# Post Your Setup (Version 2.0)



## Commonmind (May 28, 2008)

So, I just moved into my new place a few months ago, and finally got the whole thing situated, so I decided to take some new pics and thought it would be cool to do a revised "Post Your Setup" thread -- see how everyone's setups have evolved since the last one (which was over a year ago; how time flies!)

The main PC:

Q6600 @ 3.0ghz (I pulled an old guy move and threw my PC in the desk's PC compartment, so no more super overclocks)
eVGA 680i (A1) MB
4gigs of Ballistix DDR2 @ 1000mhz
2x 8800 GT's (SLI)
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24" Gateway FHD2400
MX Revolution
Razer Tarantula
Intuos 3 Special Edition (6x11)
80gig iPod Classic
(the laptop is an AMD Turion, which is the main PC I do my writing on)














The Living Room:

The usual stuff, Wii, PS3, 360, Sony 60A2020 SXRD, the Soap channel playing reruns of "The O.C." (sadly, one of my guilty pleasures; don't tell anyone!)








The Bedroom Office:

Asus G1S-B2 (w/ C2D T7700, 3gigs of ram, 8600m GT) This is where I usually lose most of my Company of Heroes and Team Fortress 2 games.
VX Revolution
Intuos 2 (6x8)
Good Omens and Stardust in close reach (two of Niel's best!)






And finally, my favorite part, the new view from my porch and the place where I do the majority of my writing...


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## Commonmind (May 28, 2008)

Okay, I severely apologize for the size of the pics; this is probably the dozenth time PhotoBucket has done this to me


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## Joel007 (May 29, 2008)

I don't mind big pics, looks like a cool setup 
My room is kind of cramped holding all my guitars and books + my PC.


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## Commonmind (May 29, 2008)

I fixed 'em; they were more than twice that size when I posted, lol.


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## Joel007 (May 29, 2008)

As far as I know I hold the record for the biggest pic posted in chrons 

It was this one: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Typhoon_saomai_060807.jpg


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## Lenny (May 29, 2008)

7200 x 9000?! Choo crazy!

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I probably asked this in the first thread, but what make of graphics tablet is that in the first two pictures, CM?


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## Commonmind (May 29, 2008)

It's a Wacom Intuos 3 (probably hard to recognize because it's black, where most of the Wacom's are gray or silver; this one is the 25th Anniversary SE). I think the first thread I had my old Wacom Intuos 2 on the main PC. That has since been rellocated to the Asus.

(And let's see some pics man!)


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## Commonmind (May 29, 2008)

Joel007 said:


> As far as I know I hold the record for the biggest pic posted in chrons
> 
> It was this one: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Typhoon_saomai_060807.jpg



Holy smokes!


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## Sephiroth (May 29, 2008)

Well, I'll bite, since I am rejoicing in the goodness of my new PC this week.  It, er, can't hold a candle to your beast, CM, but compared to the piece of crap I've been running forever, it's fantastic...

Core 2 Duo E4700 (2 x 2.66 Ghz)
ConRoe 1333-D667
3 Gb of DDR2 @ 800 Mhz
GeForce 8600 GT (1 Gb)
--
Crappy old CRT monitor...
Crappy old mouse...
Crappy old keyboard with more crumbs in it than your average biscuit tin...
Etc...


As you can see, I was concentrating on upgrading my main system, the peripherals are sadly lacking.......





Oh, and no pic, but it's nothing to look at anyway.  And my room isn't nearly as tidy as yours.  

That view is fantastic, though.  I could be inspired by that.  



Oh yeah, so if anyone has any SERIOUSLY good game recommendations....?  

I haven't been able to play anything decent for years....well, anything that isn't on a console, anyway.


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## Commonmind (May 29, 2008)

Very nice build, Seph. I actually just got rid of my CRT a couple of years ago, I held out to the very end (as I did a lot of design work back in those days, and required better color accuracy) but I'm so glad I finally changed over. Make that the next thing on your list 

And the view is definitely inspiring. I'll sit outside and read or write for hours at a time (when my wife lets me!). I also make no judgements about how tidy someone else's room is compared to my own; my cleanliness is more rooted in my obsessive compulsiveness than it is in any pretentious need to keep things clean and organized. (Once I actually attempted to leave the house a mess for a day; I almost had a nervous breakdown)

As for recommendations, I'm not sure what type of games you're into for the PC, but I generally play every genre, so here's a few of my favorites from recent years.

Sins of a Solar Empire (A fantastic Strategy title from Stardock)
Company of Heroes and Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts (RTS at its very best, in my opinion)
World in Conflict (Another take on the RTS genre that turns quite a few of the old staples on their heads)
Bioshock (if you haven't played the 360 version already)
Half Life 2: Episodes 1 and 2
Portal
The Sam and Max series
Call of Duty 4 (again, if you haven't played a console version yet)
Team Fortress 2 (if you enjoy multiplayer shooters that are very well-balanced and are actually enjoyable online -- not a lot of riffraff)
GTR2 (if you enjoy racing titles, it's a sim on par with Polyphony's GT series)
The Witcher (I don't know why, but I've grown to love this game)
Neverwinter Nights 2 (more specifically, Mask of the Betrayer, the expansion, which has some of the best storytelling since Planescape: Torment)
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (despite some initial bad press, this game is very, very worth the time investment)
Titan Quest (if you were a fan of Diablo, this is, in many ways, its spiritual sucessor)

As a side note, my Asus laptop is very similar in specs to your build and all of the above games run on it beautifully, so rest assured you shouldn't run into any performance issues.


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## Erin99 (May 29, 2008)

> It's a Wacom Intuos 3 (probably hard to recognize because it's black, where most of the Wacom's are gray or silver; this one is the 25th Anniversary SE). I think the first thread I had my old Wacom Intuos 2 on the main PC. That has since been rellocated to the Asus.



I have a *blue* Wacom. 

And that setup is gorgeous, CM. I am so jealous of your neat house and your lovely machines! Looks like you live in a nice area too.


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## Commonmind (May 29, 2008)

Thanks Leisha  The area is really nice; this is the first place I've lived in years that I've felt at home in and my son enjoys it as well (since I'll finally bring him outside to play now!)

(Is your blue Wacom one of the Bamboos? I love the look of that series)


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## Momoka (May 29, 2008)

@ Seph: Recommendations? Not all need blistering specs, but they're all enjoyble for me.

TES:Oblivion
Bioshock
Gears of War
Morrowind
Anything Half Life or from The Orange Box 
Assassin's Creed

@CM: Yes, you have a beautiful setup - both hardware and location-wise. Can I have your address so I can come by with a removal van?


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## Erin99 (May 29, 2008)

No, it's just a plain Wacom Graphire 3. I haven't seen the Bamboo series, I'll have to have a look! But I'm happy with my Graphire. I recently completed a picture with it, after a loooong art break, and I'm super pleased with the result.




> this is the first place I've lived in years that I've felt at home in and my son enjoys it as well (since I'll finally bring him outside to play now!)


My sister moved recently because she wanted her son to have a safer place to play in, as well. There's too many bad areas these days, or bad neighbours or such. Now Dribbles (the name I give my nephew) can play outside to his heart's content!


Edit: I have some recommendations for Seph: Any of the Broken Sword series, or The Longest Journey, or Syberia.  I LOVE those series!


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## Commonmind (May 29, 2008)

The Bamboos are really nice, and I think I might actually sell off the old Intuos to pick one up. It's supposedly a downgrade, but I love the look and feel of them (they feel more akin to writing on actual paper with a pen/pencil).

And you're so right; the last place we had was nice on the inside, but I never felt really safe there. This place is gated and has an actual guard on duty 24 hours. If you're not on a list of expected guests, you don't get in. It's also just nice that, when I do my morning walk, I get a few dozen good mornings, how you doings and nice to see ya's along the way.

@Momo: I live in Daytona Beach, Florida. But if you come over you're to bring plenty of tea (Twinings, Tazo or Bigelow Earl Gray will suffice) and good conversation.


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## Momoka (May 29, 2008)

Easily done - what about green tea?

And it sounds like a lovely place to raise your son (who looks so angelic by the way). Nice to still get 'good mornings' in this day and age, it seems to be something that's going out of fashion in places.


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## Commonmind (May 29, 2008)

Yeah, especially in the U.S., lol. And green tea is definitely acceptable!


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## Erin99 (May 29, 2008)

Oh, I've just looked up the Bamboo... Wow! http://www.wacom-europe.com/bamboo/

It looks stylish!


And I think I'm lucky in where I live; people here are always saying hello and smiling, not like where I used to live, back in Yorkshire.

You should have posted some shots in the old "Show us your where you live" thread we had in the lounge.


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## Commonmind (May 29, 2008)

I totally missed that thread! I'm not too familiar with living situations outside the U.S. (part of that glorious American Ignorance) but things get worse and worse here. People are so introverted and self-centered that the best you can usually hope for is to be recognized on the highway so you don't get ran over.


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## Erin99 (May 29, 2008)

There you go: http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/42867-post-your-home.html 

Sounds bad in the US. I'm glad I live in a peaceful part of the UK, where it's mostly sheep and lakes and grass I share my home with (Photo Sharing by MyPhotoAlbum.com :: Leisha's Photos).


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## Commonmind (May 29, 2008)

Thanks, I followed you there through your profile already, lol. 

Did you take those pics? If so, absolutely gorgeous work. I love the sunsets.


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## Erin99 (May 29, 2008)

Oh, the link in my profile goes to my main site, the one I made couple of years ago. I'm thinking of taking it down, actually, and swapping the link to the myphotoalbum one. And yeah, I love going out and taking photos! I know I live in a beautiful area, and I try to capture that. Some of my friends on this site are wanting to visit Cumbria now, since seeing my pictures - and some of them live in Australia!


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## Commonmind (May 29, 2008)

Well, you can now count me as a Cumbria fan


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## Sephiroth (May 31, 2008)

Hmm, well, I was thinking of saving for a new monitor, yes.   

Here, I have piles of books and paper all over the place, which is why the neatness of your pad impressed me so.  



As for the games, thanks for the recommendations, everyone.  

GTR2 is on a par with Gran Turismo, you say?!  Wow, high praise indeed!  Might have to check that out....!!

As for the rest, that's a good list to begin looking at.  


If I was to ask which of the games mentioned are RPGs with _really _good stories, what would you say?




And I've only heard good things about Morrowind and Oblivion.  

The one thing that concerns me with Oblivion is whether or not the actual main story is worth it.  People keep saying it's all about the side quests and that there isn't much to the main story.  Opinions, anyone?


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## Commonmind (May 31, 2008)

The only thing GTR2 lacks is some of the visual polish that GT has, though some would even argue that.

If you haven't played Planescape: Torment, find a copy and start with that. By far one of the best RPG's every produced for the PC. It's a bit dated (understatement) in the visual department, but 20 minutes in and you'll forget all about the isometric point-of-view and low resolution. The story is that good -- in my opinion, the best on the PC, just ahead of Fallout and...

Mask of the Betrayer, absolutely one of the best stories on the platform, and you don't need to play the original game in order to enjoy it.

Oblivion and Morrowind both suffer from the same issue, the story feels diluted compared to the actual world in which it takes place. The quest system is rewarding if you have the drive to "do it all," but that's only because of the sheer number of things to be done and places to explore. Both games do have their moments (Morrowind, I felt, was the better of the two where the plot was concerned) but neither are worth the investment if you're looking for an experience with a trully compelling storyline.

Witcher has a great story and some really interesting gameplay mechanics. The only problem is that it takes a while before things get going and it can leave you a bit bored in the first few hours (I think anyone that's played Final Fantasy titles is used to this pace; how many times did we watch an awesome intro only to be thrown into some mundane fetch quests for the first three to four hours before the 'S' starts hitting the 'F').


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## Sephiroth (May 31, 2008)

Heh, I just realised that I said I'd only heard good things about Oblivion, and then went on to state something _not so good_ that I'd heard.  Whoops!!  

I like to 'do it all' when I play a game, but I'm really looking for something with an engaging storyline, too.  I've watched my friends play some of the quests on Oblivion on the 360, and it looks great, but I did have the impression that the story was, as you say, less than truly compelling.  

Anyway, Planescape, Fallout, Mask of the Betrayer and Witcher all look good, thanks.  Like you say, those of us who play FF should be willing to show a little patience at the  beginning.  Just as long as the 'S' _does _end up hitting the 'F', I'll be happy.  Knowing that, the anticipation alone would get me through the start!

I'll see which one I can get my hands on first.  




One of the main reasons I am dying for a PS3 is GT5, I've been a fan of that franchise since the first once came out.  One thing that springs to mind is that I might need to get myself a gaming pad for the PC.  

Not sure about playing a driving game with the keyboard and/or mouse...don't think I would like that.


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## Lenny (May 31, 2008)

Well there's this rather new invention called a USB Wheel, you know. Kinda like a joystick but round. 

Just to go back to Oblivion - I think it's a great game, but I must admit that after 150 hours, I'm about four missions into the main story, and only have a few of the major sidequests (as well as the Daedric Shrines) left to do.


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## Sephiroth (May 31, 2008)

Yeah, yeah, but I'm _old skool_, Lenny.  




I mean, _wheels _for a driving game?  How illogical is that?!  





My friends are the same with Oblivion.  Well over 100 hours play, and they've hardly touched the main story, though they're pretty advanced with the sidequests, or so they say.


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## Lenny (May 31, 2008)

That's something else, too - I may be nearing the end of the sidequests, but I haven't even started exploring all the caves and forts yet, let alone the Oblivion Gates!! My map still looks like a desert. There's easily a few hundred hours of things to do - well worth the money if you get that amount of time out of it.

If you do decide to buy it I recommend shelling out the extra few quid for the *Game of the Year* edition, simply because it contains most of the add-ons (_Shivering Isles_ and _Knights of the Nine_ are definitely included).


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## Sephiroth (May 31, 2008)

That's true, one certainly can't argue that the game is too small, or not involved enough.  

And you still feel driven to complete everything?  The rewards are worth the effort?  I suppose if the difficulty level is high enough then just completing something is reward enough.  




I didn't realise you could buy it with the expansions added, so thanks for letting me know.


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## Lenny (May 31, 2008)

Rewards? I think it's more a sense of, "How much can I do?" than anything else. Sure, you can buy houses, and weapons, but that's about it as far as rewards go. No freebies from NPCs who shrink away at your mightiness and give you free chickens.

Also with a world so big, there are always things to be found - one of the things that keeps me going is a curiosity that makes me want to see what the next thing I might find is. It could just be a *lettuce*, or it might be the *Firesword of Uber Pwnage +20*.

Oh, and it's always great fun to drop the quests for a few hours and see how many Imperial Guards you can kill (and how high you can get your bounty), a la the policemen in the GTA games.


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## Momoka (May 31, 2008)

Sephiroth said:


> My friends are the same with Oblivion.  Well over 100 hours play, and they've hardly touched the main story, though they're pretty advanced with the sidequests, or so they say.


Same here - but I didn't want to be the hero of Cyrodil - I'm trying to earn infamy points, and completing the main quest just gives you fame 

But even as play time goes, it takes many hours for the  main, and _hundreds_ for the side quests and guild rank building, and then there's the DLC extras and additional mod quests and stories... it can be quite endless 

Morrowind is much the same, but less demanding on the pc specs - but you can really add Oblivion-style texture packs and upgrades, and I recommend the 'distant lands' tweak for added realism with the draw distances <3 (I used 'MGE' to obtain this)


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## Sephiroth (May 31, 2008)

Ah, the Imperial Guards thing sounds great.  Used to do that in Frontier, too...shoot up a spaceport, zoom into space ahead of them, turn and BLAM!  How many coppers can you kill in one go?  Hours of fun....!

The Firesword of Uber Pwnage +20 sounds worth having.  Uber Pwnage would be attractive enough _without _the +20.  


I definitely want to play it.  But I definitely want to play something with a _killer _storyline, too.  

One thing...I know that you can do the quests in pretty much any order so...does that rule out the possibility of there being 'Monsters of Uber Pwnage' to fight near the end?  I like a good scrap with an 'impossible-to-kill' monster, you see?


Endless is good!  And there's enough variation in the quests and fighting to keep you interested, I guess, or you wouldn't still be playing it.......?


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## Momoka (May 31, 2008)

Yup, yup. Still playing it and will be for a while yet  And the monsters level as you do, so they'll always be tough enough.


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## Lenny (May 31, 2008)

Wellll... you're a hero, with a sword, and there's an infestation of monsters to kill. And that's about it. But where the monsters are killed makes up for it - such a big world means that there are countless landscapes to shed blood in.

There are some missions that require different things - one, for example, gets you swimming and killing fish your bare hand... or sword... whilst another sends you off to find a hidden passage through some mountains, but they're few and far between. The Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood missions, however, are varied. Sure, it all boils down to stealing or killing, but each mission differs enough to make it fun.

As for Monsters of Uber Pwnage - yes, there are boss battles. Things like bosses level up as you do, so if you spend four hundred hours in dungeons and get to Level 40, you won't go back to the main story missions, and come up against a Level 7 boss.

EDIT: Just to go back to missions, the reviews all said that the Shivering Isles missions offer a lot more variety than the main game missions, but not a drastic amount.


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## Sephiroth (May 31, 2008)

Well yeah but...that way, none of them are ever, like, _end bosses_, if you get me, Momo?




Ah, well as long it's a challenge.  I'm being picky, aren't I?   

No really, it looks like an awesome game, I very much hope to have a copy soon!






I wonder what the end is like, but (a) I wouldn't want to know, and (b) no one seems to have actually _completed _it yet.


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## Lenny (May 31, 2008)

There are still end bosses - the end of the Ko9 missions is an end-boss, for example, and some of the side-quests have bosses, as do the various Guild quests.


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## Momoka (May 31, 2008)

I suppose not end bosses _per se_, no. But that's not the game for that really. And I thouroughly recommend becoming an assassin and working your way through the Dark Brotherhood. I love their quests 

Hope you get a copy soon, then I can send you all kinds of cool mod/texture/etc links


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## Sephiroth (May 31, 2008)

Good, good.  I love end bosses, they're often the most memorable experiences.  






Oh, I'd definitely be an assassin.  I decided I'd probably just start the game and walk right up and kill someone, so I could get in.  

Those links sound interesting.


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## Commonmind (Jun 1, 2008)

Sephiroth said:


> Heh, I just realised that I said I'd only heard good things about Oblivion, and then went on to state something _not so good_ that I'd heard.  Whoops!!
> 
> I like to 'do it all' when I play a game, but I'm really looking for something with an engaging storyline, too.  I've watched my friends play some of the quests on Oblivion on the 360, and it looks great, but I did have the impression that the story was, as you say, less than truly compelling.
> 
> ...



I love GT5 (even though it's a pain in the rear at times; darn those time trials). And grab yourself an old Momo racing wheel off of eBay, it's what I use for both GT5 and for the PC.

And let me just say, though I already gave my opinion of Oblivion and Morrowind, I was still a fan of both titles. I do like to quest and just get lost in a massive world. I was merely stating that if you're going into either hoping for a good story, you'll be sorely disappointed -- which is a truth most TES fans are willing to accept.


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## Sephiroth (Jun 1, 2008)

So I really should get with the wheel?  Does it come with pedals, or are the accelerator and brake on the wheel itself?



Oh, a _complete _pain in the rear, I agree.  The license trials?  Normally the only thing I haven't done by the end is to get gold on the harder license trials, those are nigh on impossible!

Or do you mean the ones where you race against cars that get up to a 90-second start on you. and you're not even allowed to clip the walls?  Those are really tough, too!


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## Commonmind (Jun 1, 2008)

Yes, the wheel makes it all worthwhile. Trust me, once you've played with a wheel you won't want to play any other way. My wife even allows me to drag the setup to the living room on account of her loving to drive as well. 

And there's no license tests in GT5, but the time trials, racing against the clock, is extremely challenging. There's the new overtake missions as well, where you need to place in the top three; you start in 16th and have to drive literally perfect laps in order to take first. Very hard, but very rewarding when you learn the line and can pull it off without a hitch.

(I gotta hit the sack, but you go look for those wheels!)


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## Sephiroth (Jun 1, 2008)

Later, CM.  I'll be hitting the sack before too long myself.  




Sounds like they've added some new elements and changed the format a bit, then, which is encouraging, since it _has _been pretty much the same forever.  

Ohh, I'm even more keen to get my hands on it now!


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## Lenny (Oct 19, 2008)

Bumpage.

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I've got everything set up in my Uni room, and I have to say, it's much nicer than I have it set up at home!!

*Pictures*














The side is off the case so I can have the fan wall swung out slightly - they keep on sucking in the cables at the bottom, but I don't want to sort them out until I get my new graphics card (apparently there's a shortage of good GTX280 chips that can be overclocked!).

On the desk is my printer, scanner, new monitor (which I don't think I've uploaded pictures of yet), PS3 + controllers, standard speakers (I ain't lugging my surround sound around six times a year!), keyboard + mouse, camera, and a new addition - my PDA! Well, not technically mine - I'm helping with a postgrad project that aims to enhance learning around the Campus with technology. This particular project uses GPS and Wi-Fi to track your movements (based on router MAC addresses, and using triangulation) and give you real time information for the area you're in (including timetables and department news). There's also a handy Facebook feature.

*Specs*

*Mobo:* Asus Striker II Extreme 790i
*CPU:* Intel Core 2 Quad QX9770 @ 3.2ghz
*RAM:* 4gb PC-12800 DDR3
*Graphics Card:* ASUS nVidia GeForce 800GTS 640mb (soon to be XFX 1gb GTX280 XXX)
*HDD:* 2x Seagate 250gb, 1x Seagate 1TB
*PSU:* 1000W

*Monitor: *Hyundai 24" Widescreen 
*Keyboard:* Primary = Logitech G15 "Big Daddy" Gaming Keyboard, Secondary = Kensington Generic Keyboard
*Mouse: *Logitech MX610 Wireless Laser Mouse

*Speakers:* Logitech Stereo Speakers

*OS:* Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit

*System Score (base score underlined and in italics)*
Processor - _5.9_
Memory (RAM) - _5.9_
Graphics - _5.9_
Gaming graphics - _5.9_
Primary Hard Disk - _5.9_


The PDA is a Dell Axim X51 running Windows Mobile 5, and the camera is an 8.2MP Samsung i8.

If I remember, I'll get a picture during the day tomorrow with the view out of my windows.


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## Lenny (Oct 23, 2008)

I remembered!! I just didn't have the time to post them. Now I do. 

The first one is looking to another accomodation block to the left, and the second is the golf course to the right.










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I cleaned all my fans the other day - I could peel the dust off the filters in layers.


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