What computer are you guys running?

[ironcoder]

I have a question since we're still on topic here. I need some fans for my boxes, the crappy ones they came with aren't making it.

How do I know what size fan will bolt up to the existing case holes? Are the fans measured CTC on mounting holes, or what?

[Hak Foo]

They usually measure the "box" of the fan.  There are a few standard sizes of note: 40x40mm, 50x50mm, 60x60mm, 80x80mm, 92x92mm, 120x120mm.  Measure and compare.

If none of those match, research the model number-- some cases now have 200-230-250mm fans which are poorly standardized.

[itlnstln]

All case fans shipped with the case are crap, even the Lian Li ones.

This is exactly right.  Back in the days when I was more of a geek, when I would buy a new case, I would buy replacement fans for the stock ones (or reuse some from the previous case).  The only case that came with great fans was a Thermaltake one I had about 5-6 years ago.  That was my favorite case of all time.  Weighed a ton, though.
 
I have always liked the look and quality of Lian-Li cases, but I could never justify the price.

[itlnstln]

I didn't say I wasn't a geek; just much less of one, now.  I still wear the badge proudly, I just don't revel in geekdom anymore.  These days, my home theater sucks up all my geek time.  I don't really chase computing much anymore.  I have to be on one all day at work, so I don't spend a lot of free time messing with it at home.  Playing outside is much more fun.

[zwmalone]

Pfft... You fancy guys with your money...  I use a scratch-and-dent Thermaltake case with 3 80mm fans that I scavenged from PCs nearly as old as me...  Do you realize how loud 13 year old DC Brushless fans are?:mmph:
Being poor FTL...

[zwmalone]

The Yate Loons I posted are $3.60.  Cable ties are virtually free - steal them out of the Telephone company truck next time they drive by.

I've got cable ties...  The inside of my rig is as clean and tidy as any.  The problem is money.  I have $5.67 to my name right now...  Even $3.60x3 + shipping is too much

[iMav]

I've got an HP mini that I use on the go (with Ubuntu).  My main personal computer is an aluminum MacBook.  I've got a current gen Mac mini hooked up to the TV in my office.  A couple of dual-core AMD systems in the office as well with xubuntu that I use for testing (and the kids use to ocassionally play WoW).  I've got a Dell laptop (C2D with 4GB ram) that runs XP that is my work system.  A couple of Core2Quad systems that I use as VMWare servers for my lab environments.  Kids have a G5 iMac, a G4 Mac mini, and an Aspire One.  Wife has a 15.4" MacBook Pro.  

That's about all that comes to mind right now.

[ricercar]

I keep around a 386 for that reason.  It has a 40M disc containing DOS 4.01 and GeoWorks 1.2.  I should virtualize it just because the drive is probably on its last legs.

Ah, GeoWorks. Loved that OS. Written entirely in assembler. Faster on my 386SX than Windows 3.1 by a long shot that even a non-techie would notice.

[ironcoder]

They usually measure the "box" of the fan.  There are a few standard sizes of note: 40x40mm, 50x50mm, 60x60mm, 80x80mm, 92x92mm, 120x120mm.  Measure and compare.

If none of those match, research the model number-- some cases now have 200-230-250mm fans which are poorly standardized.

Thanks Hak Foo and everybody who commented on this.

These boxes came with ****ty case fans at the time I knew even less about building PCs than I do now. I wish I had room for a 200mm fan but I think the mounting holes are not going to let me put anything bigger than an 80mm in there.

[ironcoder]

Thanks, ripster. These cases are bottom-o-the-line cases and the actual perforations in the back are within the mounting holes. If I buy a bigger fan I'll just wind up slamming air against the case, there's no way for it to get out.  The case is so small there's no room to do anything. The fan port is just below the PSU and it's bounded on the other sides by a connector panel and expansion slots.

"It's a ****ty deal, son, but it's the only deal you got"

[microsoft windows]

Want to see the computer I use every day? Well, here it is!

[microsoft windows]

Want to see the computer I use every day? Well, here it is...

[ironcoder]

Ok nice box but we would like you even more if you didn't run Winbloze LOL

[timw4mail]

My Main Rig

Processor : AMD Phenom II X4 940 BE
Ram : 2x2GB (4GB) DDR2 1000
Video cards:
- Asus Dark Knight ATi Radeon HD 4870 1GB
- EVGA Superclocked Nvidia 8800 GTS 320MB (G80)
Motherboard: DFI Lanparty DK 790FX-M2RS
Case : NZXT Tempest w/ white cold cathodes, and lots of fans
Keyboard: 1987 Model M
Mouse: Logitech MX 400
Monitors : Sceptre X22, Acer B223W (Both 1680x1050 )
OS : Windows 7 x64 RC

I've also a got a P4 system, Socket 7 (Pentium, K6 II/II, Cyrix MII, etc.), White Macbook, and an Eee PC 1000HE

I should put Linux on more than just my Eee PC...one of these days.

[bitflipper]

Core i7 nehalem, 4gb DDR3 ram, Asus P6T mobo
Case: Coolermaster Wave Master
KBs: SteelSeries 7g, Filco Zero Tenkeyless FKBN87Z/EB
Mouse: Microsoft Trackball Explorer, Razer Copperhead (use lefty for the occasional game)
Monitors: Acer AL2051W (1680x1050), Xerox XL-370 (1280x1024)
OS: Windows 7 beta Build 7000

[watduzhkstand4]

Core i7 nehalem, 4gb DDR3 ram, Asus P6T mobo
Case: Coolermaster Wave Master
KBs: SteelSeries 7g, Filco Zero Tenkeyless FKBN87Z/EB
Mouse: Microsoft Trackball Explorer, Razer Copperhead (use lefty for the occasional game)
Monitors: Acer AL2051W (1680x1050), Xerox XL-370 (1280x1024)
OS: Windows 7 beta Build 7000

what GPU are you running?

[bitflipper]

what GPU are you running?

pny geforce gtx 260 - the weak link. The 295 is on my grocery list.

[watduzhkstand4]

pny geforce gtx 260 - the weak link. The 295 is on my grocery list.

you sure you don't want to wait for their new releases coming this year?

[bitflipper]

you sure you don't want to wait for their new releases coming this year?

What do they have coming? They'll inevitably have a new series out before I'm ready to upgrade. I've got a few home improvement projects I need to finish before I spend any $$$ on the rig. I'm really only a casual gamer, anyway - a little BF2 here and there.

[bitflipper]

My Main Rig
I should put Linux on more than just my Eee PC...one of these days.

Linux? What flavor? I like using my main rig in a multi-boot configuration using e-sata. I have 3 identical external enclosures that can be swapped out in a few seconds when I get the urge to boot a different OS - usually Fedora 10.

[watduzhkstand4]

What do they have coming? They'll inevitably have a new series out before I'm ready to upgrade. I've got a few home improvement projects I need to finish before I spend any $$$ on the rig. I'm really only a casual gamer, anyway - a little BF2 here and there.

that's cool. ATI and nVidia are both releasing something intense this year so just giving you a heads up. As for the nVidia card, it will be twice as fast as the 285.

[Hak Foo]

Core i7 nehalem, 4gb DDR3 ram, Asus P6T mobo
Case: Coolermaster Wave Master
KBs: SteelSeries 7g, Filco Zero Tenkeyless FKBN87Z/EB
Mouse: Microsoft Trackball Explorer, Razer Copperhead (use lefty for the occasional game)
Monitors: Acer AL2051W (1680x1050), Xerox XL-370 (1280x1024)
OS: Windows 7 beta Build 7000

Why 4Gb of memory-- instead of three or six in triple channel?

[timw4mail]

What do they have coming? They'll inevitably have a new series out before I'm ready to upgrade. I've got a few home improvement projects I need to finish before I spend any $$$ on the rig. I'm really only a casual gamer, anyway - a little BF2 here and there.

Then it seems quite the waste to have an i7, no offense.

Linux? What flavor? I like using my main rig in a multi-boot configuration using e-sata. I have 3 identical external enclosures that can be swapped out in a few seconds when I get the urge to boot a different OS - usually Fedora 10.

What Distro? Depends on what I feel like at the time. Probably Gentoo.

[ch_123]

Sorry, couldnt resist xD

[timw4mail]

Show Image

Sorry, couldnt resist xD

Sorry, but sometimes Gentoo is easier than Ubuntu. :hand:
I like absolute customization. Trying to set up Gentoo without a guide though...

[bitflipper]

Then it seems quite the waste to have an i7, no offense.

What Distro? Depends on what I feel like at the time. Probably Gentoo.

None taken. I do a lot of server development on it and run multiple other OSes on it, so while maybe overpowered, it gets a workout. Hey, my fallback machine is an Acer VL460 with Intel graphics! Quite a step down, but a nice stable, capable machine for everyday tasks.

Always liked Gentoo, very fast when it's up and running. Linux, like with keyboards, present us with almost endless choices.

[ch_123]

Sorry, but sometimes Gentoo is easier than Ubuntu. :hand:
I like absolute customization. Trying to set up Gentoo without a guide though...

Whoever said I used Ubuntu? =P I use Arch. Most of the speed and customizeability (if that's such a word) without having to compile everything from source. That said, I'm pretty sure you can use Arch's package manager to compile from source, but it probably wouldnt be as advanced as emerge for that job.

[timw4mail]

Whoever said I used Ubuntu? =P I use Arch. Most of the speed and customizeability (if that's such a word) without having to compile everything from source. That said, I'm pretty sure you can use Arch's package manager to compile from source, but it probably wouldnt be as advanced as emerge for that job.

Arch is just wimping out at Gentoo

[ch_123]

Arch is just wimping out at Gentoo

Well, I don't really look at it like that, just a case of which provides the best speed, stability, options etc vs ease of use and low effort to get set up and working. For me, Arch wins that one. Each to their own I guess.

[bitflipper]

Well, I don't really look at it like that, just a case of which provides the best speed, stability, options etc vs ease of use and low effort to get set up and working. For me, Arch wins that one. Each to their own I guess.

Here's Linus' answer to the "which distro" question:

http://www.oneopensource.it/interview-linus-torvalds/


A curiosity: which is your favourite distribution, and which on e do you consider more secure?

I don’t really tend to care much, I’ve changed distributions over the years, and to me the most important thing tends to be that they are easy to install and upgrade, and allow me to do the only part I really care about - the kernel.
So the only major distribution I’ve never used has actually been Debian, exactly because that has traditionally been harder to install. Which sounds kind of strange, since Debian is also considered to be the “hard-core technical” distribution, but that’s literally exactly what I personally do not want in a distro. I’ll take the nice ones with simple installers etc, because to me, that’s the whole and only point of using a distribution in the first place.
So I’ve used SuSE, Red Hat, Ubuntu, YDL (I ran my main setup on PowerPC-based machines for a while, and YDL - Yellow Dog Linux - ended up the easiest choice). Right now, most of my machines seem to have Fedora 7 on then, but that’s only a statement of fact, not meant to be that I think it’s necessarily “better” than the other distros.

[coollettuce]

Well, right now I'm dual-booting OS X 10.5.7 and Windows 7 64 bit on my self-built hackintosh.

E8400 @ 4.05GHz, EP45-UD3P, 6GB DDR2, ATI 4850 512

[timw4mail]

Well, since I belong to overclock.net...


I have to show my overclock. A 3GHz Stock Phenom II X4 @ 3.75GHz


Of course I did have to make it look even more awesome with the partial wallpaper crop...:laugh:

[coollettuce]

Well, since I belong to overclock.net...


I have to show my overclock. A 3GHz Stock Phenom II X4 @ 3.75GHz


Of course I did have to make it look even more awesome with the partial wallpaper crop...:laugh:

1.536v‽ Thanks for reminding me why I chose the E8400, lol.

I too frequent OCN quite often, it's a rather good overclocking forum.

[watduzhkstand4]

1.536v‽ Thanks for reminding me why I chose the E8400, lol.

I too frequent OCN quite often, it's a rather good overclocking forum.

did you check out my suicide run? I still can't get it to run 4ghz.

[timw4mail]

1.536v‽ Thanks for reminding me why I chose the E8400, lol.

I too frequent OCN quite often, it's a rather good overclocking forum.

Well, my processor can actually take more voltage without disintegrating, though. :bounce:

[lam47]

1.53 is rather a lot!
I hope you are on water.

I just got a new card (well a used new one)
A Sapphire 4870 x2 and my god its hot!
I think I will need to re think quad crossfire with another one.
Think I will Tri fire it with a 4890!

OCN is too big for me. I get lost.
Still hang around the AMD forum though

[timw4mail]

1.53 is rather a lot!
I hope you are on water.

I just got a new card (well a used new one)
A Sapphire 4870 x2 and my god its hot!
I think I will need to re think quad crossfire with another one.
Think I will Tri fire it with a 4890!

OCN is too big for me. I get lost.
Still hang around the AMD forum though

Not water, just a Xigmatek H1283.

OCN is huge.

[coollettuce]

Not water, just a Xigmatek H1283.

OCN is huge.

Damn dude, I'm on a lapped TRUE (> 1283) with a high-speed fan and I would never take it that high.

[timw4mail]

Damn dude, I'm on a lapped TRUE (> 1283) with a high-speed fan and I would never take it that high.

I've never made it to 80C with OCCT's Linpack, so I think I'm good.

[lam47]

If you are getting anywhere over low 50s then you are going to shorten the chips life. I think 64 is the cut off point for the 940.

[timw4mail]

Nah, I fry my CPUs.  Never had one die yet.  Who cares - by the time you do they'll be cheap or more likely obsolete.

How much voltage do you use?

[Hak Foo]

Yes, it's a 5.25" drive.  Yes, it works last I checked.


Phenom II 940 at stock
Gigabyte MA790X-UD4
Xigmatek HDT-S1283
8Gb DDR2-800 (half of it is labelled 1066, but requires huge voltage)
Radeon HD3650, 512M, with ridiculously overkill Arctic Cooling fanless heatsink
1T Samsung F1 hard disc
Two Samsung 203-series DVD burners (one 203N, one 203B)
One LS-120 drive (a cute way to end run the one-floppy limit of most modern boards.  The one drawback is finding a bezel; most LS120s you find are external, and have no front panel you can put on a case.)
One 5.25" floppy
One cheap-ass 802.11n card
One Hauppauge HVR-1250

Nah, I fry my CPUs. Never had one die yet. Who cares - by the time you do they'll be cheap or more likely obsolete.

I once had a used laptop which had been upgraded to a 486-100.  The 486-100 is a 3.3v part.  The board was a 5v board designed for a DX-33 or maybe a DX2-66.  It actually worked, for a few minutes at a time.  I have the machine sitting on a bookshelf, with a 200M drive containing an OS/2 3.0 install, and a 5x86-133 upgrade circuit in it.

[o2dazone]

What case is that? I love the chutes that allow you to run cords behind.
here's a shot of mine two years ago, zero wire management...it bugs me just to look at it



I've since replaced everything in there except for the HDD's and the sound card. I need a new case, that one is about 8 years old

[Hak Foo]

It looks to me like he did a little cutting to get the chutes.  I spend a lot of time on wire management. Ironic since my desk is a MESS!

A lot of cutting.

And the side panel barely fits with the wires stuffed behind the mainboard tray (which shows signs of being bent by the wires).

The case is the 'Rocketfish' tower Lian-Li sold for a while via Best Buy- I got one for $48, which is the only reason I bought it.

[o2dazone]

nice price for a fulltower

[timw4mail]

Show Image

Yes, it's a 5.25" drive.  Yes, it works last I checked.

Fun... I like using old tech just because I can :)

[Binge]

Ah, hi geekhack  This is my rig.  Don't rag on me too much for being messy.




and my daily settings~



Temps are usually around 32-35C idle and 68C after hours under load in a 30C ambient room.

Today I ordered an ABS M1 as my first mechanical switch keyboard.  My friend purchased the Das III, and even though the keys sound really REALLY nice... I want to try something different and less expensive.

Other specs is 6GB of really nice DDR3 clocked to 2GHz cas8, a GTX295, a dual platter 640GB WD Cavalier Black 7200RPM HDD, ye ol' regular DVD burner, an Enermax Revolution PSU, Banchetto 101 Modular techstation, and custom watercooling mostly from Watercool.de

Thanks for peeking!

[lam47]

That seems rather warm for the size of the rad!
For 1.2v anyways.
Is that a truck rad?

[Binge]

That seems rather warm for the size of the rad!
For 1.2v anyways.
Is that a truck rad?

No way would I rag on you - I keep a voltmeter within reach at all times too!  But those bowls next to it better not have any CHEETOs! :madgrin:

@lam- You're close and by close I mean really not far off!  Most automotive rads are aluminum and this is definitely all copper, and I'm sure it could cool a 6-cylendar.  Trust me my ambient room temps give me very little room to play.  Under regular loads like video encoding the processor will not even touch 55C, but Prime95/Coredamage/Linpack will heat it up to near 69C even with my setup.

@ripster-  As for the bowls it's left over breakfasts...  I do not appreciate crumbs around my keyboards.

[itlnstln]

@ripster- As for the bowls it's left over breakfasts... I do not appreciate crumbs around my keyboards.

So you must not have had toast/bagles/etc. for breakfast then.