OMFG!!! I just realized that my pc is more than 3 years old!

digitalwanderer · Jun 12, 2002, 11:47 AM

I got some happy mail today from a virtual friend, (two quick side notes: When I say "virtual friend" I don't mean that to imply that my friendship with this individual is in any way not genuine...I just haven't ever met them in real-life. When I say "virtual friend" I just mean it's someone I only know thru online meetings and mail exchanges, the friendship is no less real for not having physical contact. The second thing is a big "THANK YOU!!!!" to that same friend.

), and while I was sitting here burning a few back-ups I started to try and clear some desk space. (I have a REAL cluttered desk!) I was digging thru some old receipts and found the one for the box I'm typing on, (Blue), and am sort of freaked to discover that I picked her up all the way back in February of 1999....and she's not only "still useful" but she can run any game out there pretty damned good!

It's a strange mix of nostalgia and pride, a definite good feeling. I remember when I was trying to decide what to get I was all hot to make sure she was "future proof" for as long as possible. She was my second "modern" computer, (by "modern" I generally mean the whole windows era), and my first was a socket4 Packard Bell...so I knew how important it was to plan ahead. (Have you ever tried upgrading an old PB? It ain't pretty and it ain't fun!) I wanted to get the lowest-end processor in the highest-end socket, (or slot, as it turned out.), so I went with a 440BX with a Slot1 PII350. 64MB of RAM, 8.5 HD, & an 8MB xpert98 (that lead me into this whole viddy card thing in the first place

) with a DVD drive! (DVD was new at the time.

)

I think I've actually upgraded everthing on her except the box and the power-supply...but she kept the same motherboard until only a few months ago when I discovered the folly of leaving the cover off your box with kittens in the house.

(The good news is the cats are ok.) I've upgraded her to a TUSL2-C, Celery 1Ghz@1.13, 320MB, 40GB, GF2 MX400, (Although she also had a Rage Fury (non-Pro) and a 32MB Radeon OEM DDR for awhile too), DVD, & CD-WR. Also added a second PC and a decent 100MB network which REALLY extends what you can do, (and it makes me feel SO damned spoiled!

), and as I sit here waiting for the CD to finish burning, (and my daughter to finish her bowel movement...nothing more fun than a tired, crabby, & constipated 2 year old.

), I just thought I'd share my weird thoughts with everyone here 'cause I don't know a whole lot of people in real life who would have the slightest idea just why I feel so damned good about my rigs. I really am not trying to brag here, I'm trying to share my own inner-happy about my state of geek affairs.

Oh, and I'm not done with her yet by any means! I'm getting a GF2 GTS-V later today that I'm gonna mod up for her and then kick my GF2 MX400 on down to my son's box. (He doesn't need as much 3D power, being 5 and all.

)

Big fuzzy hugs to everyone who has helped me so much over the years, and to all you folks who do it now.

Ryoko · Jun 12, 2002, 11:54 AM

i realized just a week ago that everything in my computer was over a year old, and still bests a third of my online friends' computers

***Zardon*** · Jun 12, 2002, 12:19 PM

"blue"? cool, ill have to think about naming my rig, is it ok if I call it a girls name?

Ryoko · Jun 12, 2002, 12:39 PM

mine's already named... take a guess as to what

UberLord · Jun 12, 2002, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zardon
is it ok if I call it a girls name?

Why not? Mines called "ButterCup" from the Power Puff Girls - currently my fav modern day cartoon

digitalwanderer · Jun 12, 2002, 01:24 PM

Actually since the mobo upgrade we've officially changed Blue's name to "Pheonix Blue", since she's been pretty much reborn, and my gaming rig is named "Bubbles" after the PPGs also.

It's sort of the reason for my avatar, it's supposed to be a blue pheonix rising out of a sea of bubbles. (Bubbles has saved Blue's ass a number of times, and vice-versa. )

***Zardon*** · Jun 12, 2002, 01:51 PM

digital sometimes you scare me man

ive just named mine Nightshade. I think its fitting. ill have to update my webpage now.

are we geeks or WHAT?

http://www.zardonthemystic.com/system

digitalwanderer · Jun 12, 2002, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zardon
digital sometimes you scare me man

Heh-heh-heh. Didn't I ever mention that the Dig was born to save myself from insanity by delving madly into it? I had the choice between going insane from the boredom/lack-o-self-esteem that comes with this motherhood-thing, (Hey, I love my kids dearly and am proud as hell of 'em...but living your life for others does tend to wear on the nerves no matter how noble or good the cause.

), or going midly-insane into the geek-thing as Dig. I've found being Dig to be a wonderful distraction from the day-to-day, slow-motion, 18-hour-a-day grind to be a nice counter-balance, plus I'm hoping it'll keep me sharp for when I go back to school to finish my CS major at Purdue. (I'm technically going to be starting my sophmore year, but I'm currently on a 6 year sabbatical so far from the parenting-thing. I started back in '85 and I'm not really in any kind of hurry, it's a looooooong story.

)

Oh, that and it substitutes nicely for a social life for me. I've got one more year of this to go before my youngest enters pre-school and I get to start thinking of what I'm gonna do with my life again, I figure this might also help me figure out what I want to do.

("When I grow up I want to be Dig...")

Quote:

ive just named mine Nightshade. I think its fitting. ill have to update my webpage now.

Now THAT is a great name for your box, it fits perfect!

Quote:

are we geeks or WHAT?

Yup, and disgustingly pleased with the situation am I.

Gotta run, just got the GF2 GTS-V and I wanna bench it stock quick while my daughter sleeps so I can pull it and mod the hell out of it this evening.

Frodo301 · Jun 12, 2002, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zardon
digital sometimes you scare me man

ive just named mine Nightshade. I think its fitting. ill have to update my webpage now.

are we geeks or WHAT?

http://www.zardonthemystic.com/system

I like the name you already have The Mystic Rig, but Nightshade is...darker. Frankenstein would be a good name for mine as it is always in pieces and being upgraded. It also has a floppy drive that I've used for the past six years in every new machine I build for myself. Dead pc parts arise, it's alive, it's alive, agggggg.

UberLord · Jun 12, 2002, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zardon
are we geeks or WHAT?

Scary thing is I've been a geek since about age 5 (1st computer - BBC Micro model B). Only over the past 2 years or so has it become fashionable to be a geek.

LONG LIVE THE GEEKS!

[size=xx-small]At least we lost the nerd part

[/size]

digitalwanderer · Jun 12, 2002, 03:01 PM

You know I once got punched in the face hard enough to knock me backwards over a table after casually calling a guy in a bar a "geek" back in 88?

Strange how times change. (BTW-Thank you again Mr. Szalaman for the quick assist that time.

)

***Zardon*** · Jun 12, 2002, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by UberLord
Scary thing is I've been a geek since about age 5 (1st computer - BBC Micro model B). Only over the past 2 years or so has it become fashionable to be a geek.

LONG LIVE THE GEEKS!

[size=xx-small]At least we lost the nerd part [/size]

yes we rock !!!

***Zardon*** · Jun 12, 2002, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Frodo301
I like the name you already have The Mystic Rig, but Nightshade is...darker. Frankenstein would be a good name for mine as it is always in pieces and being upgraded. It also has a floppy drive that I've used for the past six years in every new machine I build for myself. Dead pc parts arise, it's alive, it's alive, agggggg.

lol, thats a cool name for a rig...... but I think the name Frankenstein puts me in mind of a lumbering system ... your rig is way too sweet for that

JavaFox · Jun 12, 2002, 09:30 PM

I named my PC Caffeine.

You can overdose off of caffeine, you know.

Don't ask me how I know.

Frodo301 · Jun 12, 2002, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zardon
lol, thats a cool name for a rig...... but I think the name Frankenstein puts me in mind of a lumbering system ... your rig is way too sweet for that

Remeber the '80s movie Werid Science? I can't remeber the chick's name they created, but that's more what I had in mind for a computer name. Nothing more modern comes to mind right now, course after a few brews I am kind of huzzy feaded.

sinjin · Jun 13, 2002, 01:41 AM

dig, that was a beautiful thread. is your daughter feeling any better? if not, run to the store and pick up some children's stool softener...

frodo- kelly lebrock was 'lisa' in that movie from 1985...

z- niteshade is a cool name...reminds me of the street i used to live on, Hemlock Point...ironically, it was a deadend (cul-de-sac).

Ijustwannaknow · Jun 13, 2002, 02:22 AM

my pc is two years old.

I named my Pc Samson.

Vampyromaniac · Jun 13, 2002, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sinjin
z- niteshade is a cool name...reminds me of the street i used to live on, Hemlock Point...ironically, it was a deadend (cul-de-sac).

funny coincidences... mine's Digitalis
first heard it in the episode "Eve" from the first season of the X-Files
sounded cool, had 'digital' in the name, so I remembered it I guess

digitalwanderer · Jun 13, 2002, 03:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sinjin
is your daughter feeling any better? if not, run to the store and pick up some children's stool softener....

Yeah, it came out all right. When all else fails, a quick glycerine suppository makes everything come out alright about 15 minutes later whether she wants it to or not...but neither of us like that option very much. (And I can't honestly say which of us hate it worse, we've only done it twice but it's been pretty traumatic on both of us.

) It wasn't my idea, my wife is a pharmacist and tends to know more about these things than I so I'm forced to defer to her superior knowledge...even if that means sticking a piece of wax up a squirming babies butt who does NOT want anything going in anywhere! (Last time she kicked me in the face so hard she broke my glasses, truth!) Bad, bad, BAD baby day. She didn't go down until after midnite last night, got up before 6:30 this morning, and was NOT very happy until after she pooped at about 1:30 and napped at 2.

STOP!!!!

Sorry, I try real hard not to break into the kid babble thing in technical threads...it's just hard for me not to. (Yes, my life revolves around poop.

) Maddy's doing lots better and is finally sleeping..which I should be doing also. Thanks for asking.

Quote:

Originally posted by Vampyromaniac
funny coincidences... mine's Digitalis
first heard it in the episode "Eve" from the first season of the X-Files
sounded cool, had 'digital' in the name, so I remembered it I guess

I like!

BTW-Didn't you know, ANYTHING that has 'digital' in it's name automatically sounds cool. (It was a law they made back in the late 90's)

sinjin · Jun 13, 2002, 03:22 AM

glad to hear everything 'came out' alright dig.

sounds like your patience is boundless...i know i couldn't handle being on poop patrol 24/7, thank goodness i haven't received any father's day card yet.

jimmt · Jun 14, 2002, 10:29 PM

The computer I am currently sitting on I built the Xmas of 1998 to play Unreal

Abit BE6 PII 350mhz
Diamond Vipper V770 Ultra
128mb PC66 SDRAM
Seagate 3.2gb Ultra 33
Quantium Bigfoot 6.4gb PIO Mode 4
Pioneer DVD
Diamond Sonic Impact S90 (Aureal Vortex 1)

Everything is still the same except two days ago I swapped out the S90 with my SB 512PCI in my main system and I tonight I swapped out the video card with a Radeon 7200 (I just upgraded to a Gigabyte AP64D 8500 Pro in my main system). This system still games and is perfect for my 5yr old daughter.

Now if you want to compare how old cases are, since everything in your system as been replaced

, both of the cases on my PC's are over 3yrs old.

Jim