Computer Forum Chat Thread

[Deleted]

Welcome to the computer-forum chat thread.

This thread was created to offload the major threads in the Computer forum and hopefully reduce the amount of off-topic and spam posts. Feel free to chit-chat about anything related to computers or the "Computer" and "Computer Build / Upgrade Help" sections. Please note that this thread is located in Fun Stuff and that the rules and guidelines of that section applies to this thread (they can be found here).

This thread is not for questions/answers. Please make a new thread in the Computer or the Computer Build /Upgrade Help forums if you happen to have a question regarding anything related to Computers, including peripherals and build-specific assistance.

[noteworthynerd]

Finally...
=P

I'm happy to see this thread come to fruition, I'm not sure how many people I've PMed asking for it (and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has), but I can think of at least two in the last month. I'm just a little worried that the thread will be hard to keep going, since it is in the Fun Stuff section. =/

I'll start us off: my keyboard is on its last leg, it's been squeaking for a while and recently the space bar has started to become unresponsive, so I'm in the market for a new one. I've been thinking mechanical, but I'm not sure which one would be best (right now I'm looking at the K90 and the Das keyboard). I don't require a lot of stuff in my keyboard, all I really need is a backlit board that is easy to type on. I don't use macro keys, so I prefer for the keyboard to have as little as possible (or none at all).

I'm also in the market for a new mouse, my Logitech one is still chugging along, but I've been playing a lot of Team Fortress 2 lately, and I can't even consider playing a Sniper because my mouse just isn't accurate enough. Been looking at the Mionix Naos 5000.

So, what do you guys recommend? =D

[Libram]

Welcome to the computer-forum chat thread.

This thread was created to offload the major threads in the Computer forum and hopefully reduce the amount of off-topic and spam posts. Feel free to chit-chat about anything related to computers or the "Computer" and "Computer Build Help" section. Please note that this thread is located in Fun Stuff and that the rules and guidelines of that section applies to this thread (they can be found here).

Awesome :P Always wanted to ask this question in this forum section but found it to be more of a spam post then anything.
So, what do people think about the NZXT computer cases, accessories, and other things they have :3 I find them to be preaty cool in my perspective. The cases seem unique instead of the boring generic cases I've seen lately. The mouse seems preaty neet, im not sure if its an amazing quality mouse. But its nice to look at as well as the other things :P

---------- Post added 2012-03-09 at 06:57 PM ----------

Finally...
=P

I'm happy to see this thread come to fruition, I'm not sure how many people I've PMed asking for it (and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has), but I can think of at least two in the last month.

I'll start us off: my keyboard is on its last leg, it's been squeaking for a while and recently the space bar has started to become unresponsive, so I'm in the market for a new one. I've been thinking mechanical, but I'm not sure which one would be best (right now I'm looking at the K90 and the Das keyboard). I don't require a lot of stuff in my keyboard, all I really need is a backlit board that is easy to type on. I don't use macro keys, so I prefer for the keyboard to have as little as possible (or none at all).

I'm also in the market for a new mouse, my Logitech one is still chugging along, but I've been playing a lot of Team Fortress 2 lately, and I can't even consider playing a Sniper because my mouse just isn't accurate enough. Been looking at the Mionix Naos 5000.

So, what do you guys recommend? =D

For a mouse? Hmm.. Mind taking the NZXT Avatar S mouse for a try? I haven't found any proper reviews on it yet and wondering if its any good. Its really nice looking in the pictures though :3
Edit: It comes in Black to.

[noteworthynerd]

I'm not normally a fan of NZXT products, but I will openly admit that I'm very impressed with their new full-tower chassis, the Switch 810.

That mouse looks a little too slim for my hand. I've tried slim Razer mouses in the past like the Death Adder, and always end up returning them because I get cramps in my fingers/palm.

[Arlee]

Eww nerds! j/k of course Welcome to the Fun Stuff forums. Play nice, talk about computer things, and stuff

[Libram]

I'm not normally a fan of NZXT products, but I will openly admit that I'm very impressed with their new full-tower chassis, the Switch 810.

That mouse looks a little too slim for my hand. I've tried slim Razer mouses in the past like the Death Adder, and always end up returning them because I get cramps in my fingers/palm.

I actually like the slim models in gaming mice :3 The Switch 810 looks gigantic. Enough room for all! But visually, its too generic for me =/

[noteworthynerd]

I actually prefer "generic"/simple/minimalist; which is why I love Fractal Design's cases.

I don't like "unique" cases with lots of unnecessary design quirks (like the Thermaltake Level 10 GT for example). I'd rather have a simple rectangular case that is easy to build in (like the Fractal Design Define XL)! And don't even get me started on people who ruin their builds with annoying fluorescent cable sleeves and LEDs! >=(

But I realize that everyone is different, and some people like that stuff.

I believe that the Switch 810 was designed for housing water-cooled setups, and the reviews seem to indicate that it is perfectly capable of doing so.

[Libram]

I actually prefer "generic"/simple/minimalist; which is why I love Fractal Design's cases.

I don't like "unique" cases with lots of unnecessary design quirks (like the Thermaltake Level 10 GT for example). I'd rather have a simple rectangular case that is easy to build in (like the Fractal Design Define XL)! And don't even get me started on people who ruin their builds with annoying fluorescent cable sleeves and LEDs! >=(

But I realize that everyone is different, and some people like that stuff.

I believe that the Switch 810 was designed for housing water-cooled setups, and the reviews seem to indicate that it is perfectly capable of doing so.

Haha, hate the eye candy for computers? xD
I like the size of the Switch 810 so much though that it almost makes me want to change my sig again lol. Looks like you could just do all of the installing inside the case and not even have to insert the things on the mobo before seating it inside the case.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

The Switch 810 is going to be my first choice for my new computer, It has a proper window, none of this "we're gonna put a huge ass 200mm fan right in front of the graphics cards and the motherboard, so all you can see are the push fans on the rad and the hard drive cages" that you get with cases like the Elysium (and I believe also the HAF X). It has space to expand in the future, both hardware and cooling wise. It also only costs €160.

[inux94]

Computer chat thread! Yay!

Been missing something like this on mmo-champion for some time =)

[Deleted]

On NZXT cases:
I have worked with the H2 and own the Phantom myself. I like the H2, but the Define R3 just seems better (and I do very much dislike the hot-swap HDD tray). The H2 is overall a very nice case, and for the price offers a lot, both in terms of features and looks.

I don't like the Phantom though. I settled for it because it was cheap and spacy enough to allow for future upgrades. In hindsight I'd rather have spend twice as much on a better case. It isn't a bad case in itself, but most builders looking for cases at that price-point aren't interested in full-towers (or simply don't need one). It also has a plastic, piano-finish exterior which works, but coupled with the (cheap) plastic details it becomes too much - at least to me. The fan controller is alright but feels cheap and plastic-y as well.

What the case does good is in the interior primarily. It's spacy, offers great cable-routing options and has everything you want a case to have at that price.

[bals]

anyone have a HTPC? How do you like it? I been thinking about building one but not really sure if I have much of a use for one.

also anyone know of any set up guides for HTPCs and possibly some how-to use them well guides?

[Adappy]

anyone have a HTPC? How do you like it? I been thinking about building one but not really sure if I have much of a use for one.

also anyone know of any set up guides for HTPCs and possibly some how-to use them well guides?

I have an HTPC to watch Netflix on the TV in my bedroom. It also functions as my media storage/server. How you set up an HTPC depends on how you intend to use it (i.e., keyboard + mouse like a normal computer or using a remote like TV equipment) I use a Logitech wireless keyboard + touchpad combo (like a laptop) and I just run plain old Windows 7, using Firefox to watch Netflix. You can also run Windows Media Center or something like XMBC combined with a remote that works with Windows 7. Hardware wise it doesn't take much to run an HTPC, just about any recent processor will work (the one exception I've found is the AMD E-350APU isn't quite powerful enough to watch Netflix in HD (but it handles normal video playback just fine), but just about anything a step above that would do fine) and you don't really need a graphics card other than to give you video output options if your motherboard doesn't give you what you need.

As far as guides go, I found the HTPC section of Overclock.net to be fairly helpful for picking out parts/software setups. There are a few guides in there and several "recommend me what to get" threads that you can read to get ideas.

[bals]

Alright, i'll check out those forums. Not really sure if I really want/need one though. I have a roku for amazon/hulu/etc (except you have to have a paid version, whereas on a pc I could use the free stuff) and I have a ps3 that I can send stuff to from my pc. If I could use it as DVR it would be a huge plus but it sounds like that typically isn't common for anything besides over the air signals.

[Drunkenvalley]

When my scholarship kicks in and I get money back for returning the HD 7970 I'm finally going to get the Powercolor HD 7970 LCS. Then promptly stuff it into the rig, hose shit up and run purely distilled water through there. Why's that? Well, mostly just to clean up any dust and shit that might've been filling up the thing. Hopefully I can obtain some sort of filter that I can put down in the res, with the purpose of blocking stuff from continuing into the loop again.

Regardless, hoping to get some pictures up soon. Goddamn laptop won't load imgur.com or other picture sites correctly, and it's not a matter of cache bugging things.

I'd still be too worried about impurities getting onto/into sensitive components, even with "pure distilled water"... I bought a small, expensive paint brush (in the hopes that the cost would mean the bristles were less likely to fall out) from Lowe's to get the stubborn dust off of my components. I use it in tandem with a regular vacuum cleaner (brush dust off, have the vacuum hose waiting to suck it up).

I think this is a convo better suited for the new Computer Chat Thread.

It's really just to clean out the radiator and waterblocks. And I can't really do more than that without buying some stranger stuff, and I'd rather not. All in all, it mostly means that I have to clean it out again at a slightly different time.

After cleaning it out I'm going to put some prepared coolant in.

[noteworthynerd]

I completely overlooked the part about hosing it up, I thought you meant running water over your entire system... >.> Which is technically feasible (as long as the everything is unplugged, including the CMOS battery) but not really advised. That's why I mentioned the brush instead.

Monday after the time changed, it's gonna be a long day... >.<

[Drunkenvalley]

Well, derp. That's not the case I'm afraid.
Doing all this crazy stuff because I want the noise ~gone~.

[DeltrusDisc]

I'd just like to post a resounding....

YAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!

But seriously, thank you mods, super mods, admins, anyone who was involved. I am very happy to see this come into existence!

---------- Post added 2012-03-13 at 02:43 AM ----------



Watching this, at about 7:20 he starts talking about his old OCZ SSD, the only one he's ever had that didn't break, and if you know who he is, you know he's tested/had enough of just about everything. :P Good video though! Definitely worth a watch.

[Libram]

Who all here keeps their computers in hibernation and who all here just turns it off? I keep mine in hibernation when i'm not using it unless there is a storm or I have to leave the house for a greater part of the day. Anyhow hibernating is pretty much turning off the computer, its just saving the current things you had open to the hard drive.

[noteworthynerd]

I turn mine off when I won't be using it for a while, hibernation isn't great for SSDs (small storage space & lots of unnecessary writes = bad). If you have a mechanical drive however, it is fine.