Building my Hot Rod, Day 2

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 3:18pm

So, went on down to Free Geek today to buy the motherboard that I had my eye on... which had been sold.

Sigh. Of course I asked if they had any other boards, and LO to my surprise they had one that was still not my ideal, but an AWESOME board. So, as a result, I'm using a smaller board than I intended to, (uATX as opposed to EATX... but still has space for 6 hard drives and a full size video card) but for a savings of approximately 80%. In addition the board supports i7 processors, so when I finally get around to getting one, we'll be all set. This is supposedly not a "Gamer's Board" because the chipset doesn't support much overclocking, but honestly, I don't care much. With support for a quad core, AND the fact that there is currently no standard Intel i7 processor the Chipset can't run, we should be fine. Add in the fact it's DDR3 on the Ram, Upgradeable to 32 if I end up needing it)

Also picked up a 2 TB Hard Drive and 8Gigs of RAM, as well as a Radeon 7770 Video Card. Again, Not the BEST on the Market, but has certain advantages. (Eats a LOT less power than higher capacity Video Cards, and I can Easily swap out the card for a better one later on should I choose. Same thing with the RAM (Had to mix and match manufacturers, but I have Identical manufacturers on both channels, so we should be doing well there.)

So, overall it was an awesome day. Free Geek says they almost never get 2TB Hard Drives in the thrift store, and they had two other drives I considered getting, but honestly, I'm not going to use that much space... YET. However, when I get back into video editing, I'm going to need that space, which means I'll probably end up expanding to at least 3-4 hard drives. As it is, with 2 high speed SATA ports, I'll be fine.

All in all, it's looking GREAT for a start. Now I just have to hunt down an i7 Processor and a license for Windows 7. Ugh, looks like I'm going to have to fight with Microsoft for that... Ah well, ON to the phone queues.

Edit: Just fought with Microsoft. They Won't Sell a legal license for Windows 7. They are idiots.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eugF5hHWA1U]

Tags:

DMW

computers

Building

fun

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Comments

Submitted by progdog on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 3:31pm

Hey DMW

I have an unused license for Windows 7 that you can have. Sent you a message since I remembered we can do that here You can still email me if you want though.

—

prog - weirdo | dog - woof

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 3:40pm

Had half written the Email when I noted...

that you'd messaged me! Thank you once again!

Now just to hunt down an i7 Processor. Probably Next Month on that. (They're running rather expensive, so gotta conserve)

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by riverlover on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 3:43pm

And I have a Win7 disc

that I used my license for, but it's here, plus Dell drivers on another disc. See, freebies appear!

—

Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 3:58pm

Right now the Drivers I'm going to need...

should be pretty easy to find. I use Comcast (Shudder) and their modem self installs once I have Windows up and running. From there it's an easy download for the Radeon Drivers, etc...

I'm seriously looking forward to all of this, even when I make mistakes.

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by riverlover on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 5:15pm

I needed the drivers on a disc

after the HD wipe. Long story, but I saw the one downside of buying a Dell (w/student discount!) with Win7 pre-installed and no backup discs. Being unable to get online makes installation of everything unhappy.

—

Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 5:17pm

I once accidentally wiped a hard drive...

When drivers weren't a fast download. That was NOT a fun time, so I totally get you.

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by Ender on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 5:45pm

You only did that once?

You have a better record than me.

Submitted by Shahryar on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 3:48pm

corporations, bah! re: Microsoft

good to see progdog's gonna hook you up. I assume Microsoft won't sell it because it's outdated. At least you were able to talk with them. Here's a related story...not Microsoft, just "corporate America".

I have a copy of SPSS v17 that I use for statistics. I think the current version is 22. I also use an add-on module that they offer, called Custom Tables. I want to know how much it'll cost to upgrade. The website is confusing with all sorts of different prices shown and certainly no mention of upgrading from 17 to 22. So I contacted one of those online representatives. He wouldn't tell me! We talked for awhile and he finally said he didn't know but would have a sales guy call me. All he needed was .... and then listed a whole bunch of information that I didn't feel comfortable giving him.

I mean, you go to a store and look at a pair of slacks. If the price isn't listed you ask the sales clerk. She's not going to say "I don't know. Give us your phone number, your address, your company name and I'll have someone call you." But SPSS did. And I really do want to know how much the upgrade will cost. I just didn't like my interaction with them. Thus, at least you got to talk to Microsoft. Not that the result was any better!

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 3:56pm

It gets rather insane...

Course, with Microsoft, I know the reason that they do it.

They don't sell Software anymore. They Sell YOU. If you're using their old products they can't keep tabs on you to sell to advertisers, so they make no money.

I am stoked, to say the least, about everything that's happened today. This has been a VERY good day, and the funny thing is I made sure to do all the yardwork before I left the house because I expected disappointment and to be in a bad mood when I got home.

(Just finished installing the Motherboard ... but can't move it because the kids have moved my screwdriver and I need to find it before I can finish...)

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by edg on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 4:00pm

Aww, jeez ...

You have Detroit in your user name but you consider a hot rod to be a COMPUTER!!! When I was growing up in Detroit, a hot rod had 4 wheels, not 4 cores.

Submitted by Borkrom on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 4:02pm

Too funny

I was thinking the same thing- old school baby.

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 4:10pm

Heh, well, it's a bit of an old-school computer...

Desktop... Doing the work myself...

Tricking out the parts... I mean, yeah, I'm not a gearhead, but who can really work on the cars nowadays. Although I admit if somebody were to stick a 1971 Plymouth Roadrunner in my parking slot, I might be doing the same thing.

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by Borkrom on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 4:03pm

Very nice- now you will be able

to do all the voodoo with this new machine- no excuses.

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 4:08pm

It's not Bleeding edge...

But it's definitely going to be one of the sharper scalpels in the drawer.

Videos, Sound tests, a few render ideas... A lot of stuff I have been wanting to do. (And DDR3 RAM is CHEAP. So, even though I have all the slots filled now, It's a cheap and easy fix)

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by Johnny Q on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 4:23pm

Just had to....

—

They say that there's a broken light for every heart on Broadway
They say that life's a game and then they take the board away
They give you masks and costumes and an outline of the story
And leave you all to improvise their vicious cabaret-- A. Moore

Submitted by thanatokephaloides on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 5:00pm

Win-DOZE 7

All in all, it's looking GREAT for a start. Now I just have to hunt down an i7 Processor and a license for Windows 7. Ugh, looks like I'm going to have to fight with Microsoft for that... Ah well, ON to the phone queues.

Edit: Just fought with Microsoft. They Won't Sell a legal license for Windows 7. They are idiots.

Give me an L!
Give me an I!
Give me an N!
Give me a U!
Give me an X!
What does that spell? LINUX!
What should you be running? LINUX!

FUCK Microsoft!

Seriously:
DMW, you should know well by now the respect and esteem I hold you in. And it pisses me off that you can't construct and run your custom computer the way you want because MicroShit wants to flex its ~~micropenis~~ little muscle.

Were I thee, I would build the box 100% FOSS from the beginning, load WINE if there were WinDoze softwares I absolutely could not live without, and leave it at that. Cat dammit, it's YOUR computer, not MicroShit's computer. And they have no Cat-given right to you, either!

There is no Windows version of XScreenSaver, and there never will be. Please stop asking. Microsoft killed my company, and I hold a personal grudge. I don't use any Microsoft products and neither should you.

-- Jamie Zawinski, author of XScreenSaver source

—

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Submitted by detroitmechworks on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 5:06pm

Main reason I want to use Win 7...

is because it's what I got used to. After the disaster that was XP and 8, I don't like to get out of my comfort zone.

Yes, it has its quibbles, and Microsoft is doing everything they can to make me downgrade to 10, but I like certain aspects. Open Office runs well on it, as does Firefox, which I like.

(Honestly, I am just a little gun-shy about going with linux mint even though everybody swears by it. I like my gaming software a little too much, and probably should learn to adapt...)

—

I do not pretend I know what I do not know.

Submitted by thanatokephaloides on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 5:20pm

OpenOffice and Firefox

...... IIRC, were developed first on Linux and then ported to Windows. They still run fantastically on Linux today, of course.

Linux Mint is a fork of Ubuntu. With the hardware grunt you're building, I'd recommend Ubuntu Studio, which is also an Ubuntu fork, and comes with many audovisual bells and whistles integrated in. You can download the DVD from the site I linked, and Studio should allow you to "test drive" by booting from the DVD before you install.

—

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Submitted by progdog on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 4:03am

I run Windows on Linux

My main OS is Fedora 23 and I use pci-passthrough to assign my video card to a Windows VM with pinned CPU cores for games. I suppose it's not quite purist since I have real Windows, but I got the licenses for free and it runs better than WINE.

Nothing feels better than making Windows Linux's bitch.

—

prog - weirdo | dog - woof

Submitted by thanatokephaloides on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 5:21pm