Menu delay time on XP

Here's an idea that didn't work - I thought to myself, if I remove the hover delay on the start menu, then it'll make it that much faster to get the options I want.

It does mean you get through the options 'faster', but that delay is there for good reason - when you accidentally hover over any other menu, that delay stops it springing open (wasting plenty of time, and causing annoyance). So trying to save 400ms per use of the menu is not worth the time, stick to the default unless you control the cursor with perfect precision at all times.

Far Cry 2 benchmark

The results for the Far Cry 2 Benchmark - this is with everything maxed, but I only have a 1024*768 resolution on my monitor, which is apparently a bit ye olde. Anyway, I'll get straight to the business:

• Average Framerate: 31.49
• Max. Framerate: 45.70
• Min. Framerate: 26.74

Considering that Far Cry 2 is, as far as I can tell, the highest spec game available as of Feb 09 (if you know better, please let me know), I am going to say these results are great.

I don't actually run at these settings, because on my screen there is no great difference between 'very high' and 'ultra high', and by dropping down to 'very high', and 2xAA instead of 8xAA, I get these results

• Average Framerate: 61.83
• Max. Framerate: 86.60 (Frame:490, 6.72s)
• Min. Framerate: 45.80

Which make for much smoother gameplay when things get all action packed.

Audio fix - part 1

So, everything is running fine... except that when I've got my headphones plugged in (the same does happen with speakers) I can 'hear' whenever something changes on the screen. The smallest thing I could hear was the cursor blinking (a steady Put-Put-Put sound), and the largest was 3d games (squeeeeeal screak screeach viiiiir). This was giving me a headache!

So first, the fails:

• Switching between the Audigy and the onboard sound - had no effect. (possibly due to vista's treatment of audio... as you will see from the working fix)
• Muting all the speakers - had no effect
• Trying different headphones - no effect
• Unplugging the screen - no effect
• Unplugging the DVI cable - possibly quietened it, but may have just been the fluctuation

So, I started to get a bit more involved. I moved the Audigy away from the video card, this had no effect, so I tried something I heard a long time ago - I made myself a shield with some cardboard and foil - wrapping foil around carboard for structure, then cardboard around the foil to insulate it from the delicate parts inside the pc. I then ran the pc while it was open, moving the 'shield' about, to see if it had any effect- the answer, no, not for me.

Then I read a forum post, suggesting disabling the onboard sound from BIOS... so I plunged into it and switched from 'auto' to 'disable'. Vista installed it's drivers for the Audigy (which I had just removed) and hurray, fixed! the annoying squeal is now completely gone, and I can listen to sounds without developing a full scale headache.

As for why disabling in device manager wasn't enough, I'm not sure... Something to look into another day.

Now my only problem with sound is that Vista won't give me my EAX, and Creative won't accept that I have one of their sound cards, and refuses to install their software...

CD tray fix

With the new build, my first issue was that the facia on the Sony DRU-800A, although attractive for a case without a fascia, didn't really fit too well inside the Clodius.

At first I couldn't get the fascia off - I thought I could, but the strain I was putting on the parts was uncomfortable, so eventually I found Sony's documentation for replacing the front panel. I took off both parts, but then the fascia button couldn't reach the drive button, so ended up putting the main plate back on. However this still hung too far forward, and the case door was pushed slightly open.

I took out the screws from the position I had used, and put them in the higher mounting positions - giving me an extra 0.1mm to move it back - that was all it took, and the fascia hinged shut properly, making for a much more attractive front!

New blog, new PC - Intel i7

Well, after about 10 years I decided seeing as I study computer science, and enjoying gaming, I needed a new desktop. The old P4 just wasn't cutting it any more, and hadn't been for about 2 years - to the point my laptop, which is meant for work, was doing a better job.

So the new build - fully working:

Intel i7 920, on an EX58-UD3R motherboard.
3gb corsair XMS3 DDR3
500gb SATA Seagate Barracuda hard drive
OCZ StealthXStream 600W power supply
XFX Nvidia 9800GTX+
And dragged from the old desktop, a Creative Audigy and a Sony DVD/RW drive, and a 15inch TFT screen

All tucked away inside a Nexus Clodius Ventilation Pro, running Vista Business.

Overall cost of this: £800

So, what do I think of it... It's fast. Being mine, I'm naturally going to love it, and be biased about it, but it really is fast - I use and build other machines, and it beats them all. It was also expensive - certainly not a budget build, but compared to some price tags, not too bad at all. the majority of the cost was in the processor/motherboard/ram, which were easily 50% of the price.

Would I recommend it as a new PC? I would, if you can afford it. The graphics card was a close call compared to others such as the ATI 4850, but I got a good deal, so the 9800 won in the end.

Whilst doing all this I naturally ran into issues, all minor annoyances, but I'll post how I fixed them as I go.