store for Canada even if their website is horrible and I use NewEgg.ca as a glorified catalogue anyway.

Things learned about computers: the boxes that cases come in are bloody MASSIVE.  Also, I do not wish to know how large a fullsize tower is – my midsize is huge as it is.  Also, when installing a hard drive… pay attention to where the graphics card is going to go.  It’s kinda annoying when they line up and then you have very little room to, say, plug the graphics card into the power supply.  (Also, remember to plug in the graphics card into the power supply, period.)

On an interesting/weird/fortunate note, my mobo is supposed to beep on POST if everything is a-okay but, well, mine only beeps if something is wrong (like the graphics card not being plugged into the power supply).  Which is very much of a thank GOD feature for me – I have all my computers set up to only make noise if it is iTunes, a web browser or a game.  I hate system noises.  Hate hate hate.

Also, my new external hdd, which had crashed a few months ago, has now uncrashed.  Or, rather, the case’s circuitry is what was fried, not the hdd itself.  Was kinda difficult to rip the case apart, but once I got it and the hdd out and plugged into my computer via e-sata, the drive was instantly recognised to A) exist and B) have all the data on it.  Then, in an incredibly brilliant move, I moved all of the data off of my old external drive (hereon referred to as the Hitachi drive) onto my new drive (the Western Digital one) and, well, after I moved the 100 gigs of data off of my laptop’s hdd (which didn’t want to connect via SATA, btw.  Jerk.) I kinda filled up the data partition on my WD drive.  Whoops.

So, yeah, now I’m going to have to install my Hitachi drive into my computer sometime.  I think I will name it Data 2.

Also, I figured out why my mom’s computer has so many removable usb-esque drives – the card reader plugs into an internal usb port and each different slot reads as a separate removable drive.  I named mine based off of which card type they are going to read.  Life I have = small.

In other news, my computer is pretty damned quiet for a desktop and pretty nonglowy for a gaming case – only a strip of blue in the front, the power and hdd LEDs and the blue LED on the front fan.  Strangely, it is the power LED that emits light of the greatest intensity.

On a final note, by some divine influenced oddness, everything in the Windows Experience Index rates my computer as a 5.9.  What are the odds?  (And now it’s making me think that I shouldn’t install another four gigs of ram in the future.  Which I will inevitedly do since I’ll be pissed at the computer for running photoshop too slow sooner or later.)

Oh yes, stats.

2.83 GHz 12 MB cache Quad 2 Core processor
nVidia GeForce 9800 GT 512 MB
2x1TB 7200 rpm hdd
4 gigs of ram
Some other boring stuff I already forgot like DVD drive and card reader
64bit Vista Business (temporary until I can get my hands on Windows 7)
64bit Kubuntu 9.04 (once I get around to installing it)

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