B.Y.O.C. = building your own computer
Ealier this year I assembled parts that I had been accumulating to build my second computer. I say accumulating because I'm married. A lot of the parts were "upgrades" that had gone into a previous computer, that way my wife really couldn't tell that I intended to build "another" computer. The dead giveaway in this process is the purchase of the case, so that must be bought last, but components like motherboards, video cards, and the like she seemingly doesn't notice. She'll notice if I wear the same thing twice in one week, but won't notice the color of pcbs;or that their are more circuit boards lying around.( I do know that I'm fooling myself--she really probably knows everything I do-we've been married fifteen years. )
Anyways I've begun the process of finishing the computer I assembled. Fleshing out the hard drives upgrading the sound card from onboard sound, that kind of thing. In the process I decided that I was going to start building another computer, this time for her to use in the bedroom. Internet time in our houselhold is at a premium, between myself, my wife, and my daughter. ( My son is content with his XBOX, and really the only thing he wants online is cheats, thank god he hasn't found online gaming. )
Anyway I decided to replace the motherboard in my existing computer, it was time to try more of a mainline manufacturer. My previous motherboards were built by smaller manufacturers and the documentation was poorly done, plus I wanted to try a different chipset and some new features on this board. I figure I'll use the old board on "her" computer. So I trotted off to PC club with dollars in hand and purchased a new board. This afternoon I pulled out the old board and began putting the pieces back together. I was finishing up the power connections when I realized I really didn't have the right board, it was missing the Promise SATA controller and the SATA connectors, one of the reasons I had purchased this board. Uuughhhh. So I disassemble and run back to PC Club for the right board; kicking myself for not LOOKING at it before putting it together. They've got the right board, but one is the display and the other is an open box return item. The display doesn't have all the documentation/driver disks, and the open box return is well "an open box". The qoute is "we test all our open box items and they work". So I went with the open box. Once more into the breach, the components get assembled, and the machine gets plugged in...the power button gets pressed and.....nothing.....I put in a new power supply....what is the matter now....power swtch for the power supply wasn't on...whoops. Windows starts to install, I've got to load the SATA drivers, so I've hit F6, but the computer isn't detecting a floppy drive installed. After checking the connections I notice that the MB conection for the floppy is missing 3 pins. Ughhhh, I'll deal with it tomorrow.
On a better note, when I bought my SB Audigy 2 Gamer today at Comp USA it rang up at 129.99 instead of 149.99, coupled with a $50 rebate makes it a $79.99 deal, not bad for a top of the line sound card and Halo, Rainbow Six 3, Splinter Cell, Tomb Raider, and JK: Jedi Academy.
Onto power supplies, a most often overlooked item, I upgraded from an Ultra 500W power supply to an Enermax Noisetaker 420, but while shopping at Fry's I was almost seduced by a Coolergiant 420W, nice shiny gold and equipped with a BLOWER, that pulls air out of the case and expels it out the PS. Coooollll. I can't find a link but its not a fan it looks like a minature leaf blower....then I remebered what my leaf blower sounds like,,,,,
With that I bid adieu.
Topic: Musings on B.Y.O.C. (Read 1258 times)