My Linux Experience.

**Disclaimer** I intend this post to be novice friendly, it may still be enjoyable for people who know their ways through the magics of Linux, but I do not intend to use large amounts of jargon.

I have been using Linux for the better part of a decade, from the ever-expanding reach of distributions (distros for short) such as Ubuntu and Linux Mint in the mainstream to small niche offshoots such as Remix OS and Tails, I feel I have experienced a large enough number of distros to speak with confidence in this simple pros and cons list of Linux as a WHOLE.

Pros

A large pool of professional grade applications and tools.

It’s no secret, Linux is more commonly used in tech based professions, and its wider adoption in that market segment allows for a more diverse creations.

An amazing diversity of possible configurations.

It can be used as a counter-point, in the case of worse technical support, and I will admit that the forum support system even with creator involvement, is less reliable, but if you’re like me, than the fact it is infinitely customizable is a challenge that you just can’t help but enjoy.

A loving community (for the most part)

Large generalization like this always require disclaimers and here is this ones disclaimer, this does not mean (pun intended) no one will be mean to you in the Linux community, especially if you’re new and just swapped from windows (or god forbid mac.) However, the amount of jerks I have met on Linux forums is proportionately less than the amount of jerks I have met on Microsoft or Apple forums.

Cons

Worse gaming support.

I mainline Arch Linux on my gaming rig and the support is just frankly worse,  I love wine as much as the next Linux user, but as far as it goes, the fact it can’t (the last time I checked) support .Net framework 4.5 just kills it for me, I like gaming a lot and it makes me sad that this happens.

Outside of enterprise tech, worse driver support.

I can attest to this personally. In Team Fortress 2, a game released in 2007, when testing between Linux and Windows, I get marginally worse performance with the current computer I am using and Linux. Maybe its just bad luck, or a horrendously corrupt driver. But at the moment of posting, it is the case.

Lack of PC manufacture support of Linux, therefore a more secluded community.

If more tier one manufacturers used Linux in the computers they build, I am willing to bet that the number of Linux users would fly in low end consumer households and that tech support would be doubled overnight.

My Backup Rig! :-D

My main desktop computer is fast and all, but, in my opinion, my backup rig is way cooler, far slower, but still cooler.

The Specs:

Its Jamming a OC’d E6600 to 3.3 GHz cooled by a legendary Zalman CNPS9500A

The mobo is an Abit AW9D-MAX, jamming 4gbs of commodity ram clocked to 800 MHz

The Storage is 3 640gb WD Black SATA 2 hdds, and least impressively of all is the gpu, a gt 610 2gb oc’d by 140 mhz because the 7600gs it came with was cool looking but horrendous in performance.

The psu is a Corsair 520HX modular unit and the case is a mystery, it has an antec logo, but when I looked up the part number, I couldn’t find anything.

I bought this unit last year for 15 dollars, seriously, like, 15 dollars… wow

AMD : Ryzen 7, changing the game

Ryzen 7, 5, and 3 are coming out this year, and (at the time of writing) Ryzen 7 is the only one out. The AMD marketing scheme is to create a well performing product that is at a much lower cost than it closest rival, currently, the cheapest new rx 480 on newegg is 179.99 while the cheapest new gtx 1060 6gb is 239.99 on the same site. They have done the same with the ryzen 7 by pitting it against the Intel brodwell-e lineup of high performance desktop processors. However, unlike how they priced the RX series 15-30 % cheaper for the same performance, they have cut the price of a new 8 core 16 thread processor by half, (even 2/3ds if your a frugal mofo like me!!!) It sure is a interesting time to be a computer enthusiast!

Mobile Update! :-D

My blog looked bad on mobile, now it doesn’t!

The bare minimum*

I’m going to preface this post with the fact that I use a GTX 970 in my main rig, Dislike Nvidia and AMD equally, and like innovation.

The GTX 970 is (at the time of writing) the most popular graphics card by a large margin on steam, with the GTX 960 and GTX 750 ti not too far behind. The minimum* amount of GPU horsepower for 1080p is a very popular thing. A complete list of desktop cards that are at or near this performance level are as follows.

1. GTX 970
2. RX 470
3. RX 480
4. GTX 1060
5. R9 290
6. R9 390
7. GTX 780 ti
8. GTX Titan
9. GTX Titan Black
10. R9 290x
11. R9 390x
12. GTX 780
13. GTX 690
14. GTX 980
15. GTX 1050 ti
16. HD 7990

The length of this list is INSANE, make no mistake, the GTX 970 is a good card, but its performance has been seen to many times in my opinion, and innovation is coming, but its too expensive for basically any entry level or even mid range PC user at its current state, a GTX 770 had a launch price of $400, GTX 970 had a price of $330 and the GTX 1070 had a launch price of $450 for FE cards, Nvidia may have made a large jump in performance, but it’s important to remember that the GTX 970 and GTX 780 ti have nigh equal performance, and the GTX 1070 and GTX 980 ti are the same, this is not as huge a jump as some may have thought.

*for max settings 60fps game play in demanding titles.

8 cores, 8 modules for 550 dollars.

Ever wanted to get an Intel extreme edition, but your budget only allowed for a used i5? Well this guide will show you how to build a octacore beast on the cheap.

1. The center piece of this build is the CPU, an Intel Xeon e5-2665, interchangeable with the 2660, 2670, and 2650 depending on your budget.
2. Motherboard, If your on a really tight budget, buy a dell precision motherboard, and mount it to a plank of wood. If not, then you can buy a 100+ dollar x79 board, which has more features.
3. GPU, RX 470 8gb for its large frame buffer.
4. PSU, BUY THESE NEW. EVGA SuperNOVA 750 B1, for its rock solid construction.
5. RAM, 16gb ddr3 can be found for near 60 dollars used all day.
6. Storage, 2tb hdd.
7. Case, anything, go nuts.

Unknown TV Shows

Some tv shows fly under the radar because there bad, some because they had bad marketing, some because they have no publicity at all, and some are just forgotton over time. Here are a few that I have seen and would like to recomend.

1. Invader Zim, Have you ever felt that your the only one of your kind, the only person who thinks in such a way, the only person who believes in something thing. Invader Zim is like a high budget version of that feeling, The reason it failed is because it was on the wrong timeslot on the wrong channel.
2. Mushishi, This show is for people who loved mob psycho 100 but wished it was more adult. Mildly lovecraftian. Failed because it was on the wrong chanel.

My morning.

I awake to my family bustling outside my dimly lit room, I stretch my arms above my head and slip out of bed with a thud onto my rug, the soft hum of my computer across my room. I pet my cat who responds with raspy, “Mrow,” and promptly falls back to the depths of sleep. I slip into my chair flip the monitors, keyboard and mouse on. Type in my ridiculously long password. I check to see if any of my friends have sent me messages, take a drink of water out of the cup on my desk, and exit my room to greet my family.

TF2 Tips for every class

1, Scout, Play jittery, always jump, always spycheck EVERYONE, never stay in one place to long and always fish everything.

2, Solly, master one rocket launcher, don’t swap on a dime, use your shotgun for close range, and always run from heavies with the brass beast.

3, Pyro, scorch shot to build mmph and then rush the enemy team with the power jack before you pop.

4, Demoman, never, ever, use the loch and load unless there are sentries.

5, Heavy, tomislav  and GRU for closing distance and long range harass, snipers, ect.

6, Engi, place minis around corners to get a cheeky kill or 2

7, Sniper, bushwhack and jarate is seriously op when you get good with it, and use the machina to attract attention so you can melee.

8, Medic, lead your targets with the syringe gun like its a water hose.

9, Spy, use the stock watch and letrange to flank and the kunai to escape.

Audiophile’s hitlist

The best headphones fo your bucks.

Under 25, Barebones

• Monk plus 2 IEM’s (Earbuds) $5 Cheapest headphones for audiophiles.
• Monoprice 8323 Circumaural (Over Ear) $20, soooooo comfy and good sounding.

Under 50, Entry level

• Superlux HD 681 Circumaural (Over Ear) Not much bass and sharp highs but very comfy. $35
• SOL Republic Relays Sport IEM’s (Earbuds) For bass lovers that like their headphones as fashion accessories. $45

Under 100, Mid Range

• Status Audio CB-1 Circumaural (Over Ear) $80 Not pretty but good sounding and isolate noise very well.
• FiiO EX1 IEM’s (Earbuds) $70 good sounding and comfy but a tad quiet mid range making vocalists seem lost.

Under 200, High end

• Sennheiser HD 598 Circumaural (Over Ear) $150 GET THE SPECIAL EDITION IF YOU PLAN TO TAKE THEM ANYWHERE. (they are ugly)
• NAD VISO HP20 IEM’s (Earbuds) $170 Solid choice with no glaring weaknesses.

200-1000, Enthusiast Land

• Sony EX1000 IEM’s (Earbuds) $450 Loud, you have been warned.
• Sennheiser HD 700 Circumaural (Over Ear) $750 Great sounding and all, but we all know why you spent over $700 dollars on headphones, to get that Star Trek look.

1000+ Sennheiser land

• Sennheiser HE 1 $55,000

  Peace out!