The art of h@xxor-ing

Discovered a few websites the other day, in which they permit and encourage you to hack their website/server in order to learn about the world of hacking... legally. I have to say, I got caught up into one called Hack This Site. They actually give you lessons and challenges as to how to hack their website using different methods. And when you get stuck on a challenge, you can always refer to the forums, and ask others for help or tips. Quite intriguing and may I suggest it to all you "noobs" out there.

GeekSpace

Every geek needs his computing super-zone! The GeekSpace and it's variations GameSpace and HackerSpace are important parts of every computer junkies arsenal. I've compiled a list of necessities to make your GeekSpace the only space to do your computing, gaming, and/or hacking.

The Desk:
The desk has to be big enough for your computer, keyboard, mouse, and a cup of coffee.

The Computer:
It runs, it's fast, it's mean, and it can run Windows XP or Latest versions of Linux.

The Chair:
One of the most important parts of a GeekSpace that is commonly forgotten about. It's important to find something comfortable and adjustable.

The Sound:
Speakers are great, but when you are running short on room, it may be a good option to invest in a nice set of noise-cancelling headphones. I like the Sony MDR-V150. They cost about $30 at target.

Bookshelf:
A place to store your books, games, gadgets, and other forms of media.

Fan:
While not necessary, fans are great when Geeking on a hot day. They also help keep the AC bill down.

Coffee Maker:
Good coffee is hard to skimp on. Get a good coffee maker and invest in some nice coffee. Perhaps even grind your own beans. This is your Geek fuel after all.

Repair

Learned how to jumper a power supply as to test without using the motherboard. Made it easy to tell that my first customer's power supply had bit the dust. Thank goodness for local PC shops to supply a 500w power supply for only $20.

The business hasn't yet become a "Business" but once the word gets out, perhaps I will be able to get more people to see the potential in custom built systems as opposed to Dell, HP, Gateway, and all those other companies that over-charge you.

What's in your arsenal?

So I decided to take the leap and start my own business on the side, out of my apartment. It's a simple PC design business, get the facts, build the machines, get a little extra dough on the side. After a long time of deciding a name I came up with 'Arsenal'. For many people, computers are necessary part of their lives and you have to have something in your computing arsenal to conquer those daily tasks. So I will be designing and building custom PC's. I will also offer up my services to anyone in need of an upgrade or repair.

A few notes on my own machine: I came in to possession of some a 2 GB stick of PC6400 RAM. The RAM was given to me by a fellow computer guru who removed it from another PC. After dropping in the stick, I heard a variety of beeps in sequence. Basically my computer was saying "What the fuck is this new crap you are putting in me!" Well, after some thought, I figure perhaps since my current RAM is timed at 5-5-5-15 and my new RAM is timed at 6-6-6-12, maybe I should switch my computer to automatically choose the right timing, as opposed to trying to run the new RAM at the old timing, woops! If everything goes correctly, she should run 4GB's at 6-6-6-15.

A+

Certification in the works? Maybe... A+ by CompTIA, the IT Technician one... Repairing computer systems or building new ones... it's kinda fun. Starting my own computer design company... perhaps it's in the works. The certification would help out. Either way, I like to build things.

Results are in!

My computer sounds a little like an airplane about to take off, especially with 3 case fans, the Buffalo Heatsink/Fan, and the VGA cooler on my HD Radeon 3870. However, without even touching a water cooling block I've managed to reach temperature levels way way below a normal air-cooled machine, go me! For those not into the technicaly side of things, the average air-cooled machine will idle anywhere from 40-50*C. Well... you've seen my numbers in the last post.

I did have to step down my processor from 2.6GHz to 2.5GHz to prevent some in-game crashing. I'd increase the voltage if my Asus board would let me. In the end, she's still powerful enough to play any game on the market. I don't see anything becoming available that wil be able to fully utilize a quad core processor, especially the Core i7. So, with that note, long live the Athlon 64 X2!

Update Complete!

Some photos of the new update. Added components include an Evercool Buffalo Heatsink, a Kama Bay 3x5.25" slot case/fan grill, and a 120mm Thermaltake Thunderblade Fan. Notice the idle temperature on the CPU as well as the case temperature: