Fussbett wrote:

Fuck computers in the fucking ass and give them HIV (one in 20,000 chance).

So, I had everything up and running, RtCW:ET FPS bottomed out in the low 30's and my new 3D Mark score was like 3800+. But ho! 3D Mark reported that my new 2500+ Barton chip was 1100 Mhz! I checked the BIOS and sure enough the frequency was set to 100 x 11. I double checked the number on various websites (oddly not AMD.com which has no info on the matter (?!?! (!???!))) and switched it confidently to 166 x 11. Hey, why didn't my brand new ASUS A7N8X detect this chip's proper frequency? I didn't give it much thought. In some of the overclocking reviews I read I saw that they immediately started jacking their 2500+ chips to 166 x 12.5 and other such stuff before overheating.

At this new frequency, after various office-y related light computer use and leaving the machine idle for 12 hours, I ran 3D Mark again. It reported the chip to be 1800 Mhz to my delight, and then, during RAID ON PROXIMILLION or whatever the Doom3 rip off is called, the entire computer powered off. The ASUS A7N8X has a feature that powers the machine off to prevent overheating from damaging the CPU. I assume this is what happened. This occured while I didn't even have a side on my case. The office was a cool 72 degrees gezunheit.

With that crushing set back, I went to bed and dreamed of a world where the machines TOOK OVER!!!!!!!!! (hint: In a way, haven't they taken over ALREADY?!?!?!?)

Today, my computer does not power on. The diode on the motherboard (that indicates power?) is on, but the switch does nothing. Choose your own adventure:

• The 2500+ is faulty.


• The motherboard is faulty.


• The 2500+ is not a 2500+ and thus I massively overclocked it unwittingly. I'll have to remove the heatsink (with a SCREWDRIVER) to confirm this. (Wouldn't the computer power on today though?)


• I installed the 2500+ heatsink poorly. (I followed those full colour photo instructions to the LETTER, yo). (Wouldn't the computer power on today though?)


• Problem has nothing to do with the interaction between the chip and mobo. It's a mobo and/or power supply problem.

For those who didn't see it or don't remember, a while ago, while discussing TropsCon North 2003 ( :( ) with TAFKAM, I made an offhand comment about playing PS2 NHL 2K3. TAFKAM said that he didn't have a PS2, nor any console, and I made comical remarks as per my way. Quickly he explained that consoles are really crappy versions of computers and pointless if you have a computer. He then went on to unironically explain that his computer had been broken with blue screens for the past 6 months. I think my point in retelling this tale is that consoles are great.

My hatred of building things, shelves and screwdrivers is entangled in this mess.