My Big PC Box

problems problems, have had my new box a couple o months now, but ain't had chance t fix it. prob is: hangs after logging into windows (server 2008rc2 & win7, both 64-bit). used to hang with definite graphics card probs -screen set to a random primary colour but could remote login to reboot, solved by taking the side off the case for extra ventilation -so that was a heat problem. now it will lock up (-system freeze but screen locked to last position and error for remote login) on every first boot up, but usually ok on second -like it has to "warm up" or something.

system is:
amd phenom II X4 965 Black Edition -great!
nvidia gtx260 graphics -good, but not as impressive as i'd hoped 1920x1080
4 gig ddr3 ram matched to cpu
2X 1 TB 7200rpm HDs with 128MB cache (raid 0)
kind of a shit mb i've decided, but nvidia chipset based. it has damn on-board graphics which i did not want, i disabled that wank in the bios, but temp still comes up when using temp monitors, and is always running at critical for some reason??????? -BULLSHIT! anyhow, i digress...

ok so, i've bought a new 12cm system fan, that makes 2 plus a small side panel one, installing that and closing side panel oughtta create some good airflow -fingers crossed.

next prob is that i'm using nvraid (raid 0, my first raid! fucking awesome performance already with windows server -100MB/s++ file copy). problem is installing linux dual boot on this fucker, tried hyper-v but it fucks up performance to a noticeable degree -shit stalling when i adjust audio volume -even when not running another OS! -bullshit). so a massive task is going to ensue tryin t get grub to boot all these OSes off a wanky soft raid. adding to this problem is that i've seen some excellent benchmarks for using jfs filesystem with nvraid (-almost as good as hardware raid -1% off!!), it's not a standard supported fs like ext2/3/4/reiserfs/etc so of course i've gotta have that too. ext vs jfs 200% faster! holy fuck! and yes i am aware of the slowness of jfs in deleting files, but everything else is pretty top notch -go ibm!

this shit takes up way too much of my time, i spend most of my life installing OSes and worrying about storage performance. it took me a full week to install eeebuntu on my asus eee 901, just coz i was so paranoid about wearing out the shit SSDs that come with it and messing with a calculator tring to work out optimal positioning of partitions to align with write sectors and honing performance of linux to flush in optimal write block amounts. JEESUS! who gives a fuck ros! clearly i do.

so where do i fit in time to do the actual real work of writing software? i've got 3 laptops, the netbook, and now a full pc also, *all* with constant problems. would be easy if i wasn't such a complicating bastard insisting on such weird shit customized to each individual pc. -was thinkin of getting a macbook for ease of use so i could forget about these things, but i'd probly piss on that dream too considering:

--i refused to use itunes with my ipod -resulted in a long search a brief interlude fucking with linux on the ipod before settling on floola -excellent cross-platform program!

--every mobile phone i buy i must fuck with to death, even write javaME progs to get the shit i want outta it. [edit: current project is bluetooth PC remote control using Nokia E63 and Symbian S60 programming, see new blog=http://bluetooth-hid.blogspot.com/ ]

--generally too curious for my own good. would end up getting rid of the mac GUI or something retarded just coz i wanted "more control", -whatever that means, probly means the usual: more scope to fuck up the OS beyond repair ;-P

ok this post has gone on long enough, think i should probly be done here.