Custom isn't Custom if you force the User to choose specific parts.

I happened across a company called Digital Storm Customized Systems. They had some nice Black and Red themed systems however, catered mainly to the Intel Enthusiast Crowd especially where their nicer systems were concerned and while I agree wholeheartedly that yes, when push comes to shove, Intel's flagship Core i7 processor is indeed the best processor out there, it's not the best when it comes to performance versus cost.

As I mentioned in my previous post, Intel's flagship processor currently costs just a dollar shy of a thousand and that is before you consider any applicable sales tax, base shipping costs and any little extras you may have in mind (such as insurance or faster delivery in case you need the processor immediately or want to be entirely sure that if the odd thing happens and your package doesn't get to you or is in bad shape at the fault of the shipping company...) and such.

It absolutely pisses me off and the company doesn't even seem to consider people like me. Yeah I want to pay money for a very high end system, that looks absolutely amazing but I don't want Intel and I certainly don't want NVidia. There's hearsay that AMD's next CPU will blow Intel out of the water, and that ATi is really kicking NVidia's Ass despite PhysX and NVidia's 3D setups. After all, ATi currently has it's formidable Eyefinity, and of course it has AMD backing it.

It's just so frustrating. I'm thinking about calling this Digital Storm place up and inquiring about their systems because I only saw a few Phenom X6 setups and they were in cases I already threw away all notion of using for my custom build.

I want a Black and Red Computer and other Computer Related Ramblings

I don't like buying pre-built desktop computers for several reasons, including the fact that the pre-built PC market is mostly dominated by Intel Powered Systems. You see it everywhere. Even Alienware's flagship Desktop PC is Intel-Based (Core i7) and I have a passionate dislike for Intel Processors that stems from my earliest experiences with Computers.

AMD however, has my loyalty right now due to the fact that their Flagship Processor doesn't cost 1000 bucks or even 500 bucks. The Phenom II X6 1100T is stock 3.3 ghz  with 3.7 listed as Turbo and only costs a measly 300 dollars in comparison. Yeah sure, maybe there is some (very shoddy) evidence that Core i7 processors are better for some Applications, but at the same time, they are very, very close and even the most dedicated enthusiast would probably prefer the i7 be several hundred bucks cheaper because for the price of the most expensive/best i7 out there a person could buy nearly every part for the best Phenom II X6 system build ever.

Yeah sure, I have great things in mind for my next build. I've gone through a few motherboards and processors, but at the same time I've been yearning for more. My next build has to be the best and it has to look good.

I did state in my previous rambling that I cannot stand Green and Blue LEDs. The same goes for the rest of the components. Green and Blue are ugly colors. However there are a small number of high end parts that cater towards my preference for Black and Red. Heck, ATi's video cards are all Red and Black these days and there is even the option of Red Liquid Cooling.

As for Cases, well, because I'm looking for a Full Tower, with a large side window, and a Black and Red Theme, it gets very very tough. I've seen cases online where the outside is absolutely gorgeous but the inside is the fugly Grey metal or the inside is wonderful or it's too small or has a a tiny window or just holes in the metal siding instead of a proper window. Even worse are the LED lights. I saw one case that I could have gotten used to in Black and Red but it had these mind-screwing blue LEDs at the top.

So to the world at large out there, if you know of a case manufacturer that sells a Case in Black and Red with a side window that will allow me to look upon my hardware in all it's electronic glory with none of the stupid Blue or Green or dumb colored LED BS, please provide links.

The same goes for other components and I've actually considered waiting a while to see where the market goes with things. I'm eager to learn about AMD's next Eight core processors that are supposed to be better but at the same time dreading having to wait to learn whether clock speeds will take a hit or will come off better than current normal (non-overclocked) speeds.

I mean I've noticed through the years that whenever a new processor comes out it always seems to be clocked in the lower range and slowly the market begins to see faster and faster Ghz, but it all happens over time and I'm not sure I want to wait.

Also a concern about the Octa-core processor codenamed Bulldozer, is the socket type. Will it be AM3? Would it function at similar or better Ghz as the current Phenom II X6 I have in mind? Would the Motherboard Manufacturer I am heavily considering purchasing from release an update for the Bios if it indeed would run on an AM3 socket motherboard with an updated Bios? If not, would I be fine with waiting a while to upgrade again?

I also read somewhere that there's supposed to be PCi-e 3.0 coming out in the near future although that one doesn't really matter so much because that is easier to deal with when it comes to older/newer hardware. A PCi-e 3.0 card would certainly function in a PCi-e 2.0 or older slot albeit not as speedily as it would with it's native interface and the reverse is true. An older 2.0 card would work in a 3.0 slot but only at the highest of it's own native ability.

I already know that when I build my next computer (Not merely upgrading singular components in my current machine) I'll be sinking quite a bit of cash into it because I want a great beast of a machine.

Oh and if anyone is going to chide me for being so color oriented or AMD oriented when it comes to computer parts, yes I know it's not the best choice where performance is concerned but I'm not one of those people who walks out the door with clashing things and with my eyes being so sensitive to colors... Well, It's best for me to go with the colors I don't mind.

Also, Is there anyone out there who replaces LEDs they don't like on components? I know it couldn't be too hard to do with a PC case...

Why aren't there more Red LEDs in electronics and more Red components in general?

I have an issue with the run of the mill Green, Blue, and orange Power/Activity LED in many Electronics today. All three colors are common, with Green and Blue being the most common of the trio of colors. You see I'm very sensitive to certain things within my range of sight. Having my PC on top of my desk and currently being able to see within it, I'm lucky that my Fan/Heatsink combo is large enough that the Blue LED on my Motherboard  is mostly hidden from view. I'm not so lucky with the bright Green LED on my Logitech Speakers. It is annoying and more often than not if I'm trying to do anything that requires concentration I have to somehow hide it with something placed in front of the right hand speaker. I had to do the same with the Orange LED on my previous set of Altec Lansing Speakers.  However the one LED color that does NOT distract me all that much is Red.

But no matter how much I look for it, It is nearly impossible to find a Computer or other Electronic Component using an LED for any reason in Red. Sure you can get LED Fans that change color or use Red LEDs but for the most part Blue and Green still dominate the market.

It's beyond annoying. It's downright infuriating. Heck it's worse than some annoying sound being played, because  you can't block out light annoyances, even if you close your eyes. At least there are things to block sound annoyances.

Next up: I really want to upgrade my computer but between Color Theme issues and total indecision on my part,  I need to type my thoughts about it.

Is Computer/Game Addiction really Addiction?

We all know that becoming a Drug Addict screws with one's brain/body chemistry. Personally the worst things I've occasionally taken are Alcohol and Marijuana and occasionally smoke Menthol Cigarettes in times of extremely high stress levels when other distractions are not available however I am not addicted to any of those substances. However when Addiction is brought up where Computers are concerned I have to laugh, because there are no chemicals being put in the body from an outside source therefor how can you have a true addiction. 

Well, maybe I'm wrong in a sense. There is such a thing as Sexual Addiction and a Sex Addict doesn't exactly put any chemicals in their body from outside sources. Yes their bodies create hormones, but hey, Orgasms are pleasant experiences; Who wouldn't want to feel Orgasms on a regular basis?

I suppose the same thing applies to Computer Addiction in all it's forms. Internet and Game addictions come to the top of my mind but I suppose there are others. Personally I feel that Game Addiction may have been an issue for me a couple of times, but not in the extreme forms where physical health is compromised  I used to think constantly about Sims 2 and what I would do in the game anytime I wasn't in front of the Computer. However it didn't stop me from doing what needed doing.

However, at the same time, what about other hobbies people have? Certainly there are people who take part in other hobbies that have lead to bad things such as sickness, lack of social health, and even death because they were so into what they were doing they forgot about other things.

But until it reaches that point where both physical and social health are compromised, is it really addiction? Surely the people who go to work/school every day and do the best they can possibly do at those things, but certainly think a lot about what they'll do on their Computer/Game when they get home aren't "true Addicts". Social Health alone is overrated. There are many people that do best in the comfort of a computer chair without personal social interaction. I may even be one of them because I always feel so awkward when talking to someone offline.

Anyway, that's all I've got to really say on the subject. However next up, will be a blog post about the LEDs used in many Electronics.