How did you learn so much?
#21
08-18-2010 | 07:43 PM
Legend
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,843
Likes: 13
From: DFW, Texas
One of my development servers is a dual PII-450 that's still going strong and has outlived several workstations that have replaced it. It's gone through two PSU's, two complete fan replacements (and is coming due for a third), and one bad memory card, but the spare CPU is still unused in the original box. I keep it around because it gives me some indication of how my code will perform when a modern machine is under significant load.
But now I feel old... that machine was a power user's wet dream when I built it.
Another machine I keep around is one that I originally built as a server for a client and sent out for co-location. I started making noise 3.5 years later that it was coming due for a full fan replacement and they wouldn't listen. It would have been cheap enough -- a long-time friend lived near the co-lo and would have been in and out in half an hour and given them the good guy rate -- but they didn't want to do it. I kept on them, they kept putting it off, and when the last CPU fan (in the triple-fan cooler) died the machine halted every time it saw any significant load. Desperate, my client ordered up an entirely new server so I knocked a few bucks off of the bill in exchange for the old one. I replaced all of the fans and that one's still running strong, though not constantly, five years later.
Oh, the original point I was going to make: Like working on your own truck, if you know what you're doing and build and properly maintain your own computers you'll get a lot more bang for the buck and greater reliability, too. A well-maintained truck won't leave you looking out through the steam at the road you're about to walk, and a well-built, well-maintained computer, rather than leaving you cussing when it finally dies, will instead leave you impressed that it went for so darn long.
There's a lot to be said for learning about the pieces that make up your world and applying that knowledge to keep entropy at bay.
But now I feel old... that machine was a power user's wet dream when I built it.
Another machine I keep around is one that I originally built as a server for a client and sent out for co-location. I started making noise 3.5 years later that it was coming due for a full fan replacement and they wouldn't listen. It would have been cheap enough -- a long-time friend lived near the co-lo and would have been in and out in half an hour and given them the good guy rate -- but they didn't want to do it. I kept on them, they kept putting it off, and when the last CPU fan (in the triple-fan cooler) died the machine halted every time it saw any significant load. Desperate, my client ordered up an entirely new server so I knocked a few bucks off of the bill in exchange for the old one. I replaced all of the fans and that one's still running strong, though not constantly, five years later.
Oh, the original point I was going to make: Like working on your own truck, if you know what you're doing and build and properly maintain your own computers you'll get a lot more bang for the buck and greater reliability, too. A well-maintained truck won't leave you looking out through the steam at the road you're about to walk, and a well-built, well-maintained computer, rather than leaving you cussing when it finally dies, will instead leave you impressed that it went for so darn long.
There's a lot to be said for learning about the pieces that make up your world and applying that knowledge to keep entropy at bay.
I wonder if that old site I used to like visiting voodooextreme.com is still running...good memories.
#22
08-18-2010 | 08:42 PM
Legend
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 8,648
Likes: 6
I used to overclock the hell outta my old PC's. The old Celeron 300A processors could dang near be pushed to 450 MHz with dang near stock cooling. That didn't stop me from running 3 damn drum fans and a big *** copper heat sink though.
I wonder if that old site I used to like visiting voodooextreme.com is still running...good memories.
I wonder if that old site I used to like visiting voodooextreme.com is still running...good memories.
Dork!
#23
08-18-2010 | 08:51 PM
Administrator
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 82,715
Likes: 3,425
From: Clayton MI
Duh uh. Nerd. 
Or was that Geek?
I have my old compaq server out back, still running. Well, ok, they are Pentium 200's (a pair) so, more like "walking" I think. (crawling? possibly) It does network storage, and other such, doesn't need to be screaming fast. (my gaming rig uses an AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black)
Or was that Geek?I have my old compaq server out back, still running. Well, ok, they are Pentium 200's (a pair) so, more like "walking" I think.
(crawling? possibly) It does network storage, and other such, doesn't need to be screaming fast. (my gaming rig uses an AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black)
#25
08-18-2010 | 09:30 PM
Administrator
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 82,715
Likes: 3,425
From: Clayton MI
YOUR FAULT!!!!
I went from working on cars, to working on computers. The parts were smaller, lighter, cleaner (for the most part), and most importantly, NEVER see a michigan winter. Not to mention having the nice climate controlled environment to work in.......
I went from working on cars, to working on computers. The parts were smaller, lighter, cleaner (for the most part), and most importantly, NEVER see a michigan winter. Not to mention having the nice climate controlled environment to work in.......
#27
08-18-2010 | 09:39 PM
Professional
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 226
Likes: 1
From:
This got funny in a hurry, in my opinion computers are PFM. I can't even figure out how to load pics on here that aren't too big and went years before I got even that far. As for the truck, I bought the Haynes right after the truck, back in 97. I used to keep it on the tank of the toilet for daily reading. I tell me wife we can't sell this truck since it is the only thing I know how to work on. It takes me 3 times longer to do anything on her Toyota. Start small and read DF.com and o yeah I still don't know $hit.
Last edited by 1997DodgeRam; 08-18-2010 at 09:44 PM.
#28
08-18-2010 | 10:52 PM
Who ever told you a geek can't get laid lied to you. Nerds on the other hand? LOL
#29
08-18-2010 | 10:52 PM
Legend
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,843
Likes: 13
From: DFW, Texas
