Journal Talinom's Journal: PC Update 7
So I head through the crap traffic in the area and arrive at Fry's. Parking is light and I head in going straight for the heat sink area. Finding Nirvana I also find a salesman. I'm in a hurry and don't think this one through. He asks me what I have and I tell him I have an Athlon 2500XP. He hands me an all copper Thermaltake heat sink. This sucker rocks. Since I'm not overclocking I don't need something too extreme, so $29.99 for the thing isn't too bad. Now since I don't have enough room for normal fans in my system I decide to get a PCI slot fan. I have a choice between a honking fan that takes up 2 PCI slots for $2 more, or the regular one at $12.99. I choose the regular one because you just never know if you are going to be stuck for room
I head out the door and fight the traffic going home. Typical, everyone loses their brains at the same area every day at the same time. Fortunately I wasn't carpooling so I could take that exit. I head up the hill and home. It is hotter than the devil's hemorrhoids out today so I head inside and get a 32oz (1 liter) Gatorade to drink. Check the mail, clean the cat box, empty the garbage, and proceed to disassemble my computer. I checked the CPU fan while going to the mail. Yup, it was screaming when I got back in.
Now, I have WAY too much stuff plugged into the back of my computer:
1 power cord
1 keyboard
1 USB mouse
1 USB ATI Remote Wonder
1 USB lame ass camera thing
1 DB-9 serial cable for my USR Courier V.Everything Modem
1 printer cable
1 joystick
1 monitor
1 ATI video breakout box for cool video stuff
1 coax cable
1 set of front speakers w/ odd audio jumper from ATI AIW card
1 set of back speakers
15 minutes later everything is removed and less tangled. How is it things can just sit there and get WORSE? I mean, they don't do anything except sit there.
Anyway, I haul the box out to the kitchen, lay it down, and remove the heat sink. It came off rather nicely. Unplugged it from the motherboard and opened up the new heat sink.
Damn. They sure do make 'em big these days. I lay down my ArcticSilver compound on the CPU and attempt to mount the heat sink.
FUCK. Too long. I check the thing again. Nope, it won't grab onto anything as it is still too long. I check the heat sink box. It is for an AMD Opteron and an AMD 64.
That diarrhea guzzling penis leech sold me the wrong size. So, in a white hot rage, I grab the heat sink, throw it in the bag with the receipt, and head 20 miles north to Fry's. With the price of gas being $1.99 9/10 per gallon this little excursion is going to cost me about $4. Crap, and an hour out of my life too. Same shit happened the last time I listened to a salesman 10 years ago. I guess once per decade isn't too bad, but still...
I roll into Fry's and head straight for their "Customer Service" area. I am amazed. The guy doesn't give me any shit. He must know that I'm really pissed off. I let him know that I'm not upset at him, but rather at the salesman that fucked me. I wonder if ArcticSilver would be a good substitute for Vaseline?
I get a voucher for the price paid for the item and he marks the heat sink defective. It wasn't, it was just the wrong one. Oh well, if he wants to RMA the thing, be my guest. It's his dime.
I head back and get the CORRECT heat sink, walk by the salesman, and he asks me if I was going to buy it? Hello? It's been over an hour since I was here buddy. Heat sinks aren't exactly rocket surgery! I let him know that he handed me the wrong one earlier. He thought that I didn't tell him which CPU I had. I did, pointed that fact out, informed him that it is a 40 mile round trip that cost me $4 due to his mistake and one hour of my life, and to please be more careful with the next customer. He apologized, I acknowledged his apology, and then left to go to the front counter. They had me taken care of in minutes.
Back into the traffic, and since it was now after 7pm the carpool lane was open to everyone. I hop on it and head south. Traffic was booming along at about 70-75mph, so I wasn't too pissed at it. It is after all only a 60mph zone.
I pull in to the gas station and notice that the price is now $1.96 9/10 per gallon. Yeah me. I just saved 12 cents on my being fucked over! I'm so happy I could whistle "Zippity Do Da" out my asshole!
I head out, drive home, pull into the drive way, unlock the door, take another swig of my Gatorade and start on the heat sink.
Two minutes later I'm done. With both fans.
Bring it back into my room, hook up only the monitor and the keyboard to test to see if the thing is going to smoke on me. It doesn't. I hook up the rest of my stuff, put on the side panel, and can't find the rear thumbscrew. Shit. The cats probably found it. Now it could be anywhere. If George Carlin is right then I'll get it back when I die. But that is hoping for too much. It's just gone. Fortunately I have a few screws loose (betcha didn't know that) and used one for the backside.
15 minutes later after hooking everything up I fire it up. The CPU used to run really hot, like 67 Celsius (153 Fahrenheit). The case would be rather cool at about 29C (84F) Right now the CPU is at 52C (126F) and the case is at 34C (93F). This seems normal. And with the PCI slot fan directly over the video card and below the heat sink it should be doing quite nicely now. Glad I got the smaller one.
On the upside, my machine is even quieter now. The old fan was so loud I couldn't hear much of anything going on around me. Now I can hear a lot more. When RHK and her SO return I can check and see how well its really working.
Thanks for letting me vent. I feel MUCH better now.
I got cables too - (Score:1)
He likely didn't RMA the first heat sink. From what I've seen, it gets re-shrink wrapped, maybe a "previously opened" sticker, and back on the shelf. Perhaps they're changing,
Re:I got cables too - (Score:2)
Thanks for the tip on proper electrical grounding. I follow that anyway, but someone reading this might learn something.
Also, why do they put static ram in anti-static bags? Isn't that bad? I just slide across the carpet making choo-choo noises to get the static back into it. I highly suggest it.
Don't you know the rule? (Score:1)
NEVER talk to the sales guy at Fry's.
It's doubly true for CompUSA, I've since found out.
It's your own fault for breaking the First Rule of Electronics.
Re: (Score:2)
Cables in the back of my computer: (Score:2)
1 Keyboard (2 cables PS/2 and USB for extra functions)
1 PS/2 Mouses
1 USB mouse
1 USB scanner
1 USB Webcam
1 USB Digital Camera
1 USB B&W Laser Printer
1 USB Color Inkjet Printer
1 USB UPS
1 USB Gamepad
1 USB Joystick
1 USB Bluetooth adapter
1 Gameport Gamepad
2 Cat5e Ethernet
1 19" monitor
1 17" monitor
1 CableTV
1 Svideo
1 Subwoofer
1 Front speakers
1 Back Speakers
1 Microphone
1 Line In (guitar)
-Ab (yes, I like toys)
The magic phrase (Score:2)
"I used to work here."
I did work at a Best Buy for two years so I do most of my shopping there now, and whenever a sales person approaches me and asks if I need any help, or if they try to sell me a service plan I don't want. I just utter the magical incantation, and the salespeople just assume I know what is going on and they leave me alone. It is the electronics equivalent to "These aren't the droids y
Re:The magic phrase (Score:2)
The hand motion is a must. I'm including that part.