Category: pc

Computer Hardware Installation

Posted onAuthorTruXter

Installing hardware into a fresh PC is not that complicated, really.

If the prongs and the holes line up, read the part number and look it up and check compatibilities. Sometimes some hardware is too powerful, so checking specs is always a plus. 80% of the time they will work, but sometimes you can run into problems — like an AMD Athlon XP will not fit into an AMD Athlon 64 board. Same goes for AMD and Pentium. Prongs won’t line up.

The red wire always faces toward the power source. Look really close to the IDE cables (even the ones with the center top hole filled); you will notice there is a red dotted wire. Magnify it if you need to. Same with the FDD seven cable twist. FDD plugs in after the twist — never before.

PCI or AGP video cards just clip in. If it has a hook at the end, it is AGP. If not, then it is not. AGP will be the smaller slot.

Memory is just a clip in, also. Look up board manufacturers and part numbers and read through the specs for the board to know the minimum and maximum memory capabilities for your PC. (I have also looked this up more than… well, plenty of times and can easily do it. You can, too!)

With the CPU, once again, part numbers and manufacturer numbers are of wonderful help. Check board specs, check CPU specs, and always double check before the hard part, which is sliding the CPU into the dock. Squirt a thin layer of heat sink paste on the side facing away from the motherboard. Set the heatsink onto the CPU and center it before it actually touches (so you don’t smear off the heat paste while wiggling all around to position it). Clasp the retainer on either side. Screw the fan down to the heatsink. Plug the fan into the board.

With the power supply, make sure you have one strong enough to run your fan and that meets your CPU’s requirements. Make sure it is fastened really tightly; clip all wires into what ever hole they fit in (this is usually true). If you have one drive power connector that has no other splices or additional connectors on it, I would suggest you either use it for the master drive or you could plug your fans and lights into that connector.

With IDE and FDD cables, red goes toward the power source.

The use of a hot glue gun by splatting a tad at the clasps for most parts except the CPU is okay to prevent stuff from falling out of place.

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Shopping Tip: PC Vs Laptop

Posted onAuthorTruXter2 Comments

If you are in the market for a new computer but are not sure if you should get a personal computer with a tower and a monitor, or a laptop, Hopefully this article will help you. I will try and weigh the differences for you.

For the first I will start with PC (personal computer).

Ups.

A personal computer can have high amounts of power in many of the parts, Like fresh up to date video card for the gamers or high quality video watchers, Or powerful processor(s) to do the tasks you need to get done, latest and greatest up to date memory and full capacity . Nice 25inch monitor and the keyboard and or mouse of your choice allowing you to make all use of the items as easy as you want. Well Like I have a trusty keyboard I bought from CompUSA at least four years ago that has tons of extra keys for items that I may need to open and run plus it’s own scroll wheel so I can skip ahead 5 lines at a time when I know I am on a huge page and need something from the bottom of the page, but do not feel like grabbing the mouse. That wheel also works in video games. My mouse is Memorex mouse with 5 buttons plus the wheel clicks for other uses, in most games the wheel clicks for an aimer and the side button are stand up and lay down. Both of those items where my own choice and my selection, as the case for my pc is my choice with ventilation So I can run the fans I feel I need to cool my computer the way I want and have it look the way I want. Everything can be modified and upgraded.

Downs.

Lots of wires everywhere. Huge tower that I keep bumping with my knee and I know someday I will bump it hard enough to scratch the hard drive . Can hardly ever move it or take it anywhere, like on vacation. No way of just putting it away and pulling back out when in need for usage without a frickin’ owner’s manual on how to rewire it back together. I never have been good at memory games. All of the add on parts are quite costly. When buying speakers you have to select some that will sound good, look good, and last and might be impressive, So you kinda have to learn all that or trust ol’ brad from the sales desk. Pretty loud, is most annoying when using as a media center.

For thsi next section I will cover the laptops:

Ups.

Portability, design, ease of use, small, convenient, hides away nice when a guest comes over with a toddler, Slides right under the seat in my car, Has a mouse and keyboard, monitor, and speakers built right in, you can add on third party if you want but do not have to ! Really makes great use of the Wi-Fi system you set your house up to, You can actually now sit on the couch in your skivvies and pizza stained t-shirt and let that computer desk chair collect dust. You can cook and check your email or MySpace message with your laptop resting safely on the counter while you fry your bologna.

Downs.

Once that keyboard is damages or worn out, It gets expensive, once that monitor breaks, well it’s really quite ruined and probably a better idea to buy a new one instead of replace it. If that toddler gets hold of the laptop, it’s screwed. The mouse built into laptops has always been something that just bothers me into utter stress, because they never seem to do what I want them to do without a few tries. Can get stolen easily. Will warp if left under the seat in my car on a hot day when I get stuck somewhere a little longer than I anticipated. I always have to remember to gather it up when I leave a location that I took the thing out of my car. Not very good for gaming or video compression, most parts are not upgradeable.

Okay, I just covered my likes and dislikes now I will do the run down of what is the better choice.

For those who are into high end monster power tasks, Go for the PC. For everyone else get the laptop, you will get ten times more out of the laptop than what you will get from the pc. Take that sucker to work with ya. Just when you are shopping , if they do not state the specifications of what is in the computer, chances are they are outdated.

GLHF

TruXter

Crysis SP Demo Review – Video Game

Posted onAuthorTruXter4 Comments

To kick this off , let me explain, I am not paid to like or dislike the game, So I have a human’s opinion, I like some stuff I dislike others. If they where paying me it would all be 100% like. If I was paid to dislike , it would be 100% dislike.

I am not a fanboy who has been chewing on his blanket since he first saw the previews drooling on his keyboard waiting the demo. I just heard of the game less than two days before I got the demo. I gave the game an honest try and an honest feel . for those of you who know what color the main guy’s shoe laces are and why they are that color because you read the entire pamplet and news article and website front to back and upside down awaiting a clue to some imaginary riddle, Good for you, The sales pitches worked fine for you. Anything more than a sentence or two in response to this, really is overboard and you may want to ditch the yoda mouse and lunchbox.
Well I gave the game a play, or two. The demo is found here

The machine I am using is:

Direct x 9 c

AMD 2800+ Sempron 87*F

NVIDIA BFG 7600 512MB agp 110*F

2 Gigs 3200 RAM

Loading the demo the first time is a little bit drawn long, images are excellent and look very fun,Game ran fine at full settings on windows xp pro, just the dark setting and colors with some weird blue trim in the parachute scene. While looking in on the “suit tools” or options or what ever you see a circular list of stuff, you have no idea what any of it is, because it is unlabeled and it does nothing to assure you that you are on the right thing except for the cloaking,inviz.PNG or what ever that ten second thing is. there seems to be a strength,armor and cloaking that happens with the suit.

The fights where pretty great but it seemed very “grand theft auto” ish, it seemed like the bad guy just kept spawning up everywhere, and if you wanted one to just go away, turn your back and he will disappear when you turn your back. The narrator or guide or as the game called him something like prophet or what ever, he was a bit of a nag, so speakers went down just long enough for me to get killed by a guy that was not there a second ago. bad guys always know where you are , unless you are cloaked, then they just flip out and run in circles. The instant you re-spawn they know exactly where you are and are shooting at you within in a blink of time.

The water. Not so good. It just did not have that water look that you would expect from this new of a game. I mean there where bubbles and some sounds that let you know you are in water, but it just does not look like water other than your guy is now waving his hands in front of himself as if he is swimming, unsure if that run button helped any, could not tell. bullets hit you when you are under, and you can not pop up secretly , at all if you are being chased .Yes you can run out of breath. and yes he can outlast most of you, but does not live for ever underwater. sorry I did not see a timer nor a meter that let’s you know how much air is left, you just got wait till you hear him grunt or panic or make a painful sound. beach.PNG

You can pick up guns for spare bullets, and to carry or swap more guns . You can pick up numerous objects and chunk them , at people or just for the hell of it. I never found a med pack. No idea. You can enter vehicles , but it seems I haven’t figured how to man the guns on them, and or how to drive the vehicles. Maybe you can , maybe you can’t. I am not so certain that you can. I have no idea why all the bad guys looked the same, why they glow red or many things, not much to tell me why or how, I just assume it’s the pants the main guy is wearing.gunfire.PNG

Overall I give the game demo a rating of 6.5 . I will not be buying this one for myself . I might get it for my son, he will not take interest in it for more than a day, but just in case one of his friends have the game, it might be fun to lan party it. I can’t see it being very fun online. delta force 2 meets doom meets half life2.

[tags]games, gaming, crysis,video game,fps,first person shooter[/tags]

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