I now have the whole family using the linux partition as their workspace. I also set it up where linux would mount my Windows partition so we could have a separate repository for media(pictures and videos) that can be accessbile from either OS. That way, depending on what OS is up at the time, we could use F-Spot to import pictures in Linux, and Picasa to do it in Windows, and it would import them all to the same place. In the future, I plan to resize my Linux partition, and create a dedicated FAT32 partition just for shared media. Anyway, click the link below to look at all the parts and how I built my PC…. The one thing I forgot to do is take a picture of the whole setup once I was done, but hey… I’m not perfect.

PC Components

[tags]pc, build, ubuntu, windows[/tags]

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A couple of notes:

1. Wow does Windows load up fast!
2. After loading up all of the needed drivers, I re-installed Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter and turned the graphic settings all the way up… simply beautiful!
3. I’m really digging this new heatsink. It was HUGE and a pain to install, but in combination with the fans in my case, it is keeping my new quad-core CPU a very cool 25° C.
4. The PC is much quieter than my old one.
5. 32-bit Windows isn’t able to utilize 4 GB of memory. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get my hands on a 64-bit version. No real matter. I plan to be working in Linux mostly anyway.

I did take a number of pictures that i will import in shortly. I know it’s really geeky, but hey, that’s how I roll…
[tags]windows, pc, games[/tags]

Now all that is left is to install the video card, make sure my BIOS settings are correct, and install the operating systems and device drivers for each…. That should do it.

I’m stoked again. I quit playing games like Oblivion or Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter because they were just too sluggish on my old setup. In fact, I couldn’t play Ghost Recon after a while because of all the graphic artifacts and tearing that I used to experience. Now I’ll get to see these games again in a brand new light. I really can’t wait to get home!

Oh, I have a question. If my order was set to ship on UPS 3-day select service, and the order didn’t arrive until the fourth day, what happens? Do I get some sort of credit, or a check? I tried to look for an answer on UPS.com, but didn’t really find anything.

[tags]games, pc, ups, delivery[/tags]

Then around 10:30, I get a call from my boss. He’s stuck in training all week, so I figured that he was just calling to check on our group’s work status:

“This is David,” I say, using my standard greeting for internal calls.
“Hey, David. Since I’m out, I need you to sit in on the change management meeting this afternoon.”

I hang up the phone with a sigh. Attending one of our departmental change management meetings is like being subjected to a good hour-and-a-half of Chinese water torture. Not only that, but the meeting is in our conference room, where there are no PCs. I wouldn’t be able to track my packages!

The rest of the workday drags on. I wasn’t able to leave work until about 5:30 or so, but as I neared the driveway, I felt the anticipation returning. And then, there they were… huddled together under the shelter of my garage, three boxes sat calling out to me. At last! Now I can take these boxes inside, and get to work! I step inside to unload my keys, and lunchbox, and give a quick “Hi” to the family – when the cell goes off.

“Hey,” my boss says, “we have an emergency here, and I need you to go troubleshoot some problems we’re having with our cluster servers.”
“Sure.” I said. All the while I’m thinking, Damn! This would have to happen the day my parts come in! I won’t bore you with work details, but let’s just say that I didn’t get back to the house until about 9:30 PM, and by that time, all the eagerness, all of that pent-up anticipation was gone.

Tis a shame really…
Anyway, I was able to finally open the three boxes(still keeping some sense of satisfaction), and I’ve taken some rather poor quality pictures of each of the components that came in today. I still won’t be able to do anything with the parts until tomorrow’s delivery arrives… It has my CPU heatsink and fan, and I really won’t be able to do much until I have that assembled and mounted on the CPU and motherboard. I have, however, made the decision to take pix of each step of the assembly process as some sort of documentary. We’ll see how that goes…

I think I have come to the conclusion that I won’t really have any time to assemble the PC until Friday night at the earliest. I have Cantata practice until 8 tomorrow night, and we have to finish decorating the Christmas tree as well. Moral of the story? All that eagerness and anticipation just turned into anxiety… wasted feelings and emotions when you consider that I can’t really build the PC until the weekend.

Patience, my young Grasshopper.
[tags]work, pc, pictures, patience, zen, newegg, UPS[/tags]

So to review, in choosing my components, I had to follow a few guidelines…. well at least I had to come close…

Here is a link to the components I purchased this past Saturday. In all actuality, this setup should last me more than 5 years – even with my love for gaming. My current plan is to have Ubuntu linux as my primary operating system… unfortunately, I’m a gamer, so I will also have a small windows partition as well. Anyway. not a bad setup for around $1,300: A quad-core proc and 4Gigs of RAM… more than enough to run a couple of virtual machines and the host OS without breaking a sweat.

Man, am I stoked!

So stoked in fact, that I realized that in my eagerness, I ordered the OEM version of the CPU instead of the retail version… meaning that while the one I purchased was cheaper, it comes without a heatsink and fan. So, I rushed to newegg this afternoon and got THIS. This HSF combo is rated really well in the research that I did. Now it is just a waiting game… expanded by a day or two because of my ordering slip-up.(Ya really don’t want to try to run a computer without a heatsink on the processor…. unless you’re a pyro.)
Barring any delays, all of the parts should be in before the weekend, when I shall lock myself in my “la-bor-a-tory” like a mad scientist and perform my magic…

So Stoked!!!!
[tags]computer, pc, ubuntu, windows, newegg[/tags]