DIY Comp Results

So this website has been pretty much fail. Oh well. It was fun to build. Anyway, I bought components, and then put together a computer, and it worked, yay! The computer is totally finished.

The components

Because I am lazy, there won't be a table this time. Here is a list of the components I bought, you can look them all up on tiger direct. CPU: q6700 2.66ghz HDD: seagate 250gb 8mb cache GFX: XFX 8800 GT 512mb x2 in SLI configuration, CPU fan: some masscool piece of crap, MOBO: XFX 680i LT. (the LT is for 'light', its cheaper and just as good as the normal 680i). PSU: OCZ 700w, CASE: Coolermaster mid-tower with a billion fans, RAM: corsair 2x2048mb 5-5-5-18 latenchies (yes, crappy timings), sony nub optical drive, LCD: HP 24" *gloss coated*. After counting up all the components, the rig cost $1888 after tax. Yes, the monitor ended up being $600, but after canceling my order on a Dell LCD, it was worth the extra $$$ for the gloss coating which makes the images much sharper imo. The computer itself came to $1288 (thats with both gfx cards included). The monitor can rotate 90 degrees too, so you can read huge amounts of text on one screen! Lastly, I overclocked my 2.66ghz quad core to 3.3ghz, and its fairly stable. Unfortunately mine is super voltage hungry, so the volts are quite high to achieve stability >_<

Putting the CPU in the socket on the mobo, don't zap it with static!

And the build is complete (before 2nd gfx card installation w/ sli bridge)

This came with the gfx card and the mobo luls

And the complete, working computer, with 24" monitor displaying 1920x1200 res Crysis ;o

Laziness Supreme

Well I haven't really added anything for like a month. Pretty much knew this would happen, but whatever. Anyhow, I've added two new 'recipes' up to try. Also, a 1920x1200 resolution wallpaper, although I tried it on my desktop and it looks way to busy lol. Maybe it can work for something else. Finally, here's a video of some cats on a treadmill that I ninja'd from another blog I read. The jackasses removed the embedding option, so here's a lame link to it.

New Recipe Up

Check out recipes for the lastest in tasty treats. Crumbly & flaky pastry with jam, yum. Alternatively, you could use mince-meat instead of jam, but thats pretty nasty.

DIY Comp Building

         Recently I've been thinking about building a PC for myself. Of course, this is dependent on getting a job in the summertime, which is coming up fast. Anyhow, the ideal scenario is to buy the components from tiger direct, as they seem to have the best prices on hardware around. According to benchmarks from Tom's Hardware guide, which I would link if it weren't for yesterday's atrocious page redesign, the computer from the components below will be able to run most games on today's market at highest or at least high graphics. Yes, that means Crysis.

The focal point of the system would be an nvidia geforce 8800 gt, which, at $160 is a pretty good deal. After completeing the build, and upon subsequent cash inflows, I could be swayed to purchase a second 8800 gt, and run them in SLI mode, as the motherboard is SLI capable. A tiger direct video claimed a 60% performance improvement with such a setup. The prices in the table below are all CAD, and I listed the prices *after* mail-in rebates. Yes, mail-in rebates are a total pain, but I will probably bother to send them in. I haven't included additional case fans in the table, but I will probably end up purchasing a few. By the time I have money to buy the components, I wouldn't be surprised if a few of them reduced in price slightly, which would be nice.

Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.40GHz	$400	link
PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory (2 x 2048MB)
XFX 680i LT SLI Motherboard
GeForce 8800 GT 512MB DDR3	$160	link
Seagate 7200rpm 250GB Hard Drive 16MB cache	$80	link
Sony DVD/CD Optical Drive	$30	link
Masscool CPU cooling fan	$27	link
ATX Mid-Tower & 800-Watt PSU	$159	link
Dell 24" Widescreen LCD	$380	link
Total Cost	$1236

Crippled AT-AT and Loltards

I've added a recent picture of a papercraft AT-AT that I was working on at least a year ago. Suffice it to say, I never finished it, and it remains a cripple. Sad. Additionally, for the lazy people that didn't find the 'secret' page, you can find it here. I've yet to beat Loltard invaders.

I am Motivated

There's a million of them out there, but I thought this was the most amusing out of the bunch I was looking at.

NY Mets Eighth Inning Lulz

Well I'm sure most heard about the New York Mets internet vote for their eighth inning sing-a-long song. Here's a video documenting the event.

Cookie Monster

I've added a cookie to the splash page. Now, when you go to www.paulosq.com you'll see the splash once, and a cookie will be saved. Subsequent visits will take you directly to this page, instead of the splash.

Secrut Lulz

I've added a secret hidden page for you to find! Hint: It's linked from a clickable 2x2 pixel square somewhere on one of the site pages! Also, a preloader has been added to the splash page which should help with ghetto connections, hopefully it works. I've also customized the 404 page, oooooh exciting.

HDR Photos

I've recently tried to make a few HDR (High Dynamic Range) pictures. Unfortunately, the combination of generic digital camera and sub-optimal subject means that they're not very impressive. A basic tutorial for the technique can be found here. More advanced HDR tutorials are out there of course, but this one uses a simple program called Photomatix that is about 5 megs in size and can be found on isohunt. My first two attempts at HDR can be found in Photo. For some pro HDR photos, check this out.

Paulosq.com Launched!

This website will host crap that I come across on the internet, along with some photography, graphics and hopefully, a weekly recipe. Check out the links for the first few instances of the aforementioned.