Friday, March 25, 2011

More details on the computers

Since I'm about to go list these computers on HardOCP, here's a bit more background on each one:

Core 2 Duo / RadeonHD 4850 Crossfire X2

 

 

As mentioned in the first post I'm wanting around $700 for this system. As can be seen from the photos it has some pretty extensive inside work with higher quality fans and the massive non-stock heatsink. The power supply is a modular from thermaltake, and yes I do have the modular cables not actually used in the chassis. They will ship with the computer.

The monitor is not included, but if somebody wants it, I'm looking for about $50 on the monitor. It has a resolution of 1280*1024 and only accepts D-SUB input.

This particular unit has both Windows Vista Ultimate 64bit edition and Mepis Linux 11 Beta 3 64bit installed. The Microsoft installation disc and license key used for this computer are included in the sale price.


Athlon 64 6000+ / Geforce GTS 250

 




For this computer I'm looking to get around $800. Like the Core 2 system this has upgraded main cooling and upgraded fans. It also uses a Thermaltake modular power supply, and yes the cables not used will be shipped with the computer.

As before the monitor is not included. I'm looking for around $100 for the monitor. Yes, I know that's bloody low for a 23" monitor, but it only does 1440*900, and the color balance is... not that great.

This particular unit has both Windows Vista Ultimate 32bit Editon and Mepis Linux 11 Beta 3 32bit installed. The Microsoft installation disc and license key used for this computer are included in the sale price. Yes, I do have another 64bit Vista Ultimate disc on hand. Yes I am open to dicussing shipping that instead of the 32bit disc.



Averatec 7100 Notebook


A surprise addition. I'm also selling this notebook:



It's an Averatec 7100 with a Turion64 X2 and an Nvidia Nforce Graphics chip. These things tend to go around $650 refurbished online. I'm only wanting $550 for this laptop.

First, this particular one has had it's memory upgraded to 2gb PC2 5300 mobile memory, and is packing a new-hard drive. That's all well and good. However, the battery is fried out. Even in power-save mode this thing will barely last 25 minutes, and that's with a bleeding edge linux kernel, brightness all the way down, and every power saving trick I know enabled. A new battery runs around $75 online before shipping.

In addition, because it has a new hard-drive, this laptop has no Microsoft Windows Operating System Installed and will not ship with a Microsoft Windows Operating System Disc.

This Laptop will only ship with Mepis Linux 11 Beta 3 Installed.

For those interested in the back-story, Averatec does not ship their laptops with Microsoft Windows installation discs. Their solution to providing installations of Microsoft Windows Operating Systems is to utilize a recovery partition on the laptop's single hardrive, which doesn't really make a lot of sense for a laptop where the most likely problem a user will experience... is physical hard-drive damage. According to Averetec they don't ship an installation disc because of Microsoft's Licensing terms, and I wasn't willing to ante up the cost to purchase a recovery disc from Avertec.

Again, for those interested in the computers, email me:

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The situation... is desperate

Okay, yes, I've been silent on this blog, yet again, for a really long time. The reason is... radically different. People who have seen my facebook profile already know what has happened, as well as readers on the City of Heroes Forums, Clockwork Mansion, and the Mepis Community forums.

I went back to school.

More importantly, I did not go back to school for anything tech related. I tried through most of 2010 to get hired on the merits of my tech expertise, and I got nowhere. So I chose to broaden my applicable skill-set and attend school to become a Pastry Chef.

Since January I have been in Flordia attending the Notter School of Pastry Arts. Now, when I applied for the school, the financial aid office offered to help me establish funding to attend the school. 8 months of effective unemployment gave me pretty much nothing to work with, and for whatever reason the State of Georgia was not willing to cut unemployment checks for me. I never saw any money from the unemployment that I filed for last year, despite receiving confirmation letters that I was eligible for, and would get, unemployement benefits.

Ultimately the financial aid office was able to establish a loan to cover the amount of tuition not covered by grants or scholarships. However, the school and I were unable to establish any loans to cover LIVING expenses. That's a story I do not really want to get into here.

Since I've gotten down to Florida I've been applying pretty much everywhere. Staples, Borders, CompUSA, Publix, Williams Sonoma, M&M's store, Chick'Fil'A, T-mobilie, toys'r'us, Best Buy, Apple Store, and Zaxby's are just a few of the places that I've applied at. Chipolte Mexican Grill is doing a job fair of sorts tomorrow, I intend to be there. However, the only place I have had a response back from has been M&M's store, and I can't take that job because it's hours conflict with school.

So, that brings me up to, well, now. I need money to cover food, rent, and power. As is my car is up for sale back in Georgia, but I don't know whether or not it will move by the end of the month.

Immediately then, I'm placing two of my own systems up on the purchase block, as there is a chance THEY might move before the month is out.

Those are:

Intel Core 2 Duo
Intel D975XBX Motherboard
2gb DDR2
RadeonHD 4580 - Crossfire X2
Thermaltake Bach Media Chassis

Atlhon64 6000
Asus M4N82-Delux
2gb DDR2
Geforce GTS 250 - SLI X3

Yes, I realize these aren't exactly the blazing best top of the line systems anymore. I'm also not sure where to price them either. Thing is, I've done up stuff like the power-supplies and cooling fans. Neither processor uses a stock heatsink. In terms of total power, they'll both still outrun everything in the $600-$800 market from Dell, HP, or Gateway.

Ballpark figure, I'd like to pull around $700 for the Intel Core 2 Duo system. I'd like to see the Triple SLI system move for a bit more, around $800. I'm open to best offers under those. I'm really not in a position to say no.

I'm not ready yet to sell either my I7 or Phenom II system, but hey, if you are interested in those systems, email me, ask about them, and we can work something out. Again, I'm not really in a position to say no to any sale right now.

Beyond those systems, if anybody who reads this is in the Orlando area, or knows somebody in the Orlando area, who is looking for a tech or somebody to work in a kitchen, drop me an email.



Hopefully the link works,