My Dream Machine for 2009

Ever since I found out about nVidia’s 3D Vision technology, I’ve wanted to try it out. Unfortunately, the machine I have right now, which I built back in November 2007, isn’t powerful enough. On top of that, my monitor isn’t compatible with the new tech. That is why I am hoping to save up enough to a killer new gaming rig. Truth be told, only time will tell if this build actually happens any time soon, due to financial constraints. Either way, it was something fun to look into.

Below are the parts and prices that would go into my Dream Machine:

• RaidMax Aztec Mid-Tower Case

$79.99

EVGA LGA 775 ATX Intel Motherboard

$199.99

• EVGA GeForce GTX 260 Video Card

$199.99

• Intel 3.0GHz Q9650 Core 2 Quad Processor

$324.99

• G.Skill 4GB (2×2GB) DDR2 SDRAM

$44.99

• Rosewill 850W Power Supply
• $119.99

• GeForce 3D Vision Kit with 22inch Samsung LCD Monitor

$598

Total:  $1559.94

(excluding s/h)

*If you noticed that I didn’t include a hard disk, there is a reason for that. I already have one for this new build.

The Nerve Center of My World

In order to give you more insight into who I am, I should I should let you know what I’m working with. Yes, that’s me in the picture. Aren’t I a handsome devil? In my opinion, I think I’ve got a pretty killer set up.

I’ll start with my rig, because there’s a lot to like about it. Here’s what it’s got on the inside:

• 2.20 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E4500
• 3 GB RAM
• 200 GB SATA HDD
• nVidia 8800 GS
• Gigabit Ehternet Card
• LG Blu Ray / HD-DVD drive
• Lite-On DVD drive

And on the outside:

• Logitech Wireless Keyboard / Mouse
• Logisyscom 2.1 Speaker Set
• Sceptre 19 inch LCD
• Vizio 26 inch LCD HDTV
• Netgear Powerline Ethernet Adapter

I’ve also got it running 3 OS’s:

• Windows Vista
• Windows 7
• Mac OS X 10.5.3 Leopard
• Ubuntu 8.10 (Coming Soon)

Some people ask me why I have so many operating systems. I’m in IT, so it’s good to be well rounded. Having all those OS’s installed allows me to stay up-to-date with the entire industry regardless of OS, and I keep track of all new software updates and patches. People also ask me about the two monitors. It’s called a Dual Screen setup, and I use the Sceptre on my desk for all my work and the Vizio on my wall for media viewing. If you noticed, I also have a Playstation 3 on my desk which is also connected to my Vizio.

That’s my Nerve Center. I <3 it!

Sunday is Work Day

I’m a bit of a procrastinator. Scratch that. I’m a HUGE procrastinator. But, fortunately for me, I work well when I have less time to do stuff. That’s why, this morning I got my scripting lab for this week, and I have just finished writing a paper for my Network Defense course on why most hosts are insecure and how to fix that problem.  All I have left is the homework for my Network Infrastructure and services course, which shouldn’t take too long.

While I’m getting all that done, I’m also getting some other stuff done. I am currently installing Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista. I’ve heard that it significantly improves Vista’s performance, so I’m looking forward to benchmarking it. I just got done installing the nVidia driver for my machine, since I was having some graphics issues. I still have to download Fedore Core 8 iso and burn it to a disc, because I have to install it on four Linux at my school tomorrow during my internship. I’ll alsos be installing Kubuntu there as well.

Til next time, this is AR in AZ!