Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by lohwenli

Penang's Overclocker Club Official Thread V3

lohwenli — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 00:39:45 +0800

Current Event : 1st LAN Party

Venue : Being decided, selected venue turned out to be unavailable. Originally Sri Relau complex, 4th floor, directly opposite PISA, near the place where the road splits to Relau.

Date & time : Being decided.

What to bring :
-PCs (none supplied or for rent )
-Snacks and food (stuff that can be cleaned up easily)
-Network cables (I'll bring extra, but better if you can bring your own)
-Extension cords and multiplugs
-Anything else you feel like bringing

How much
-Its just to compensate for electricity cost, should be around RM1-2 per person (assuming 300W/PC (A64 or C2D, single GFX) at commercial rates) for 10 hours)
-extra watt are to compensate for air-con electricity cost
-current electricity cost
-we may need to buy an extra router/switch if can't borrow enough, which probably comes up to RM10-20 per person.

Events
-mostly free gaming, though you can ask in advance for a time slot to do do a special session (OC session or whatever)
-you guys decide what you want to play, and all of us please install ready all the games
-probably spend the first hour setting up the network

What's available (for us to use, that is)
-tables, chairs, whiteboard, air-con
-maybe a water dispenser, but not confirmed
-no routers by default, but I'll bring my own 4 port netgear and the CNet 8 port which was in my garage sales
-I have permission to log onto the wireless network next door, but unfortunately I can't get permission for you guys, so if you need to go online you have to use my PC

What I need to know from you guys
-who is coming
-what are you bringing (food, games, extra routers, ect)
-what time are you coming and how long can you stay
-what do you want to play
-anything else?

Any questions, you can ask here or contact me at 016-4936208

Intro

With tribute to our founder, Acecombat (or KC, as some know him), I'm starting a new thread for POC as he will no longer be mantaining the old one. I'm lohwenli, you can call me Jaryl if you want. I'll be mantaining this new thread, but I'm not the leader of POC, (unless you want me to be ).

(mostly copied from previous thread)

Welcome to Penang's Overclocker Club official thread V2!!!!

Previous thread can be found here-
P.O.C thread V1 2200 reply with more than 18000 times viewed.
P.O.C thread V2 over 1600 replies and 17000 views

Enjoy your stay over here and feel free to discuss everything about Penang and about PC stuffs.

Rules
Strictly no SPAMMING over here,once found,u will be reported to the Admin and u will be suspended.

Business and promoting are allowed in this new thread!!!

Anyone may post here, you don't have to be from Penang. However, most of the discussion here will be heavily Penang-related (eg. PC shops in Penang). Other topics are also ok, but try to keep it PC related

Project: Legacy

lohwenli — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 08:42:38 +0800

Ever since seeing all the lovely casemods here, I also kena poison d..no thanks to uncle and his whole gang... And so, when I saw a decent (but generic) casing sold cheap in the garage sales with the seller somewhere near my area I couldn't help but grab it with the intention of modding it. First up, I would like to thank the following people for directly or indirectly helping me to come up with this mod:-

-@meno, for discussing with me most of the ideas

For inspiring me through their work
-allngap
-ianho
-uglyvamp
-pmmonkey
-and a few others I can't recall; I'll add to this list when I remember

Index & changelog
-will implement direct links once each section is done

Part 1 - Legacy Alpha
1 - Introduction
2 - Case cutting
3 - PSU mod (Painting & sleeving)
4 - Case painting
5 - Front panel, drive mods & my 5 cents so far

Part 2 - Legacy Beta
6 - Introduction & System setup update

Changelog

» Click to show Spoiler - click again to hide... «

Part 1 - Now renamed as Legacy Alpha

1 - Introduction

Basically, this system is an old system I purposely set up to run Win98 programs (mostly games) that don't run well in WinXP. I actually wanted to set up a NF3+939 X2, but it was out of my budget then, plus I couldn't sell off my IS7.

System Setup (Mk 1)
socket 478 Pentium 4 Hyperthreading "Northwood" 2.8GHz/512/800 rev M0 30 cap -thanks to wacky_angel
Abit IS7 motherboard -thanks to viking2k
OCZ Platinium EL DDR400 -thanks to aljebat
Aopen Geforce 4 MX440 SE -thanks to faust
Seagate 160GB -thanks to armind
-sending for RMA, can't read properly after a badly done overclock on my AM2 system
Samsung DVDRW - bought from Sim technology
NMB 450W server power supply -thanks to 3431
Logitech keyboard & mouse -keyboard bought from Gadgetzone, mouse from an old friend on lelong.com
Viewsonic VG2021m -thanks to kunyit_kampung

What's still lacking IMHO is a good graphics card (I'm thinking a X1950 when I got the cash), and might get a cheap WD raptor to use as the boot drive. I haven't decided which CPU cooler to use (I have a couple lying around), for the moment I'm using a very generic Thermaltake to boot and set up the system. I will eventually run WC on this baby (once I can setup one which is low mantainence) since the system is actually quite hot and I intend to overclock it kau kau..come on, with all those handpicked parts who wouldn't?

The Victim -thanks to redart

Ever since I came up with my first casemod (a really minor one that doesn't deserve a worklog) I have come to like my casings have a rather simple but elegant design, with clean lines and very few things that portrude from the surface. I also require these of my case design :-

-good ventilation & cooling
-low noise (means you won't see me building a 'fan farm' like allngap, and I'll always favour large fans)
-room for watercooling
-neat layout, with visual emphasis on the hardware rather than the case

I will not be lighting this case, however there are a few things I may still do which I haven't decided with after I'm done with the mains stuff.

These are pics of an iCute casing I bought from darnell and the generic casing which was my first casemod (more like a facelift than mod-just a paint job and cutting out a proper fan mount). The design of these to casings got me to like minimalist designs

Guide to cleaning PSU

lohwenli — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 10:52:02 +0800

First of all, this only applies to PSUs which

-use fan grilles, and not those which just have gaps cut in the PSU case.
-the fan grille must be outside the psu case like this
[attachmentid=254656]

and not like this
[attachmentid=254658]

-do not have warranty stickers on any of the fan screws

Here I'm cleaning a psu with a 80mm fan, but the size and position of the fan doesn't matter, as long as it has a grill on the outside are true. First remove 3 of the 4 screws from the PSU.
[attachmentid=254659]

Loosen the remaining screw slightly, BUT MAKE SURE IT DOES NOT COME OUT or you'll have hell trying to screw things back. Then move the grille out of the way.
[attachmentid=254660]

Clean the PSU with a brush or air spray, paying attention to the fan and heatsinks. Turn it upside down after you're done to let the loosened dust fall out, blow if the dust gets stuck.
[attachmentid=254661]

Screw everything back as it was. If the fan keeps falling in when you screw, loop a piece of thread on one of the support arms (that connect the frame with the centre motor) to support the fan.
[attachmentid=254662]

You're done! This method is relatively safe, as it will be hard to accidentally touch something in the PSU which might be electrified. Although a better job can be done if you open up the whole PSU, that would surely void your warrany.

Project : Cap ayam PSU

lohwenli — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 22:59:50 +0800

Here's the story-I'd been beset by a number of PSU failures over 2005-2006 (no thanks to Intel's Netburst-based processors' obscene power consumption ) & gotten real pissed off with PSU makers that lie or attempt to mislead buyers with their wattage specifications (I swear I'll never buy one of theirs for my own use).

Ok, enough with the ranting; back to reality-my gf's PC, which runs a P4 Northwood 1.6GHz, was using a cap ayam PSU since 2002. Naturally I was worried it would give way any time soon (and possibly take her PC down with it-thats what happened to me) so I made arrangements to get a (decent) replacement into her set.

After some digging, I found this gem on lelong.com for RM9
http://members.lelong.com.my/Auc/Archive/D...20&When=2007-02
(the link will be useless eventually)
[attachmentid=219490]

A look at it up close
[attachmentid=219496]
Model : FSP170-60SI One of the most reliable PSU brands.
3.3V-16.7A
5V-16.0A
12v-10.A
5vsb-2A
-5-0.2A
-12-0.3A

3.3V & 5V = 118W max
Passive PFC
Auto fan speed control based on temp

Oh yes, if you're wondering why such a low wattage PSU-FYI most PC don't really take up that much power-PSUs blow because the maufacturer was dishonest or only gave the MAX power rating (which it can only handle for a short time-continuous power rating is what you should be looking at). Her PC takes barely 120W even at full overclock-measured with a digital multimeter.

As luck would have it, my gf's PSU blew -just- a fortnight or so after I got the 'new' PSU. So I was now on a deadline to get it done; before she drives me insane because she can't listen to ther MP3s. So I got started.

The dead victim
[attachmentid=219500]
Autopsy : leaking capacitor.

The stuff laid out for the transplant operation
[attachmentid=219501]

As you can see, the new PSU is -not- of the standard ATX design , so I'll need to mod and put it in a ATX PSU case. So what more convenient than the already dead PSU's case? So I started by drilling holes to match the smaller PSU's PCB.

[attachmentid=219502]

Here I've added the spacers needed to keep the new PCB from shorting itself out on the metal case. And I thought-my gf hates noise, so how about upgrade the 80mm fan to a 120mm?

[attachmentid=219503]

Ok, I'm a noob at case cutting (gotta get better tools ). Guess what I used..a chisel. Yes, the bloody thing normally used to make grooves & slots in wood. Had to go at it with a file for nearly an hour to get off the hundreds of sharp edges and hammer it back into shape from all the pounding it took (talk about brute force). But in the end, it was done.

[attachmentid=219504]

Ok, I'm a noob a spray painting too (it flaked eventually-but hey, nobody's gonna look at it-just wanted something other than boring dull metal). And next was the (re)wiring.

[attachmentid=219512]

This (the filter MOVs & capacitor) were a real b**** to desolder off the old PSU-they was coiled around the contact, THEN soldered. Had to melt the solder AND uncoil it while the solder was still molten. Thankfully soldering it onto in the new casing was much easier. And oh, the acyllic is to close up the previous intake vents so the 120mm fan wouldn't blow hot air back into the casing (trapping air in a vicious cycle).

And here's the auto fan speed controller board modded to fit a 3 pin fan AND allow for PSU fan speed monitoring (the yellow wire).
[attachmentid=219517]

All the wiring done now. The PFC inductor can be clearly seen here (the yellow wrapped blue transformer block).
[attachmentid=219522]

The 120mm ADDA fan installed. It was !@$ to fit it in so close to the power cables so I didn't feel like opening it again to take photos (yes I did take it into consideration when I cut the hole, but the squeeze was unavoidable )
[attachmentid=219528]

Hell, I figured since I made a cool PSU might as well give the proper credit to FSP for the plumbing.
[attachmentid=219529]

Finished! Tested it out, and oh boy were the voltages stable. Easily pawn my Cooler Master Realpower 550W SLI in voltage regulation (FSP rocks!! ).
[attachmentid=219541]

Finishing quickly vs Doing well (Public U)

lohwenli — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 10:08:22 +0800

In many of our public universities (not sure about private colleges) most courses are 3 years instead of 4 years like it was some time back. Many students (myself included) and lectureres have said that its very much more stressful with one year less to study. However, in the event that we don't do well, we are allowed to retake the failed/dropped units so that we have enough to graduate with only the best grade taken into account. So my question is this, is it better to try to rush and finish our course in the expected time with sub-standard results or take it at our own pace to be able to do our best and score good results?

I'm not sure about private colleges/universities, I've only heard that some of them are not so forgiving if you fail, but I'm not too sure about this.