What did YOU do today?

[Bgunner]

Spent the last couple days upgrading my old laptop since the prices are so cheap right now.

Samsung Series 3 NP365E5C-S02UB

Old Spec. ____________________________ New Spec. ________________________ Cost
2x2GB = 4GB RAM __________________ 2x8GB = 16GB RAM ________________ $16.19
500GB HDD __________________________ 500GB SSD _________________________ $34.55
Stock Thermal Paste _________________ Corsair - XTM70 Thermal Paste _____ $21.59​

Thermal paste lowered temps by 8°C under load so it was time to re-paste since the laptop is tech from 2012 and has only been blown out keeping it dust free but no other maintenance other than OS stuff. The thermal paste was the most spendy of the over haul but it is some good stuff. The Corsair XTM70 is rated among some of the best that Igors Lab has tested and ranked higher than even Thermal Grizzly which blew my mind.

The SSD is the biggest performance booster as now it loads the OS fully in under a full 90 seconds faster. Another upside is that the OS no longer hangs at times when loading programs or switching windows.

Because the APU uses the RAM for VRAM, 512MB selected, and the OS was using 2 GB of Ram that only left me with around, and usually under, 1.5GB for programs creating resource issues. Programs requesting RAM space were having to wipe space and load the information causing a major slow down and hangs. I considered only doing a total of 8GB of ram but for $1 more I could get double that and the laptop supported it so why not go bigger? The BIOS is locked being a cheap laptop so changing timings and speed of the ram is problematic at best so I just got the same speed and timings just more space.

I'm still running into temp issues trying to run old games so I've been looking at laptop coolers that will force air through the vents on the laptop. This will allow the CPU to cool better as the stock fan just doesn't move a lot of air. Since the update from Win 8 to Win 10 I have lost control of the fan so the motherboard now controls it and Programs do not recognize the motherboard so they can not control the fan. The best option is a laptop cooler for my needs. As of now I am running into the the thermal limit on the APU so it drops the CPU frequency to stay cool.

Long story short: for $73 I got a major speed bump in performance in my old laptop to keep it usable for a while longer.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Spent the last couple days upgrading my old laptop since the prices are so cheap right now.

Samsung Series 3 NP365E5C-S02UB

Old Spec. ____________________________ New Spec. ________________________ Cost
2x2GB = 4GB RAM __________________ 2x8GB = 16GB RAM ________________ $16.19
500GB HDD __________________________ 500GB SSD _________________________ $34.55
Stock Thermal Paste _________________ Corsair - XTM70 Thermal Paste _____ $21.59​

Thermal paste lowered temps by 8°C under load so it was time to re-paste since the laptop is tech from 2012 and has only been blown out keeping it dust free but no other maintenance other than OS stuff. The thermal paste was the most spendy of the over haul but it is some good stuff. The Corsair XTM70 is rated among some of the best that Igors Lab has tested and ranked higher than even Thermal Grizzly which blew my mind.

The SSD is the biggest performance booster as now it loads the OS fully in under a full 90 seconds faster. Another upside is that the OS no longer hangs at times when loading programs or switching windows.

Because the APU uses the RAM for VRAM, 512MB selected, and the OS was using 2 GB of Ram that only left me with around, and usually under, 1.5GB for programs creating resource issues. Programs requesting RAM space were having to wipe space and load the information causing a major slow down and hangs. I considered only doing a total of 8GB of ram but for $1 more I could get double that and the laptop supported it so why not go bigger? The BIOS is locked being a cheap laptop so changing timings and speed of the ram is problematic at best so I just got the same speed and timings just more space.

I'm still running into temp issues trying to run old games so I've been looking at laptop coolers that will force air through the vents on the laptop. This will allow the CPU to cool better as the stock fan just doesn't move a lot of air. Since the update from Win 8 to Win 10 I have lost control of the fan so the motherboard now controls it and Programs do not recognize the motherboard so they can not control the fan. The best option is a laptop cooler for my needs. As of now I am running into the the thermal limit on the APU so it drops the CPU frequency to stay cool.

Long story short: for $73 I got a major speed bump in performance in my old laptop to keep it usable for a while longer.

I just put a new CMOS/BIOS battery in my one laptop and I need to do my other one. The one I did already is a Lenovo Thinkpad that I was given and that was super simple. The one I have yet to do is a Toshiba Satellite and you have to split the case and solder the battery on the motherboard.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Looks great! I like the way you matched the C clamps to the multicolor floor mat, even if temporary.

I have one concern. I think that evil hog-looking demon from the Amityville horror is reflecting in the window glass like it did in the movie. Sometimes that happens in old houses.


View attachment 120662
Might want to call a priest to bless the new counter…

That's a lamp shade not manbearpig...

 

[Rick W]

That's a lamp shade not manbearpig...

haha, I see it now. When I first looked, it looked like somebody looking down into an iPhone, taking a picture. I poke fun at everything, but I had to think long and hard about saying “hog like.” I was afraid it would be your wife and you’d come beat me into the ground like a tent stake!

 

[mikkelstuff]

Spent the day with my lovely wife at the hospital. She was transported from the ER on Sunday night. The ovarian cancer has spread to her lungs with bone marrow cancer as well. There is no more treatment. Now given a few weeks to live.

Understand that I am the luckiest man in the world to have found her again just ten years ago.

But please, make sure the women in your life know the symptoms of ovarian cancer. This cancer is so so nasty.

All looking up for the moment. Off all oxygen and home with Hospice. Only time will tell.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Dang @mikkelstuff

That's a tough pill to swallow.

You and your family are in my prayers.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Dang @mikkelstuff

That's a tough pill to swallow.

You and your family are in my prayers.

+1

 

[Blmpkn]

Saw a smashed up McLaren 720 on the way back to the shop. Rich guy problems.

Super sad really.. the majority of super spendy cars up this way seem to be AMG SLS's.. followed by R8s.. then lambos.. then Ferrari.. almost NEVER see a McLaren. Damn thing all smashed up is probably still worth more than all the vehicles I've ever owned.. when they were new glad Im not the one who's gotta deal with that insurance premium increase..

 

[Bgunner]

Welp, after the upgrades to the laptop things seemed to work well till yesterday when I noticed my zero button in the 10 key section no longer worked. I figured no biggie I'll just use the one above the letters but while running a game yesterday I noticed the function key was somehow stuck on. In this case I couldn't use my F keys which are used in the game.

So today I pulled the keyboard surround off and had the same issue. I then removed the keyboard and checked the connection and all was well there but the keyboard worked properly. So I installed the keyboard and tested again, all worked properly, and then installed the surround and all is currently working properly.

Guess at the issue? Mine is that because it is old and finicky when installing it the first time there was a bit of pressure from the southbridge thermal pad, since it uses the keyboard as a heatsink, it flexed the board just enough that it caused a loose connection in the board to act up. IF I have issues later on I can get a used board for $20 and new for $80 so I have options.

 

[racsan]

Didn’t do much today at all, had a PFT (lung test) in the morning, weekly shopping trip then home, was pretty drained & fell asleep for about 4 hours. Checked out a big craftsman tool box set at lowes, decent deal. Not sure I will get it though.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Went to have my hands looked at via ultrasound. I had xrays done several weeks ago. The tech isn't supposed to say anything but thinks I should ask to see a hand specialist when I talk to my doc. I have lumps growing on the tendons...(my diagnosis...not the techs). FML!..

 

[scotts90ranger]

The other day I put the door handle I rekeyed to the house key onto the shop and officially was able to remove a key from the key ring! The new to me Schlage lockset is nicer than the cheapo one that came with the door, if you turn the key 1/4 turn in either direction it unlocks and opens the door, just gotta push the button on the inside to lock it, if you want it to only be able to be opened from outside with the key you push and rotate the button on the inside... not gonna use that feature but just gotta remember...

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I've been doing some work to my pontiac Sunfire. I hate where the coils are, down under the intake,just above k-member, and barely able to see when under the car. I was finally able to figure out how to swap the sparkplug wires. Scratched my arm to hell doing it too. Then there was a bad grinding noise while the starter is engaged...

My temporary fix;

Then drive an hour round trip to get a new starter. Currently waiting for cool down before install.
Next is probably water pump.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Took the '97 to near work to the Kershaw factory sale and spent way too much (have a lot of friends that want cheap pocket knives and there you can get a $30 knife for $11ish so I stocked up) and got some gas in the Ranger and diesel for the shop heater... Then I got home and made a tray to put under the dishwasher, conveniently I just stripped a clothes drier a couple weeks ago and the side of one of those is exactly the right width for the hole for the dishwasher! Apparently the top layer of flooring is particle board and no one put anything under the dishwasher... I thought about plastic but then I remembered I had the drier... Was even able to use the bevels on the corners so any leaks will go forward hopefully. The drain valve did leak but apparently it's one of the most common older dishwasher so it was less than $10 for the seal and push lock nut thing on Amazon so I fixed that.

Then I started cleaning the shop so I can work on the '97 Ranger tomorrow and getting things moved around so I can work on the loft in the shop in a few weeks... lot of junk to move

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

More damage pics;

I can't figure out how it happened. Only thing I can think of is somehow snow and ice got in there and refroze, expanding enough to break. Or maybe its just a fatigue crack or weak spot that finally let go. There is no sign that it was a developing issue. The broken edges are fresh.