http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/8158/newpc.jpg
My case has changed to a CoolerMaster HAF X.
My CPU cooler is a Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO
Mobo has changed, along with a SSD HDD.
I still need to fix those drives.. I just finished my build today.
My i7 975 was given to my cousin for his Christmas present.
I recently purchased a ASUS VG 236 3D monitor with 3D Vision included. (Thanks to PredatorRules for giving me the idea to look into it) I have to say, I was suprised. The monitor itself is a grade above my previous monitor a Samsung SyncMaster 226BW, although the 2ms response time is the same, all the other specs exceed it. Considering I bought the Samsung monitor for about ~400 USD back when Circuit City was still around, Igot a good deal ontheVG 236 for about ~500 USD. Was it worth the extra 100 bucks? I have to say yes, it was. Why? Well the monitor not only includes the 3D Vision glasses but also it works as advertised.
I have used it on PowerDVD 10 Ultra and it works well on standard DVDs. (Yes, it has the option to convert 2D DVDs to 3D) From what I can tell the DVD video was improved a bit to almost Blu-Ray quality when set to 3D, which in itself is a plus, and although it may not be a TRUE 3D experience it does its job pretty well.
Now, for gaming, you will need to have extra FPS to spare if you intend on playing your games in 3D. They look spectacular in 3D, they REALLY do! But, you may have to tone down settings if you want a fluid experience. As and example: I played Just Cause 2 without the 3D settings all on max with vsync enabled and was able to achieve 25 FPS on the Concrete Jungle benchmark. I slap on the 3D with the same settings and my FPS drops to an average of 9 FPS. So be sure to have yyour gfx cards either OCed or SLIed in order to keep your setting the same in-game while using 3D.
The specs I used for my benchmark were all stock speeds:
i7 975 3.33
24 GB RAM (1066 CAS 7 G. Skill Ripjaws)
GTX 295
Gigabyte EX58-UD5
10 TB (2x 2TB, 6x1TB)7200 RPM HDDs (a mix of Western Digital and Seagate)
ASUS Slim BD-ROM external player
Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit
Silverstone Raven RV01 Case.
http://www.gog.com/en/frontpage/
My library there will now have to be redownloaded and saved to a backup drive. But, If it is only available Thursday then I expect everyone else will be scrambling to DL their libraries as well which may just bog down the servers. I wish they had given us more advance notice. This may not affect a lot of you, but it stings a bit for me, since I did purchase quite a few titles from that site.
A sad day for such a good website, I enjoyed being a part of it.
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6275345.html?tag=latestheadlines%3Btitle%3B1
Though there's a recession on, some gamers still spend buckets of ducats to get top-performance gaming rigs. Custom PC specialist Origin is reaching out to just such a spendthrift demographic with its latest system--cheekily named "The Big O"--which combines both a high-end PC and an Xbox 360 slim in a single, extremely expensive box.
On the PC side, the Big O is customizable, with one or two six-core, 12-thread Intel Xeon X5680 CPUs which can be overclocked to 4.3 Ghz on a ASUS Rampage III Extreme Motherboard. It also boasts a SLI multi-GPU configuration, which can have up to four GeForce GTX 480 FTW graphics cards. Up to 12GB of RAM can be given to device, all versions of which have 2TB hard drives, liquid cooling systems, and customizable cases.
Two things make the Big O unique in today's gaming market. First is its inclusion of an entire Xbox 360 slim, also liquid-cooled, inside the same box. Second is the device's whopping price. The entry-level model, which has a single CPU and GPU, rings up at $7,669. The version recently featured in CPU magazine, which boasts two CPUs and four GPUS amongst other features, rings up at a whopping $16,999--as much as a low-end new car or a round-the-world vacation.
Now the picture of the computer sports a EVGA water blocks on a non-EVGA MOBO. Think EVGA doesn't have a nice MOBO? Think again! Look at the specs for:
EVGA ****fied SR-2 NVidia 5520 DP LGA1366 MAX-48GB DDR3 PCIE x 16 USB 3.0.
That's right boys and girls it holds 48GB of RAM with the ability to slap on both the Xeon or i7 980x
So ask yourself, does this computer by ORIGIN really live up to the hype? Could you not build a comparable system for less that will blow this ORIGIN system out of the water? Seems like they are hoping that we "computer geeks" are as dumb as donkeys to buy this overpriced "gimped" PC.
The starred out section of the blog entry is due to the word: C-L-A-S-S-I-F-I-E-D
Here is the whole article (without pic):
Much like Ubisoft's newest games, when C&C4 is released tomorrow it will only work while you're connected to EA's servers. We've done some extensive cable-yanking experiments to see how the game reacts if you're disconnected from them during play, and the results are... bad.
After creating an account, assigning your serial number to it and logging into the game, you still need to be online to start a single player game: if not, you're logged out and unable to play.
Once you're in-game, getting disconnected produces this message:
PIC (www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=239583
As it says, you can continue to play, but your progress won't be saved.
I tried reconnecting, then continuing with the mission and eventually completing it. But at the end, I was booted back to the main menu, all progress lost. My internet connection had been working fine, but the game never bothered to reconnect me to EA's servers.
Once it's been disconnected, it doesn't seem to make any attempt to reconnect. That means even a momentary interruption to your connection kills your session completely: everything you do from then on is pointless.
The only way to avoid losing progress is to save your game the moment you get that message, quit out, then start it again. Otherwise, you won't be connected to EA's servers even if you're connected to the internet, and finishing any mission will erase all your progress.
We've already seen with Ubisoft's authentication servers that your own internet connection is not the only requirement with these systems: the publisher's servers have to be up and working too, and this is by no means guaranteed. Now, if your connection to EA's servers is lost even for a moment, everything you do from then on is a waste of time. You have to quit the game and restart it to even attempt to reconnect.
It gets worse.
EA have previously shut down the multiplayer servers for 78 of their games, sometimes barely more than a year after release. On Tuesday, they shut down all servers for PC games Mercenaries 2 and Lord of the Rings: Conquest, which only came out last year. Naturally we contacted EA to ask how long they intended to keep the servers for C&C 4 online, but have received no response.
All the while, EA's Command & Conquer Community Manager is claiming "Command & Conquer 4 has NO DRM" on their forums. This is seemingly by some new definition of digital rights management, in which systems that restrict your ability to play don't count.
The game revolves around earning experience points to unlock access to new units, and this information is stored on EA's servers. A remotely useful feature for some, but does nothing to explain why anyone should be required to stay online to play.
C&C4 is out in Europe tomorrow. Our review isn't on sale just yet, but I can tell you we didn't much care for the game.
This explains why C&C4 has poor user scores.
I don't know if it is the same with AC2 in this regard. But, it seems more and more games are coming out with this form of DRM.
An example of a game that did well and was pirated heavily: Galactic Civilizations II.
"Stardock has announced progress with its "NO Copy Protection" anti-piracy strategy for Galactic Civilizations II. The bottom line is that Stardock has seen no lost sales from not implementing any advanced anti-piracy tools. This attitude continues to be controversial in the computer games industry.
Please Note - Stardock does some positive business activities that help fight piracy. They have an excellent product, cultivate a positive relationship with their customers and community, and regularly update the game. All of these measure work together to deter piracy and encourage more purchases.
One of the misleading number that industry analyst cite is the rate of piracy. This number is the number of pirated copies of a game or other piece of software. This number is then used to derive lost revenues.
Of course this is utter nonsense.
The actual lost revenue rate or lost sales rate is the number of individuals that would have purchased the item if they couldn't find a pirated copy... this number is much, much lower - though it varies widely depending on the product.
So does DRM actually work?! It doesn't appear this is the case with Stardock's bold move, and all this DRM stuff may acually MAKE pirates more pervasive, instead of less.
First game I got hyped to was AVP... bad move. I' sure it plays well on console, but as a vet of the original games, ummm no.
Just Cause 2, I was right to get hyped about this game, the demo ROCKS! I keep playing it over and over, and its just a tiny map section..
Medal Of Honor: Okay Medal of Honor, I hope to god I fall in love with this one like I did with MOHAA. Heck, I may just run into some of my old clan buddies, and we can revive the clan! Still got my tags! )[eVo]( aka Team Evolution.
Deus Ex: Man, what a time for a new one, hopefully not as poor as DX:IW was. Although, it kinda grew on me after multiple plays. Oh and the ending just blew. So I'm crossing my fingers with this one.
Crysis 2: Hmm.. seems like it will be the Doom 2 of the 2010s.
Starcraft 2: I wasn't much into the original, but I did complete the campaigns, so I'l pick this one up just for the story.
Diablo 3: When is it EVER going to come out?! I've been waiting, and waiting, and waiting....
Portal 2: Ah the love of getting a bit dizzy with the multiple portals, and a rehash of the same great puzzle game that redefined how a FPS could be done.
Half Life 2 Episode 3: Word on the wire is that they will create a whole new engine for the game, and maybe a full blown GAME. However, the 2010 release date maybe a bit pre-mature, but here is to hoping!
Tech releases:
6 core Gulftown with HT: Need I say more? AMD will have its own 6 core as well.. so save those pennies!
nVidia GTX 480: Not pleased with the pre-release benchmarks, but hoping those are from older beta cards, and not to actual release cards.
I'm sure I am missing some upcoming titles, but these are the ones I hope/are coming to 2010.
Okay, what the hell was up tonight?! "The Hurt Locker" got Best Picture?! Are they just dense?! This is the absolute first time I have seen a movie not get best picture that had overwhelming sales. I think the Academy Awards just took a deep nosedive, and proves beyond a doubt that they award those who are their "contibutors" and not what wins at the box office. The highest grossing movie of all time is Avatar (without inflation), which means it had the Oscars by the throat, and most of the awards went to his X-wife's movie "The Hurt Locker", a movie about Iraq.. umm please!Don't theyall know how sick we are about Iraq?! Why do you think the majority voted democrat this time around? That's it, I am not watching the Oscars anymore.. BS anyways, just like the average politician. What utter CRAP!
Been out of the game for a while due to my lack of a game worthy PC. My previous game PC was:
Pentium 4 3.6GHz HT
1TBx2 HDD
Soundblaster X-Fi F4tality
GeForce 8800 GTS 640mb
Windows XP Pro 32bit
2GB RAM
NEW BUILD:
Pentium i7 975 3.33Extreme (Non-OCed, if I need to OC, I will, till then NO OC)
6 TB HDD (2x 1TB internal 1x1.5 TB internal 1x2TB External 1x400GB External 1x 120GB External) (The externals I have had for a very long time minus the2TB)
Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5 (needed the PCI Legacy ports)
CoolMaster V8 CPU Cooler (I plan to upgrade this later, although I get low 30s on idle, my P4 idled at 60C, so I maybe a bit anal in terms of this)
24 GB RAM (CAS = 7, unbuffered as a side note: never buy quad rank memory, server memory is not compatible with even high end desktop processors)
Windows 7 Ultimate (obviously: 64bit)
Soundblaster X-Fi F4tality (harvested from old PC PCI though, not that it matters the PCI-E has the same stats)
Razor Naga
Cyborg Keyboard (I like my main keys having different colors :) )
2 x eSata ports (needed for my externals, might as well be internals now..lol cuts down on case temps too!)
Silverstone Raven RV01 case (best air cooled case so far, the design is that hot air rises, and thus the inverted design)
S-Flex Exhaust 120mm Fan ~1900rpm (had to replace the exhaust fan since more air flowing in than going in, now things are more balanced)
Stock Intake 180mm ~700rpm fans (left these in for now)
Logitech Orbit (gotta have a webcam, especially an autotrack one)
Surfboard Cable Modem 6120 (The box listed as delivering up to 2Gb/s, although there is not a desktop card that can get 2Gb/s not even the Bigfoot cards)
Cat 6 ethernet cable (less resistance from the modem to the PC. I even bought gold tipped coaxial cable RG6 to lessen the loss of transmission from the wall to the modem, although Time Warner speed boost puts out 17Gb/s, how modern desktop equipment can benefit from this, who is to say)
Oh and a BFG Geforce 295GTX ~1.7GB (Only one.. I don't see the point in SLI if another more powerful card is in the wings a few months down the road, plus it cuts down on case temp!)
Last in my little box is the PSU a non-modular 1000W Xion, want to get a 1600 Watt but those you need to rewire your plugs and circuit breakers to make full use of the PSU... according to some. the sweet spot is 1200Watt, few issues there)
My thanks to TigerDirect and NewEgg.
I think I maybe back into using Gamespot, who knows.
Well, on 8-09-07 my wallet was stolen (possibly by a co-worker) and I had to cancel all my credit cards/bank cards/bank checks/ etc. The process was really quite easy, and hasstle free.. Discover was the one company that suggested I place an initial fraud alert on my credit report. Besides being extremely friendly and helpful, I aim to keep doing business with them for years to come. Anyways, Transunion and Experian sent me letters telling me of my initial report and how I could double check my records. I did so, and noticed that I had a store credit card I didn't know I had lol. I got my credit score, and I am at 709. An average score for the typical American. Luckily, I didn't have to dispute any items on my report.
I also applied for a wallet protector service which basically means I only call one number and all my cards/checks/etc get cancelled. The cost is around 2 dollars a month.. Most of my cards have security plus.. which basically means if EVER I am unemployed or unable to pay my balance.. my standing with the company will not be affected. The rates vary with the amount of credit you have. A good idea for those who are uncertain about staying at the job your at or "at risk" of being "replaced".
A couple of services that may help some people who are unsure of using the internet to purchase items. Use the features of your on-line accounts like virtual cards etc to place orders.. (they are free to use.. so USE them) This adds a level of protection for you when purchasing online. Basically, what I mean is a virtual card is a number generated by the card company that can be used for the transaction at the time or set to a level of funds that you request. Your actual card number is NEVER used. Great service for those of us who like to shop online. :)
Another good thing is ending the amount of mail in your mailbox.. (the physical one) by signing up for paperless statements shipped directly to your e-mail. you can even add alerts to your account that notify if you exceed a certain amount. Great way to tone down on the amount of goods your purchase as well as keeping you constantly informed about your balance.
If your concerned about Identity Theft most card companies have an "identity theft protection" plan of some sort.. your charged a monthly fee to keep you informed about your credit report and any changes to your file.
All these services and helpful hints will keep you VERY secure when you plan to shop online, as well as, in the unfortunate event, that your wallet is lost or stolen.
I decided to make this blog entry because of a recent topic on the PC forums about how we feel about "digitial distribution" I stated that I approve of it and use it quite often. Some voiced concerns about privacy issues etc. About possible bankruptcy etc of a company offering digital goods. So, I ask ya blog readers.. what do you think about digitial distribution of games? Great idea or not?
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