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NickF

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Everything posted by NickF

  1. Back in the day we were pulling stuff out of OllyDGB and hand writing stuff in assembly.
  2. As the new tech mod, I'll be working on some cool things for you guys, first thing is first, I'm explaining the basics of computer hardware. Before we can even start, what is a computer? A computer is a machine for manipulating data according to a list of instructions known as a program. A digital circuit is based on a number of discrete voltage levels, usually two, as distinct from an analog circuit that uses continuous voltages to represent variables directly. Digital circuits are the most common mechanical representation of Boolean algebra and are the basis of all digital computers. They can also be used to process digital information without being connected up as a computer. Such circuits are referred to as "random logic". Lets start from the begining, shall we? The first computers were basically what we think of now as a calculator. A proccessing unit designed to do simple mathmatical functions (2+2=4). They slowly developed into what we know as a PC. The HP 9830, introduced in 1972, was the first desktop all-in-one computer. It even had BASIC in ROM, but few people know about it because HP marketed it primarily to scientists and engineers. Anyway, enough history for bit. Lets fastforward to what we are here to learn. The first and most important peice of equipment in the PC is the CPU, short for central processing unit (The Intel 4004, a 4-bit CPU released by Intel Corp. in 1971, is considered to be the world's first commercial single-chip microprocessor). The CPU processes all of what is going on in your computer at any given time. It is the "thinking part of the brain" of the computer if you will. Today, there are 2 main types of CPU's you can buy. 32-bit and 64-bit CPU's. As you can figure, 64-bit CPU's can proccess data 2x the speed of 32-bit ones, but the lack of software support means that it is a terrible choice for the mainstream user. This is why all 64-bit CPUs come with 32-bit logic, allowing them to proccess data at either 32 or 64 bits. There are other types of cpus as well, single cores and dual core. Single core CPU's have once processor on a chip, dual core CPUs hae 2 processors working together on one chip. This can mean a 2x performance boost if your software happens to be multithreaded, or supports reverse-hyperthreading (coming soon from AMD). All of the current consumer dualcore CPUs come with 32-bit and 64-bit support. Now lets get down to the manufacturers, AMD and Intel are the most well known consumer CPU makers, for PC's anyway. Intel has been sticking to its "netburst" archetecture for a couple of years now, meaning they believe the higher the clock, the better. Some Intel Pentium 4's are 3.8GHz stock, which is quite fast...or is it? AMD, another CPU manufacturer, believes they should get the most out of their archetecture. Meaining they ry to eliminate anything holding them back and get the most out of what they already have. In most cases AMD's idea wins. a 2.8GHz AMD proccessor tends to beat the 3.8GHz Intel proccessor without a doubt. :) A modern processor: The second most important part of the computer is the RAM. Short ofr Random Access Memory, it serves much like the short term memory part of the brain. There are 2 (still supported) types of consumer system RAM right now. DDR and DDR2 ram. DDR memory runs at either 266, 333, 400, 500, or 600 MHz. The faster, the better. Each "stick" of ram also comes in sizes ranging from 64 MB to 1024 MB (aka 1 GB). Another thing to check for are the memory timings. These are delays from differant parts of the memory module. So basically, the smaller the number the better. DDR memory has 184 pins. DDR2 memory runs at 400, 566, 667, 800, 1066, or 1200 MHz (well not 1200MHz yet, but there are prototypes). They also come in the same sizes as DDR memory. DDR2 modules have higher timings than DDR memory, which is why many believe that DDR2 memory isn't much better than DDR memory until you get tothe super fast 800, 1066, and 1200 MHz modules. The third most important part of the computer is the hard drive, the long term memory. All your h4x, games, movies and whetever else get stored here. They range in sizes from 40 GB- 750 GB. You really don't need more than 250 gigs unless you are running a server or you are super warez man. :tease: Another thing to look for in hard drives is speed, and cache size. The faster the hardrive spins the better, andthe bigger the cache size the better. Hard drives spin at either 5400, 7200, 10000, or 15000 RPM. Their cache sizes are 2, 4, 8, or 16 megabytes. Our next part is the graphics card. We all love to play games right? Well the graphics card does all the complex algorithms for graphics and physics (for now). Its what makes the picture come on screen. Graphics cards are the most complex part of the computer, and there are several things you should look for. Pixelpipelines/Shaders are the most important, ATi and nVIDIA both do it differantly, so you cannot directly compare the part of the card. Let's assume that ATI hardware has 64 unified Shaders. This means that ATI can process 64 pixel lines only per clock. That may be in the proportions: 50 pixel, 14 vertex and geometry lines per clock, or 40 vertex, 10 pixel and 14 geometry information per clock. Any ratio that adds up to 64 will do. I hope you get this maths. The Nvidian idea is 32 pixel and 16 vertex and geometry lines per clock, which might be a wining ratio but it is still too early to say. We don’t know who will win the next generation hardware game and whose approach is better: ATI's unified or Nvidia's two-to-one ratio. (The r600 vs the g80) The next thing to look for in graphics cards is the core and memory clock speed. An nvidia card with the same amount of pipes and shaders with a core clock speed of 500 MHz and memory speed of 1200 versus one with a 400 MHz core clock and 1000 MHz of memory speed would have better perforamance because 500/1200 is > 400/1000 :) Graphics cards come with differant types on memory onboard as well, there are three other things to look for in the memory: link width, how many bits is it? 64, 128 or 256? Bigger is better, and I don't suggest ever buying a card that has 64-bit memory. Next is the memory type. Is it gDDR, gDDR2, or gDDR3? Welll guess what? Don't buy a card with DDR memory. The final thing other than speed (last paragraph) is memory size. Get a card with 256 megabytes or 512 megabytes. There are cards taht comre with 128 megs, but the more the better, and the price shouldn't be that much highjer to buy a 256 meg version. Next we'll talk sound cards. Sound cards are what make the sound come through your speakers. All modern motherboards come with onboared sound or a sound card. The quality of that sound is pretty good, infact there is really no need to upgrade this unless you want super crystal clear music and games. In that case, you should buy a Soundblaster X-fi or Audigy2 ZS. You should look for the number of transistors on these, generally the more the better. Be sure to pair these nice sound cards with nice speakers to get the most of it. :thumbsup: Now, lets talk about the thing that links it all together, the motherboard. The motherboard comes with chipsets, in these chipsets are instructions on how to handle whats plugged into it. The motherboard links everythimgn that goes into your computer, from CPUs to mouses, thats its job. Everyones needs are differant for motherboards, so there is lot to talk about. -Make sure you get the right socket, so your CPU fits and works in it. -Make sure you CPU is supported, sometimes even though your CPU will fit, it might not work. -Look for a good Northbridge chipset. Nvidia currently makes the best ones, IMO. They are compatible with ATI graphics cards, don't worry. But anyway, the good chipsets are any of the NForce 4 or 500 series. -Memory is important too. Make sure your motherboard has enough slots, can handle your ram speed, and supports dual chanel which doubles performance if you put 2 identical dual chanel support memory sticks in your mobo. -Make sure you get PCI-E if you are buying a new system, it is important because AGP graphics cards are hardly manufactured anymore. -Look for the number of PCI slots, make sure its enough for you. -Make sure it supports your hard drive. IDE, SATA, and SATA II are normally the types of hard drives to look for support for. -Check your LAN speed, 10/100/1000Mbps or higher is recomended. This is called "gigabit lan". -From factor, makes sure it fits your case. Mobo's come in ATX, MicroATX and BTX. We are almost done, now its the Power Supply. Many people kinda ignore this, which is not wise. It is suggested to get a 300 Watt PSU with 18 amps on its 12v rail for a budget workstation. If you are running a nice server or gaming machine, make sure to get at least 450Watts with DUAL 12v rails, having at least 18 amps on each rail. If you are running a gaming machine with SLI, makes sure you get 500 Watts or MORE with DUAL, TRI, Or QUAD rails, with at least 18 on each (15 if quad). A general rule also, the heavier the better! I'd talk CD/DVD/Flash drives/Ipods ect here, but I think you gusy know what they are, so I'l skip to cooling. :tease: Cooling is one of the most important, and generally ignored factor in computers. Your CPU should not excede 60*c at any given time. Your Graphics Card should not excede 80*c at any given time. Your hard drive should not excede 45*c at any given time. Finally, your motherboard should not excede 60*c. You can monitor your temperatures with a program called Everest. WOW that took me an hour and a half to type up. You'd better at least read it :mellow: I'll add more as I see fit.
  3. NickF

    FUCK YOU XTHAR.

    Hey guys Hope all is cool. I'm in CT, I am the tech coordinator at an elementary school. Doing alot of good things. What do you guys do?
  4. Ahhhh Those were the days :spiteful:
  5. NickF

    Happy Holidays from Ghoztcraft!

    Hey man! Glad to hear from ya thanks for the email announcement. I'm still around. I am the Technology Coordinator at a small magnet school in a large city. Still playing games, building computers and doing all the fun stuff. I am CptJackPianoMan on League of Legends and sc.nickf on Steam. Merry Christmas! I miss the game hacking scene :(
  6. I picked a bunch of parts for you to build an AM2 system, capable of playing all modern games at medium/high settings. Be sure to double check for compatibility, I did already but you should too. Make sure to read my all-you-should-know guide on PCs. The parts list: The Case, comes with 3 120mm fans, and has room for 2 more! It is has 5 Cd bays, 3 hard drive bays, and 2 floppy bays. It comes with a power supply, but I would not use it, its a peice of smoking shit. :mellow: Sunbeam ATX Mid Tower Price: $62.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16811166027 The Powersupply, great, cheap PSU. Dual 12v rails (18amp, 18 amp) 450 watts, and damned stable. I am currently using this one myself and I recomend it to anyone with a budget. FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX450-PN Price: $51.50 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16817104954 The CD/DVD writer. Great drive, cheap, low access times, fast burning times. [bSAMSUNG Black CD/DVD Writer (SH-S162A/BEBN) Price: $34.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16827151121 The Hard Drive, should get the job done :) HITACHI Deskstar 160GB, 7200 RPM, 8MB Cache, SATA II (3.0Gb/s) Price: $57.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16822145088 The Memory, Cheap, Fast, heatspreader, low latency G.SKILL 1GB (2 x 512MB) DDR2 667 Price: $79.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16820231050 Motherboard, Cheap yet effective! MSI K9N Neo-F Socket AM2 Price: $76.95 http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?...N82E16813130050 Processor, Nice little processor, Will hit 2.4GHz+ :) AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Price: $104.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16819103637 Video Card, A nice card, should hit 600/1600MHz eVGA Geforce 7600GT Price: $164.99 ($134.99 after $30.00 Mail-In Rebate) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16814130017 Subtotal: 634.39 Plus Shipping: $39.75 Total: $674.14 SUGGESTED COOLING UPGRADES: Thermaltake "Mini Typhoon" CL-P0268: Price: $49.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16835106075 ZALMAN VF900: Price: $33.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16835118001
  7. NickF

    [Wiki] Drakken

    This is the discussion topic for the wiki article: Drakken
  8. NickF

    [Wiki] RedRum-13

    This is the discussion topic for the wiki article: RedRum-13
  9. NickF

    Drop Hacks

    Illegally, yes.
  10. NickF

    Morph Hack Unit List

    He got it from Ultimate Filez: http://www.ultimate-filez.com/forums/index...?showtopic=1049
  11. On the 3rd of December, there will be a be-all Starcraft hacking tournament. There will be several 2 vs 2 melee matches, and the winners of one match with face teh winners of another, and the winners of that match will face the winners of another second round match ect. We need you to sign up NOW to get this shit set up! The rules: 1. Starcraft: Broodwar 1.14 only 2. Hacks are allowed, however crashing/dropping are not. it is recommended you get the latest Annhilition X4 Light from here to ensure you don't get crashed. 3. If you or a partner lag out, your match will be restarted. This is to ensure there is no drop hacking, because you lagging out will not make your team lose. :tease: 4. I'll set up some sort of contacting and bracket system for the tournement. Further rules will be added upon suggestion. The winners of the tournament don't win anything, except respect form the community, sorry. Good Luck, have fun. :thumbsup:
  12. NickF

    my own prison

    CREED LYRICS "My Own Prison" A court is in session, a verdict is in No appeal on the docket today Just my own sin The walls are cold and pale The cage made of steel Screams fill the room Alone I drop and kneel Silence now the sound My breath the only motion around Demons cluttering around My face showing no emotion Shackled by my sentence Expecting no return Here there is no penance My skin begins to burn (And I said oh) So I held my head up high Hiding hate that burns inside Which only fuels their selfish pride (And I said oh) We're all held captive Out from the sun A sun that shines on only some We the meek are all in one I hear a thunder in the distance See a vision of a cross I feel the pain that was given On that sad day of loss A lion roars in the darkness Only he holds the key A light to free me from my burden And grant me life eternally Should have been dead On a Sunday morning Banging my head No time for mourning Ain't got no time (And I said oh) So I held my head up high Hiding hate that burns inside Which only fuels their selfish pride (And I said oh) We're all held captive Out from the sun A sun that shines on only some We the meek are all in one [Guitar break] I cry out to God Seeking only his decision Gabriel stands and confirms I've created my own prison I cry out to God Seeking only his decision Gabriel stands and confirms I've created my own prison (And I said oh) So I held my head up high Hiding hate that burns inside Which only fuels their selfish pride (And I said oh) We're all held captive Out from the sun A sun that shines on only some We the meek are all in one (And I said oh) So I held my head up high Hiding hate that burns inside Which only fuels their selfish pride (And I said oh) We're all held captive Out from the sun A sun that shines on only some We the meek are all in one Should've been dead on a Sunday morning banging my head No time for mourning Ain't got no time
  13. I'm scrubbing the games due to the lack of participants.
  14. NickF

    rank my sig

    I scribbled on it with paint, it was kinda a joke, but also true.
  15. NickF

    rank my sig

    Mine's better.
  16. If people sign up it will be.
  17. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year With the kids jingle belling And everyone telling you "Be of good cheer" It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year It's the hap -happiest season of all With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings When friends come to call It's the hap - happiest season of all There'll be parties for hosting Marshmallows for toasting And caroling out in the snow There'll be scary ghost stories And tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year There'll be much mistltoeing And hearts will be glowing When love ones are near It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year There'll be parties for hosting Marshmallows for toasting And caroling out in the snow There'll be scary ghost stories And tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year There'll be much mistltoeing And hearts will be glowing When love ones are near It's The Most Wonderful Time It's The Most Wonderful Time It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
  18. NickF

    im back...for now

    I'm back too.. Kinda.
  19. NickF

    What are your computer specs?

    Mobo: ABIT KN8 Ultra CPU: AMD Opteron 144 (2.7GHz 9x300 1.5v) - Thermaltake Big Typhoon Memory: Corsair XMS (2x512) DDR490 (3-4-4-8, 2.6v) PSU: FSP Group AX450-PN (450 Watt) Video Card: Radeon x1900 GT 660/1400 - Thermalright V-1 Ultra HD Total Space: Western Didgital 80 GB SATA150 @ 7200 RPM
  20. NickF

    Want to Upgrade Ghoztcraft?

    Go for it.
  21. NickF

    God & Christianity

    Well, this is a very touchy subject for most, and I am here to post my opinion on it all, and you can post yours. Please be as minimally flaming as possible to avoid offending anyone. I am a confirmed Catholic just FYI, so I still believe in my faith dispite your protest. I believe there is a God, I believe he had a human form whom he called his son, Jesus, and I believe there is a spiritual bond to this god called the Holy Spirit. I believe in the bible. But alot of it, espesially the old testimant, is stuff that was made up to help people understand. I mean common, try explaining cells and atoms to somone 3000 years ago. Also, how do you think the universe came about? The big bang right? Well hmmm a bunch of dust formed a giant nebula, slowly began to fuse together, and exploded! The bits and peices of the explosion are what make up our universe. Where did this dust come from? Did matter form from nothing, defying all logic and physics? Doubtfull, I know there is a higher force for this reason. I am unsure if i believe in the Eucharist, its hard to imagine you are eating and drinking flesh and blood, that is really bread and wine. But then you hear about Eucharistic maricals and you totally get blown away. About satan, and demonics, I believe there is a devil and that he is pure evil. I know the devil is not in the scaring business, because that would stop him from making you stray from god. He will lead you astray into sin, where you will be lost until you can find yourself. As for demonic posetion, I think it is crack pot shit meant to scare people into becoming religious.
  22. NickF

    I am in need of a very large Harddrive.

    You have a better chance of having $100 bills growing off th tree in your back yard, then getting a free 750 gig hard drive.
  23. NickF

    W00t Jus Upgraded CPU

    Rich bastard, lol. Overclock it to the FX57 speeds.
  24. NickF

    My absence..

    Hey guys, sorry I haven't been around the forums or on AIM. A couple weeks ago I ordered a Thermalright V-1 Ultra and I installed it on my 6800 GS. All was working fine, but I was starving the airflow of the fans after I installed it, they were basically fighting eachther. So I was idling at like 58*c. I took the card out and switched the fan (after talking to howard) and I must have ESD'd it, which I still haven't figured out because I was doing the work in a tiled room, but whatever. Anyway I sent it into newegg like 3 days later (with the original heatsink of course) and they tried to "repair" it and failed. Since my card is out of stock, they refunded my original purchase price of $199. (Lucky duck I am :)) Whats evenmore lucky is that I made $50 yesterday on top of it. w00t :) . I plan on buying a 7900 GT now, but I need about $35, so I'll be doing chores and stuff for my parents. If I really want to knock down, I'll try and save up $50 and buy the EVGA 7900 GT Signature Series ($289.99, $269.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate), It is stock Vmodded to 1.35v. Core clock is 580MHz (Standard 450MHz) and memory clock is 1580MHz (Standard 1320MHz) and 24 pipes. I plan on installing the V-1 ultra. Another option is to buy an x1900 GT (HIS version) for $285.99, with 12 pipes (36 shaders), 575MHz core clock, 1200MHz memory clock. I could keep the stock cooler on the x1900 GT, or put the V-1 ultra in. Any other suggestions are open, my budget is $300 MAX. 7900 GT: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16814130016 X1900 GT: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?...N82E16814161018 Also, In my abssnce the forumactivity seems to have shot up! Thanks guys for your activity!! PS. Sorry Ray, howard, (I talk to you guys alot) the moderator staff, and who ever I talk to regularly on AIM. I'll bea around soon. Tge only drawback of this whole thing is that I lost my summer of gaming fun, but I've found other stuff to do and haven't been so bored. :)
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