fry (Level 1)

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Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

PC and Mac » I went Mac, and now I'm finding it difficult to go back...

FWIW, I currently own a MBP, but had a Thinkpad T61 before this. It was a very good laptop. Never had any real hardware problems, just got a bit outdated.
 
If I had to go back to Windows laptops tomorrow, I'd miss the multitouch trackpad and certain things about OS X, but I'd live. At the very least, Lenovo seems to have an understanding of thermal design that Apple lacks.
Posted 1 year, 3 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

PC and Mac » So my PC keeps crashing / becoming unstable / acting weird.

Generally speaking, a modern CPU is just going to shut itself off if it gets too hot. That said, you should  start tracking your CPU and GPU temps. Download...
 
 http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html
...and...
http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/
 
I'd also have a look at the Windows alert logs to see if anything is popping up. 
 
Running through a full memtest couldn't hurt, either...
http://www.memtest.org/#downiso
Posted 1 year, 3 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

Games » Who wants to play a multiplayer game of Civ 5?

Great game, but it's got quite a few bugs. 
 
Once again, I'm reminded why I only trust Blizzard, Valve, and (usually) Bioware to do QA properly.
Posted 1 year, 4 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

General Discussion » Tested Specific Subscription

I don't care about the other Whiskey sites, either, but $50/year isn't much of a sacrifice for me... so if I decide over the next couple of weeks that the "subscriber only" content on Tested is worth it, I'll drop the cash. Someone's gotta keep those web engineers in Twinkies and Mountain Dew.
Posted 1 year, 4 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

General Discussion » Gary Whitta

I've been subscribing to PC Gamer long enough that I remember Whitta's reign as EIC. He's always entertaining, and did a regular "Game Theory" podcast for awhile. No idea why that went away. He's probably got better things to do these days.
Posted 1 year, 4 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

Off-Topic » Gentlemen, what do you shave with?

A rusty switchblade lubricated with the blood of men I've killed...
 
Also, a cheap Norelco beard trimmer I got at target.
Posted 1 year, 4 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

This is Only a Test » I like Ana on the podcast

I have to throw my vote in for Whitta, but no reason they both can't be on when available.
 
Still holding out hope for an angry and (preferably) drunken rant by the great Gordon Mah Ung.
Posted 1 year, 5 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

PC and Mac » yet another pc rig build topic?

Being paranoid about data loss, I would add a second HD of the same model and build a RAID1 array. It looks like that motherboard supports it.
 
Of course, your wallet may vary.
Edited 1 year, 5 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

PC and Mac » And just like that, I've become an Apple fanboy.

@will:  <Desperately resisting urge to unleash a stream of unfocused ignorance just to prove Will wrong.>
Posted 1 year, 5 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

PC and Mac » CPU Heat concerns

+1 for Zalman.
 
I bought a CNPS9500 for my Core2Duo 3 years ago. It still works just fine, but I figured I'd have to pay for another cooler when I built my i7 box. Turns out, Zalman actually makes socket 1156 and 1366 mounting brackets for their old coolers and sells them for $5. I thought that was a nice bit of customer service.
Posted 1 year, 5 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

General Discussion » What is your favorite topping on a pizza?

kinda depends. If I'm at a pizza shop I trust to cook the sausage properly and keep it fresh, I go for sausage. If I'm in a pinch and some nasty chain pizza place is the only option <cough>Dominos</cough>, I stick to cheese only. 
 
You never forget food poisoning.
Posted 1 year, 5 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

PC and Mac » CPU Heat concerns

Personally, I gave up on stock Intel CPU coolers two system builds ago. One, they're underpowered even if you don't overclock. Two, the push pin mounting system is garbage. It's hard to get it in right, and even harder to tell for sure whether you got it in right. I wouldn't be at all surprised if your cooler isn't making full contact with the CPU.
 
Go for an aftermarket cooler with an under-the-mobo back plate/screw mounting system. It takes a bit more work, but the results make it well worth your trouble.
Posted 1 year, 5 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

PC and Mac » What to do with an Old PC?

I used to keep my old PCs around, but it started getting ridiculous. Now, everything goes to the friendly neighborhood electronics recycler.
Posted 1 year, 6 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

Games » So what is your favorite game of all time?

Duke Nukem 3D. I think I finished it about 40 times.
Posted 1 year, 6 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

Games » Who wants to play starcraft 2?

@edin8999:  I haven't tried, but the reviews say it's region locked. No Europe vs North America. Unless you're in Canada and buy the French language version. Then they apparently throw you on France-based servers.
 
Not a great decision by Blizzard.
Posted 1 year, 6 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

PC and Mac » Hot MBP

@100_Hertz said:
" @fry said:
" Uhm, yeah. I frequently sit on the couch and use my laptop. I'm pretty sure this isn't unusual behavior. "
yeah, it's not that unusual.  i also use my macbook on my lap while sitting on the couch, and to avoid bakin' my beans, i use a lapdesk. "
Well, one useful answer out of six. Probably not a bad ratio for these forums. Thanks.
Posted 1 year, 8 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

PC and Mac » Hot MBP

Uhm, yeah. I frequently sit on the couch and use my laptop. I'm pretty sure this isn't unusual behavior.
Posted 1 year, 8 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

PC and Mac » Hot MBP

So, I just got a new 15" Macbook Pro... and holy sh*t does it get hot. Really hot. My old Thinkpad running at full bore never came anywhere close to this.
 
I think Apple has some basic airflow design problems, but nothing I can do about that. Any suggestions from the forum? Do MBP owners just use a thick pad between the family jewels and their laptop, or are you using some sort of third-party cooling solutions?
Posted 1 year, 8 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

General Discussion » What do you like the most about Tested?

The free cookies?
Posted 1 year, 8 months ago
Post by fry (121 posts) See mini bio

Off-Topic » What are the chances of having Gordon Mah Ung join Tested and start ranting the shit out of everything?

Humm... Whiskey sites appear to be going for the young/hip crowd. Gordon is the polar opposite of young & hip. I think he might actually burst into flames if he ever entered Marin County.
 
But, yes, he's absolutely the best thing about the Max PC podcast. Love that guy.
Posted 1 year, 8 months ago
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