Hello, hello!
Welcome to my new website! I've decided to make one as I've noticed my peers doing the same, but I wonder how long mine one will last. Here, I'll post articles on things I found particularly interesting, or any projects that I have, and I'll try to keep the website updated fairly frequently.
Just as a forewarning though, I'd just like say that the website is very poorly coded, so if it doesn't display properly for you, ESPECIALLY if you're on a mobile device, then I'm sorry. I tried a little to make it work.
Without further a do, I'm just going to dedicate the rest of this page to talk about myself. Here's a little bit about myself:
- I'm a massive nerd for computers and anything old.
- I program (poorly) for fun.
- I like gaming.
- I enjoy doing a bit of gardening (just a beginner, though).
- I enjoy the company of my dog.
Scroll down a little further, and discover more, if you so wish.
My Computer Collection
While I'd love to have a biggol computer collection, sadly there isn't much room for one. But, if you're so much as interested, here's all the computers that are worth mentioning right now:
My Main Rig: Vixen
My main rig is a great machine, which has been upgraded a couple of times since I got it. I do most of my work on it. Here are the specs:
| COMPONENT | NAME |
|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 5700X @ 3.4GHz |
| GPU | AMD Radeon 6500 XT |
| RAM | 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR4 @ 3200MHz |
| BOOT DRIVE | WD Green 1TB M.2 SSD |
| SECONDARY DRIVE | 1TB Seagate Barracuda Hard Drive |
| OPERATING SYSTEM | Windows 10 LTSC IoT, Manjaro |
I got this computer as a pre-built from Scan Computers, and have had no issues with it. The only main issue that I can think of is the fact that the computer got very heavily delayed, but that's all down to COVID-19 and the fact that many computer parts were out of stock. And a shipping delay doesn't really affect the computer's performance, so it's nothing.
Regardless, the CPU, GPU, RAM and boot drive have all been upgraded as the time went by to make for a faster machine (and all the parts were also bought from Scan). I'd also like to eventually get rid of Windows, however there are some things that stop me from making the switch fully just yet.
My MacBook Air: Bengal
This is the first Mac I've ever owned, and it's quite an amazing machine. I love the portability, and I've grown to love macOS, even though it sometimes does things in really weird ways.
| COMPONENT | NAME |
|---|---|
| CPU | Apple M1 |
| GPU | Integrated |
| RAM | 8GB |
| BOOT DRIVE | 256GB SSD |
| OPERATING SYSTEM | macOS Sequoia (will consider Asahi Linux when it gets more support) |
It's gone to the point where I'm even considering potentially getting another, more powerful Mac machine. I find the 8 gigabytes very limiting now and seeing as how every model starts at 16GB now, it seems to be a pretty good time to get into a newer one.
I should also have mentioned I managed to also get it brand new for £499 when they would have gone for the £1,000 at the time. Very happy with the deal!
My Compaq Armada 6500MT: Dodger
This is a dinosaur I rescued from a charity shop for £12. It's a beautiful machine which took a little bit of elbow grease to get back to working order, but since has been a beautiful machine to work with. An article about it is coming soon. Here are the specs:
| COMPONENT | NAME |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Pentium MMX @ 150MHz |
| GPU | S3 Aurora 64V+ |
| RAM | 64MB |
| BOOT DRIVE | 4GB HDD |
| REMOVABLE DRIVES | Choice between floppy disk drive and CD drive. |
| PCMCIA CARD | USB 2.0 card |
| OPERATING SYSTEM | Windows 98 SE |
Sadly, the GPU doesn't have 3D acceleration, meaning that you can't really do much 3D gaming on it. DOOM runs great, however Half-Life does not. Always, and I do mean always very funny to bring it to any local CeX and get the price assessed, or bring it to a local computer repair store and ask for a battery replacement.
My Main Server: Fennec
Fennec is the product of my old computer parts being Frankensteined together to make something useful. Inferno was originally the NAS that I usec around the home to store all my files, however has since grown to do a LOT more around the home. An article will probably be written about it eventually on this website.
| COMPONENT | NAME |
|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 3400G @ 3.7GHz |
| GPU | Integrated |
| RAM | 16GB Corsair Vengeance DDR4 @ 3000MHz |
| BOOT DRIVE | WD Green 256GB M.2 SSD |
| SECONDARY DRIVE | 3TB WD Red NAS Hard Drive |
| TERTIARY DRIVE | 750GB Seagate Hard Drive |
| OPERATING SYSTEM | Proxmox |
Building and tinkering Fennec has been very educational, and I've learnt a lot!
Other Likes
Here's a small list of things that I like. I'm very vanilla, but that's alright. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion.
Music
Here's a couple of favourite artists that I personally like, alongside my favourite album or track from them.
- Glass Animals - How to Be a Human Being
- Caravan Palace - Gangbusters Melody Club
- Bakermat - From a Bakermat Point of View
I generally don't deviate from the tracks I like, but do occasionally have all the different stations on Apple Music playing to maybe find something new.
I do my listening on Winamp, Apple Music (using Cider) and on a trusty ol' iPod classic.
Films and TV
I don't really watch a lot of films and TV, but here's currently my three favourite TV shows.
- Breaking Bad
- The Owl House
- Inside Job
As for films:
- Hackers (1995)
- Casino Royale
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
Food
I've got a lot of food that I really like, so it's hard to pick only three.
- Spaghetti
- Meat Lovers pizza
- Pierogi
Games
Games are fun. I consider myself a big gamer. Again, another hard choice right now, so here some of the three.
- Fortnite
- Team Fortress 2
- RimWorld
Other close runner-ups are definitely OneShot, Endling - Extinction is Forever and Black Mesa.
And hey! Speaking of games, I'm probably going to be writing reviews for some that I play or have played in the past on this website. Keep an eye out!