Epic face-palm.

[x88x]

Ok, first, a disclaimer. I'm not trying to make fun of this guy, I'm just getting rather frustrated with him and I thought some of you might derive some amusement from the situation. ...hmmm...when I put it that way it does sound a bit like I'm making fun of him...:think:...idk, anyways, I'll let the situation speak for itself.

So, I was browsing through the new posts on another thread I frequent, and I saw a plee for "computer experts". The forum not being a computer-centric forum, and knowing that I'm definitely one of the more knowledgeable members there on the topic, I checked it out to see if I could help.

It started out well enough. Just a sanity-check on some components. ....unfortunately, as you'll see if you read the thread, I didn't get there until he had already made the purchase... Still though, it's not that the components were bad, it's just that, well, they weren't good...and he was pointlessly spending more money for outdated parts.... So, recommendations are made...recommendations are ignored...but ok, whatever, it's not my system.....and then as things progress, a much deeper problem arises... Read on if you care to (I have the same s/n there as here).
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=27445

I'm sorry, I don't want to sound mean, it's just that there are some much, much more basic questions he should have been asking long before assembling a components list... :facepalm:

[dr.walrus]

He was just reaally nice to you for helping :O. I hope you feel guilty :D.

It seems he reaaaally should have just bought an off-the-shelf cheapo Dell. Or something second hand! I picked up a tidy dual core Compaq desktop for a server for £65...

[dr.walrus]

Oh, and if you want the real dr.walrus to go over there and sort him out:

mildly nsfw (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v26/paul_brack/walrus/?action=view&current=walrusdickheads.gif)

[x88x]

He was just reaally nice to you for helping :O. I hope you feel guilty :D.

lol, yeah I saw that right after I posted this thread...but hey, at least I've been very patient with him in that thread. :P

[diluzio91]

fun... i hope that best buy sells non conductive thermal paste... what a mess

[AmEv]

"I emptied the whole tube"

You WHAT?!?

I've heard too much is worse than not enough....

[dr.walrus]

If I had more time I would join that forum and tell that sucka to spread silver paste over the processor pins and squish that bad boy into the socket. Better conductivity, yo.

[x88x]

I've heard too much is worse than not enough....

If you're gonna be pushing your processor, then yes, too much paste is very definitely a bad thing as it lowers the thermal conductivity between the CPU heatspreader and heatsink. However, considering the that I'm guessing this system will see, I didn't think it was worthy of concern. Also, I'm really hoping that it came with a very small tube/packet or a tube with a very small amount in it, like most cheaper heatsinks I've seen.


If I had more time I would join that forum and tell that sucka to spread silver paste over the processor pins and squish that bad boy into the socket. Better conductivity, yo.
Thank you for not...he'd probably believe you. :P

[dr.walrus]

The selection process and building seems to have gone like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=_npkWGwYJpU#t=170s

[Munty]

This is amazing stuff. I've basically taught myself everything I know about computers (certainly hardware wise, I often look for advice on software conflicts and such) and it just boggles my mind that this guy can know so little about how to build a computer and STILL be ready to go ahead and try it! Seriously, he says there are 2 old ones he'll take apart right? So look at them for 5 seconds... That's what your new one should look like!!!

I love this post from Gonzo so much it just has to be quoted for the benefit of those who haven't read the whole thread.

by Gordo » Thu May 05, 2011 12:03 am
Congratulations, you managed to select 8 pieces of questionably compatible hardware and make a computer out of them. As my 10 year old son painstakingly explained to me many years ago; A computer is like 8 pieces of Lego, only simpler, because they only go together in one way

It's the simple stuff that really makes you wonder though isn't it? The speakers don't work but headphones do, yet he hasn't actually tried them on another computer to see if they're broken... It's a brand new build! Even though it was this guy that built it I'm guessing it's not the new hardware at fault, maybe check the crappy second hand stuff instead!

I'm actually hoping to build my next computer (to this point I've bought them and upgraded for a few years then repeated that process) Can someone tell me how I connect my keyboard to the CPU :D

[x88x]

Can someone tell me how I connect my keyboard to the CPU :D

That was the first one that really freaked me...when he asked how to connect the PSU to the CPU... :eek:

[Cale_Hagan]

That was the first one that really freaked me...when he asked how to connect the PSU to the CPU... :eek:
i love the part of it where some guy offered taking an old lamp cord and connecting it to it....
he is one lucky fellow, to
a: have you for help,
b: get it working
and also is smart for not listening to those guys. lol.
also, for who posted the thermal paste on pins idea, i laughed so freakin hard. awesome.:banana:


edit: i recently took an old p1 with the old power connectors, and decided i would fry it. the black to black rule i disobeyed, and flipped their positions on the motherboard, then i plugged in the floppy upside down.
the old psu's had anon momentary switch, it was one where it stayed depressed, and may i tell you, it was the best fireworks show ever! more fun than thermite! {almost.}

[Beta-brain]

Exasperating :eek:


I think I'm going with the SeaSonic PSU instead of the OCZ because the OCZ has gotten some problems with their PSU's.

Yeah, people like you buy them and put 30 amp fuses in the plug :rolleyes:

[Munty]

Yeah, people like you buy them and put 30 amp fuses in the plug :rolleyes:

Haha most probably :p

The most worrying thing about the questions he asked early on regarding PSUs, CPUs, and all the connections that he clearly knew nothing about was that it seems very likely he didn't (probably still doesn't) even understand what each component does in the complete system. You only need the most BASIC understanding of what a CPU is to know that it plugs into the mobo and needs serious cooling yet he didn't really seem to understand either of those things...

[AmEv]

I hope you're right, X.



It seemed he emptied an 8 oz tube to me.....

[x88x]

It seemed he emptied an 8 oz tube to me.....

Well, apparently he's getting 68C temps on an Athlon II X2 245.....so you might be right there... I gotta wonder what kinda hardware he's coming off of though, when an Athlon X2 245 and 1GB of DDR2 and an old SATA HDD is, in his words, "Fast as hell".

[Munty]

Maybe he had a Mac :D

[AmEv]

Or a 486DX.

[lynn's engraving]

instead of slapping my forehead, is it okay to slap someone else's? the power is out all over town for some reason, but since we're on the same grid as the police station, we've got electricity. a guy comes into the store, grabs some beer, comes up to the counter and asks me, 'do you have power?' no, dumbass, we're standing here in the dark. i usually have to go to yahoo! comments for that level of jaw-dropping idiocy. next time i see him i might try to sell him a computer. 'now, what you've got here, my friend, is what's called an atari 2600, *the* most powerful computer a civilian can own. for an extra $750 i'll throw in this mind-reading attachment cleverly designed to look like an old ratty dallas cowboys ball cap....' (say what you will about old ataris, they were the first internet devices. honest. :))