Search found 80 matches

by Nicias
Thu Feb 05, 2015 3:21 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Down the rabbit hole / PC horror stories
Replies: 8
Views: 10555

Re: Down the rabbit hole / PC horror stories

One day I wanted to clean the an old HTPC. Took it apart totally dusty inside. Thought, hmm, maybe the thermal paste has evaporated. Should take heat sink off and reapply. Hmm, this heat sink doesn't want to come off. Pull harder. Pull heat sink + CPU out of ZIF socket. They are totally cemented tog...
by Nicias
Sat Dec 13, 2014 9:27 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: backup to guard against bit rot.
Replies: 8
Views: 7332

Re: backup to guard against bit rot.

Ok, so changing checks to monthly, and adding in a dd to /dev/null.
by Nicias
Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:07 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: backup to guard against bit rot.
Replies: 8
Views: 7332

Re: backup to guard against bit rot.

Thanks for all of the input. I don't think I want to invest the required money & labor for the multiple drive solution that you are suggesting. As I said, I don't have anything irreplacable. Just inconvient. Right now I'm leaning towards the following: For category A) adding git fsck to the weekly g...
by Nicias
Fri Dec 12, 2014 10:37 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: backup to guard against bit rot.
Replies: 8
Views: 7332

backup to guard against bit rot.

Not related to silent stuff at all, but I thought some of you might have good advice anyway, so I'll ask here. I'm not sure if this is the best forum for this, so feel free to move this topic. I'm looking to revamp my backup system. Currently I backup the following items to a pair of disks on a mont...
by Nicias
Wed Dec 10, 2014 1:28 pm
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Most Preferred PVR Software
Replies: 4
Views: 5284

Re: Most Preferred PVR Software

I was very happy with MythTV until my cable company removed their unencrypted channels.
by Nicias
Fri Feb 28, 2014 2:00 pm
Forum: Cases and Damping
Topic: Fractal Design R4 - will my video card fit?
Replies: 10
Views: 6625

Re: Fractal Design R4 - will my video card fit?

Warning: Some real geeky math and perhaps flawed methodology ahead! I saw the MSI GTX 780 ti article on Techpowerup. 30 is impressive, much better than the 36 of the stock GTX 780 ti. That's a 17% reduction in noise. The Anandtech article I linked doesn't show the MSI GTX 780 ti, but it does repres...
by Nicias
Tue Feb 18, 2014 2:26 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: House Selling
Replies: 4
Views: 5668

Re: House Selling

Mathematically, they are both auctions. Mathematically the sealed bid option is superior, my best strategy (as a buyer) for that auction is to bid the actual max I would want to pay. For the traditional method my best strategy is to bid one dollar (or pound) more than my challenger. So if your possi...
by Nicias
Thu Sep 26, 2013 1:31 pm
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: USB powered external 3.5 enclosure
Replies: 11
Views: 9744

Re: USB powered external 3.5 enclosure

Thanks Mr. Spocko, but I think I'll go with the 2.5" device powered off of USB. This is for a home file server that is a retired laptop. When we have storms in the mountains up here we sometimes lose power for a few minutes at a time. With an externally powered drive, this requires an umount/fsck/mo...
by Nicias
Wed Jul 31, 2013 4:40 pm
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: USB powered external 3.5 enclosure
Replies: 11
Views: 9744

Re: USB powered external 3.5 enclosure

Ah, that makes sense. If the price difference is this big (~40%) I would opt for the less expensive, shorter warrantied version. I have off-site full backups of this stuff anyway.
by Nicias
Wed Jul 31, 2013 1:09 pm
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: USB powered external 3.5 enclosure
Replies: 11
Views: 9744

Re: USB powered external 3.5 enclosure

What blood posted is correct, 3.5 mechanicall hdds use 12V, while the USB standard is 5V, so no way of powering it via usb, you will always need an external source of power. But you can do it with 2.5 mechancial hdds, this are laptop drives, that are design to operate at 5v, so you can build your o...
by Nicias
Wed Jul 31, 2013 8:41 am
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: USB powered external 3.5 enclosure
Replies: 11
Views: 9744

Re: USB powered external 3.5 enclosure

Thanks! That is very helpful.
by Nicias
Wed Jul 31, 2013 7:27 am
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: USB powered external 3.5 enclosure
Replies: 11
Views: 9744

Re: USB powered external 3.5 enclosure

Even with one of those "Y" cables?
by Nicias
Wed Jul 31, 2013 6:21 am
Forum: Silent Storage
Topic: USB powered external 3.5 enclosure
Replies: 11
Views: 9744

USB powered external 3.5 enclosure

Hello,

I'm looking for a enclosure for a 3.5" drive that is USB powered (no power cord) does such an item exist?
by Nicias
Fri Jul 12, 2013 4:16 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Planned Green ITX BUild
Replies: 20
Views: 12876

Re: Planned Green ITX BUild

I have to agree with hudson, go SSD and you won't go back. Especially as a gentoo user, I highly recommend it.
by Nicias
Thu Apr 25, 2013 11:51 am
Forum: CPUs and Motherboards
Topic: Build a very low consumption computer
Replies: 33
Views: 21245

Re: Build a very low consumption computer

W/h would indicate Watts per hour which is a nonsense unit Yeah, I keep writing kW/h and so forth even when I'm not prompted by someone who says "watts per hour". There are too many common per time units. I know it makes no sense but I guess it's too late to correct these bad habits. Watt-hours are...
by Nicias
Sun Mar 03, 2013 8:02 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Anybody do more than a cursory comparison of 720p vs. 1080p?
Replies: 60
Views: 44877

Re: Anybody do more than a cursory comparison of 720p vs. 10

CA_Steve: That'll teach you to give a reasoned response, with a well made hyperlink! Clearly, rudely throwing a URL at the poster was the correct course of action.
by Nicias
Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:04 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Hardware for small, quiet home router/server
Replies: 22
Views: 13357

Re: Hardware for small, quiet home router/server

I don't know where you are located, but NewEgg has a few such boards:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi ... edSearch=1
by Nicias
Sat Dec 22, 2012 5:49 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Upgrade or replace?
Replies: 5
Views: 2704

Re: Upgrade or replace?

Sorry for not updating, but I did chose to upgrade. I got a Samsung 830 and it makes a huge difference! Haven't put windows on it yet, but it resumes from suspend in about 1-2 seconds.
by Nicias
Sun Dec 09, 2012 7:13 am
Forum: System Advice / Troubleshooting
Topic: Upgrade or replace?
Replies: 5
Views: 2704

Upgrade or replace?

I have a Asus UL30vt notebook that I've had for about 3 years now. I am considering replacing it or upgrading it. I was mostly satisfied with it, when the hard drive started spitting out SMART constantly. I took the hint and swapped it out for an old 2.5" drive I had lying around. Only problem was t...
by Nicias
Thu Nov 01, 2012 10:45 am
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: If you could ask God one question ...
Replies: 357
Views: 480196

Re: If you could ask God one question ...

I've been lurking on this thread for some time, and I just wanted to add my two cents. Here I am of a different opinion, the experience of God is not possible through scientific analysis alone. "The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing." Then tell me: if the experience of God is not p...
by Nicias
Sat Oct 27, 2012 12:25 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Republican rape chart
Replies: 30
Views: 21551

Re: Republican rape chart

I do have quite a radical view on things such as charity. I don't want to get into them too much, but you could look up Kant's distinction on perfect and imperfect duties to get an idea of how I would answer. But in the theoretical situation where a fertilized egg floated around, I would think that...
by Nicias
Fri Oct 26, 2012 2:12 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Republican rape chart
Replies: 30
Views: 21551

Re: Republican rape chart

Finally, we arrive at my conclusion. I think that a fertilized egg has a right to life, because it satisfies the basic requirement of being a human being. If an adult has rights and a teenager has rights and a child has rights and a baby has rights, then the chain keeps going (I think) all the way ...
by Nicias
Tue Oct 09, 2012 10:10 am
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Voting in America just got a bit harder
Replies: 183
Views: 215902

Re: Voting in America just got a bit harder

For the record I'm actually for voter ID of some form on this. Not to discriminate against those people you call 'lazy' as if that is the case, it shows that the system fails. Instead it is a simple way of preventing corruption, whether it is widespread or not. It doesn't matter if it is not widesp...
by Nicias
Sun Oct 07, 2012 5:28 am
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Voting in America just got a bit harder
Replies: 183
Views: 215902

Re: Voting in America just got a bit harder

The penalty is that you appear foolish and people take what you have to say less seriously. As for instance when you miss the point that the Supreme Court doesn't rule on desirability but on constitutionality. For instance, from the wikipedia article on the case :... Personalty attacks and name cal...
by Nicias
Sat Oct 06, 2012 2:51 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Voting in America just got a bit harder
Replies: 183
Views: 215902

Re: Voting in America just got a bit harder

OK, that was not clear to me from reading his post. What is the penalty for that? The penalty is that you appear foolish and people take what you have to say less seriously. As for instance when you miss the point that the Supreme Court doesn't rule on desirability but on constitutionality. For ins...
by Nicias
Sat Oct 06, 2012 1:52 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Voting in America just got a bit harder
Replies: 183
Views: 215902

Re: Voting in America just got a bit harder

Ok, I guess I have nothing more to say to you on this matter, if you can't understand that the supreme court rules on constitutionality not "good idea"ness.
by Nicias
Sat Oct 06, 2012 1:36 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Voting in America just got a bit harder
Replies: 183
Views: 215902

Re: Voting in America just got a bit harder

m0002a wrote: I am sure there are a lot of atheists or at least agnostics in government, regardless of whether they admit it.
Wow! Something I agree with you on!
by Nicias
Sat Oct 06, 2012 12:37 pm
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Voting in America just got a bit harder
Replies: 183
Views: 215902

Re: Voting in America just got a bit harder

That also explains why there are no Athiest politicians in America, they simply cannot gain enough votes from the un-brainwashed people because the vast majority are brainwashed which basically suggests that m0002a's argument is worthless. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Stark But, yeah. He's the...
by Nicias
Sat Oct 06, 2012 11:46 am
Forum: Off Topic
Topic: Voting in America just got a bit harder
Replies: 183
Views: 215902

Re: Voting in America just got a bit harder

Please refer to the Supreme Court ruling..... Again, I'm not arguing about constitutuionality. Further, I will accept the democratically elected state legislatures for each state on whether they want those laws or not (assuming their laws pass the constitutional test, which some do and some others ...