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Aero Steel: The Build part 2
Once I really started the build, I got overwhelmed and dropped off. Sorry about that! In the end I blame video cards…
The video card saga: I started off with a set budget, so I picked a gigabyte 6750 XT PC which would’ve been a decent upgrade from my 5700 XT and was $389… It was already en route when I changed my mind so I had to rma
Then, after reading more and considering aesthetics of my build I started researching other options… Placed at least three other orders and cancelled them before realizing I would not be aesthetically pleased with anything less than a gigabyte aero…I also had no interest in anything other than the latest generation… After a hard debate, I went with the gigabyte RTX 4080 sorry aero oc. At that point I felt lucky to find one in stock and even at MSRP… Not my most cost effective purchase and might even be able to get it for $100 less 6 weeks later, but once you see the pictures I think you’ll see why I went here.
Here’s the first day of install as a gallery. GIGABYTE B650 AERO G AM5 LGA 1718 AMD B650 ATX Motherboard. GIGABYTE GP-UD1000GM 1000 W ATX 12V v2.31 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular Active PFC Power Supply. G.SKILL Trident Z5 Series 64GB (2 x 32GB) 288-Pin PC RAM DDR5 6000 (PC5 48000) Desktop Memory. Lian Li GALAHAD AIO 360 RGB UNI FAN SL120 EDITION WHITE – Triple 120mm Addressable RGB Fans AIO CPU Liquid Cooler. AMD Ryzen™ 9 7900X 12-Core, 24-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor
The important part here was learning clearances, routing and alignment. This Evo case is a mind-blowing experience that managed to suit every need I could imagine. A lot of these options, especially the swapping of the entire case mounting to a left side view would normally take hours of manual modifications. At this point I was still battling with myself on the video card selection, waiting for white, sleeved power supply cables, multiple nvme and sata drives, a vertical mount and pcie5 extension cable…
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Time for a new build – AERO STEEL PART 1
So…I made the mistake of looking too hard at some new cases.
At first I was drooling over the Fractal Design Vector RS. https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/vector/vector-rs-tempered-glass/blackout/
Then… Due to inventory shortages and still in the looking mindset, I started looking at the Lian li O11 Dynamic… https://lian-li.com/product/pc-o11-dynamic/
Yet as I looked deeper, one thing bothered me…I kept my computer on my left hand side, so I never get to look at my window and this one, being spectacular, really demands it… What if….? They made a case that can be reversed…. Well they did…. The O11 Dynamic Evo https://lian-li.com/product/o11-dynamic-evo/
At the same time I started picking at motherboards and considering the proart line. I was leaving towards the X760e version.. https://www.asus.com/motherboards-components/motherboards/proart/proart-x670e-creator-wifi/
But it’s $500 and while it adds more I/os and the option for pcie5 gpu support over the b650… https://www.asus.com/motherboards-components/motherboards/proart/proart-b650-creator/
I also started looking at the gigabyte aero… The aero adds one huge benefit over every other board. Visionlink support. This really ups the game when using a graphical interface for art. Which I’m much more likely to take advantage of over anything the proart offered. https://www.gigabyte.com/Motherboard/B650-AERO-G-rev-10#kf
There are other parallel searches and researching I’m performing while considering cases and motherboards. One of which is processors. Let’s just say this was pretty difficult. So far I’ve only discussed AMD boards but I did consider Intel. Especially the 13600k https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/sku/230493/intel-core-i513600k-processor-24m-cache-up-to-5-10-ghz/specifications.html
Eventually though the lack of ddr5 and likelihood of Intel switching sockets soon, drove me towards the 7700x https://www.amd.com/en/products/cpu/amd-ryzen-7-7700x?gclid=Cj0KCQiApKagBhC1ARIsAFc7Mc6P3YQE_FJjjhE82sX3-_IxE9x7rLGXaTiE5wzjmB8Fo-ubYDKMgSIaAryDEALw_wcB
And then a deal popped up and I couldn’t pass on a 7900x for only a few dollars more https://www.amd.com/en/products/cpu/amd-ryzen-9-7900x?gclid=Cj0KCQiApKagBhC1ARIsAFc7Mc5TVyYTF8_CGMyS0UZSjoS7yG041ap3PXKegyE6ow3NhDz3pJzA8bAaAgXQEALw_wcB
Enough for now, part two soon!
The Last Spell Board Game
Base board 4 piece foldaway
Buildable items are cardboard tiles
Characters (1-4 players) Each is sort of a blank slate with baseline pictures. Armor covers slots or picture. Weapons go into left or right hand. Shield in another hand. 2h weapons specified. item belt, 4 items.
Character attributes, rolled with initial 1d6. There are also bonus skills and negatives. Game can be played on multiple difficulties. One setting is these side attributes. Easy means the players each get 1 positive attributes. Normal means the players each get 1 positive and two negative attributes. Hard means the players get 1 positive and 3 negative attributes
initial class can be selected
Initial equipment randomly grabbed from common equipment stack 1 weapon, 1 shield, unless 2h weapon gets no shield. Weapon determined by class (ranged, melee, magic)
Enemy tokens have a fear amount and xp amount
Points per turn determined by total of attaching creatures and decreases by proximity to the magic circle
Darkness points based on another attribute on monster token
Light points based on damage dealt and health recovered
Two Phases
Day Phase. Identify direction of next night attach, Set up defenses, recruit characters, build, use buildings. Place characters.
Night Phase. Defenses first. Monsters Second. Defenders third.
Lucid Consciousness
Person awakens in a living room, sitting with several strangers. Living room decrepit. Yellowed walls. Only decoration or visual display is an ancient console based tube TV with a VCR on top. There is an old high end video camera on tripod to the left of the TV in the corner of the room. A door to the left.
The strangers are all hanging out like it is a normal night, conversing, joking, smoking and drinking. The TV is turned off.
One of the strangers, sat in a recliner to the side, notices the guest is awake, what’s to one of the hosts on the couch. Picks up a remote control from an end table and turns on the TV. Static fills the screen
The Hosts show a video of a woman being horribly tortured in the same room with the Guest, on the same couch, which is now revealed to be covered in white plastic.
After hanging out as if just having a good time the Hosts begin torturing the Guest
Some of the people in the room are not participating in the torture. More Guests?
Throughout movie the point of view shifts to the Guest’s after awhile the shadows begin dancing
Break away stories are origins of the other people, revealing which are really Guests and which are really Hosts
It is revealed that all of the water given to the Guest has been laced with LSD
At some point Guest begins laughing
The shadows take firmer shape into monsters
The Guest, speaking what sounds like gibberish is actually talking about how something went wrong at some point in his lift and his hallucinations become real
A host folds in on themself as if reality were pinched and vision of that area is fish-eyed
Others begin screaming as blood and limbs begin flying from shadowy sythes
TBD TBC
What does it mean to be a part of Team Bad Decisions?
There. Are. No. Right. Decisions.
Every decision results in a worse result no matter what choice is made
Success is hanging from a string
Just when it brushes my fingertips
It’s nudged just a hair’s breadth away
It doesn’t matter. If. I. Leap.
It doesn’t matter. How. I. Try.
It doesn’t matter. When. I. Relax.
I drop
I fail
I break
Happiness is balanced on a pin
Just when I’ve found the balance
It shifts, the needle lodged within my heart
It doesn’t matter. If. I. Squeeze.
It doesn’t matter. If. I. Shift.
It doesn’t matter. If. I. Release.
I crack
I stick
I fall
Hopefully this clears it up
If not just watch
This is all on display
Just don’t watch to long or you’ll become a part of the team
Cast Adrift upon a bottomless sea (Styrofoam Dream)
Cast adrift in a bottomless sea
Grasping to a styrofoam dream
Gripping tight this last gasp
One more glimpse at the sky
Dehydration
With exhaustion
Followed by Frostbite
Was that a nudge against my leg?
Fingers raisins
Final flex
I let go
Descending
Sinking into fathomless depths
farewell life preserver
The sun a fading star
in a rippled sky
Darkness descending now
Was that a passing cloud?
Blindness
And flailing
Lungs aflame
A final lunge and thrust
I’m bitten
And wrenched apart
Teeth
So many teeth
Eye Fly from Memory
Nilk's Place 