5punk Wiki - User contributions [en]

Hardware

2006-12-28T02:00:05Z

Eion: /* Capacity */

Right, this is meant as a reference for people who have some idea what they're doing.

If you get stuck or have no idea, post in [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=33 the forum] as people will be able to help you better than this generic guide to everything.

=Hardware=

==Processors==
===Manufacturers===
AMD Vs. Intel - Current best of each, and best overall (also best perf/£)

Intel, AMD and VIA (most common in mini-ITX motherboards)

===Sockets===
Most recent sockets that you're still likely to find.

*A (AMD)
*423 (Intel)
*478 (Intel)
*LGA775 (Intel)
*754 (AMD)
*940 (AMD)
*939 (AMD)
*AM2 (AMD)

===Cores===
Number of cores, performance effect

===Temperatures===
Ideally the max temp of any CPU should be below 70 degrees, with below 60 being ideal.

More info in the cooling section.

==Memory==
===Types===
====(obsolete)====
*SDRAM (168-pin modules)

Getting old now, still turns up in older Socket A, Socket 423 and some older Socket 478 Motherboards.
*PC-66: SDR at 66 MHz
*PC-100: SDR at 100 MHz
*PC-133: SDR at 133 MHz

*RDRAM (RIMM)

Old, very rarely used, very pricey nowadays, was mainly used in some Socket 423 and Socket 478 Motherboards.

====(current)====
*DDR (184-pin modules)
Used in Socket 754, 939, 940 and Intel 478 Motherboards.

*DDR2 (240-pin modules)
Used in Socket 775 and AM2 Motherboards.

====(future)====
*DDR3
Not yet used.

===Speeds===
====DDR====
*PC-1600: DDR at 100 MHz using DDR-200 chips
*PC-2100: DDR at 133 MHz using DDR-266 chips
*PC-2700: DDR at 166 MHz using DDR-333 chips
*PC-3200: DDR at 200 MHz using DDR-400 chips
*PC-3500: DDR at 216 MHz using DDR-433 chips*
*PC-4000: DDR at 250 MHz using DDR-500 chips*

====DDR2====
*PC-4200: DDR2 at 266 MHz using DDR2-533 chips
*PC-5300: DDR2 at 333 MHz using DDR2-667 chips
*PC-6400: DDR2 at 400 MHz using DDR2-800 chips
*PC-8000: DDR2 at 500 MHz using DDR2-1000 chips*
*PC-8500: DDR2 at 533 MHz using DDR2-1066 chips*
*PC-9600: DDR2 at 600 MHz using DDR2-1200 chips*

<nowiki>*</nowiki>These are non-standard, generally manufacturers making memory faster than specified (mainly for overclockers)

===Heatsinks (ramsinks)===
Ramsinks do /not/ help the memory cool, but they can help keep temps stable which can help with system stability.

Generally don't bother unless they came fitted on your memory

==Motherboards==
===Sockets===
See [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1084 CPU Socket Guide]

===Multi-GPU===
Specific technologies will be covered in depth in the graphics card section.

For a motherboard to be able to support a multi-gpu technology it has to specifically made to do so, this usually requires The motherboard to have;

A Chipset which supports your chosen technology (either Nvidia's SLI or ATI's Crossfire)
A pair of Physical PCI-E 16x Slots (often only the primary slot will be 16x electronically, with the secondary being 8x electronically)

===Layouts===
Motherboards are often laid out similarly, but there are Differences with the placement of the cable connections, often these differences can make some motherboards unusable with some cases, also certain placements of cables can restrict airflow and impede cooling.

===Badgers===
===Heatpipes===
Some makers use [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heatpipe heatpipes] for cooling components on the motherboard,

However the heatpipes used often do not work as well if the motherboard is used flat or upside-down (as in lian li v1000 etc)

==Hard Drives==
===Types===
*2.5" (Laptop)
*3.5" (Desktop)

longitudinal
perpendicular

===Interfaces===
====PATA====
Previously called ATA, also known as IDE, ATAPI, and UDMA.

=====Master=====
=====Slave=====
=====Cable Select=====

====SATA (Serial ATA)====
New standard for connecting Drives, supports a lot of fancy toys such as

'''NCQ'''

Native Command Queuing, a HDD Feature that allows the HDD itself to queue requests to optimise performance

'''Hotplugging'''

Allows you to add and remove SATA drives from a system without shutting down (requires sata power support on the PSU, rather than using a PATA HDD>SATA power connector as HDD power connectors do not support 3.3v)

'''SATA 150/300 Forwards/Backwards compatibility'''

Allows SATA 150 and 300 Drives work on either speed of controller

'''SATA Power'''

15Pin Flat power connector, kinda fragile.

=====SATA 1.5 Gbit/s (SATA 150)=====
First Generation SATA, offered few benefits over PATA
=====SATA 3.0 Gbit/s (SATA 300)=====
Second Generation STA, offers many benefits over PATA and SATA 150
=====SATA II=====
Doesn't Exist, never has, never will.

The 3.0 Gbit/s specification was widely referred to as “Serial ATA II” (“SATA II”). The [http://www.sata-io.org official website] notes that SATA II was in fact that organization's name at the time, the SATA 3.0 Gbit/s specification being only one of many that the former SATA II organization defined, and suggests that “SATA 3.0 Gbit/s” be used instead.
=====External SATA (eSATA)=====
External SATA

===Cache===
2,8 or 16MB

===Speeds (RPM)===
Common speeds are
*5400rpm
*7200rpm
*10000rpm

===RAID===
Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks

Most common RAID levels:
====RAID0====
RAID0, also known as striping, consists of two or more hard disks striped together so as to appear as one larger hard disk.

Despite the name, this is technically not RAID because there is no redundancy. AID however sounds bad, like Bad AIDS, so we still call it RAID0.

This RAID level is supported by approximately all storage controllers.

=====Advantages=====

* Speed
On average, reading and writing the data is quicker than it would be from just one drive. For non-server machines, this speed boost is generally not that significant.

=====Disadvantages=====

* Reliability
In RAID0, data gets split across drives in a random manner, meaning that if one drive dies, you lose the data on all drives. If the mean time between failure of a particular model of hard drive is four years, with two such hard drives in a RAID0 array the mean time between failure of the array will be two years. With four such hard drives in a RAID0 array, that time is reduced to one year.

=====Capacity=====
For ''n'' drives of ''x'' gigabytes each, total array capacity is ''n''*''x'' gigabytes.

=====Uses=====
* Anywhere maximum storage performance is required with minimum data reliability, such as temporary storage for video editing. RAID0 arrays make excellent swapfile or pagefile drives.
* Gaming machines where maximum performance is desired and where the machine is not being used to store important/irretrievable data. Companies selling boutique gaming machines often equip their products with RAID0 arrays (see also bragging rights). Note that the performance boost from a RAID0 array in gaming scenarios is generally not significant.
* Bragging rights.

=====Notes/Recommendations=====
It is generally better to use a single faster hard drive instead of a RAID0 array. Setting up a RAID0 array with 7200rpm hard drives does not make sense. Yes, 10,000rpm hard drives cost more and don't hold as much, but they will be much faster and much more reliable.

Due to reliability issues, if you want to set up a RAID0 array then the following is recommended:
* Stick to no more than two drives in a RAID0 array.
* Only use the most reliable drives - so-called enterprise-class or nearline storage drives are preferred.

Western Digital Raptors are the drive of choice in a Serial ATA RAID0 array, due to their high speed and very good reliability. For SCSI or SAS RAID0 arrays, there are a number of very fast and reliable drives that are suitable. IDE RAID0 arrays are strongly discouraged.

====RAID1====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====
For ''n'' drives of ''x'' gigabytes each, total array capacity is ''x'' gigabytes.

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID3====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID5====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====
For ''n'' drives of ''x'' gigabytes each, total array capacity is (''n''-1)*''x'' gigabytes.

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID6====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID10/01====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID50====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====JBOD====
Not really a RAID level at all, this stands for Just a Bunch Of Disks, and refers to hard disks just being plugged in to a RAID controller without being configured for RAID.
=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====
Add up all of the storage space on the bunch of disks, and that's how much you have.

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

===Common problems===
Death

==Optical Drives==
===Types===
*CD
*DVD
*HDHVD
*BluRay

===Common problems===
===Interfaces===
Optical drives will talk on PATA or SATA (the latter being less common, but now coming down in price)

All the same as for [[Hardware#Interfaces | HDD Interfaces]]

==Video Cards==
===Onboard Vs. Video Cards===
===Multi-Card Solutions===
SLI vs. Crossfire

Pictures and how they go together

===Brands===
For gaming graphics cards come down to nvidia vs. ATI - The majority of graphics cards will just be repackaged reference boards from nvidia or ATI with a few small tweaks (usually just a different sticker, heatsink or a minor overclock.)

===Memory===
Beware low end cards bearing masses of memory.

''Really'' beware of low-end cards bearing masses of memory and words like "Turbo Cache" or "Hyper Memory". They generally have very little memory on the board itself and steal your (slower and more generally useful) system memory for themselves, similar to on-board video cards. However, even these low-end cards typically have much better performance than on-board video.

Often you'll be far better off with a higher end card sporting 256Mb of memory, than a mid range card with 512mb of memory as a less-powerful card will not be able to use the memory efficiently enough to warrant the extra memory.

===TV out===
Looks like shite on older CRT televisions, often not worth the time and effort taken.

Looks pretty decent on HDTVs but redundant as they'll often have VGA, DVI or HDMI connections which allow for high enough resolutions without excessive cable shuffling

===Connectors===
The most common connectors on Graphics cards are DVI, D-sub, HDMI (on some newer cards) and an 8-pin din plug component/composite for TV out.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>labelled photos*

===Overclocking===
===Power Consumption===

==Sound Cards==
Soundcards are another oft overlooked component of mid-range computers for reasons we'll cover below.

===Onboard vs. Soundcard===
Onboard sound can be a great feature for family desktops and non-gaming machines.

However, as onboard sound uses the CPU for Processing sounds there is a risk of gameplay affecting performance issues when using onboard sound.

Also onboard sound can often pick up noise from interference on the motherboard which can sound like very quiet pops and clicks, this is often only a problem on headphones as speakers aren't sensitive enough to pick them up and any digital outputs aren't prone to the interference, but is worth a mention nonetheless.

Soundcards use a dedicated processor to process sound information with negligible load on the CPU, this improves overall performance including higher framerates.

===Recommended cards===
audigy/audigy 2, SBlive.

===Surround, digital etc.===
Surround is an area where onboard sound can excel in the price/performance field as many onboard sound systems support 5.1 or 7.1 surround over analogue and digital

You can also run a full analogue or digital surround system on your onboard sound for media purposes, while keeping a soundcard dedicated for gaming.

==Power Supplies==
===General===
Power Supplies (PSUs) are the most often overlooked and underspecced component in a computer.

Often a poor PSU will cause system instability, unexpected problems and can lead to component damage.

===Wattages===
Before we get into how many watts a PSU needs, we need to understand the ways it can be measured

Wattage on a PSU is usually quoting peak output, or sustained output.

Peak output (what most cheap PSUs are measured in) refers to the peak wattage a PSU can put out for a short period of time (seconds) often these will be fine for a while, then will develop issues (from being overloaded) and die horribly, potentially killing other components

Sustained output (nice PSUs) refers to the output the PSU can give all day every day without issue, sometimes a PSU that has a sustained output will also mention a peak somewhere such as "650W (710W peak)"

====How big a PSU do i need?====
If you're running a single GPU system, you'll need a 450W PSU max.

If you're running a dual GPU system, you'll need a PSU around the 550-600W Mark

[http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp PSU Calculator]

===Modding===

==== *DANGER*====
Anything within this section will probably kill you and your family if you fuck up

Fan Speed mod (also fan replacement)

====Cable sleeving====
Cable Sleeving allows you to make your PSU's cables look a lot better and improve airflow.

[http://www.hardware.info/en-UK/articles/amdnY2prZGma/Workshop_Cablesleeving/ Hardware.info cable sleeving guide]

==Cooling==
===CPU Heatsinks===
===Graphics Coolers===
===Fans===
===Extreme Cooling===
====Pros/cons of Watercooling====

====Pros/cons of Refrigeration====

==Cases==
===Types===
*'''Standard ATX'''
ATX is your bog standard form factor from the past few years. Chances are if you own a computer it's living in an ATX case

*'''Upside down ATX''' (notes about not BTX)
Some ATX cases mount the motherboard upside-down as it can allow for better cooling and cleaner airflow.

These cases are often Called BTX cases by people who don't know better, BTX is a separate standard covered below, Upside down ATX cases adhere to all the ATX standards, but hold the motherboard upside down.

*'''BTX'''
BTX is a new form factor designed to replace ATX while offering better cooling and better designs for components

*'''SSF'''
SSF (Small Form Factor) is not a form factor, but is a term used to describe cases such as shuttles.

*'''Mini-ITX'''
Is a very compact form factor designed by via, often used for in-car PCs and home-theater PCs as they're low noise, very low power consumption and heat output.

===Materials===
alu,steel

===Layouts===
where stuff goes in standard and common but weird cases

===Modding===
windows, lights, stealthing.

==BIOS==
===General Info===
===Basic Setup===
===Advanced Setup===
===Flashing/updating===
===help me it's all gone wrong!===

==Monitors==
===LCD Vs. CRT===
Pros/cons of each

===Refresh Rates/flannel response times===

===connectors===
DVI,D-sub, tv stuff.

==Peripherals==
===Keyboards===
simple cheap keyboards

nice expensive keyboards

===Mice===
gaming mice

===Wired vs. Wireless===
pros, cons, blah blah blah

===Joysticks===
eurgh (yes, that's what she said)

===Gamepads===
Unfortunately for PC gamepads your choices are pretty limited these days, often all you'll get are nasty Playstation controller clones.

If you own a PS2, Xbox or Xbox360 you may do well to buy a suitable controller > USB adaptor such as [http://www.game.co.uk/ViewProduct.aspx?cat=10416&mid=326739 This] for the PS2.

===Adaptors and connectors===
how to make plug A go into socket B (generally a bigger hammer)

===Graphics Tablets===
Wacom are probably the best and best known tablet makers, however there are many cheap alternatives available which might tempt new users and disappoint with poor tracking and terrible build quality.

It is worth noting that basic Wacom tablets are now available [http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/103585 for under £40.]

===Card Readers===
handy.

==Overclocking==
Potential of given types, risks and gains, low-cost options

FSB

overvolting (list of standard voltages for cpus?)

Hardware

2006-12-28T01:56:35Z

Eion: /* Capacity */

Right, this is meant as a reference for people who have some idea what they're doing.

If you get stuck or have no idea, post in [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=33 the forum] as people will be able to help you better than this generic guide to everything.

=Hardware=

==Processors==
===Manufacturers===
AMD Vs. Intel - Current best of each, and best overall (also best perf/£)

Intel, AMD and VIA (most common in mini-ITX motherboards)

===Sockets===
Most recent sockets that you're still likely to find.

*A (AMD)
*423 (Intel)
*478 (Intel)
*LGA775 (Intel)
*754 (AMD)
*940 (AMD)
*939 (AMD)
*AM2 (AMD)

===Cores===
Number of cores, performance effect

===Temperatures===
Ideally the max temp of any CPU should be below 70 degrees, with below 60 being ideal.

More info in the cooling section.

==Memory==
===Types===
====(obsolete)====
*SDRAM (168-pin modules)

Getting old now, still turns up in older Socket A, Socket 423 and some older Socket 478 Motherboards.
*PC-66: SDR at 66 MHz
*PC-100: SDR at 100 MHz
*PC-133: SDR at 133 MHz

*RDRAM (RIMM)

Old, very rarely used, very pricey nowadays, was mainly used in some Socket 423 and Socket 478 Motherboards.

====(current)====
*DDR (184-pin modules)
Used in Socket 754, 939, 940 and Intel 478 Motherboards.

*DDR2 (240-pin modules)
Used in Socket 775 and AM2 Motherboards.

====(future)====
*DDR3
Not yet used.

===Speeds===
====DDR====
*PC-1600: DDR at 100 MHz using DDR-200 chips
*PC-2100: DDR at 133 MHz using DDR-266 chips
*PC-2700: DDR at 166 MHz using DDR-333 chips
*PC-3200: DDR at 200 MHz using DDR-400 chips
*PC-3500: DDR at 216 MHz using DDR-433 chips*
*PC-4000: DDR at 250 MHz using DDR-500 chips*

====DDR2====
*PC-4200: DDR2 at 266 MHz using DDR2-533 chips
*PC-5300: DDR2 at 333 MHz using DDR2-667 chips
*PC-6400: DDR2 at 400 MHz using DDR2-800 chips
*PC-8000: DDR2 at 500 MHz using DDR2-1000 chips*
*PC-8500: DDR2 at 533 MHz using DDR2-1066 chips*
*PC-9600: DDR2 at 600 MHz using DDR2-1200 chips*

<nowiki>*</nowiki>These are non-standard, generally manufacturers making memory faster than specified (mainly for overclockers)

===Heatsinks (ramsinks)===
Ramsinks do /not/ help the memory cool, but they can help keep temps stable which can help with system stability.

Generally don't bother unless they came fitted on your memory

==Motherboards==
===Sockets===
See [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1084 CPU Socket Guide]

===Multi-GPU===
Specific technologies will be covered in depth in the graphics card section.

For a motherboard to be able to support a multi-gpu technology it has to specifically made to do so, this usually requires The motherboard to have;

A Chipset which supports your chosen technology (either Nvidia's SLI or ATI's Crossfire)
A pair of Physical PCI-E 16x Slots (often only the primary slot will be 16x electronically, with the secondary being 8x electronically)

===Layouts===
Motherboards are often laid out similarly, but there are Differences with the placement of the cable connections, often these differences can make some motherboards unusable with some cases, also certain placements of cables can restrict airflow and impede cooling.

===Badgers===
===Heatpipes===
Some makers use [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heatpipe heatpipes] for cooling components on the motherboard,

However the heatpipes used often do not work as well if the motherboard is used flat or upside-down (as in lian li v1000 etc)

==Hard Drives==
===Types===
*2.5" (Laptop)
*3.5" (Desktop)

longitudinal
perpendicular

===Interfaces===
====PATA====
Previously called ATA, also known as IDE, ATAPI, and UDMA.

=====Master=====
=====Slave=====
=====Cable Select=====

====SATA (Serial ATA)====
New standard for connecting Drives, supports a lot of fancy toys such as

'''NCQ'''

Native Command Queuing, a HDD Feature that allows the HDD itself to queue requests to optimise performance

'''Hotplugging'''

Allows you to add and remove SATA drives from a system without shutting down (requires sata power support on the PSU, rather than using a PATA HDD>SATA power connector as HDD power connectors do not support 3.3v)

'''SATA 150/300 Forwards/Backwards compatibility'''

Allows SATA 150 and 300 Drives work on either speed of controller

'''SATA Power'''

15Pin Flat power connector, kinda fragile.

=====SATA 1.5 Gbit/s (SATA 150)=====
First Generation SATA, offered few benefits over PATA
=====SATA 3.0 Gbit/s (SATA 300)=====
Second Generation STA, offers many benefits over PATA and SATA 150
=====SATA II=====
Doesn't Exist, never has, never will.

The 3.0 Gbit/s specification was widely referred to as “Serial ATA II” (“SATA II”). The [http://www.sata-io.org official website] notes that SATA II was in fact that organization's name at the time, the SATA 3.0 Gbit/s specification being only one of many that the former SATA II organization defined, and suggests that “SATA 3.0 Gbit/s” be used instead.
=====External SATA (eSATA)=====
External SATA

===Cache===
2,8 or 16MB

===Speeds (RPM)===
Common speeds are
*5400rpm
*7200rpm
*10000rpm

===RAID===
Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks

Most common RAID levels:
====RAID0====
RAID0, also known as striping, consists of two or more hard disks striped together so as to appear as one larger hard disk.

Despite the name, this is technically not RAID because there is no redundancy. AID however sounds bad, like Bad AIDS, so we still call it RAID0.

This RAID level is supported by approximately all storage controllers.

=====Advantages=====

* Speed
On average, reading and writing the data is quicker than it would be from just one drive. For non-server machines, this speed boost is generally not that significant.

=====Disadvantages=====

* Reliability
In RAID0, data gets split across drives in a random manner, meaning that if one drive dies, you lose the data on all drives. If the mean time between failure of a particular model of hard drive is four years, with two such hard drives in a RAID0 array the mean time between failure of the array will be two years. With four such hard drives in a RAID0 array, that time is reduced to one year.

=====Capacity=====
For ''n'' drives of ''x'' gigabytes each, total array capacity is ''n''*''x'' gigabytes.

=====Uses=====
* Anywhere maximum storage performance is required with minimum data reliability, such as temporary storage for video editing. RAID0 arrays make excellent swapfile or pagefile drives.
* Gaming machines where maximum performance is desired and where the machine is not being used to store important/irretrievable data. Companies selling boutique gaming machines often equip their products with RAID0 arrays (see also bragging rights). Note that the performance boost from a RAID0 array in gaming scenarios is generally not significant.
* Bragging rights.

=====Notes/Recommendations=====
It is generally better to use a single faster hard drive instead of a RAID0 array. Setting up a RAID0 array with 7200rpm hard drives does not make sense. Yes, 10,000rpm hard drives cost more and don't hold as much, but they will be much faster and much more reliable.

Due to reliability issues, if you want to set up a RAID0 array then the following is recommended:
* Stick to no more than two drives in a RAID0 array.
* Only use the most reliable drives - so-called enterprise-class or nearline storage drives are preferred.

Western Digital Raptors are the drive of choice in a Serial ATA RAID0 array, due to their high speed and very good reliability. For SCSI or SAS RAID0 arrays, there are a number of very fast and reliable drives that are suitable. IDE RAID0 arrays are strongly discouraged.

====RAID1====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====
For ''n'' drives of ''x'' gigabytes each, total array capacity is ''x'' gigabytes.

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID3====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID5====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====
For ''n'' drives of ''x'' gigabytes each, total array capacity is (''n''-1)*''x'' gigabytes.

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID6====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID10/01====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID50====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====JBOD====
Not really a RAID level at all, this stands for Just a Bunch Of Disks, and refers to hard disks just being plugged in to a RAID controller without being configured for RAID.
=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

===Common problems===
Death

==Optical Drives==
===Types===
*CD
*DVD
*HDHVD
*BluRay

===Common problems===
===Interfaces===
Optical drives will talk on PATA or SATA (the latter being less common, but now coming down in price)

All the same as for [[Hardware#Interfaces | HDD Interfaces]]

==Video Cards==
===Onboard Vs. Video Cards===
===Multi-Card Solutions===
SLI vs. Crossfire

Pictures and how they go together

===Brands===
For gaming graphics cards come down to nvidia vs. ATI - The majority of graphics cards will just be repackaged reference boards from nvidia or ATI with a few small tweaks (usually just a different sticker, heatsink or a minor overclock.)

===Memory===
Beware low end cards bearing masses of memory.

''Really'' beware of low-end cards bearing masses of memory and words like "Turbo Cache" or "Hyper Memory". They generally have very little memory on the board itself and steal your (slower and more generally useful) system memory for themselves, similar to on-board video cards. However, even these low-end cards typically have much better performance than on-board video.

Often you'll be far better off with a higher end card sporting 256Mb of memory, than a mid range card with 512mb of memory as a less-powerful card will not be able to use the memory efficiently enough to warrant the extra memory.

===TV out===
Looks like shite on older CRT televisions, often not worth the time and effort taken.

Looks pretty decent on HDTVs but redundant as they'll often have VGA, DVI or HDMI connections which allow for high enough resolutions without excessive cable shuffling

===Connectors===
The most common connectors on Graphics cards are DVI, D-sub, HDMI (on some newer cards) and an 8-pin din plug component/composite for TV out.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>labelled photos*

===Overclocking===
===Power Consumption===

==Sound Cards==
Soundcards are another oft overlooked component of mid-range computers for reasons we'll cover below.

===Onboard vs. Soundcard===
Onboard sound can be a great feature for family desktops and non-gaming machines.

However, as onboard sound uses the CPU for Processing sounds there is a risk of gameplay affecting performance issues when using onboard sound.

Also onboard sound can often pick up noise from interference on the motherboard which can sound like very quiet pops and clicks, this is often only a problem on headphones as speakers aren't sensitive enough to pick them up and any digital outputs aren't prone to the interference, but is worth a mention nonetheless.

Soundcards use a dedicated processor to process sound information with negligible load on the CPU, this improves overall performance including higher framerates.

===Recommended cards===
audigy/audigy 2, SBlive.

===Surround, digital etc.===
Surround is an area where onboard sound can excel in the price/performance field as many onboard sound systems support 5.1 or 7.1 surround over analogue and digital

You can also run a full analogue or digital surround system on your onboard sound for media purposes, while keeping a soundcard dedicated for gaming.

==Power Supplies==
===General===
Power Supplies (PSUs) are the most often overlooked and underspecced component in a computer.

Often a poor PSU will cause system instability, unexpected problems and can lead to component damage.

===Wattages===
Before we get into how many watts a PSU needs, we need to understand the ways it can be measured

Wattage on a PSU is usually quoting peak output, or sustained output.

Peak output (what most cheap PSUs are measured in) refers to the peak wattage a PSU can put out for a short period of time (seconds) often these will be fine for a while, then will develop issues (from being overloaded) and die horribly, potentially killing other components

Sustained output (nice PSUs) refers to the output the PSU can give all day every day without issue, sometimes a PSU that has a sustained output will also mention a peak somewhere such as "650W (710W peak)"

====How big a PSU do i need?====
If you're running a single GPU system, you'll need a 450W PSU max.

If you're running a dual GPU system, you'll need a PSU around the 550-600W Mark

[http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp PSU Calculator]

===Modding===

==== *DANGER*====
Anything within this section will probably kill you and your family if you fuck up

Fan Speed mod (also fan replacement)

====Cable sleeving====
Cable Sleeving allows you to make your PSU's cables look a lot better and improve airflow.

[http://www.hardware.info/en-UK/articles/amdnY2prZGma/Workshop_Cablesleeving/ Hardware.info cable sleeving guide]

==Cooling==
===CPU Heatsinks===
===Graphics Coolers===
===Fans===
===Extreme Cooling===
====Pros/cons of Watercooling====

====Pros/cons of Refrigeration====

==Cases==
===Types===
*'''Standard ATX'''
ATX is your bog standard form factor from the past few years. Chances are if you own a computer it's living in an ATX case

*'''Upside down ATX''' (notes about not BTX)
Some ATX cases mount the motherboard upside-down as it can allow for better cooling and cleaner airflow.

These cases are often Called BTX cases by people who don't know better, BTX is a separate standard covered below, Upside down ATX cases adhere to all the ATX standards, but hold the motherboard upside down.

*'''BTX'''
BTX is a new form factor designed to replace ATX while offering better cooling and better designs for components

*'''SSF'''
SSF (Small Form Factor) is not a form factor, but is a term used to describe cases such as shuttles.

*'''Mini-ITX'''
Is a very compact form factor designed by via, often used for in-car PCs and home-theater PCs as they're low noise, very low power consumption and heat output.

===Materials===
alu,steel

===Layouts===
where stuff goes in standard and common but weird cases

===Modding===
windows, lights, stealthing.

==BIOS==
===General Info===
===Basic Setup===
===Advanced Setup===
===Flashing/updating===
===help me it's all gone wrong!===

==Monitors==
===LCD Vs. CRT===
Pros/cons of each

===Refresh Rates/flannel response times===

===connectors===
DVI,D-sub, tv stuff.

==Peripherals==
===Keyboards===
simple cheap keyboards

nice expensive keyboards

===Mice===
gaming mice

===Wired vs. Wireless===
pros, cons, blah blah blah

===Joysticks===
eurgh (yes, that's what she said)

===Gamepads===
Unfortunately for PC gamepads your choices are pretty limited these days, often all you'll get are nasty Playstation controller clones.

If you own a PS2, Xbox or Xbox360 you may do well to buy a suitable controller > USB adaptor such as [http://www.game.co.uk/ViewProduct.aspx?cat=10416&mid=326739 This] for the PS2.

===Adaptors and connectors===
how to make plug A go into socket B (generally a bigger hammer)

===Graphics Tablets===
Wacom are probably the best and best known tablet makers, however there are many cheap alternatives available which might tempt new users and disappoint with poor tracking and terrible build quality.

It is worth noting that basic Wacom tablets are now available [http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/103585 for under £40.]

===Card Readers===
handy.

==Overclocking==
Potential of given types, risks and gains, low-cost options

FSB

overvolting (list of standard voltages for cpus?)

Hardware

2006-12-28T01:55:18Z

Eion: /* Capacity */

Right, this is meant as a reference for people who have some idea what they're doing.

If you get stuck or have no idea, post in [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=33 the forum] as people will be able to help you better than this generic guide to everything.

=Hardware=

==Processors==
===Manufacturers===
AMD Vs. Intel - Current best of each, and best overall (also best perf/£)

Intel, AMD and VIA (most common in mini-ITX motherboards)

===Sockets===
Most recent sockets that you're still likely to find.

*A (AMD)
*423 (Intel)
*478 (Intel)
*LGA775 (Intel)
*754 (AMD)
*940 (AMD)
*939 (AMD)
*AM2 (AMD)

===Cores===
Number of cores, performance effect

===Temperatures===
Ideally the max temp of any CPU should be below 70 degrees, with below 60 being ideal.

More info in the cooling section.

==Memory==
===Types===
====(obsolete)====
*SDRAM (168-pin modules)

Getting old now, still turns up in older Socket A, Socket 423 and some older Socket 478 Motherboards.
*PC-66: SDR at 66 MHz
*PC-100: SDR at 100 MHz
*PC-133: SDR at 133 MHz

*RDRAM (RIMM)

Old, very rarely used, very pricey nowadays, was mainly used in some Socket 423 and Socket 478 Motherboards.

====(current)====
*DDR (184-pin modules)
Used in Socket 754, 939, 940 and Intel 478 Motherboards.

*DDR2 (240-pin modules)
Used in Socket 775 and AM2 Motherboards.

====(future)====
*DDR3
Not yet used.

===Speeds===
====DDR====
*PC-1600: DDR at 100 MHz using DDR-200 chips
*PC-2100: DDR at 133 MHz using DDR-266 chips
*PC-2700: DDR at 166 MHz using DDR-333 chips
*PC-3200: DDR at 200 MHz using DDR-400 chips
*PC-3500: DDR at 216 MHz using DDR-433 chips*
*PC-4000: DDR at 250 MHz using DDR-500 chips*

====DDR2====
*PC-4200: DDR2 at 266 MHz using DDR2-533 chips
*PC-5300: DDR2 at 333 MHz using DDR2-667 chips
*PC-6400: DDR2 at 400 MHz using DDR2-800 chips
*PC-8000: DDR2 at 500 MHz using DDR2-1000 chips*
*PC-8500: DDR2 at 533 MHz using DDR2-1066 chips*
*PC-9600: DDR2 at 600 MHz using DDR2-1200 chips*

<nowiki>*</nowiki>These are non-standard, generally manufacturers making memory faster than specified (mainly for overclockers)

===Heatsinks (ramsinks)===
Ramsinks do /not/ help the memory cool, but they can help keep temps stable which can help with system stability.

Generally don't bother unless they came fitted on your memory

==Motherboards==
===Sockets===
See [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1084 CPU Socket Guide]

===Multi-GPU===
Specific technologies will be covered in depth in the graphics card section.

For a motherboard to be able to support a multi-gpu technology it has to specifically made to do so, this usually requires The motherboard to have;

A Chipset which supports your chosen technology (either Nvidia's SLI or ATI's Crossfire)
A pair of Physical PCI-E 16x Slots (often only the primary slot will be 16x electronically, with the secondary being 8x electronically)

===Layouts===
Motherboards are often laid out similarly, but there are Differences with the placement of the cable connections, often these differences can make some motherboards unusable with some cases, also certain placements of cables can restrict airflow and impede cooling.

===Badgers===
===Heatpipes===
Some makers use [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heatpipe heatpipes] for cooling components on the motherboard,

However the heatpipes used often do not work as well if the motherboard is used flat or upside-down (as in lian li v1000 etc)

==Hard Drives==
===Types===
*2.5" (Laptop)
*3.5" (Desktop)

longitudinal
perpendicular

===Interfaces===
====PATA====
Previously called ATA, also known as IDE, ATAPI, and UDMA.

=====Master=====
=====Slave=====
=====Cable Select=====

====SATA (Serial ATA)====
New standard for connecting Drives, supports a lot of fancy toys such as

'''NCQ'''

Native Command Queuing, a HDD Feature that allows the HDD itself to queue requests to optimise performance

'''Hotplugging'''

Allows you to add and remove SATA drives from a system without shutting down (requires sata power support on the PSU, rather than using a PATA HDD>SATA power connector as HDD power connectors do not support 3.3v)

'''SATA 150/300 Forwards/Backwards compatibility'''

Allows SATA 150 and 300 Drives work on either speed of controller

'''SATA Power'''

15Pin Flat power connector, kinda fragile.

=====SATA 1.5 Gbit/s (SATA 150)=====
First Generation SATA, offered few benefits over PATA
=====SATA 3.0 Gbit/s (SATA 300)=====
Second Generation STA, offers many benefits over PATA and SATA 150
=====SATA II=====
Doesn't Exist, never has, never will.

The 3.0 Gbit/s specification was widely referred to as “Serial ATA II” (“SATA II”). The [http://www.sata-io.org official website] notes that SATA II was in fact that organization's name at the time, the SATA 3.0 Gbit/s specification being only one of many that the former SATA II organization defined, and suggests that “SATA 3.0 Gbit/s” be used instead.
=====External SATA (eSATA)=====
External SATA

===Cache===
2,8 or 16MB

===Speeds (RPM)===
Common speeds are
*5400rpm
*7200rpm
*10000rpm

===RAID===
Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks

Most common RAID levels:
====RAID0====
RAID0, also known as striping, consists of two or more hard disks striped together so as to appear as one larger hard disk.

Despite the name, this is technically not RAID because there is no redundancy. AID however sounds bad, like Bad AIDS, so we still call it RAID0.

This RAID level is supported by approximately all storage controllers.

=====Advantages=====

* Speed
On average, reading and writing the data is quicker than it would be from just one drive. For non-server machines, this speed boost is generally not that significant.

=====Disadvantages=====

* Reliability
In RAID0, data gets split across drives in a random manner, meaning that if one drive dies, you lose the data on all drives. If the mean time between failure of a particular model of hard drive is four years, with two such hard drives in a RAID0 array the mean time between failure of the array will be two years. With four such hard drives in a RAID0 array, that time is reduced to one year.

=====Capacity=====
For ''n'' drives of ''x'' gigabytes each, total array capacity is ''n''*''x'' gigabytes.

=====Uses=====
* Anywhere maximum storage performance is required with minimum data reliability, such as temporary storage for video editing. RAID0 arrays make excellent swapfile or pagefile drives.
* Gaming machines where maximum performance is desired and where the machine is not being used to store important/irretrievable data. Companies selling boutique gaming machines often equip their products with RAID0 arrays (see also bragging rights). Note that the performance boost from a RAID0 array in gaming scenarios is generally not significant.
* Bragging rights.

=====Notes/Recommendations=====
It is generally better to use a single faster hard drive instead of a RAID0 array. Setting up a RAID0 array with 7200rpm hard drives does not make sense. Yes, 10,000rpm hard drives cost more and don't hold as much, but they will be much faster and much more reliable.

Due to reliability issues, if you want to set up a RAID0 array then the following is recommended:
* Stick to no more than two drives in a RAID0 array.
* Only use the most reliable drives - so-called enterprise-class or nearline storage drives are preferred.

Western Digital Raptors are the drive of choice in a Serial ATA RAID0 array, due to their high speed and very good reliability. For SCSI or SAS RAID0 arrays, there are a number of very fast and reliable drives that are suitable. IDE RAID0 arrays are strongly discouraged.

====RAID1====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====
For ''n'' drives of ''x'' gigabytes each, total array capacity is ''x'' gigabytes.

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID3====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID5====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID6====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID10/01====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID50====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====JBOD====
Not really a RAID level at all, this stands for Just a Bunch Of Disks, and refers to hard disks just being plugged in to a RAID controller without being configured for RAID.
=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

===Common problems===
Death

==Optical Drives==
===Types===
*CD
*DVD
*HDHVD
*BluRay

===Common problems===
===Interfaces===
Optical drives will talk on PATA or SATA (the latter being less common, but now coming down in price)

All the same as for [[Hardware#Interfaces | HDD Interfaces]]

==Video Cards==
===Onboard Vs. Video Cards===
===Multi-Card Solutions===
SLI vs. Crossfire

Pictures and how they go together

===Brands===
For gaming graphics cards come down to nvidia vs. ATI - The majority of graphics cards will just be repackaged reference boards from nvidia or ATI with a few small tweaks (usually just a different sticker, heatsink or a minor overclock.)

===Memory===
Beware low end cards bearing masses of memory.

''Really'' beware of low-end cards bearing masses of memory and words like "Turbo Cache" or "Hyper Memory". They generally have very little memory on the board itself and steal your (slower and more generally useful) system memory for themselves, similar to on-board video cards. However, even these low-end cards typically have much better performance than on-board video.

Often you'll be far better off with a higher end card sporting 256Mb of memory, than a mid range card with 512mb of memory as a less-powerful card will not be able to use the memory efficiently enough to warrant the extra memory.

===TV out===
Looks like shite on older CRT televisions, often not worth the time and effort taken.

Looks pretty decent on HDTVs but redundant as they'll often have VGA, DVI or HDMI connections which allow for high enough resolutions without excessive cable shuffling

===Connectors===
The most common connectors on Graphics cards are DVI, D-sub, HDMI (on some newer cards) and an 8-pin din plug component/composite for TV out.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>labelled photos*

===Overclocking===
===Power Consumption===

==Sound Cards==
Soundcards are another oft overlooked component of mid-range computers for reasons we'll cover below.

===Onboard vs. Soundcard===
Onboard sound can be a great feature for family desktops and non-gaming machines.

However, as onboard sound uses the CPU for Processing sounds there is a risk of gameplay affecting performance issues when using onboard sound.

Also onboard sound can often pick up noise from interference on the motherboard which can sound like very quiet pops and clicks, this is often only a problem on headphones as speakers aren't sensitive enough to pick them up and any digital outputs aren't prone to the interference, but is worth a mention nonetheless.

Soundcards use a dedicated processor to process sound information with negligible load on the CPU, this improves overall performance including higher framerates.

===Recommended cards===
audigy/audigy 2, SBlive.

===Surround, digital etc.===
Surround is an area where onboard sound can excel in the price/performance field as many onboard sound systems support 5.1 or 7.1 surround over analogue and digital

You can also run a full analogue or digital surround system on your onboard sound for media purposes, while keeping a soundcard dedicated for gaming.

==Power Supplies==
===General===
Power Supplies (PSUs) are the most often overlooked and underspecced component in a computer.

Often a poor PSU will cause system instability, unexpected problems and can lead to component damage.

===Wattages===
Before we get into how many watts a PSU needs, we need to understand the ways it can be measured

Wattage on a PSU is usually quoting peak output, or sustained output.

Peak output (what most cheap PSUs are measured in) refers to the peak wattage a PSU can put out for a short period of time (seconds) often these will be fine for a while, then will develop issues (from being overloaded) and die horribly, potentially killing other components

Sustained output (nice PSUs) refers to the output the PSU can give all day every day without issue, sometimes a PSU that has a sustained output will also mention a peak somewhere such as "650W (710W peak)"

====How big a PSU do i need?====
If you're running a single GPU system, you'll need a 450W PSU max.

If you're running a dual GPU system, you'll need a PSU around the 550-600W Mark

[http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp PSU Calculator]

===Modding===

==== *DANGER*====
Anything within this section will probably kill you and your family if you fuck up

Fan Speed mod (also fan replacement)

====Cable sleeving====
Cable Sleeving allows you to make your PSU's cables look a lot better and improve airflow.

[http://www.hardware.info/en-UK/articles/amdnY2prZGma/Workshop_Cablesleeving/ Hardware.info cable sleeving guide]

==Cooling==
===CPU Heatsinks===
===Graphics Coolers===
===Fans===
===Extreme Cooling===
====Pros/cons of Watercooling====

====Pros/cons of Refrigeration====

==Cases==
===Types===
*'''Standard ATX'''
ATX is your bog standard form factor from the past few years. Chances are if you own a computer it's living in an ATX case

*'''Upside down ATX''' (notes about not BTX)
Some ATX cases mount the motherboard upside-down as it can allow for better cooling and cleaner airflow.

These cases are often Called BTX cases by people who don't know better, BTX is a separate standard covered below, Upside down ATX cases adhere to all the ATX standards, but hold the motherboard upside down.

*'''BTX'''
BTX is a new form factor designed to replace ATX while offering better cooling and better designs for components

*'''SSF'''
SSF (Small Form Factor) is not a form factor, but is a term used to describe cases such as shuttles.

*'''Mini-ITX'''
Is a very compact form factor designed by via, often used for in-car PCs and home-theater PCs as they're low noise, very low power consumption and heat output.

===Materials===
alu,steel

===Layouts===
where stuff goes in standard and common but weird cases

===Modding===
windows, lights, stealthing.

==BIOS==
===General Info===
===Basic Setup===
===Advanced Setup===
===Flashing/updating===
===help me it's all gone wrong!===

==Monitors==
===LCD Vs. CRT===
Pros/cons of each

===Refresh Rates/flannel response times===

===connectors===
DVI,D-sub, tv stuff.

==Peripherals==
===Keyboards===
simple cheap keyboards

nice expensive keyboards

===Mice===
gaming mice

===Wired vs. Wireless===
pros, cons, blah blah blah

===Joysticks===
eurgh (yes, that's what she said)

===Gamepads===
Unfortunately for PC gamepads your choices are pretty limited these days, often all you'll get are nasty Playstation controller clones.

If you own a PS2, Xbox or Xbox360 you may do well to buy a suitable controller > USB adaptor such as [http://www.game.co.uk/ViewProduct.aspx?cat=10416&mid=326739 This] for the PS2.

===Adaptors and connectors===
how to make plug A go into socket B (generally a bigger hammer)

===Graphics Tablets===
Wacom are probably the best and best known tablet makers, however there are many cheap alternatives available which might tempt new users and disappoint with poor tracking and terrible build quality.

It is worth noting that basic Wacom tablets are now available [http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/103585 for under £40.]

===Card Readers===
handy.

==Overclocking==
Potential of given types, risks and gains, low-cost options

FSB

overvolting (list of standard voltages for cpus?)

Hardware

2006-12-28T01:54:55Z

Eion: /* Capacity */

Right, this is meant as a reference for people who have some idea what they're doing.

If you get stuck or have no idea, post in [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=33 the forum] as people will be able to help you better than this generic guide to everything.

=Hardware=

==Processors==
===Manufacturers===
AMD Vs. Intel - Current best of each, and best overall (also best perf/£)

Intel, AMD and VIA (most common in mini-ITX motherboards)

===Sockets===
Most recent sockets that you're still likely to find.

*A (AMD)
*423 (Intel)
*478 (Intel)
*LGA775 (Intel)
*754 (AMD)
*940 (AMD)
*939 (AMD)
*AM2 (AMD)

===Cores===
Number of cores, performance effect

===Temperatures===
Ideally the max temp of any CPU should be below 70 degrees, with below 60 being ideal.

More info in the cooling section.

==Memory==
===Types===
====(obsolete)====
*SDRAM (168-pin modules)

Getting old now, still turns up in older Socket A, Socket 423 and some older Socket 478 Motherboards.
*PC-66: SDR at 66 MHz
*PC-100: SDR at 100 MHz
*PC-133: SDR at 133 MHz

*RDRAM (RIMM)

Old, very rarely used, very pricey nowadays, was mainly used in some Socket 423 and Socket 478 Motherboards.

====(current)====
*DDR (184-pin modules)
Used in Socket 754, 939, 940 and Intel 478 Motherboards.

*DDR2 (240-pin modules)
Used in Socket 775 and AM2 Motherboards.

====(future)====
*DDR3
Not yet used.

===Speeds===
====DDR====
*PC-1600: DDR at 100 MHz using DDR-200 chips
*PC-2100: DDR at 133 MHz using DDR-266 chips
*PC-2700: DDR at 166 MHz using DDR-333 chips
*PC-3200: DDR at 200 MHz using DDR-400 chips
*PC-3500: DDR at 216 MHz using DDR-433 chips*
*PC-4000: DDR at 250 MHz using DDR-500 chips*

====DDR2====
*PC-4200: DDR2 at 266 MHz using DDR2-533 chips
*PC-5300: DDR2 at 333 MHz using DDR2-667 chips
*PC-6400: DDR2 at 400 MHz using DDR2-800 chips
*PC-8000: DDR2 at 500 MHz using DDR2-1000 chips*
*PC-8500: DDR2 at 533 MHz using DDR2-1066 chips*
*PC-9600: DDR2 at 600 MHz using DDR2-1200 chips*

<nowiki>*</nowiki>These are non-standard, generally manufacturers making memory faster than specified (mainly for overclockers)

===Heatsinks (ramsinks)===
Ramsinks do /not/ help the memory cool, but they can help keep temps stable which can help with system stability.

Generally don't bother unless they came fitted on your memory

==Motherboards==
===Sockets===
See [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1084 CPU Socket Guide]

===Multi-GPU===
Specific technologies will be covered in depth in the graphics card section.

For a motherboard to be able to support a multi-gpu technology it has to specifically made to do so, this usually requires The motherboard to have;

A Chipset which supports your chosen technology (either Nvidia's SLI or ATI's Crossfire)
A pair of Physical PCI-E 16x Slots (often only the primary slot will be 16x electronically, with the secondary being 8x electronically)

===Layouts===
Motherboards are often laid out similarly, but there are Differences with the placement of the cable connections, often these differences can make some motherboards unusable with some cases, also certain placements of cables can restrict airflow and impede cooling.

===Badgers===
===Heatpipes===
Some makers use [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heatpipe heatpipes] for cooling components on the motherboard,

However the heatpipes used often do not work as well if the motherboard is used flat or upside-down (as in lian li v1000 etc)

==Hard Drives==
===Types===
*2.5" (Laptop)
*3.5" (Desktop)

longitudinal
perpendicular

===Interfaces===
====PATA====
Previously called ATA, also known as IDE, ATAPI, and UDMA.

=====Master=====
=====Slave=====
=====Cable Select=====

====SATA (Serial ATA)====
New standard for connecting Drives, supports a lot of fancy toys such as

'''NCQ'''

Native Command Queuing, a HDD Feature that allows the HDD itself to queue requests to optimise performance

'''Hotplugging'''

Allows you to add and remove SATA drives from a system without shutting down (requires sata power support on the PSU, rather than using a PATA HDD>SATA power connector as HDD power connectors do not support 3.3v)

'''SATA 150/300 Forwards/Backwards compatibility'''

Allows SATA 150 and 300 Drives work on either speed of controller

'''SATA Power'''

15Pin Flat power connector, kinda fragile.

=====SATA 1.5 Gbit/s (SATA 150)=====
First Generation SATA, offered few benefits over PATA
=====SATA 3.0 Gbit/s (SATA 300)=====
Second Generation STA, offers many benefits over PATA and SATA 150
=====SATA II=====
Doesn't Exist, never has, never will.

The 3.0 Gbit/s specification was widely referred to as “Serial ATA II” (“SATA II”). The [http://www.sata-io.org official website] notes that SATA II was in fact that organization's name at the time, the SATA 3.0 Gbit/s specification being only one of many that the former SATA II organization defined, and suggests that “SATA 3.0 Gbit/s” be used instead.
=====External SATA (eSATA)=====
External SATA

===Cache===
2,8 or 16MB

===Speeds (RPM)===
Common speeds are
*5400rpm
*7200rpm
*10000rpm

===RAID===
Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks

Most common RAID levels:
====RAID0====
RAID0, also known as striping, consists of two or more hard disks striped together so as to appear as one larger hard disk.

Despite the name, this is technically not RAID because there is no redundancy. AID however sounds bad, like Bad AIDS, so we still call it RAID0.

This RAID level is supported by approximately all storage controllers.

=====Advantages=====

* Speed
On average, reading and writing the data is quicker than it would be from just one drive. For non-server machines, this speed boost is generally not that significant.

=====Disadvantages=====

* Reliability
In RAID0, data gets split across drives in a random manner, meaning that if one drive dies, you lose the data on all drives. If the mean time between failure of a particular model of hard drive is four years, with two such hard drives in a RAID0 array the mean time between failure of the array will be two years. With four such hard drives in a RAID0 array, that time is reduced to one year.

=====Capacity=====
For ''n'' drives of ''x'' gigabytes each, total array capacity is ''n''*''x'' gigabytes.

=====Uses=====
* Anywhere maximum storage performance is required with minimum data reliability, such as temporary storage for video editing. RAID0 arrays make excellent swapfile or pagefile drives.
* Gaming machines where maximum performance is desired and where the machine is not being used to store important/irretrievable data. Companies selling boutique gaming machines often equip their products with RAID0 arrays (see also bragging rights). Note that the performance boost from a RAID0 array in gaming scenarios is generally not significant.
* Bragging rights.

=====Notes/Recommendations=====
It is generally better to use a single faster hard drive instead of a RAID0 array. Setting up a RAID0 array with 7200rpm hard drives does not make sense. Yes, 10,000rpm hard drives cost more and don't hold as much, but they will be much faster and much more reliable.

Due to reliability issues, if you want to set up a RAID0 array then the following is recommended:
* Stick to no more than two drives in a RAID0 array.
* Only use the most reliable drives - so-called enterprise-class or nearline storage drives are preferred.

Western Digital Raptors are the drive of choice in a Serial ATA RAID0 array, due to their high speed and very good reliability. For SCSI or SAS RAID0 arrays, there are a number of very fast and reliable drives that are suitable. IDE RAID0 arrays are strongly discouraged.

====RAID1====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID3====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID5====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID6====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID10/01====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====RAID50====

=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

====JBOD====
Not really a RAID level at all, this stands for Just a Bunch Of Disks, and refers to hard disks just being plugged in to a RAID controller without being configured for RAID.
=====Advantages=====

=====Disadvantages=====

=====Capacity=====

=====Uses=====

=====Notes/Recommendations=====

===Common problems===
Death

==Optical Drives==
===Types===
*CD
*DVD
*HDHVD
*BluRay

===Common problems===
===Interfaces===
Optical drives will talk on PATA or SATA (the latter being less common, but now coming down in price)

All the same as for [[Hardware#Interfaces | HDD Interfaces]]

==Video Cards==
===Onboard Vs. Video Cards===
===Multi-Card Solutions===
SLI vs. Crossfire

Pictures and how they go together

===Brands===
For gaming graphics cards come down to nvidia vs. ATI - The majority of graphics cards will just be repackaged reference boards from nvidia or ATI with a few small tweaks (usually just a different sticker, heatsink or a minor overclock.)

===Memory===
Beware low end cards bearing masses of memory.

''Really'' beware of low-end cards bearing masses of memory and words like "Turbo Cache" or "Hyper Memory". They generally have very little memory on the board itself and steal your (slower and more generally useful) system memory for themselves, similar to on-board video cards. However, even these low-end cards typically have much better performance than on-board video.

Often you'll be far better off with a higher end card sporting 256Mb of memory, than a mid range card with 512mb of memory as a less-powerful card will not be able to use the memory efficiently enough to warrant the extra memory.

===TV out===
Looks like shite on older CRT televisions, often not worth the time and effort taken.

Looks pretty decent on HDTVs but redundant as they'll often have VGA, DVI or HDMI connections which allow for high enough resolutions without excessive cable shuffling

===Connectors===
The most common connectors on Graphics cards are DVI, D-sub, HDMI (on some newer cards) and an 8-pin din plug component/composite for TV out.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>labelled photos*

===Overclocking===
===Power Consumption===

==Sound Cards==
Soundcards are another oft overlooked component of mid-range computers for reasons we'll cover below.

===Onboard vs. Soundcard===
Onboard sound can be a great feature for family desktops and non-gaming machines.

However, as onboard sound uses the CPU for Processing sounds there is a risk of gameplay affecting performance issues when using onboard sound.

Also onboard sound can often pick up noise from interference on the motherboard which can sound like very quiet pops and clicks, this is often only a problem on headphones as speakers aren't sensitive enough to pick them up and any digital outputs aren't prone to the interference, but is worth a mention nonetheless.

Soundcards use a dedicated processor to process sound information with negligible load on the CPU, this improves overall performance including higher framerates.

===Recommended cards===
audigy/audigy 2, SBlive.

===Surround, digital etc.===
Surround is an area where onboard sound can excel in the price/performance field as many onboard sound systems support 5.1 or 7.1 surround over analogue and digital

You can also run a full analogue or digital surround system on your onboard sound for media purposes, while keeping a soundcard dedicated for gaming.

==Power Supplies==
===General===
Power Supplies (PSUs) are the most often overlooked and underspecced component in a computer.

Often a poor PSU will cause system instability, unexpected problems and can lead to component damage.

===Wattages===
Before we get into how many watts a PSU needs, we need to understand the ways it can be measured

Wattage on a PSU is usually quoting peak output, or sustained output.

Peak output (what most cheap PSUs are measured in) refers to the peak wattage a PSU can put out for a short period of time (seconds) often these will be fine for a while, then will develop issues (from being overloaded) and die horribly, potentially killing other components

Sustained output (nice PSUs) refers to the output the PSU can give all day every day without issue, sometimes a PSU that has a sustained output will also mention a peak somewhere such as "650W (710W peak)"

====How big a PSU do i need?====
If you're running a single GPU system, you'll need a 450W PSU max.

If you're running a dual GPU system, you'll need a PSU around the 550-600W Mark

[http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp PSU Calculator]

===Modding===

==== *DANGER*====
Anything within this section will probably kill you and your family if you fuck up

Fan Speed mod (also fan replacement)

====Cable sleeving====
Cable Sleeving allows you to make your PSU's cables look a lot better and improve airflow.

[http://www.hardware.info/en-UK/articles/amdnY2prZGma/Workshop_Cablesleeving/ Hardware.info cable sleeving guide]

==Cooling==
===CPU Heatsinks===
===Graphics Coolers===
===Fans===
===Extreme Cooling===
====Pros/cons of Watercooling====

====Pros/cons of Refrigeration====

==Cases==
===Types===
*'''Standard ATX'''
ATX is your bog standard form factor from the past few years. Chances are if you own a computer it's living in an ATX case

*'''Upside down ATX''' (notes about not BTX)
Some ATX cases mount the motherboard upside-down as it can allow for better cooling and cleaner airflow.

These cases are often Called BTX cases by people who don't know better, BTX is a separate standard covered below, Upside down ATX cases adhere to all the ATX standards, but hold the motherboard upside down.

*'''BTX'''
BTX is a new form factor designed to replace ATX while offering better cooling and better designs for components

*'''SSF'''
SSF (Small Form Factor) is not a form factor, but is a term used to describe cases such as shuttles.

*'''Mini-ITX'''
Is a very compact form factor designed by via, often used for in-car PCs and home-theater PCs as they're low noise, very low power consumption and heat output.

===Materials===
alu,steel

===Layouts===
where stuff goes in standard and common but weird cases

===Modding===
windows, lights, stealthing.

==BIOS==
===General Info===
===Basic Setup===
===Advanced Setup===
===Flashing/updating===
===help me it's all gone wrong!===

==Monitors==
===LCD Vs. CRT===
Pros/cons of each

===Refresh Rates/flannel response times===

===connectors===
DVI,D-sub, tv stuff.

==Peripherals==
===Keyboards===
simple cheap keyboards

nice expensive keyboards

===Mice===
gaming mice

===Wired vs. Wireless===
pros, cons, blah blah blah

===Joysticks===
eurgh (yes, that's what she said)

===Gamepads===
Unfortunately for PC gamepads your choices are pretty limited these days, often all you'll get are nasty Playstation controller clones.

If you own a PS2, Xbox or Xbox360 you may do well to buy a suitable controller > USB adaptor such as [http://www.game.co.uk/ViewProduct.aspx?cat=10416&mid=326739 This] for the PS2.

===Adaptors and connectors===
how to make plug A go into socket B (generally a bigger hammer)

===Graphics Tablets===
Wacom are probably the best and best known tablet makers, however there are many cheap alternatives available which might tempt new users and disappoint with poor tracking and terrible build quality.

It is worth noting that basic Wacom tablets are now available [http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/103585 for under £40.]

===Card Readers===
handy.

==Overclocking==
Potential of given types, risks and gains, low-cost options

FSB

overvolting (list of standard voltages for cpus?)

Hardware

2006-12-28T01:46:37Z

Eion: /* RAID0 */

Right, this is meant as a reference for people who have some idea what they're doing.

If you get stuck or have no idea, post in [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=33 the forum] as people will be able to help you better than this generic guide to everything.

=Hardware=

==Processors==
===Manufacturers===
AMD Vs. Intel - Current best of each, and best overall (also best perf/£)

Intel, AMD and VIA (most common in mini-ITX motherboards)

===Sockets===
Most recent sockets that you're still likely to find.

*A (AMD)
*423 (Intel)
*478 (Intel)
*LGA775 (Intel)
*754 (AMD)
*940 (AMD)
*939 (AMD)
*AM2 (AMD)

===Cores===
Number of cores, performance effect

===Temperatures===
Ideally the max temp of any CPU should be below 70 degrees, with below 60 being ideal.

More info in the cooling section.

==Memory==
===Types===
====(obsolete)====
*SDRAM (168-pin modules)

Getting old now, still turns up in older Socket A, Socket 423 and some older Socket 478 Motherboards.
*PC-66: SDR at 66 MHz
*PC-100: SDR at 100 MHz
*PC-133: SDR at 133 MHz

*RDRAM (RIMM)

Old, very rarely used, very pricey nowadays, was mainly used in some Socket 423 and Socket 478 Motherboards.

====(current)====
*DDR (184-pin modules)
Used in Socket 754, 939, 940 and Intel 478 Motherboards.

*DDR2 (240-pin modules)
Used in Socket 775 and AM2 Motherboards.

====(future)====
*DDR3
Not yet used.

===Speeds===
====DDR====
*PC-1600: DDR at 100 MHz using DDR-200 chips
*PC-2100: DDR at 133 MHz using DDR-266 chips
*PC-2700: DDR at 166 MHz using DDR-333 chips
*PC-3200: DDR at 200 MHz using DDR-400 chips
*PC-3500: DDR at 216 MHz using DDR-433 chips*
*PC-4000: DDR at 250 MHz using DDR-500 chips*

====DDR2====
*PC-4200: DDR2 at 266 MHz using DDR2-533 chips
*PC-5300: DDR2 at 333 MHz using DDR2-667 chips
*PC-6400: DDR2 at 400 MHz using DDR2-800 chips
*PC-8000: DDR2 at 500 MHz using DDR2-1000 chips*
*PC-8500: DDR2 at 533 MHz using DDR2-1066 chips*
*PC-9600: DDR2 at 600 MHz using DDR2-1200 chips*

<nowiki>*</nowiki>These are non-standard, generally manufacturers making memory faster than specified (mainly for overclockers)

===Heatsinks (ramsinks)===
Ramsinks do /not/ help the memory cool, but they can help keep temps stable which can help with system stability.

Generally don't bother unless they came fitted on your memory

==Motherboards==
===Sockets===
See [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1084 CPU Socket Guide]

===Multi-GPU===
Specific technologies will be covered in depth in the graphics card section.

For a motherboard to be able to support a multi-gpu technology it has to specifically made to do so, this usually requires The motherboard to have;

A Chipset which supports your chosen technology (either Nvidia's SLI or ATI's Crossfire)
A pair of Physical PCI-E 16x Slots (often only the primary slot will be 16x electronically, with the secondary being 8x electronically)

===Layouts===
Motherboards are often laid out similarly, but there are Differences with the placement of the cable connections, often these differences can make some motherboards unusable with some cases, also certain placements of cables can restrict airflow and impede cooling.

===Badgers===
===Heatpipes===
Some makers use [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heatpipe heatpipes] for cooling components on the motherboard,

However the heatpipes used often do not work as well if the motherboard is used flat or upside-down (as in lian li v1000 etc)

==Hard Drives==
===Types===
*2.5" (Laptop)
*3.5" (Desktop)

longitudinal
perpendicular

===Interfaces===
====PATA====
Previously called ATA, also known as IDE, ATAPI, and UDMA.

=====Master=====
=====Slave=====
=====Cable Select=====

====SATA (Serial ATA)====
New standard for connecting Drives, supports a lot of fancy toys such as

'''NCQ'''

Native Command Queuing, a HDD Feature that allows the HDD itself to queue requests to optimise performance

'''Hotplugging'''

Allows you to add and remove SATA drives from a system without shutting down (requires sata power support on the PSU, rather than using a PATA HDD>SATA power connector as HDD power connectors do not support 3.3v)

'''SATA 150/300 Forwards/Backwards compatibility'''

Allows SATA 150 and 300 Drives work on either speed of controller

'''SATA Power'''

15Pin Flat power connector, kinda fragile.

=====SATA 1.5 Gbit/s (SATA 150)=====
First Generation SATA, offered few benefits over PATA
=====SATA 3.0 Gbit/s (SATA 300)=====
Second Generation STA, offers many benefits over PATA and SATA 150
=====SATA II=====
Doesn't Exist, never has, never will.

The 3.0 Gbit/s specification was widely referred to as “Serial ATA II” (“SATA II”). The [http://www.sata-io.org official website] notes that SATA II was in fact that organization's name at the time, the SATA 3.0 Gbit/s specification being only one of many that the former SATA II organization defined, and suggests that “SATA 3.0 Gbit/s” be used instead.
=====External SATA (eSATA)=====
External SATA

===Cache===
2,8 or 16MB

===Speeds (RPM)===
Common speeds are
*5400rpm
*7200rpm
*10000rpm

===RAID===
Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks

Most common RAID levels:
====RAID0====
RAID0, also known as striping, consists of two or more hard disks striped together so as to appear as one larger hard disk.

Despite the name, this is technically not RAID because there is no redundancy. AID however sounds bad, like Bad AIDS, so we still call it RAID0.

This RAID level is supported by approximately all storage controllers.

=====Advantages=====

* Speed
On average, reading and writing the data is quicker than it would be from just one drive. For non-server machines, this speed boost is generally not that significant.

=====Disadvantages=====

* Reliability
In RAID0, data gets split across drives in a random manner, meaning that if one drive dies, you lose the data on all drives. If the mean time between failure of a particular model of hard drive is four years, with two such hard drives in a RAID0 array the mean time between failure of the array will be two years. With four such hard drives in a RAID0 array, that time is reduced to one year.

=====Capacity=====
For ''n'' drives of ''x'' gigabytes each, total array capacity is ''n''*''x''.

=====Uses=====
* Anywhere maximum storage performance is required with minimum data reliability, such as temporary storage for video editing. RAID0 arrays make excellent swapfile or pagefile drives.
* Gaming machines where maximum performance is desired and where the machine is not being used to store important/irretrievable data. Companies selling boutique gaming machines often equip their products with RAID0 arrays (see also bragging rights). Note that the performance boost from a RAID0 array in gaming scenarios is generally not significant.
* Bragging rights.

=====Notes/Recommendations=====
It is generally better to use a single faster hard drive instead of a RAID0 array. Setting up a RAID0 array with 7200rpm hard drives does not make sense. Yes, 10,000rpm hard drives cost more and don't hold as much, but they will be much faster and much more reliable.

Due to reliability issues, if you want to set up a RAID0 array then the following is recommended:
* Stick to no more than two drives in a RAID0 array.
* Only use the most reliable drives - so-called enterprise-class or nearline storage drives are preferred.

Western Digital Raptors are the drive of choice in a Serial ATA RAID0 array, due to their high speed and very good reliability. For SCSI or SAS RAID0 arrays, there are a number of very fast and reliable drives that are suitable. IDE RAID0 arrays are strongly discouraged.

====RAID1====
====RAID3====
====RAID5====
====RAID6====
====RAID10/01====
====RAID50====
====JBOD====
Not really a RAID level at all, this stands for Just a Bunch Of Disks, and refers to hard disks just being plugged in to a RAID controller without being configured for RAID.

===Common problems===
Death

==Optical Drives==
===Types===
*CD
*DVD
*HDHVD
*BluRay

===Common problems===
===Interfaces===
Optical drives will talk on PATA or SATA (the latter being less common, but now coming down in price)

All the same as for [[Hardware#Interfaces | HDD Interfaces]]

==Video Cards==
===Onboard Vs. Video Cards===
===Multi-Card Solutions===
SLI vs. Crossfire

Pictures and how they go together

===Brands===
For gaming graphics cards come down to nvidia vs. ATI - The majority of graphics cards will just be repackaged reference boards from nvidia or ATI with a few small tweaks (usually just a different sticker, heatsink or a minor overclock.)

===Memory===
Beware low end cards bearing masses of memory.

''Really'' beware of low-end cards bearing masses of memory and words like "Turbo Cache" or "Hyper Memory". They generally have very little memory on the board itself and steal your (slower and more generally useful) system memory for themselves, similar to on-board video cards. However, even these low-end cards typically have much better performance than on-board video.

Often you'll be far better off with a higher end card sporting 256Mb of memory, than a mid range card with 512mb of memory as a less-powerful card will not be able to use the memory efficiently enough to warrant the extra memory.

===TV out===
Looks like shite on older CRT televisions, often not worth the time and effort taken.

Looks pretty decent on HDTVs but redundant as they'll often have VGA, DVI or HDMI connections which allow for high enough resolutions without excessive cable shuffling

===Connectors===
The most common connectors on Graphics cards are DVI, D-sub, HDMI (on some newer cards) and an 8-pin din plug component/composite for TV out.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>labelled photos*

===Overclocking===
===Power Consumption===

==Sound Cards==
Soundcards are another oft overlooked component of mid-range computers for reasons we'll cover below.

===Onboard vs. Soundcard===
Onboard sound can be a great feature for family desktops and non-gaming machines.

However, as onboard sound uses the CPU for Processing sounds there is a risk of gameplay affecting performance issues when using onboard sound.

Also onboard sound can often pick up noise from interference on the motherboard which can sound like very quiet pops and clicks, this is often only a problem on headphones as speakers aren't sensitive enough to pick them up and any digital outputs aren't prone to the interference, but is worth a mention nonetheless.

Soundcards use a dedicated processor to process sound information with negligible load on the CPU, this improves overall performance including higher framerates.

===Recommended cards===
audigy/audigy 2, SBlive.

===Surround, digital etc.===
Surround is an area where onboard sound can excel in the price/performance field as many onboard sound systems support 5.1 or 7.1 surround over analogue and digital

You can also run a full analogue or digital surround system on your onboard sound for media purposes, while keeping a soundcard dedicated for gaming.

==Power Supplies==
===General===
Power Supplies (PSUs) are the most often overlooked and underspecced component in a computer.

Often a poor PSU will cause system instability, unexpected problems and can lead to component damage.

===Wattages===
Before we get into how many watts a PSU needs, we need to understand the ways it can be measured

Wattage on a PSU is usually quoting peak output, or sustained output.

Peak output (what most cheap PSUs are measured in) refers to the peak wattage a PSU can put out for a short period of time (seconds) often these will be fine for a while, then will develop issues (from being overloaded) and die horribly, potentially killing other components

Sustained output (nice PSUs) refers to the output the PSU can give all day every day without issue, sometimes a PSU that has a sustained output will also mention a peak somewhere such as "650W (710W peak)"

====How big a PSU do i need?====
If you're running a single GPU system, you'll need a 450W PSU max.

If you're running a dual GPU system, you'll need a PSU around the 550-600W Mark

[http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp PSU Calculator]

===Modding===

==== *DANGER*====
Anything within this section will probably kill you and your family if you fuck up

Fan Speed mod (also fan replacement)

====Cable sleeving====
Cable Sleeving allows you to make your PSU's cables look a lot better and improve airflow.

[http://www.hardware.info/en-UK/articles/amdnY2prZGma/Workshop_Cablesleeving/ Hardware.info cable sleeving guide]

==Cooling==
===CPU Heatsinks===
===Graphics Coolers===
===Fans===
===Extreme Cooling===
====Pros/cons of Watercooling====

====Pros/cons of Refrigeration====

==Cases==
===Types===
*'''Standard ATX'''
ATX is your bog standard form factor from the past few years. Chances are if you own a computer it's living in an ATX case

*'''Upside down ATX''' (notes about not BTX)
Some ATX cases mount the motherboard upside-down as it can allow for better cooling and cleaner airflow.

These cases are often Called BTX cases by people who don't know better, BTX is a separate standard covered below, Upside down ATX cases adhere to all the ATX standards, but hold the motherboard upside down.

*'''BTX'''
BTX is a new form factor designed to replace ATX while offering better cooling and better designs for components

*'''SSF'''
SSF (Small Form Factor) is not a form factor, but is a term used to describe cases such as shuttles.

*'''Mini-ITX'''
Is a very compact form factor designed by via, often used for in-car PCs and home-theater PCs as they're low noise, very low power consumption and heat output.

===Materials===
alu,steel

===Layouts===
where stuff goes in standard and common but weird cases

===Modding===
windows, lights, stealthing.

==BIOS==
===General Info===
===Basic Setup===
===Advanced Setup===
===Flashing/updating===
===help me it's all gone wrong!===

==Monitors==
===LCD Vs. CRT===
Pros/cons of each

===Refresh Rates/flannel response times===

===connectors===
DVI,D-sub, tv stuff.

==Peripherals==
===Keyboards===
simple cheap keyboards

nice expensive keyboards

===Mice===
gaming mice

===Wired vs. Wireless===
pros, cons, blah blah blah

===Joysticks===
eurgh (yes, that's what she said)

===Gamepads===
Unfortunately for PC gamepads your choices are pretty limited these days, often all you'll get are nasty Playstation controller clones.

If you own a PS2, Xbox or Xbox360 you may do well to buy a suitable controller > USB adaptor such as [http://www.game.co.uk/ViewProduct.aspx?cat=10416&mid=326739 This] for the PS2.

===Adaptors and connectors===
how to make plug A go into socket B (generally a bigger hammer)

===Graphics Tablets===
Wacom are probably the best and best known tablet makers, however there are many cheap alternatives available which might tempt new users and disappoint with poor tracking and terrible build quality.

It is worth noting that basic Wacom tablets are now available [http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/103585 for under £40.]

===Card Readers===
handy.

==Overclocking==
Potential of given types, risks and gains, low-cost options

FSB

overvolting (list of standard voltages for cpus?)

User:Stapleballs

2006-12-28T01:18:01Z

Eion:

'''Other Notes:'''

[[Image:Warningsign.jpg]]

Keep any appendages you don't want rapidly amputated away from his mouth.

*He drinks a lot of petrol.
*He was born in space, and he was brought up in the fabled lost city of Atlantis.
*He never blinks.
*He roams around the woods at night foraging for wolves.
*If you tune your radio to 88.4 FM you can actually hear his balls.
*He is confused by stairs.
*He naturally faces magnetic north.
*He is illegal in 17 U.S. states.
*His favourite food is raw meat.
*He has no age.
*He urinates 180 Proof Alcohol.
*He has acid for blood.
*His sweat melts time itself.
*He was voted the top neurosurgeon in Denmark for seven years running.
*He last slept in 1947.
*He invented the apple.

User:Stapleballs

2006-12-28T01:17:26Z

Eion:

'''Other Notes:'''

[[Image:Warningsign.jpg]]
Keep any appendages you don't want rapidly amputated away from his mouth.

*He drinks a lot of petrol.
*He was born in space, and he was brought up in the fabled lost city of Atlantis.
*He never blinks.
*He roams around the woods at night foraging for wolves.
*If you tune your radio to 88.4 FM you can actually hear his balls.
*He is confused by stairs.
*He naturally faces magnetic north.
*He is illegal in 17 U.S. states.
*His favourite food is raw meat.
*He has no age.
*He urinates 180 Proof Alcohol.
*He has acid for blood.
*His sweat melts time itself.
*He was voted the top neurosurgeon in Denmark for seven years running.
*He last slept in 1947.
*He invented the apple.

File:Warningsign.jpg

2006-12-28T01:16:30Z

Eion:

Hardware

2006-12-28T01:04:50Z

Eion: /* RAID0 */

Right, this is meant as a reference for people who have some idea what they're doing.

If you get stuck or have no idea, post in [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=33 the forum] as people will be able to help you better than this generic guide to everything.

=Hardware=

==Processors==
===Manufacturers===
AMD Vs. Intel - Current best of each, and best overall (also best perf/£)

Intel, AMD and VIA (most common in mini-ITX motherboards)

===Sockets===
Most recent sockets that you're still likely to find.

*A (AMD)
*423 (Intel)
*478 (Intel)
*LGA775 (Intel)
*754 (AMD)
*940 (AMD)
*939 (AMD)
*AM2 (AMD)

===Cores===
Number of cores, performance effect

===Temperatures===
Ideally the max temp of any CPU should be below 70 degrees, with below 60 being ideal.

More info in the cooling section.

==Memory==
===Types===
====(obsolete)====
*SDRAM (168-pin modules)

Getting old now, still turns up in older Socket A, Socket 423 and some older Socket 478 Motherboards.
*PC-66: SDR at 66 MHz
*PC-100: SDR at 100 MHz
*PC-133: SDR at 133 MHz

*RDRAM (RIMM)

Old, very rarely used, very pricey nowadays, was mainly used in some Socket 423 and Socket 478 Motherboards.

====(current)====
*DDR (184-pin modules)
Used in Socket 754, 939, 940 and Intel 478 Motherboards.

*DDR2 (240-pin modules)
Used in Socket 775 and AM2 Motherboards.

====(future)====
*DDR3
Not yet used.

===Speeds===
====DDR====
*PC-1600: DDR at 100 MHz using DDR-200 chips
*PC-2100: DDR at 133 MHz using DDR-266 chips
*PC-2700: DDR at 166 MHz using DDR-333 chips
*PC-3200: DDR at 200 MHz using DDR-400 chips
*PC-3500: DDR at 216 MHz using DDR-433 chips*
*PC-4000: DDR at 250 MHz using DDR-500 chips*

====DDR2====
*PC-4200: DDR2 at 266 MHz using DDR2-533 chips
*PC-5300: DDR2 at 333 MHz using DDR2-667 chips
*PC-6400: DDR2 at 400 MHz using DDR2-800 chips
*PC-8000: DDR2 at 500 MHz using DDR2-1000 chips*
*PC-8500: DDR2 at 533 MHz using DDR2-1066 chips*
*PC-9600: DDR2 at 600 MHz using DDR2-1200 chips*

<nowiki>*</nowiki>These are non-standard, generally manufacturers making memory faster than specified (mainly for overclockers)

===Heatsinks (ramsinks)===
Ramsinks do /not/ help the memory cool, but they can help keep temps stable which can help with system stability.

Generally don't bother unless they came fitted on your memory

==Motherboards==
===Sockets===
See [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1084 CPU Socket Guide]

===Multi-GPU===
Specific technologies will be covered in depth in the graphics card section.

For a motherboard to be able to support a multi-gpu technology it has to specifically made to do so, this usually requires The motherboard to have;

A Chipset which supports your chosen technology (either Nvidia's SLI or ATI's Crossfire)
A pair of Physical PCI-E 16x Slots (often only the primary slot will be 16x electronically, with the secondary being 8x electronically)

===Layouts===
Motherboards are often laid out similarly, but there are Differences with the placement of the cable connections, often these differences can make some motherboards unusable with some cases, also certain placements of cables can restrict airflow and impede cooling.

===Badgers===
===Heatpipes===
Some makers use [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heatpipe heatpipes] for cooling components on the motherboard,

However the heatpipes used often do not work as well if the motherboard is used flat or upside-down (as in lian li v1000 etc)

==Hard Drives==
===Types===
*2.5" (Laptop)
*3.5" (Desktop)

longitudinal
perpendicular

===Interfaces===
====PATA====
Previously called ATA, also known as IDE, ATAPI, and UDMA.

=====Master=====
=====Slave=====
=====Cable Select=====

====SATA (Serial ATA)====
New standard for connecting Drives, supports a lot of fancy toys such as

'''NCQ'''

Native Command Queuing, a HDD Feature that allows the HDD itself to queue requests to optimise performance

'''Hotplugging'''

Allows you to add and remove SATA drives from a system without shutting down (requires sata power support on the PSU, rather than using a PATA HDD>SATA power connector as HDD power connectors do not support 3.3v)

'''SATA 150/300 Forwards/Backwards compatibility'''

Allows SATA 150 and 300 Drives work on either speed of controller

'''SATA Power'''

15Pin Flat power connector, kinda fragile.

=====SATA 1.5 Gbit/s (SATA 150)=====
First Generation SATA, offered few benefits over PATA
=====SATA 3.0 Gbit/s (SATA 300)=====
Second Generation STA, offers many benefits over PATA and SATA 150
=====SATA II=====
Doesn't Exist, never has, never will.

The 3.0 Gbit/s specification was widely referred to as “Serial ATA II” (“SATA II”). The [http://www.sata-io.org official website] notes that SATA II was in fact that organization's name at the time, the SATA 3.0 Gbit/s specification being only one of many that the former SATA II organization defined, and suggests that “SATA 3.0 Gbit/s” be used instead.
=====External SATA (eSATA)=====
External SATA

===Cache===
2,8 or 16MB

===Speeds (RPM)===
Common speeds are
*5400rpm
*7200rpm
*10000rpm

===RAID===
Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks

Most common RAID levels:
====RAID0====
RAID0, also known as striping, consists of two or more hard disks striped together so as to appear as one larger hard disk.

There are two advantages of RAID0.

* Capacity

* Speed

There is one major disadvantage.

Despite the name, this is technically not a RAID because there is no redundancy.

====RAID1====
====RAID3====
====RAID5====
====RAID6====
====RAID10/01====
====RAID50====
====JBOD====
Not really a RAID level at all, this stands for Just a Bunch Of Disks, and refers to hard disks just being plugged in to a RAID controller without being configured for RAID.

===Common problems===
Death

==Optical Drives==
===Types===
*CD
*DVD
*HDHVD
*BluRay

===Common problems===
===Interfaces===
Optical drives will talk on PATA or SATA (the latter being less common, but now coming down in price)

All the same as for [[Hardware#Interfaces | HDD Interfaces]]

==Video Cards==
===Onboard Vs. Video Cards===
===Multi-Card Solutions===
SLI vs. Crossfire

Pictures and how they go together

===Brands===
For gaming graphics cards come down to nvidia vs. ATI - The majority of graphics cards will just be repackaged reference boards from nvidia or ATI with a few small tweaks (usually just a different sticker, heatsink or a minor overclock.)

===Memory===
Beware low end cards bearing masses of memory.

''Really'' beware of low-end cards bearing masses of memory and words like "Turbo Cache" or "Hyper Memory". They generally have very little memory on the board itself and steal your (slower and more generally useful) system memory for themselves, similar to on-board video cards. However, even these low-end cards typically have much better performance than on-board video.

Often you'll be far better off with a higher end card sporting 256Mb of memory, than a mid range card with 512mb of memory as a less-powerful card will not be able to use the memory efficiently enough to warrant the extra memory.

===TV out===
Looks like shite on older CRT televisions, often not worth the time and effort taken.

Looks pretty decent on HDTVs but redundant as they'll often have VGA, DVI or HDMI connections which allow for high enough resolutions without excessive cable shuffling

===Connectors===
The most common connectors on Graphics cards are DVI, D-sub, HDMI (on some newer cards) and an 8-pin din plug component/composite for TV out.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>labelled photos*

===Overclocking===
===Power Consumption===

==Sound Cards==
Soundcards are another oft overlooked component of mid-range computers for reasons we'll cover below.

===Onboard vs. Soundcard===
Onboard sound can be a great feature for family desktops and non-gaming machines.

However, as onboard sound uses the CPU for Processing sounds there is a risk of gameplay affecting performance issues when using onboard sound.

Also onboard sound can often pick up noise from interference on the motherboard which can sound like very quiet pops and clicks, this is often only a problem on headphones as speakers aren't sensitive enough to pick them up and any digital outputs aren't prone to the interference, but is worth a mention nonetheless.

Soundcards use a dedicated processor to process sound information with negligible load on the CPU, this improves overall performance including higher framerates.

===Recommended cards===
audigy/audigy 2, SBlive.

===Surround, digital etc.===
Surround is an area where onboard sound can excel in the price/performance field as many onboard sound systems support 5.1 or 7.1 surround over analogue and digital

You can also run a full analogue or digital surround system on your onboard sound for media purposes, while keeping a soundcard dedicated for gaming.

==Power Supplies==
===General===
Power Supplies (PSUs) are the most often overlooked and underspecced component in a computer.

Often a poor PSU will cause system instability, unexpected problems and can lead to component damage.

===Wattages===
Before we get into how many watts a PSU needs, we need to understand the ways it can be measured

Wattage on a PSU is usually quoting peak output, or sustained output.

Peak output (what most cheap PSUs are measured in) refers to the peak wattage a PSU can put out for a short period of time (seconds) often these will be fine for a while, then will develop issues (from being overloaded) and die horribly, potentially killing other components

Sustained output (nice PSUs) refers to the output the PSU can give all day every day without issue, sometimes a PSU that has a sustained output will also mention a peak somewhere such as "650W (710W peak)"

====How big a PSU do i need?====
If you're running a single GPU system, you'll need a 450W PSU max.

If you're running a dual GPU system, you'll need a PSU around the 550-600W Mark

[http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp PSU Calculator]

===Modding===

==== *DANGER*====
Anything within this section will probably kill you and your family if you fuck up

Fan Speed mod (also fan replacement)

====Cable sleeving====
Cable Sleeving allows you to make your PSU's cables look a lot better and improve airflow.

[http://www.hardware.info/en-UK/articles/amdnY2prZGma/Workshop_Cablesleeving/ Hardware.info cable sleeving guide]

==Cooling==
===CPU Heatsinks===
===Graphics Coolers===
===Fans===
===Extreme Cooling===
====Pros/cons of Watercooling====

====Pros/cons of Refrigeration====

==Cases==
===Types===
*'''Standard ATX'''
ATX is your bog standard form factor from the past few years. Chances are if you own a computer it's living in an ATX case

*'''Upside down ATX''' (notes about not BTX)
Some ATX cases mount the motherboard upside-down as it can allow for better cooling and cleaner airflow.

These cases are often Called BTX cases by people who don't know better, BTX is a separate standard covered below, Upside down ATX cases adhere to all the ATX standards, but hold the motherboard upside down.

*'''BTX'''
BTX is a new form factor designed to replace ATX while offering better cooling and better designs for components

*'''SSF'''
SSF is not a form factor, but is a terrm used to describe cases such as shuttles.

*'''Mini-ITX'''
Is a very compact form factor designed by via, often used for in-car PCs and home-theater PCs as they're low noise, very low power consumption and heat output.

===Materials===
alu,steel

===Layouts===
where stuff goes in standard and common but weird cases

===Modding===
windows, lights, stealthing.

==BIOS==
===General Info===
===Basic Setup===
===Advanced Setup===
===Flashing/updating===
===help me it's all gone wrong!===

==Monitors==
===LCD Vs. CRT===
Pros/cons of each

===Refresh Rates/flannel response times===

===connectors===
DVI,D-sub, tv stuff.

==Peripherals==
===Keyboards===
simple cheap keyboards

nice expensive keyboards

===Mice===
gaming mice

===Wired vs. Wireless===
pros, cons, blah blah blah

===Joysticks===
eurgh (yes, that's what she said)

===Gamepads===
Unfortunately for PC gamepads your choices are pretty limited these days, often all you'll get are nasty Playstation controller clones.

If you own a PS2, Xbox or Xbox360 you may do well to buy a suitable controller > USB adaptor such as [http://www.game.co.uk/ViewProduct.aspx?cat=10416&mid=326739 This] for the PS2.

===Adaptors and connectors===
how to make plug A go into socket B (generally a bigger hammer)

===Graphics Tablets===
Wacom are probably the best and best known tablet makers, however there are many cheap alternatives available which might tempt new users and disappoint with poor tracking and terrible build quality.

It is worth noting that basic Wacom tablets are now available [http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/103585 for under £40.]

===Card Readers===
handy.

==Overclocking==
Potential of given types, risks and gains, low-cost options

FSB

overvolting (list of standard voltages for cpus?)

Hardware

2006-12-28T01:01:15Z

Eion: /* JBOD */

Right, this is meant as a reference for people who have some idea what they're doing.

If you get stuck or have no idea, post in [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=33 the forum] as people will be able to help you better than this generic guide to everything.

=Hardware=

==Processors==
===Manufacturers===
AMD Vs. Intel - Current best of each, and best overall (also best perf/£)

Intel, AMD and VIA (most common in mini-ITX motherboards)

===Sockets===
Most recent sockets that you're still likely to find.

*A (AMD)
*423 (Intel)
*478 (Intel)
*LGA775 (Intel)
*754 (AMD)
*940 (AMD)
*939 (AMD)
*AM2 (AMD)

===Cores===
Number of cores, performance effect

===Temperatures===
Ideally the max temp of any CPU should be below 70 degrees, with below 60 being ideal.

More info in the cooling section.

==Memory==
===Types===
====(obsolete)====
*SDRAM (168-pin modules)

Getting old now, still turns up in older Socket A, Socket 423 and some older Socket 478 Motherboards.
*PC-66: SDR at 66 MHz
*PC-100: SDR at 100 MHz
*PC-133: SDR at 133 MHz

*RDRAM (RIMM)

Old, very rarely used, very pricey nowadays, was mainly used in some Socket 423 and Socket 478 Motherboards.

====(current)====
*DDR (184-pin modules)
Used in Socket 754, 939, 940 and Intel 478 Motherboards.

*DDR2 (240-pin modules)
Used in Socket 775 and AM2 Motherboards.

====(future)====
*DDR3
Not yet used.

===Speeds===
====DDR====
*PC-1600: DDR at 100 MHz using DDR-200 chips
*PC-2100: DDR at 133 MHz using DDR-266 chips
*PC-2700: DDR at 166 MHz using DDR-333 chips
*PC-3200: DDR at 200 MHz using DDR-400 chips
*PC-3500: DDR at 216 MHz using DDR-433 chips*
*PC-4000: DDR at 250 MHz using DDR-500 chips*

====DDR2====
*PC-4200: DDR2 at 266 MHz using DDR2-533 chips
*PC-5300: DDR2 at 333 MHz using DDR2-667 chips
*PC-6400: DDR2 at 400 MHz using DDR2-800 chips
*PC-8000: DDR2 at 500 MHz using DDR2-1000 chips*
*PC-8500: DDR2 at 533 MHz using DDR2-1066 chips*
*PC-9600: DDR2 at 600 MHz using DDR2-1200 chips*

<nowiki>*</nowiki>These are non-standard, generally manufacturers making memory faster than specified (mainly for overclockers)

===Heatsinks (ramsinks)===
Ramsinks do /not/ help the memory cool, but they can help keep temps stable which can help with system stability.

Generally don't bother unless they came fitted on your memory

==Motherboards==
===Sockets===
See [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1084 CPU Socket Guide]

===Multi-GPU===
Specific technologies will be covered in depth in the graphics card section.

For a motherboard to be able to support a multi-gpu technology it has to specifically made to do so, this usually requires The motherboard to have;

A Chipset which supports your chosen technology (either Nvidia's SLI or ATI's Crossfire)
A pair of Physical PCI-E 16x Slots (often only the primary slot will be 16x electronically, with the secondary being 8x electronically)

===Layouts===
Motherboards are often laid out similarly, but there are Differences with the placement of the cable connections, often these differences can make some motherboards unusable with some cases, also certain placements of cables can restrict airflow and impede cooling.

===Badgers===
===Heatpipes===
Some makers use [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heatpipe heatpipes] for cooling components on the motherboard,

However the heatpipes used often do not work as well if the motherboard is used flat or upside-down (as in lian li v1000 etc)

==Hard Drives==
===Types===
*2.5" (Laptop)
*3.5" (Desktop)

longitudinal
perpendicular

===Interfaces===
====PATA====
Previously called ATA, also known as IDE, ATAPI, and UDMA.

=====Master=====
=====Slave=====
=====Cable Select=====

====SATA (Serial ATA)====
New standard for connecting Drives, supports a lot of fancy toys such as

'''NCQ'''

Native Command Queuing, a HDD Feature that allows the HDD itself to queue requests to optimise performance

'''Hotplugging'''

Allows you to add and remove SATA drives from a system without shutting down (requires sata power support on the PSU, rather than using a PATA HDD>SATA power connector as HDD power connectors do not support 3.3v)

'''SATA 150/300 Forwards/Backwards compatibility'''

Allows SATA 150 and 300 Drives work on either speed of controller

'''SATA Power'''

15Pin Flat power connector, kinda fragile.

=====SATA 1.5 Gbit/s (SATA 150)=====
First Generation SATA, offered few benefits over PATA
=====SATA 3.0 Gbit/s (SATA 300)=====
Second Generation STA, offers many benefits over PATA and SATA 150
=====SATA II=====
Doesn't Exist, never has, never will.

The 3.0 Gbit/s specification was widely referred to as “Serial ATA II” (“SATA II”). The [http://www.sata-io.org official website] notes that SATA II was in fact that organization's name at the time, the SATA 3.0 Gbit/s specification being only one of many that the former SATA II organization defined, and suggests that “SATA 3.0 Gbit/s” be used instead.
=====External SATA (eSATA)=====
External SATA

===Cache===
2,8 or 16MB

===Speeds (RPM)===
Common speeds are
*5400rpm
*7200rpm
*10000rpm

===RAID===
Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks

Most common RAID levels:
====RAID0====
====RAID1====
====RAID3====
====RAID5====
====RAID6====
====RAID10/01====
====RAID50====
====JBOD====
Not really a RAID level at all, this stands for Just a Bunch Of Disks, and refers to hard disks just being plugged in to a RAID controller without being configured for RAID.

===Common problems===
Death

==Optical Drives==
===Types===
*CD
*DVD
*HDHVD
*BluRay

===Common problems===
===Interfaces===
Optical drives will talk on PATA or SATA (the latter being less common, but now coming down in price)

All the same as for [[Hardware#Interfaces | HDD Interfaces]]

==Video Cards==
===Onboard Vs. Video Cards===
===Multi-Card Solutions===
SLI vs. Crossfire

Pictures and how they go together

===Brands===
For gaming graphics cards come down to nvidia vs. ATI - The majority of graphics cards will just be repackaged reference boards from nvidia or ATI with a few small tweaks (usually just a different sticker, heatsink or a minor overclock.)

===Memory===
Beware low end cards bearing masses of memory.

''Really'' beware of low-end cards bearing masses of memory and words like "Turbo Cache" or "Hyper Memory". They generally have very little memory on the board itself and steal your (slower and more generally useful) system memory for themselves, similar to on-board video cards. However, even these low-end cards typically have much better performance than on-board video.

Often you'll be far better off with a higher end card sporting 256Mb of memory, than a mid range card with 512mb of memory as a less-powerful card will not be able to use the memory efficiently enough to warrant the extra memory.

===TV out===
Looks like shite on older CRT televisions, often not worth the time and effort taken.

Looks pretty decent on HDTVs but redundant as they'll often have VGA, DVI or HDMI connections which allow for high enough resolutions without excessive cable shuffling

===Connectors===
The most common connectors on Graphics cards are DVI, D-sub, HDMI (on some newer cards) and an 8-pin din plug component/composite for TV out.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>labelled photos*

===Overclocking===
===Power Consumption===

==Sound Cards==
Soundcards are another oft overlooked component of mid-range computers for reasons we'll cover below.

===Onboard vs. Soundcard===
Onboard sound can be a great feature for family desktops and non-gaming machines.

However, as onboard sound uses the CPU for Processing sounds there is a risk of gameplay affecting performance issues when using onboard sound.

Also onboard sound can often pick up noise from interference on the motherboard which can sound like very quiet pops and clicks, this is often only a problem on headphones as speakers aren't sensitive enough to pick them up and any digital outputs aren't prone to the interference, but is worth a mention nonetheless.

Soundcards use a dedicated processor to process sound information with negligible load on the CPU, this improves overall performance including higher framerates.

===Recommended cards===
audigy/audigy 2, SBlive.

===Surround, digital etc.===
Surround is an area where onboard sound can excel in the price/performance field as many onboard sound systems support 5.1 or 7.1 surround over analogue and digital

You can also run a full analogue or digital surround system on your onboard sound for media purposes, while keeping a soundcard dedicated for gaming.

==Power Supplies==
===General===
Power Supplies (PSUs) are the most often overlooked and underspecced component in a computer.

Often a poor PSU will cause system instability, unexpected problems and can lead to component damage.

===Wattages===
Before we get into how many watts a PSU needs, we need to understand the ways it can be measured

Wattage on a PSU is usually quoting peak output, or sustained output.

Peak output (what most cheap PSUs are measured in) refers to the peak wattage a PSU can put out for a short period of time (seconds) often these will be fine for a while, then will develop issues (from being overloaded) and die horribly, potentially killing other components

Sustained output (nice PSUs) refers to the output the PSU can give all day every day without issue, sometimes a PSU that has a sustained output will also mention a peak somewhere such as "650W (710W peak)"

====How big a PSU do i need?====
If you're running a single GPU system, you'll need a 450W PSU max.

If you're running a dual GPU system, you'll need a PSU around the 550-600W Mark

[http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp PSU Calculator]

===Modding===

==== *DANGER*====
Anything within this section will probably kill you and your family if you fuck up

Fan Speed mod (also fan replacement)

====Cable sleeving====
Cable Sleeving allows you to make your PSU's cables look a lot better and improve airflow.

[http://www.hardware.info/en-UK/articles/amdnY2prZGma/Workshop_Cablesleeving/ Hardware.info cable sleeving guide]

==Cooling==
===CPU Heatsinks===
===Graphics Coolers===
===Fans===
===Extreme Cooling===
====Pros/cons of Watercooling====

====Pros/cons of Refrigeration====

==Cases==
===Types===
*'''Standard ATX'''
ATX is your bog standard form factor from the past few years. Chances are if you own a computer it's living in an ATX case

*'''Upside down ATX''' (notes about not BTX)
Some ATX cases mount the motherboard upside-down as it can allow for better cooling and cleaner airflow.

These cases are often Called BTX cases by people who don't know better, BTX is a separate standard covered below, Upside down ATX cases adhere to all the ATX standards, but hold the motherboard upside down.

*'''BTX'''
BTX is a new form factor designed to replace ATX while offering better cooling and better designs for components

*'''SSF'''
SSF is not a form factor, but is a terrm used to describe cases such as shuttles.

*'''Mini-ITX'''
Is a very compact form factor designed by via, often used for in-car PCs and home-theater PCs as they're low noise, very low power consumption and heat output.

===Materials===
alu,steel

===Layouts===
where stuff goes in standard and common but weird cases

===Modding===
windows, lights, stealthing.

==BIOS==
===General Info===
===Basic Setup===
===Advanced Setup===
===Flashing/updating===
===help me it's all gone wrong!===

==Monitors==
===LCD Vs. CRT===
Pros/cons of each

===Refresh Rates/flannel response times===

===connectors===
DVI,D-sub, tv stuff.

==Peripherals==
===Keyboards===
simple cheap keyboards

nice expensive keyboards

===Mice===
gaming mice

===Wired vs. Wireless===
pros, cons, blah blah blah

===Joysticks===
eurgh (yes, that's what she said)

===Gamepads===
Unfortunately for PC gamepads your choices are pretty limited these days, often all you'll get are nasty Playstation controller clones.

If you own a PS2, Xbox or Xbox360 you may do well to buy a suitable controller > USB adaptor such as [http://www.game.co.uk/ViewProduct.aspx?cat=10416&mid=326739 This] for the PS2.

===Adaptors and connectors===
how to make plug A go into socket B (generally a bigger hammer)

===Graphics Tablets===
Wacom are probably the best and best known tablet makers, however there are many cheap alternatives available which might tempt new users and disappoint with poor tracking and terrible build quality.

It is worth noting that basic Wacom tablets are now available [http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/103585 for under £40.]

===Card Readers===
handy.

==Overclocking==
Potential of given types, risks and gains, low-cost options

FSB

overvolting (list of standard voltages for cpus?)

Hardware

2006-12-28T00:58:41Z

Eion: /* RAID */

Right, this is meant as a reference for people who have some idea what they're doing.

If you get stuck or have no idea, post in [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=33 the forum] as people will be able to help you better than this generic guide to everything.

=Hardware=

==Processors==
===Manufacturers===
AMD Vs. Intel - Current best of each, and best overall (also best perf/£)

Intel, AMD and VIA (most common in mini-ITX motherboards)

===Sockets===
Most recent sockets that you're still likely to find.

*A (AMD)
*423 (Intel)
*478 (Intel)
*LGA775 (Intel)
*754 (AMD)
*940 (AMD)
*939 (AMD)
*AM2 (AMD)

===Cores===
Number of cores, performance effect

===Temperatures===
Ideally the max temp of any CPU should be below 70 degrees, with below 60 being ideal.

More info in the cooling section.

==Memory==
===Types===
====(obsolete)====
*SDRAM (168-pin modules)

Getting old now, still turns up in older Socket A, Socket 423 and some older Socket 478 Motherboards.
*PC-66: SDR at 66 MHz
*PC-100: SDR at 100 MHz
*PC-133: SDR at 133 MHz

*RDRAM (RIMM)

Old, very rarely used, very pricey nowadays, was mainly used in some Socket 423 and Socket 478 Motherboards.

====(current)====
*DDR (184-pin modules)
Used in Socket 754, 939, 940 and Intel 478 Motherboards.

*DDR2 (240-pin modules)
Used in Socket 775 and AM2 Motherboards.

====(future)====
*DDR3
Not yet used.

===Speeds===
====DDR====
*PC-1600: DDR at 100 MHz using DDR-200 chips
*PC-2100: DDR at 133 MHz using DDR-266 chips
*PC-2700: DDR at 166 MHz using DDR-333 chips
*PC-3200: DDR at 200 MHz using DDR-400 chips
*PC-3500: DDR at 216 MHz using DDR-433 chips*
*PC-4000: DDR at 250 MHz using DDR-500 chips*

====DDR2====
*PC-4200: DDR2 at 266 MHz using DDR2-533 chips
*PC-5300: DDR2 at 333 MHz using DDR2-667 chips
*PC-6400: DDR2 at 400 MHz using DDR2-800 chips
*PC-8000: DDR2 at 500 MHz using DDR2-1000 chips*
*PC-8500: DDR2 at 533 MHz using DDR2-1066 chips*
*PC-9600: DDR2 at 600 MHz using DDR2-1200 chips*

<nowiki>*</nowiki>These are non-standard, generally manufacturers making memory faster than specified (mainly for overclockers)

===Heatsinks (ramsinks)===
Ramsinks do /not/ help the memory cool, but they can help keep temps stable which can help with system stability.

Generally don't bother unless they came fitted on your memory

==Motherboards==
===Sockets===
See [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=1084 CPU Socket Guide]

===Multi-GPU===
Specific technologies will be covered in depth in the graphics card section.

For a motherboard to be able to support a multi-gpu technology it has to specifically made to do so, this usually requires The motherboard to have;

A Chipset which supports your chosen technology (either Nvidia's SLI or ATI's Crossfire)
A pair of Physical PCI-E 16x Slots (often only the primary slot will be 16x electronically, with the secondary being 8x electronically)

===Layouts===
Motherboards are often laid out similarly, but there are Differences with the placement of the cable connections, often these differences can make some motherboards unusable with some cases, also certain placements of cables can restrict airflow and impede cooling.

===Badgers===
===Heatpipes===
Some makers use [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heatpipe heatpipes] for cooling components on the motherboard,

However the heatpipes used often do not work as well if the motherboard is used flat or upside-down (as in lian li v1000 etc)

==Hard Drives==
===Types===
*2.5" (Laptop)
*3.5" (Desktop)

longitudinal
perpendicular

===Interfaces===
====PATA====
Previously called ATA, also known as IDE, ATAPI, and UDMA.

=====Master=====
=====Slave=====
=====Cable Select=====

====SATA (Serial ATA)====
New standard for connecting Drives, supports a lot of fancy toys such as

'''NCQ'''

Native Command Queuing, a HDD Feature that allows the HDD itself to queue requests to optimise performance

'''Hotplugging'''

Allows you to add and remove SATA drives from a system without shutting down (requires sata power support on the PSU, rather than using a PATA HDD>SATA power connector as HDD power connectors do not support 3.3v)

'''SATA 150/300 Forwards/Backwards compatibility'''

Allows SATA 150 and 300 Drives work on either speed of controller

'''SATA Power'''

15Pin Flat power connector, kinda fragile.

=====SATA 1.5 Gbit/s (SATA 150)=====
First Generation SATA, offered few benefits over PATA
=====SATA 3.0 Gbit/s (SATA 300)=====
Second Generation STA, offers many benefits over PATA and SATA 150
=====SATA II=====
Doesn't Exist, never has, never will.

The 3.0 Gbit/s specification was widely referred to as “Serial ATA II” (“SATA II”). The [http://www.sata-io.org official website] notes that SATA II was in fact that organization's name at the time, the SATA 3.0 Gbit/s specification being only one of many that the former SATA II organization defined, and suggests that “SATA 3.0 Gbit/s” be used instead.
=====External SATA (eSATA)=====
External SATA

===Cache===
2,8 or 16MB

===Speeds (RPM)===
Common speeds are
*5400rpm
*7200rpm
*10000rpm

===RAID===
Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks

Most common RAID levels:
====RAID0====
====RAID1====
====RAID3====
====RAID5====
====RAID6====
====RAID10/01====
====RAID50====
====JBOD====

===Common problems===
Death

==Optical Drives==
===Types===
*CD
*DVD
*HDHVD
*BluRay

===Common problems===
===Interfaces===
Optical drives will talk on PATA or SATA (the latter being less common, but now coming down in price)

All the same as for [[Hardware#Interfaces | HDD Interfaces]]

==Video Cards==
===Onboard Vs. Video Cards===
===Multi-Card Solutions===
SLI vs. Crossfire

Pictures and how they go together

===Brands===
For gaming graphics cards come down to nvidia vs. ATI - The majority of graphics cards will just be repackaged reference boards from nvidia or ATI with a few small tweaks (usually just a different sticker, heatsink or a minor overclock.)

===Memory===
Beware low end cards bearing masses of memory.

''Really'' beware of low-end cards bearing masses of memory and words like "Turbo Cache" or "Hyper Memory". They generally have very little memory on the board itself and steal your (slower and more generally useful) system memory for themselves, similar to on-board video cards. However, even these low-end cards typically have much better performance than on-board video.

Often you'll be far better off with a higher end card sporting 256Mb of memory, than a mid range card with 512mb of memory as a less-powerful card will not be able to use the memory efficiently enough to warrant the extra memory.

===TV out===
Looks like shite on older CRT televisions, often not worth the time and effort taken.

Looks pretty decent on HDTVs but redundant as they'll often have VGA, DVI or HDMI connections which allow for high enough resolutions without excessive cable shuffling

===Connectors===
The most common connectors on Graphics cards are DVI, D-sub, HDMI (on some newer cards) and an 8-pin din plug component/composite for TV out.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>labelled photos*

===Overclocking===
===Power Consumption===

==Sound Cards==
Soundcards are another oft overlooked component of mid-range computers for reasons we'll cover below.

===Onboard vs. Soundcard===
Onboard sound can be a great feature for family desktops and non-gaming machines.

However, as onboard sound uses the CPU for Processing sounds there is a risk of gameplay affecting performance issues when using onboard sound.

Also onboard sound can often pick up noise from interference on the motherboard which can sound like very quiet pops and clicks, this is often only a problem on headphones as speakers aren't sensitive enough to pick them up and any digital outputs aren't prone to the interference, but is worth a mention nonetheless.

Soundcards use a dedicated processor to process sound information with negligible load on the CPU, this improves overall performance including higher framerates.

===Recommended cards===
audigy/audigy 2, SBlive.

===Surround, digital etc.===
Surround is an area where onboard sound can excel in the price/performance field as many onboard sound systems support 5.1 or 7.1 surround over analogue and digital

You can also run a full analogue or digital surround system on your onboard sound for media purposes, while keeping a soundcard dedicated for gaming.

==Power Supplies==
===General===
Power Supplies (PSUs) are the most often overlooked and underspecced component in a computer.

Often a poor PSU will cause system instability, unexpected problems and can lead to component damage.

===Wattages===
Before we get into how many watts a PSU needs, we need to understand the ways it can be measured

Wattage on a PSU is usually quoting peak output, or sustained output.

Peak output (what most cheap PSUs are measured in) refers to the peak wattage a PSU can put out for a short period of time (seconds) often these will be fine for a while, then will develop issues (from being overloaded) and die horribly, potentially killing other components

Sustained output (nice PSUs) refers to the output the PSU can give all day every day without issue, sometimes a PSU that has a sustained output will also mention a peak somewhere such as "650W (710W peak)"

====How big a PSU do i need?====
If you're running a single GPU system, you'll need a 450W PSU max.

If you're running a dual GPU system, you'll need a PSU around the 550-600W Mark

[http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp PSU Calculator]

===Modding===

==== *DANGER*====
Anything within this section will probably kill you and your family if you fuck up

Fan Speed mod (also fan replacement)

====Cable sleeving====
Cable Sleeving allows you to make your PSU's cables look a lot better and improve airflow.

[http://www.hardware.info/en-UK/articles/amdnY2prZGma/Workshop_Cablesleeving/ Hardware.info cable sleeving guide]

==Cooling==
===CPU Heatsinks===
===Graphics Coolers===
===Fans===
===Extreme Cooling===
====Pros/cons of Watercooling====

====Pros/cons of Refrigeration====

==Cases==
===Types===
*'''Standard ATX'''
ATX is your bog standard form factor from the past few years. Chances are if you own a computer it's living in an ATX case

*'''Upside down ATX''' (notes about not BTX)
Some ATX cases mount the motherboard upside-down as it can allow for better cooling and cleaner airflow.

These cases are often Called BTX cases by people who don't know better, BTX is a separate standard covered below, Upside down ATX cases adhere to all the ATX standards, but hold the motherboard upside down.

*'''BTX'''
BTX is a new form factor designed to replace ATX while offering better cooling and better designs for components

*'''SSF'''
SSF is not a form factor, but is a terrm used to describe cases such as shuttles.

*'''Mini-ITX'''
Is a very compact form factor designed by via, often used for in-car PCs and home-theater PCs as they're low noise, very low power consumption and heat output.

===Materials===
alu,steel

===Layouts===
where stuff goes in standard and common but weird cases

===Modding===
windows, lights, stealthing.

==BIOS==
===General Info===
===Basic Setup===
===Advanced Setup===
===Flashing/updating===
===help me it's all gone wrong!===

==Monitors==
===LCD Vs. CRT===
Pros/cons of each

===Refresh Rates/flannel response times===

===connectors===
DVI,D-sub, tv stuff.

==Peripherals==
===Keyboards===
simple cheap keyboards

nice expensive keyboards

===Mice===
gaming mice

===Wired vs. Wireless===
pros, cons, blah blah blah

===Joysticks===
eurgh (yes, that's what she said)

===Gamepads===
Unfortunately for PC gamepads your choices are pretty limited these days, often all you'll get are nasty Playstation controller clones.

If you own a PS2, Xbox or Xbox360 you may do well to buy a suitable controller > USB adaptor such as [http://www.game.co.uk/ViewProduct.aspx?cat=10416&mid=326739 This] for the PS2.

===Adaptors and connectors===
how to make plug A go into socket B (generally a bigger hammer)

===Graphics Tablets===
Wacom are probably the best and best known tablet makers, however there are many cheap alternatives available which might tempt new users and disappoint with poor tracking and terrible build quality.

It is worth noting that basic Wacom tablets are now available [http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/103585 for under £40.]

===Card Readers===
handy.

==Overclocking==
Potential of given types, risks and gains, low-cost options

FSB

overvolting (list of standard voltages for cpus?)

Help:Contents

2006-08-22T05:15:22Z

Eion:

Keep your hands away from Berk's mouth.

Main Page

2006-08-22T05:04:58Z

Eion: /* Others */

===What is 5punk?===

5punk is a friendly community of gamers based on the ethic of playing for fun hence the title

"5punk - the gaming equivalent of a kickaround in the park"

'''Woo Elephant yeah, the site owner'''

"Well one day I decided it would be a good idea to get like minded 'b3tans' ([http://b3ta.com b3ta]) to all play online games together. Since then there's been no looking back, and 5punk has now turned into an active online gaming community for all ages and types of people.
You do not have to be a member of b3ta to join 5punk, as it's an open gaming community, it's just that b3ta is historically a root for people to come here."

Basically we play for fun, get on well with like minded gamers and have good laugh in the process.

We also run our own [[Bukkake|gameserver]], as this allows us to switch games we host easily depending on what's popular.

====Why 5punk?====

This is at least partly related to the being an offspring of b3ta.com

The use of a number in the place of a letter started with b3ta, but was taken up by 4rthur, 5punk, just as a nod to our roots.

[http://www.b3ta.com/talk/64446 Thread where the name was decided.]

====How do you pronounce 5punk?====

Spunk - a slang term for male ejaculate.
Not five-punk

===Games we often play===

*[[Battlefield 2]]
*[[Counterstrike|Counter Strike: Source]]
*[[Call of Duty| Call of Duty: United Offensive]]
*[[EVE]]
*[[Other Games| List of other games]] - These are less popular games, but still have a following in 5punk

The games we play change reasonably often, and we always try new games but tend to get bored of them pretty quickly if it's nothing special.

However [[Battlefield 2|BF2]], [[Counterstrike| CS:S]], [[Call of Duty|CoD:UO]] and [[EVE]] are our staple games with a strong, and in the case of Eve, militant following (No, really. Those EVE players are nuts).

==== When does 5punk play? ====

We play games most evenings, generally using a set schedule of games during the week and random games as and when they happen using Xfire.

*'''Monday:''' Nothing set
*'''Tuesday:''' [[Call of Duty]]
*'''Wednesday:''' [[Counterstrike| Counter Strike: Source]]
*'''Thursday:''' [[Battlefield 2]]
*'''Friday:''' Co-op Games night
*'''Saturday:''' Nothing set
*'''Sunday:''' Nothing set

====More info about the games we play====

===== [[Battlefield 2]] =====

Our BF2 addiction has been gaining power since release, often getting 8+ players for our scheduled games on thursdays.

We pooled our funds and rented our own ranked BF2 server, which can be found [http://www.game-monitor.com/GameServer/81.19.208.85:16567/5punk.co.uk_-_Get_some_on_you.html Here]

===== [[Call of Duty|Call of Duty: United Offensive]] =====

AAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS CANNON

We use a lot of custom maps which can be downloaded [http://files.hairy-arse.com/CallofDuty/Maps.rar Here]

===== [[Counterstrike| Counter Strike: Source]] =====

omg! hax

===== [[EVE]] =====

One of the most absorbing and involved MMOs around, EVE differs greatly from others in that grind does not increase your skillpoints as training is based purely on time. Grind will earn you isk (in-game currency) and allow you to buy new skills to fly new ships, fit new LASERS!

In-depth details on the game can be found here in [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2305 Wiggy's EVE review]

The 5punk community in EVE is based around the fantastic 5punkorp (think Guild), based on the ideals of bumming, more bumming, freedom and the spirit of fun!

===== [http://www.urbandead.com UrbanDead] =====

Inconspicuous browser based MMORPG set in the zombie apocalypse, easily played at lunch time at work. 5punkers tend to gravitate towards pubs, occasionally organising excursions such as the Malton Pub Crawl in order to bring sunshine to the lives (or undead, as the case may be) of human and zombie alike.

===== [http://www.shartak.com Shartak] =====

A Browser based MMPORG set on a desert island, Featuring Outsiders, Pirates and natives.

Quite similar to Urban dead, likely because the maker was inspired by urbandead.

===== [http://www.atorian.com Atorian] =====

Another inconspicuous browser based game. Set at some point in the future 5punkers in this game are purely self-defensive, but since there's always someone trying to take our planets we never stop fighting.

=== Stuff we run ===

This list is likely to change often, so just check [http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?search=217.112.95.67&type=server Here] for our current servers

[http://www.5punk.co.uk/demo.php Teamspeak server]

[[Radio|5punk Radio]]

'''Battlefield 2''' 81.19.208.85:16567

'''CS:S''' 217.112.95.67:27015

'''Cod:UO''' 217.112.95.67:28960

=== 5punk Slang/Terminology/Memes. ===

*BEEF - Our name for [[Battlefield 2]] (Battlefield 2 > BF2 > BF > BEEF)
*CoD - Our name for the [[Call of Duty]] series (usually referring to Call of Duty: United Offensive)
*HamAndCheese - Our name for [[Main Page#Hamachi|Hamachi]]
*Floorware - Software you've found, often by careless people misplacing CDs.
*Deject's mom - The mother of one of our members, often heard screaming in the background of [[Main Page#Teamspeak|Teamspeak]]. "Werd to your mother!"
*Ninja concerts - Cited as the reason for people avoiding arrangements.
*/me bums - Staple greeting of the Eve players, taken from their gentle (sometimes) in-game sodomy.
*CAEK! - Like cake, but better.
*ZOMG! Pie! - Flaky pastry with a nice filling
*This Is Not A Code - It's not a code. Probably.
*REWENGAY - Like revenge, but generally involves more teabagging.
*Magical Gay Fairy Land - World of Warcraft
*[[Charlie]] - Don't ask
*[[liopleurodon|Chaaaaaarlie]] - Seriously, just don't ask.

=== Apps we use and how to use them. ===

==== Xfire ====
Xfire is an app that acts as an instant messenger with in game support and gives ability to easily join other 5punkers in game any time anywhere.

We also have a list of our xfire usernames and a small app to automatically add everyone

[http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/xfired.php Xfire List]

[http://www.5punk.co.uk/XfireAdd2.exe Auto-Adder]

When signing up at the forum, make sure you add your Xfire username to your forum profile, as this is the core of 5punk, and without Xfire, we wouldn't even be here.

==== Teamspeak ====

Teamspeak is our voice comms medium of choice - given the ease of use, and reasonable licensing terms.

*Server Address: 217.112.95.67:8767
*Server Password: cranberry

==== Hamachi ====

Used to allow us to play older games over the Internet, also allows us to test experimental servers safely and securely.

[http://www.angelfire.com/games5/darkcry/hamachi_eng.htm Basic guide] (placeholder until a 5punk-specific one is made)

If Hamachi is needed for a game, the network to join and password for the network will be posted in the scheduler.

===Site Admins===

'''Woo Elephant Yeah''' - Site Owner/Creator

Often referred to as Wey, or Woo (which can be confusing)
5punk is Wey's Baby, as, oddly enough, is Wey's baby.
He is still amazed at how a simple idea has evolved into this rather active gaming community.

'''Stoat''' - Site Admin

Mustela erminea
Our very own php jedi, Coded the Scheduler and the Discussion board.
Stoat has been there since the birth of 5punk, and without him, we wouldn't have any of the things we have.

'''Dog Pants''' - Site Moderator

After watching his posts for some time, WEY decided to ask Dog Pants to join the 5punk admin team.
Dog Pants has done a wonderful job moderating 5punk's forum, and has helped influence a lot of the recent decisions/suggestions for 5punk.
He can usually be found stumbling around groaning in Urban Dead, or watching Zombie flicks at home.

'''Dr. Kitteny Berk''' - Game Server ([[Bukkake]]) Owner

Quote from WEY:
Abrupt, Rude and quite possibly Obnoxious, Berk speaks his mind and what you see is what you get.
You know where you stand with Berk, and he's the first to admit that. However, without him, 5punk would never have lifted off the ground in the way that it has, and his continuous work, help, time & money has got Bukkake up and running, along with the Shoutcast radio shows as well.
He's the unsung hero, but more a hero without the shiny long blonde hair and chiseled jaw, more of a dark shadowy figure lurking in the corner fixing servers and swearing repeatedly at things whilst snarling.
So to sum up *thinks about words carefully again*, even though Berk can be a bit of a sarcastic foul mouthed bastard, we love him in our very own special way.

==== Others ====

'''Team RO-BO'''

[[user:Roman Totale|Roman Totale]] and [[user:mrbobbins|MrBobbins]]' team from a CS:S Tournament we held.

Probably won, but as survivors are yet to be found we cannot be sure of this.

Widely believed to be the founding partners of the following website: http://www.deagostini.co.uk/ilovehorses/

'''Gunslinger'''

[[user:Gunslinger|Gunslinger]] was Created by RO-BO using old toaster parts, flips out if he sees a bagel.

So horribly, horribly good at all games.

0.001% of his neural processing runs all NASA orbital navigation and communication systems and he is a technical consultant on [http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/R/richardandjudy/ Richard and Judy]

'''Hehulk'''

Massive [http://www.eve-online.com/ EVE] addict. Claims that [[Main Page#xfire|xfire]] is inaccurate and that this means he has has missed three hundred hours of actual play time due to router issues with ports. Was promoted to moderator on the eve forum just because of the sheer number of hours he plays it.

Also plays BEEF and CSS. Tends to cry hax a lot when losing

Main Page

2006-08-22T05:04:47Z

Eion: /* Others */

===What is 5punk?===

5punk is a friendly community of gamers based on the ethic of playing for fun hence the title

"5punk - the gaming equivalent of a kickaround in the park"

'''Woo Elephant yeah, the site owner'''

"Well one day I decided it would be a good idea to get like minded 'b3tans' ([http://b3ta.com b3ta]) to all play online games together. Since then there's been no looking back, and 5punk has now turned into an active online gaming community for all ages and types of people.
You do not have to be a member of b3ta to join 5punk, as it's an open gaming community, it's just that b3ta is historically a root for people to come here."

Basically we play for fun, get on well with like minded gamers and have good laugh in the process.

We also run our own [[Bukkake|gameserver]], as this allows us to switch games we host easily depending on what's popular.

====Why 5punk?====

This is at least partly related to the being an offspring of b3ta.com

The use of a number in the place of a letter started with b3ta, but was taken up by 4rthur, 5punk, just as a nod to our roots.

[http://www.b3ta.com/talk/64446 Thread where the name was decided.]

====How do you pronounce 5punk?====

Spunk - a slang term for male ejaculate.
Not five-punk

===Games we often play===

*[[Battlefield 2]]
*[[Counterstrike|Counter Strike: Source]]
*[[Call of Duty| Call of Duty: United Offensive]]
*[[EVE]]
*[[Other Games| List of other games]] - These are less popular games, but still have a following in 5punk

The games we play change reasonably often, and we always try new games but tend to get bored of them pretty quickly if it's nothing special.

However [[Battlefield 2|BF2]], [[Counterstrike| CS:S]], [[Call of Duty|CoD:UO]] and [[EVE]] are our staple games with a strong, and in the case of Eve, militant following (No, really. Those EVE players are nuts).

==== When does 5punk play? ====

We play games most evenings, generally using a set schedule of games during the week and random games as and when they happen using Xfire.

*'''Monday:''' Nothing set
*'''Tuesday:''' [[Call of Duty]]
*'''Wednesday:''' [[Counterstrike| Counter Strike: Source]]
*'''Thursday:''' [[Battlefield 2]]
*'''Friday:''' Co-op Games night
*'''Saturday:''' Nothing set
*'''Sunday:''' Nothing set

====More info about the games we play====

===== [[Battlefield 2]] =====

Our BF2 addiction has been gaining power since release, often getting 8+ players for our scheduled games on thursdays.

We pooled our funds and rented our own ranked BF2 server, which can be found [http://www.game-monitor.com/GameServer/81.19.208.85:16567/5punk.co.uk_-_Get_some_on_you.html Here]

===== [[Call of Duty|Call of Duty: United Offensive]] =====

AAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS CANNON

We use a lot of custom maps which can be downloaded [http://files.hairy-arse.com/CallofDuty/Maps.rar Here]

===== [[Counterstrike| Counter Strike: Source]] =====

omg! hax

===== [[EVE]] =====

One of the most absorbing and involved MMOs around, EVE differs greatly from others in that grind does not increase your skillpoints as training is based purely on time. Grind will earn you isk (in-game currency) and allow you to buy new skills to fly new ships, fit new LASERS!

In-depth details on the game can be found here in [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2305 Wiggy's EVE review]

The 5punk community in EVE is based around the fantastic 5punkorp (think Guild), based on the ideals of bumming, more bumming, freedom and the spirit of fun!

===== [http://www.urbandead.com UrbanDead] =====

Inconspicuous browser based MMORPG set in the zombie apocalypse, easily played at lunch time at work. 5punkers tend to gravitate towards pubs, occasionally organising excursions such as the Malton Pub Crawl in order to bring sunshine to the lives (or undead, as the case may be) of human and zombie alike.

===== [http://www.shartak.com Shartak] =====

A Browser based MMPORG set on a desert island, Featuring Outsiders, Pirates and natives.

Quite similar to Urban dead, likely because the maker was inspired by urbandead.

===== [http://www.atorian.com Atorian] =====

Another inconspicuous browser based game. Set at some point in the future 5punkers in this game are purely self-defensive, but since there's always someone trying to take our planets we never stop fighting.

=== Stuff we run ===

This list is likely to change often, so just check [http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?search=217.112.95.67&type=server Here] for our current servers

[http://www.5punk.co.uk/demo.php Teamspeak server]

[[Radio|5punk Radio]]

'''Battlefield 2''' 81.19.208.85:16567

'''CS:S''' 217.112.95.67:27015

'''Cod:UO''' 217.112.95.67:28960

=== 5punk Slang/Terminology/Memes. ===

*BEEF - Our name for [[Battlefield 2]] (Battlefield 2 > BF2 > BF > BEEF)
*CoD - Our name for the [[Call of Duty]] series (usually referring to Call of Duty: United Offensive)
*HamAndCheese - Our name for [[Main Page#Hamachi|Hamachi]]
*Floorware - Software you've found, often by careless people misplacing CDs.
*Deject's mom - The mother of one of our members, often heard screaming in the background of [[Main Page#Teamspeak|Teamspeak]]. "Werd to your mother!"
*Ninja concerts - Cited as the reason for people avoiding arrangements.
*/me bums - Staple greeting of the Eve players, taken from their gentle (sometimes) in-game sodomy.
*CAEK! - Like cake, but better.
*ZOMG! Pie! - Flaky pastry with a nice filling
*This Is Not A Code - It's not a code. Probably.
*REWENGAY - Like revenge, but generally involves more teabagging.
*Magical Gay Fairy Land - World of Warcraft
*[[Charlie]] - Don't ask
*[[liopleurodon|Chaaaaaarlie]] - Seriously, just don't ask.

=== Apps we use and how to use them. ===

==== Xfire ====
Xfire is an app that acts as an instant messenger with in game support and gives ability to easily join other 5punkers in game any time anywhere.

We also have a list of our xfire usernames and a small app to automatically add everyone

[http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/xfired.php Xfire List]

[http://www.5punk.co.uk/XfireAdd2.exe Auto-Adder]

When signing up at the forum, make sure you add your Xfire username to your forum profile, as this is the core of 5punk, and without Xfire, we wouldn't even be here.

==== Teamspeak ====

Teamspeak is our voice comms medium of choice - given the ease of use, and reasonable licensing terms.

*Server Address: 217.112.95.67:8767
*Server Password: cranberry

==== Hamachi ====

Used to allow us to play older games over the Internet, also allows us to test experimental servers safely and securely.

[http://www.angelfire.com/games5/darkcry/hamachi_eng.htm Basic guide] (placeholder until a 5punk-specific one is made)

If Hamachi is needed for a game, the network to join and password for the network will be posted in the scheduler.

===Site Admins===

'''Woo Elephant Yeah''' - Site Owner/Creator

Often referred to as Wey, or Woo (which can be confusing)
5punk is Wey's Baby, as, oddly enough, is Wey's baby.
He is still amazed at how a simple idea has evolved into this rather active gaming community.

'''Stoat''' - Site Admin

Mustela erminea
Our very own php jedi, Coded the Scheduler and the Discussion board.
Stoat has been there since the birth of 5punk, and without him, we wouldn't have any of the things we have.

'''Dog Pants''' - Site Moderator

After watching his posts for some time, WEY decided to ask Dog Pants to join the 5punk admin team.
Dog Pants has done a wonderful job moderating 5punk's forum, and has helped influence a lot of the recent decisions/suggestions for 5punk.
He can usually be found stumbling around groaning in Urban Dead, or watching Zombie flicks at home.

'''Dr. Kitteny Berk''' - Game Server ([[Bukkake]]) Owner

Quote from WEY:
Abrupt, Rude and quite possibly Obnoxious, Berk speaks his mind and what you see is what you get.
You know where you stand with Berk, and he's the first to admit that. However, without him, 5punk would never have lifted off the ground in the way that it has, and his continuous work, help, time & money has got Bukkake up and running, along with the Shoutcast radio shows as well.
He's the unsung hero, but more a hero without the shiny long blonde hair and chiseled jaw, more of a dark shadowy figure lurking in the corner fixing servers and swearing repeatedly at things whilst snarling.
So to sum up *thinks about words carefully again*, even though Berk can be a bit of a sarcastic foul mouthed bastard, we love him in our very own special way.

==== Others ====

'''Team RO-BO'''

[[user:Roman Totale|Roman Totale]] and [[user:mrbobbins|MrBobbins]]' team from a CS:S Tournament we held.

Probably won, but as survivors are yet to be found we cannot be sure of this.

Widely believed to be the founding partners of the following website: http://www.deagostini.co.uk/ilovehorses/

'''Gunslinger'''

[[user:Gunslinger|Gunslinger]] was Created by RO-BO using old toaster parts, flips out if he sees a bagel.

So horribly, horribly good at all games.

0.001% of his neural processing runs all NASA orbital navigation and communication systems and he is a technical consultant on [http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/R/richardandjudy/ Richard and Judy]

'''Hehulk'''

Massive [http://www.eve-online.com/ EVE]] addict. Claims that [[Main Page#xfire|xfire] is inaccurate and that this means he has has missed three hundred hours of actual play time due to router issues with ports. Was promoted to moderator on the eve forum just because of the sheer number of hours he plays it.

Also plays BEEF and CSS. Tends to cry hax a lot when losing

Main Page

2006-08-22T05:04:31Z

Eion: /* Others */

===What is 5punk?===

5punk is a friendly community of gamers based on the ethic of playing for fun hence the title

"5punk - the gaming equivalent of a kickaround in the park"

'''Woo Elephant yeah, the site owner'''

"Well one day I decided it would be a good idea to get like minded 'b3tans' ([http://b3ta.com b3ta]) to all play online games together. Since then there's been no looking back, and 5punk has now turned into an active online gaming community for all ages and types of people.
You do not have to be a member of b3ta to join 5punk, as it's an open gaming community, it's just that b3ta is historically a root for people to come here."

Basically we play for fun, get on well with like minded gamers and have good laugh in the process.

We also run our own [[Bukkake|gameserver]], as this allows us to switch games we host easily depending on what's popular.

====Why 5punk?====

This is at least partly related to the being an offspring of b3ta.com

The use of a number in the place of a letter started with b3ta, but was taken up by 4rthur, 5punk, just as a nod to our roots.

[http://www.b3ta.com/talk/64446 Thread where the name was decided.]

====How do you pronounce 5punk?====

Spunk - a slang term for male ejaculate.
Not five-punk

===Games we often play===

*[[Battlefield 2]]
*[[Counterstrike|Counter Strike: Source]]
*[[Call of Duty| Call of Duty: United Offensive]]
*[[EVE]]
*[[Other Games| List of other games]] - These are less popular games, but still have a following in 5punk

The games we play change reasonably often, and we always try new games but tend to get bored of them pretty quickly if it's nothing special.

However [[Battlefield 2|BF2]], [[Counterstrike| CS:S]], [[Call of Duty|CoD:UO]] and [[EVE]] are our staple games with a strong, and in the case of Eve, militant following (No, really. Those EVE players are nuts).

==== When does 5punk play? ====

We play games most evenings, generally using a set schedule of games during the week and random games as and when they happen using Xfire.

*'''Monday:''' Nothing set
*'''Tuesday:''' [[Call of Duty]]
*'''Wednesday:''' [[Counterstrike| Counter Strike: Source]]
*'''Thursday:''' [[Battlefield 2]]
*'''Friday:''' Co-op Games night
*'''Saturday:''' Nothing set
*'''Sunday:''' Nothing set

====More info about the games we play====

===== [[Battlefield 2]] =====

Our BF2 addiction has been gaining power since release, often getting 8+ players for our scheduled games on thursdays.

We pooled our funds and rented our own ranked BF2 server, which can be found [http://www.game-monitor.com/GameServer/81.19.208.85:16567/5punk.co.uk_-_Get_some_on_you.html Here]

===== [[Call of Duty|Call of Duty: United Offensive]] =====

AAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS CANNON

We use a lot of custom maps which can be downloaded [http://files.hairy-arse.com/CallofDuty/Maps.rar Here]

===== [[Counterstrike| Counter Strike: Source]] =====

omg! hax

===== [[EVE]] =====

One of the most absorbing and involved MMOs around, EVE differs greatly from others in that grind does not increase your skillpoints as training is based purely on time. Grind will earn you isk (in-game currency) and allow you to buy new skills to fly new ships, fit new LASERS!

In-depth details on the game can be found here in [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2305 Wiggy's EVE review]

The 5punk community in EVE is based around the fantastic 5punkorp (think Guild), based on the ideals of bumming, more bumming, freedom and the spirit of fun!

===== [http://www.urbandead.com UrbanDead] =====

Inconspicuous browser based MMORPG set in the zombie apocalypse, easily played at lunch time at work. 5punkers tend to gravitate towards pubs, occasionally organising excursions such as the Malton Pub Crawl in order to bring sunshine to the lives (or undead, as the case may be) of human and zombie alike.

===== [http://www.shartak.com Shartak] =====

A Browser based MMPORG set on a desert island, Featuring Outsiders, Pirates and natives.

Quite similar to Urban dead, likely because the maker was inspired by urbandead.

===== [http://www.atorian.com Atorian] =====

Another inconspicuous browser based game. Set at some point in the future 5punkers in this game are purely self-defensive, but since there's always someone trying to take our planets we never stop fighting.

=== Stuff we run ===

This list is likely to change often, so just check [http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?search=217.112.95.67&type=server Here] for our current servers

[http://www.5punk.co.uk/demo.php Teamspeak server]

[[Radio|5punk Radio]]

'''Battlefield 2''' 81.19.208.85:16567

'''CS:S''' 217.112.95.67:27015

'''Cod:UO''' 217.112.95.67:28960

=== 5punk Slang/Terminology/Memes. ===

*BEEF - Our name for [[Battlefield 2]] (Battlefield 2 > BF2 > BF > BEEF)
*CoD - Our name for the [[Call of Duty]] series (usually referring to Call of Duty: United Offensive)
*HamAndCheese - Our name for [[Main Page#Hamachi|Hamachi]]
*Floorware - Software you've found, often by careless people misplacing CDs.
*Deject's mom - The mother of one of our members, often heard screaming in the background of [[Main Page#Teamspeak|Teamspeak]]. "Werd to your mother!"
*Ninja concerts - Cited as the reason for people avoiding arrangements.
*/me bums - Staple greeting of the Eve players, taken from their gentle (sometimes) in-game sodomy.
*CAEK! - Like cake, but better.
*ZOMG! Pie! - Flaky pastry with a nice filling
*This Is Not A Code - It's not a code. Probably.
*REWENGAY - Like revenge, but generally involves more teabagging.
*Magical Gay Fairy Land - World of Warcraft
*[[Charlie]] - Don't ask
*[[liopleurodon|Chaaaaaarlie]] - Seriously, just don't ask.

=== Apps we use and how to use them. ===

==== Xfire ====
Xfire is an app that acts as an instant messenger with in game support and gives ability to easily join other 5punkers in game any time anywhere.

We also have a list of our xfire usernames and a small app to automatically add everyone

[http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/xfired.php Xfire List]

[http://www.5punk.co.uk/XfireAdd2.exe Auto-Adder]

When signing up at the forum, make sure you add your Xfire username to your forum profile, as this is the core of 5punk, and without Xfire, we wouldn't even be here.

==== Teamspeak ====

Teamspeak is our voice comms medium of choice - given the ease of use, and reasonable licensing terms.

*Server Address: 217.112.95.67:8767
*Server Password: cranberry

==== Hamachi ====

Used to allow us to play older games over the Internet, also allows us to test experimental servers safely and securely.

[http://www.angelfire.com/games5/darkcry/hamachi_eng.htm Basic guide] (placeholder until a 5punk-specific one is made)

If Hamachi is needed for a game, the network to join and password for the network will be posted in the scheduler.

===Site Admins===

'''Woo Elephant Yeah''' - Site Owner/Creator

Often referred to as Wey, or Woo (which can be confusing)
5punk is Wey's Baby, as, oddly enough, is Wey's baby.
He is still amazed at how a simple idea has evolved into this rather active gaming community.

'''Stoat''' - Site Admin

Mustela erminea
Our very own php jedi, Coded the Scheduler and the Discussion board.
Stoat has been there since the birth of 5punk, and without him, we wouldn't have any of the things we have.

'''Dog Pants''' - Site Moderator

After watching his posts for some time, WEY decided to ask Dog Pants to join the 5punk admin team.
Dog Pants has done a wonderful job moderating 5punk's forum, and has helped influence a lot of the recent decisions/suggestions for 5punk.
He can usually be found stumbling around groaning in Urban Dead, or watching Zombie flicks at home.

'''Dr. Kitteny Berk''' - Game Server ([[Bukkake]]) Owner

Quote from WEY:
Abrupt, Rude and quite possibly Obnoxious, Berk speaks his mind and what you see is what you get.
You know where you stand with Berk, and he's the first to admit that. However, without him, 5punk would never have lifted off the ground in the way that it has, and his continuous work, help, time & money has got Bukkake up and running, along with the Shoutcast radio shows as well.
He's the unsung hero, but more a hero without the shiny long blonde hair and chiseled jaw, more of a dark shadowy figure lurking in the corner fixing servers and swearing repeatedly at things whilst snarling.
So to sum up *thinks about words carefully again*, even though Berk can be a bit of a sarcastic foul mouthed bastard, we love him in our very own special way.

==== Others ====

'''Team RO-BO'''

[[user:Roman Totale|Roman Totale]] and [[user:mrbobbins|MrBobbins]]' team from a CS:S Tournament we held.

Probably won, but as survivors are yet to be found we cannot be sure of this.

Widely believed to be the founding partners of the following website: http://www.deagostini.co.uk/ilovehorses/

'''Gunslinger'''

[[user:Gunslinger|Gunslinger]] was Created by RO-BO using old toaster parts, flips out if he sees a bagel.

So horribly, horribly good at all games.

0.001% of his neural processing runs all NASA orbital navigation and communication systems and he is a technical consultant on [http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/R/richardandjudy/ Richard and Judy]

'''Hehulk'''

Massive [http://www.eve-online.com/ EVE] addict. Claims that [[Main Page#xfire|xfire] is inaccurate and that this means he has has missed three hundred hours of actual play time due to router issues with ports. Was promoted to moderator on the eve forum just because of the sheer number of hours he plays it.

Also plays BEEF and CSS. Tends to cry hax a lot when losing

Bukkake

2006-08-22T04:59:19Z

Eion:

===What is Bukkake?===
Bukkake is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukkake group sex practice] named after the 5punk game server. The server is run by the oh-so-friendly yet chillingly evil genius, Dr Kitteny Berk.

It resides at IP: 217.112.95.67

Games regularly hosted:

*[[Counterstrike| Counter-Strike: Source]]
*[[Call of Duty| Call of Duty : United Offensive]]
*[[Unreal Tournament 2004]]

And sometimes others on demand.

You can see what the server is running by checking this [http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?search=217.112.95.67&type=server page]

However, there are usually many other servers installed but not running.

It also hosts our [http://www.goteamspeak.com teamspeak] server, the 5punkers voice-comms of choice.

===What happens if it's not working?===

Sometimes, Bukkake has some kind failure or b0rkage. In this case, the most appropriate thing to do is check 5punk to see if it's been mentioned, look at Berk's xfire status, then ask him if he's aware.

If he is, leave him to get on with it, because he's usually working on it.

===Who pays for it?===
Berk, but relies on donations to help lower his costs.

Donations are forwarded on to WEY to help cover the costs of hosting 5punk when needed - This saves people having to donate twice or change where the money goes.

If you feel you could spare a bit of e-shrapnel here and there, check out this helpful page: [http://www.5punk.co.uk/donate.htm Donate]

Bukkake

2006-08-22T04:58:56Z

Eion:

===What is Bukkake?===
Bukkake is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukkake group sex practice] named after the 5punk game server. Run by the oh-so-friendly yet chillingly evil genius, Dr Kitteny Berk.

It resides at IP: 217.112.95.67

Games regularly hosted:

*[[Counterstrike| Counter-Strike: Source]]
*[[Call of Duty| Call of Duty : United Offensive]]
*[[Unreal Tournament 2004]]

And sometimes others on demand.

You can see what the server is running by checking this [http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?search=217.112.95.67&type=server page]

However, there are usually many other servers installed but not running.

It also hosts our [http://www.goteamspeak.com teamspeak] server, the 5punkers voice-comms of choice.

===What happens if it's not working?===

Sometimes, Bukkake has some kind failure or b0rkage. In this case, the most appropriate thing to do is check 5punk to see if it's been mentioned, look at Berk's xfire status, then ask him if he's aware.

If he is, leave him to get on with it, because he's usually working on it.

===Who pays for it?===
Berk, but relies on donations to help lower his costs.

Donations are forwarded on to WEY to help cover the costs of hosting 5punk when needed - This saves people having to donate twice or change where the money goes.

If you feel you could spare a bit of e-shrapnel here and there, check out this helpful page: [http://www.5punk.co.uk/donate.htm Donate]

Main Page

2006-08-22T04:54:05Z

Eion: /* 5punk Slang/Terminology/Memes. */

===What is 5punk?===

5punk is a friendly community of gamers based on the ethic of playing for fun hence the title

"5punk - the gaming equivalent of a kickaround in the park"

'''Woo Elephant yeah, the site owner'''

"Well one day I decided it would be a good idea to get like minded 'b3tans' ([http://b3ta.com b3ta]) to all play online games together. Since then there's been no looking back, and 5punk has now turned into an active online gaming community for all ages and types of people.
You do not have to be a member of b3ta to join 5punk, as it's an open gaming community, it's just that b3ta is historically a root for people to come here."

Basically we play for fun, get on well with like minded gamers and have good laugh in the process.

We also run our own [[Bukkake|gameserver]], as this allows us to switch games we host easily depending on what's popular.

====Why 5punk?====

This is at least partly related to the being an offspring of b3ta.com

The use of a number in the place of a letter started with b3ta, but was taken up by 4rthur, 5punk, just as a nod to our roots.

[http://www.b3ta.com/talk/64446 Thread where the name was decided.]

====How do you pronounce 5punk?====

Spunk - a slang term for male ejaculate.
Not five-punk

===Games we often play===

*[[Battlefield 2]]
*[[Counterstrike|Counter Strike: Source]]
*[[Call of Duty| Call of Duty: United Offensive]]
*[[EVE]]
*[[Other Games| List of other games]] - These are less popular games, but still have a following in 5punk

The games we play change reasonably often, and we always try new games but tend to get bored of them pretty quickly if it's nothing special.

However [[Battlefield 2|BF2]], [[Counterstrike| CS:S]], [[Call of Duty|CoD:UO]] and [[EVE]] are our staple games with a strong, and in the case of Eve, militant following (No, really. Those EVE players are nuts).

==== When does 5punk play? ====

We play games most evenings, generally using a set schedule of games during the week and random games as and when they happen using Xfire.

*'''Monday:''' Nothing set
*'''Tuesday:''' [[Call of Duty]]
*'''Wednesday:''' [[Counterstrike| Counter Strike: Source]]
*'''Thursday:''' [[Battlefield 2]]
*'''Friday:''' Co-op Games night
*'''Saturday:''' Nothing set
*'''Sunday:''' Nothing set

====More info about the games we play====

===== [[Battlefield 2]] =====

Our BF2 addiction has been gaining power since release, often getting 8+ players for our scheduled games on thursdays.

We pooled our funds and rented our own ranked BF2 server, which can be found [http://www.game-monitor.com/GameServer/81.19.208.85:16567/5punk.co.uk_-_Get_some_on_you.html Here]

===== [[Call of Duty|Call of Duty: United Offensive]] =====

AAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS CANNON

We use a lot of custom maps which can be downloaded [http://files.hairy-arse.com/CallofDuty/Maps.rar Here]

===== [[Counterstrike| Counter Strike: Source]] =====

omg! hax

===== [[EVE]] =====

One of the most absorbing and involved MMOs around, EVE differs greatly from others in that grind does not increase your skillpoints as training is based purely on time. Grind will earn you isk (in-game currency) and allow you to buy new skills to fly new ships, fit new LASERS!

In-depth details on the game can be found here in [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2305 Wiggy's EVE review]

The 5punk community in EVE is based around the fantastic 5punkorp (think Guild), based on the ideals of bumming, more bumming, freedom and the spirit of fun!

===== [http://www.urbandead.com UrbanDead] =====

Inconspicuous browser based MMORPG set in the zombie apocalypse, easily played at lunch time at work. 5punkers tend to gravitate towards pubs, occasionally organising excursions such as the Malton Pub Crawl in order to bring sunshine to the lives (or undead, as the case may be) of human and zombie alike.

===== [http://www.shartak.com Shartak] =====

A Browser based MMPORG set on a desert island, Featuring Outsiders, Pirates and natives.

Quite similar to Urban dead, likely because the maker was inspired by urbandead.

===== [http://www.atorian.com Atorian] =====

Another inconspicuous browser based game. Set at some point in the future 5punkers in this game are purely self-defensive, but since there's always someone trying to take our planets we never stop fighting.

=== Stuff we run ===

This list is likely to change often, so just check [http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?search=217.112.95.67&type=server Here] for our current servers

[http://www.5punk.co.uk/demo.php Teamspeak server]

[[Radio|5punk Radio]]

'''Battlefield 2''' 81.19.208.85:16567

'''CS:S''' 217.112.95.67:27015

'''Cod:UO''' 217.112.95.67:28960

=== 5punk Slang/Terminology/Memes. ===

*BEEF - Our name for [[Battlefield 2]] (Battlefield 2 > BF2 > BF > BEEF)
*CoD - Our name for the [[Call of Duty]] series (usually referring to Call of Duty: United Offensive)
*HamAndCheese - Our name for [[Main Page#Hamachi|Hamachi]]
*Floorware - Software you've found, often by careless people misplacing CDs.
*Deject's mom - The mother of one of our members, often heard screaming in the background of [[Main Page#Teamspeak|Teamspeak]]. "Werd to your mother!"
*Ninja concerts - Cited as the reason for people avoiding arrangements.
*/me bums - Staple greeting of the Eve players, taken from their gentle (sometimes) in-game sodomy.
*CAEK! - Like cake, but better.
*ZOMG! Pie! - Flaky pastry with a nice filling
*This Is Not A Code - It's not a code. Probably.
*REWENGAY - Like revenge, but generally involves more teabagging.
*Magical Gay Fairy Land - World of Warcraft
*[[Charlie]] - Don't ask
*[[liopleurodon|Chaaaaaarlie]] - Seriously, just don't ask.

=== Apps we use and how to use them. ===

==== Xfire ====
Xfire is an app that acts as an instant messenger with in game support and gives ability to easily join other 5punkers in game any time anywhere.

We also have a list of our xfire usernames and a small app to automatically add everyone

[http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/xfired.php Xfire List]

[http://www.5punk.co.uk/XfireAdd2.exe Auto-Adder]

When signing up at the forum, make sure you add your Xfire username to your forum profile, as this is the core of 5punk, and without Xfire, we wouldn't even be here.

==== Teamspeak ====

Teamspeak is our voice comms medium of choice - given the ease of use, and reasonable licensing terms.

*Server Address: 217.112.95.67:8767
*Server Password: cranberry

==== Hamachi ====

Used to allow us to play older games over the Internet, also allows us to test experimental servers safely and securely.

[http://www.angelfire.com/games5/darkcry/hamachi_eng.htm Basic guide] (placeholder until a 5punk-specific one is made)

If Hamachi is needed for a game, the network to join and password for the network will be posted in the scheduler.

===Site Admins===

'''Woo Elephant Yeah''' - Site Owner/Creator

Often referred to as Wey, or Woo (which can be confusing)
5punk is Wey's Baby, as, oddly enough, is Wey's baby.
He is still amazed at how a simple idea has evolved into this rather active gaming community.

'''Stoat''' - Site Admin

Mustela erminea
Our very own php jedi, Coded the Scheduler and the Discussion board.
Stoat has been there since the birth of 5punk, and without him, we wouldn't have any of the things we have.

'''Dog Pants''' - Site Moderator

After watching his posts for some time, WEY decided to ask Dog Pants to join the 5punk admin team.
Dog Pants has done a wonderful job moderating 5punk's forum, and has helped influence a lot of the recent decisions/suggestions for 5punk.
He can usually be found stumbling around groaning in Urban Dead, or watching Zombie flicks at home.

'''Dr. Kitteny Berk''' - Game Server ([[Bukkake]]) Owner

Quote from WEY:
Abrupt, Rude and quite possibly Obnoxious, Berk speaks his mind and what you see is what you get.
You know where you stand with Berk, and he's the first to admit that. However, without him, 5punk would never have lifted off the ground in the way that it has, and his continuous work, help, time & money has got Bukkake up and running, along with the Shoutcast radio shows as well.
He's the unsung hero, but more a hero without the shiny long blonde hair and chiseled jaw, more of a dark shadowy figure lurking in the corner fixing servers and swearing repeatedly at things whilst snarling.
So to sum up *thinks about words carefully again*, even though Berk can be a bit of a sarcastic foul mouthed bastard, we love him in our very own special way.

==== Others ====

'''Team RO-BO'''

[[user:Roman Totale|Roman Totale]] and [[user:mrbobbins|MrBobbins]]' team from a CS:S Tournament we held.

Probably won, but as survivors are yet to be found we cannot be sure of this.

Widely believed to be the founding partners of the following website: http://www.deagostini.co.uk/ilovehorses/

'''Gunslinger'''

[[user:Gunslinger|Gunslinger]] was Created by RO-BO using old toaster parts, flips out if he sees a bagel.

So horribly, horribly good at all games.

0.001% of his neural processing runs all NASA orbital navigation and communication systems and he is a technical consultant on [http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/R/richardandjudy/ Richard and Judy]

'''Hehulk'''

Massive [http://www.eve-online.com/ EVE] adict. xfire isn't acurate and to date has missed 300 hours of actual play time due to router issues with ports. Was promoted to moderator on the eve forum just because of the sheer number of hours he plays it.

Also plays BEEF and CSS. Tends to cry hax alot when losing

Main Page

2006-08-22T04:52:27Z

Eion: /* 5punk Slang/Terminology/Memes. */

===What is 5punk?===

5punk is a friendly community of gamers based on the ethic of playing for fun hence the title

"5punk - the gaming equivalent of a kickaround in the park"

'''Woo Elephant yeah, the site owner'''

"Well one day I decided it would be a good idea to get like minded 'b3tans' ([http://b3ta.com b3ta]) to all play online games together. Since then there's been no looking back, and 5punk has now turned into an active online gaming community for all ages and types of people.
You do not have to be a member of b3ta to join 5punk, as it's an open gaming community, it's just that b3ta is historically a root for people to come here."

Basically we play for fun, get on well with like minded gamers and have good laugh in the process.

We also run our own [[Bukkake|gameserver]], as this allows us to switch games we host easily depending on what's popular.

====Why 5punk?====

This is at least partly related to the being an offspring of b3ta.com

The use of a number in the place of a letter started with b3ta, but was taken up by 4rthur, 5punk, just as a nod to our roots.

[http://www.b3ta.com/talk/64446 Thread where the name was decided.]

====How do you pronounce 5punk?====

Spunk - a slang term for male ejaculate.
Not five-punk

===Games we often play===

*[[Battlefield 2]]
*[[Counterstrike|Counter Strike: Source]]
*[[Call of Duty| Call of Duty: United Offensive]]
*[[EVE]]
*[[Other Games| List of other games]] - These are less popular games, but still have a following in 5punk

The games we play change reasonably often, and we always try new games but tend to get bored of them pretty quickly if it's nothing special.

However [[Battlefield 2|BF2]], [[Counterstrike| CS:S]], [[Call of Duty|CoD:UO]] and [[EVE]] are our staple games with a strong, and in the case of Eve, militant following (No, really. Those EVE players are nuts).

==== When does 5punk play? ====

We play games most evenings, generally using a set schedule of games during the week and random games as and when they happen using Xfire.

*'''Monday:''' Nothing set
*'''Tuesday:''' [[Call of Duty]]
*'''Wednesday:''' [[Counterstrike| Counter Strike: Source]]
*'''Thursday:''' [[Battlefield 2]]
*'''Friday:''' Co-op Games night
*'''Saturday:''' Nothing set
*'''Sunday:''' Nothing set

====More info about the games we play====

===== [[Battlefield 2]] =====

Our BF2 addiction has been gaining power since release, often getting 8+ players for our scheduled games on thursdays.

We pooled our funds and rented our own ranked BF2 server, which can be found [http://www.game-monitor.com/GameServer/81.19.208.85:16567/5punk.co.uk_-_Get_some_on_you.html Here]

===== [[Call of Duty|Call of Duty: United Offensive]] =====

AAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS CANNON

We use a lot of custom maps which can be downloaded [http://files.hairy-arse.com/CallofDuty/Maps.rar Here]

===== [[Counterstrike| Counter Strike: Source]] =====

omg! hax

===== [[EVE]] =====

One of the most absorbing and involved MMOs around, EVE differs greatly from others in that grind does not increase your skillpoints as training is based purely on time. Grind will earn you isk (in-game currency) and allow you to buy new skills to fly new ships, fit new LASERS!

In-depth details on the game can be found here in [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2305 Wiggy's EVE review]

The 5punk community in EVE is based around the fantastic 5punkorp (think Guild), based on the ideals of bumming, more bumming, freedom and the spirit of fun!

===== [http://www.urbandead.com UrbanDead] =====

Inconspicuous browser based MMORPG set in the zombie apocalypse, easily played at lunch time at work. 5punkers tend to gravitate towards pubs, occasionally organising excursions such as the Malton Pub Crawl in order to bring sunshine to the lives (or undead, as the case may be) of human and zombie alike.

===== [http://www.shartak.com Shartak] =====

A Browser based MMPORG set on a desert island, Featuring Outsiders, Pirates and natives.

Quite similar to Urban dead, likely because the maker was inspired by urbandead.

===== [http://www.atorian.com Atorian] =====

Another inconspicuous browser based game. Set at some point in the future 5punkers in this game are purely self-defensive, but since there's always someone trying to take our planets we never stop fighting.

=== Stuff we run ===

This list is likely to change often, so just check [http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?search=217.112.95.67&type=server Here] for our current servers

[http://www.5punk.co.uk/demo.php Teamspeak server]

[[Radio|5punk Radio]]

'''Battlefield 2''' 81.19.208.85:16567

'''CS:S''' 217.112.95.67:27015

'''Cod:UO''' 217.112.95.67:28960

=== 5punk Slang/Terminology/Memes. ===

*BEEF - Our name for [[Battlefield 2]] (Battlefield 2 > BF2 > BF > BEEF)
*CoD - Our name for the [[Call of Duty]] series (usually referring to Call of Duty: United Offensive)
*HamAndCheese - name for [[Hamachi]]
*Floorware - Software you've found, often by careless people misplacing CDs.
*Deject's mom - The mother of one of our members, often heard screaming in the background of teamspeak. "Werd to your mother!"
*Ninja concerts - Cited as the reason for people avoiding arrangements.
*/me bums - Staple greeting of the Eve players, taken from their gentle (sometimes) in-game sodomy.
*CAEK! - Like cake, but better.
*ZOMG! Pie! - Flaky pastry with a nice filling
*This Is Not A Code - It's not a code. Probably.
*REWENGAY - Like revenge, but generally involves more teabagging.
*Magical Gay Fairy Land - World of Warcraft
*[[Charlie]] - Don't ask
*[[liopleurodon|Chaaaaaarlie]] - Seriously, just don't ask.

=== Apps we use and how to use them. ===

==== Xfire ====
Xfire is an app that acts as an instant messenger with in game support and gives ability to easily join other 5punkers in game any time anywhere.

We also have a list of our xfire usernames and a small app to automatically add everyone

[http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/xfired.php Xfire List]

[http://www.5punk.co.uk/XfireAdd2.exe Auto-Adder]

When signing up at the forum, make sure you add your Xfire username to your forum profile, as this is the core of 5punk, and without Xfire, we wouldn't even be here.

==== Teamspeak ====

Teamspeak is our voice comms medium of choice - given the ease of use, and reasonable licensing terms.

*Server Address: 217.112.95.67:8767
*Server Password: cranberry

==== Hamachi ====

Used to allow us to play older games over the Internet, also allows us to test experimental servers safely and securely.

[http://www.angelfire.com/games5/darkcry/hamachi_eng.htm Basic guide] (placeholder until a 5punk-specific one is made)

If Hamachi is needed for a game, the network to join and password for the network will be posted in the scheduler.

===Site Admins===

'''Woo Elephant Yeah''' - Site Owner/Creator

Often referred to as Wey, or Woo (which can be confusing)
5punk is Wey's Baby, as, oddly enough, is Wey's baby.
He is still amazed at how a simple idea has evolved into this rather active gaming community.

'''Stoat''' - Site Admin

Mustela erminea
Our very own php jedi, Coded the Scheduler and the Discussion board.
Stoat has been there since the birth of 5punk, and without him, we wouldn't have any of the things we have.

'''Dog Pants''' - Site Moderator

After watching his posts for some time, WEY decided to ask Dog Pants to join the 5punk admin team.
Dog Pants has done a wonderful job moderating 5punk's forum, and has helped influence a lot of the recent decisions/suggestions for 5punk.
He can usually be found stumbling around groaning in Urban Dead, or watching Zombie flicks at home.

'''Dr. Kitteny Berk''' - Game Server ([[Bukkake]]) Owner

Quote from WEY:
Abrupt, Rude and quite possibly Obnoxious, Berk speaks his mind and what you see is what you get.
You know where you stand with Berk, and he's the first to admit that. However, without him, 5punk would never have lifted off the ground in the way that it has, and his continuous work, help, time & money has got Bukkake up and running, along with the Shoutcast radio shows as well.
He's the unsung hero, but more a hero without the shiny long blonde hair and chiseled jaw, more of a dark shadowy figure lurking in the corner fixing servers and swearing repeatedly at things whilst snarling.
So to sum up *thinks about words carefully again*, even though Berk can be a bit of a sarcastic foul mouthed bastard, we love him in our very own special way.

==== Others ====

'''Team RO-BO'''

[[user:Roman Totale|Roman Totale]] and [[user:mrbobbins|MrBobbins]]' team from a CS:S Tournament we held.

Probably won, but as survivors are yet to be found we cannot be sure of this.

Widely believed to be the founding partners of the following website: http://www.deagostini.co.uk/ilovehorses/

'''Gunslinger'''

[[user:Gunslinger|Gunslinger]] was Created by RO-BO using old toaster parts, flips out if he sees a bagel.

So horribly, horribly good at all games.

0.001% of his neural processing runs all NASA orbital navigation and communication systems and he is a technical consultant on [http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/R/richardandjudy/ Richard and Judy]

'''Hehulk'''

Massive [http://www.eve-online.com/ EVE] adict. xfire isn't acurate and to date has missed 300 hours of actual play time due to router issues with ports. Was promoted to moderator on the eve forum just because of the sheer number of hours he plays it.

Also plays BEEF and CSS. Tends to cry hax alot when losing

Main Page

2006-08-22T04:51:35Z

Eion: /* 5punk Slang/Terminology/Memes. */

===What is 5punk?===

5punk is a friendly community of gamers based on the ethic of playing for fun hence the title

"5punk - the gaming equivalent of a kickaround in the park"

'''Woo Elephant yeah, the site owner'''

"Well one day I decided it would be a good idea to get like minded 'b3tans' ([http://b3ta.com b3ta]) to all play online games together. Since then there's been no looking back, and 5punk has now turned into an active online gaming community for all ages and types of people.
You do not have to be a member of b3ta to join 5punk, as it's an open gaming community, it's just that b3ta is historically a root for people to come here."

Basically we play for fun, get on well with like minded gamers and have good laugh in the process.

We also run our own [[Bukkake|gameserver]], as this allows us to switch games we host easily depending on what's popular.

====Why 5punk?====

This is at least partly related to the being an offspring of b3ta.com

The use of a number in the place of a letter started with b3ta, but was taken up by 4rthur, 5punk, just as a nod to our roots.

[http://www.b3ta.com/talk/64446 Thread where the name was decided.]

====How do you pronounce 5punk?====

Spunk - a slang term for male ejaculate.
Not five-punk

===Games we often play===

*[[Battlefield 2]]
*[[Counterstrike|Counter Strike: Source]]
*[[Call of Duty| Call of Duty: United Offensive]]
*[[EVE]]
*[[Other Games| List of other games]] - These are less popular games, but still have a following in 5punk

The games we play change reasonably often, and we always try new games but tend to get bored of them pretty quickly if it's nothing special.

However [[Battlefield 2|BF2]], [[Counterstrike| CS:S]], [[Call of Duty|CoD:UO]] and [[EVE]] are our staple games with a strong, and in the case of Eve, militant following (No, really. Those EVE players are nuts).

==== When does 5punk play? ====

We play games most evenings, generally using a set schedule of games during the week and random games as and when they happen using Xfire.

*'''Monday:''' Nothing set
*'''Tuesday:''' [[Call of Duty]]
*'''Wednesday:''' [[Counterstrike| Counter Strike: Source]]
*'''Thursday:''' [[Battlefield 2]]
*'''Friday:''' Co-op Games night
*'''Saturday:''' Nothing set
*'''Sunday:''' Nothing set

====More info about the games we play====

===== [[Battlefield 2]] =====

Our BF2 addiction has been gaining power since release, often getting 8+ players for our scheduled games on thursdays.

We pooled our funds and rented our own ranked BF2 server, which can be found [http://www.game-monitor.com/GameServer/81.19.208.85:16567/5punk.co.uk_-_Get_some_on_you.html Here]

===== [[Call of Duty|Call of Duty: United Offensive]] =====

AAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS CANNON

We use a lot of custom maps which can be downloaded [http://files.hairy-arse.com/CallofDuty/Maps.rar Here]

===== [[Counterstrike| Counter Strike: Source]] =====

omg! hax

===== [[EVE]] =====

One of the most absorbing and involved MMOs around, EVE differs greatly from others in that grind does not increase your skillpoints as training is based purely on time. Grind will earn you isk (in-game currency) and allow you to buy new skills to fly new ships, fit new LASERS!

In-depth details on the game can be found here in [http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2305 Wiggy's EVE review]

The 5punk community in EVE is based around the fantastic 5punkorp (think Guild), based on the ideals of bumming, more bumming, freedom and the spirit of fun!

===== [http://www.urbandead.com UrbanDead] =====

Inconspicuous browser based MMORPG set in the zombie apocalypse, easily played at lunch time at work. 5punkers tend to gravitate towards pubs, occasionally organising excursions such as the Malton Pub Crawl in order to bring sunshine to the lives (or undead, as the case may be) of human and zombie alike.

===== [http://www.shartak.com Shartak] =====

A Browser based MMPORG set on a desert island, Featuring Outsiders, Pirates and natives.

Quite similar to Urban dead, likely because the maker was inspired by urbandead.

===== [http://www.atorian.com Atorian] =====

Another inconspicuous browser based game. Set at some point in the future 5punkers in this game are purely self-defensive, but since there's always someone trying to take our planets we never stop fighting.

=== Stuff we run ===

This list is likely to change often, so just check [http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?search=217.112.95.67&type=server Here] for our current servers

[http://www.5punk.co.uk/demo.php Teamspeak server]

[[Radio|5punk Radio]]

'''Battlefield 2''' 81.19.208.85:16567

'''CS:S''' 217.112.95.67:27015

'''Cod:UO''' 217.112.95.67:28960

=== 5punk Slang/Terminology/Memes. ===

*BEEF - Our name for [[Battlefield 2]] (Battlefield 2 > BF2 > BF > BEEF)
*CoD - Our name for the Call Of Duty series (usually referring to Call of Duty: Untied Offensive)
*HamAndCheese - name for [[Hamachi]]
*Floorware - Software you've found, often by careless people misplacing CDs.
*Deject's mom - The mother of one of our members, often heard screaming in the background of teamspeak. "Werd to your mother!"
*Ninja concerts - Cited as the reason for people avoiding arrangements.
*/me bums - Staple greeting of the Eve players, taken from their gentle (sometimes) in-game sodomy.
*CAEK! - Like cake, but better.
*ZOMG! Pie! - Flaky Pastry with a nice filling
*This Is Not A Code - It's not a code. Probably.
*REWENGAY - Like revenge, but generally involves more teabagging.
*Magical Gay Fairy Land - World of Warcraft
*[[Charlie]] - Don't ask
*[[liopleurodon|Chaaaaaarlie]] - Seriously, just don't ask.

=== Apps we use and how to use them. ===

==== Xfire ====
Xfire is an app that acts as an instant messenger with in game support and gives ability to easily join other 5punkers in game any time anywhere.

We also have a list of our xfire usernames and a small app to automatically add everyone

[http://www.5punk.co.uk/phpbb/xfired.php Xfire List]

[http://www.5punk.co.uk/XfireAdd2.exe Auto-Adder]

When signing up at the forum, make sure you add your Xfire username to your forum profile, as this is the core of 5punk, and without Xfire, we wouldn't even be here.

==== Teamspeak ====

Teamspeak is our voice comms medium of choice - given the ease of use, and reasonable licensing terms.

*Server Address: 217.112.95.67:8767
*Server Password: cranberry

==== Hamachi ====

Used to allow us to play older games over the Internet, also allows us to test experimental servers safely and securely.

[http://www.angelfire.com/games5/darkcry/hamachi_eng.htm Basic guide] (placeholder until a 5punk-specific one is made)

If Hamachi is needed for a game, the network to join and password for the network will be posted in the scheduler.

===Site Admins===

'''Woo Elephant Yeah''' - Site Owner/Creator

Often referred to as Wey, or Woo (which can be confusing)
5punk is Wey's Baby, as, oddly enough, is Wey's baby.
He is still amazed at how a simple idea has evolved into this rather active gaming community.

'''Stoat''' - Site Admin

Mustela erminea
Our very own php jedi, Coded the Scheduler and the Discussion board.
Stoat has been there since the birth of 5punk, and without him, we wouldn't have any of the things we have.

'''Dog Pants''' - Site Moderator

After watching his posts for some time, WEY decided to ask Dog Pants to join the 5punk admin team.
Dog Pants has done a wonderful job moderating 5punk's forum, and has helped influence a lot of the recent decisions/suggestions for 5punk.
He can usually be found stumbling around groaning in Urban Dead, or watching Zombie flicks at home.

'''Dr. Kitteny Berk''' - Game Server ([[Bukkake]]) Owner

Quote from WEY:
Abrupt, Rude and quite possibly Obnoxious, Berk speaks his mind and what you see is what you get.
You know where you stand with Berk, and he's the first to admit that. However, without him, 5punk would never have lifted off the ground in the way that it has, and his continuous work, help, time & money has got Bukkake up and running, along with the Shoutcast radio shows as well.
He's the unsung hero, but more a hero without the shiny long blonde hair and chiseled jaw, more of a dark shadowy figure lurking in the corner fixing servers and swearing repeatedly at things whilst snarling.
So to sum up *thinks about words carefully again*, even though Berk can be a bit of a sarcastic foul mouthed bastard, we love him in our very own special way.

==== Others ====

'''Team RO-BO'''

[[user:Roman Totale|Roman Totale]] and [[user:mrbobbins|MrBobbins]]' team from a CS:S Tournament we held.

Probably won, but as survivors are yet to be found we cannot be sure of this.

Widely believed to be the founding partners of the following website: http://www.deagostini.co.uk/ilovehorses/

'''Gunslinger'''

[[user:Gunslinger|Gunslinger]] was Created by RO-BO using old toaster parts, flips out if he sees a bagel.

So horribly, horribly good at all games.

0.001% of his neural processing runs all NASA orbital navigation and communication systems and he is a technical consultant on [http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/R/richardandjudy/ Richard and Judy]

'''Hehulk'''

Massive [http://www.eve-online.com/ EVE] adict. xfire isn't acurate and to date has missed 300 hours of actual play time due to router issues with ports. Was promoted to moderator on the eve forum just because of the sheer number of hours he plays it.

Also plays BEEF and CSS. Tends to cry hax alot when losing

EVE

2006-08-22T04:39:04Z

Eion: /* Players with this game */

[[Category:Games]]

[[Image:Kanamara-matsuri-02.jpg|thumb|right|160px|Every Eve player's favourite activity]]

==The Basics==

==The Juicy Bits==

==The Crusty Bits==

==Conclusion==

==External Links==

==Players with this game==

A bunch of lazy bastards who are too busy to sort their wiki page, unlike everyone else.

EVE

2006-08-22T04:36:08Z

Eion:

File:Kanamara-matsuri-02.jpg

2006-08-22T04:35:13Z

Eion: