Like New wine! Like New Music, Come New Parts!

[Daniel ~]

Should arrive Weds or Thurs. As the reader may not realize this right away...my parts and price list is at the bottom of my post...

What I wanted from this build is ...well speed, more speed than I need. But I also wanted a mature chip set, a mature motherboard and mature RAM. I got a K chip (completely unlocked) $20 bucks more... is to laugh!

(Intel is designating chips almost across their entire consumer line as "K" chips, The "K" of course is completely unlocked! How complete? you can even O/C the onboard GPU!! Trust me...that's unlocked not even the saints have seen before!!! So they "gouge" the consumer a massive $20.00 for one AND that's on top of the cost of the chip!

Go read how kids are winning and crying about how over priced this chip is! No perspective! ":O}

I wanted stuff that had been in many hands and found success there. I wanted reviews that covered a bit more of the product's life, not just the first 15 seconds after it hits the hardware review sites. I wanted a mature BIOS

Naturally I looked for what I thought would be a good match up between my parts...

and of course I had a budjet...guess how much we decided would be the most we would allow me to spend? LOL

In My defence I bought the Lan Li for Patti, She loves mine but hates giving up the space, So I'll be moving my P5Q setup ( Motherboard, RAM, CPU ) into the new case for Patti... a bit-a-oil on the decks hey!

(part of me wonders if I'll be begging Patti for my P5Q back, what a great board!)

I'm glad it's not going very far away! ":O}

So here's what I'm up to.

I'll have 4 90 gig SSD drives each with a different flavor of Linux. One 500 gig Mec. Drive for back ups. ( so I can play fast and loose!)

I want to gather the best bench-marking apps we can find that will run under Linux. I want as much accuracy as we can get our hands on! ":O}

I want to test hardware under Linux, I would also like to test how well Linux uses that hardware.

I don't know if this one is practical, seems rather involved and variable, but I would "like" to test desktops for speed and stability.

Here's my motivating thought...

Steam is, as we speak, working very hard to complete its efforts to port Steam to Linux... When that happens a whole new world will begin to open up to the Linux desktop. ( how many games can one buy for the price of an MS desktop?)

I would like AOA to be able say some things in a definitive manner. I would like AOA to be able to make recommendations as to OS, hardware and of course overclocking. I would like to be able to offer more than our "opinions". Or if we only have opinions, have them be based upon some established facts. The easiest way to gain those facts is to buy hardware...so like enjoy! ":O}

I think, that most of us have long felt Overclocking to be largely dead... now I'm not so sure...

If you have the time read one the manuals of just about any Asus enthusiast board, the Overclocking tools are staggering! There is an "off" and a "reset" button ON my motherboard! You know, so I won't have to reach allll the wayyy around to the front of my case or worse, turn my head and look up to hit my power supply switch...ohhhh, I hate it when that happens...":O}!

There are LEDs that tell you if Ram, Hard drive, CPU, GPU are all right at boot... a "Memory button" so if boot fails you ( I swear to God!) you push the memory button which causes the system to examine your RAM and then set it to fail safe defaults...

I know this has been around for years..through keyboard access...but THEY gave it a button, THEY put that button on the mother board!


...It barely looks like a motherboard, more like a Disney ride! And mine is nothing special!They all are going to look like that.. They are turning them into what they have always been for Overclockers...into toys.

The BIOS Menu is like NOTHING I've ever seen...If it's been a few years since you bought a new board...WOW!

But the real big thing I see that "might" change things is Intel, Intel is courting overclockers in a way that would get them arrested if we were minors!

The Industry has decided that there's money in Overclocking at the hightest levels...

I'd like to try this gig from a Linux perspective and see where that might take us.


I would welcome and enjoy the help of anyone who might share my interest, might want to take this journey.":O}

P.S. The picture isn't the board I choose. Just an example of what Asus is thinking people want in Mother board looks... looks seem to be becoming important in motherboards...

[Daniel ~]

Here's my board...All button down intel looking and conservative!

( I wonder if you can sell rides on your motherboad )

[Daniel ~]

This is what a "modern Bios" looks like, keyboard and Mouse enabled! Did everyone one else already know this stuff?

[Daniel ~]

Dudes! This is or was an overclocking site. We can still post about hardware once in a while...no one will notice! ":O}

[chrisbard]

Interesting reading Dan. My new hobby is photography and between work, travelling and the local pub there is only a limited time left. I use a laptop and a phone to post and I haven't touch the inside of a PC for years now.

PS: I will be interested in the new screenshots from games made for windows crashing in linucs!

[ccperf721p]

Originally Posted by chrisbard

PS: I will be interested in the new screenshots from games made for windows crashing in linucs!

Too funny. I've been using linux and Windows 7 about the same amount time for the last 6 months. Actually quite impressed with both. I have not had any type of computer related problem, OS, Hardware or otherwise for so long it's amazing.

Nice rig Daniel. I'm stuck with my Socket 1366 for awhile. Between the new bike and the new girlfriend I seem to always be running a little short on cash. Looks like my only upgrade option will be a 6 core unit and I don't think I'm pushing my 4 cores right at the moment. We'll see what happens.

[Daniel ~]

Originally Posted by chrisbard

Interesting reading Dan. My new hobby is photography and between work, travelling and the local pub there is only a limited time left. I use a laptop and a phone to post and I haven't touch the inside of a PC for years now.

PS: I will be interested in the new screenshots from games made for windows crashing in linucs!

Dude! Your just so indoctrinated! Games, correct me if I'm Wrong here, were made for people. and the people who make them mostly make them on Linux... And the people who make them really don't care about your windows, they care about selling their games to as many people as they can...Steam will increase that number, then Steam will abuse its position as middle man, then game makers will return to or begin porting to Linux and tell Steam to be more reasonable, as there is money involved, who the hell knows what Steam will do! ":O}

[Daniel ~]

Originally Posted by ccperf721p

Too funny. I've been using linux and Windows 7 about the same amount time for the last 6 months. Actually quite impressed with both. I have not had any type of computer related problem, OS, Hardware or otherwise for so long it's amazing.

That's why I'm here! I simulate or perhaps stimulate hardware problems for those who have girl friends, those who have "outside" activities, in short for any to busy to suffer their own, You know people who have a life!

[/QUOTE]Nice rig Daniel. I'm stuck with my Socket 1366 for awhile. Between the new bike and the new girlfriend I seem to always be running a little short on cash. Looks like my only upgrade option will be a 6 core unit and I don't think I'm pushing my 4 cores right at the moment. We'll see what happens.[/QUOTE]

There are those who would do us an injury just to be stuck on a LG 1366 Rig. I'd pay just to see what you do with it!

But I know the hunger that comes upon us in unguarded moments...
( "No kidding Daniel did you read that parts list!!")
For new toys...

To bad you're not married, all my stratagems for getting new hardware start with "giving" Patti my current rig because I can't stand seeing her on that old machine I gave her last time I updated...it's to bad, I could be of real use to you there! ":O}

Stay broke, stay happy.... wish I could say that's worked for me,* but as you've noticed things that work perfectly well for others...wither in my grasp...":O}

Be well Cliff!

[chrisbard]

Games for linux is something I look forward to! Oh wait you mean the gfx and sound drivers are not working as they should? You mean there is almost no support for the various problems that surface all the time? Aha, well... good luck to you!

[Daniel ~]

Originally Posted by chrisbard

Games for linux is something I look forward to! Oh wait you mean the gfx and sound drivers are not working as they should? You mean there is almost no support for the various problems that surface all the time? Aha, well... good luck to you!

I can see that your made happy by the thought that I might be able to play PC games again. I thank you for you good wishes.

No support? Are you blind! Where would I be without the support of my friends...?? Are you saying you receive support from MS? My the world has changed!

I can't speak for others but my card runs Nvidia 295 drivers, made by....Nvidia and they already work perfectly. I set it up in "Nvidia settings". I listen in 5.1 surround, cheap but gratifying little desktop system, all recognized and supported by my OS.

How is it that you have so many problems? Could it be your just a bit shy about asking for solutions? You shouldn't be. We all need help from time to time.":O}

[chrisbard]

I haven't been around much in terms of PCworld tbh, but let me know how BF3 runs in MP on your linux PC when you get a chance to play it or try Skyrim and post some pics and share the average FPS. When I will get back to the PC world I might consider using the OS that will give me the most fluent fps and sound quality.

PS you do realise that you have to pay for these games exactly the same as you pay for Windows

[Aedan]

Originally Posted by Daniel ~

The BIOS Menu is like NOTHING I've ever seen...If it's been a few years since you bought a new board...WOW!

Well, it's a step up from some of the Win 3.1 looking stuff that was around a good few years ago.

Looks like it's probably UEFI, which would make sense, as it permits the use of drivers to interface with hardware - the old BIOS only had really basic calls it could make.

[Daniel ~]

Yes, it is UEFI. A name I think we may all come to know better.

That's what I said to Patti!

BIOS's have looked like cardboard posters from high school ever since I first saw one...now this! (she wasn't impressed...it's hard to impress Patti...)

From what I reading in preparation for my set up...it not just another pretty face!

Functionally I think recent BIOSs have exploded with useful options for the well-informed, while making serious overclocking very easy to obtain for the likes of me.

Both should should reap dividend for the board makers....?

[Daniel ~]

Originally Posted by chrisbard

PS you do realise that you have to pay for these games exactly the same as you pay for Windows

Not quite.. I pay for my games under Linux and it ends there. I don't pay for Utilities, I don't pay for anti-virus, I don't pay for the OS. I update to most new destro's and I don't pay.

We all have different uses for our computers. I use PS3 for games. I enjoy them. I don't see a need to run games on my computer. That's not to say I won't enjoy it when it becomes more feasible to do so. I will, we all enjoy increased functionality!

If you only have one measure for an OS, that's probably because you only have one OS.

Linux was free for a long time before it was Daniel ~ ready .
Linux was able and wide-spread a long time before it was ready for Daniel ~
Linux was doing good in the world a long time before I was able to participate.

I didn't get any better, This I know! Linux saw that I wasn't going to get any better. Linux came to meet me and see me home.

Linux will see you home Chris, MS doesn't even want you to have one. You keep coming at me as if my grip with MS was the function or dysfunction of their OS. I keep telling you it is not.

Were MS a hundred time better that Linux, and some say it is (mostly you) for me, it would not have the slightest bearing on my choice of not using MS. You see I decided I didn't want to use MS, long before I decided I could use Linux.

For me this was a moral, not a software choice.

[cloasters]

Holy crap-that's what modern BIOS looks like? And I couldn't understand 25% of a three year old BIOS! This is making me a-scared of building myself a new box. Oh dear! Not sure that I want to build a new one, but your new hardware reports are hard to resist.

[Daniel ~]

This may help George, I'm on my new machine, first thing I wanted to see were my new drives! And my god they are sweet!!

There are two, both exactly as I received them from Corsair. I wanted to run a Read/Write before I put anything on them. I have to admit I was a bit concerned about whether they lived up to Corsairs claims.

Two young aspiring hardware "experts" on u-tube ran benches on this drive and got around 380, So they trashed Corsair for bad dealings.

That's when I thought, gee that's very like what I get on a SATA 2 bus with my Corsairs! As things turn out...I was right! Behold my new SATA III board and her lovely daughters! ":O}

[Aedan]

With no key to figure out what the colours mean, they're just pretty pictures with no meaning!

[Aedan]

Originally Posted by Daniel ~

Yes, it is UEFI. A name I think we may all come to know better.

Indeed. It allows a root of trust too, so a suitably configured UEFI BIOS can refuse to boot unsigned code. That's good and bad, depending on how you look at it.

[Daniel ~]

Originally Posted by Aedan

With no key to figure out what the colours mean, they're just pretty pictures with no meaning!

Please find me something better Aedan, if you have the time... Trying to gather some Linux tools/utilities we might use in common in the forums...

Command line isn't very sexy. I think we want to be able to have the average ex-windows or alternative windows user be comfortable enough with them to use them and report results in forums... is doable?

About all I can say "I" got from that bench is that on SATA II I was in the 280's on the SATA III line it gave me just what Corsair would like me to have as far as information...":O}

[Aedan]

Command-line is a pain to be honest. Text only is usually a bad way to present information these days.

I'm afraid that I've kinda given up on Linux for the time being. I found that battling the OS was taking up more time than I wanted it to. That doesn't mean I don't use it, but that if I have a choice between doing something under Windows or under Linux then I'll tend to choose Windows as I know I have a greater chance of success.

For some things, I'll use both Windows and Linux - for one of the projects I've worked on, I've found I've had to use Linux (32bit) to compile up the firmware of a device, then switch to Windows to update and communicate with the device. Why? Simply because doing it all under Linux or all under Windows became a massive headache with things not working.