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Computer Builder's Delight.

ThaedThaed
edited December 2008 in Everything Else
As part of their Christmas, I'm building new computers for my kids. The parts arrived from NewEgg today:
image

It's going to be a fun weekend. One of them has a yellow case and the other... pink.
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Comments

  • SailSail
    What a good dad! Have fun =)
  • AprecheApreche
    Who are you fooling? That present isn't for them, it's for you. They would be just has happy, perhaps even happier, with stylin Dell Laptops, Dell Studio Hybrids, or some Macs. Also, kids do not need 512MB video cards, Core 2 Duos, or any product made by Zalman. Those better not be Zalman case fans. Use the ones that come with the CPUs! Even if your kids were rockin' gamers, why Radeons? NVidia is the win, ATi is the lose.

    I learned my lesson giving built computers as gifts. I enjoyed building computers, so I built them for my parents. Just a month or so ago, I got them a Dell laptop. Trust me. Built computers are for yourself, and only for yourself.
  • ThaedThaed
    I'm going to teach them about computers as I build them. The Zallman fans are for overclocking. Their computers are in my home office so that when I'm working they can still spend time with me. They have had PIIIs in there for 2 years already. Am I going to have fun, absolutely. Are they going to learn about computers? You bet. It's win/win.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    Are you going to build them ahead of time or build them with them Christmas morning?
  • AprecheApreche
    I'm going to teach them about computers as I build them. The Zallman fans are for overclocking. Their computers are in my home office so that when I'm working they can still spend time with me. They have had PIIIs in there for 2 years already. Am I going to have fun, absolutely. Are they going to learn about computers? You bet. It's win/win.
    Overclocking is the stupidest thing ever. I wish they would just go back to locking all the CPUs. There is absolutely no reason to overclock any computer ever, other than to show off and to sell stupid equipment to comptuer ricers. Those fans will do nothing but make lots of noise and waste electricity. If you overclock, all you will achieve is making the computers less stable while having a neglible and useless performance increase. The Core 2 Duos are already fast enough for everything your kids will ever do.

    Also, if you want your kids to really learn about computers, get some Apple 2s on eBay. Sure, they can learn how to build a modern PC, and learn what the parts are. But with modern equipment they won't really learn about how anything actually works. An Apple // is an incredibly simple and elegant machine. Just by using it, you can actually learn how computers work on a much lower level. I mean, look how beautiful this is.
    image
    That's the genius of Steve Wozniak right there. Back in the '80s Apple made the inside of their computers the way the outside of the computers are today. That's just something that doesn't exist anymore. It's also the reason that most of the reason computer users from that generation are much more knowledgeable than the current generation which only knows how to use MySpace and Facebook. If you're not forced to get low, you won't get low.
  • ThaedThaed
    Are you going to build them ahead of time or build them with them Christmas morning?
    We might start this weekend. It's only part of their Xmas. They will have plenty of things to open on Xmas day.

    Oh, and normally I do go with Nvidia, but the Sapphire cards were a bargain.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    My first impression when looking at that picture: "Oh no, Thaed has found some way of building a computer with two motherboards.."
  • George PatchesGeorge Patches
    NVidia is the win, ATi is the lose.
    ATI is the perfectly fine.
    Overclocking is the stupidest thing ever. I wish they would just go back to locking all the CPUs. There is absolutely no reason to overclock any computer ever, other than to show off and to sell stupid equipment to comptuer ricers. Those fans will do nothing but make lots of noise and waste electricity. If you overclock, all you will achieve is making the computers less stable while having a neglible and useless performance increase. The Core 2 Duos are already fast enough for everything your kids will ever do.
    Overclocking is like supping up a car. No one needs to do it, but process and end result can be a lot of fun if you like that sort of thing.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    edited December 2008
    NVidia is the win, ATi is the lose.
    ATI is the perfectly fine.
    facepalm.gif

    On overclocking: I'd give it a try if I was bored but it depends on the performance gain and noise gained. Probably just something I'd do as a weekend project. I'd like to see more variable clocking so I can switch to an overclocked setting when needed.
    Post edited by Omnutia on
  • George PatchesGeorge Patches
    facepalm.gif
    Explain to me how ATI fails at displaying video on a computer monitor.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    edited December 2008
    Explain to me how ATI fails at displaying video on a computer monitor.
    Try six blue screens in one night and various artifacts when using Ubuntu 8.04.
    For the sake of your own sanity, anything but ATI.
    Post edited by Omnutia on
  • AndrewAndrew
    Explain to me how ATI fails at displaying video on a computer monitor.
    Integrated graphics on motherboards still display stuff, doesn't mean it's the best bang for your buck.
  • Victor FrostVictor Frost
    I'm going to teach them about computers as I build them. The Zallman fans are for overclocking. Their computers are in my home office so that when I'm working they can still spend time with me. They have had PIIIs in there for 2 years already. Am I going to have fun, absolutely. Are they going to learn about computers? You bet. It's win/win.
    Rabble rabble rabble rabble rabbleRabble rabble rabble rabble rabbleRabble rabble rabble rabble rabbleRabble rabble rabble rabble rabbleRabble rabble rabble rabble rabble Rawr Rawr Rawr Rawr Rawr Rawr Rawr Rawr Rawr Rawr Rawr Rawr
    Thaed, forget Scott. What your doing is awesome! When my brother is a little older, I'm gonna do the same thing for him. Building your first computer is almost like a right of passage for a geek. When I built my first computer, I was so nervous when it didn't turn on the monitor at first. I thought I had put in the power cable to the motherboard backwards since it was tough to put in. Truth was I had forgot to put in the ram. >.<
    Again, awesome thing you're doing Thaed.
  • AndrewAndrew
    Hey Thaed, what are the ages of your children?
  • ThaedThaed
    Oh my goodness, what a crankypants you are tonight, Scott. I've got a water cooled rig that has been awesome for a couple of years now. If you can get an extra 900 MHz out of a chip, it makes a noticeable difference. I don't dispute Woz's genius. In fact, meeting him in person was a geek dream come true for me.

    I think this is a good way to expose my kids to computers and to spend time with them.
  • ThaedThaed
    Hey Thaed, what are the ages of your children?
    8 and 5.
  • George PatchesGeorge Patches
    Try six blue screens in one night and various artifacts when using Ubuntu 8.04.
    For the sake of your own sanity, anything but ATI.
    Bah, it works fine with Vista. You need Vista for games, which is the whole point of a high end video card last I checked.
    Integrated graphics on motherboards still display stuff, doesn't mean it's the best bang for your buck.
    I'd argue that integrated is the best bang for you buck as you got video output for no extra cost.
    Oh my goodness, what a crankypants you are tonight, Scott. I've got a water cooled rig that has been awesome for a couple of years now. If you can get an extra 900 MHz out of a chip, it makes a noticeable difference. I don't dispute Woz's genius. In fact, meeting him in person was a geek dream come true for me.

    I think this is a good way to expose my kids to computers and to spend time with them.
    I'm looking water cool my rig just to quiet it down. A tri-core AMD running Folding@Home 24/7 gets kinda noisy even with a big aftermarket HSF.

    And anyway, I'd argue those dinky little HSF's they sell you with the CPU are not designed to 100% load 24/7.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    Bah, it works fine with Vista. You need Vista for games, which is the whole point of a high end video card last I checked.
    Earth to Davis, wake up, wake up, you've been living in a dream world where everyone uses the latest and greatest hardware all the time and, for some bizarre reason, runs Vista.
  • AprecheApreche
    For the price and effort of dealing with a water cooling rig, you can just buy a faster CPU.
  • George PatchesGeorge Patches
    edited December 2008
    Earth to Davis, wake up, wake up, you've been living in a dream world where everyone uses the latest and greatest hardware all the time and, for some bizarre reason, runs Vista.
    I have a ATI X1950 (which works perfectly fine with Ubuntu by the way), what is this latest and greatest you speak of?
    For the price and effort of dealing with a water cooling rig, you can just buy a faster CPU.
    That'll be louder than what I've got now. I want whisper quiet at 100% load 24/7.
    Post edited by George Patches on
  • AprecheApreche
    That'll be louder than what I've got now. I want whisper quiet at 100% load 24/7.
    My computer has the default fan that came with the CPU, one exhaust fan that came with the case, a fan on the GPU, and the fan built into the PSU. It's whisper quiet at 100%, except for the optical disc drive, which is loud. Remember, bigger fans push more air at lower rpms, and thus are quieter while providing the same cooling. Fan noise comes from shitty fans, dust, shitty cases, etc. While water cooling is quiet, most other overclockers equipment generates insane amounts of noise.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    edited December 2008
    I have a ATI X1950 (which works perfectly fine with Ubuntu by the way), what is this latest and greatest you speak of?
    Well then, I suppose our different experiences will lead to different perceptions. I'm still going to be wary of ATI until I can be sure improvements will continue. I would recommend others do the same.

    I'm thinking of trying to build a machine quiet enough not to be noticed for my next build. Do more fans running slowly or fewer fans running slowly, but not as slowly, get the better results (number or speed)?
    Post edited by Omnutia on
  • TheWhaleSharkTheWhaleShark
    I've got a Radeon X1950XT and it serves me quite well.
  • George PatchesGeorge Patches
    I have a ATI X1950 (which works perfectly fine with Ubuntu by the way), what is this latest and greatest you speak of?
    Well then, I suppose our different experiences will lead to different perceptions. I'm still going to be wary of ATI until I can be sure improvements will continue. I would recommend others do the same.

    I'm thinking of trying to build a machine quiet enough not to be noticed for my next build. Do more fans running slowly or fewer fans running slowly, but not as slowly, get the better results (number or speed)?
    If you wanna hate on ATI, well that's you're state given right, but I'm going to disagree. The ATI v nVidia battle is old and the pendulum swings back and forth (nVidia Vista drivers are not so hot last I checked).

    And I'm a fan of the "more fans spinning slower" school of thought.
  • HungryJoeHungryJoe
    edited December 2008
    Why do an 8 year old and a 5 year old need fancy computers? Give them one of those toy-type things you can buy at Toys-R-Us. They won't know the difference.

    For that matter, why does an 8 year old have time to play with a computer? When I was 8, my pappy set me to work, goddammit.
    Post edited by HungryJoe on
  • Dr. TimoDr. Timo
    Why do an 8 year old and a 5 year old need fancy computers?
    Because that's when they are really good at learning new stuff. Giving them Toys-R-Us plastic crap replicas is cheaper, safer and stupider. Not only with computers.

    Learning about rm -rf * (or FORMAT C: if that's how you roll) at an early age can save you a heap of trouble later, just like learning that knives are sharp.
  • AprecheApreche
    And I'm a fan of the "more fans spinning slower" school of thought.
    You're wrong. More fans spinning slower uses more electricity, move less air, and makes more noise than fewer bigger fans spinning slower. This is science.
    If you wanna hate on ATI, well that's you're state given right, but I'm going to disagree. The ATI v nVidia battle is old and the pendulum swings back and forth (nVidia Vista drivers are not so hot last I checked).
    I have NVidia on Vista, no problems whatsoever. My 8800GT can play the Crysis demo at full blast.
  • ChurbaChurba
    Why do an 8 year old and a 5 year old need fancy computers? Give them one of those toy-type things you can buy at Toys-R-Us. They won't know the difference.
    Hell, even if you are joking, I would have known at that age.
  • LusankyaLusankya
    There is absolutely no reason to overclock any computer ever
    Unless you're doing so to watch the chip burst into flames, or to roast marshmallows. Or both!
  • SkyshiroSkyshiro
    Thead, you are the coolest dad ever!
    Buying your kids who aren't even 10 512mb video cards and duo cores?
    Man I wish my parents were like you.
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