geekhack

geekhack Community => Off Topic => Topic started by: khokkanen on Wed, 19 January 2011, 01:41:45

Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: khokkanen on Wed, 19 January 2011, 01:41:45: I admit I'm not your standard issue geek/nerd/gamer. I actually often spend more time modding games than playing them and I often accept components in my computer without modifying (overclocking) them as I don't see the need for photorealism in a computer game.

Still I wonder: why for the sake of Tapio (Finnish god of forests) does everything have to come with extra LEDs? I'd love to get a subdued LEDless gaming rig but apparently it's impossible. Even the best keyboards (and mice!) have them. And on most of them, the LEDs can't be turned off.

A good example is Antec Nine Hundred Two (the case I actually bought - and from which I intend to swap out all the LEDs eventually). Sure, I can swap out every fan with a LED for ones without, but seeing as I'm on a budget, that won't happen soon enough.

My vehement opposition to bling in all its forms (not just LEDs) comes from the fact that often enough it makes the equipment not suitable for something. In my case I have a long road of getting used to all the bling since I sleep in the same room my computer is in. Another example is a "nice-looking" case that a friend couldn't buy for work (even though the price was right) because "this isn't some LAN party". He ended up with a case about the same price but far less nice features.

Now some bright fellow might ask me why I'd want to keep my computer on 24/7. The answer is: that's what it's for. It does things even when I'm not actively using it. Amazing, no?
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: Half-Saint on Wed, 19 January 2011, 02:26:41: Keeping a computer in your sleeping room on 24/7 has more than one drawback:

1. you already mentioned this - light from the LEDs. People generally sleep better in total darkness.
2. noise. You might not register it anymore but your brain does.
3. positive ions. Serotonin Irritation Syndrome (http://www.berriman-usa.com/iaqsis.htm)

I know this isn't really the topic but think about it anyway ;)

Cheers
Title: Sleep
Post by: khokkanen on Wed, 19 January 2011, 02:57:52: It's not like I have a choice if I want to keep the computer on. I live in a one-room apartment.

I've been looking for a two or three room alternative for a while without success. The rents are prohibitive. For a three room apartment it would be possible to get a roommate but I haven't come across anyone suitable/willing.

Also offtopic. There are ways to battle positive ions. I just don't bother.

I do notice that occasionally it helps to sleep a night or two windows closed and almost everything turned off - one room so fridge is also a source of annoyance as is the freezer. So whenever I unplug those two for defrosting I tend to sleep in a relative quiet (depending on my lovely neighbors).
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: instantkamera on Wed, 19 January 2011, 07:36:44: I bought a fractal define r3. nothing but a power LED, which you dont have to hook up if you dont want. There are options out there, but you have to be careful about what you purchase, as a lot of the PC modding/gaming community like really tacky ****, including LEDs galore.
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: khokkanen on Wed, 19 January 2011, 09:24:36: Quote from: instantkamera;280983
I bought a fractal define r3. nothing but a power LED, which you dont have to hook up if you dont want. There are options out there, but you have to be careful about what you purchase, as a lot of the PC modding/gaming community like really tacky ****, including LEDs galore.

Fractal looks nice, except that I'd prefer a case with better cooling (at least based on the reviews I found on the 'Net). I'm looking forward to the next serious upgrade and would like not to have to buy case (and possibly PSU) again... We'll see how that pans out.

As for the tacky ****, I agree. I seriously can't understand the supposed added value of LEDs and 'unique', 'futuristic' or 'bad-ass' case ornaments/shapes.
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: instantkamera on Wed, 19 January 2011, 09:41:23: That may have been for the original R2, they added an intake and exhust I believe in the R3. Or define "better" cooling.
Case 2x120 front intakes (using them). a 120/140 side(exhusting w/ a low rpm 140mm). 2X120/140 top(1 exhuast 140mm, the other is unused). 120 rear (unused, corsair H50 fan will go there). psu intake bottom(used), 120mm bottom intake(unused). This thing is a cool customer ATM, and I expect it to be cooler once I add the H50.

I dont have much of a video card though, but it exhausts into the case too, a rear exhausting double height card might be a bit of an improvement as well.

Also, the fractal is a Swedish product, I believe they are all imported into NA. Availability should be good in Europe.

The NH2 is a good case though, so really your only dilemma is the damn LEDs. If you cant replace the fans, maybe you can mod the ones it comes with?
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: quadibloc on Wed, 19 January 2011, 09:50:33: I know that my most recent case does have some interior LEDs of the type described, to show off all the extra cooling fans.

But I would love to get a computer with extra LEDs of another sort. Imagine a microprocessor chip with a documented diagnostic mode, so that you could flip a switch, slowing the computer down to a stately 100 MHz or something like that, where it used the extra bus cycles at 1 GHz or whatever to export the status of its various internal registers.

Imagine it being housed in a case and motherboard that let you see an old-fashioned gingerbread front panel while the computer was running when in that mode... not just lights for the bus, like the old Altair computer, but lights showing how the pipeline, the cache, the floating-point unit, and so on, were individually functioning.

And, of course, switches to slow it down further or single-step it.
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: khokkanen on Wed, 19 January 2011, 11:12:39: AFAIK I'd have to do some modding of the fans to turn off the LEDs on Antec NH2. There's no control for that on them.

I could be wrong. Or it could be easy to do. I just hope it came without the LEDs and let the LED-heads buy their bling gear separately (or as optional 'upgrades').

Another thing I hope would come out already is solid state fans. It would be bliss.
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: Lanx on Wed, 19 January 2011, 12:01:02: Quote from: khokkanen;281087

Another thing I hope would come out already is solid state fans. It would be bliss.

this?
http://www.dyson.com/fans/ (http://www.dyson.com/fans/)
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: Lanx on Wed, 19 January 2011, 12:20:44: lol dyson handvac prolly has worse amazon reviews since it only lasts 6mins (in my experience i get 8-9mins).
Still there isn't a better way to clean up dog fur in a car imo.
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: instantkamera on Wed, 19 January 2011, 12:25:38: I have a dyson vac (DC33 upright). ****ing wicked.
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: Arc'xer on Wed, 19 January 2011, 12:46:05: Blingless bling.

Soldam Windy case (http://www.freewebs.com/elpibe10/)

Some of the most expensive cases.
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: khokkanen on Wed, 19 January 2011, 13:51:57: Quote from: Lanx;281109
this?
http://www.dyson.com/fans/ (http://www.dyson.com/fans/)

No. Besides, that isn't solid state.

What they have is: http://www.ventiva.com/ (http://www.ventiva.com/)

If only they would make the technology available as consumer products...
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: PikachuDX on Fri, 21 January 2011, 07:20:58: GJ'uy3{h3aVcM%B~^JcH7f$1Bg=#SN}{NLXw]cP5Y(p#z_r{t8
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: khokkanen on Fri, 21 January 2011, 07:40:15: Quote from: PikachuDX;282203
On the LED subject, my PC has 0. I've disconnected the power + HDD LED, my one fan is a Scythe S-Flex (in PSU), and I've put tape over the tiny little mobo LED. :)

Excellent. I never connect any leds if I don't absolutely have to. Mobo LED I usually let be because it isn't visible. Now that I'm getting a case with a window it might require a bit of tape, though.
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: db_Iodine on Fri, 21 January 2011, 07:57:39: Quote from: instantkamera;281047
That may have been for the original R2, they added an intake and exhust I believe in the R3. Or define "better" cooling.
Case 2x120 front intakes (using them). a 120/140 side(exhusting w/ a low rpm 140mm). 2X120/140 top(1 exhuast 140mm, the other is unused). 120 rear (unused, corsair H50 fan will go there). psu intake bottom(used), 120mm bottom intake(unused). This thing is a cool customer ATM, and I expect it to be cooler once I add the H50.

The only difference between Fractal Design R2 and R3 is that the R3 has a reset button and R2 doesn't.
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: PikachuDX on Fri, 21 January 2011, 08:27:17: Bs}^oH^k&Ex))A4u$J6'$F;zm[1%R{&0Y'#nqJQU~)WV-C8Jy,
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: khokkanen on Fri, 21 January 2011, 08:42:16: Quote from: PikachuDX;282217
I was thinking of desoldering it at one point, but I thought that's be a bit too anal.. :p

Perhaps a little... Though I'm considering the same for the stock fans that come with Antec NH2 I ordered. They have super-annoying LEDs...
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: microsoft windows on Sat, 22 January 2011, 19:13:49: Here's how to get a fancy gaming computer without the stupid LED's.

(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=15002&stc=1&d=1295745081)+(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=15003&stc=1&d=1295745093)+(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=15004&stc=1&d=1295745102)=(http://geekhack.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=15005&stc=1&d=1295745110)
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: Lanx on Sun, 23 January 2011, 00:21:44: some mobo's have built in LED's now that + hatred of LED's in computer and window= sadface.
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: instantkamera on Sun, 23 January 2011, 08:37:17: Quote from: db_Iodine;282211
The only difference between Fractal Design R2 and R3 is that the R3 has a reset button and R2 doesn't.
So it is.

I can't see how the cooling could be considered inadequate...
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: khokkanen on Sun, 23 January 2011, 10:52:31: Better is always comparative. Compared to NH2, for example, Fractal doesn't have that good of a cooling. At least based on reviews - I have no personal experience one way or the other.

And no, I had not even heard of the Fractal before this. Can't find it in any Finnish webstore either. Though it might be that I'm not up-to-date on the latest "secret super-modder/uber-gamer" haunts...
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: db_Iodine on Sun, 23 January 2011, 12:19:10: Quote from: khokkanen;283330
Better is always comparative. Compared to NH2, for example, Fractal doesn't have that good of a cooling. At least based on reviews - I have no personal experience one way or the other.

And no, I had not even heard of the Fractal before this. Can't find it in any Finnish webstore either. Though it might be that I'm not up-to-date on the latest "secret super-modder/uber-gamer" haunts...

Here (http://www.jimmspc-store.fi/hae/fractal%20r3) you go.

I wouldn't worry about temps in this case. Just add one or two more fans and everything stays very cool.
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: khokkanen on Sun, 23 January 2011, 13:25:16: Huh. How did I miss that? Anyways, bit late as I already ordered Antec NH2.

Meh. I'll know the next time. I ordered the computer from here: Beesting (http://www.beesting.fi/). Somewhat cheaper than Jimm's and no shipping as I can go pick it up.
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: quadibloc on Sun, 23 January 2011, 14:15:04: I know that when I decided to put myself together a new system about a year ago, the most reasonably-priced choice conveniently available was a gamer-style case. But I don't have it in my bedroom, nor do I have it on all day - and the extra lights have a useful safety function, warning me if any of the fans fail.

Sadly, I couldn't use it for its intended purpose - the available downloads for using the video card for math require one to own a recent copy of the suite including Microsoft Visual C++, if I understand the requirements correctly. So I haven't used it much, my old computer - not that old, having an AMD 64 chip in it - having plenty of oomph for web surfing.

By the way, you wouldn't happen to know if Laila Kinnunen, Katri Helena, or one of the other Finnish recording stars of that era ever did a Finnish-language cover version of You Don't Own Me?
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: khokkanen on Sun, 23 January 2011, 14:36:49: Sorry, not really my kind of music... I guess it's possible but wouldn't know how to go about checking it out.
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: quadibloc on Sun, 23 January 2011, 15:05:30: Quote from: ripster;283481
I thought the era of Finnish Pop music was Finished?
Apparently not.

This performance dates from 1997:
although, arguably, one could claim this was nostalgia and not pop.

This one is from 2001:
apparently a cover of Helloween's hit "Power".

And here's something by a group called Tiktak,
showing that the Finnish musical scene is still full of energy and life.

Although the guitar is going quite strongly there, I think it squeezes in as pop because the group is singing on key.

This is definitely recent pop music; the artist was active as recently as 2008, apparently, if the mention of that date in her Finnish Wikipedia page is indicative of activity:

Here's something not in the genre of pop music, and not quite so recent either. I don't think I'll need to identify the song, as the melody should be instantly recognizable (except for those before whose time it was):
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: db_Iodine on Sun, 23 January 2011, 16:22:07: This is what I dance to every Friday.

RIP Tony.
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: EverythingIBM on Sun, 23 January 2011, 16:49:25: Quote from: ripster;281039
My eyes. It BURNS!
Show Image
(http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5081/5370308828_68190246d2_z.jpg)

That case is too tacky.

Quote from: Half-Saint;280914
Keeping a computer in your sleeping room on 24/7 has more than one drawback:

1. you already mentioned this - light from the LEDs. People generally sleep better in total darkness.
2. noise. You might not register it anymore but your brain does.
3. positive ions. Serotonin Irritation Syndrome (http://www.berriman-usa.com/iaqsis.htm)

I know this isn't really the topic but think about it anyway ;)

Cheers

I've actually found it quite calming having a quiet computer running while I sleep.
Title: Bling / Bells and whistles / Excessive LEDs
Post by: microsoft windows on Sun, 23 January 2011, 18:07:47: I don't have any electronics set up in my room, except for some old 1970's digital alarm clock. I keep my TV and audio equipment downstairs in the living room, and the computers go down in the bomb shelter.