WinDrivers Reunion Thread (for members around 10+ years)

To all my old friends, if any of you are still kicking pixels around, that is...

As best I can tell it's been about 9 years since I posted here last. Can't remember the last time I needed to find a driver now that Windows 7 and 8 have made that excercise pretty much obsolete. Back in the days when Scott still owned and ran the site, long before it was bought up and re-swallowed up by multinational conglomerate media companies... My email has changed but I managed to remember my old password. I moved on to many new and wonderful things, but it was great to do a search for some of my old threads and good times had here, and many hours helping complete strangers make their lives just a bit easier.

One of the threads I came across was the Team WinDrivers United Devices distributed computing project. UD is now long gone, and I had forgotten all about that, and many other threads here!

The best WinDrivers memory was a thread I started which somehow turned into some weird inuendo, so I deleted the whole thread out of disgust; which I was able to do as the topic starter. That sure caused a ruckus!

What about you? Since I last logged on I've changed jobs, had two kids now ages 8 and 5, and have another kid due in just a few weeks! Time really is fleeting.

Wow! Good to see an old timer like yourself show up again after such a long hiatus. And also great to see that avatar of your's again.

Things have definitely slowed down in these parts. Like you said, just not much of a demand for chasing down obsolete drivers anymore. Having said that, I still have a Win98SE system that I use as a printer server for my legacy HP LaserJet II printer and Umax scanner; both use the old parallel interface. None of my newer systems even has a parallel interface.

Anyway, good to hear that you're Still Alive and Well!

How time flies when you are having fun.
Hi Macgyver.
Not too sure if I qualify but I joined a long time ago.
I was more in the chat and actually still am.
Still lots of people who need help with spyware and such.
Has to be well over 12/13 years i been around

Hey MacGyver. I joined in 2002. I check in every couple of days. Seems to be a few die hard people. very few new people asking for help. Good to hear from you.

Welcome back MacGyver, glad to hear you are doing well. The kids will keep you busy for sure. As stated above, things have changed and I guess the people are more informed as the questions are fewer.

Many of us have moved to another place. That place has been booming for a while, now it's kinda slow too...
I only come here once in a blue moon to see if the plug has been pulled on this site...

I think I was here once too.

Hmmm... I think I was a member for 10+ years...let me think about that...

I've been here once or twice.

Memories: Launching the original WOTPP and seeing the ensuing fallout. The Charmin' Rant. Mintrap.

Honestly, I'm surprised this site is still going.

I joined October 2005.. almost 10..

I haven't had to post many questions, 'cause they've been asked and answered in the forum.

I'd like to ask ferrit about his fx 8350 rig. I'm about to buy a new system, and that's the direction I'm leaning, due to virtualization I want to use. But, I can't find the proper place to discuss this in the forum.

Good to see this place is still here.

What would you like to know about it?
I would be happy to answer questions or queries

Thanks Ferrit.

I'm preparing to buy/build a new computer, and I want a desktop that will do everything.
Virtualization that is capable of running anything in a VM at or near native speeds.
From what I have gathered from a bunch of googling is that the system you have set up will do that, with the right software.

But, there are others that say that the AMD FX is too power hungry, runs hot, and all that. You know, "the i7 is better even with less cores, due to its the single-threaded speed." The i5 is closer in price, but I don't know.

Have you run into any problems or have issues that would cause you to rethink your choices.

I've seen good reviews on the Gigabyte 990XA. Does Gigabyte do it better? or are all the 990XA MBs about the same?

I may or may not get an SSD at this time, or will I kick myself If you don't get one, or two.

I see you have 1600 ram. At 32 Gigs, going up to higher speed would probably not be worth the additional cost? right?

The 7770 is a good card and supports passthrough, steam, et al.
Would upgrading to the R7 or R9 be a worthy upgrade?

I might go a little bigger on the power supply in case I would want another video card.

Back to the processor. You know heat is the enemy of all electronics. I'm concerned it's lifespan will be shortened.

Thoughts?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Deadeye901

Thanks Ferrit.

I'm preparing to buy/build a new computer, and I want a desktop that will do everything.
Virtualization that is capable of running anything in a VM at or near native speeds.
From what I have gathered from a bunch of googling is that the system you have set up will do that, with the right software.

But, there are others that say that the AMD FX is too power hungry, runs hot, and all that. You know, "the i7 is better even with less cores, due to its the single-threaded speed." The i5 is closer in price, but I don't know.

Well too hot and power hungry, now that's pretty funny. I have twin Sapphire HD 7770's and that FX cpu and a 1 TB drive for Storage and a 240 gig SSD
and its all running on that Enermax 650 without issue and at around 37C at idle and 42/44 playing an intensive game so I dont know where all this noise about overheating is coming from. Likely people who use the stock cooler and cheapskate cases with no ventilation. Mine is a vantec gamer case.

Have you run into any problems or have issues that would cause you to rethink your choices.

Mine runs 24/7 and has done since day 1 and I wouldnt change a thing. It is a completely reliable system.
As for the virtualization, I had no trouble installing Hyper-V and running all kinds of OS's in that space and I saw no speed issues.


I've seen good reviews on the Gigabyte 990XA. Does Gigabyte do it better? or are all the 990XA MBs about the same?
Gigabyte in my opinion builds the number one board in the world for AMD. its flawless for install and has never given me a stitch of trouble.
The Bios program updates the bios very well and I have never had a single issue with it. I always have the latest bios :)


I may or may not get an SSD at this time, or will I kick myself If you don't get one, or two.
Do not miss getting a SSD, there is no relaying to you what it looks like when a system boots in like 14 seconds to a completed desktop.
Ready to run anything. Its freaking awesome and you can run win 8 or 7 on 120 gigs easy, just store big stuff on something else

I see you have 1600 ram. At 32 Gigs, going up to higher speed would probably not be worth the additional cost? right?

The 7770 is a good card and supports passthrough, steam, et al.
Would upgrading to the R7 or R9 be a worthy upgrade?

I might go a little bigger on the power supply in case I would want another video card.
Heh as I said I have dual 7770';s

Back to the processor. You know heat is the enemy of all electronics. I'm concerned it's lifespan will be shortened.

Thoughts?

---

Ferrit

Ok, Great.

Thanks

Hey MacGyver! It has been a long time since I checked in here...and to tell you the truth, it was with a view to cleaning out my "favorites/bookmarks" file!

In my early days, I got so much help here, but the best part was the pure fun of the lounge. What I wouldn't give to see some of those old, hilarious threads! [I remember once replying to one of your threads that we had spies masquerading as cows in Wisconsin, protecting us from a Canadian naval invasion.]

Tech has changed, no doubt. Not only the problems or issues encountered, but the means to solve them have changed, too.

Still, there was that golden age when this board was the insider's secret weapon for dealing with arcane issues. And the lounge was at times one of the most busy, drama filled, and funniest out there.

Take care, you old tech geezers!

Len

Just browsing my old bookmarks and came upon windrivers forum. Wow, it has been a long time! So many hours reading the boards.