The sights, the sounds, the smells of a modern-day artist
I am a believer. As I have stated in my previous post, I will never buy a pre-built PC ever again! “dzedward” recommended I build my own - so I did. I don’t have time to describe the difference in performance right now because i am too busy jumping up and down with joy (geek on parade). So here’s a few pics in the meantime.
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As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters. I believe we need MORE “geeks on parade” in this world!!
Isn’t it just nice to 1.)-have new toys. 2.) - have new toys that work GOOD regardless of label? Enjoy the next happy part of your life Chris!! (the selfish me: I can’t wait to see what awesome characters come out of all ofl this glee!!)
TM at Apr 24, 08 at 7:53 pm
hey chris! looks good.
As exams start in two weeks I have no time to get my new pc running. =(
How frustrating could life be? I have a very nice pc standing next to my old one and have no time to set it up!
But life is not that bad: today is the last school day. YEEEEHAA!
milchreis at Apr 25, 08 at 6:19 am
wow, your new PC is just cool Chris! I’m sure you’ll have a great time with that. Like TM said, I’m sure that in some way the new PC will help you to create and animate great characters with ease and speed!!
wow, your new pc is just cool Chris! at Apr 25, 08 at 9:45 am
From checking out your little photo gallery it looks like you’ve already got Adobe Lighroom running on there. A fantastic app. for all the pro and amateurs photographers out there. And a great way to really test out the performance especially if you’re working with a huge library of RAW files. Can’t get enough of it myself. Sure beats the days of working in the darkroom making contact sheets and spending an hour on just one print. Although I’m glad I’m just old enough to have experienced the world before digital took over all forms of art and I appreciate those purists out there that still use the old technologies.
Bill Porter at Apr 25, 08 at 1:05 pm
Bill Porter, totally! LR is super fast now - can’t even believe what I put up with when it was on my older computer - to compare - both processors are 2.6 Intel - but the new one is a Quad Core - HGE difference. Of course the massive video card halps and extra RAM also.
I too came from old school photography - had a Canon AE-1 a decade ago and loved it
chris at Apr 25, 08 at 1:09 pm
Congrat’s on the your computer, its sounds awesome! The Box and that Big Ass Fan on the side are sick. I love the old canon cameras, I used a Canon A-1 about ten years ago in college. I couldn’t stump that camera. You could put the F stop and aperture at the worst possible settings and it would still take the best photos, still have it and still love it.
Izzythepainter at Apr 25, 08 at 3:09 pm
My Grandpa gave me a smena SL (Russian/German probably 1973) And there was a film in it!
And oyu know what? I went to a photo studio and they had no clue how to get pictures out of the film, as they send all analog films to some place where they do all the stuff, but this film I have is out of usage fro 10 years.
Luckily I’ve found somebody who still does it the old way.
milchreis at Apr 25, 08 at 3:17 pm
Nice good work on building it. I have a see through case too and it lights up. Which OS you run?
Warhawk at Apr 25, 08 at 11:23 pm
Thanks Warhawk! I’m running XP - I always research as much as possible before making big decisions and general consensus in regards to Vista is to avoid it altogether. I have read that the Vista install alone is over 11GB - and for all that, it’s mostly graphics - but I could wrong - I know it’s supposed to be very secure but I have heard otherwise. To be fair and balanced I have heard from users that Vista is great - but for me, I have a utilitarian approach to almost everything - I just want it plain and simple and prefer it to work really well with the utmost of simplicity. XP has proven itself over the years as being just that.
I should write up my new PC experience in the form of a big article or something because there’s so much to talk about
-c
chris at Apr 25, 08 at 11:29 pm
Nice WHOOOPING fan! And a fab monitor (I have the same one). System building does give you that warm glowing feeling when it fires up without a hitch first time. I built my first system 15 years ago and never looked back.
manu at Apr 27, 08 at 3:34 am
A good friend of mine recently spent £1400 ($2800ish) on a vista laptop. From pressing the powerOn button, it takes no less than 3 minutes 11 seconds to start up and be ready to go. Fair to say that he curses Vista for every one of those 191 seconds of start up time.
mikie9191 at Apr 27, 08 at 4:55 am
@manu - well I wouldn’t say without a hitch - initially, the first startup had a loud constant squeal coming from the PSU and my fear was that I had a bad one and needed to send it back. Thanks to google and patience I learned that I had an auxilary 12v cable hooked up wrong.
But then further startups didn’t work either and again, thanks to google, I learned that I should have only 1 stick of memory installed - after installing XP and updating BIOS I installed the remaining 3 sticks or RAM.
Overall, the entire process of building a PC went very smooth - if I had to do it again, it would take me 1/2 the time. I spent the most time routing cables to be honest. I like this organized but I do know that keeping cables away from airflow is important.
Yes, the big 120mm fan on the door is awesome - there’s another smaller fan on top and the front, pulling air into the case. A 4th fan sucks air out the back. The CPU fan is setup to maintain this exact airflow. The mobo comes with software that displays the cpu and case temperature and it’s amazingly cool even under load. I am confident this machine will last a long time
chris at Apr 27, 08 at 8:21 am
A dream machine to be sure but does it have a Cappuccino spout and a shoe buffer.
Anyplace where we can learn the specs and best places to acguire components of this new age wonder..
Half Moon Harry Studios at Apr 27, 08 at 11:54 pm
Hi Half Moon Harry! Long time no see!
http://www.keyframer.com/custom-pc.html
Those are the specs - the DVD burner and M-audio sound card are not listed but that’s no big deal. I plan to write a big blog entry on the dream PC build-up.
chris at Apr 28, 08 at 12:12 am
Funny, I’ve gone through the same in reverse: after 14 years of using custom-built computers, usually built by geeks-for-hire out of parts I select myself, I’ve given up and will never EVER use such a device again. I’ll only ever get a brand-name computer from now on, even if it costs double the price of building your own. Home-made computers ALWAYS screw up, and break down beyond any hope of repair after two years. I believe the manufacturers of hard disks, motherboards and the like deliberately sell shoddy parts to end users and save all the good ones for OEM companies like Dell, HP and the like. In the past 14 years I have personally had 12 computers made (again, from parts I selected) for myself, family members and coworkers, and not one has survived beyond 24 months.
This is not because I don’t know what I’m doing. I know my stuff, and never build anything without getting advice on the latest components from two trusted advisors (who grant that machines break down in two years, but they don’t care because these guys build a new machine for themselves every few months).
My current abortion of a machine was made from all top-of-the-line equipment, with the help of a guy who designs computer systems for international airports. When it’s working it’s fantastic. But in only 6 months I’ve had to replace around one-third of all the components as they failed one after another. Every day when I start it up I do a little prayer and rain dance in the hope that it’ll boot up on the first try.
In contrast, my wife’s Gateway-brand computer, purchased in 1998, has never had a single problem, not the tiniest thing. It hardly ever crashes either. It’s very slow by today’s standards, but it’s reliable as an old horse.
Good luck, Chris, with your new toy!
Walter Elias at Apr 28, 08 at 4:21 am
I currently have three home built PCs, two of which are much older than two years and I have yet to have problems. Sounds as though you’re not taking good care of them.
dzedward at Apr 28, 08 at 9:03 am
I have only ever owned 2 PCs - I built the first in 2002 and the other, in 2008. The one I built in 2002 was given to a friend of the family and it’s still going strong. The only new components that I put in the old beast was some more memory. I was sad to see it go really, but hey. The new one is many times faster and built for £350 ($700ish). awesome. Hope it lasts as long as the last.
Mikie9191 at Apr 28, 08 at 10:03 am
Hey, sorry to come on so strong. I take care of my babies. I tiptoe around them. I pray to them every morning. Maybe they’re the wrong prayers. Maybe my computers aren’t Jewish. Maybe I have a jinx toward computers. Not maybe. Obviously I do. But it isn’t just me I’ve built them for. I’m happy to hear that others have good experiences with them. That’s how it ought to be. As for me, I’ll stick to building model boats and planes from now on, and when my current computer inevitably dies, I’ll get a HP graphics workstation.
Walter Elias at Apr 28, 08 at 8:14 pm
Patapon wallpaper, eh? I was actually SO looking forward to this game for a long time because I saw the Japanese ad the day they aired it and I’m a big LocoRoco fan and the screens looked so sexy but overall I was very disappointed about Patapon. I played it for only like 2 days and then never touched it again. It wasn’t fun and I didn’t enjoy it at all which is a shame because art wise its lovely looking.
Talking about: I would prefer to know the system spechs of your pc rather than having a pictures. I guess that’s also something a lot of mac people do (not saying you are one and aware of the fact I might start a flame ware here) but they are like “hey LOOK AT MY MAC! DOESN’T IT LOOK NICE”. When its about computers I couldn’t care less. It has to be fast and silent and work very well and then it could be a card board or whatever. I use it for WORK so its supposed to work well. Its not like I would look at it the whole time because that only distracts me from work and that’s what my computer is supposed to be good at but hey whatever makes you happy. There are many case modders out there. All those lights would just annoy me when I play games or watch movies in the dark I would see those disco lights under my desk and be like DAMN DISTRACTING!
So yeh system specs please
MarkP0rter at Apr 29, 08 at 5:28 pm
Hi Mark,
yeah I started writing lastnight about it. I have a spec page here:
http://www.keyframer.com/custom-pc.html
But expect a complete blog article on the build up.
Patapon is the most fun ever - a bit redundant but challenging - as you biuld your armies up - kill bosses - unlock different parts of the game - it’s super fun.
chris at Apr 29, 08 at 5:33 pm
Nice rig. I’m was one of the peeps recommending a Mac Book Pro, but if you don’t want portable, building your own is the way to go — a PC I built myself in 1997 is still running, no problems. Not very useful anymore except as as a fileserver, but I never had any problems. If you did the research and bought quality components you probably have a better and cheaper machine than the name brands offer.
One thing, though — don’t trust Windows Firewall. Disable it and use ZoneAlarm instead.
glenn at May 7, 08 at 5:44 pm
I’ve been building my last few computers… and was planning on continuing that tradition. But over last summer I was hit pretty hard with hardware problems in the middle of work and I needed to get a new computer fast and couldn’t take the time to built it up myself. So I fixed the computer I had and “built” one from Puget. Puget is GREAT and it was a lifesaver. They even offered to put in my harddrive and soundcard that I was going to keep from my old computer… and said that they would pay for shipping costs to them. They wanted to put it in so they could run all their tests and make sure the system as a whole worked well with one another. I couldn’t do it because of time restraints so they put together my computer and sent it out and it, so far, has been the best computer I’ve ever had. Super quiet, super fast, super reliable… and it’s got a guar-un-tee. So something to keep in mind if you like to build computers yourself. If you run into a wall sometime where you need a computer quicker than you can build it yourself, seriously consider Puget… it’s crazy stable. I mean… next computer I’m probably going to build because… well I like it (=. But if you need to buy a computer, check out Puget. A little more expensive but stables the name of the game with the computers they build
RubberOnion at May 12, 08 at 9:42 am
Hey Chris, I thought you went MAC?
This looks like a PC machine to me
Radu at May 15, 08 at 4:28 am
@Radu: I weighed my options and gave it a lot of thought - what it came down to were 2 things: cost and simply having a reliable and fast workstation. Building my own PC cost me just under $2000 and it is blazing fast! Blows away any other machine I have ever worked on (Mac or PC). I would still love a Mac but since all my software is PC-based, the price for a new Mac and all new Mac-based software would have run well over $5000. I honestly couldn’t justify that - besides, I’d rather put the money I saved towards a Cintiq tablet anyway. So nothing against Macs - love them for sure - this new PC is running like champ so far and my productivity has increased for sure.
Nice website by the way
chris at May 15, 08 at 9:43 am
@RubberOnion - i checked out Puget - nice stuff! I took a look at their custom desktop page (http://www.pugetsystems.com/configure3.php?app_type=h)
and noticed they recommend almost all the same exact components I used for my PC (Asus P5E mobo, Kingston Ram, GeForce 8800 card, etc…). When I priced out a similar Puget machine based on what I built - the price was over $3,000. Of course they build it for you which is nice - but in the end i still feel like I made the perfect decision to build my own - I learned a lot as well.
If I needed a computer fast - i think i could order all the parts and have it built myself inside of a week - newegg ships fast - usually within 2-3 days and my 1st time building a PC took about 5 hours because I spent a lot of time routing wires and troubleshooting issues that I would be able to avoid the next time around - I honestly think I could order all my parts on monday, get them wednesday and be up and running by wednesday night if need be. But Puget is a great find - thanks for posting that - you never know when they might be needed
-thanks
-c
chris at May 15, 08 at 9:53 am
Thanks, Chris. You’ve been an inspiration all the way. Also, thanks for the Linkedin invite accept.
Radu at May 15, 08 at 9:54 am
it’s “patapon” right?? (pic#5??) do you know what that word means??
inoichi at May 15, 08 at 10:51 pm
@inoichi: I don’t know what the word actually means - it could very well be a fictitious word without any meaning - but it is the title to a wonderful game on my Sony PSP. Check out the website:
http://www.us.playstation.com/patapon/
chris at May 15, 08 at 11:22 pm
Excellent news on your new machine, Chris! So you didn’t get a Mac after all. Glad you’re finally happy… at least for the moment!
Quick question… I notice that you have the same monitor as mine… the 24″ Dell Ultra Sharp 2408WFP. I just got it and I notice that it has a slight green tint to it. Even the white. Does yours have that? I had this same monitor at Harvard and I didn’t notice it being tinted. But I also wasn’t doing as much color palette stuff as I am now. I’m about ready to buy a calibrator or something… or even return this to Dell if need be. But just wanted to check with you quickly since you prob have a few screens to compare to.
Jackie at May 21, 08 at 10:18 am
Hi Jackie,
I love this monitor and I have no greenish tint - but i have read that this is a bit common in many LCDs - before sending it back, try changing the refresh rate - also make sure the cables are secure - are you using DVI or VGA? I use a DVI connection from the GeForce 8800 to the display - DVI is better than VGA.
Also try playing with any advanced color settings your video card software may have - my GeForce allows me to adjust quite a bit when it comes to color, saturation, sharpness, gamma, etc….
chris at May 21, 08 at 10:45 am
I’m connected via VGA… I don’t have an option to connect using DVI. I’m hooked up to my laptop as I await my decision on my new monster machine
But I’m not sure that’s the issue. Just spent time on the Dell Forum and found that it’s a common issue with the 2408WFP. Everyone says that the 2407WFP (last year’s model) is better. Is that what you have? I think that’s what I had at Harvard and it was perfect. I may return it for the older model if I can. Bummer!
Jackie at May 21, 08 at 8:41 pm
Okay this just turned into a segway into your next topic… DELL ROCKS! This morning someone on the Dell Forum responded to my green tint issue and said that they simply returned their monitor and the new one they received works just fine. I just talked to Dell and they’re going to ship me a new one TOMORROW and all I have to do is put the old monitor in the box and call them to pick it up. I don’t have to be without a monitor at all. How cool is that?! Yeah, Corporate America ain’t ALL bad
Jackie at May 22, 08 at 8:20 am
Ah man, you should have stuck to your guns and bought a mac. Your fancy new PC will be running fine and dandy at the moment, but sooner or later it’ll start grinding to a halt again like your previous computer. The problem isn’t the hardware, it’s the software, i.e. windows… Every time I install a fresh copy of windows it’s all fast and zippy at first, but then I have to install anti-virus, windows defender, countless windows updates and before I know it most of the time the PC is on it’s either running a virus scan, malicious software scan or searching for updates. I really don’t hate windows, I just wish it was better than it was, because it if was, apple would be screwed. They had an opportunity to make something new and great with Vista, but they have certainly screwed that up. I’ll admit that I am a mac fanboy, but that is out of having the same problems as you with windows and then turning to mac.
As far as the extra expense involved in buying all the new software for mac, you probably would have saved that in not having to buy a new computer again so soon. Macs are well known for their longevity. The iMac I’m running now is 5 years old, on which I do flash, after effects and final cut pro editing. The only reason that I’ll have to update is because my mac is powerPC and software will soon only be released for intel.
I know I’m flogging a dead horse here seeing as you’ve already bought your new computer, but I just wanted to give my advice. I hate to see it when creative individuals are bogged down with technical issues when they really don’t have to be, it stifles productivity at the end of the day.
p.s. I know windows acolytes always dismiss mac as just being a pretty ‘toy’, but who says you can’t have beauty and brains? If it does what you want it to do without having to download drivers etc etc then that’s a pretty good toy in my books.
All the best,
Stephen.
stephen at Jun 14, 08 at 5:34 am