Category Archives: Games

New Gaming Setup So Powa~

I decided I deserved a new gaming setup.  One that would be completely and utterly over the top.  So here’s what I ordered:

Maingear Shift SuperStock configured with:

  • Intel Core i7 3960X Six-Core 3.3GHz SandyBridge-E CPU
  • 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR-1866 RAM (8x4GB)
  • 3x AMD Radeon HD 7970 3GB cards in CrossFire
  • 1500W Silverstone Strider PSU
  • 3x 480GB Corsair Force GT SSD SATA 6G (in RAID-5)
  • 1x 3.0TB Western Digital Caviar Green 5400RPM Drive
  • LSI MegaRAID SATA/SAS 9260-8i 512MB 8 port RAID card
  • 12x LG SuperMulti Blu-Ray Burner

And this monster will be driving 3x NEC MultiSync PA301w flat panels in portrait mode with EyeFinity.  This will amount to 5120×2560 resolution, more or less.

I’ve got the monitors already and hooked up to my old PC, but it can’t really handle it (I get a lot of micro-stuttering, have to turn anti-aliasing completely off, etc.).

So I can’t wait to get the new PC and have a go!  Should be ready in a week or so…

Half-Life 2

Just finished playing Half-Life 2. It was awesome: everything I had hoped it would be. The graphics were out of this world and the physics were mind-blowing. Everything in the game world being interactive was a real change. The puzzles were straightforward (which I like in an action game) yet fun. There were great "themed" levels where you use one particular weapon or ability a bunch.

The one downside was that the story felt a bit clipped. It seemed like it started in the middle, which isn’t so odd, but that it also ended in the middle. Loose ends were not tied up and it wasn’t at all clear at the end of the game exactly what I’d accomplished in terms of world-saving.

Oh well. The rest of the game was good enough to make up for this for me and, hey — it gives them plenty material for a Half-Life 3.