Three Pro-Level Windows Tricks
I'm finally on my new computer after a month of building, testing and fiddling! If you enjoy the geeky hardware talk, I'll post some at the end, but right now I want to talk about three windows software links that can be time-saves and not everyone knows they exist. I had to load software all last night and had to re-find these little gems. I might even have five tricks! These might not all be pro-level but they are frisky fun. ;)
Favorites
Not everyone knows that your browser favorites are also stored as folder structure and there is a cute little star icon you can use to access them. Often times I find it easier to clean my bookmarks in the folder, rather than on the side frame of a browser. When I locate the folder I like to right click it and "Send To Desktop" which creates an icon there which I like to move to the quick launch. Here is how to find it fast...
Start > Search > All Files and Folders > and type Favorites
Show Desktop and Desktop
Most of us have the little Show Desktop icon on our quick launch bar. If you don't have it and want to see it, you can locate it at
C:\Documents and Settings\andy\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch
There is another Desktop link that I like to use, for the same reason as the favorites...sometimes it is easier to find things on a messy desktop or easier to clean it if you use the desktop folder! Once you find the icon, you can again right click and say You can Right Click it and Send To Desktop where you can later move to quick launch or place it where you like links.
Start > Search > All Files and Folders > and type Desktop
Command Prompt
I don't use this one too often but it helps save a little time when you are talking to tech support and they are making you ping things or type wonky commands. If you want to launch the command prompt window with one click, you can find it here...
Start > Search > All Files and Folders > and type cmd.exe
Secret Movie Player
Windows Media Player 11 is big and bulky and sometimes I want to play vids the old fashioned way, in a tiny little old-school player...XP has the player but it is hidden! Make a shortcut of this bad-boy. It is a rugged little player with no bells and whistles.
Start > Search > All Files and Folders > and type mplayer2.exe
Character Mapper
This is a handy little tool when you want to find the trademark symbol or other frisky symbols to toss into game conversation for fun and hyjinx.
Start > Search > All Files and Folders > and type Character Map
Those are my pro-level windows tricks and I hope you'll find some of those links useful. That's my story for today...I'll finish off with some geeky hardware talk for those that want to stick around for video card, cpu, and ram blabbering.
Shuttle Flamepants Testing
If you are in the market for a new computer this year, let me save you a bucket of money so you can get the most performance for a reasonable price. I've completed my two recent computer builds: The Taunt Sick Trick Beast Box and then the Shuttle Flamepants. I made a couple pricey mistakes along the road to enlightenment, but that I enjoy the learning and hope I can pass some ideas and savings on to you. Back at Christmas time I decided to go for broke and try and build high-end speed with the following components:
Taunt Sick Trick Beast Box
Nvidia Coolermaster................case
eVGA 880i SLi.......................mobo
eVGA 8800gtx.......................dual video cards
Dominator 8888......................ram
Intel Quad qx6700...................cpu
Was this system fast? Yes, very fast. I was able to over-clock and score 17,000 in 3DMark06 which was one of the top1100 scores at that time. These components make for a very fast rig and are great for gaming, video capture, 3D rendering and more. There are a couple drawbacks with this system and they are price...it is a pricey system to build and size...this is a giant, full tower case and I personally had over 10 fans running in it. lol That is a lot of juice sucking fans! For the last five years I've enjoyed owning small form factor aka SFF computers. These are computers which are small in size, but are very powerful. I really hated having a case as big as a whale...and wanted to move most of the components into a small case and see where scores ended up.
I decided to use the Shuttle SDXI-BYO and move components over. There are problems when trying to use some of these new higher end gaming parts in smaller boxes:
Technical Issue No.1 Power Supply
These new super fast 8800gtx video cards suck the juice. They demand at least a 400W power supply for a single card and 700-900W power supply for dual cards in SLi. If you were thinking of upgrading just your video card...make sure your computer power supply is very beefy or there will not be enough juice to drive even a single 8800gtx. I had read some tests where bloggers were able to run two cards at less than 438watts...but I'm not an electrician and I think there are some issues on amps. This was the main factor I gave up on trying to ram two 8800gtx cards into a small form factor case...these simply is not enough power unless you use an external power supply.
Technical Issue No.2,3,4 Width, Cooling, Drivers
These 8800gtx video cards are double wide...if you want to shove them onto motherboards that aren't really made for double wides, you have to use a single wide...the only one available at this time is the BFG liquid cooled. Originally I thought I might be able to modify two of these to fit in a SFF box, using the sdxi's mtec liquid cooling...but there were so many technical hurdles that I decided to drop the idea. There was the power supply issue, then there was the backing plate for the coolers...it would need to be made at a machine shop...and then, there are if you are trying to use a motherboard that has not paid nvidia the SLi licensing fees, you have to use hacked drivers...and no hacked drivers exist yet for the 8800gtx cards (although a couple teams of programmers are close to releasing them).
After soul searching and researching, I decided to abandon the project of cramming two giant cards into a tiny shuttle box. I started doing some testing with the beast box, to see how scores would be with a single card. As I stated earlier, my best double card score was around 17,000. This was with the chip clocked to 13X and was running around 3.5Ghz (pretty sweet for a 2.66 labeled Intel!) I might of been able to score a little higher but was pleased with that result. My single card testing resulting in the 13,000 score. I was new to testing and probably left a few points on the table, but a single card at 13k in 3DMark06 is a pretty sweet score just the same. I know wondered what the tiny little shuttle could do. It had an older motherboard, could not run ram over 667mhz, and was horrible for overclocking. I decided I had to find out and started moving parts over from one case to the other.
Taunt Flamepants
Shuttle SDXI-BYO..................case
eVGA 880i SLi.......................mobo
eVGA 8800gtx.......................single video card
Dominator 8888......................ram
Intel Quad qx6700...................cpu
I clocked the Flame up two nights ago but I was sipping the tequila and did not make good notes and have not been able to reproduce my high score...but check this out...I was amazed. The little Shuttle scored a 12,949. That is damn close to a 13k! I'm not going to run either overclocked that much in real life, but at relaxed settings, these boxes with a single card are still scoring in the high 11s and low twelve thousand range which is fast in the underpants! Here are a bunch of build pictures and then I will tell you the drawbacks and problems.
Technical Issue No.1 Heat
The Shuttle mobo will run a quad core chip, but the factory heatsink and fan system is semi-underpowered for these levels of heat and my CPU was running in the 60C range. This is not horrible but it is hot and I called shuttle tech and ask where the danger range is and he said at 80C the chip is going to start shutting down. In the end, I removed the DVD and used my monster Noctua heat sink which instantly...and I mean instantly, took 20C off the cpu! So with the case off, I was running around 39C and 42C...it's amazing how well a great cpu cooler works. The drawback to this approach is that I now have to use an external DVD or a laptop thin DVD. I am still deciding which system I want to attempt. It does take minor modding to get things mounted correctly with this approach.
Buy Recommendations
If you are in the market for a new computer this year, here are three recommendations based on cash levels. I like both Intel and AMD chips but currently intel has the lead with the dual and quad core offerings. I like both Nvidia and ATi, but right now nvidia has the lead with the 8800 series graphic cards...right now I slant to the Intel and Nvidia combo.
Fast $1,500-$2,000
this system will fly along in all games and will not completely break the bank.
Dual Core Intel CPU
Ram 1 Gig
Single Nvidia 8800 GTS (that is an S not an X)
Super Fast $2,500 - $3,000
this system will lay the spank down.
Quad Core Intel CPU
2 Gig Of Ram
Dual Nvidia 8800 GTS (that is an S not an X)
Hella Fast $3,500 - $5,000
you will become master of time, space, and dimension.
Quad Core Intel CPU
2 Gig Of Ram
Single or Dual Nvidia 8800 GTX
For your lil Tricks Twid... to get the cmd prompt up, windows key + r, type cmd, hit enter, behold the command prompt! This also works for opening things like the desktop folder. Rather then enter cmd, you'd just say, type desktop, or even favorites, and it will open those folders... this will work for most 'system' folders. There are lots of other keyboard shortcuts as well, but just sayin! Like the windows key + f for the search, windows key + d to minimize -everything- on the desktop. Windows key + e to open explorer, etc etc
Posted by: Lur | Thursday, February 01, 2007 at 06:32 PM