I've been looking into computer parts to upgrade my computer for a few weeks now.
Right now my computer is running:
AMD Athlon 64 x2 3.2 GHz Dual core processor
4 GB DDR2 800 Dual Channel RAM (2x 2 GB sticks)
GeForce 9500 GT 1GB 128-bit GDDR2 Video card
160 GB Seagate hard drive (OS and system files)
750 GB Seagate hard drive (Programs and storage)
250 GB Seagate hard drive (Like.. Nothing)
Gigabyte GA-MA770-UD3 AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX Motherboard (Can support AM3)
Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Power Supply
Cool Master Elite 335 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower computer case
1 120mm fan, stock CPU heatsink/fan
Along with the 3 hard drives in the computer, I also have a 1 TB external USB hard drive.
A good build for when I built it, a year ago. Even then, it wasn't state of the art. I had build it with the intention of upgrading it sooner than later, so I didn't get a lot of high end parts.
Now I want to upgrade the motherboard, RAM, and CPU. Here is what I've picked out:
AMD Phenom II x4 3.2 GHz Quad core processor
8 GB DDR3 1600 Dual Channel RAM (2x 4 GB sticks)
ASRock 870 Extreme3 AM3 AMD 870 ATX Motherboard*
*This may change.
This will end up costing about $260. I've already bought the RAM, mostly because it was on sale (was originally $90 before tax, got it for $60 after tax and free shipping).
Now I'm having an issue deciding on whether or not to actually upgrade the system. Right now I'm using it as a Linux server, running on it a Minecraft server, ventrilo server, and occasionally TF2 and Left 4 Dead 2 servers. Not much else is done on it.
I do have Windows 7 64-bit dual booted on it and I've been playing games on it, but my laptop seems to out-perform it graphic-wise.
So I'm not sure whether or not to go through with the upgrade. I already purchased the RAM, so I think I'll probably go through with it. If I do this, then my next upgrade will probably have nothing to do with the CPU or Motherboard. Most likely a future upgrade will be to add 4-8 more GBs of RAM, upgrade the graphics card, get a nicer case, maybe more fans/better heatsink, and then something like nice speakers or a headset.
Anyway, that's my dilemma. Like I said, I'll probably go through with it.
Another reason I'm hesitant to go through with this is I originally wanted this upgrade to separate the server and desktop computer parts of this one computer. In other words, I want to be able to build a server after upgrading this computer. With the way this upgrade is set up, I won't be able to do that for awhile. Parts I'm missing to do that include a power supply, a case, fans, graphics card, and more hard drives.
Any input would help, whether in the form of a comment on Google Buzz, on Blogspot, or even a facebook wall post or message. I'll keep you updated on what I decide on.
Also, I'm currently putting together a story, of sorts. When I have more details and I'm closer to finishing it, I'll post some of it here. It's going to be a lot like a comic books story, in that it includes "super" heroes, but right now it's leaning towards a Watchmen feel. Dark and more realistic than most comic books.. I mean, as realistic as it can get.
Anyway, that's all for now.
~Rob
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
The War of Operation
Operating System Wars
I'm sure everyone in the field has heard and has their own arguments for why the operating system they prefer is obviously the best one out there and why one of the others or both of the others are the worse. These arguments are pointless.
Sure, different operating systems have different uses and some are definitely better than others when used for certain things, like for servers or networking. All operating systems have their ups and downs, but arguing that one is better, overall, than others is pointless and, to put it bluntly, stupid.
So today, I'm going to discuss my opinion on the 3 major operating systems being used: Windows, Linux, and Mac OS. For Linux, I'll be discuss the Ubuntu distribution. I'm going to try not to be version specific, but for the most part when it comes to it I'll be talking about the latest version.
So, let's start with windows.
Windows has a pretty good user interface. It can handle everyday use fine. There isn't much speed difference between the other two systems when it comes to playing video games, surfing the web, editing important documents, etc. Windows is definitely annoying as hell when it comes to troubleshooting a problem, and most of the problems can be persistent and hard to find help for. So as long as you don't run into any horrible issues, Windows is perfectly fine.
Troubleshooting errors on Windows can be a pain in the ass. The GUI system is great and all when you don't have to do anything administrative to the computer, like fix problems, then it's really difficult to find anything. Half of the times I've attempted to Google a problem, I found only half of the results were my problem and most of the solutions were different than the others and didn't work for me. Blue Screens of Death are particularly annoying to troubleshoot since any one blue screen can have a lot of different causes. Some don't even say why they occurred without you having to download a developer tool from Windows website (which takes forever). I know when my parents attempt to fix a computer problem, if there isn't an immediate solution or at least one on the first page of Google search results, they just reformat the computer.
Now I'm not saying the other two OSes don't have this problem. I know Linux does, and probably Macs too. But not as bad as Windows.
For gaming, Windows is almost unavoidable. Most games for the PC are for Windows. Steam has added Mac support to a lot of their games, but that doesn't go for PC games in stores. I will say, the market for Mac games is increasing, steadily, but it's still not where the Windows market is. If you're trying to hardcore game on Linux... Ha. There really isn't much of a way save for Wine (Emulates Windows for Windows-only applications) unless we're talking about game servers, then Linux is all over that.
Seems like a good time to start talking about the next OS: Linux.
Linux is great when it comes to speed and control. Everything that can happen on Linux can be done by typing a few commands into the shell. It can be easily automated with the use of Shell, Bash, and Python scripts. Remoting into a Linux computer is a lot easier and faster than remoting into a Windows computer. If you're looking to make a server of any kind, Linux is the OS for you. The control it gives and the compatibility it has with the other OSes when it comes to server operations is the best out there. It does have its faults though.
For the most part, doing something on Linux isn't plain and simple without some kind of help. If you know how to properly use "man -k" or Google, you can easily become a Linux master in weeks, however without these tools Linux becomes very hard and seems like only a computer expert could properly use it. So for most people who are beginners at all things computer related, Windows or Mac is probably a better choice, although Linux can be easy to use, especially a distribution like Ubuntu or Mint, where there is a GUI available.
Linux is open source, and free. Which is a plus. A Windows Key and CD can cost a lot of money. It isn't covered by any warranties though. Windows users may argue that there isn't any help number you can call when you have an issue, but there is still the Internet, and the ubuntu forums can be incredibly helpful when you run into problems.
Another con is that not everything is made with Linux in mind. So be careful.
I'm going to end this topic here. I'd discuss Macs, but I've never used one so I don't feel right talking about it.
I will say one more thing about this: Don't argue the OS you use is the best when you haven't had as much experience with the others as you've had with the one you use. I'm serious. If you're arguing Windows is better than Linux, you better have used Linux as long as you've used Windows. Otherwise your argument can boil down to preference, which isn't an argument for which is better.
That's all for now.
Rob
I'm sure everyone in the field has heard and has their own arguments for why the operating system they prefer is obviously the best one out there and why one of the others or both of the others are the worse. These arguments are pointless.
Sure, different operating systems have different uses and some are definitely better than others when used for certain things, like for servers or networking. All operating systems have their ups and downs, but arguing that one is better, overall, than others is pointless and, to put it bluntly, stupid.
So today, I'm going to discuss my opinion on the 3 major operating systems being used: Windows, Linux, and Mac OS. For Linux, I'll be discuss the Ubuntu distribution. I'm going to try not to be version specific, but for the most part when it comes to it I'll be talking about the latest version.
So, let's start with windows.
Windows has a pretty good user interface. It can handle everyday use fine. There isn't much speed difference between the other two systems when it comes to playing video games, surfing the web, editing important documents, etc. Windows is definitely annoying as hell when it comes to troubleshooting a problem, and most of the problems can be persistent and hard to find help for. So as long as you don't run into any horrible issues, Windows is perfectly fine.
Troubleshooting errors on Windows can be a pain in the ass. The GUI system is great and all when you don't have to do anything administrative to the computer, like fix problems, then it's really difficult to find anything. Half of the times I've attempted to Google a problem, I found only half of the results were my problem and most of the solutions were different than the others and didn't work for me. Blue Screens of Death are particularly annoying to troubleshoot since any one blue screen can have a lot of different causes. Some don't even say why they occurred without you having to download a developer tool from Windows website (which takes forever). I know when my parents attempt to fix a computer problem, if there isn't an immediate solution or at least one on the first page of Google search results, they just reformat the computer.
Now I'm not saying the other two OSes don't have this problem. I know Linux does, and probably Macs too. But not as bad as Windows.
For gaming, Windows is almost unavoidable. Most games for the PC are for Windows. Steam has added Mac support to a lot of their games, but that doesn't go for PC games in stores. I will say, the market for Mac games is increasing, steadily, but it's still not where the Windows market is. If you're trying to hardcore game on Linux... Ha. There really isn't much of a way save for Wine (Emulates Windows for Windows-only applications) unless we're talking about game servers, then Linux is all over that.
Seems like a good time to start talking about the next OS: Linux.
Linux is great when it comes to speed and control. Everything that can happen on Linux can be done by typing a few commands into the shell. It can be easily automated with the use of Shell, Bash, and Python scripts. Remoting into a Linux computer is a lot easier and faster than remoting into a Windows computer. If you're looking to make a server of any kind, Linux is the OS for you. The control it gives and the compatibility it has with the other OSes when it comes to server operations is the best out there. It does have its faults though.
For the most part, doing something on Linux isn't plain and simple without some kind of help. If you know how to properly use "man -k" or Google, you can easily become a Linux master in weeks, however without these tools Linux becomes very hard and seems like only a computer expert could properly use it. So for most people who are beginners at all things computer related, Windows or Mac is probably a better choice, although Linux can be easy to use, especially a distribution like Ubuntu or Mint, where there is a GUI available.
Linux is open source, and free. Which is a plus. A Windows Key and CD can cost a lot of money. It isn't covered by any warranties though. Windows users may argue that there isn't any help number you can call when you have an issue, but there is still the Internet, and the ubuntu forums can be incredibly helpful when you run into problems.
Another con is that not everything is made with Linux in mind. So be careful.
I'm going to end this topic here. I'd discuss Macs, but I've never used one so I don't feel right talking about it.
I will say one more thing about this: Don't argue the OS you use is the best when you haven't had as much experience with the others as you've had with the one you use. I'm serious. If you're arguing Windows is better than Linux, you better have used Linux as long as you've used Windows. Otherwise your argument can boil down to preference, which isn't an argument for which is better.
That's all for now.
Rob
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Lies & Goals
Yeah, I know. I said in my last post I'd post again that night about something I forgot about. I lied. I got lazy and sat around doing nothing. Oh well, onto today's post.
I wanted to share a few summer goals with whoever reads this. Why? Who knows. Maybe so if I don't complete them I can look at the post at the end of the summer in shame (read: apathy). So what are my goals for the summer?
Goal: Re-learn PHP
Why: Two reasons. One, I plan on taking a web programming course at some point in my remaining college career, so I figure I'd have an edge if I already knew the language taught. Two, I'm the webmaster (read: Spiderman) of the Sketch Comedy group I'm in, and I want to convert the entire site to PHP because, frankly, it's a lot cleaner/easier/not shitty.
Goal: Learn Actionscript 3 & Flash
Why: I'm on a programming team for a video game my friend game up with. The game is done in Flash. So in order to program the game, I need to know the language and platform.
Goal: Learn some German
Why: I've been meaning to do this since last summer. I have Rosetta Stone and three levels of German sitting on my hard drive not doing anything. So I figure I learn some. I'm not going attempt to learn German fluently, since I have a lot to do this summer anyway.
Goal: Build a server
Why: To be more specific, a server for the campus television station (read: SITTV) that I'm currently System Administrator for. As soon as the parts come in I'm building it.
Goal: Upgrade my desktop computer
Why: I usually have some money from my internships set aside for something nice. I figure I upgrade my computer. Currently it has: 4 GB DDR2 RAM, AMD Athlon x64 II Dual Core 3.0 GHz processor, GeoForce 9500 GT nvidia card, and some gigabyte mobo (read: motherboard) that matches. I plan on upgrading to: 8GB DDR3 RAM, Phenom II Black edition Six core 3.2 GHz processor, new vid card with better specs, mobo to match. Hopefully it'll improve my computer greatly.
That's it for the summer. I have a few other goals that should be a given, so I'm not going to describe them (e.g. surviving my summer internship).
Possible future topics:
E3 Review
Computer Science Jobs
When will I post about them? In 2 seconds (read: maybe sometime that isn't now).
~Rob
I wanted to share a few summer goals with whoever reads this. Why? Who knows. Maybe so if I don't complete them I can look at the post at the end of the summer in shame (read: apathy). So what are my goals for the summer?
Goal: Re-learn PHP
Why: Two reasons. One, I plan on taking a web programming course at some point in my remaining college career, so I figure I'd have an edge if I already knew the language taught. Two, I'm the webmaster (read: Spiderman) of the Sketch Comedy group I'm in, and I want to convert the entire site to PHP because, frankly, it's a lot cleaner/easier/not shitty.
Goal: Learn Actionscript 3 & Flash
Why: I'm on a programming team for a video game my friend game up with. The game is done in Flash. So in order to program the game, I need to know the language and platform.
Goal: Learn some German
Why: I've been meaning to do this since last summer. I have Rosetta Stone and three levels of German sitting on my hard drive not doing anything. So I figure I learn some. I'm not going attempt to learn German fluently, since I have a lot to do this summer anyway.
Goal: Build a server
Why: To be more specific, a server for the campus television station (read: SITTV) that I'm currently System Administrator for. As soon as the parts come in I'm building it.
Goal: Upgrade my desktop computer
Why: I usually have some money from my internships set aside for something nice. I figure I upgrade my computer. Currently it has: 4 GB DDR2 RAM, AMD Athlon x64 II Dual Core 3.0 GHz processor, GeoForce 9500 GT nvidia card, and some gigabyte mobo (read: motherboard) that matches. I plan on upgrading to: 8GB DDR3 RAM, Phenom II Black edition Six core 3.2 GHz processor, new vid card with better specs, mobo to match. Hopefully it'll improve my computer greatly.
That's it for the summer. I have a few other goals that should be a given, so I'm not going to describe them (e.g. surviving my summer internship).
Possible future topics:
E3 Review
Computer Science Jobs
When will I post about them? In 2 seconds (read: maybe sometime that isn't now).
~Rob
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