Overclock.net - Overclocking.net - Blogs - Firestorm252 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/ An overclocking forum devoted to maximizing the performance of graphics cards, CPUs, motherboards, RAM and everything else found inside your computer case. en Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:03:10 GMT vBulletin 1 http://static.overclock.net/images/oc/misc/rss.jpg Overclock.net - Overclocking.net - Blogs - Firestorm252 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/ Would you tap it? http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/1489-would-you-tap.html Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:57:19 GMT So recently I found the joys of the drill-tap. Kind of surprised I never thought about the possibility of 1) putting an appropriately-sized drill ahead of 2) the necessary tap threading. But holy crap is it a great idea. Don't get me wrong self-tapping screws and the like are okay, but sooner or later either the screw or the hole is gonna get "used up".

Now, I've been using plain-jane taps for a while (mainly a set I borrow from my uncle :o). But I figured I'd get my own a 6-32 tap since I've been wearing down that particular one. A lot of PC-related screws have that thread, at least til everone moves over to their finer threaded metric counterparts... so it made sense.

Well curiously enough, while making an order from Mouser the other week I saw a drill-tap. It didn't take long to put two-and-two together before I ordered one.

Gotta say makes things easier. from "hmm, just stick a nut and lock washer on it" to "Hey, I can just swap drill bits to a tap and viola~" to "Okay, too lazy, lets get the tap and drill all on the same bit" :p

Now I've gotta talk my dad into teaching me basic welding and I'll be able to weld up my own case at some point

Picture source: Micro-Machine Shop - Tapping Threads & Associated Reference Tables ]]> Firestorm252 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/1489-would-you-tap.html Audio progress http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/1468-audio-progress.html Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:47:59 GMT So I've been up to another foray into audio DIY as of late.
This time I went with something less portable and decidedly more retro. Current project: Millet Hybrid MiniMAX

I would've gone with the entry-level "staving student" but i've read multiple reports that the tubes for it are getting harder to find in any quantity. In any case, even Beezar has decided to limit their current stock to pair with the last set of SSMH kits they'll get in stock soon.

It'll be a bit yet before I complete it, but so far I've found that I'm having, probably, more fun putting it together and modding its enclosure than anything else so far ;)

anyway, don't wanna make a long post of this so expect a worklog in the audio/audio hifi section once I get it all done, biased, and closed up. provided i don't blow it up in the process hahaha

^_^ b ]]> Firestorm252 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/1468-audio-progress.html PC = Lillipution? http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/1068-pc-lillipution.html Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:22:41 GMT What's this?! a blog update?!

why yes, yes it is :D

Anyhoo, it's been a while since my last post. Somewhere along the line I noticed the blogs should be used for insightful or otherwise helpful entries... seeing that I'm neither I've waited for something that qualifies under the criterion... so here I am a number of months later and I think I have something!

mATX build Status: in limbo
DFI Jr P45-T2RS
E8500 + TR Ultima-90I
8800GTS 512MB (had it lying around)
BFG LS-450W
4GB-PC1066 OCZ Reapers (they were cheap, but such ugly RAM)
XFI (either my spare xtremegamer or transplanted xtrememusic)
Aerocool M40 (will get some modding for cooling)


However current plans kind of got derailed and it seems I WON'T be moving out again anytime soon (housing plans A, B, and even C through F fell through :(). So this build is now technically in limbo ]]> Firestorm252 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/1068-pc-lillipution.html <![CDATA[What happens when I'm on the RosenQueen mailing list...]]> http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/672-what-happens-when-im-rosenqueen-mailing.html Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:09:51 GMT Okay, if you don't know what RosenQueen is then you've likely not played a Nippon Ichi Software (otherwise known in the US as NIS America). RosenQueen is a bit of a recurring thing for them in almost all of their games (as is an odd little blue-haired girl named Plenair).

But anyway, they sell NIS America stuff. Be it games, apparel, thing-a-majigs, to those little figurines that people either get creeped out by or just adore.

So they send me a newsletter about Pre-ordering Persona 4 and Ar Tonelico 2. And as I've loved Persona 3, and from what reviews of Ar Tolelico I've read I'll probably enjoy the latter as well.

So in one fell swoop I've got more video game purchases planned than I normally do. I'm one of those impulse video game buyers.

Also this blog gives me a chance to throw some traffic over to NIS America as I love their RosenQueen store ^_^ ]]> Firestorm252 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/672-what-happens-when-im-rosenqueen-mailing.html <![CDATA[Fall season's official start]]> http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/667-fall-seasons-official-start.html Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:39:57 GMT Well it's fall again and I realize that it's been 2 years since my previous relationship. Kind of remarkable I've even had girlfriends but whatever I guess :o

but rather than feel lonely, I might as well give some reasons why fall is one of my favorite seasons.

Fall is always a wonderful time of year for relationships.
  • If you're a student no one is terribly stressed yet and everyone's relatively friendly.
  • The weather is such that you can wear whatever is simply comfortable and have no worries of bulky jackets or profuse sweat.
  • When the leaves change, no matter where you go in the South it's gorgeous. Some of my fondest memories are simply sitting on a hill with someone I care about and simply enjoying the view and each other's company.

Go out and enjoy the outdoors, fall is a beautiful time of year. It's a great time to kindle lasting relationships for the ever-coming cold of winter :) ]]> Firestorm252 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/667-fall-seasons-official-start.html Gas, Gas Everywhere, But not a drop in GA... http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/665-gas-gas-everywhere-but-not-drop.html Wed, 24 Sep 2008 01:12:39 GMT Yup, gas stations are out and a lot of folks here are still in need.

It's in the news, it's in everyone's conversation: Where's there gas?
and apparently in GA it's no where to be found.

Monday I tried filling up as my little light started warning my of no gas and I commute a total of 100 miles back and forth from campus.
The short story is that I went the long way home to pass 9 gas stations and after passing the first 7 with no gas I finally found a station with gas and topped off.
About an hour later we found out that the station was out now as well.

This morning I passed 15+ and only 5 had gas to give, which was promptly used up by the noon rush.

Where's Waldo can take a hike, I'm pretty sure we're all interested in "Where's the gas!?" ]]> Firestorm252 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/665-gas-gas-everywhere-but-not-drop.html Voice of the Dawgs finally hangs up his headset http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/664-voice-dawgs-finally-hangs-up-his.html Wed, 24 Sep 2008 01:10:31 GMT Larry Munson announced his retirement recently. It was stated that it was due to health complications. After announcing the UGA football games for 43 seasons the voice that every GA Dawg fan has come to trust and to an extent love is finally hanging up his headset. The man has been, until... Larry Munson announced his retirement recently. It was stated that it was due to health complications.

After announcing the UGA football games for 43 seasons the voice that every GA Dawg fan has come to trust and to an extent love is finally hanging up his headset.

The man has been, until recently, the only Dawgs announcer I've known and his voice is as familiar as those of my family.

I wish the man a bright retirement and health for the rest of his days. While many will be sad that he's done, no one will argue that he's earned it.

And to close, a fitting compilation of many of his famous commentaries.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMi9nwILsu4 ]]> Firestorm252 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/664-voice-dawgs-finally-hangs-up-his.html What to do when all of a sudden you have $140 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/662-what-do-when-all-sudden-you.html Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:13:56 GMT A MIR came in the other day and my parents paid me back $60 they owed me so now i've got $140 i'm sitting on til I do a bank deposit.

probably gonna do another double-payment on my car, i'm already 6-months ahead anyway (quicker it's paid the better!). hmm what do the blog readers of OCN think? :thinking:

as if people actually read this hahaha ]]> Firestorm252 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/662-what-do-when-all-sudden-you.html My first impressions on full-on use of Ubuntu http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/651-my-first-impressions-full-use-ubuntu.html Thu, 11 Sep 2008 02:37:40 GMT Well, since my last blog I've gotten a new HD for my laptop. I've loaded both XP and Ubuntu 8.04 on it.
I guess I have to take back "first impressions" as I've been using Xubuntu for my file server for quite a while now.

In all honesty the whole setup for Ubuntu and it's different GUI derivatives has been good with a few caveats. In each installation I've had a few things I've needed to get nitty-gritty with in order to either get functionality I wanted or, in the case of my laptop, functionality I need.
Interface is fun overall, used KDE, Gnome, and XFCE thus far and I have to say, I really prefer it to the standard Windows interfaces.
However, when I'm actually setting up stuff the root privileges are nigh as annoying as Vista's UAC.

Back to the aforementioned problems I guess...
Keep in mind that I've never used any linux-derivative for any major period of time, and have pretty much had to learn CLI, compiling, and etc. much quicker than I expected...

Xubuntu + my fileserver:
S3 IGP... Oh, yea you know what I mean if you've encountered it. Compiling an OpenChrome driver without ever having done so or ever having read over the procedure for before. I swear, I was on a general VESA driver for the longest time.

mdadm... haha, I made this one harder on myself than necessary. I kept trying to use the hardware options, when in the end I went with an mdadm software array.

Vino instead of VNC... woo boy, learning XFCE doesn't have remote access and finding VNC being a PITA to get working, I went with Vino and it's password backend was a fun and easy learning experience.

now for Ubuntu + my laptop:
everything works well. one very annoying problem however...

Broadcom 43 firmware. fun stuff, I have the driver to use it, but just recently pieced together that there isn't the firmware to make the hardware work. yipee! -_-
This one's getting rectified shortly however. ]]> Firestorm252 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/651-my-first-impressions-full-use-ubuntu.html <![CDATA[When what you believe and what you cherish don't mesh]]> http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/650-when-what-you-believe-what-you.html Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:20:47 GMT Everyone holds their own beliefs, and moreover there are certain things each person sort of holds up and cherishes even if those around them don't or loath that very thing...

Well I just found out that EA went ahead and kept DRM on Red Alert 3. I was hoping against hope that the Spore fallout would quash these plans...
Shallow and selfish as it may sound, when we live in a world where everything I take for granted is a miracle. But this is akin to burning a holy text in front of a true believer to put it in context...

My personal belief is that "if I give them my monies purchasing something with DRM, it only gives them more reason to continue using it". I mean I don't care about CD/DVD checks or [edit]SecuROM SafeDisc [/edit] as I have never had issues with them before; Starforce yes, but the aforementioned no. But activation limited DRM makes my blood boil...

I'm also a lifelong C&C fanboy. I've owned every one on the PC. Heck, it kicked off gaming in general for me and eventually helped push my interest in PCs. Without C&C, I would likely be just some detached medical tech or undergraduate therapist.

It probably sounds like I'm mourning the death of the franchise, and for all intents and purposes so long as it carries the DRM it will be dead to me. The acquisition of Westwood by EA bothered me, but they soon after came out with C&C titles worthy of the name (Generals was a crap fluke however) so it never really bothered me all that much.

Now one thing that is a deal-breaker for me; that I will not support by purchasing something with it... is on a series that, against prevailing opinions of "better" options available, I still return to time and again.

Maybe it will be removed, although it is unlikely. Only time will tell.
Who knows, maybe I'm simply being melodramatic.

But before you pass your judgment, consider this:
Something you cherish, nearly against all prevailing wisdom, suddenly becomes one of the very things that symbolizes something you hate.
If you're faced with this prospect... what else can you do but lament it? ]]> Firestorm252 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/650-when-what-you-believe-what-you.html When it rains it pours... then freezes... and subsequently causes me to hit my face http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/646-when-rains-pours-then-freezes-subsequently.html Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:51:32 GMT Well i'm excited!
Got a fresh new battery for my aging laptop and some new RAM. Pretty peppy again at this point in time, or rather it would be if the HARD DRIVE HADN'T DECIDED TO CONK OUT :mad::mad:

Fast forward 7 hours after realizing it...
Recovery installs and various other methods don't seem to be working. Looks like the drive is kaput.

Will be booting into Hardy soon to see if i can at least salvage my class notes and a few other files I'd rather not lose.

if that doesn't work, i get to try the freezer method. ]]> Firestorm252 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/646-when-rains-pours-then-freezes-subsequently.html When a game is widescreen, but not really widescreen... http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/642-when-game-widescreen-but-not-really.html Sun, 31 Aug 2008 13:50:47 GMT Okay, another blog post. wee!
Been a while, eh? ;)
not that anyone reads this hahaha.

But I digress...
Well I've owned Dark Messiah of Might and Magic for quite some time I believe almost a year, but have never been able to even play it until just recently.

My main problem?
NV4_DISP crashes whenever I try to go anywhere beyond the main menu.
I've spent so much time back and forth between tech support and trying various fixes they've suggested and nothing. na-da.

I put the game down for ages, and I come across a sticky in their forums which was an amazing revelation:
While the screen ratio offers a 16:10 ratio setting, the game doesn't like it and has a high likelihood of crashing while in said ratio.
I go to normal, 4:3, ratio (16:9 blurs too much) and lo-and-behold no problems.

If the game is so buggy at that ratio, why did the people making it take the time to at least disable it as an option?

On a brighter note, the game is remarkably fun if not easily predictable. ]]> Firestorm252 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/642-when-game-widescreen-but-not-really.html I know my name is Firestorm and all, but this is just silly http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/515-i-know-my-name-firestorm-all.html Sat, 17 May 2008 12:51:01 GMT I got a new battery for my PSP in the other day. More than a bit of an improvement considering I used to be able to drain the charge within a day playing Disgaea w/ no sound and lowest brightness. Which is kinda concerning considering Disgaea is all sprites and some 3d polygon flair for special... I got a new battery for my PSP in the other day. More than a bit of an improvement considering I used to be able to drain the charge within a day playing Disgaea w/ no sound and lowest brightness. Which is kinda concerning considering Disgaea is all sprites and some 3d polygon flair for special attacks.

But back to the point of this entry...

So I get it in my head to stick a custom firmware onto my PSP. Well I don't know anyone with a homebrewed PSP so I decided to Pandora the old battery...

Well it involves breaking open the housing of the battery. So I pry it open and you know how the Lithium-Ion cell is wrapped in it's little battery foil thing? For some awful reason the top-part of the housing hung on something while I was opening it and exposed the cell and after that happened it was just looking for something to short it.

Not too sure what caused the short, but what ensued was in retrospect kinda funny. I never knew that those batteries can take off like rockets. I saw the short, it heated up and tossed it off my bed (I just happened to be fiddling with it there. Not sure why, but I was) and mid-flight I get a nice puff of smoke shoot out and the battery starts flying around spewing smoke, flame, and melted plastic bits.

well, while this was happening I grabbed an oven mit and grabbed it after it stopped rocketing around the floor. I got it quick enough that chance of fire was nil, but there's a funny, PSP-battery shaped melted spot on my room's carpet now.

Living at my parents right now (classes done til fall) so I feel kinda bad, but if they resell the house the carpet will have to be redone anyway since it's old, cheap, plasti-berber so I don't feel too bad. ]]> Firestorm252 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/515-i-know-my-name-firestorm-all.html Realities of the Workplace http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/467-realities-workplace.html Wed, 30 Apr 2008 22:20:35 GMT After a recent post I said that
Quote:
we've got a hierarchy and if i overstep it i'm liable. i am not putting myself nor will any of my coworkers put themselves into that position.
in regards to a workplace situation.

I get some messages along the lines of "Dude, just tell your boss that's the way to do it and that's that" and "if you don't put yourself in that situation how do you ever think anything gets fixed?"

I don't know what they mean by essentially telling me to put the source of income on the line regarding an executive decision i won't even claim to understand.

Work in corporate America isn't a "you're revolutionary, so promotion for you"... it's more often "you do as we say, you do it like we tell you, and if it makes us happy you get a promotion. if you don't we'll find someone that will"
When you work, you leave your beliefs and bias at the door and get the job done.

Again, I don't mean it to insult anyone who does do this.
I just prefer to be in a financially stable situation while knowing work-arounds that won't ever be utilized than in a financially unstable situation because I insisted they be put into place even when the decision is a moot point. ]]> Firestorm252 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/467-realities-workplace.html MMMMM money http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/379-mmmmm-money.html Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:41:34 GMT Got my tax return a bit early (yes I filed early haha).

After getting ahead on bills, especially on my car, I had a smidge extra. So i figured I'd look around and see what I could find for myself.

O HEY! HD555's are $90 at newegg! Of course the first thing I see and think about getting are completely superfluous to normal life and aren't needed as I already have headphones...
...

...
I bought them.

Still a bit left over and I'm still unsure what to do with it except deposit it. ]]> Firestorm252 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/379-mmmmm-money.html Good news and bad news... http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/359-good-news-bad-news.html Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:36:59 GMT OOOOOO, there's a blog O.o

Well taking care of people sick with the flu for my spring break.

Meant to do something for me during my time off, but I guess life has other plans haha.

Characteristically I catch something at the least opportune time, at the end of my break. Which is just dandy, I love how I make doing that a habit :D.

Doctor had some heartening news though:
"Good news is you don't have the flu.
But looking at the back of your throat, you have a nasty virus of some sort."
GREAT, I expose myself to a strain of flu not in the flu shots, go out of my way to catch it early, and spend nearly a week doing so and for what? I catch a virus!
If I didn't find the situation so funny, I think I'd be mad.

But on the other hand, I get to say "I caught a virus before my computer for once!"

Well I got prescribed something to the effect of "liquid Lortab" which basically means I have something besides Benadryl to help me sleep at night ^_^ ]]> Firestorm252 http://www.overclock.net/blogs/firestorm252/359-good-news-bad-news.html