How ya doing?

I finally decided to get a new gaming rig, after sticking with my current setup for 7-8 years. I'm not as hardcore with the hardware stuff nowadays (I got lazy) and I'd just like some of your opinions on the parts I picked.

Processor: Intel Core i5-6600K 3,5 GHz
Mobo: MSI Z170A PC MATE
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 960 GAMING 4G 4096 Mt
RAM: Kingston HyperX FURY DDR4 2666 MHz CL15, 16 Gt (2 x 8 Gt)
HD: Kingston SSDNow V300 240 GB SSD 2.5"
Power: Corsair CS550M, 80 PLUS Gold, 550W
Monitor: BenQ XL2411Z
Case: BitFenix Neos - ATX-case

So, some questions:

- Didn't even know about mSATA SSD hard drives before now. Is there a difference? They function as normal hard drives, yes? How's it compared to normal SATA connections?
- I think I know the answer already, but is 550W enough power for my setup?
- Does the case make any difference. It was the cheapest I could find. It only comes with one 120mm fan. What about possibly overclocking in the future, how many fans I would need? I don't wanna mess with water cooling.
- This is the first time I'm not gonna buy a separate sound card. Are the integrated ones any good?
- The monitor, I wouldn't have any doubts, but I've read some of the massive 144hz megathread by clerictgm and it made me hesitate. I don't really care for anything else than getting the fastest response time. Will this suffice?
- I also ordered my first mechanical keyboard, it was some off-brand. It said that it has POM-switches and PBT-keycaps (?). Tried to google, but all it came up with was that there are POM- and PBT-keycaps, no switches. Am I missing something?
- Still rocking my ZOWIE EC1 EVO. I've seen the button delay chart, and I'm wondering if I'm better off with a Logitech mouse? Or what about the updated version EC1-A? Is it worth to upgrade and spend 60-70e?

Hope you don't mind this flood of questions. Too busy with IRL stuff to really dig deep into this topic, but still a latency minimalist ;) thanks in advance

Yesterday I lost all hope for my friend who has been an addict for the past 5 or 6 years. Or 13 years. I don't know where to draw the line of addiction. He has always been a substance abuser ever since we were 15 years old. I remember seeing him sitting at a bus stop drinking beer alone on a weekday when he was supposed to be at school. He had gotten a brown paper bag for his drink to put over even though it's not illgeal here to drink at public places. Or maybe it was because he was underage. We grew up listening to rap so he had always glorified the "getto lifestyle". The behaviour was always there, it went in cycles and every cycle was worse than the one before. From alcohol to weed, then psychedelics to pharmaceuticals (benzos and opioids), to opium, heroin and buprenorphine.

Last night I learned that he had started to IV heroin. He mentioned he was going to rehab, but only to get medical quantity and quality of opioids (replacement therapy, methadone etc.), because he is tired of the running and hustling for a shitty high. And then he told me about the needle. It used to be his last scrap of pride, that he hadn't gone for the vein. I think you can tell the level of addiction by the dignity and pride the addict has for his actions. He doesn't try to hide his actions anymore, he is not ashamed of anything and that's why I think he has lost all hope for a recovery. I know guilt and shame create a vicious cycle, but there has to be a better alternative than accepting the fate of a junkie.

He's been to rehab twice before. Once at an official facility and once he did a self organized retreat under relatives' supervision. They failed obviously. He has OD'd a couple of times after which he's had a "never again" moment, but those moments never last. Now I don't know if he ever wanted to quit, or just said so to make his life easier. I've learned throughout years that he has a very strong will, and he will do anything and everything to get his will through, I just wish he would like to do something else with it than get high. He will say anything to persuade people and I have gotten used to his constant lies and half truths so I don't take them personally. Besides I think those lies are more for him than others, to make him feel better about himself and assure everything is okay.

I would like to know why or how a person becomes a junkie. Is it in the genes or the upbringing? I can't find a reason in his life for these actions. He's had a good childhood. Academic middle class family with loving parents. His parents have always been more free spirited and understading than the average but still my friend is about to hit rock bottom if he isn't already there and to make things even worse his little brother is on the same path. Should they have been more strict? I know my friend and his parents sometimes went head to head, but my friend always prevailed, that's how strong his will is. Is it because living is too easy and nothing feels like anything? No challenge, no glory? What draws a person to downers and opiates? I have never understood the use of other drugs than psychedelics or uppers.

In a way my friend has been gone for the last 5 years, it's just now I realize he maybe gone forever. The glimpses I've seen of the old friend have kept my hopes up. The odd day that he hasn't used anything or decided to use amphetamines to cover that he's not the slow and slurred druggie. In recent years our conversations have mainly consisted of his descriptions of different kind of highs, good substance combinations, optimal dosages and other meaningles and trivial shit. He's not a person anymore, he only has one thing in mind and can't really talk or relate to anything else. He's a zombie, he is performing a mental suicide every day.

How can I convince him that a drug free life is a better solution? I have tried to give him space and autonomy, I don't like to patronize and I think everyone has the right to decide for themselves, but this is going too far. How can I in this day and age of individualism and relativity rationalize for him that there are better solutions for living? That there are still things considered right and wrong. I don't know if I am expecting to get any meaningful answers here, but I felt compelled to write about this. Maybe it serves as an eulogy, the end of a chapter.

I want to say "RIP", but a part of me still wants to believe there is hope.

I've had it with Firefox. Slow piece of shit, hangs up every other second. I've tried tweaking everything with no luck. Tried Chrome, it's fast and smooth but I don't like the lack of toolbar customization and "oddly" my adblocker doesn't work in youtube.

So what's left? What do you recommend? It would be nice if the browser had add-ons similar to adblock plus and Ghostery.

1. who has the better overall quality of threads?
2. who has trolled the most nabs, when matched up together?

i know there are millions of mouse threads here, but i just want i quick suggestion/answer. my current msie 3.0 is dying and new one costs about 60e/$. i was wondering if there are mice out there in the same price range that can offer the same or more? i've been looking at zowie am/ec evo and they seem nice. any thoughts?

Just got a 10" subwoofer for free and since I really don't like my neighbours I am going to put it in good use. So I'm asking wich speakers would be good to accompany it. Do they even sell them separately (subwoofers and satellites)? Do they always come with an external volume controller? I would like to hear about your own experiences and recommendations.

"Cocaine paste, also known as coca paste, paco or basuco in South America"

old schooler q3er's were all druggies

I just picked up New Vegas and was wondering possible must downloads (Mods or DLC's) to go with it. I played Fallout 3 with the usual stuff, EVE, MMM, FWE, WMK's, Project Beauty etc. but I've heard that they have implemented some/most of the stuff from mods to the actual game in NV. So do I need mods? And if I do, wich ones?

So the problem is that I've started to experience problems with my external HDD. I've had 2-3 IME 3.0 and 1 external HDD die on me in 5-7 years. I bought a new external HDD and after 6 months it's acting up. I'm wondering if overclocking the USB polling rate to 500hz has caused all these problems, so I reverted to the original usbport.sys with 125hz but I would still like to use 500hz on my mouse. And that's where hidusbf would be ideal but apparently it doesn't support SP3.

You guys know any way I could leave my usb ports at default while having 500hz on my mouse using XP SP3? Any adivce would be much appreciated. I already tried to fool hidusbf by replacing my sp3 usbport.sys with sp2 one but no results so far :(

I was dueling him in a tournament. I lost ofc. After the match I gave him a book wich had some kind of personal meaning for him and he was genuinely flattered by it and gave me the slightest of smiles. It was the happiest moment in my life.

http://www.videoportal.sf.tv/video?id=8fa5f4d...9cb9bc6019

Gametype: Duel
Map: hub3aeroq3 - Aerowalk
Mod: CPMA vq3
Viewpoint: GTV
Version info: CPMA
How to play back Q3 demos


As a celebration for QL bringing aerowalk back, here is a demo from Asus Autumn 2008 between que?tion and ash with cypher making a guest appearance as a spectator. If anyone speaking russian and english is willing to translate cyphers and k1llmass's comments, it would be most appreciated.

Now that QL has aerowalk, I'm waiting for the LaMz boys to make a comeback.

When I hit my opponent these sparkly bubbles come out. Is there a command to remove them?

I got the new Samsung 2233RZ today. There is only one problem. When I switch the refreshrate above 60 with any resoltuion, the image becomes distorted

It seems like it is trying to make a 3D image even though I would prefer to just use it 120Hz.

I have updated the drivers and searched the internet for threads about the same problem but without success.

My graphics card is GeForce 8800 GT and I'm using the latest Nvidia drivers. My OS is WinXP SP3.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Don't get me wrong. This is not a whine journal nor would I like it to be one. The Quake community is starting to thrive once again and it's all due to Quake Live. All of a sudden huge ammount of activity has emerged from somewhere. Demos being uploaded on a daily basis. It doesn't even have to be a demo from a major event with serious prize money in it. No more "this demo has no value because it's a friendly game. doesn't prove anything".

I think that everyone's starting to accept the fact that Quake Live is here to stay. The biggest factors affecting this is the easyness of finding someone to play with. There is always someone online. And I think QL is a bit easier to approach than Q3. The first step is somehow smaller. Friends of mine whom I tried to get hooked to VQ3 dueling (I failed) are now playing QL even though they get their asses handed to them on a daily basis.

What makes the difference? I don't really know. Am I liking in what direction things are going? Yes.

But I still miss Quake 3

Gametype: Duel
Map: pro-q3tourney4 - Vertical Vengeance
Mod: CPMA vq3
Viewpoint: MVD
How to play back Q3 demos


Game between cypher and ash from ASUS Summer 09 on P-T4.

Nothing special though